Six inch soft corn tortillas with shredded lettuce, grated cheddar cheese, and tomato-cucumber pico salsa. $2.95
The Taco Spot, Charleston SC
This was my least favorite taco from The Taco Spot. The steak was chewy and didn’t have much flavor. I definitely had to use some of the hot sauce on this one! Overall, this was a boring taco.
Charleston Harbor with the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge and USS Yorktown in the background.
Shredded seasoned pork, grilled jumbo prawns, and grilled pork served with broken rice and pickled vegetables. $12.50
Vung Tau Restaurant, San Jose CA
This was just ok. I don’t know why I keep getting the Vietnamese shredded pork? I never like it because it’s SO dry and chalky tasting. The grilled pork and prawn were decent, but at $12.50 for a lunch plate I expect it to be of better quality. And the service was SLOW!
Sweet chili fish sauce, gotta love it!
Panda “bear” and bamboo fence mural. This was kinda cute! I like how they incorporated the real bamboo plants behind the fence to created this mural.
For my first month as a Foodie Penpal, I sent a box of San Francisco treats to a woman in Orem, Utah and received a box from Annica at AnnicaNicole Blog, a student at the University of Missouri. Thanks for all the goodies, Annica!
Here’s what she mailed to me:
Sunrise Farm Market black bean & corn salsa
Sunrise Farm Market pumpkin butter
Chocomaker Simply Melt yogurt flavored dipping wafers
Roland quinoa garden vegetable
KIND apple cinnamon & pecan bar
KIND pomegranate blueberry pistachio bar
and a cute red card with an “a” for Annica!
I’ve actually never seen most of the products before, except the KIND bars, so I’m super excited to try them. The one item I’m a little hesitant about is the pumpkin butter because I’m not a huge pumpkin fan and I’m not really sure how to use it, lol! I’m guessing that I should use it as a spread on yummy breads and other baked goods.
I’m also tickled over the Simply Melt yogurt flavored dipping wafers. All you have to do is microwave the container and you instantly have a dipping suace for fruits or salty snacks! I never knew this product even existed! Can’t wait to see what I get next month, yay!
To learn more about Foodie Penpals or to join, click the image below!
La Bubbly sparkling wine, Peychaud’s bitters, sugared lemon. $8
McCrady’s Restaurant, Charleston SC
This restaurant was recommended by a friend, so I arrived for an early dinner expecting great service and delicious food. I can tell you right now, that I received both! This cocktail was a great way to start off my meal. It was bright and refreshing tasting and had a beautiful peach-pink color.
The restaurant had just opened so I choose a table facing the bar so that I could people-watch as my meal progressed. The bar was quite tall, extending up to the open second floor and appeared cozy and warm from all the rich woods and leather.
Pulled pork with bbq sauce, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, and a roll. $8.79
Speedway Grill & Cafe, Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT)
This was a lot of food considering the price and that it was at an airport. The pork was ok and the bbq sauce didn’t have enough punch for me. I did love the mac ‘n cheese. It had a consistency that reminded me of elementary school cafeteria days, and that’s a good thing! The fried okra were a little dry and over done.
Panini with thinly sliced ham, swiss cheese and sliced pickle, then spread with mustard and grilled on herbed focaccia bread with Classic Lays potato chips. $11.99
Legends of San Francisco Bar & Grill, San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
I was NOT impressed. The sandwich as super salty and the ham tasted like low-quality supermarket deli meat. The cheese wasn’t even melted all the way through! Ugh, Terminal 1 really needs to step it up on the food front!
“Wind Portal” art installation, Paul Woolford and Ned Kahn. Located midway down the Bart platform, this piece is composed of thousands of metallic sequins that move with the wind created by incoming Bart trains and aircrafts. It’s a spectacular installation and provides an beautiful San Francisco welcome to weary travelers.
Six inch soft corn tortillas with cilantro soy aioli, shredded lettuce, grated cheddar cheese, and tomato-cucumber pico salsa. $2.95
The Taco Spot, Charleston SC
This taco was pretty good. The grouper was tender and I enjoyed the cilantro soy aioli. The flavors were surprisingly delicate, but very tasty. It was also on the small side, but I guess I’m just used to tacos from The Mission where they’re gigantic!
Array of hot sauces. The counter is lined with a large selection of hot sauces. Some of the tacos are less flavorful than others so the addition of these condiments helps, hehe.
Pineapple Fountain at the Charleston Waterfront Park. I’ve been to Charleston several times and I love this park. It’s very relaxing and beautiful.
Vietnamese fresh spring roll with Chinese sausage, egg, peanut, and lettuce wrapped in rice paper. $7.25
Vung Tau Restaurant, San Jose CA
This was a very disappointing lunch! The food was mediocre and the prices were high for what we received. These fresh rolls were the highlight of the meal though. I’ve never had them with the Chinese sausages before, and they were delicious. I also liked the addition of peanuts for crunch and flavor. Noms!
Pink snapdragon flowers (Antirrhinum majus, Scrophulariaceae). I’m not familiar with all the streets in San Jose so I’m not sure which street this was in downtown San Jose. These plants were in large cement planters lining the sidewalk of a commercial street.
Served with habanero crema. $7
Mission Bowling Club, San Francisco CA
These corn dogs were really good. I liked that the sausages were first grilled before being battered and deep fried. I also enjoyed the ratio of sausage to batter. I’m not a fan of corn dogs that are mostly batter. The pork sausage with fennel tasted great and the batter was also flavorful. The habanero crema was subtle but had a nice habanero flavor and slight heat. The texture was a bit odd.
Mission Bowling Club entrance. At the other end of the front patio there’s a really cool hanging installation that I think is made of many tin disks strung together (if I remember correctly).
Battered and fried chicken pieces with ranch dipping sauce. $8
Mission Bowling Club, San Francisco CA
This was a disappointment. The chicken was SO greasy it was dripping onto the board. I had wiped off the pool of grease when I took the pic, but in hindsight, perhaps I should have let it collect so that it would’ve been more representative of the dish. I was there shortly after opening so maybe their deep fryer hadn’t reached temperature yet at the time they cooked the chicken. I will say that the batter was really delicious and the ranch had a great dill flavor, noms!
7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2014
Cool wooden blocks sculpture and planters. On one end of the patio stands this wooden installation on which they’ve placed candles. It’s an interesting piece and I’m sure it looks great at night!
Served on grilled San Francisco sourdough with lettuce and tomato, Hawaiian Luau BBQ potato chips and cole slaw. $14
We’re On A Roll, South San Francisco CA
Wow, this sandwich was so buttery good and packed with crab meat. It’s a no-frills sammy so the crab has to be spectacular, and it was! Fourteen bucks is a bit much for a lunchtime sandiwch but I think it’s worth it because of the quality of the crab and you get coleslaw and chips. There are also picnic tables nearby where you can relax and enjoy your delicious lunch!
Toppings counter with lemon, jalapeno, celery, and red onions. Add a little more goodness to your yummy sammies and rolls!
The We’re On A Roll food trailer is located in front of the New England Lobster Company.
Whiskey, grapefruit, Dolin Blanc (vermouth de Chambery), St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram rum, soda. $10
Mission Bowling Club, San Francisco CA
This cocktail was delicious – a great combination of whiskey, fruit, and spice! It was a warm day outside so it was nice to have this yummy drink to relax with in the shade.
Mission Bowling Club entrance. I’d never been here before and completely missed it walking by across the street. The front patio area is gated so the bowling alley is difficult to see if you’re not paying attention.
Vittle Monster 