August 29, 2010

Recipe for a perfect Sunday morning

I woke up this morning to sunshine and the sound of silence.  It was one of those perfect Sunday mornings, full of possibilities yet with the promise of relaxation at the same time.  I decided to make some coffee, enjoy the view, eat some cereal topped with farmer's market raspberries and listen to Dave Matthews Band (apparently three of his concerts in one week wasn't enough!).

Can you smell the coffee?  Feel the sunshine?  Hear the music?  I can.













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August 24, 2010

Sunny San Diego

The beach, the sand, the waves, the sun, the restaurants.... Sunny San Diego.





We took a weekend trip to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday.  Happy Birthday Babe!

Ok, I confess.  It was also to see Dave Matthews Band, which happens to be my favorite band of all time.   It is taking all my restraint not to post the fabulous close up pictures I took at the concert but I will try to stay focused.

In between the concert going, shopping, pool lounging, beach lying and bar hopping we made it to a few great restaurants as well.


We stayed at the Hard Rock in the Gaslamp district, home of NOBU!!  If you remember from my first posting, Nobu is my favorite sushi restaurant.  Since we got in late, we stopped in for only a drink and a few appetizers, but it was enough to satisfy my addiction.




Here it is...the famous Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalepeno.  Mmmmmmm




New Style Salmon Sashimi


For dinner the next night we went to the Strip Club.  Before you get confused by the name, it is a steak house with a tongue in cheek theme.   The play on the name was carried through to the decor, from the collection of Alberto Vargas pinup girls smothered all over the walls, to the burlesque red leather and chandeliers throughout the restaurant.  And in the middle of it all?  A grill so that you can grill your own meat!  There is an extensive martini menu, and they carry more varieties of Vodka than I even knew existed.  Bubble gum flavored vodka. Really?!?!




I started with the Ahi Sashimi Tini- a tuna tartare with cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots, tossed with peanut sauce and wasabi.  


 Cooking your own steak was actually quite fun.  They provided us with various seasonings, cooking tips and all the tools required to BBQ.  



For breakfast, we visited Brian's 24  Restaurant, Bar and Grill.  The name says it all.  It is a restaurant, a bar, and a grill and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Whatever you want, whenever you want it.  My boyfriend thought this was a great concept.  Watch the game, have a few beers and then get breakfast, all without changing locations.   I liked the chandelier in the middle of the bar.  It added some glamor to the flat screen tvs :)   Turns out they were featured on the cover of Dining Out magazine.








This omelette was fabulous!  Tomato, garlic, fresh basil, and cubed bread (yes, bread inside!), topped with mozzarella cheese.  It tasted like a margherita pizza for breakfast.  The pancakes were delicious too.  Light, fluffy and just the right amount of sweetness.  



Ok, maybe just one or two pictures from the concert....


All in all, a fabulous weekend.
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August 17, 2010

More Sushi. In Sausalito

It should come as no surprise that I was out for sushi again.  This time it was at Sushi Ran, a renowned Sausalito restaurant.  I've heard it referred to as "the best sushi in the Bay Area".  This being sushi-ville, that says a lot.  While we waited for our table (you can always expect to wait due to its popularity) we took a stroll along the water in downtown Sausalito.





I love that this place is dog friendly




Edamame

Pineapple sake for the girls



We started with some vegetable tempura


And then my favorite, hawaiian ahi poke tuna with avocado, kukui nut and seaweed sauce.   
I order this dish every time I go, and I'm never disappointed.  



Seared hirimasa- farmed australian amberjack, thyme blossom, sumac & shishito pepper emulsion.  
What can I say about this dish?  Not too much unfortunately.  Take a good look at the picture, because its the last time I'll be ordering it.  


Salmon citrus roll- marinated salmon, avocado, japanese cucumber and lime.  
You can eat the entire lime slice.  Really, you can.  It is a burst of flavor, and provides some acidity and zest to compliment the salmon.  


Miso glazed black cod- bloomsdale spinach & naga-imo noodles


Vietnamese shaking beef- sweet onions & lime-black pepper dipping sauce.  
The beef was perfectly cooked, beautifully tender and full of flavor. 


We decided to order dessert and asked tons of questions about each one.  Somewhere within that we confused our waiter so he brought us the wrong ones.  And then brought us the right ones.  And then let us keep them all.  

Bread pudding with green tea & sour cherry brioche


Ice cream cocktail- mascarpone ice cream and fresh berries. 
Let me just stop here and say YUMMY!  I've never eaten mascarpone ice cream before and it was absolutely delicious.  Rich, creamy, and full of flavor.  I would definitely crave this dish.  



Chocolate bombe with hazelnut creme anglaise




Almond-brown butter cake with strawberries & powdered orange


All in all, a delicious meal and I will definitely be going back.  And I'd say that even if it wasn't just down the street from me :)
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