LUNCH: Jean Georges, NYC Tastes of Spring Menu

I celebrated my recent birthday in my favorite city, New York. When I'm in NYC my favorite things to do are eat, shop and go to Central Park. I heard so many great things about Jean Georges at 1 Central Park West in the Trump Tower that I just had to try it. They offer a relatively affordable ($14 per taste) spring tasting menu that is updated often. I had already studied the menu online and I was pretty set on what I wanted to try when we got there. My sister Monica, our friend Mark and I headed there for a leisurely lunch. The restaurant is quiet, comfortable and simply decorated. I love that the focus is on the food and not on splashy decor. The service is totally professional and surprisingly approachable and friendly. Lunch will take you a couple of hours and you really should have a reservation if you want to eat here. It is truly a pleasant and leisurely experience. We each ordered two tastes, a drink and dessert which was plenty to satisfy us when you factor in the amuse bouche, macarons and petit fours they served between courses and after dessert. Read on if you are interested in what we ate. I started with a Chili Lime soda, Mark had the Lemon Ginger soda and Monica had sparkling wine. The sodas were very refreshing on a hot NYC day. Mine was like sparkling limeade with a chili kick that left a bit of heat in my throat after each sip. They started us off with an amuse bouche trio of Gruyere panini with arugula and a slice of cherry tomato, salmon sashimi topped with mustard sauce, and strawberry peppermint soup with a cilantro micro green. The little grilled cheese panino was delicious and I always love a good, fresh sashimi. However, I think the cilantro overpowered the delicate flavors of the strawberry mint soup. My first course was Madai sashimi (Japanese snapper) with French heather floral infused cherries and cilantro puree topped with a bit of salt. The white fish melted in my mouth and the cherries were sweet with a flavor from the French heather that was indescribable. I would order it again just for the heather infused cherries. Mark ordered freshly pureed sweet pea soup poured into a bowl of Parmesan foam at the table. Monica had a very generous tower of sashimi tuna ribbons with avocado and ginger dressing. Both were very good and nicely presented. For my main course I ordered their specialty, skate with Chateau Chalon sauce topped with diced zucchini and tomato. The skate was soft and buttery but the wine sauce is what really makes this dish. It is a burre blanc made with a sherry-like oxidized French yellow wine that is rich and decadent. Monica's snapper with sweet and sour jus was meaty and substantial. Desserts are served as a trio of tastings in a theme of your choice. I chose the rhubarb theme which presented me with a green tea cake, hibiscus poached rhubarb and a rhubarb and birch beer float. I'm not sure why I chose rhubarb but the dessert tastings were very interesting. My favorite was the tea cake because it tasted mealy and slightly nutty to me. Our server brought us a tray of mini macarons that were pretty good. He also brought us a heavenly dessert as an apology for a mix up with one of the earlier tastings. It was a light, airy vanilla bean semifreddo over a pink rose flavored macaron and topped with fresh raspberries, blueberries and berry puree. I could eat this every single day! Petit fours were not cakes but a house made marshmallow trio of ginger, rose and vanilla bean flavored marshmallows and little chocolates. The marshmallows were disappointing in my opinion. I was floored by the mint chocolate that actually had fresh mint in it. All in all Jean Georges was a great way to enjoy a leisurely lunch in New York. The dishes were very good and amazingly fresh. It is definitely a fun way to indulge yourself for a few hours.

DINNER: La Santaneca de la Mission, San Francisco

What can I say, this was hands down the best dining experience I had in a long time and my meal cost $11 tip included!! I still dream of the pupusas I ate here. I often wonder why pupusas never really made it mainstream in California. They are SOOOO good!!! Some background first. My mom is from El Salvador. My grandma used to make pupusas that were out of this world. She taught my mom to make them and my mom's are just as good. Pupusas are like very thick, soft tortillas stuffed with cheese, meat and/or beans. In the 90s, my mom had a little cafe in southern California that served home made pupusas. They were very popular but the cafe has since closed and my mom is now retired. She rarely makes them anymore unless my sister and I beg her to (and we do). On a recent weekend trip to San Francisco, I suggested El Salvadorian food for dinner one night. It just so happened that there was a Salvadorian place within walking distance from my friend's house, La Santaneca de la Mission. Mark, my sister Monica and I ordered pupusas and plantains, typical El Salvadorian fare. The pupusas are $1.75 each. You can choose beans, cheese, pork (or any combo of those) to fill your pupusas. Also available as options for your pupusas for just a quarter extra are loroco (a delicious edible flower/herb used to flavor food) and rice flour if you prefer it to corn flour. I don't eat meat so I ordered one queso con loroco and one queso con arina de arroz (rice flour). I also ordered a side of plantains. These pupusas were TO DIE FOR!!! Trust me. My mom is from El Salvador. I have eaten plenty of pupusas in my life. I have even eaten pupusas in El Salvador. The pupusas here are soft, gooey and delicious. The proper way to eat a pupusa is topped with curtido (pickled cabbage slaw). I also like to top mine with a little hot salsa. The curtido was crisp and delicious and the salsa was fresh with just the perfect amount of spice. The plantains were also to die for. I can't describe them; you just have to go try them. My sister ordered a side of rice with her pupusas but it was very buttery and just too oily. The starter chips and salsa didn't disappoint though. The chips were thick and the salsa was oniony and spicy. I have to say that these pupusas here are better than any pupusas I have ever eaten with the obvious exception of my mom’s and my grandma’s. And they were cheap! If you are ever in San Francisco you have to try this place out. It is delicious, cheap and right across from a BART station so you have no absolutely no excuse not to try it.

DINNER: Cyrus

Cyrus Restaurant's Web site

It doesn't get much better than this. Cyrus is not in Sacramento, but it's a couple hours away (in wine country) should you have a special occasion. I won't write up a proper review -- that'd be way too long considering we had the eight-course tasting menu. Plus some champagne and caviar to start off. And there were a few special "bites" that showed up in between courses, too. I just want to say that my dinner at Cyrus was absolutely incredible. I ate every single thing that came my way. As I was leaving, I was surprised that I wasn't overly stuffed -- after all those courses. Then I realized we had been there for six hours! Ah, that's why. Well, the service is impeccable. The dining room is elegant and cozy. But it's really about the food. And the wine. If you're making the drive and spending the money and time for a place like Cyrus, you really must do the wine pairing menu, it adds layers of flavor to an amazing meal. John and I shared the wine pairing (he was driving). But if you space it out like we did, I don't think all those half glasses add up to too much. Cyrus shares the building with the Mars Hotel -- I think we'll spend the night there next time we go. And I hope that's soon! Maybe John will do his own review on Cyrus for those who want to know more ... (I know he's dying to write about the Wagyu beef.)

LUNCH: Phil's Fish Market: Moss Landing, CA

I know we don't blog about out of town places, normally, but Phil's Fish Market is easily one of the best fish markets around and easily accessible on vacations, such as to Monterey or Carmel. Phil took on Bobby Flay of the Food Network channel and won for the Cioppino cookoff. We highly recommend ordering one bowl of cioppino for two people.... It is enough for two. The east coast oysters on the half shell are another great option for appetizers. Don't sit in the "dining" area if possible; it reminds us of picnic benches in grade school. The bar is the best spot, and you sit next to the fish market and those lovely big chunks of tuna. Also, you can order Phil's online and have it shipped! Check it out!

DINNER: Cuvee Napa

Dinner at Cuvee in Napa was the close of a nice day of being shuttled around Napa in a limo and wine and tasting with my good friend Danielle, her mom and my new friends Maria and Lillian. Cuvee was dark and elegant but still casual. The front room is a cozy and plush lounge/bar area complete with a roaring fireplace. The lounge opens up into a large dining area that was buzzing and full of diners on a Saturday night. The service was ok and the food was pretty good. They started us with bread that was incredibly chewy. I don't know why nice restaurants often overlook the bread. I think a good bread basket is one sign of a truly good restaurant. Some of the girls ordered appetizers of light and buttery tempura asparagus with capers as well as squash ravioli. The ravioli was a slightly sweet, fluffy pillow stuffed with delicious butternut squash. It almost tasted like pastry to me. Next, the marinated beet and arugula salad was a generous heap of fresh baby arugula with minced beets, crumbled goat cheese, toasted hazelnuts and aged sherry vinaigrette. I really enjoyed it although minced beets do not make for the same presentation that sliced, brightly colored beets make. My main course was spring vegetable risotto with baby artichokes, leeks, spinach and pecorino. The rice was too tough and the dish was a touch oily. It was very cheesy though and I love cheese! For dessert I had churros and Mexican hot chocolate with a side of vanilla ice cream. The churros were good. You can't really screw up a churro. The hot chocolate however was not nearly as thick and sweet or spicy as a good Mexican hot chocolate should be. The ice cream was a dream. Although it was rock hard at first, it was dense, rich and creamy. I wish I knew where I could buy it! Overall the dinner was not a WOW experience but it was a pretty good one. The only reason I wouldn't return for dinner is that there are so many other great dining options in Napa to try.

WINE: Old Sugar Mill and Bogle Vineyards, Clarksburg

Thanks to mom and dad visiting, I had a great excuse to excuse myself from work. Saturday was Ports and Chocolate weekend at Bogle Vineyards and the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, CA. I won't make this too lengthy, but let's just say, we prefer less crowded weekends when we bring a picnic and don't have to deal with pushy people trying to get their 100th pour. Too many short obnoxious men taking up too much room and being overly domineering and loud. Do you really need to drape yourself over 5 feet of the entire tasting area and monopolize the vintner's attention when there are about 50 other people waiting? I think not. Typical jerks trying to get their free stuff. Seemed to be more about the "free" and not about the tasting of the wine. Bogle- still a favorite, mostly a reason to support local businesses; best wines- Phantom and Old Vine Zinfandel. Old Sugar Mill- great ambience, but Ray described the wine, at times, as vintner's dysentery. Carvalho- bad; immature wines. Solomon- disgusting; sugary water. Revolution- respectable Pinot Grigio, if just for the price. Heringer- the best petite syrah port we tasted on that particular day. Todd Taylor- this is probably the best winery in that complex/area. I think it's better than Bogle (sorry Bogle). It seems that their wines are more complex than the sugar water we drank at all the others. Their wines probably compete with Napa- I think most of their grapes are from Amador County and some regional Monterey areas. The Tempranillo, Primitivo, and "Clockspring" Zin are must tries. The best food we had that day- some random deli in between Bogle and the sugar mill on the main road.

Yogurtland

Yogurtland Web site

Why oh why do we not have a Yogurtland in Sacramento? It is a question I ask myself every time I'm in LA. I love frozen yogurt. Some might say I am addicted. I eat it almost every single day during the summer months. When I'm in Los Angeles where it is almost always summer, I stop into Yogurtland for the most delicious yogurt ever! Yesterday was one of those days. Yogurtland is one of those DIY places with a variety of yogurt choices and both dry toppings as well as wet toppings. They also have a variety of fresh fruit toppings that always look fresh. I go to the Hollywood location on Sunset Blvd. It is always clean and bright. My absolute favorite flavor is Taro. I have never seen Taro flavor in ice cream or yogurt before. I have seen green tea and Yogurtland has that too. But Taro is my fave! I add shredded coconut and mochi to mine. At only 30 cents per ounce this is a really cheap treat! For now if you are in Sacramento and you crave Yogurtland, you will have to go to the bay area to get it. They have a website with all of their locations. If you love yogurt, I would try this place!

HOTEL DINING: Weekend in Monterey

The dreaded continuing education weekend.... Every two years, Ray attends a conference in Monterey, and I, like the dutiful wife, accompany him. It's a sacrifice, I know. This year, I asked for a 1/2 day on Friday, so we could cruise down early and relax. Well, after a treacherous drive over the 5 and 152 in the rain, we were ready for some cocktails. We had booked at the Best Western Beach Resort Monterey, the locale of the conference; after upgrading from a room that accepts "pets" (aahum- I'm allergic; that would have been a great weekend), we checked into our beachside room. Loved the electric privacy screens that go up and down with a flip of the switch. The lobby here is great, as well; sitting by the fire and watching the waves is fantastic. So, after a couple of Malibu rums and Bass, we headed to our only on-site dining option: the Cafe Beach Restaurant. Not a very appetizing or original name, but since we were stranded (the hotel is closer to Seaside than Monterey), we thought we'd give it a fair shake. We were pleasantly surprised! (Or was it the booze taking over?) Actually, I've learned in the past couple years to order not from the specials when you don't know a restaurant, but try something they can't screw up. Well, I went with the Sanddabs and Ray went with the NY steak. Both of ours were served over fantastic smashed potatoes, with a lovely orchid on each plate. Fabulous plating (although Mike Dunne would have disagreed). A sanddab is a flat white fish, and is fairly thin, so the butter caper sauce went very well, but wasn't too greasy or too much. SO, for stuck in the hotel dining experience, I would rate this experience high! My next day's lunch, however, was subpar (a turkey melt with nonexistent swiss). I should have ordered a drink with it, but after the night before, I was all about the water and rehydrating! I suppose I should have ordered somthing more exciting, but you can't argue with their view. To end with: we are suckers for fisherman's wharves. Kind of touristy, I know, but we ended up at a restaurant at the historic wharf in Monterey for Saturday night dinner. The economy must be bad, though, because I felt like I was at a used car dealership walking down the wharf. Every place had a person at the door trying to twist our arms to come in; a little annoying. We ended up at Isabella's Italian Seafood partially because it's owned by a local chef that does shows tv locally, and we thought it would be interesting. The best part of the meal was getting the bill. Just kidding. That's mean. Actually, they had a fantastic gnocchi special appetizer made with pesto with a reduced veal sauce poured on top. One of the better gnocchis I've ever had. As my entree, though, probably the worst crab salad I've had. Ray ordered the sanddabs- He enjoyed them along with the fried cheesecake that came with it. Moral of the story- decent seafood in what would be an obvious place to order seafood. Apparently, when in Monterey, order the sanddabs.

BRUNCH: Left Bank Restaurant in Larkspur

Taking a trip to Marin County? I recommend Left Bank for Brunch. Great area for hikes, shopping and just hanging out. Ate Brunch with wife Leslie, a 2-year old, my parents and brother on Sunday. Food was exceptional! Service always great! Think French food meets California Bistro. Small plates dominate the menu. Dishes are unique and seasonally oriented. Started with platter of foie gras. Then ate the salade lyonnaise. Other dishes at the table that were yummy: steak and fries ("frites"), salade nicoise, salmon. My 2-year-old chowed down on a hot dog and fries. Family friendly for brunch and can be fancy for dinner. Pros: outdoor seating for people watching....quick and friendly service.....french food at reasonable prices.....Cons: it's a drive.....