Rosso di Sera: Bulleit, aperol, grenadine, lemon, egg white emulsion, mint sprig.
Figo, Palo Alto CA
We were killing time before meeting some friends for dinner so we slipped into Figo for a couple cocktails. These were well-made and I loved that they used huge, singular ice cubes. My kinda place!
Manhattan.
Los Gatos Creak Trail sign, Vasona Reservoir.
With sliced apples, fried capers, and fresh bread. Happy hour $7
Yield Wine Bar, San Francisco CA
This smoked trout rillette was really refreshing. It was bright and punchy and fun to eat. I would spread some of the rillette on the bread, embed some of the fried capers into it, and top it with an apple slice. Fun and tasty finger food!
Half-bottle carafe of house red wine. Happy hour $12
Corridor Pin, Blue, 1999, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, de Young Museum.
Red bell pepper, basil, coconut milk, ordered “hot”. $8.99
Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine, San Francisco CA
Mmm, this was really tasty! I loved that the duck still had all its bones because they’re always more flavorful that way. I just wish there was more duck in there! The rich coconut curry was delicious and very filling.
Cartoon animal skeleton sidewalk stencil.
Heirloom Farms mixed greens, shaved squash, seasonal stone fruit, goat cheese, balsamic vinaigrette. 10-course chef’s tasting menu $75
Roxy’s Cafe, San Francisco CA
I’m not usually a big salad fan – I can take it or leave. But this was really tasty! Surprisingly, my favorite component was the thinly shaved squash. It added an unexpected flavor and texture to the dish. Noms!
View toward the Richmond district from Hamon Education Tower Observation Deck.
Ginger Julep: Bulleit bourbon, house made ginger syrup, Evolution lemon juice, muddled fresh mint, Bundaberg ginger beer. $6
Nola, Palo Alto CA
You never know how a bar is gonna pour when they have happy hour cocktails, but these drinks were quite large and actually had alcohol in them! Score! The bartenders at Nola were super nice and made great, tasty cocktails. Perhaps the sangria was a bit sweet, but I can forgive that for the enjoyable experience.
Saucy’s Sangria: a refreshing house infusion of red wine, apples, oranges, lemons, limes, pineapples, agave nectar and fresh fruit juices with a brandy float. $6
Pink flower that I can’t seem to identify by appearance (Vasona Reservoir). Help, anyone?
Two scrambled eggs, spinach, ground chuck, onion and mushroom, served with homefried potatoes and 9-grain wheat toast. $13
Judy’s Cafe, San Francisco CA
Another huge scramble from Judy’s Café. They jam-pack the ingredients into their scrams so it’s mostly filling than egg. I don’t mind one bit! 🙂
Manzanita flowers (Arctostaphylos sp., Ericaceae), Land’s End.
What can you say about festival food?! It’s usually overpriced and of poor quality. We attended a music concert at the America’s Cup Pavilion and that’s exactly what we had – an overpriced, soggy burger that I had to wait 10 minutes in line for! I’m still not sure if the patty was 100% beef. It tasted like there could have been pork in there too! Lame. $10
America’s Cup 2013, San Francisco CA
Strongbow hard cider. $10
New eastern span of the Bay Bridge, with the old span to the left.
With caramelized onions, brie, Granny Smith apple, fresh thyme and mixed greens. Happy hour $11
Yield Wine Bar, San Francisco CA
Wow, I loved all the flavors and ingredients on this flatbread pizza, but it was WAY too soggy and difficult to eat. Between the caramelized onions, melted brie, super thin crust and overload toppings, the slices seemed to dissolve and was impossible to pick up or eat with your hands. I’m a fan of thin crusts (less carbs), but it has to be balanced with the right amount of toppings. And I guess the mixed greens never made the plate! This didn’t quite work for me. I did love the space and our server was really great and friendly though.
Central stairway, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
Shishito pepper, bulgur wheat, sprouts. 10-course chef’s tasting menu $75
Roxy’s Cafe, San Francisco CA
Mmm, I love pickled food items! I really enjoyed all the flavors in this dish. The bulgur wheat was a little hard to chew, but I liked that its mellow flavor helped to tone down the acidity of the pickled egg and anchovy. And of course you all know that I love shishito peppers! I’m not quite sure what the pale condiment was because it had a very subtle taste that I couldn’t figure out. This dish was beautiful and tasty!
Holocaust Memorial by George Segal, California Palace of the Legion of Honor.
Rich peanut butter gelato with a fudge swirl. Small $4.50
Tuttimelon, San Francisco CA
For gelato, this didn’t have a very rich flavor or texture. It was dense and almost plastic tasting which is not a good combination. And I can’t believe that’s the smallest size they offer. If I wanted that much sugar, I’d go buy a gallon at the grocery store for the same price!
Random sidewalk band performance, Downtown.
Two eggs scrambled with diced ham, onion, bell pepper, served with homefried potatoes and 9-grain wheat toast. $12
Judy’s Cafe, San Francisco CA
We came across this busy brunch spot in the Marina because another restaurant we were planning on eating at was closed. The menu items were pretty basic and standard fare. The Denver scramble was ok. There was A LOT of it so you definitely got your money’s worth. The potatoes were delicious though and I couldn’t stop eating them! They were soft and tender and super flavorful. The service, on the other hand, was sporadic, confused and difficult to flag down.
Mimosas with orange juice and grapefruit juice. Each $9
Purple yarrow (Achillea millefolium, Asteraceae), Land’s End.
Ugh, these tasted fine but they were pretty greasy and quickly became limp and sad. Perhaps they were overcooked (as evidenced by their heavily blistered skin) or perhaps they got overly steamed during transport, but I didn’t enjoy them either way. That makes me sad because I love string beans! $6.95
Dumpling Empire, South San Francisco CA
Large artichoke agave (Agave parryi var. truncata, Agavaceae), West Field Road.
Vittle Monster 