DINNER CLUB RECAP: Vermouth and Cream of Onion Soup with Scallops and Caviar

I have to say, I'm not sure what inspired me to make soup for our last dinner club... Ha ha ha. Just kidding. I love soup. Our menu was inspired by the Soup Bible and also by Taylor's, in a sense. I started out with a simple brie appetizer that our friend Laura makes. I'm not sure if it was exactly the same recipe, but for mine I poured brown sugar on top of the round brie, stuck in the microwave for a couple of minutes, and then poured split almonds on top. Always yummy. Then for the main course, I made a vermouth and cream of onion soup topped with seared scallops, black caviar, and chives. On the side was a gruyere and pear panini on rye. The drink of choice was a caper berry martini that I made up after eating caper berries for the first time at Taylor's restaurant. Dessert was easy no mess moose chocolate ice cream with strawberry sauce and chocolate covered oreos. I have to say that I really enjoyed the soup but it was a LOT of work and stress. I'm going low maintenance for my next DC!! So look out guinea pigs!

DESSERT: Hot Italian

I am a huge fan of sweets. I will pick sweet over savory 9 times out of 10. I usually choose frozen yogurt over ice cream but since our first dinner club night out to Hot Italian in July, I have been back twice for gelato. The first two times I went to Hot Italian for gelato I ordered the caramel salato and that is still one of my favorites. On my last trip I wanted to try something new. My sister and I sampled a few flavors before choosing one we wanted to order. The fig tasted incredibly exactly like fresh figs. It was uncanny really. I didn't think the cannoli tasted like cannoli but my sister did and she really liked it. The girl serving us handed me a sample of her favorite, Ferrero Rocher, even though I didn't ask for it nor was it on the list of flavors I was considering. I normally have vanilla tendencies rather than chocolate. It's not that I don't like chocolate because I do, it's just never my first choice. I am so glad she nudged me to try this delectable chocolate flavor. I was immediately sold on the rich chocolaty, hazelnut goodness of it. Being the creature of habit that I am I ordered half caramel salato and half Ferrero Rocher. Try it, I promise you will like it. If you don't they have a bunch of other flavors and you are sure to find one you will love.

DINNER: Taylor's Kitchen, Bernadette's take

Taylor's Kitchen's Web site

I cannot believe I didn't know about this charming, lovely, little place. We've shopped at Taylor's Market every once in a while, but I never even noticed the restaurant right next door. What a find! The menu at Taylor's Kitchen is interesting and current, the food itself is delicious. The decor is perfectly pleasant and the service is excellent. Its plates are not embellished or styled, but that's probably because it's more of a substance over style place. I loved the Humbolt Fog cheese, although each selection on the cheese plate was delectable. The Housemade Stinging Nettle Tagliatelle was wonderful (Ray ordered it, too); it appeared to be just a bowl of green noodles with a sausage crumble here and there -- but it tasted so much better than it looked. Lots of garlic and some fennel, I think. The beet salad was one of the best I've ever had (and I always order beet salad if it's on a menu). The Andrew Rich Pinot Noir that was recommended by our server was a huge hit, too. I enjoyed the panna cotta dessert, but it was the only thing I'd rate as "good not great." I cannot wait to go back here (our first-date anniversary is coming up, John ... hint hint). So, sorry Land Parkers, your hidden gem is becoming more widely known!

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Healthy Fare

I can't control myself at Dinner Club. I always eat too much. And I feel super stuffed (guilty and fat) afterwards. So, I decided host a healthy dinner club: nutritious and low-fat (which means no cheese! a big deal on a vegetarian menu!). We started off with baked sweet potato chips and raw broccoli with a non-fat yogurt and fresh herb dip. The salad course was a watermelon-tomato-mint-red onion dish dressed very lightly in olive oil. The main course was 100% buckwheat soba noodles and green onions with an Asian-style dressing. I also served Pumpkin-Chia seed muffins at the table. For dessert I brought out more muffins; this time my Banana-Nut muffins and some fresh berries. (Yep, lots of muffins but I'm very proud of my whole grain, sugar-free muffins). The meal wasn't totally guilt-free though, I did serve alcohol ... this IS Dinner Club, after all.

DINNER: Taylor's Kitchen, Wray's Take

Taylor's Kitchen's Web site

This place is a hit. Excellent food, service and atmosphere, with a clear focus on fresh, high quality ingredients. The five of us started with antipasto and cheese plates. Both were very nice and went well with a sparkling wine picked out by our resident bubbly-aficionado, Sandra. I shared a beet salad that tasted like the beets were ripped from their home mere hours before. I chose the Stinging Nettle Tagliatelle with Italian Sausage, Kale, and Pecorino Toscano. To be honest, I am afraid of whole grain or green pastas. They usually are dry, chewy, or taste like something my brother would serve me when he had to baby sit me as a kid. But, despite this being a green pasta, it was outstanding! And, no, no stinging nettles ended up lodged in my tongue or esophagus. Our waiter directed us to a very nice wine that seemed to go pretty well with everyone's entree, and his overall service was attentive and sharp, without being overbearing. For dessert, a panna cotta and cappuccino. I left happy, fulfilled, and only slightly lighter in the wallet.

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Sandra's September 2009

I am late in posting this but better late than never. I did a Central American/seafood theme this time. For appetizers I served shrimp cocktail and crackers topped with a dollop of either sour cream or El Salvadorian crema, smoked salmon and capers. For our starter I served chilled avocado soup topped with chopped shrimp and cucumber. The main dish was home made (literally with my mother in LA and brought up to Sacramento) pupusas served with salsa and Cacique crema Salvadorena. I served two types of pupusas, queso con loroco and shredded pork. Our drink was a little random for the theme but I tried it over Rosh Hashanah when I was in LA and loved it. It was Jewish Rosh Hashanah pomegranate honey cooler that I made with 1 cup POM juice, honey and one bottle of white wine. Dessert was the Princess cake from Ettore's bakery to celebrate Wray's birthday. Since I have been asked about the soup recipe here is how I made it. I sautéed a minced white onion and 2 seeded and minced Serrano chilies for about 15 minutes, added 3 or 4 minced garlic cloves and salt and sautéed another 2 minutes. I let those cool overnight. The next day I made the rest by placing 4 ripe avocados in a food processor along with 4 cups of veggie broth, 4 Tbsp lemon juice and the now cooled onion/Serrano chili mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. I also added a little sour cream but I don't really think it needed the cream. I let it chill for about 3 hours but longer would have been better. If I had to make it again I might use half broth and half water. There are lots of ways you can play with this recipe. The topping/garnish was 8 oz. medium chopped cooked shrimp, 1 peeled, seeded and diced cucumber, 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro and lime juice mixed together. If you make this ahead I would chill the soup with the avocado pits in it and lay plastic wrap in direct contact with the soup to avoid air getting into it and turning the soup brown. The pupusa recipe is top secret. ;)

DINNER: Taylor's Kitchen, Sandra's take

What a charming little neighborhood restaurant this is! I loved the amusing rotating ceiling fans that are literally two small fans rotating on a long blade. Our Lucien Albrecht sparkling wine paired nicely with our four cheese plate. My favorites were the Humboldt Fog and Point Reyes Blue but I am partial to both of those so it was an unfair fight. The Carmody cow's milk cheese was a nice cheese I have never tried. It's nice to know I can go next door to Taylor's market and pick some up if I want to. The appetizer plate of caper berries, almonds, roasted yellow peppers and little cheese stuffed peppers (or were they tomatoes?) was not memorable except for the outstanding little stuffed red things. I think they were red peppers of some sort. The warm crusty bread and herbed olive oil were yummy. I ordered the nut encrusted Walu fish special with mashed butternut squash puree (served in place of traditional mashed potatoes) and baby green beans. The fish was absolutely delicious but ever so slightly overcooked around the edges. The portion was generous. The butternut squash was rich, sweet and savory at the same time. I wish I knew how to recreate it because I would want to make it all the time! It is the perfect fall side dish. Our endearing server Andrea suggested a nice Andrew Rich 2007 Pinot Noir that I enjoyed. Dessert was buttermilk panna cotta drizzled with honey and topped with blueberries. OMG, it was soooo good! Please order it if you go. It was thick and rich without being heavy or oily so it was creamy yet light at the same time. My only issue with our dinner is what I learned today googling Walu fish. Apparently it is known to cause an extremely unpleasant gastrointestinal issue if you eat too much due to the oils in the fish. I think restaurants should either not serve it or warn diners of this unpleasant side effect. I can't imagine a polite way to do that though. I was lucky that I had no such side effects. I guess I have an iron stomach. Overall I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a great meal in a charming and cozy setting.

EVENT: Eat Your Art Out

Our long lost dinner club member Katie and her BF Paul were in town last weekend. I thought it would be fun and appropriate to get dinner club together and go on a food and drink crawl to support a good cause. I have been to both of the past Crawl for the Cure events and thought they were tremendously fun for the participants and great for local businesses and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This year there are going to be a lot more crawls benefitting different foundations. We went to Eat Your Art Out supporting the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. The basic idea is that various groups of 10 or more "crawlers" walk to the 18 participating downtown/midtown eateries for a bite to eat and a drink at each location. We hit 13 out of 18. Not bad at all! We started at Brew It Up, moved on to Lucca, then hit Azul, Mulvaney's, L Wine Lounge, Zocalo, Hot Italian, Nishiki, Mochii Yogurt, Sapporo Grill, 3 Fires Lounge, Grange and Sofia. Most of us skipped Beach Hut Deli, Rubicon, Yogurtagogo, Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates and Temple Coffee in the interest of time. The highlights for me were Lucca's zucchini chips, Azul's guava sangria, Zocalo's interesting horchata with tequila drink, Hot Italian for their piping hot pizza made just for us and decanted Peroni, Sapporo Grill's amazing jade bar and gorgeous interior, Grange's figs with goat cheese, Sofia's decadent bread pudding and everyone's favorite Mulvaney's for outclassing and outshining everybody else. They were in a league of their own with baby heirloom tomatoes and homemade mozzarella cheese made right in front of us by their in house pasta maker and citrus-y sparkling wine cocktail served in champagne flutes. They had interpretive dancers in the adjoining dessert room too! An honorable mention goes to Brew It Up for their interesting white unfiltered looking beer. A dishonorable mention goes to 3 Fires Lounge for bad service and a bad vibe overall. We walked out as did a friend of mine in another group for reasons unrelated to our reasons for leaving. This was such a fun way to spend an afternoon and a chance to go to places I have never been to. There are more crawls coming up so if you love food, drink, fresh air, fun and supporting a good cause, check out www.crawltix.com for upcoming crawls.

LUNCH: CIA Greystone Napa, CA

On a recent Friday, my sister and I decided to spend the day in Napa. We decided to lunch at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone restaurant because I have always been curious about what goes on inside what appears to be a castle in the Napa valley. The inside of the restaurant was nice but looked like one you would find anywhere in CA. We settled on the patio instead for the views of the valley. To be honest I was slightly disappointed with both the patio and the view. It was a beautiful day though. The only con to sitting on the patio was that as the sun went down, the umbrellas did little to protect us from the blazing rays. We lunched on oysters on the half shell with a pink wine sauce, sweet corn soup, Pimientos de Padrones, gnocchi and two desserts. The oysters came from Hog Island Co. in San Francisco. The soup was creamy, sweet and divine! Apparently it is made with very little cream but is reduced with the corn cob and the silk from the corn still in the pot to give it a silky finish. The pimientos, or small peppers, were pan fried and served with almonds, tomatoes, shaved parm and pesto. This dish was also very good. The ricotta and spinach gnocchi were very flavorful, very large scallop sized dumplings served with lots of fresh veggies and a tomato type sauce. I was surprised at just how flavorful the gnocchi were given that the sauce is what usually provides the flavor. Dessert was a major flop. The Mexican chocolate soufflé was heavy on the egg and light on the chocolate with tasteless, drippy crème anglaise. The only positive thing I can say is that it was very spicy and cinnamony. The pizelle ice cream sandwiches tasted bland. The wine samplers were a nice option. If you decide to try this restaurant you must try the sweet corn soup and gnocchi if they are on the menu. Skip dessert though.

DINNER: Taylor's Kitchen, Lisa's Take

Taylor's Kitchen's Web site

Our 2nd dinner club outing was a lot of fun. I won't write too much about what I think the others will say, but there were some pros and cons. The pros: the service, atmosphere, and decor. What a great romantic neighborhood restaurant! I was digging the sink in the bathroom, and the 16-ply toilet paper. I'm not kidding! Ok. Maybe not 16... The waiter made a great wine recommendation, and the beet salad was fantastic. We all agreed that it was much better than Pearl on the River's beet salad. My minor disappointments in what was otherwise a great setting: the cheese plate was very drab looking; just a sprinkle of an herb or oil would have made it look stellar because the toleme cheese was stellar. Also, my pappardelle was extremely extremely salty salty salty. If and when we go again, I think the smart thing to order, from a sister restaurant of the butchery next door, would be a meat entree or the special fish entree. Duh on my part. Overall, the menu introduced me to a lot of new flavors and ideas for our next dinner club. I've never tried toleme cheese, nor caper berries or panna cotta. So, I really applaud Taylor's Kitchen for having an interesting menu and a diverse wine menu.

LUNCH: Capitol Dawg

I wanted to get out and about today and try something new, so Ray picked me up for lunch to go to the Capitol Dawg. Who knew there were so many varieties of hot dogs out there? I had to try something traditional, so went with the Prop. 51 Chicago dog, grilled, with mustard, green relish, onions, tomato, kosher dill pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt on a poppy seed bun. Ray went with the Los Angeles Deftones Dawg, which had mustard, chili, american cheese, and onions. The sweet potato fries were the biggest hit, though. I'd have to say we can probably cook better hot dogs/sausages, but it was a fun 1/2 hour and the hot dogs all had such fun and crazy names and toppings! For vegetarians: they have vegetarian dogs that yelp reviews have rated high. Location: next to Jack's in midtown.

DINNER: Zelda's Pizza

The thing I love about Zelda's pizza is the pizza, of course, but also the slow-paced nature of the whole scene. It's funny that a lot of Yelp complaints for this restaurant rail on the slow service, but I think that's all part of the fun of going there! Anyone who knows me, too, knows I'm not all that patient when it comes to waiting. but, here, it's almost like it forces me to slow down and actually enjoy the time and people watch. Also, the $1 bud drafts and other $3.50 beers are quite the deal. The halloween and xmas decor year-round is great, too. Definitely a dive bar with great deep dish pizza. Love the crust.

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Seafood Boil!

When the hubby and I were trying to decide on last week’s feast, we kept coming up with “been there, done that” ideas. Then, out of no where, we were hit with the idea of a good ole fashioned crab boil: complete with plastic table clothes and eatin’ only with our fingers. The Mr. took the laboring oar on this dinner, but I did help out by baking the corn bread muffins. We started with lump crab cakes over a bed of mixed greens and a warm toasted fennel seed dressing. The crab cakes were pan fried then warmed in the oven. They turned out perfectly. Then the boil began: we patterned our meal from a recipe that we had recently caught on food tv. Corn, potatoes and artichokes when in first, along with dozens of lemons and spices for seasoning. Next went in shrimps, tiger prawns, and Alaskan king crab legs. We did have some clams from whole foods but they didn’t seem quiet right so we decided against serving them. Sticking with our theme –after covering our dinning room table with several plastic table clothes, we poured the food on to our dinner room table. Then it was time to dig in! Home-made mojito’s and wine washed the meal down. I think my fav had to have been the crab legs. They were steamed perfectly, with just the right amount of lemon and spice. I also really digged the corn on the cob. To round out the evening, we served a home-made banana cream pie. It had the traditional graham cracker pie crust and topped with whipped cream. It was made with whole wheat flour and I’d say the nuttiness of the flour added to the dessert!! A bonus to this wonderful meal – we just peeled off the table cloth and viola! the dishes were done!

DINNER: Plan B

Plan B's Web site

After a long awaited date night, we finally booked a sitter for Saturday night to make it happen. Chris picked the spot - a hip little french joint just around the corner from our house called Plan B. This place was AMAZING. From the decor to the service to the food - 5 stars all the way (even when the guy who was a few scotches in knocked over our almost empty bottle of wine while walking to his table on to my almost finished fish plate special - within seconds two servers cleared my plate and brought me an almost full portion of the special!) It was such a wonderful dinner I almost can’t even remember what we ate. Oh yes, after ordering cocktails (margarita and a champagne split) we started with the butter salad with walnuts, Roquefort and sun-dried cherries. This was simple and delish. Our waiter (who was 100% french, accent and all) was excellent with suggestions. Knowing that this place was famous for their mussels, we asked which dish was the best as they offered six different mussel plates. He recommended the nantaise (butter, shallots, and creme fraiche) without hesitation. This was wonderful - I could have drank the sauce alone. The mussels were fresh tasting and not fishy. The dish also was the perfect size, plenty for two, even three people. The dish was accompanied by pommes frites which were seasoned with oregano. No need for catchup with all this yummyness going around. I ordered the fish special. Honestly, I cannot even recall the two types of fish — they were two that I had never heard of before – but we aren’t talking our standard salmon, halibut or ahi tuna here. So light and with a texture that I would have never thought of. Again our waiter highly suggested this special (and I usually go for the fish special, anyway) and being he was so right on with his other suggestions how could I refuse. Chris had the lambchops which he said were to die for. I took several fork-fulls of his side of ratatouille and thought it was excellent. Our waiter also made an excellent wine selection - a pinot noir from the Alexander valley. We didn’t grab dessert because we were off to catch a movie. This place is a neighborhood gem and I really hope it sticks around. It’s got that kind of downtown trendish feel, so you can get all glammed up if you choose to, but since its nestled between the neighborhoods of Arden Park and Willhaggin, it doesn’t have that crazy pick-me-up clientele. We both decided that we would be coming back, both for dinner and/or also for a night cap on the way home. These guys know their wine and food. Now go and enjoy! Go!

LUNCH: Pearl on the River

Pearl on the River's Web site

Despite the fact that I live around the corner from Pearl On The River, I hadn't been -- until this week. I met an old friend for lunch at Pearl, a cute spot next to Chevy's on Garden Highway. I like the warm, chic environment and was impressed with the menu. I, however, was not impressed with my roasted beet salad -- the beets didn't seem fresh, and were dry. The barely dressed greens weren't much better. I can't believe they charge $9 for that plate. (I should have heeded Lisa's warning and tried something else.) I also sampled the clam chowder that arrived in cute slanted bowls, it was pretty good. The chicken sandwich was delicious, though, and accompanying fries were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I'd like to go back to Pearl for dinner or for happy hour (didn't get a chance to check out the wine list). But overall, I'll agree with Sandra's opinion -- it's not amazing, but it's a worthy option. I'd choose Pearl over Chevy's or Crawdad's any day.

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Work has/had been really stressful, so I was looking for an easy yet yummy dinner club recipe. My mom served us a comfort food enchilada casserole at the beach/Pajaro one weekend, and I knew I had a winner. Enchilada casserole is essentially fresh bean and cheese burritos (you can make your own or use frozen- I made my own), layered with a can of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, olives, milk, and canned jalapenos, and then baked (chicken was layered on the nonvegetarian side of the casserole dish). I served mine with a ton of cilantro on top, fresh chopped tomatoes from the garden, sour cream, and salsa. Kind of like having mac and cheese as a comfort food but more spicy and, obviously, a bean-inspired dish. My side dish was a mexican fruit cart-inspired mixture of mango, cucumber, jicama, and pineapple, with lime juice and tajin fruit seasoning (spicy mexican/lime salt). My dessert was not mexican themed, but more an idea I had gotten from being easy (in my mind). I bought Eggo French toast (the kind that they precut in 4's for the toaster), and toasted that. On top, I spread Nutella and chopped peanuts. After, I gave everyone the option of maple syrup or chocolate sauce. Most chose the chocolate sauce. I sprinkled that on top, as well as organic blackberries from the Wed. farmers market. I thought the maple syrup was fantastic! You guys missed out! It was like breakfast for dessert! I would recommend trying down the road.

DINNER: Hot Italian, Wray's Take

Overall, a fun place with good food, if you order the right pizza. I thought the place was a modern spin on a traditional pizzeria that leaves a good impression. I liked the open air feel, large tables, unique menu choices and gelato counter within reach for a cool & creamy dessert. The collection of black plastic forks on the wall was intriguing, but has left me with a secret desire to tape up KFC sporks on my next visit. Overall the pizza was good; thin crust that focused on the toppings. My favorite of the DC selections within reach was the balsamic fig and prosciutto pie. With that said, I definitely thought some pizzas we had were much better than others, and I don't think I would plan a night out revolving around this place. Better than Zeldas? Uh, that's questionable. The fact that I remember the wall-forks more than the pie probably answers that question.

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Wray's Tofu Pad Thai and Green Curry Shrimp

Thai iced tea was a nice accompaniment to the hot and spicy tofu pad thai and green curry shrimp. Everything I served this week was based off recipes found at http://www.importfood.com/. Spicy Pad Thai: Fish sauce, sugar, tamarind concentrate, tofu and sriracha sauce (rooster sauce) gave this pad thai a nice authentic taste. Fresh ginger, been sprouts, cilantro, and lime juice really added a fresh kick to this relatively easy and spicy side dish to the main green curry shrimp entree. Green Curry Shrimp: Large shrimp and fresh shallots lemongrass, garlic, ginger, lime, and cilantro really gave this a great flavor. Mixed with the green curry paste, turmeric powder and coconut milk over sticky rice gave a rich and flavorful dish. Thai Iced Tea: think green tea flavored sugar sludge drizzled with condensed milk. All over ice. What's not to love about that? I thought this went well to counter the spicy pad thai and green curry. To keep with the lime theme we had key lime pie for dessert. Claire loved the shrimp! (Sorry no cheese this week).

LUNCH: Buckhorn Grill

Buckhorn's Web site

You go to Buckhorn for the tri-tip. Or something else meaty. I just ate their portabella sandwich. Not impressed. Nor have I been impressed with their salads. So, vegetarians beware (although the mashed potatoes are delicious - how can they not be with all that butter and salt?). Buckhorn Grill is a tasty spot for carnivores who need a quick bite.

DINNER: Hot Italian, John's take

Hot Italian's Web site

Hot Italian is making a credible run for the Hippest Pizza Joint prize in our fair city. CPK has a great location but is way too corporate, Zelda's is a pain in the ass with their shotty service, and I don't have enough tattoos to hang with the Inferno Pizza crowd. So that leaves Paesano's and Hot Italian for those of you who want a pie and want to be in the scene while you have it. Overall, the food at Hot Italian is fun and invites group sharing. I borrowed several slices from the unlucky four who were within my arms reach, and all were tasty. The joint is, alas, far from perfect. The decor is, very, very black and white, sort of like Casablanca without that hot mess Ingrid Bergman. The adjacent Ducati motocycle showroom probably looked good on the business plan, but is now shoved in the corner like a 12-year-old's Hot Wheels collection after puberty. And the service could use a little brushing up on the wine list -- perhaps a start would be if they could recommend one bottle from the extensive and unfamiliar collection of Italian wines. So who wins the challenge? I have to say that I still think Paesano's is the Hippest Pizza Joint in town, and by somewhat more than a nose. It's been here for what seems like forever in restaraunt years, it is consistently good, and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. Perhaps time will tell for Hot Italian.

COCKTAILING: Hamburger Patties

Tonight went out to Azukar for a salsa lesson. I had 15 minutes to kill before they opened the club for the lesson and I needed some liquid courage. I ducked into Hamburger Patties next door to grab a tequila with a beer back. Patties, formerly Hamburger Mary's, is a gay bar/restaurant. The crowd is always a great mix of gay, straight, young and older. Tonight the owner was celebrating his birthday. Patties was crackin! The place was crowded, the music was pumping, the party was vibing and there were balloons everywhere! The balloons were just as colorful as the crowd! I like this place because the people are so friendly. I never go to bars alone but I felt totally at ease sliding into the bar and ordering a drink while I waited for my salsa partner. Almost immediately I met Junior who was next to me at the bar. He is a longtime employee of Patties who was there for the party. The party was fun, the mostly naked gay boy was cute and the crowd was friendly. They had karaoke going which I have very mixed feelings about but I'll save that for another blog entry. I have eaten at Patties before but that was a long, long time ago. I recall the veggie burger was good but I can't comment on the rest of the menu. If you are in midtown and looking for a fun spot to chill out, have a drink and maybe meet some cool people, don't forget about Hamburger Patties.

COCKTAILING: Mix

Mix's Web site

I did swear to not go back here after my last experience, but I didn't want to miss out my girlfriends' rendezvous last night. I have to say that Mix really is a nice place to go for drinks after work ("nice" refers to the place -- not the drinks). The service was so much better this time. Both the outside and inside bar areas are well-decorated and ideal for enjoying drinks. So, why do the drinks at Mix suck? I ordered wine this time since I have been disappointed with every cocktail I've ever had at Mix. The pinot grigio happy hour special was ... icky. I guess I can't complain, it was only $5. Why does this place have awful wine AND sugary cocktails? I could answer that by saying that they perhaps cater to a low-income, 21-year-old crowd. But if you look around, there's many successful-looking folks in their 20s, 30s and 40s -- so I just don't know. Anyway, Mix is no longer a spot of contention for me, I'll certainly return if my friends choose it as a destination. But next time, I'll flip past the first page of happy hour specials and the corny cocktail menu to find a decent glass of wine ... and cross my fingers.

DINNER: Mulvaney's at the B & L

Mulvaney's Web site

Why do I always forget about this place? Probably because it's in an unassuming building on a side street in midtown. Mulvaney's is lovely and consistently good. It has a relaxed, unpretentious environment in a small, low-frills place -- but the food is top-notch. We dined here on the last Second Saturday -- the rustic courtyard is beautiful, especially when it starts to get dark and the twinkle lights do their thing. We've never had a bad meal at Mulvaney's. One of us always gets the steak -- delicious! Last time I ordered an heirloom tomato salad with fresh mozzarella -- also delicious but the amount of cheese was enough to feed 10 people. I'm proud of myself for not scarfing it down, I can't imagine anyone eating that much cheese. I have to mention -- although it has nothing to do with Mulvaney's directly -- that while there, I spotted a woman at another table pour a packet of Sweet'n Low into her glass of wine! But even that couldn't detract from our wonderful dining experience at Mulvaney's.

DINNER: Hot Italian, Lisa's Take

Hot Italian's Web site

Funny, we all have slightly different perspectives on the evening. I have to say that I thought the minimalist concept worked! I loved the hanging overhead fan, which appears to be an actual propeller from an airplane. Very cool. I also really enjoyed walking through the motorcycle shop while we waited for our pizzas; it was quasi-museum and quasi-pizza joint! Loved it! I foresee myself bringing out-of-towners here because it is so different. Loved the hand drier in the bathroom! I do think they should have more appetizer options, and when the waitress was asked her opinion on the wines or suggestions, she had none. That's not a good thing, especially when our group is very used to napa/sonoma/amador wines, but not Italian. We would have gone with a suggestion, but instead we had to guess with both bottles. Loved the prosciutto fig pizza. Would not reorder Ray's egg/prosciutto/mushroom pizza. Without the egg, there was barely anything on it! Good thing for the egg! Pistachio gelato - excelente!

DINNER: Hot Italian, Sandra's take

Hot Italian's Web site

Here is my take on Hot Italian. I think the idea of a motorcycle and scooter shop attached to a pizza and calzone restaurant is very weird but who am I to judge? What is even more weird is that when the restaurant is busy, the overflow crowd gets seated at little tables inside the shop. I personally would not want to eat in a motorcycle showroom with a motorcycle on one side of me and the restrooms on the other side but lucky for me we got a table in the main restaurant. The whole space is open and minimalist. The restaurant is all white with black communal tables and black accents. And by accents I really mean black forks stuck onto the whitewashed cement block walls. The menu is mostly pizzas that can be made into calzones with a few salad options as well. The appetizer is a single option of cheese and sliced cured Italian meats. Instead of serving bread they serve cooked pizza dough. I find this slightly strange when I'm guessing most people follow up their pizza dough starter with an actual pizza. Speaking of pizza, mine was actually pretty good. It was a sweet and savory thin crust pizza topped with figs, arugula, gorgonzola and balsamic vinegar that appeared to be reduced. The melted gorgonzola served as the "sauce" for the pizza. Bernadette mentioned the Super Umbria wine we had. The menu shows a map of Italy's regions. The wine by the bottle list is separated into two categories, $38 and $48 category! Once again, I find this somewhat strange but I can go with the flow. Under each "category" is a list of wines each with a symbol to help you locate the region that the wine came from on the map. It's kind of fun in a cutesy way. I should mention they do have a decent selection of wines by the glass and a couple of beer options as well. I chose a bottle of the dolcetto for our second bottle of the evening. I have to say it was a very nice bottle. I would order it again. For dessert I was looking forward to trying a gelato sandwich but they got rid of the sandwich option. Now you get the standard cup or cone options. My caramel salato (salted caramel) gelato was so good that I had to stop by Friday after work for a cone. The gelato is slightly on the icy side instead of creamy but I still really enjoyed the flavor. They got bonus points for playing one of my favorite Italian songs while I enjoyed my cone, Jovanotti's Mi Fido di Te. The service was a bit erratic but we didn't have any problems with our service. About the worst that happened was the late dessert pizza which was taken off our bill and the server not wanting to give each of us a pizza box for our leftovers but he gave us foil. By the way, skip the dessert pizza. It just tasted like soggy pears on soggy pizza dough with some gorgonzola cheese. That's just my opinion though. Overall, I can see they don't take themselves too seriously here, which is good. I was just left feeling like I didn't get the joke.

DINNER CLUB RECAP: Sandra's July 2009

Summertime is the perfect time to serve delicious fresh fruits and veggies. For my last dinner club I decided to make two summer salads. I served a salad I found watching one of Giada's shows on the food network. It was simple, just slice fresh avocado and papaya and dress with a simple lime dressing. For the dressing, juice and zest a lime, add a pinch of salt, a quarter tsp of sugar, 1/8 tsp ground black pepper, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper and whisk with a quarter cup of EVOO. Next time I make this I'm going to use mango since I love mango and avocado together. This salad is simple, colorful, delicious and takes almost no time to make. My main course salad was a cold Mediterranean lentil and cous cous salad. I made the cous cous and let it sit after fluffing it with a fork. I sautéed a sweet onion with chopped carrot and garlic. Then I added the rinsed lentils and broth (1 1/4 cup lentils with 20 oz. broth), brought them to a boil then lowered the heat and let them simmer partially covered until the lentils were soft but still a little firm. You don't want them to get mushy when you toss them. When they are ready, add the cous cous in a large bowl and pour the lentils over them. Add chopped kalamata olives. I also added lemon thyme and chopped flat leaf parsley. I dressed the salad with a mixture of EVOO and plenty of fresh lemon zest and seasoned it with salt and pepper. Then I tossed it and refrigerated it for a couple of hours. The lemon zest really made the dish. For dessert I made a fruit tart from a recipe provided to me by my coworker Diane the day before. I admit I didn't mix the filling correctly so it wasn't as good as it should have been. It will be better next time and there will be a next time since the tart just looks so pretty with all that delicious summer fruit on it. I tried some different wines and this dinner club I bought one that I really liked, J. Lohr Chardonnay. This impressed me and I am not really a white wine drinker. In fact, Chardonnay is probably my least favorite. It didn't break the bank either.

DINNER: Bandera

Bandera's Web site

I haven't been to Bandera in ages. I used to go there for drinks but since I don't eat red meat or poultry, I thought my options there would be too limited. However after reading Leslie's review I decided to give Bandera another try. I arrived before my company so I had a dirty Grey Goose martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives at the bar. It was served quickly and made perfectly. At $10 it was a deal! It was a hot evening so I brought a bottle of wine that I like to drink when the mercury rises, Franciscan Cuvee Sauvage Chardonnay. They took it when I arrived and chilled it for me. While perusing the wine list I noticed they have the exact same bottle at a very minimal markup. They didn't mention anything and opened the bottle for my friends and me. I admit I didn't check to see what the corkage fee was but I'll bet it was probably the same as their markup on the bottle, minimal. Our server Kirsten was excellent. My friends' nice little house salads looked fresh and chock full of goodies like tomato, avocado, goat cheese and cornbread croutons. My tuna poke with avocado, mango, macadamia nuts, shrimp, cilantro and red peppers was perfect for the weather and the wine. The only flop was the blackened halibut fish special which came out dry. All in all it was a very good experience. I will certainly remember to go back to try the seasonal vegetable platter that Leslie blogged about.

DINNER: Hot Italian, Bernadette's take

Hot Italian's Web site

So ... Dinner Club had its first night out on the town. (We've actually all been out together, but this is the first outing on official Dinner Club business.) That in itself was fun -- a nice change. Our agreed upon restaurant was Hot Italian. First, I love the name. Second, interesting set up with the motorcycles and bikes and related apparel. Third, great pizza. Fourth, service was pretty good except our waitress had no knowledge of the wine list. Fifth, delicious gelato (that you can sample before ordering -- I tasted Ferraro Rocher, Pistachio and Dark Chocolate -- all were yummy). Sixth, the decor -- aside from the bike section -- is pretty sparse and monochromatic. Seventh, well ... that's about it -- there's not much else to Hot Italian. Oh, since no one knew anything about the wine menu, we chose a bottle of red from Super Umbria because we liked that it had "super" in the name. It wasn't bad.

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.