The Picky Plate

I was so excited when I booked my trip to San Fran. I had heard such great things about the scenery and fresh food that I couldn’t wait to enjoy it for myself. One thing I was very impressed with was how important the food culture was in the area. Everything from farmers markets to fresh seafood to long lines of people waiting to eat. I could tell how much pride and passion these folks have for good food. We stayed in Union Square, which is much like any other big city. The “outskirts” is what I enjoyed most, it was more authentic. There was so much to do and see in the short time we were there that I honestly think i’ll need to take another trip back to see more. Here are the highlights follwed by my list of reccomendations:

Go. See. Explore! 

The Curiosity Shoppe has the cutest stuff!

We stayed at the Chancelor Hotel- I would definitely recommend it!

We toured Alcatraz in the evening, what a treat!

Food? Yes please!

My very first Macaroon!

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that Tartine Bakery’s croissants are the best I’ve ever tasted, hands down. It literally melted in my mouth!

Welcome to Wine Country! We visited a few wineries in Sonoma, Napa Valley and Yountville. Here are my two favorites…

Robert Mondavi Winery

Nickel & Nickel Winery (they had the most gorgeous gardens!)

Dolce wine (aka- liquid gold) is so rich and sweet, like dessert in a glass

So, to wrap it up, here is my list of “musts” :

• Crissy Field – great views of Golden Gate bridge
• Union Square – great shopping
• Ferry Market - tons of fresh foods and restaurants
• Chinatown
• Painted Ladies (from Full House)
• Fisherman’s Warf
• Alcatraz
• The Mission (tons of cute shops)
• The Curiosity Shoppe
• Bourbon & Branch Speakeasy (make reservations far in advance!)
• Brenda’s French Soulfood
• Miette Bakery (inside Ferry Building)
• Market Bar (inside Ferry Building)
• Ghirardelli Square (lots of yummy chocolate and desserts)
• Bouchon Bakery (yountville-wine country)
• Tartine Bakery (near The Mission)
• Robert Mondavi Winery
• Nickel & Nickel Winery

Enjoy!

Recently, I had a few of you ask me for travel recommendations for trips I’ve been on. Whether you’re planning a trip in the same location soon or  thinking of going in the future, I decided to create a “travel” portion of my blog to share ideas and “must see’s” for your trip. Enjoy!

Last year, my husband and I took a trip to Boston to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. I’ve been meaning to post this entry for a whole year now, good thing I’m finally getting around to it! Neither of us had ever been before. Boston is consisdered the “walking city” and I’m sure you can guess why. Everything is very “foot friendly”, we walked everywhere! We had a blast, here are the highlights followed by my recommendations:

We stayed at the Harborside Inn Hotel on State Street. We were very pleased and liked the fact that it’s not a chain hotel, but rather an authentic local hotel that was built hundreds of years ago (but recently renovated). It is located near Faneuil Hall Market and in short walking distance to many attractions.

Here are some photos from around the city:

So many places to eat and all were delicious! Especially the seafood.

We took a tour of the Boston Red Sox stadium- Fenway Park, and got to see the famous “Green Monster”.

Cheers!

Did you know that Boston is the home of the first telephone?

Mike’s City Diner– the best meal we had and ironically the cheapest meal we had. You might recognize it from the TV show “Diners, Drive In’s and Dives“.

Here is my list of ”must see’s” and recommendations:

•  Fenway Park Tour
• Skywalk Observatory - Awesome for taking photos!!
• Freedom Trail - Leads to 16 historic sites, great for photos.
• Quincy Market – So many different kinds of food.
• Samual Adams Brewery
• The Original Cheers Restaurant
• Mike’s City Diner – Get the pilgram sandwich!! Wow.
• Harvard Square
• Boston Common Park – The oldest park in the country and 50 acres.
• Ride the ferry at the harbor! 

All I’ve heard the past few months from fellow bloggers is ”Brenda’s! Brenda’s! Brenda’s!”.  So, I knew upon arriving in San Francisco that would be the first place to stop.

As we arrived, we noticed a large crowd of people gathering at the doors. I thought to myself, “this place must be amazing!”. So, we joined in and waited…..and waited…..and waited. After an hour had passed I began to doubt “is this really worth the wait?”. I figured it must be so we continued to wait. Almost 2 hours had passed and finally it was our turn to be seated. My taste buds were full of anticipation.

Brenda’s is best known for their “Beignets”– we tried the apple, very delicious!

Then, I had the veggie omlet w/ spinach, onion and tomatoes– sided with potato hash and a homemade biscuit.

All in all, I would say Brenda’s is fantastic and delicious! Would I wait in line for 2 hours again? I can’t say that I would. But for first timers, it’s definitely worth the experience. Just looking at these photos makes me hungry!

I am convinced that the Bellagio in Las Vegas has the best food on the strip. I’m sure if you were to venture out into the city you would find some equally great places to feast, but as far as the strip goes, in my opinion, the Bellagio has some of the best dining options. Take Circo for instance– fun atmosphere with great food!

Penne Pasta & Shrimp in Brandy Sauce w/ Cherry Tomatoes & Pine Nuts–

Scallops with some kind of delicious black rice. I had never had a rice quite like that before.

Creme Brulee– Wow, one of the best I’ve had.

Next time you are in Vegas and wondering where to eat, just step inside the Bellagio and take your pick! You won’t be disappointed.