Magnolia Pub and Brewery Restaurant Review

Magnolia Pub and Brewery has been on my "restaurants to try" list for a while now, and I just had an excuse to go there the other day finally. I've had some of their beers before at beer fests and restaurants, so it was great to finally try some from the source.

Plow Restaurant Review

Plow is arguably one of the best brunch spots in San Francisco and it's relatively close to B's apartment, so we've been there quite a few times. It's a fairly small restaurant, and on the weekends the wait can be an hour or more. However, the food is delicious, and totally worth the wait. Here are a few of my favorite dishes, keep in mind that they do change some of the menu items regularly so not all of these are on the menu all of the time.

Similar to Piccino, Plow has counter seating right in front of their tiny kitchen so it's great fun watching them make your food. Or, it just makes you hungrier! I think we've only had a table seat once, so if it's just you or one other person, you'll probably sit at the counter.

The Plow - Comes with 2 eggs cooked however you'd like, choice of meat (I always get their house made pork sausage), 2 lemon ricotta pancakes, and crispy potatoes. This is one of the staple Plow dishes, they always have this on the menu, great dish to get your first time you go. It includes a little of everything and gives you a chance to try some of their best items all in one dish.

Piccino Restaurant Review

This is a special restaurant review because it's for one of my all time, (if not my absolute) favorite restaurants in San Francisco. I recommend anyone visit it because they are a very seasonal restaurant, using produce that's in season, and they change the menu everyday. I'm including in this post all of the photos, so far, of the food I've had.

I think one of the great things about Piccino is that if you don't have reservations, they usually have a seat at their counter bar seats, which are right in front of the kitchen, so you can watch them making your food. I find the counter seats are usually where I want to be sitting. They have regular tables, but I find them to be a little too dark at night for photos!

Another great thing is that they have a smaller cafe, where you can order coffee, or pizzas and sandwiches to go. It's right next to the main restaurant, so you can pop in there to grab lunch to go. I want to mention that unless you're getting a dinner second course dish, most of these are too small on their own, and you'll want to get a few menu items to share. Even if you get pizza, get about one for each person unless you're getting a bunch of other menu items. We usually just go through the menu that day and pick 3-4 menu items we want and share everything. They're very good about bringing extra clean  plates for each course.

Salads:

Pear, Pecan, and Blue Cheese Salad

My 2nd SactoMoFo

You may remember a past post about Sacto MoFo explaining that it's a food truck get-together in Downtown Sacramento that they put on during the summer. Well, I went to a second one, and finally got to bring B. We tried some delicious food and here is what we tried. We tried foods from Volkswaffle, Red Truck, Star Ginger, and Chairman Bao.

First, was a waffle from Volkswaffle. We got strawberries and whipped cream on ours, and it was a delicious sweet treat to start off our food truck testing.

Off the Grid and Super Duper Burger

B and I decided to go get some lunch at Off the Grid food trucks, then go hiking at Mt. Tamalpais. I decided on one of my favorites, Koja Kitchen, and got the Kamikaze Combo which consists of your choice of Koja, and the Kamikaze Fries. I chose BBQ Short Rib Koja with added pineapple. Sorry the lighting is so bad on these photos, I was in a tent that made all the light orange. 

Monterey Trip with Mom - Day 1

My mom had some time off, and we haven't done a vacation together in a while. We decided to go to our family favorite, Monterey, CA and spend a couple days hiking and eating! We stayed at the Sunset Inn in Pacific Grove. We'd never stayed here before, but it was very nice and a reasonable price. We like staying in Pacific Grove because it's cheaper than Monterey, and most hotels there are close enough to the beach to walk there, and there's a nice trail to walk along the ocean. We were doing this whole vacation on a budget of $500 for the 2 of us, for 3 days and 2 nights. That included gas, food, things to do, and hotel. We ended up making it just under budget.


We got into town, and started looking for a place for lunch. I had gotten some restaurant recommendations from a friend who lives there, so we had lunch at one of the recommendations; Vivolo's Chowder House.


I decided I had to order some type of seafood, since it is Monterey. I finally decided on the fish and chips, which was an excellent choice! The fish was perfectly fried, and the tartar sauce that came with it was delicious and tangy, and went great with the fish and even the fries. 

My mom ordered their famous clam chowder bowl, and she said it was good, but not the best she'd ever had.

After going to the hotel to check in, we went out to dinner at another recommendation I had, which was Peter B's Brewpub. We had a heck of a time trying to find this place, but if you go through the hotel lobby that's there, it's behind that tucked away behind some trees. You can't see it from the street. We were told about their famous Fried Artichoke Hearts, which we knew we had to order. We also got a Raspberry Wheat beer, which was very good. As we're ordering, we find out they ran out of the artichoke hearts, and they had only been open an hour or two. We couldn't believe they hadn't thought this through and gotten more artichoke hearts for the night, as they were in season. 

So we decided on all appetizers, since it was happy hour and appetizers were cheap. We got the fried calamari...

The nachos...

And the buffalo wings...

Honestly, this meal wasn't that memorable. I don't care too much for calamari, and that was mostly for my mom. The nachos weren't that great either. The wings were my favorite of all the things we ordered. Maybe, we should have stuck with entrees instead of appetizers, because these were mostly just ordinary and kind of boring. I was worried that my favorite meal would be the fish and chips by the end of the trip, but luckily we went to a delicious restaurant the next day...

Napa Birthday Trip, Day 2

Day 2 of the birthday trip! So I forgot to mention the wineries we tried day 1, so I'll mention them here. Day 1 was Castello di Amorosa (which is actually owned and built by V. Sattui Winery which was on the agenda for day 2). The castle was very cool, and we opted to do the tour and wine tasting at the end. I just couldn't say no to a tour of a castle, I'm sorry. The tour was very cool and I highly recommend. The wine tasting at the end was very good as well. Even though we were only supposed to have 5 tastes, he was very nice to just pour less of each and give us pretty much whatever we wanted to try. I appreciate that when wine tasting, because if they're stingy with the wine, I'm less likely to find something I really like and less likely to buy something. 

I'm also going to mention that many of the wineries in Napa, and other wine areas have 2 for 1 tasting coupons, or 2 for 1 tour coupons. This was really nice for B and I because we saved a lot of money on the wine tasting itself by using these. They have them right on their websites, and every winery I've encountered has done the discount if I just mention it, or show them on my phone. No need to print it out. Which made it one less thing to forget about doing before we left.

I will preface my selection of my favorite wines from the castle by saying I do prefer white wines and especially sweeter wines, B tends to like reds. But, if we find a white or a red we both really like, we tend to buy it. I love wineries that can make a red I like, those are the kind of wineries I like. We both like Gewürztraminers and theirs at the castle was delicious, and their dry version as well. I ended up buying the Gewürztraminer, the Simpatica and their grape juice. Now, I don't know if you've ever tried grape juice from a winery, but if their wine is good, their grape juice will probably be the best grape juice you've ever tried! I highly recommend taking a taste if a winery offers it on their tasting menu. It may be expensive, but I bought two bottles of grape juice on this trip.

We decided to forgo breakfast out, and instead ate our continental breakfast at the hotel, because there were make your own waffles. And duh...we ate that. The next winery we tried on day 2 was Sterling Vineyards. They had a tram you took to the actual winery, and there were beautiful views of the Napa Valley, but their wine was unimpressive. We tasted, we enjoyed the view, but we didn't buy any wine there.

The next winery was V. Sattui. Now, I know of this winery in kind of a weird way. And you may have heard of it yourself, because I would say it's one of the top wineries in Napa wine country. Anyways, I know of it because I used to go hiking a lot, and whenever we went to a place near this winery, we would stop into their food shop/cheese shop they have there, and get a picnic lunch for the hike. Their cream cheese artichoke dip and a loaf of bread is a necessity if you're ever in there. They have all kinds of sandwiches, cheeses, samples, jams, and all the knick knacks you could ever want. So day 1 we got lunch here, but day 2 was for wine tasting! V. Sattui is now up there with my other favorite winery, South Coast. They are both wineries, where I could walk in, spin around, pick up a bottle of wine, and it would be delicious. 

Everything I tried at V. Sattui was delicious, and I wanted to take it all home. It took quite a bit of time to decide what I wanted to buy, but I finally decided on the Moscato, Gamay Rouge, their Gamay Rouge grape juice, and my splurge item was the Madeira. I had to pick one expensive dessert wine, and I almost couldn't decide between the Madeira and the Angelica, which is wine fortified with brandy. Also, their port is wonderful. I'm thinking of just joining the wine club at V. Sattui and South Coast and just be a happy girl forever.

After the wine, we were finally hungry enough to go get some lunch, at Gott's Roadside. We were trying to save as much room as possible for other meals in the day, so we just ordered one meal and split it. First, we tried the Dulce de Leche milkshake, which they happily split into two containers for us. It was delicious, and I could see myself wanting to try all their milkshake flavors, if and when I go back. I should mention they have other locations other than just Napa, including San Francisco.

We decided on the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, because we tend to like those wherever we go. I was surprised to see it grilled, because a spicy chicken is usually fried. It was very flavorful, and even better after I started pouring ranch on it : D

Their fries were perfect, and their ranch was very good. If a place has good ranch for my fries, I'm happy.

Then we headed out Mumm Napa, which is all sparkling wine. The tasting part was nice, they bring the wine to you, while you sit comfortably on their patio with winery views. What we tried was just their main tasting selection, and he gave us a few others to taste. We liked it overall, but once again didn't buy anything. Sorry, you have to really impress me, to buy a bottle. Life shouldn't be wasted on mediocre bottles of wine.

Next, we went over to the Bouchon Bakery. I'm not rich enough to enjoy a meal at the world famous French Laundry restaurant, but by golly I can enjoy a delicious pastry at the chef, Thomas Keller's bakery! B got an eclair, which he devoured before I got a photo, and I ordered a couple macaroons and a ho-ho. The ho-ho was light and creamy, and I really enjoyed it.

The macaroons were delightful. They were my first macaroons, and very good. I got a pistachio, caramel, vanilla, and an espresso. They were sort of how I imagined the perfect macaroon would be, without really knowing it. I have no idea if that makes sense, but they were just light and airy, crunchy at the first bite, the filling were creamy and tasted of quality ingredients.

We had some time to kill before our reservations at our dinner restaurant, Solbar. It's a Michelin Star restaurant and fairly inexpensive, so we had to go. It was way farther out of the way than we anticipated, and kind of in the middle of nowhere. But, we got there and realized we weren't quite hungry enough for a full dinner, so we sat in the lounge and ordered some appetizers, before heading back home. They've changed the menu since, but we ordered the Solbar Fries for starters, and it had a wonderful lime aioli to dip the fries into.

The next thing we decided on were the Korean Wings (which are also no longer on the menu). I wasn't thrilled with these, I think I was expecting something else, and for them to actually be spicy. They weren't spicy, and were more vinegary and sweet than I wanted in a wing.

The last thing we ordered were the Bacon-Cheddar Sliders with 10 hour caramelized onions. These were good, and the onions were delicious. But, I think we were a little too full to fully enjoy this meal. We got through it, but I think both of us could have gone without. 

Overall, the trip was a success, I came home with several bottles of wine, a full belly, and great memories. Cue the, awww. Anyways, B and I both had a lot of fun, discovered more wine we like, and I had a great birthday. Can't wait for number 24...there will definitely be more wine!

Bistro 33 Happy Hour

I had never checked out Bistro 33, until I noticed they had a wonderful looking Happy Hour appetizer menu. Everything is $4 each, and each menu item looked interesting and original. So, B and I ventured there for Happy Hour and we tried almost all the non-fish items (B doesn't like fish). I loved the presentation of the dishes, they were all very clean, and photographable, lol. The first thing we ordered were the Mini BBQ Pork Sliders and the Chicken Wings. The sliders were very tender and the wings were quite delicious. 

Mini BBQ Pork Sliders 

Chicken Wings

The next appetizers we ordered were the Bistro Corn Dogs and the Taco Spring Rolls. We didn't care too much for the corn dogs, they weren't crispy and the sauces were just OK. I was surprised by the spring rolls, I wasn't really sure what to expect when we ordered them, but they were crispy, and the avocado cream sauce that was served with them was a perfect addition.

Mini Corn Dogs 

Taco Spring Rolls

Finally, we ordered 2 Kobe Sliders, one for each of us. I had a good feeling about it, and we didn't really want to share! It was the highlight of all the items! It was buttery, and the goat cheese was tangy and a perfect complement to the burger. The fried onions added a much needed crunch, and the baby greens were the right veggie for it. I highly recommend this appetizer, it is a must-try!

We had a great time eating our way through their Happy Hour appetizer menu, and for $4 each, it's hard to beat. You can try a bunch of different dishes, and get a drink and it won't break the wallet. I've already decided to go back with my mom to try all the wonderful looking fish appetizers. If you haven't been to Bistro 33, check it out! Especially for Happy Hour!

Relish Burger Bar

I randomly decided to try this restaurant in El Dorado Hills, after seeing a glowing Yelp review. I had decided to try the Trio of American Kobe Sliders and a side of garlic fries. The burgers were each topped with different combinations, and I honestly couldn't decide where to start! The first one had a red onion marmalade, the second was roasted peppers with goat cheese, and the last was blue cheese and bacon. Surprisingly, I liked the bacon one the least, but they were all juicy and very delicious combos of flavors. The fries were ho hum, and I didn't finish them. But it looks like a great place to go late at night, maybe get a drink and get some tasty bar food. They have a happy hour special with some appetizers half off, and I'll have to go back and try all of those. Overall, I would come here again!

Cheddar and Bacon Potato Salad

I decided to make this yesterday to take to work for my lunch. I've never made potato salad before, and this turned out pretty good! I actually liked the taste of it better when I just made it, as opposed to later after it had been in the fridge. But it was still pretty tasty!

Here's the recipe adapted from the Divine Dinner Party

Prep Time: 20 min | Cooking Time: 25 min | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: 4


Ingredients:
4 medium Potatoes
½ tsp Seasoning Salt
7 slices Bacon, cooked crisp, drained, crumbled
4 Green Onions, sliced
1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
8 Oz. Sour Cream
½ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
⅓ C. Mayonnaise
½ tsp Garlic Salt
1 tsp Prepared Mustard


Directions:
1. Boil potatoes until perfectly tender. Drain and allow to cool to warm-- they shouldn't be hot enough to melt the cheese.

2. Peel (if desired-- I like to leave the peel on) and cube potatoes and place in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with seasoning salt. Mix gently.

3. In a separate bowl whisk together the sour cream, pepper, mayo, garlic salt, and mustard.

4. Add bacon, onion, and cheese to the potatoes. Mix gently. Stir in the dressing mixture.

5. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Thai Paradise

I've been to Thai Paradise before, only once, but remembered it was good and the Thai Iced Teas were really good. B and I decided to try it when he came over this weekend. We both got Thai iced teas, and I got the Spicy Fried Rice w/ chicken, and he got the Spicy Curry Noodles w/ chicken. I love that their Thai iced teas come with refills, but you have to ask, they don't really just refill it. My fried rice was really really spicy, but so good! I kept biting into these little pieces of soft, roasted garlic that made each bite so delicious! Definitely not a dish for those who can't handle hot food. I didn't get a chance to try B's dish, but he said it wasn't as spicy as mine, and just more of a curry flavor. Here's what we ate!

Thai Iced Tea 

Spicy Fried Rice

Spicy Curry Noodles

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

My mom has been out of town for a week, and left me some money to get food to feed my dad and me. The food that I made will be my topic for the next few posts. I bought a rotisserie chicken to use for this sandwich and then the next post. I love using a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking a chicken myself, because it's so much easier and tastier. So, I made chicken salad sandwiches with some of the rotisserie chicken. Check it out!

Here's the chicken salad mixture...

...and the chicken salad in sandwich form!

Here's the recipe adapted from the Food Network Magazine.


Prep Time: 20 min | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: 3-4 sandwiches


Ingredients:
1 cup Chopped Rotisserie Chicken, skin removed
¼ cup Diced Celery
2 ⅔ Tbsp Diced Carrot
2 ⅔ Tbsp Diced Red Onion
¼ cup Mayonnaise With Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Yellow Mustard
½ tsp Celery Salt
½ tsp Granulated Garlic
Pinch Of Paprika
Freshly Ground Pepper
3-4 Kaiser rolls, split and toasted
Lettuce And Tomato, for topping


Directions:
1. Combine the chicken, celery, carrot, red onion, mayonnaise, mustard, celery salt, granulated garlic, paprika and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Mix until combined.


2. Serve the chicken salad on the toasted rolls with lettuce and tomato.

Freshii Restaurant and Gobi Butter Masala with Chicken

B and I had a day together today, and thus went to try a new restaurant. I got a recommendation for Freshii from a co-worker, and so looked up the menu and ventured out there. It's a make-it-yourself kind of place, and you walk in a grab a clipboard with a pencil and a menu paper to write your selections on. They have a pre-made menu with items you can just write down and order, or you can make your own salad, wrap, bowl, or soup. You add the veggies and protein you want, along with toppings and sauce or dressing. Then they make your order that's made just for you. 


I had a spicy peanut noodle salad type deal, with rice noodles, cucumbers, wontons, carrots, mandarin oranges, edamame, grilled chicken, and spicy peanut sauce. It comes in a take out container, which was nice because I couldn't finish mine! B had a classic wrap and added sriracha to it, and his was really tasty! I think I liked his better than mine! But this is definitely on my list of places to grab food during my lunch break at work. Here's what I got...

So, then when B and I got back to my place, I started making dinner. Dinner consisted of cauliflower and chicken masala with rice and naan bread. I found this recipe on my favorite new way to procrastinate, Pinterest. I added chicken just to add another flavor, but could easily be left out and just have the cauliflower, for a vegetarian meal. In fact, I think I liked the cauliflower better than the chicken. This recipe does require a lot of spices you don't use often, so I substituted a lot, but I also have collected a few Indian spices over time, so that worked out. I was worried my substitutions would change the flavor too much, but it was a little spicy, and also flavorful.

Here's the recipe adapted from Journey Kitchen.


Ingredients:
For Cauliflower:
½ medium Size Head Of Cauliflower, split into small florets (about 500g)
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste (I just peeled an inch of fresh ginger, grated it, along with 3 cloves of garlic, also grated)
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 Tbsp Butter
½ cup Water
Salt To Taste
For Masala:
3 Tbsp Butter
1 Red Onion (Large, finely cubed)
3 Tomatoes, diced (Medium, red, ripe)
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste/ 2 Cloves Garlic With ½ Inch Cube Ginger
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbsp Crushed Cashew Nuts/Almond
1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
2 Tbsp Heavy Cream/Thick Cream
1 tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves/Kasuri Methi (I substituted this with 1 tsp of dry mustard)
½ cup Water
1 Bay Leaf
1 Green Cardamom, cracked
½ tsp Ground Cumin
1 Stick Cinnamon (2 Inch)
Salt To Taste
Chicken:
1 Whole Chicken Thigh, drizzled in olive oil, add salt and pepper, cooked with whatever method you chose, and shredded


Directions:
1. For the cauliflower, wash and separate the cauliflower into small florets and add all the ingredients except water and butter. Heat the butter in a sauté pan and add the florets. Once the florets starts to brown add water and let the them cook covered for about 5-7 minutes. You just want the florets to be tender and not mushy. Pour everything into a bowl and set aside.

2. For the masala, heat the butter in the same sauté pan. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaf and black cumin.

3. Add finely chopped onions and let it cook.

4. Once they are lightly golden, add the ginger garlic paste.

5. Tip in the turmeric, red chilly powder, cashew nuts, coriander powder, tomatoes and tomato paste. Let the tomatoes completely cook till they form a paste.

6. Add water and let it come to a boil. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Pour mixture into a blender and blend the mixture to a smooth sauce.

7. Add the sauce back to the sauté pan and let it come to a boil.

8. Add the cauliflower (along with the water) back in and let it cook for 5 minutes. Mix in the cream and crushed kasuri methi (or dry mustard) and cook for another 5 minutes. Garnish with more cream and some coriander to perk it up. Serve with white basmati rice, and buttered naan.

Club Sandwich

This sandwich took forever to make, was super messy, but mighty tasty! There are some interesting mayo mixes incorporated into this sandwich which are super easy to make. Try this for your next lunch!

Here's the recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cooking Time: 15 min | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: 2

Ingredients:

6 slices Sandwich Bread
4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Prepared Basil Pesto (I used a store-bought pesto from Trader Joe's)1 Tablespoon Prepared Sundried Tomato Pesto (I used a store-bought pesto from Trader Joe's)
4 slices Bacon, Cut In Half
4 ounces Shaved Ham
4 ounces Shaved Turkey
2 Whole Avocados, Peeled And Sliced
2 slices Cheese (Swiss, Mozzarella, Etc.)
Romaine Or Green Leaf Lettuce

Directions:

1. Toast bread in toaster until light golden brown. Set aside.

2. Fry bacon until just barely crisp, then drain on a paper towel. Set aside.

3. Mix together 2 tablespoons mayonnaise with prepared basil pesto; in a separate bowl, mix additional 2 tablespoons mayonnaise with sundried tomato pesto.

To Make One Sandwich:

4. Spread two pieces of bread with basil pesto. On one piece of bread, lay ham on top of pesto mayo, then top with cheese and lettuce. On other piece of bread, lay the slices of ½ avocado on top of the pesto mayo. Top avocado with bacon. Lift the second slice of bread (the one with avocado and bacon) and place it, ingredient side down, on top of the first piece of bread.

5. For the second layer: On the top of the top piece of bread, spread the sundried tomato mayonnaise. Spread one side of the third piece of bread with sundried tomato mayonnaise. Place ham, cheese, and lettuce on top. Place other half of the avocado slices on the other piece of bread. Top with bacon slices. Place this piece of bread, ingredient side down, on top of the first piece of bread.

6. Use a sharp knife to cut the sandwich in half (on the diagonal) then again in fourths.

Fresh Mozzarella BLT with Pesto

I saw this recipe in my Food Network magazine as made by Tyler Florence for his kids for lunch. It turned out so good! Try this sandwich if you like BLT's. It's pretty much amazing.

Here's the recipe adapted from Food Network.


Prep Time: 5 min | Cooking Time: 10 min | Difficulty: Easy| Serves: 1


Ingredients:
1 4- Inch Piece Baguette
2 slices Bacon
2 tsp Store-Bought Pesto (I used the Trader Joe's brand)
2 tsp Mayonnaise
1 Spear Romaine Lettuce
2 Thick Slices Heirloom Tomato
1 Thick Slice Fresh Mozzarella
Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper


Directions:
1. Slice the baguette open, leaving one side attached to form a hinge. Cook the bacon in a skillet over low heat until crispy; drain on paper towels.


2. Combine the pesto with the mayonnaise and smear on both pieces of bread. Layer the romaine on the bread, then the tomato, bacon and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper; close the sandwich.