$4.45
Al’s Humdinger, Hoquiam WA
This burger was messy, greasy, and absolutely fabulous! I ate easily like a Dick’s burger, but was substantially larger than one. This was a total winner in my book. Noms!
Humdinger burger – Al’s Humdinger
1
Sausage and veggie pizza – Il Canto Cafe
Il Canto Cafe, San Francisco CA
Wow, I was impressed by this pizza slice from a random cafe in the FiDi. It was delicious! The crust was buttery and perfectly cooked through (not doughy like other Sicilian style slices). The toppings were also yummy and they add plenty of gooey cheese for good measure.
Warm castelvetrano olives – Piatti
Toasted bread crumbs, parmesan. Happy hour $5
Piatti, Mill Valley CA
Mmm, I love this green, fleshy olive variety. Piatti does a nice job of adding extra flavor to these yummy lil bites.
Breakfast buffet – Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel
Tater tots, sausage, bacon, Shanghai dumplings, fruit and nut pastry. Complimentary in Executive Lounge
Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel, Beijing CHINA
Assorted fruit, donut, mochi.
Butternut squash risotto – Garcon
Chanterelles mushrooms, swiss chard, truffle emulsion, parmesan. $21
Garcon, San Francisco CA
This risotto wasn’t a success in my book. The risotto was overcooked and way too soft. The truffle emulsion also added to the soft and runny texture when mixed with the risotto. It had nice flavors, but I couldn’t get over the baby food texture. Hmm…
Pollo asado enchiladas – The Little Chihuahua
Two enchiladas filled with grilled chicken, cheese, queso fresco, grilled onions and poblano peppers, served with refried pinto beans, Mexican rice and topped with red sauce, sour cream, chopped onions and cilantro, add guacamole. $12.45
The Little Chihuahua, San Francisco CA
I like the food at The Little Chihuahua. The ingredients tend to be of good quality and the flavors are there. I must say that their red sauce is pretty yummy especially with additional salsa mixed in from their salsa bar. 🙂
Sizzling beef fillets with shallots – Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant
Stir-fried Beijing style. ¥188
Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant, Beijing CHINA
This dish tasted great. The beef was nice and tender and the sauce was very tasty (not too salty). Again, the vegetables (shallots) weren’t what I expected. These were more like onions and other alliums than shallots to me. But it doesn’t really matter because they were delicious regardless.
Sizzling plate atop a wooden pedestal stand.
Duck utensil holder.
Hot and sour soup – Fami-Li-Hood Kitchen
Â¥30
Fami-Li-Hood Kitchen, Mutianyu Village CHINA
I liked this soup. It was warm and hearty and tasted great especially with snow falling outside. It was more vinegar-y than those I’ve had in the U.S., but I liked it that way. Overall, it wasn’t too different from the U.S. versions I’m used to.
Individual bowl.
Coffee.
Ham and jack panini – Il Canto Cafe
With honey mustard and sliced tomatoes. Served with Italian wedding soup. Combo $8.55
Il Canto Cafe, San Francisco CA
This lunch combination was pretty good! And nicely priced. The panini was served hot and melty, just how I like it. The wedding soup was good, but it was served WAY too hot. I still could eat it very quickly towards the end of lunch because it somehow stayed hot the entire time. This place is definitely worth a re-visit.
Pepperoni pizza – Piatti
Happy hour $5
Piatti, Mill Valley CA
This pizza was small, but it only cost five bucks during happy hour which is great in my book. The pepperoni were greasy and flavorful, but I wish there would have been a little more cheese.
Desserts – Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel
Chocolate cupcake, chocolate and nut cake, cheesecake, assorted cheeses, caper berries and olives. Complimentary in Executive Lounge
Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel, Beijing CHINA
These dessert bites were pretty good considering the usual fare you get a hotel lounges. They were moist and fairly fresh, yay!
Artisan cheeses – Garcon
Cremier de Bourgogne (soft cow), fumaisson (smoked sheep), Saint Agur (blue). Served with pear, honey and pistachios. $16
Garcon, San Francisco CA
I love cheese plates and this provided a nice selection of flavors and textures. It was a toss up between the cremier de bourgogne and the saint agur as to which was my favorite. Mmm…
Vittle Monster 