Eating Again, but where?

The pictures of food never stop, do they? Even Abby is getting into it. She loves taking close-up shots and she’s getting better every time. We were running errands and stopped for a snack… can you guess what this is and where it was taken?

Not that this is any help, but here’s another view. We love visiting this neighborhood place, which isn’t in our immediate suburb.

More California journals coming. They’re in the works along with more projects, too.

Tags: eating, eating out, family, restaurants, summer, vacation

Lunching in the Napa Valley

Most people go to the Napa Valley for wine tasting. We don’t drink much, to the bewilderment of some of our friends, but we do love to eat!  On another note, do people call it “THE Napa Valley” or just Napa Valley? I think that I might be a little too much into my Chicago-ese, like “da Bulls”, “da Coach”, “I buy my meat at THE Jewel.”  *sigh* Oh, well, we digress. DA Napa Valley was great… we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary slightly early with a lunch for two at The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant thanks to our cousin watching our kids.

Greystone Cellars was beautiful. Built in 1888 as a co-op winery, then bought by the Christian Brothers in 1950, it’s easy to imagine monks wandering around campus and stomping on grapes to make wine. The Culinary Institute of America now inhabits the campus, and it’s their students who work in the kitchens and are wait staff.

Eastman’s mock mojito… he couldn’t get enough. Like Summer in a glass… except, for the lack of rum.

Chef’s choice appetizers were fabulous.

Eating this crepe with rose syrup (It tasted like roses) was like tasting Spring on an early morning.

We wandered into the campus bookstore after lunch to take a peek at the wares. The book section was so cozy. I just wanted to sit there and read. These were just the cookbooks, too.

We ended our “day date” with a visit to the V. Sattui winery, but opted out for the tasting. It was so chaotic, we could hardly get a server’s attention!

Tags: California, eating, eating out, living, vacation

Checking out the Local Taste Fest

What is summer without a local carnival or food fest? We might not be at the swimming pool at lot, but tasting food… you’ll find us! We paced ourselves this time and went during lunch on two separate days. It was so nice not stuffing ourselves to oblivion, but I’m sorry we didn’t have a chance to taste everything. One day it rained, and vendors weren’t quite ready for the lunch crowd, but otherwise, it seemed like a successful “Taste”.

The Matcha Latte from TeaLula was great relief from the heat. It was like tasting green tea ice cream, melted. Mmmm… And, the Ryne Palmer (a.k.a. Arnold Palmer beverage) can’t be beat: fresh lemonade and fresh brewed tea. Uncle Dan’s, a new place in town, served up cheese pizza and cinnamon bread among other things. Both were tasty, but they ran out of calzones… bummer. I really wanted to try J.D. Kadd’s Smokehouse pulled pork sandwich. Since I’ve stopped working in the south suburbs, I haven’t found a sandwich that compares to the BBQ places near my old office. This one was nicely seasoned, not too salty, generous portions. One of our favorites was the Cajun Shrimp wrapped with bacon & remoulade sauce from Barbara at All on the Road. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, and the sauce had a nice kick. I’m such a sucker for cajun food.

Last year we tried the stuffed mushrooms from Cafe Zalute and were happy they were there again. The junk yard dawg fries at Dawg House Grill were a hit with our kids and us. What’s not to like: cheddar cheese, sour cream and bacon.  Lastly, we had a nice portion of  Salsaccia (Italian Sausage wrapped in a potato crust) from The 3 Olives. Never had this before, and while it was delicious, it was slightly salty for me.  Can’t wait until next year.

Tags: eating out, fun, restaurants, Taste of Park Ridge

Tea and Birthday – part 2

What’s a tea party without a description or pictures of food? This is what my husband orchestrated…

Thanks to All on the Road Catering…asparagus wrapped with prosciutto, empanadas with caramelized onions and goat cheese with tomatilla dipping sauce, shredded duck with cherry marmalade boats, wild mushroom strudel garnished with green onion, brie and caramelized apples crostini.

These were devoured: ham with brie and mango, turkey with guacamole, and roast beef sandwiches.

Chocolate cake goes really well with raspberry flavored tea. Trust me.

We all had plenty to drink. Iced tea on tap: South Beach Peach, Fourth of July. Tried some “Triple Flip”… really gingery, orange flavored green tea. (I think it’s green tea. Can’t remember.) Even the kids had fun.

Tags: birthday, cake, eating out, Friends and Family, holiday, tea, tea party, TeaLula

Tea and Birthday

The husband did a great job… totally surprised. Friends, family, great food, great tea. This is what happens when you have your daughter and her friend dress you up at a tea shop for your birthday. 36… it doesn’t look too bad. We’ve come a long way.

Tags: birthday, eating out, fun, living, TeaLula

Sashimi, Sushi and Pie

We love this sushi place that’s pretty close to our home. I wrote about Asahi in January, and we’ve dined there a few times since. Last time we went with five other friends and opted for whatever the chef wanted to make that day. So, there were at least six appetizers, maybe seven, and at least twelve types of sashimi. So much food…

These rolls are amazing! The thin slice of lemon on salmon was really refreshing.

Here’s a rare photo of all of us. Two college friends, wife of one of the friends, and a couple-friend of previously mentioned married-college friend. And, here’s Chef Sato (what a hoot!) coming over to the table, always with a smile and a drink, to see if we’ve had enough to eat. Actually, he’s a big supporter of imbibing, inviting the group with sake bombs and beer… more beer!

We ended the evening, already stuffed with sushi, with delicious, oh so, scrumptious, (not on the menu) mini-rhubarb pies made with love by Becca. Awesome homemade crust, sweet-but-not-too-sweet filling, and crumb topping. Oh, she puts my baking to shame. Well, I might be exaggerating, but she’s one darn good baker. Makes me want to try the strawberry-rhubarb pie recipe that I’ve been sitting on for a year.

Tags: eating out, sushi