Oeuf a la coque – L’appart Resto

Oeuf a la coque - L'appart Resto
2 soft-boiled eggs and black truffle mouillettes served with serrano ham, roasted potatoes and green asparagus. $13
L’appart Resto, San Anselmo CA

Mmm, this was really tasty! I love little tastings of food so this was a perfect meal for me. Everything was delicious and I loved dipping the mouillettes into the soft-boiled eggs.

Bon Tempe Lake
Beautiful Bon Tempe Lake, Marin County.

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Montaditos – Tinto

Pork belly montadito - Tinto
Pork belly, honey lacquer, shaved apple. Summer prix-fixe menu $38
Tinto, Palm Springs CA

Duck montadito - Tinto
Duck confit, serrano ham, black cherry, la peral spread.

Montaditos are delicious bites on slices of baguette. These were very tasty and had very different flavors. I liked the pork belly montadito a little better, perhaps because the duck montadito was a bit on the salty side.

Flower box

Pretty flower box, E Tahquitz Canyon Way.

Arugula salad – Tinto

Arugula salad - Tinto
Serrano ham, mission fig, fried goat cheese, spiced almonds, sevilla orange vinaigrette. Summer prix-fixe menu $38
Tinto, Palm Springs CA

This salad was pretty tasty! I especially loved the little fried goat cheese balls – they were delicious. The salad had lots of great ingredients and they all tasted great together.

Large rock formations, Joshua Tree National Park
Large rock formations, Joshua Tree National Park.

Jamon serrano – Tinto

Jamon serrano - Tinto
Andalusian mountain cured ham, egg salad, guindilla peppers. Summer prix-fixe menu $38
Tinto, Palm Springs CA

I can’t really complain about jamon serrano – I love the stuff! I really liked the texture of th eggs salad too. It was super silky and very tasty.

Our overall experience at this restaurant was a mess though. We had an early reservation because we had a flight next morning, and it was rocky from the get-go. We were the first people in the restaurant and the clueless hostess decides that she wants to sit us at some sad table surrounded by two rows of booths. Hello! This place was pretty empty throughout our dinner so I’m not sure why she wanted to seat us at such a shitty table in the first place. Thank goodness our server let us move to a more comfortable table. I will say that he was amazing – very friendly and accommodating. If it wasn’t for him, I think this dinner would have been a complete bust.

Marinated mantequilla olives - Tinto
Marinated mantequilla olives. Complimentary
Mmm, I love these olives!

Wooden fence, Joshua Tree National Park
Wooden fence, Joshua Tree National Park.

Georges Bank sea scallops “confit” – The French Laundry

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Fava beans, piquillo peppers, braised pine nuts and serrano ham vinaigrette. Chef’s Tasting Menu $270
The French Laundry, Yountville CA

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Hmm, compared to the rest of the meal this was probably one of my less(er) favorites. There was an unpleasant bitterness from the combination of pine nuts, scallop, and vinaigrette. It didn’t all taste bad, but it was too sharp on my palate. The scallop was super soft and tender though!

Salt and pepper squid – Benu

Salt and pepper squid Benu

Puffed squid with pickled serrano pepper slices, serrano chili powder, micro cilantro leaves, dollops of garlic sauce, and diced pieces of squid. Pre fixe dinner $180
Benu, San Francisco

This was really fun to eat. At first, I didn’t realize that the black portion was also squid that had been puffed. I loved the flavors and all the different textures.

Salt and pepper squid Benu

Tacos de pescado – Pisco Latin Lounge

Tacos de pescado Pisco Latin Lounge

Jerked red snapper, Brazilian mango, cabbage, serrano-tomatillo salsa. Garnished iwth arugula and lime wedge. $8
Pisco Latin Lounge, San Francisco

Another tasty bite from Pisco Lounge. They know how to make delicious snack food for when you’re hanging out with friends and having drinks. The fish was nicely cooked and the salsa was bright and fresh. They were a on the small side so if you’re super hungry, I’d order the empanadas instead.