Sliderbar - Palo Alto

3/5 stars

For some reason, my family LOVES sliders. Me, I'm wondering where the rest of my burger is. Ha!

Anyway, since my mom loves sliders and Happy Mom = Happy Life, we went to Sliderbar. We were seated right away because it was just before 5 PM on a Saturday. There was only 1 waiter though so service was a bit slow. It was also kinda price-y. Remember, these are not whole burgers...

I started with the mint white sangria and regretted it. It was too sweet! It sounded like it would be refreshing, but it wasn't. It also wasn't very minty.

The rest of the meal was fine. Nothing spectacular, but it didn't suck either. I liked the sticky wings with its hint of lime. It had an Asian spin to it. The truffle fries with the garlic aioli and the sweet potato fries with the honey mustard were also decent.

I went with a regular ol' cheeseburger slider, my sissy-poo had the cheeseburger with bacon, and my mom did the Bravocado. The Bravocado was actually pretty unique! It was a ground, garlic chicken patty with avocado, gem lettuce, tomatoe, and chipotle sauce on a multigrain bun. It was pretty good!

Not my favorite place in Palo Alto, but it was worth a try.

(2015)

Ma’s Restaurant - San Jose

5/5 stars

Even though we live in The Land of Chinese Restaurants, it's mostly medicore fare. It's hard to find a place as good as Ma's!

This was my first time having dough-sliced noodles and it was my kind of noodle. They were thick and chewy... super yummy and comforting. I wanted to order it again even before we were done eating it. I wish more places served dough-sliced noodles.

We also ordered the beef & green onions and the deep fried fish with spicy garlic sauce. They were both lip-smacking, slightly greasy deliciousness. The beef and fish were perfectly cooked. The mushrooms that came with the fish were a bonus! I think they were wood ear.

The place was recently remodeled so it was clean! Yay! And the service was super friendly and efficient. And hubby was utterly delighted that you could get a soft serve cone at the end of the meal. He would come back just for that.

(2015)

Tartine Bakery & Cafe - San Francisco

5/5 stars

I was so very gleeful. I don't think I've been this exuberant since that guy gave me a Flintstone-sized rib fresh off the BBQ at the Ad Hoc party (he did it for a hug). Or when we were about to get out of the car to go to the French Laundry.

I think I squealed in Tartine.

Tartine is the stuff of legends and I'm glad I got to visit the bakery itself after a baseball game Saturday. Another SF establishment to cross off the "must-visit" list!

We were there around 7 PM and walked right in. My friend told me that never happens. That there's always a line around the block. There was probably no line because they were out of morning buns, but I was able to snag the LAST country loaf. I felt like I had won some bread lottery. For just $8.50, I got a loaf of bread twice the size of my head. It smelled and looked heavenly.

Husband got a macaroon and I impulse-bought a tub of chocolate pudding at the register.

I don't trust myself in bakeries.

(2015)

Delfina - San Francisco

5/5 stars

I'm gonna have dreams about that spaghetti pomodoro...

It was silky perfection with its bright red sauce that featured the tomatoes-oh-just-taste-these-tomatoes. The best part was probably the good-quality olive oil that coated the pasta and left a beautiful sheen on my plate. It was the most simple, yet delicious spaghetti I have ever had. I hope I'll be able to re-create it at home.

We were seated right away because we had reservations. However, our server took forever to greet us. Actually, she took forever with everything (getting our waters, taking our orders, etc). I am not sure if it was because she was busy or spacey, but she could've been more attentive. I can't bring myself to dock a star, however, because that spaghetti was just so darn amazing. Did I mention the perfect amount of basil? The sheen of olive oil? Oh, well, even if I did, there it is again. It. Was. Just. That. Delightful.

The grilled calamari, Tartine bread, and bellini weren't half bad either ;)

(2015)

The Monk’s Kettle - San Francisco

4/5 stars

I don't know how long this place has been on our "must-visit" SF list. Years and years probably.

The beer list was impressive. I've never seen a $65 beer before, or an alcoholic root beer (it was tasty, by the way). Tons of sours. I will admit that I was a bit disappointed with their selection of witbiers and hefs. So I went with the Finnriver black currant sparkling cider and it was a nice balance of sweet and off-dry.

The place was A LOT smaller than I thought it'd be. Luckily, we were able to snag seats at the bar. The bartender was friendly and efficient, though unengaging. The wall of glassware notable. We didn't try any food, but I hear it's good.

(2015)

The Yard at Mission Rock - San Francisco

4/5 stars

What a treat! The Yard is a great place to hang out before a Giants game. Nachos from Senor Sisig and a Meyer lemon lager from Anchor Steam made for a terrific breakfast of champions! The beer is "7 vs 17 dollars" cheaper than in the park and the selection is also way better. I liked my nachos, but would've liked more options/food trucks.

(2015)

Willard Hicks - Campbell

3/5 stars

Hubby and I came here to celebrate the beginning of a glorious 3-day weekend. 3-day weekends are so rare, so they're all glorious. My want was simple: I wanted steak.

I ordered a Pimm's cup, fried green tomatoes, and a rib-eye.

What we got was a Pimm's cup, TWO orders of fried green tomatoes (one was on the house!), and a rib-eye.

The Pimm's cup (with Pimm's, ginger liquer, lemon juice, strawberries, cucumber, and prosecco) was a refreshing start, though a tad unmemorable. My sister-in-law's homemade Pimm's is better.

The fried green tomatoes are worth ordering again, but my rib-eye was missing a good sear. The candied bacon that came with the baked potato was yummy.

Overall, hubby and I enjoyed our meal! Willard is fancier than Outback, but can't quite cook a steak like Alexander's.

(2015)