Holm Family Cookbook

A sample of the some of the things to do in this area of Sacramento

A couple of weekends ago I attended the California CattleWomen's Spring Meeting that was held at the Embassy Suites on the edge of Old Sacramento. I looked forward to a weekend out of town, however, I either had a cold or really bad allergies and took naps some of the free time we had when we were not in meetings. I was also recovering from a surgical procedure that I had on one of my big toes and could not wear shoes or walk long distances, so I was not able to venture very far from the hotel.  

The Embassy Suites in Old Sacramento

I love staying at Embassy Suites, especially when kids are involved. The rooms are very spacious and the kids can stay in one room, parents in the other. I was sharing the room with my friends Kim and Melinda, so it was nice to have all of the extra space and the living room area with a couch and chairs where we could sit and visit. Nearly all of the Embassy Suites that I have stayed at have been very clean and well decorated. They also have complimentary cocktail receptions every night with some receptions being better than others. The Sacramento River runs right by the Embassy Suites and there is a riverwalk along the river. When standing in front of the hotel you can see the State Capitol just blocks away.

The Sacramento River runs along side the Embassy Suites

The California State Capital can be seen from the front of the Embassy Suites

One of the speakers at the California CattleWomen's meeting was an expert in certified meat products and the co-owner of a family owned broadline food service distribution company. His primary focus was to teach us about cuts of beef and he provided a demonstration on the difference between USDA Beef Quality Grades. The demonstration turned out to be quite tasty as we got to taste the difference between steaks that were choice and select grades. He had the steaks prepared and cut up into pieces in the hotel's restaurant.

Since we had an expert at our disposal, someone asked the question to the answer everyone wanted to know, "What exactly is the pink slime we have been hearing so much about from the media?" The expert told us that "pink slime" aka Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) is lean meat that has been separated from fat using a process similar to the process used to separate milk from heavy cream. Ammonia hydroxide, a natural occurring compound is used in the process. The ammonia hydroxide is a microbial inhibitor, which is a substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, or protozoans. It makes the meat safer and is used in the processing or production of many other food products such as dairy, fruits and vegetables, baked goods, breakfast cereals, eggs, fish, sports drinks, beer, and other meats. Hmmm, I think the media forgot to tell us that. By the way, the fat that is separated from the LFTB goes on to make soaps, cosmetics and other beef by products. So, enough about that.

Kitty corner from the Embassy Suites is a Joe's Crab Shack. Kim, Melinda, and I had never been to a Joe's Crab Shack before and made plans to go. The guy that checked us in at the hotel told us to get there before 7:00 because later than that the wait is 2 hours or more. We got to Joe's at about 6:15 and at that time there was a 1 hour, 20 minute wait. No worries. They take your cell phone number and call you when your table is ready, so you can hang out in Old Sac until your table is ready. Joe's Crab Shack is a fun restaurant. It's loud, lots of parties going on, and nearly every 30 minutes the servers break into dance. Some of the fun loving customers get up and dance with them--we weren't some of those customers. Joe's has an exciting drink called a Shark Attack made of Barcardi Limon, Skyy Vodka, Blue Curacao and sour mix. There is a vial of grenadine "blood" the server pours into the drink when the drink is served along with bells being rung and the servers shouting about a shark attack.  The popular foods served at Joe's are steam pots and buckets of crab. We enjoyed our dinner at Joe's.

Joe's Crab Shack in Old Sacramento

Our other dinner during the weekend in Old Sac was at the Embassy Suites. During the cocktail reception I ordered an onion soup. The soup was served in an hollowed out onion that was sitting on top of rock salt. It was really quite tasty. We also ordered prime rib French dip sandwiches that we took to our room.  The bread on the sandwiches got a bit mushy in the to go boxes, so we would recommend eating them in the restaurant.

The onion soup at the Embassy Suites is served in a hollowed out onion

Well it was nice to get away for the weekend and get that pink slime mystery cleared up. I hope to get back to Old Sac again soon since I didn't get out to see all of the sights during this trip.

~merry~

Don't be fooled by outside of Knickerbockers in Greenwich Village, the food and decor is not like T.G.I. Friday's inside

Last October I attended a conference in Jersey City, New Jersey and right across the Hudson River from my hotel was my favorite city, New York. My sister Susie happened to be right across the river too, but we never did meet up.

The conference organizers coordinated a group of us to go to dinner together at the Knickerbocker Bar & Grill in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York one night. To get to the restaurant we took a ten minute PATH train ride from Jersey City to Greenwich Village. From the PATH train station we had to walk a few blocks (city blocks) to the restaurant. We were so focused on staying together, finding the restaurant, and getting to the restaurant on time that we really did not look at our surroundings. After dinner we were able to walk at a more leisurely pace back to the train station and although it was dark and drizzling, we really enjoyed the sights. At one cross street we looked down the street and saw the arch at Washington Square Park. We walked to the park, took some photos, and continued on our walk back to the train station. As we walked we saw small upscale restaurants in the basements of some of the buildings we passed by (check out the Lion restaurant). Limos and town cars lined the streets waiting for their passengers dining in these restaurants. Many of the buildings are over 100 years old and have ornate hand railings on the staircases leading up to the buildings. Some of the apartments had beautiful glowing chandeliers that we could see through the windows. There were window boxes with flowers on other buildings. I would sure like to go back during the daylight to see this charming neighborhood and check out some of the restuarants.

The arch in Washington Square

When we arrived at Knickerbocker's I thought we had been misguided and would be dining at a T.G.I. Friday's type of restaurant. The outside of the restaurant was quite deceiving as the inside of the restaurant has the look of a classic New York eatery with an old school bar, piano, and caricatures by the legendary caricaturist Al Hirshfield.

Caricatures by the legendary caricaturist Al Hirshfield.

Knickerbocker's bar

The group that I went to dinner with really enjoyed Knickerbocker Bar & Grill. A couple of the guys started off with the French onion soup that was served in the traditional soup crock with melted cheese over the top of the soup and a slice of bread. It looked great and the guys that ordered it said it was great. I had some of the best pasta ever. It was housemade pasta with linguine, shrimp, fresh chili, garlic, breadcrumbs and just incredibly good. Others had the filet mignon and the giant T-bone steak. One guy had a gianormous burger. For dessert I had the key lime pie that was also incredibly good.

My incredibly good linguini and shrimp at Knickerbocker Bar & Grill

The filet mignon

Knickerbocker's famous T-Bone steak

Key lime pie

I had always heard that New Yorkers eat late. As we were leaving the restaurant around 9:00 pm there were several groups of people waiting to get seated--this was not the case when we arrived at 7:00 pm. In my hometown the restaurants are starting to close at 9:00 pm on a Tuesday night. 

I love New York.

~merry~

The decor at El Sacromonte, Livermore's newest restaurant was inspired by its namesake in Guadalajara, Mexico

After months of renovations, Livermore has a new upscale gourmet Mexican restaurant on First Street. The co-owner of the new restaurant, Juan Delgadillo runs a string of successful restaurants in Mexico. El Sacromonte in Guadalajara, Mexico is the restaurant from which the new Livermore restaurant takes its name, menu, and inspiration.

My sister Nancy, daughter Laina, and I had lunch at El Sacromonte a couple of weeks ago. We enjoyed the eclectic decor that includes whimsical paintings and figurines, nontraditional lighting, and artifacts from Mexico. The tables, chairs, and a large wine rack are all made of dark hardwood. Three clocks above the bar (another full bar in Livermore folks!) keep the guests on track with the time in Guadalajara, Livermore, and New York. The dining room is fairly large and can accommodate large groups for lunch or dinner. 

Whimsical paintings and . . . . . .

. . . . . whimsical figurines

A few of the artifacts from Mexico

The large dining room can accommodate large groups

Three clocks keep the guests on track with the time in Guadalajara, Livermore, and New York

Nontraditional lighting provides light in the dining room

Instead of the tortilla chips we are accustomed to in Mexican restaurants here in California, a basket of warm bread was brought to our table shortly after being seated. The food we were served was all very well presented and well-seasoned. Most of the food was not spicy hot, and the food that was spicy was not over the top. My favorite was the rib eye tacos, which was a sliced rib eye steak served with small corn tortillas, salsa, guacamole, cilantro, and chopped onion. To finish off our lunch we tried the Natilla Mexicana, which is a Mexican version of crème brulee. It was served warm, which is how crème brulee can be served. However, it was a bit watery--but it tasted very good. We had coffee with dessert and the coffee was very good as well. Two things I would have liked to have seen different was instead of serving the cream for coffee in the individual plastic Mini Moo containers, the cream would have been better presented in a small creamer. The Mini Moos remind me of dining at IHOP. Also, the too cold butter pats came in the gold individually wrapped papers and should be whipped and served in a glass container.

The service the day we were there was spotty. There were only two other tables occupied in the restaurant and the servers appeared to be confused as to whom was responsible for our table. After waiting way too long, we had to flag someone down to order and to get our check.

Diners are served warm bread

Aztec Tortilla Soup - Traditional tortilla soup served with fried tortilla strips, panela cheese, avocado and pasilla chiles

La Chava Shrimp - Large shrimp prepared in a 12 dry-chile sauce with a touch of garlic

Comala Stuffed Avocado - Half avocado stuffed with hearts of palm and shrimp, served with black pepper and hard-boiled egg vinaigrette

Rib Eye Tacos - Rib eye fajitas served in a bed of tortilla accompanied with cilantro, guacamole and onion

Natilla Mexicana - A Mexican version of crème brulee

Overall, we enjoyed our experience and the food at the El Sacromonte and I would definitely go back. However, I hope the rest of Livermore is ready for an upscale gourmet Mexican restaurant.

Buena comida, buena carne, buen Dios, vamos a comer!

~merry~

Bacon Date Tapas, easy to make and delicious to eat

My husband Troy and I had the opportunity to stay at the historic Casa Munras hotel in Monterey, California. The Estéban restaurant just off of the hotel’s lobby offers Mediterranean tapas and Spanish inspired cuisine. During the weekend we were there, the Sunday special in the bar was tapas. My favorite tapa was a date stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in bacon. Knowing this would be a great appetizer to take to parties, I searched the Internet for the recipe. With only three ingredients, it is very simple to make.

The three ingredients: dates, blue cheese, and bacon

Last weekend one of our cookbook testers, Pat Byrne, had a gingerbread house making party, which these tapas were just perfect for. And, they were a hit! I thought our readers would enjoy them as much as I do. They are the perfect appetizer--simple and delicious!

Hey, maybe Pat will share her gingerbread recipe with us!?

The gingerbread house making party was a perfect event for the tapas

One of the gingerbread houses at the party

Bacon Date Tapas  -  Makes 24, prep time 30 minutes, bake time 30 - 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound bacon, medium thick slices work best

24 dates, fancy Medjools work well

8 ounces of blue cheese (I prefer Point Reyes Blue Cheese)

24 toothpicks

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan with non-stick foil. Split the dates open, remove the pit. Fill the vacancy with blue cheese. Cut the strips of bacon in half and wrap the filled date in the half slice of bacon, then secure it with a toothpick. Place on cookie sheet/jelly roll pan. Put on a higher rack in the oven—the bottoms tend to burn when on a lower rack. Check after 20 minutes, if needed, turn them. Continue checking until golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel. These may be served at room temperature.

Removing the pit from the dates

The dates filled with blue cheese

The stuffed and bacon wrapped dates ready for the oven

The tapas are almost done cooking!

Enjoy!

~Susie

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."  ~Doug Larson

As Livermore's downtown continues to grow with new wine bars, pubs, and restaurants, one of the best is hidden out in Livermore's wine country

The first few miles of Tesla Road in Livermore is blanketed with vineyards, wineries, and tasting rooms. Hidden among them is the Underdog Wine Bar, which is one of my favorite places to go to unwind with friends and family or have a light leisurely lunch. The Underdog Wine Bar is adjacent to Concannon Vineyard's tasting room.

The decor at the Underdog is modern and tasteful

The wine distribution system keeps the wine at the optimal temperature

The decor in the Underdog is tasteful, modern, and leaves you with asking, "Is this really Livermore?!?" The decorator has also done a great job of incorporating grapes and vines into the decor.  One of the Underdog's assets is the outdoor patio that looks out on the Livermore hills, vineyards, and Concannon's grape arbor. The patio has heaters, so you can sit out there in all seasons and enjoy the view. There are tables, chairs, and couches for seating that can accommodate a fairly large group of people.

With views of the vineyards and Livermore Hills, the patio is one of the Underdog's assets

The wine can be ordered by glass, flight, or bottle. I usually order a flight which is three glasses on a wooden stand, with a fairly substantial pour. Ordering the flight gives me an opportunity to try a variety of wine. 

A flight of wine at the Underdog

The small plates served at the Underdog are incredible and designed by gourmet chef Barbara Llewellyn. The menu changes throughout the year and the items removed are replaced with seasonal foods. Currently on the menu is a braised short rib dish with seasonal vegetables that is out of this world. On a recent night when my sisters and I were at the Underdog, we could smell the short ribs cooking and it was a dizzying experience for the Calhoun sisters, especially since we were so hungry when we arrived. One small plate of the braised short ribs led to another . . . .

Homemade potato chips

Seasonal flat bread with walnuts, prosciuto, cheese, and grapes

There is an ahi tuna tartar tower that is always on the menu and is made with cucumber, avocado, radish, wasabi aioli, and coriander oil served with lightly salted wonton chips. Most of the people that I've been to Underdog with have ordered it and loved it (I don't do raw fish).  The desserts are not to be missed. One of the static menu items and always the best is the valrhona extra noir chocolate tart that is served with coffee bean caramel and sprinkled with grey salt. During the spring we took our cousin Becky and her daughter Kelsie to the Underdog for wine and dessert. My teen daughters and Kelsie thoroughly enjoyed the desserts especially the buttery strawberry shortcake that was on the menu at that time.

Valrhona extra noir chocolate tart with coffee bean caramel and grey salt

The seasonal straberry shortcake is made with a buttery pastry

The next time you're looking for a great place to spend some time enjoying a glass of wine, good conversation, and good eats, venture out to Livermore wine country's gem. You will be happy you did.  ~merry~

If all be true that I do think, There are five reasons we should drink:  Good wine— a friend— or being dry—Or lest we should be by and by—Or any other reason why.

~Henry Aldrich (1647–1710)

My husband, Troy, and I were able to attend the Brew Angel’s 63rd Annual Pub Crawl. The crawl was well attended, with 31 people boarding the bus for our trek to Moylan’s Brewery and Restaurant, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Third Street Ale Works and finally, Bear Republic. The back of the bus is reserved for the homebrews that members brought to share, very popular and tasty. It was a bright sunny day with beautiful views as we drove across Highway 12 from Lodi to the North Bay. This bus was equipped with a restroom, which we were discouraged to use for obvious reasons and “hold on” if we did!

Moylan's Brewery and Restaurant in Novato

Our first stop was Moylan's Brewery and Restaurant in Novato. The bartender lined up a plethora of brews for us to taste: Hopsicle Triple Hoppy IPA , Celts Golden Ale, Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale, Ryan O’Sullivan’s Imperial Stout, Irish Style Red, Orange and Black, White Christmas Spiced White Winter Lager. I would say my favorite was the Orange and Black, a special brew commemorating the San Francisco Giants World Series win. I first bought this beer in a bottle – a stout with hints of orange. All the beers were delicious and well balanced. Moylan’s has won many awards, both nationally and internationally. This was voted as our favorite brewery so far!

Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma

Up the road in Petaluma, we stopped at the Lagunitas Brewing Company.  A trip to the TapRoom and Beer Sanctuary is something to experience. A brewery that has always pushed the envelope, their facility is so very unique and artistically eclectic. Brian, our Lagunitas historian and tasting guide, shared much of their history and the story behind some of their beer names.

One such story would be the release of a brew to commemorate the Undercover Sting in their early days. They are in the process of a multimillion dollar expansion. We had the opportunity to taste Hop Stoopid, Pils – Czech Style Pilsner, Maixmus and a few others. Most of their beers I would consider “big beers” with high alcohol content, very well hopped.

Loved this stop! You may want to check out the Beer Circus in May. There was a great write up in The Celebrator Beer News about this now annual event, check it out!

Third Street Aleworks

Next stop was the Third Street AleWorks in Santa Rosa. This being our lunch stop, we were in need of food. The almonds and jerky I brought along were not holding up to the big beers! They had an extensive beer list, with lists posted on the wall, including alcohol content. We were offered a limited lunch menu with plenty of choices. Most popular at our table was the fish and chips.

At our table there were also grilled tri tip steak salad ,

and the Italian Pizza.

I ordered the Bird on Third - grilled chicken breast with bacon, avocado, pepper jack cheese served on a toasted French roll.

What do I like best about pub food? French fries! They were cooked to perfection, with the skins on. Some of the beers we tasted were: Annadel Pale Ale, Bodega Head IPA, Stonely Oatmeal Stout, Cascadian Dark Ale and American Wheat Ale. The service was remarkably smooth for a large group. Some people took the opportunity to run over to Russian River Brewing and taste some of their famous Pliney the Elder.

Bear Republic Brewing Company and Restaurant

Our final stop was Bear Republic Brewing Company and Restaurant in Healdsburg. Known for their Racer 5 we tasted that along with Big Bear, Red Rocket, Peter Brown Tribute Ale. Brian, a brewing assistant, gave us a short tour and took us over to the Barrel Room. The Barrel Room was set up for a dinner that evening. Bear Republic has won many awards, is home of the Best IPA in the US and has expanded their brewing facility to Cloverdale. The beer was tasty, well hopped. You could tell the day was wearing on us by this stop and it was time to load up the bus. As we were leaving Bear Republic, the dinner crowd was filtering in.

The bus ride back to Lodi was quieter than the ride over. There was still beer in the back for those that wanted it. As we pulled into the Flying J lot at the intersection of I-5 and Hwy 12, designated drivers met the bus. All headed home, looking forward to next year’s 64th annual Brew Angel’s Pub Crawl.

Susie

"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer."

- Abraham Lincoln

An Anything Goes billboard on the corner of Broadway and 47th Street

Last month my husband Troy and I made a quick trip to New York City. Before leaving on the trip we made a list of everything we wanted to see in the city. First on the list was  a Broadway production! The thought of standing in line with hundreds to get a half price ticket at TKTS had no appeal, so when Travel Zoo sent out an email with discounts to Broadway productions, I hopped on it. This helped narrow our choices. Troy and I chose Anything Goes, a revival of the 1934 musical, at the newly remodeled Stephen Sondheim Theater. When looking at the reviews on didhelikeit.com to make a choice, Anything Goes had rave reviews.

The newly remodeled Stephen Sondheim Theater

We had tickets for the Sunday matinee and naturally we had to get a meal before seeing the show. While we were on our way to the theater the first restaurant we came upon was Heartland Brewery . . . which was PERFECT for us craft beer lovers! First off we ordered the beer sampler that included one of the specialty brews and six other samples. We started with the Indian River Light which was described as having the flavor of orange blossoms with coriander to enhance the crisp finish. It was the best of all. This was followed by Cornhusker Lager and a Harvest Wheat. Red Rooster Ale followed, this one tasted really good with French fries. The IPA  was flavorful, but it really couldn't compare to the California IPAs. Farmer John's Oatmeal Stout has won various medals at the Great American Beer Festival - this was a bit light for my liking. Finally, the specialty brew that day was the Smiling Pumpkin Ale, which was a lightly spiced brew. One of their "beer cocktails" was Stumpkin, a blend of the stout and pumpkin brews. The stout was so light it could be over powered by the pumpkin.

The Heartland Brewery in New York City

The beer sampler at Heartland Brewery

Along with the beer and food, Heartland also served a variety of cocktails, beer cocktails and wine. On the wine list was an Axis, 2007 Lodi Zinfandel for $36. The menu was a typical pub menu, with some variations. We chose the mini bison burgers with BBQ sauce and sliced tomato, it was juicy and flavorful. The French fries had skins on, were well done, and sprinkled with sea salt - just like I like them! Finally I had a chop salad with capers, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, kalamata olives, red onions, grape tomatoes, celery and croutons. It was too heavily dressed for me and the vegetables a bit wilted. Heartland has several locations throughout Manhattan.

Heartland Brewery's mini bison burgers

The chop salad at Heartland Brewery

When we arrived at the theater, the line to go in had already formed and people were all ready entering to see Anything Goes. Each doorway had an usher dressed as a sailor. The sets for the musical are described as "deco." I cannot say enough about this production. Every detail left a favorable and lasting impression. The music, the dancing, the costumes, the sets, the performers – all made for a memorable theate rexperience.

It was a great first day in New York City!

 ~Susie

This month has been just crazy. I've traveled over 12,500 miles and lucky for me, I do love to travel. During my travels I attended a conference in Jersey City, New Jersey.  The conference was held in a hotel in the Newport area of Jersey City, which is just across the Hudson River from New York City. With all of the tasteless reality shows featuring residents of New Jersey these days, I was wondering what I was getting myself into. Fortunately, I never ran into anyone that even resembled Snooki or The Situation, one of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, or even anyone that looked Jerseylicious.

The yacht harbor in the Newport area of Jersey City, New Jersey

The view of New York from one of the walking paths in the Newport area

The Newport area of Jersey City was very nice. The conference was held at the Westin, which was one of the nicest hotels I have stayed at in a few years. The beds and linens in the rooms were awesome. They have gone above and beyond to provide you with a great stay by providing high quality soaps, shampoos, lotions in the sleeping rooms, heated towels and disposable ear buds in the workout room (the workout equipment all have individual TVs), and you can help yourself to apples in lobby. The food was incredible at the restaurants in the hotel and believe it or not, even the food served at the conference was outstanding. It also appears that the hotel staff has gone through extensive training to provide outstanding customer service, which I really appreciated.

Night time view of New York City from my room at the Jersey City Westin

Vegetable Rolls at the Fire & Oak Restaurant in the Westin

There are several restaurants in the area surrounding the Westin. One night during the conference we had an evening event at Michael Anthony's restaurant, which is situated on the Hudson River with a great view of New York. The event included a cocktail reception with passed appetizers and a sit down dinner. While the location of this restuarant is outstanding, I kept expecting chef Gordon Ramsey to appear for a Kitchen Nightmares makeover saying something such as, "What the f**k are you serving here? This food is f**king terrible. They quit serving this s**t in the 80's." He would have also had a field day with the servers serving the dinner as well. Given the great views of New York and the river, I would actually give the restaurant another try. I have found that even some of the best restaurants bomb when catering a large event.

Michael Anthony's restaurant on the Hudson River offers an outstanding view of New York City

The bar at Michael Anthony's

Another restaurant I tried in the area was Azucar Cuban Cuisine, a restaurant right across the street from the Westin. I really enjoyed the food, music and ambience at Azucar. One of the specialties at this restaurant is their Cuban sandwich, which is notorious for beating Bobby Flay in a throwdown. For a few weeks during October I was on a shrimp kick, so instead of the Cuban sandwich I tried a shrimp dish, Camarones a la Plancha, which were grilled shrimp seasoned with lime, fresh herbs and black pepper. The shrimp were great. My coworker, Rena, tried the grilled chicken breast, Bistec de Pollo al Grill, which was a lime juice marinated grilled chicken breast covered with onions and peppers. She said it was very tender and tasted great.

Azucar Cuban Cuisine restaurant

The Camarones a la Plancha, grilled shrimp seasoned with lime, fresh herbs and black pepper

Bistec de Pollo al Grill, lime juice marinated grilled chicken breast smothered in onions and peppers

I really enjoyed my visit to Jersey City.  Besides the Westin, there are other hotels in the area, such as a DoubleTree and a Courtyard Marriott. There is a Path train station about a block away from the Westin.  For $3 we took a seven minute train ride into Greenwich Village for dinner one night. Rena took the Path train into New York a few times and said she was able to easily walk to some of the attractions she wanted to see or transfer to the subway, which took her to other attractions.

I would definitely stay in this area again. I'll have to catch Snooki on some other trip.

~merry~

Did you know that Liberty Enlightening the World was originally the name of the Statue of Liberty? On our recent trip to NYC, Troy and I secured some of the last tickets to walk to the crown of Lady Liberty, prior to the next remodel.

When you're 125 years old, there is a good chance you too could use a facelift! If visiting NYC, I would highly recommend this trip. Easily accessible via the subway, it makes for a full day when you also visit Ellis Island. Tip, do not take a pocket knife.Troy had to "secure" his knife in the bushes, at the suggestion of the security screeners.

After walking to the top, all 354 steps, we were ready to rest our legs. Just happened that there was a tour about to start. The U.S. National Park Service ranger, Dave Stack, imparted so much information with passion and beautiful back drops - the Manhattan and New Jersey shorelines, and the Statue of Liberty.

Dave shared some of the symbolism of the Statue. Her foot is not flat, but preparing to take a step, always moving forward. The shackles at her feet broken, freedom. The crown, always lit for enlightening. Did you know there are 250 watt bulbs to light that crown? Next stop was Ellis Island. This was a self guided tour. I loved reading the stories of people's reaction when they first viewed the statue as they entered the United States.

Needless to say, after our tours we were ready for some dinner and beverages. We caught the subway to Houston, just a few blocks from Bleecker (the street where the apartment is that were staying at). As we walked down Houston, we passed Gilda's Club www.gildasclubnyc.org/ - which supports anyone with cancer, the street also had a sign, "Gilda Radner Way." She was such a GREAT entertainer! So I diverge...

We headed to John's of Bleecker Street, Johnsbrickovenpizza.com. John's was recommended by Susie Ackerman, one of our recipe testers, and written up in United Airlines Hemisphere magazine. I had to eat John's New York pizza!

We had passed by John's at 9:00 on a Saturday night and again 6:00 on Sunday night, both nights had lines out the door. Tuesday at 5:00, we were seated immediately. John's was decorated in quite an eclectic way. The wooden booths had years of carvings on them. Actors and sports celebrities had autographed photos throughout the restaurant. I was seated under a picture of the 1961 Yankees. Troy selected the roasted tomato (with both red and yellow tomatoes), sliced meatball, and black olive pizza.

We accompanied that with a house salad - iceberg lettuce, mushrooms, pickled beets, onions dressed with a light vinaigrette dressing.

Beverage of choice was Yuengling Lager, a darker lager brewed in Pennsylvania www.yuengling.com/. It was great a NYC Greenwich Village neighborhood experience!

~ Susie

The Original Fried Pies sign in Davis, Oklahoma

Sometimes when I visit my sister in Texas we take trips up to Oklahoma.  We have visited the Arbuckle Wilderness drive through animal park and Turner Falls Park, both in Davis, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma City where we have toured the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.  We always make a point to stop at Original Fried Pies in Davis, Oklahoma. It is in the heart of the Arbuckle Mountains.

The Original Pies Shop pamphlet says the fried pies were originally made for ranch hands in the fields in 1893.  They have other locations in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri, but the Davis, Oklahoma location off Interstate 35 is the original location.

The Original Fried Pie Shop's menu

The generous sized hand held fried pies come in many flavors.  The fruit fillings are apricot, apple, peach,cherry, pineapple and blackberry.  You can also get the fruit pies sugar free. The cream pie fillings are coconut, chocolate, lemon and vanilla.  They also have pecan, which is one of my mom’s favorites (along with the blackberry). They have breakfast pies – sausage, cheese and egg and bacon, cheese and egg.  For lunch and dinner you could try chicken and vegetable, beef and vegetable, broccoli and chicken, spinach and mushroom, polish sausage and potato in a light cheesesauce, Tex-Mex or pizza style.

Fried pie crust and fillings

Assembling the pies

Assembled pies

Cherry fried pie

My husband thoroughly enjoyed the sausage, cheese and egg.  My favorite is cherry.  The crust is light and flaky.  My great nephew Karson really liked his cherry pie.  He had his almost eaten before I sat down with mine. 

Karson loooved his pie!

We always eat one there and take one or two with us to eat later.

If you like them hot, it only takes a few minutes for them to make one in your choice of flavor.

My sister goes up to the animal park quite often and she always has to stop at Original Fried Pies. If you are ever in the area, take a break and stop and get a fried pie.

~Wendy~

Cafe Espanol in Greenwich Village

Last Saturday, my husband Troy and I traveled to New York City for a short visit . . . unfortunately, it was way too short!

Our arrival into Manhattan's Greenwich Village was via one of those fast, wild New York cab rides.  We were dropped at the apartment we rented for our stay on Bleecker Street, near New York University.

A friend had highly recommended that we go to John's Pizza while we were in New York. In addition to our friends recommendation, on the flight in, there was a short blurb in United's Hemisphere magazine on John's being one of the best NYC pizza places - but "no slices!" This is where we wanted to go for dinner, but when we flew by in the cab, we saw the line of people waiting to eat there was way out the door.

After getting settled in the apartment, we had decided the line was too long at John's and we really wanted a beer and food, NOW! Luckily, Bleecker Street is full of restaurants. Just on our block there are at least six restaurants! We decided to walk down the street a bit and came upon a Spanish restaurant, Cafe Espanol, which is a charming restaurant. It looked small from the outside - narrow and deep. They had several rooms for dining, a front patio and a garden. We ate out on the front patio, so entertaining!

There was an extensive menu, with at least 50 tapas and entrees. These included meat, poultry, fish, seafood and many lobster dishes. Seeing how it was late, Troy and I didn't want a heavy meal. So many choices! First, BEER! Though we should have gotten sangria, we quenched our thirst with Negra Modelo.

Our Negra Modelo along with a olive oil, garlic, olive, and pimento dipping sauce

The meal started with fresh bread, served with a dipping sauce of olive oil, garlic, olives, and pimentos. I have got to try to make this at home! Next we ordered the avocado salad, which was full of Haas avocados, romaine lettuce, and tomatoes along with a flavorful, creamy vinaigrette.  Next Troy ordered a tapa, Lomo de cedro con champinones, pork loin with sautéed mushrooms and wine. This was delicious! We also ordered some sautéed string beans.

The avocado salad at Cafe Espanol

Lomo de cedro con champinones tapa, pork loin with sautéed mushrooms and wine

Sautéed green beans

The service was fantastic--attentive but not overbearing. All of our servers were men that all seemed to love their job. They even offered to take our picture! Should you happen to be in this neighborhood, Troy and I would recommend this restaurant, not only for the food but the atmosphere. As we sat on the patio, we watched the people and the traffic . . . driving by was a Bentley, a Rolls Royce, and several hundred taxis.  Hello New York!

~Susie

We’re fixin’ to take ya’ll on a trip to the South by way of Angeline’s Louisiana Kitchen in Berkeley… We recently took our friend Deana, a native Louisiana gal, on her first trip to Berkeley. Telegraph Avenue is one of my favorite spots to take tourists to give them a unique view of the hippy mecca, a time warp back to the 60’s (I did end up buying a couple of leather bracelets from a street vendor, really!!). But the main reason for this trip was get Deana out of the house where the kids were getting ready for their surprise 30th anniversary party. So her daughters and I found a restaurant online that touted southern hospitality and Louisiana cuisine, Angeline’s Kitchen, the perfect diversion - food from home! The Blume family knows southern hospitality, and fortunately, we have often been the recipients … red beans and rice, huge pots of gumbo with a slooooooow cooked roux, shrimp casseroles, home made root beer, another story to be told in a future blog.

So we covertly headed to Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley with an appetite and found Angeline’s, a small unassuming storefront, but once you step inside, it’s southern comfort all the way.

The aromas from the kitchen, decorations on the walls, the bar and open kitchen make you feel right at home. It was a tough call when the menu came, we wanted to try everything, and we almost did! Prices were very reasonable, and the portions looked plentiful as the plates were passing our table by. There were only three of us but we did our best to eat our way across Louisiana, you would have thought we were ordering for a small army.

Deana recommended that we start off with the Hush Puppies, a traditional cornmeal fritter with honey butter. Those puppies were served hot and full of flavors from the South, herbs, spices and a wee bit of a kick, which won Deana over from the start, she was home!

Hush Puppies with a flavorful kick

Our traveling partner Rose chose the Classic Muffuletta, overflowing with salami, mortadella, provolone, and olive salad, taking us on a flavor trip right back to New Orleans. The Baked Mac & Cheese with a crunchy parmesan crust was calling her name, so we all got a taste of some home cookin’, just like mamas.

Classic Muffuletta, Potato Salad and Mac & Cheese

The Southern belle ordered a NOLA classic, the Shrimp Po’ Boy dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickle, Creole mustard, mayonnaise and hot sauce. Fresh crunchy shrimp was spilling out and the kick of the mustard and hot sauce was LA all the way. Their sandwiches come with a side of Potato Salad, red potatoes with Creole dressing and green onions, the dressing gave it a very flavorful kick. And for just $2.50 you can substitute your side with Angeline’s Gumbo full of okra, andouille, tasso ham, and shrimp, so instead of having to choose one or the other, we got both. We were beginning to fill up!

Straight from the South Gumbo and Shrimp Po' Boy

I ordered the Buttermilk Fried Chicken, I was so excited with the menu I didn’t realize it was boneless breast of chicken, not whole pieces, my only disappointment, but it had a crusty crunch on the outside and was moist and delicious on the inside, great flavors. The chicken came with ginger-vanilla sweet potato mash, tasso ham cream gravy and Blue Lake green beans. The sweet potato mash was absolutely divine, that alone was worth the drive to Berkeley! Sweet, creamy and full of flavor, it could be a meal in itself, close to sweet potato pie delicious.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken and heavenly Sweet Potato Mash

The Blume family tells me that it’s very hard to find a hot, fresh Beignet outside of New Orleans, well we hit the jackpot at Angeline’s, they were cooked to order, hot and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious with a mountain of powdered sugar sprinkled on top. I didn’t know that you’re supposed to eat beignets with your hands, not a fork, so I got a teasing from Deana, me the hillbilly that usually doesn’t have the best of manners. And you’re supposed to have powdered sugar battles at the end of the meal, so don’t wear black!

Fried to order Beignets with just a little powdered sugar!

We met Angeline’s Chef, Brandon Dubea, who hales from Louisiana himself, Baton Rouge, where he spent many an hour growing up in his grandpa’s Cajun grocery store, and helping out with crawfish boils. I think he has hot sauce running through his veins, he definitely made his grandpa proud with this meal.

Direct from Baton Rouge, Chef Brandon Dubea

If it wasn’t for the 3 cups of coffee we drank (goooood coffee) we definitely would have eaten ourselves into a Cajun coma! It was a good thing we were planning to introduce Deana to the Telegraph neighborhood where we could walk off lunch browsing the street vendors, and yes, there was a tie-dye t-shirt vendor peddling his wares on the corner.

We will definitely be heading back to Angeline’s Kitchen, it wasn’t just a meal, it was a gastronomic adventure! A few items I plan on trying next round are the Fried Catfish, Voo Doo Shrimp, Crawfish Etouffee, Grilled Boudin, Abita Pure Can Root Beer, and we will definitely finish up with another round of beignets, eaten without a fork. Our Southern belle Deana gives Angeline’s a thumbs up!

Laisser les bons temps rouler!

Nancy, Deana & Rose

Just about an hour drive from my house is Half Moon Bay, which is a small farming community next to the Pacific Ocean. On Thursday, my sister Nancy and I took my girls there for the day. Shortly after arriving in Half Moon Bay, my youngest daughter let us know she needed to be home early because she was going to an event that night and her friends were all meeting at our house at 4:30 pm to get ready. So, what had started out as a leisurely day in Half Moon Bay, now became the "let's see and do everything we can in a few hours day."

Our first stop in Half Moon Bay was at Jeff Clark Maverick's Surf Shop. Jeff Clark was one of the founders of the world famous Maverick's surf contest and is a world class surfboard shaper. Nancy ended up buying a surfboard. OK, so it wasn't a full sized surf board-- it was a wooden postcard shaped like a surfboard.

Jeff Clark Maverick's Surf Shop

Our next stop was the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company for lunch. Although it was cold and foggy, we opted to sit outside to eat. Nancy and I shared one of the Maverick's beer samplers. We really liked the Devil's Slide Summer Ale, which was served with lemon. As for the food, we started off with the artichoke hearts that are battered with an amber ale batter. A couple of us had cups of the clam chowder, which was outstanding. The consistency was just right and the flavor was great. The soups are made daily from scratch. Nancy had Avô's Portuguese Fisherman's Stew, which was also outstanding. The fisherman's stew is a mix of fresh fish, shellfish, fennel and linguica in a garlic broth with cilantro. If you click here, you can get the recipe. My daughters both had the pear salad, which is made with radicchio, spring mix, endive, candied walnuts and pecans, roasted pear, dried cranberries and bleu cheese with raspberry vinaigrette. I had the crab louie. Reminder to myself: If it's not crab season, don't order the crab louie.

Half Moon Bay Brewing Company

Maverick's Beer sampler

Half Moon Bay Brewing Company's clam chowder

Avô's Portuguese Fisherman's Stew - Click here for the recipe

Right across the street from the Monterey Bay Brewing Company is Barbara's Fish Trap, which is our parent's favorite restaurant in Half Moon Bay. We ran into to some other people that day that also said Barbara's Fish Trap is their favorite restaurant in the area. Barbara's is a four star restaurant on Yelp and Half Moon Bay Brewing is only 3.5 stars. Might be worth checking out.

Barbara's Fish Trap in Half Moon Bay

Our next stop was Main Street in the historic downtown Half Moon Bay. Cuhna's Country Grocery was one of the places we really wanted to visit on Main Street. At Cuhna's we were pleased to find a selection of Portuguese foods, which included a few types of linguica and pies from a Portuguese bakery. The Portuguese offerings in our hometown are pretty minimal.

Cuhna's Country Grocery

There are quite a few interesting stores and sights in the Historic Downtown area. At the southern end of Main Street is the Toque Blanche cooking store and next to it is the Moonside Bakery and Cafe. Had we not been on stringent schedule, we probably could have spent half of the day in the cooking store, which "sells professional quality cookware and tools to the serious home chef." It appears they do cooking demonstrations in the store and the staff is very knowledgeable about the tools and cookware that they sell. The bakery and cafe next door had quite a variety of sweets and an indoor dining area that was decorated in such a way that you would feel you were dining outside.

Toque Blance cooking store

Moonside Bakery and Cafe bakery goods

Moonside Bakery and Cafe dining area

There are a few boutique hotels in the historic downtown area. Each one looks very inviting. I would sure like to get back there to stay in one of them for a weekend.

Hotels in historic Half Moon Bay: San Benito House (left) and HMB Hotel (right)

Cottage Industries handcrafted furniture store

It's Italia restaurant front (left) and a window display a few doors down (left)

One of the murals in historic downtown Half Moon Bay

Historic home

Half Moon Bay's historic jail--I expected a Barney Fife character to step outside any minute

Not sure, but we think this is an art gallery

Part of a mosaic in the town square

While on Main Street we also visited the Half Moon Bay Feed and Fuel store, which is actually still a feed store that in addition to livestock feed sells farm and ranch supplies, horse tack supplies, pets and pet supplies. They also sell chickens. They had an impressive variety of chicks available. One of the employees spent a few minutes with us showing us the color of eggs that each breed lays. The chicks they were selling would produce brown, pink, and blue eggs.

Chicks for sale at the Half Moon Bay Feed and Fuel

Just blocks away from the historic downtown are public beaches. As I mentioned earlier, it was cold and foggy in Half Moon Bay on Thursday; however, since we were so close to the ocean, we really needed to at least take a walk on the beach.

Auntie Nancy on the beach with my daughters

The cliffs along the beach

When we drive to Half Moon Bay from the East Bay Area, we take Highway 92, which winds it's way down a mountain into Half Moon Bay and we pass several farms selling food, flowers, and plants. During the fall the farms sell pumpkins and during the winter you can cut your own Christmas tree. Naturally, we had to stop at a few of the farms on the way out of town.

Flowers, pumpkins, beans, sunflowers and other crops along Highway 92

Beets and Swiss chard

Cabbage and freshly cut zinnias

Honeycombs and pumpkins

Honey, pumpkin blossoms, and green onions

All-in-one gift store, flower stand, and veggie stand

As you can see, we were able to see a lot in a very short amount of time in Half Moon Bay. Some of the things we did not get to enjoy were the bike trails, watching surfers, cocktails at the pretentious Ritz-Carlton, and playing in the water. So, I guess I'm just going to have to go back for the weekend real soon.

~merry~

The 320 Ranch Dining Room

During our recent vacation in Montana I noticed that there are many "guest ranches" (formerly known as dude ranches) along the Madison and Gallatin Rivers. Most of the guest ranches are situated at the base of a mountain in a cluster of trees and have attractive log cabins for the guests to stay in. The ranches offer horseback riding adventures, trout fishing expeditions, rafting, hiking, and many other outdoor activities. I would like to stay at one of these guest ranches some day.

The entrance to the 320 Ranch

One of the ranches in Big Sky, the 320 Ranch, has a pig roast on Monday nights during the summer and it's not just for the guests of the ranch--everyone is welcome to attend. A couple of Monday nights ago, a group of us met up at the 320 Ranch for the pig roast. The cost of the pig roast, an all you can eat buffet dinner, is $10, which includes ice tea and lemonade. The night we were there they had live music, $2 beer on tap, and some nice wine.

The entertainment

Everyone enjoyed the beautiful evening and surroundings at the 320 Ranch

The pork is served with whole wheat buns and two different types of sauces. One of the sauces was a very tasty BBQ sauce. Accompanying the meat was beans, a coleslaw, potato salad, and cookies. Often times when you attend an event like this, the coleslaw and potato salad are bought in bulk and flavorless or tastes packaged. All of the side dishes, including the beans were freshly made and full of flavor.

The buns and pork

Coleslaw and potato salad

Beans and cookies

The pig

Members of our gang at the pig roast

It's not often that many of us have an opportunity to attend an event in a setting like this. So when opportunity knocks, I say go for it!

~merry~

If you were to float down the Madison River in Montana, you would see some of the most beautiful country in America and the Campfire Lodge and campground is nestled right in there, along the Madison river, in some of the most beautiful country in America. The Campfire is located about 20 minutes outside of West Yellowstone. The Campfire has a cafe, which is a favorite breakfast spot for the locals and the folks that summer in the area. So, when we visit our Calhoun side of the family that summers in the area, a trip to the Campfire is a must.

Wild flowers are scattered throughout the Campfire property

The Campfire's riverside cafe

The counter

My favorite corner in the cafe

One of the dining rooms

The patio in back

The view from the back dining room and the patio is just incredible. We can watch people fly-fishing or look for wildlife while we are dining in these areas. It's not often that you can see an Osprey dive into a river while you are eating breakfast, and at the Campfire's cafe we have seen it happen.

While I usually eat something that is full of fiber and low in fat for breakfast, I don't at the Campfire's cafe. During our visit to the cafe last week, Harold Foster and I both ordered the pancake "sandwich," which we expected to be two small pancakes with an egg and bacon. Were we ever surprised when we were served two huge pancakes, about 10 inches in diameter, with the egg and bacon on top. Three days later I was literally still chipping away at the rest of pancakes that I brought back to the cabin with me.

The pancake "sandwich" that includes, not just one, but TWO giant pancakes

My husband ordered the chicken fried steak, which was the special that day. It too was of substantial proportion and well seasoned.

The special of the day, chicken fried steak

After breakfast we drove through the Campfire's campground. The wildflowers and scenery were just incredible.

Have you ever stayed at a campground that looks like this?!

Wild hollyhocks

If you happen to be in the area, be sure to drop by the Campfire Lodge cafe and drive through the campground. However, make sure you take off your wet waders before you go into the cafe, as the sign says at the door, NO Wet Waders.

~merry~

Susie Calhoun, Lori Neely South, and Hank the Longhorn at the Gaylord Texan Resort

My trip to Texas was a quick one. Some of our Holm cousins relocated to the Dallas area several years ago and have embraced the spirit of the state. They wanted me to see as much as I could in an evening, so a trip to The Gaylord Texan Resort was in order. Inside the atrium you can visit various areas of Texas. It is beautifully landscaped as you see a representation of the Alamo, take a walk on the Riverwalk, or visit the Hill Country.

There is a large selection of restaurants to choose from. Representing the Riverwalk is the Riverwalk Cantina with Tex Mex food, Old Hickory Winebar and Steakhouse, Zeppole for Italian food and the Texas Station Sports Bar and Grill. Our cousin, Lori Neely South, knows I love sports, so she decided the Texas Station would be best for us, especially with two of her young grandsons joining us.

Texas Station features a 30’ x 52’ HD screen for your viewing pleasure. There were also many other screens strategically placed around the room. Those watching March Madness were in heaven! The food was classic pub fare – the meats flavorful. As the food was delivered our cousins said, “At least Wendy (fellow cookbook partner) isn’t here so we don’t have to take pictures of the food!” The response was, “but Susie’s here!” So indeed I got a few pictures. I had a pulled pork sandwich. It was too large to consume the whole thing in one sitting. Most dishes were accompanied with Texas Toast, fries and cole slaw – who doesn’t love that! I had a signature Orange Mojito – so refreshing.

The big screen at the Gaylord's Texas Station

The Texas Station's orange mojito

Texas Station pulled pork

Texas Station ribs

Texas Station wrap

Our next stop was Pete’s Piano Dueling Bar in Addison – its smoke free. With two pianos, some wild musicians and a crowd celebrating many bachelorettes and birthdays, some fun was had! The grandsons had to miss this part of the evening. Jessica’s husband, Robby, was so kind to put in a request for the Beach Boy's, California Girls. From then on throughout the evening references to “Susie and the California gang” came up. I have never seen a place serving up so many “shots” and challenging people to earn them! There was a competitive spirit in that crowd that made it extra entertaining. Pete’s is scattered throughout Texas and now Las Vegas.

Thanks to Lori, Jessica and Jamie I was able to experience so much of Texas in a brief visit…too short of time with my cousins, but so memorable. The Gaylord Texan is only six miles from the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. If you need a place to stay and visit Texas in a hurry, I can suggest the Gaylord Texan. It’s BIG, just like Texas!

~Susie Calhoun

The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~Erma Bombeck

Cabana Dave's Gourmet Food Truck

There was a time not so long ago when the only food vending trucks you saw on the road were the less-than-hygienic food trucks, also known as roach coaches, frequenting construction sites, warehouses, and other places blue collar workers are employed. The roach coach would usually announce its arrival by honking a horn that played La Cucaracha or some other loud noise that could clearly be heard through concrete walls or over the din of a jack hammer. Several years ago while I was between careers, I had a factory type job and the tune of La Cucaracha would beckon us outside during our mid-morning break so we could buy our lunch of a microwave burrito, a sandwich with American Cheese on gooey white bread, or tub of cottage cheese.

Trending today are gourmet food trucks serving high-end food prepared by culinary school trained chefs. The trucks don't cater to the blue collar worker, but to people from all walks of life and they are turning up in towns and cities across America.

Unlike the roach coach, the gourmet food trucks don't have a route that they follow each day--the gourmet food trucks turn up in different locations with the location being tweeted to the followers and posted on Facebook. There are websites that post the food truck tweets, so that you can follow all of your favorite trucks in the same page. The people that follow the trucks call it "chasing."

Food truck tweets on the Find LA Food Truck Website

There is a huge variety of types of food being sold from the gourmet food trucks. Just a few examples include American BBQ, Thai, cupcakes, Caribbean, Indian, Creole, Chinese, pizza, ice cream, and empanadas.

Food truck festivals are also a trend and are events where dozens of gourmet food trucks assemble for foodies to try their fare. The planner of a food truck festival that was held in San Jose last month expected a crowd of 4,000 foodies, instead 10,000 showed up to eat, which caused long lines and the unprepared trucks to run out of food.

My hometown of Livermore now has Cabana Dave's gourmet food truck working the streets. Dave Victor, owner of the Cabana Dave's gourmet truck, has been a restauranteur and caterer of the Oakland Raiders professional football team and weddings in the Livermore Valley--he can now add vending truck proprietor to his resume.

Cabana Dave's drew quite a lunch crowd on a Monday afternoon at Concannon Vineyards in Livermore

Cabana Dave's truck was recently at Concannon Vineyards winery on a workday, so some of my work buddies and I stopped by for lunch. On the menu this day were pulled pork sandwiches, jerk chicken wraps, hamburgers, spring salad, and sweet potato fries. The pulled pork sandwich and sweet potato fries that I ordered sure hit the spot and were so much more appetizing and better tasting than the food I used to purchase from the roach coach.

Pulled pork sandwich and sweet potato fries

I think I like this trend. Move over roach coach and let the gourmet food truck by!

~merry~

The bronze catfish grilled with Cajun seasonings and topped with tequila butter and lime that is served at the Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar in Gruene, Texas

On a recent trip to Texas to visit my sister, her daughters and their families, we stayed at my sister’s friend’s “River House” on the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels.  New Braunfels is about halfway between Austin and San Antonio.  Close by is the Gruene Historic District. Gruene (pronounced green) was settled by German farmers in the mid 1840’s.

Ernest Gruene and his two sons built the first homes and planted the surrounding land with cotton.  In 1878, they built a cotton gin that was powered by the Guadalupe River and a dance hall and saloon, Gruene Hall, which became the center of the community’s social life. The economic disasters of the bollweevil and the Depression were too much for the family businesses and they went under except for Gruene Hall, which never closed.

The Gruene Hall where George Strait, Lyle Lovett, and Hal Ketchum got their start

In the mid 1970’s new businesses were established and Gruene is once again a thriving community.  Gruene Hall is Texas’ oldest and continually operating dance hall and is where George Strait, Lyle Lovett, and Hal Ketchum got their start.  It is also featured in the movie ‘Michael”, starring John Travolta, whose dance scene was filmed there.

The Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar in Gruene, Texas

Our favorite restaurant in Gruene is the Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar.  It opened in 1977 and is located in the 1870’s cotton gin beneath the water tower.

We started our meal with the spinach and artichoke dip and the homemade queso. Both were served with light and crispy tortilla chips.  YUMMY!  My favorite dish is the fried jumbo Gulf Coast shrimp.  They are butterflied and lightly coated. They are the largest shrimp I have ever been served and they give you a very large portion.  Another favorite with our group is the Pepper Filet.  It is a bacon wrapped filet that is grilled and topped with cracked black pepper.  We also tried the bronze catfish.  It is a farm raised catfish filet that is grilled with Cajun seasonings and topped with tequila butter and lime.  It was very good and the Cajun seasoning did not overpower the taste of the catfish.  The New York strip steak was also very good.  Most meals are served with a garden dinner salad and one side.

The Gristmill's spinach and artichoke dip and the homemade queso

Jumbo Gulf Coast shrimp

Bacon wrapped pepper filet topped with cracked black pepper

New York Steak at the Gristmill

Some of the sides we ordered were the mashed potatoes, which also come loaded with cheese, bacon and chives, green beans with tomato and bacon, round cut fries, pinto beans that are spicy and flavored with bacon and jalapenos and the Hill Country cole slaw which was lightly dressed with a touch of jalapeno.

We are usually too full to get dessert, but my mom has gotten the Jack Daniel’s Pecan Pie, which she really enjoyed.

The Gristmill has inside and outside dining.  Some of the tables are even placed going down the bank of the Guadalupe River.  It is a very unique place.  We love it so much we usually eat there twice on our visits to the River House.

If you are ever down that way in Texas, try and visit the Gruene Historical District.  There are antique stores and several specialty stores that are fun to browse and shop.  The Gruene General Store is very interesting.  It is selected as one of the 40 best places to visit in Texas.  It has a soda fountain, Texas foods and unusual gifts.  And of course, you must try the Gristmill.  You will not be disappointed!

~Cousin Wendy

The Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco

Today I was determined to find my new favorite restaurant in San Francisco and I think I may have succeeded. My daughter and I were walking down Sacramento Street intending to walk few blocks south to give Tadich Grill a try and we spotted the Wayfare Tavern from across the street. We were intrigued by the Wayfare's charming exterior and had to stop there. We were even more intrigued once we got inside. As we walked in the door, I felt as though we took a step back in time and we were walking into a country tavern in England. Someone has gone to great lengths applying the finest attention to the detail of the decor of this restaurant. Even the restroom that I visited on the second floor was well decorated. The tables and chairs have a rustic feel to them and the tables are set with pewter chargers that add to the rustic charm.

The main dining room at Wayfare Tavern

The second floor bar and arrangement

The Wayfare Tavern kitchen bar seating area

Even the second floor restroom is very well decorated

The tables are set with pewter chargers that really brings home that rustic charm

Instead of bread or rolls, diners are served popovers, which we loved, and we loved the way they are served by waitstaff out of a wire basket. Again, another example of the detail that has gone into this restaurant.

Diners are served delicious popovers

My daughter and I started off with the wedge and found it to be delicious. While we are used to wedges being smothered in blue cheese dressing, this wedge was finely flavored with a vinaigrette dressing and chopped sauteed red onions.

The wedge

I had the grilled branzino (sea bass) with roasted winter broccoli, mustard green pesto, house raisins and mustard flowers, and lemon purée. My daughter had the Santa Maria tri-tip, truffle butter, watercress and French fried potatoes. We finished our meal with a warm apple crisp. All of the food was very well prepared and well seasoned, including the French fried potatoes.

The grilled branzino

Santa Maria style tri-tip

Apple crisp

Like the title of this blog, I would go out of my way for this restaurant. It's an experience!

~merry~

Post blog note: It turns out that Tyler Florence of the Food Network owns this restaurant!

Star Anise serves works of art

Star Anise, a Thai restaurant in downtown Livermore, is a gem just waiting to be discovered. Located a few doors down from Livermore Cinemas, across the street from the building that housed Movida, Eddie Papa's, and now Clay Pot and next door to what was once Starbucks and is now Nestle's, Star Anise has survived in the downtown area where others have not. The decor in Star Anise is modern, calming, and in very good taste. The food is excellent and can be works of art as the chef really makes an extra effort to attractively garnish each dish before it leaves the kitchen. One drawback is that the restaurant is fairly small and there is often only one young man running the show out front, which can make for very slow service as he is the server, cashier, busboy, and bartender. Speaking of bartender, they serve beer and Livermore wines.

The decor at Star Anise is modern and calming

Excellent food