Thanksgiving is Tomorrow! ~ Baked Mussels

I really cannot believe that Thanksgiving is tomorrow! The year of 2008 really flew by quickly. Of course as a foodie, I am so excited for all the food! I really don't know what I will be preparing for tomorrow, but I know it's going to be awesome anyway since my family is going to be there and we have KARAOKE! Yes, we rock the holidays.

Here is a picture of the setup from last year's Thanksgiving:


We don't do turkey. We're happy with chicken, and yeah, it was kind of random: lasagna, dim sum and Caeser salad, but it was so delicious.


One thing that I LOVE are the mussels:

They are ridiculously easy to make.
Holy moly, is Jo about to post a recipe?
********
My Family's Baked Mussels
What You'll Need:

1. A bunch of cooked mussels
I just buy the ones in the freezer section that are already cooked through. Just make sure they are thawed before you top them.
2. Some mayonnaise
3. Minced onion

I don't have any measurements because we do things by instinct. ;-)

Steps:

1. Combine the onion and mayo. Add as much onion as you want, just make sure the mayo maintains its viscousity as if nothing was added to it.
2. Top each mussel with the mayo
3. Stick it in the oven at 400-450. You'll know when they are ready when the topping gets nice and brown.
4. Enjoy!

********
As you can probably tell by now, I'm horrible at writing recipes, but these mussels are so good! Try them!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Red Lotus - Another Date with BanYo

Restaurant: Red Lotus
Address: 3130 Alpine Road Suite 300, Portola Valley, CA
Phone Number: (650) 851-1718
Cuisine: Southeast Asian
Date Last Visited: November 6, 2008
Dining Partner: BanYo

So BanYo is one of my best friends. He’s been there with me through the good and the bad and I love him for that. He is incredibly honest with me and the fact that he goes to culinary school makes him that much more sexy. One day when I was at work I get a call from him and before I could say anything he says, “I’m taking you to dinner.”

5 words that all women want to hear from a man.
Unless you're a female who prefers her own gender, which is all good!
After work we rendezvoused at the train station and we were on our way to Red Lotus, a modern Asian restaurant in Portola Valley.


It was a rather long drive down 280 and I really didn’t know where we were going. Like I have said in previous posts, I have not a single clue of what is below South San Francisco. I’m Peninsula-illiterate. Portola Valley is near Palo Alto, but since I travel on 101 more, I don’t see Portola Valley as much. Yay, BanYo popped my Portola Valley cherry.


The little shopping complex Red Lotus is located in also has a little grocery store, a tequila bar, and café. It’s really very cute. The space inside is modern, but has some traditional touches like the artwork on the wall. I loved the colors - they were very relaxing and zen.


Roti with Curry Dipping Sauce - Comp
Normally at Asian restaurants, you would have to order and pay for the roti, but here, you get it comped as if it were bread and butter at a French or Italian restaurant. This would be only my second time having roti and curry sauce. The only other time is at Banana Island and is one of my guilty pleasures. The one at Banana Island is stretched so thin you can see right through it. The roti here is a bit more dense - not that it’s a bad thing. I actually enjoyed it very much. The dipping sauce was also more viscous and richer in flavor. I love roti in this presentation.


Potsickers 2-Ways Fried and Steamed
Pork and Shiitake Mushrooms - $6
I really appreciate how they cook the potstickers in two preparations. They’re the same potstickers but having the different textures of the potsticker wrapper was good. I loved them both. I especially liked the soy broth that the steamed dumplings sat in. I could have sipped it like soup. Very good.


Apple Prawn Salad - Prawns, Fuji and Granny Smith Apples, Mango, Jicama, Cucumbers, Cashews, Taro and Mint Dressing - $9
Now this was a great suggestion that BanYo made. Don’t the list of ingredients just sound so refreshing and sweet? Yes, they sure were. The prawns were cooked lightly and then cooled before being topped on the salad. The julienned fruits and vegetables worked so well together! I just loved the crunch of every single bite and what I liked was that the whole thing was not drenched in dressing. Because the fruit give off so much of their own juice and sweetness, it was a very well-rounded salad - one that I would definitely have again if I came back.


Chilean Sea Bass Lightly Fried with Fried Garlic and Ginger, Broccoli, Carrots - $23
What we have here is something off the “Chef Specials” menu. Doesn’t it look phenomenal? There was a terrific crisp to the fish when we cut into it and the meat was perfectly cooked. That stuff on top are actually fried ginger and garlic. I KNOW! Gorgeous looking and tasting. The fish sat on some simple vegetables and a delicious garlic sauce. I appreciated that they didn’t pour the sauce all over the fish because otherwise the sauce would just make the whole thing a soggy mess. Having it on the plate was smart. Chilean see bass and garlic. Come on. It just HAS to be good…and it really was…and beyond that.


Malaysian Chicken Curry with Boneless Chicken, Potatoes, Carrots, and Pickled Vegetables - $10
We all know that there are so many types of curry in the world, from Indian, to Thai, to Chinese, to Japanese. But Malaysian? I just had to try this. It actually reminds me of a Japanese curry…with a little Thai thrown in there. Great big chunks of dark meat chicken in a rich sauce with potatoes and carrots. That’s like comfort food to me. The pickled vegetables were an added bonus. The sauce is rich with the spices and has a hearty consistency, but taking a bite of a pickled pepper or cabbage cleanses the palette for another bite of curry. We had ordered regular Jasmine rice to eat with the curry, but when Mary Jane, hostess/owner-extraordinaire saw that I didn’t have the house special coconut rice, she went to the back and brought me a bowl of the coconut rice. She said that this type of curry went well with the coconut sweetness. SO RIGHT. I’m not a coconut person, but it was just delicious. So if you come here, get the coconut rice with this curry. Thanks, Mary Jane! Overall, it was a good curry. I like curries anyway, but having tasted one from Malaysia was neat.


Creamy Mango Pie
DESSERT! Looking back on the meal, we had some rather rich and unique dishes. This was the perfect way to end the meal. When you think Southeast Asia, mango is an ingredient that MUST be on the menu. The pie filling was so light and smooth and tasted so fresh. =) The addition of the tart mango chunks was great because though there is mango in the pie, the flavors and sourness were different. Yes. I. Was. Happy.

Just want to say THANK YOU to BanYo. This meal was so awesome and driving down 280 and catching up and talking with you was so much fun. Being with you is always fun! =D

The food we had here at Red Lotus was just delicious. I usually am not excited about Asian food because I’m Asian and it doesn’t seem out of the ordinary to me anymore, but when there is a place like Red Lotus that serves unique dishes, I seem to change my mind. When you think of Asian places in general, you don’t think of them having good service, but the servers here are so polished and courteous. They also have a great wine list. Who woulda thunk? I’m sad that it’s a bit out of the way, but if I lived closer to the area, you can say that I would be a regular. Great restaurant!

THE MOST Important Post I Will EVER Post on this BLOG. EVER.

Hi everyone,

This is going to be a bit different from my usual posts, but it is for an important cause. My cousin Randy has taken on the great challenge of running a half-marathon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society called the Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon.


The story is our Auntie Lolit was just diagnosed with leukemia earlier this Summer and it is so heartbreaking for our family because she is quite honestly THE GREATEST aunt in the world. She helped raise me when I was a baby and I am so grateful to have her!

Randy is currently training so hard everyday for the marathon and we need your help.

We need to raise $2000 by January 19, 2009
in order for him to run in it.
SO PLEASE! I am asking you from the bottom of my heart to PLEASE donate. The money will go to the society and will help many others who are affected by leukemia and lymphoma like my Auntie Lolit.

SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DONATE TODAY!
If you want to donate, please click on the orange ribbon below and you will be directed to Randy's donation page. Anything you donate, no matter what amount, will be greatly appreciated by our family.

Thank you so much, and please let me know if you donated, so I can call you myself and thank you personally. You really don't know how much your donation means to Randy and me and the rest of our family...

E&O Trading Company - Cuzin Randor’s Halfway to Retirement Party

Restaurant: E&O Trading Company
Address: 96 South First Street, San Jose, CA
Phone Number: (408) 938-4100
Cuisine: Asian
Date Last Visited: November 15, 2008
Dining Partner: Bubuh, Star, Sin-D, Ate Di, Randor, Ne-Yo, DJ Verz, God-sis, God-sis’ Hubby, and Randor’s friends


So it was my cousin Randor’s birthday. He wanted a place where we could eat and then walk to a club and dance the night away. E&O Trading Company was the right place because Temple and Voodoo were just a short walk away. There are actually more than one E&O restaurants. Of course, the one in San Jose where were eating, and there is one in San Francisco on Sutter, one in Larkspur and one in Hawaii. With this many restaurants the food must be good right? We were about to find out.


My Cocktail - Midori Sour
=) When I have one of these I get happy. The only bad part about Midori Sours is that it doesn’t taste like there is not one smidgen of alcohol in it. I drink it like it were juice or a soft drink. That could be a bad thing because if that is the case, I’ll be drunk before I know it.


Three-Seed Naan with Raita and Mango Chutney
Bubuh ordered this and I was surprised because I didn’t think he would be into this type of bread. But then again Bubuh is a trash compacter and can eat just about anything. The bread itself was pretty good. I also found the raita to be pretty good. Refreshing and creamy. I didn’t taste the mango chutney, but Bubuh and Star said it tasted more like marina sauce. Ha!


Roti Paratha
Griddle Fired, with Spicy Singaporean Dipping Sauce
This roti was a little different than other roti I have had. This was a lot more dense, but I really enjoyed the flakiness it had. It also seemed very buttery to me. What I wasn’t so crazy about was the dipping sauce. It looked tomato-based, but it tasted like it was flavored with fried shrimp paste. I know that because I have eaten shrimp paste since I was a kid. Hey, I’m Filipino. =D I’m used to eating roti with curry, so this was a surprise. I also found it to be a little strong in flavor and saltiness, so I didn’t have too much of it. The roti bread itself was very good. I actually found the roti great with the raita that came with the naan.


Salt and Pepper Calamari with Green Chili Dipping Sauce
I saw this at the table next to us and I ordered a plate for ours. I don’t know what it was about this calamari, but I didn’t find it to be that great. It was good and edible, but usually when I have calamari, I get all excited, but was left unsatisfied. Maybe it’s the coating. The rings were a bit flimsy and the fried coating was not as crunchy as I would have liked. The dipping sauce was real acidic, but I would have preferred just a wedge of lemon. Those chili peppers did not do anything for the flavor. I was kind of disappointed.


Wild Mushrooms and Bok Choy
Braised in Gingery Hoisin Sauce
This was Star’s plate of bok choy and mushrooms. I didn’t have any, but she said it was good. I mean, it’s bok choy. I love it general, so I’ll believe her.


Eggplant Braised Hakka Style with Thai Basil
I really liked this preparation of eggplant. They were cooked until soft but not too mushy. They kept their shape while we were serving them. The sauce that it was braised in was almost sweet and I enjoyed it very much.


Cambodian Barbeque Chicken
with Mango Salad and Sweet Chili Dressing
Bubuh ordered the chicken…maybe because they didn’t serve cheeseburgers. Ha! The whole thing looked really pretty with all the stuff on the long platter. Bubuh gave me a few bites and I must say that it was pretty good, especially with those slightly unripe mango chunks. Then again, not too impressed. Bubuh raved about it though, and I’m glad he enjoyed it.


Grilled New York Strip Steak
with Asparagus and Brown Rice
One of my cousins ordered the New York Strip steak which happens to be the most expensive entrée on the menu. I was picturing a big steak, so when I saw this come out, I was kind of disappointed that the meat was cut already. I had some of the meat and it was okay. I didn’t think an Asian place would have New York steak in the first place, so I wasn’t expecting it to be mind-blowing. Flavor-wise, not bad, but not great. I didn’t try the veggies or the rice, so I can’t comment on that. Just okay.


Vietnamese Shaking Beef - Filet Mignon in Garlic Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onions and Greens
Fliet mignon. Yum. You should have seen it when the server came to the table to serve it. The garlic sauce is doused on the meat and greens that sit on a sizzling hot plate, so you can imagine the bubbling and hissing and steaming when it was sat in front of me. It was a show even before I put my fork in it. As for the meat, the filet mignon was cut into cubes and I must say that they were extremely tender. It made the NY steak feel like rubber. The seasonings with the garlic, soy and onions were very familiar to me. Ne-Yo said that it tasted just like adobo to him. I can feel him on that. I wasn’t too keen on the greens however. After all that steaming, all the veggies seemed to wilt down. I didn’t eat any of it. For it being almost $25, I felt kind of ripped off.

E&O Trading Company is okay. Even during dinner Star said she couldn’t help but think that she can get dishes almost exactly like the ones we had here and probably only spend 10 bucks on it instead of the $40 per head that we spent. Being Asian, I seem to have a good grasp on the flavors that revolve constantly in Asian cooking, from the soy to the garlic to the peppers, so nothing seems to surprise me anymore. I know there are people who are not as familiar with Asian dishes, so they will probably like thi splace more than I did. Bubuh said he wouldn’t mind coming to E&O again. Most likely we’ll go to the on in San Francisco, but it’s a place I wouldn’t rush to right away.

Okay, I Lied...

Okay, I lied. You guys didn't get your post yesterday. Things came up, but I will have a bunch that are ready to be posted. From the look of things, it's going to be an ASIAN INVASION of some sorts...you'll see. For now, enjoy the following:

Ana Mandara - This Was for Work…I Didn’t Need Much Convincing to Go

Restaurant: Ana Mandara
Address: 891 Beach Street b/t Hyde and Larkin, Ghirardelli Square, SF
Phone Number: (415) 771-6800
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Date Last Visited: October 8, 2008
Dining Partner: Fuego

I work on the “business” side of a medical office, so I occasionally get sent to special meetings about accounting, new drugs, wherever the doctors and my boss feel I can gain information that will benefit the practice. I was lucky to go to this particular meeting with my partner Feugo. This would be my first time going to Ana Mandara and I was ready!


Ana Mandara or “beautiful refuge” surrounds the story of two lovers, a princess and a general, who are forbidden to love each other. Think of it as Romeo and Juliet in Vietnam. The story goes that the princess is married to the king of a neighboring kingdom - but not by choice. She was already in love with a general, but since her father needed more land (great dad, huh?), she married the king anyway. Her husband’s first wife hated the princess and gets the King killed (great wife, huh?) because if he dies, all his wives have to die along with him.


The princess’s family asks her lover, the general, to rescue her from being killed like her husband. The two lovers ran away to South Vietnam where they ate to their hearts content in their own beautiful refuge. After a year of bliss, they knew they had to go back to the kingdom and face the music. It is not the princess but the general who is executed (I thought the wives had to die?). Anyway, the princess lived the rest of her life in a convent and thought endlessly of their “Ana Mandara.” Sad, huh? As you continue reading, you are going to notice that the names of the dishes are very fairy tale-like, echoing the sentiment of this tragic romance.


I love the ambiance of the restaurant. You really feel you are in a lavish palace in Vietnam. I kind of forgot that I was in the Fisherman’s Wharf area. It is probably one of my favorite dining rooms. Have you ever gotten this fuzzy feeling when you go to Disneyland and see Sleeping Beauty’s castle? I get that feeling when I look back. Knowing the story of the princess and general’s love gives me that fuzzy feeling. Like “wow, this was their beautiful refuge,” like you’re stepping right into it and living it yourself…and it really is beautiful.

Before we move on, please excuse the quality of the pictures. I wasn’t able to take pictures of the food with flash because there was a presentation going on, so this is the best that I could do. =)


Vino. Always good.

Appetizers
“Hands of a Child”
Crispy Rolls with Crabmeat, Shrimp
and Shiitake Mushrooms
“Delightful Dew Drops”
Vietnamese Steamed Dumplings with Chicken and Shrimp
The crispy rolls were really good with the seafood in it. I can eat Vietnamese egg rolls all day long. I wish had another one…or two. Not quite sure of the name, however. “Hands of a Child” Are a child’s hands supposed to be…crispy? (LOL) Anyway! I was very surprised with the steamed dumplings. The dumplings were made with rice noodle sheets and were incredibly light and chewy. They had a slight bounce in the mouth that was awesome. I wish I had another one…or two…or three.


“Asleep in the Petals”
Organic Baby Greens with Ginger Vinaigrette
I like salads. I thought that this salad was good, but it was a little too simple. It consisted of greens, carrots, and cherry tomatoes. Yeah, there was a vinaigrette, but it was just meh. This is their simplest salad, and I know they probably served it because it was the cheapest, but I would have liked to try one of their more unique salads. Nothing special.


“Countryside Wanderings”
Crispy Skin Five-Spiced Poussin with Sugar Snap Peas, White Corn Pilaf, Sweet and Sour Sauce
Oh, I am so bummed that the lighting was not on my side. There was literally half a bird on my plate. The portion size was so generous. Poussin is really a small chicken. The name is fancy, but it tastes, well, like chicken. The meat was so moist and tender and the skin on it was crispy and perfectly seasoned. I LOVED IT. I loved dipping the meat in the tangy sauce and the sugar snap peas were fresh and delicious. I can go on and on and on about this dish. The rice was interesting as well. There were large kernels of white corn in the pilaf which added an interesting mouth-feel. I loved the flavor combinations and the different textures. I mean it’s crispy-roasted chicken and rice! COME ON! I LOVED IT.


“Enchanting Moments”
Seared Mekong Basa with Scallion Flowers,
Spicy Lemon Sauce
Fuego, l love Fuego. She ordered the fish so that we can sample each other’s food. I knew I liked her from the start. The fish was tender and light. LEMON AND FISH. COME ON! The scallion flowers were interesting. I never had them, but I really liked them. The dish didn’t have rice on it like mine did, but fortunately the servers came around with steaming Jasmine rice. LEMON, FISH, and RICE. COME ON! So good. The size of the fish was ridiculous. So good.


Dessert 1
Valrhona Dark Chocolate Semifreddo, Raspberry Sauce
If you like chocolate - like deep, rich, dark chocolate - you will like this. If you’re like me, where you’re more into light, creamy, fresh flavors, not so much. Don’t get me wrong, it was really good. The texture was smooth, but it was a bit too decadent for me. Like I said before, if you like deep choco flavors, you will probably favor this over the other dessert.


Dessert 2
Coconut and Mango Tropical Mousse Cake, Mango Sauce
This was the perfect ending to the meal. The mango mousse was fresh and really tasted like mango! Some mango desserts taste so artificial, but this was just awesome. I wish I had another one. =) Perfect dessert, especially in a restaurant like this.

I thought that this meal was fantastic. Aren’t the names of the dishes like poetry? I give major props to the folk who made up those names. So creative. I liked how they set up the dinner with dishes from the normal menu. I noticed at some meetings that they made special menus with items that are not usually on the normal spread. LOVED this meal, and now I can’t wait to come here again!!

Heeey...

I know I have been a bad blogger lately, but you WILL get a new post tomorrow. I promise!

Did y'all see the Sharks game last night?

Holy crap! Go Devin!

I need to rush home tonight to watch tonight's game...

I know I know...SO not food related, but still.

I'm a foodie and a Sharkie now.

=)

We are going all the way this season!!

=) Mojito Wednesdays at Roe!

I'm doing this for my cousin (aka Dj Verz).

Mojito Wednesdays @ Roe! Public opening is tonight!!! Bring a friend or two or three and have a great time!


It's going down every Wednesday starting at 5 p.m. Enjoy different flavored mojitos and classic jams.

Broadway Prime - Not For the Faint of Heart…That Means Vegetarians

Restaurant: Broadway Prime
Address: 1316 Broadway, Burlingame, CA
Phone Number: (650) 558-8801
Cuisine: Traditional American, Steak
Date Last Visited: October 21, 2008
Dining Partner: Bubuh

Since Bubuh (used to be known as My Sweety K) started living in San Mateo, we have ventured to more places down on the Peninsula. I have lived in Daly City, known as the “Gateway to the Peninsula,” for over 18 years, but I actually know very little about the cities and towns south of Daly City. Yes, I guess you can say I’m a city-girl. I know more about San Francisco than Daly City even. To save money on gas, we decided to change our plans from having dinner in the City along the Waterfront to stay close to home. Since I had always wanted to go to The House of Prime Rib, I chose the next best thing. Broadway Prime. Bubuh made reservations (Holy gasp! He never offers to make reservations, so this was a pleasant surprise…) and we were set once I got off from work.


I LOVE Broadway in Burlingame. The trees were laced with twinkling lights and the weather was perfect. Finding parking was a breeze and it was so romantic talking a walk up and down the street before walking in the door. Broadway Prime has a very old school feel to it. It was cozy and nostalgic. A place where families with different generations can come together and have a good meal. In fact, that is what I saw and it gave me a nice, fuzzy feeling inside.


I liked how everything you can order can all fit on one side of the menu. Ordering is simple.

1. Order your meat - Prime Rib or New York Dry Aged Steak
2. Choose your cut - Peninsula (small), Select (medium), Broadway (large)
3. Choose your sides - you get a choice of two:
Potatoes - traditional mashed, roasted garlic mashed, whole baked
Creamed veggies: spinach or corn
4. Enjoy - each meal includes bread, salad, and English popovers

Bubuh ordered the Select Cut with the Creamed Corn and I ordered the Broadway Cut with the Creamed Spinach. Isn’t that weird? I got the bigger cut while Bubuh got a smaller one. I guess I am more of the steak-lover in this relationship. =)


Sourdough Bread
Their bread is so good. Great crust and a pillow-y soft center. Yeah, you can say we ate 80% of the loaf even before the salad came.


House Salad
Now this is my first time coming to this type of a restaurant, so I didn’t really know what to expect. When this came out, my first thought was, “I guess looks don’t matter…” I mean, it looks like a mess, like someone just went through a random pantry and threw everything together. It sure does taste better than it looks. When I took a couple bites, I thought told Bubuh that it tasted a lot like egg salad - that’s because there are crumbled pieces of boiled egg mixed in, as well as beets, another ingredient I usually don’t have in salads. I don’t want to say that it’s a Thousand Island dressing even thought it looks a lot like it - but it’s close. All-in-all, a very interesting salad and one you won’t find everywhere.


Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
I was disappointed in this. The consistency was right, but that roasted garlic taste we wanted wasn’t there. I also found it a bit bland, so I ended up salting it and mashing that garlic clove into it, still it was not good enough. Sad.


Baked Potato with “Everything”
Humungous potato topped with sour cream, bacon, and chives. *angels singing* There’s nothing else to say about this, but why does the bacon look like it was pulsed in some food processor? It almost looks like ground up chicharrones. I like seeing chunks of bacon in my potato, not bacon powder. Anyway, still a good potato.


A Dollop of Horseradish and an English Popover
You get a choice of either mild or hot horseradish. I got the mild because I wasn’t sure how strong they made their’s. It was too mild and I ended up asking for some of the hot. Now the hot was too hot. For real, my sinuses started to bother me, so I mixed the two and got a perfect combination. The English Popover was horrible. It was flimsy, too egg-y, and had this almost custard-y mouth feel. It felt underdone, like someone set the heat too high and did not let it bake enough. Boo. I didn’t like it at all.


Bubuh’s Select Cut with Creamed Corn - $30
When Bubuh got his plate first, we actually thought that they got our plates mixed-up. Since the piece of meat was so huge, I thought this was the largest cut. But no. This was just the Select Cut and yes, they got our orders right. Bubuh just didn’t expect the bone to come with it. The corn was so good. Sweet, buttery and creamy. Awesome.


My Broadway Cut with Creamed Spinach - $34
Now THIS is the Broadway Cut. It is f’ing huge. The first thing I saw was the pockets of pure fat. Uh yeah, we would have to cut those out and set them to the side. Otherwise, the meat was so tender and so flavorful with the jus that they pour on top right before service. I got mine done to a medium, and you might think that it’s too bloody, but it really isn’t. The meat was a perfect pink and it was just delicious. The creamed spinach was velvety and just plain great.

Of course, I didn’t finish all of my food. I ended up taking I home. So not doing that again. Reheating prime rib in the microwave is stupid and gross. It doesn’t turn out the same. Next time, I’m getting the smallest cut and actually finishing it at the restaurant. I mean, it’s all coming from the same animal right?

Bubuh and I enjoyed ourselves very much. The food was great, the service was so attentive, and the location is so nice, but it’s not one of those restaurants where we would go to again right away. The food is a bit rich to eat many times in a short period. If I did eat here more often, I’d die of a myocardial infarction by the time I turn 30. At about $30 a person, it sounds a bit much, but it comes with a lot of food. Broadway Prime would be great for a family meal because the menu is straight forward and you don’t have to worry about ordering apps and then the entrees and then the sides where the price adds up. It all comes in one nice package here. In fact, there were numerous families dining in on the night we went. So if you do plan to come here, prepare yourselves. Wear stretchy pants and come hungry that’s for sure.

Michael Mina on MTV

Okay, so our very own San Francisco star chef Michael Mina is playing the world like a Monopoly board - opening restaurants all over the place. I just counted 14 restaurants on his website - including Atlantic City, Detroit, Mexico City, and Las Vegas, of course.

A friend who is an employee for the Mina Group asked me if I had watched "The Hills" on Monday the 3rd. I hadn't. He then told me that the crew from "The Hills" filmed at XIV two weeks ago and that it would be shown on the 3rd. Thank God for the Internet. I watched the full episode and saw this:


Yup, that seems to be our boy Mr. Mina.

For those who follow the show, Heidi (can't stand her) was assigned to work at the party for XIV's grand opening and of course, DRAMA followed. You just need to watch it. It's kinda funny.

XIV is a new small plates restaurant in Beverly Hills and it is getting a lot of attention down in Los Angeles.

See the menu by clicking here
My friend, who is cooking there right now as we speak, told me that celebrities have swarmed the place - Mary Kate and Ashley, Kim Kardashian, and of course the Barbie Dolls from "The Hills."

From the looks of the restaurant on the website and from the episode, it looks really fun and trendy. You can watch the full episode by clicking the image above.

I'd like to go there someday. The restaurant scene in Los Angeles is so different from the scene we have here in San Francisco. Are people eating at the trendy restaurants in LA to actually eat the food, or are they there just to BE SEEN with the celebrities and to show off their assets?

I wonder.

Now that I think about it, I'm happier living in San Francisco because it seems as though us Bay Area Food Folk appreciate our food more and aren't caught up too much in trends and popularity. But then again, if I lived in LA, my views may totally go in the opposite direction.

Can I get a SoCal foodie's opinion on this?

Rosamunde Sausage Grill - The Best Sausage I Have Put In My Mouth

Restaurant: Rosamunde Sausage Grill
Address: 545 Haight St. at Fillmore, Lower Haight, SF
Phone Number: (415) 437-6851
Cuisine: Sausages
Date Last Visited: August 11, 2008
Dining Partner: Ate Di

So it was the day before Ate Di and I were to leave for New York City. We needed a mani and pedi…urgently. There was no way that I was going to go to NYC with repulsive-looking feet. Luckily we found a nail salon on Fillmore in the Lower Haight. Perfect. Since I work on Webster, we walked a block over and took the 22. We still had a bit of time, so before we went to get our nails did, we hopped over to Rosamunde for a bite to eat.


Rosamunde is in the Lower Haight - not in Upper Haight (Masonic, Ashbury, etc.) where it’s a bit more lively. Lower Haight is more chill. You can also find rnm, Kate’s Kitchen and Memphis Minnie’s on this stretch of Haight Street. Once inside, you are greeted by one of the extremely friendly servers. On this day, we had a tough-looking blonde chick, who sounded German, who looked like she can kick your ass, but had the sweetest personality and cute smile. Thinking of her makes me smile. =) You can tell she has been here for a while because she knew the “usuals” of many of the people who came in. That’s great service - when you walk in somewhere and you and the cashier just look at each other without speaking a word and you know that you’re going to get what you want.


It’s a tiny place where no more than 6 or so people can stand without feeling too squished. Right when you walk in, you see the refrigerated case where all the sausages are lined so prettily. All of them look so fantastic even before they are thrown on the grill right behind the register. The hardest part of eating here is actually choosing which sausage and which two condiments (sauerkraut, grilled onions, peppers, or spicy beef chili) you are going to have. The best part is knowing that the two condiments are FREE!


Ate Di got the smoked chicken with cherries-$5.25. She opted to only choose the onions and mustard. I got a bite and thought it was absolutely the best chicken sausage I have ever eaten. Seriously. The meat was flavorful and was great with the sweet cherries. Chicken and cherries - who woulda thunk?


After hearing about this place from other people, I was so excited to finally get mine. I got the duck with figs-$5.50 along with sauerkraut, grilled onions, mustard and ketchup. Since the sausages are on the short and skinny side (…), our lady put two of them in the roll. Holy gasp. The duck was rich without being gamey. They were grilled wonderfully, and still had a bit of nice juice inside…the figs had this sweetness that went well with the richness. Add that to the tang of the kraut…savory flavors of the onions…spiciness of the mustard…I had a tonguegasm right then and there. So good. SOOOO good.

I am so happy I came here. It is such a great neighborhood eatery. I noticed a whole bunch of people who came here got their orders to go so that they can take them next door to Toronado’s. This is one reason why I would LOVE to live in Lower Haight. The sausages are incredible and the service is friendly. It’s cheap, but the quality of the sausages are unsurpassed. I would love to go back and try the other varieties they offer.

P.S. One thing that I noticed was that the workers seem to like to talk about their customers. One guy came, ordered, and once he left, one of the ladies said pretty loudly, “I know that guy! He asked me out once, but I kept saying no!” This is probably not important, but it’s just funny how they can talk like that, sharing their personal business, rather shamelessly, in front of their customers. I wondered what they said once I left the store. Hahaha!