LA Trip Day 2 - Thursday 12/30 Part I/I

Pasadena/LA

Intelligentsia - 55  E. Colorado, Pasadena

First stop on this lazy morning was Pasadena where I met the East-Coast twin and partner-in-crime, Lola.  After strolling the downtown area, we decompressed at Intelligentsia, a stylish but unpretentious coffee bar that specializes in some of the finest coffee there is.

                                         OMG, Intelligentsia has food too!  A trail of enticements.

This is the Ivy League of coffee bars, people. Their baristas know what they are doing.  My capp' was concentrated, hinting strongly of caramel. Heaven.

Cappuccino that tastes like love.

Pastries come from the bakeries Cake Monkey and Bottega Louie. I ordered a banana bran muffin, which coupled scrumptiously with my cappuccino. It was neither dry nor oily, and tasted a bit like green tea. The muffin was topped with a shower of oats, seeds of various kinds, and large granules of sugar.  Delicious.

Very possibly the best banana bran muffin I've ever had.

Intelligentsia also has a small lunch menu of salads and sandwiches. There are fewer than a dozen Intelligentsia locations and three of them are in LA. (Hey, what's up with that?) Anyway, the cool thing about this particular location is that it also has a wine bar in the back. The interior of this bar is gorgeous with high ceilings and wood paneling...and the noise level is low for a coffee place...unless I was too caffeinated to notice.  I don't ever recall feeling like I was in a construction zone, as I do at other coffee shops.

                  Deadly looking cookies. Glad I wasn't having one of my chocoholic episodes.

Lots of caffeine and sugar options.

Lola's green tea drink (it looks red, but that's because the cup is red). Doesn't it look refreshing?

Pasadena was getting ready for its Rose Bowl Parade in two days. Barricades had been put up along some streets, as were some port-o-potties.  Along the way, we stopped at Birdpick Tea & Herb, which features potpourri of loose leaf tea in glass containers.  

All kinds of teas at Birdpick.

Lots of fine gifts for the tea lover...or the potpourri lover!

We also stopped in both shops of the Euro Pane Bakery, on Jonathan Gold's 99 Essential Restaurants list, where we picked up some macaroons. Below is a deceptively yellowed photo of the hazelnut macs. In fact they were the color of sand with flecks in them. In the mouth, they were slightly chewy and had a distinctively hazelnut flavor--I loved them and, after one bite, declared that Euro Pane deserves the reputation it has in Pasadena, of being a local favorite.

After spending a lovely afternoon in Pasadena, I put on my heavy traffic armor and headed to LA.  It took an hour to get to West Hollywood, which is not bad for LA standards.  According to Google, the distance is only 21 miles and should take 28 minutes. But this is LA folks.  I was satisfied with my time, especially given the hellride from Ventura to Pasadena that morning.

After much agonizing over where to eat, I decided to forgo swank and go for cheap vegetarian eats. It was a very difficult decision, but not one I regret for reasons I will explore in the next post....that is, if I survive this first week back to work. Help!!! LA! Macaroons! Coffee--I need you. 

Christmas at Home

Here is a photo essay of what happens when you mix Japanese and American cultures during a Christian holiday.  

Mama's dinner on 12/23 (that's a slab of sake marinated black cod in the left corner, a rich, buttery item I could eat every night).

A behind-the-scenes view of the assembling of dinner.  Japanese meals include so many little dishes.

Dumplings steaming.

Random photo.  Just a cat who loves my mother,  and seems to know when dinner is being served.

Christmas present from coffee-aficionado-brother - drip coffee equipment including a bean grinder for one serving. Yay!...except, I am too lazy for this method...

Kabocha.  Eventually gets soft around the edges and carmelizes...

Christmas Day - mom's roast turkey dinner.

Cookies from Japanese cousins. A masterful Japanese adaptation of Russian tea cakes/Mexican wedding cakes (I call them Butter Bombs).   These came in three varieties: Earl Gray flavor, sesame and one more that I can't recall. They look bland, but they are sophisticated and terribly addictive.  

On Christmas Eve, I made a kale casserole and "Simply Delicious Cabbage." The cabbage was a huge hit.  (The pictures are way more yellow than reality.)

"Simply Delicious Cabbage" really is.

On Christmas Day, I made a warm cornmeal custard which was also successful, but I didn't take a photo of it.  All were recipes from Food52, that disgustingly gorgeous website. 

More treats from Japanese friends.  This is mizu-yokan, a red bean dessert that is subtly sweet and has the consistency of a firm custard.  Delicious with green tea.

Gochisoh-sama-deshita!

Christmas in San Francisco

Wednesday, December 21, 2010

For the first time since I've lived in Norcal (twelve years), I went to see the Christmas lights in San Francisco. On this Wednesday night, three days before the Big Day, the city was bustling with tourists (when is Union Square NOT bustling with tourists?!) but the mood was calm and jovial. It was a bit breezy and overcast, but mild (temps in the high 50s).  Some pictures at twilight.  

The Tree, at Union Square

The tree. It's cute, and even cuter with the lights on. So if you go, go at night.

Wreathy Macy's 

I dare not go inside, except to bypass a busy street corner to get to MUNI. The purpose of this trip was to go to Zara, my favorite store of late (there are none in the Silicon Valley), and to see the lights without getting clobbered.  Food was not a part of this trip.

Cable car bus, Christmased-up

I thought the tree at Neiman was impressive.  Classy.  Same with Union Square, in general. I had this fear that it would be grossly kitschy, like Christmas in the Park in San Jose, or my parents' neighborhood in Sacramento.  In both locations, there is EXCESSIVE lighting, and objects like blow-up Santas and reindeer strewn in the yard.  In a word, tasteless. 

Neiman Marcus

In the New Jersey suburb where I grew up, the houses were decorated in lights at Christmastime, sure.  But there never seemed a threat of fire danger or visual impairment because of too many lights, or careless decorating.  Instead, houses often had candles flickering in each window, or would have one one large pine tree in the front yard glowing in large red, green and blue bulbs like the kind in Charlie Brown Christmas. The decorations emitted a vibe of coziness inside the house. When I look at the houses in my parents' current neighborhood, glowing in gold and robin's egg blue, I think: Children's Las Vegas or neighborhood inferno.

Skating rink

Wow. So there is a skating rink in Union Square. Well, it is dinky. It is not Rockefeller Center. OMG I had to bring up New York. I just had to, didn't I.  

Well, New York it is not, but that is irrelevant here, and making comparisons of the cities, especially at Christmastime, is not fair.  Union Square is certainly charming and I will go again next December (and plenty of times before that). Next year in December, I'd love to have tea in The Rotunda. Oooh. Posh.  Include food.  There you go.

Dynamo Donuts!

2760 24th St
San Francisco, CA 94110

(415) 920-1978

My brother brought over Dynamo Donuts today. Dynamo Donuts, like so many of the trendiest eateries in the San Francisco area, touts "organic, sustainable, and local ingredients whenever possible."

Vanilla Bean

I tend to believe that doughnuts--no matter what they are made of---are poison, but at times like these, I say screw it.

$2.00-$3.50 each

Here is a review of these glistening, stylish, fried fat pills.

Each had that distinctive doughnut texture that comes from shortening (Dynamo apparently uses palm oil shortening): dense but light, and ever-so-slightly chewy. They also appeared and felt just-made (even though it had been at least 90 minutes since they arrived from the store). They were so delicate that it was impossible to lift one without indenting it with my fingers.  But of course, this made them even more appetizing.

Also, none were overly sweet.  Now that's quite different from most doughnuts out there.

Vanilla bean, pictured at the top of this post was quite vanilla:  mild and simple. 

Passion Fruit

Gently sweet and fruity, Passion Fruit was one of my favorites.  Certainly, with its chunky adornments, it was the showiest looking doughnut of the bunch.

Molasses Pear

Not bad, not bad at all.  I thought it was apple at first, but nope, it was pear.

Cornmeal Cherry

I couldn't taste the cornmeal in Cornmeal Cherry, but it had a nice cherry kick to it.

Maple Glazed Bacon Apple

The bacon doughnut was, I am ashamed to say, my favorite, or tied for favorite with Passion Fruit.  I never eat bacon...well...unless featured with chocolate or baked goods.  It was the sweet-n-salty combo of flavors that did me in.

Chocolate Rose

Cute doughnut. I didn't taste the rose water, but I did taste dark chocolate. 

Chocospice

I didn't taste the spice in this one but I registered slightly fudgey, semi-sweet, and brownie-like.

Lemon Thyme

My second favorite was Lemon Thyme.  Loved the combo of flavors. 

Dynamo serves coffee at its shop, and I imagine that the doughnuts would be totally dynamo with Dynamo coffee...  I wonder I would see police officers on breaks in there.

Vanilla Moon Bakery

Saturday, October 2, 2010

872 Laurel St 

San Carlos, CA 94070

(650) 593-3015

Here's a bakery that was high on my list during my cupcake-infatuation a few years ago.

Red Velvet

Were I still in that stage, I suspect I would be coming here anytime I was in the Belmont neib'. Vanilla Moon is a feminine bakery: set in rich, dark paneling, it  is intimate, with little round tables--ideal for chatting. It serves classic-flavored cupcakes, cookies, bars, lunch items (sandwiches and quiche), coffees, and Mightly Leaf teas, which come out on a tray with a teapot.

In the two hours that I was there on this Saturday morning, I cannot recall a single man walking in.  That couldn't have been true (Belmont does have a male population), but I didn't notice any. I did see many women there though, alone or sipping coffee with a friend over a little table.  With small children, on occasion.

SL, a karate friend and I were among those pairs of females, catching up on karate gossip and other developments. We fit right in.

Cupcakes are $3.50 each. The Red Velvet cupcake was good but the cake was a bit firm.  I say, not dry, but firm.  The frosting was a ten, though.

                                       High Hat  - Woohoo! Woohoo!!

High Hat reminds me of chocolate dipped cones I used to get from Carvel as a kid.  These are chocolate cupcakes topped with a voluminous mound of marshmallow cream:

This one was a winner.  After finishing this one, I was scrapping the wrapper with a spoon to get every last bit.  The cake was moist and but not oily, and just the right sweetness.  I'll have to venture outside of my neighborhood bubble again soon to try Vanilla Moon's other stuff, namely their chocolate cupcake with the white swirl on top that looks like a Hostess cupcake.

In Short

Food: Cupcakes, pastries, cookies and sandwiches.
Bathrooms: Large, private, clean (a woman's bathroom!).
Ambiance: Classy-but-casual, elegant-but-casual interior with view of downtown; a feminine vibe.
Other: Smack in downtown Belmont.

Tomatero Farm

Saturday, October 2, 2010

San Mateo Farmers' Market

Making my rounds of Bay Area farmers' markets, I went on Saturday to San Mateo's, perched on the College of San Mateo (CSM) campus.  There, I discovered Tomatero Farm among other delights (namely Broiche Bakery--OMG, and my beloved Bolani bread stand) to be covered at some point, hopefully soon.

I gravitate towards tomatoes and strawberries, more for their looks than their tastes, and Tomatero's produce was radiant. In addition to selling at the CSM farmers' market, Tomatero Farm, from Watsonville, CA does home and wholesale business.

Heirlooms, ready to eat.

A feast for the eyes, these tomatoes demand to be bought, sliced and drizzled in olive oil.

Green Zebras - glistening.

 More heirloom beauties.

Cherry tomatoes

"Tomatero," is Spanish for tomato picker.

'Tis the season to be checking out tomatoes.

The Holy Trinity of Stanford Campus Eats

In addition to abundant sunshine, Stanford has some pretty good eats on campus,  including a famous San Francisco sandwich shop with a cult following.  This is especially convenient because the campus is self-enclosed.  Some of the eats are outstanding.  My three favorites:

Fraiche Yogurt,  Tresidder Union

The San Francisco Chronicle Special: steel cut oats with organic yogurt topped with fruit and nuts.

Ike's Place, Jen Hsun Huang School of Engineering Center

I consider it a godsend that Ike's Place chose Stanford for its new location. Ike's features sandwiches that will satisfy a snobby East Coaster.  Just like it's service, Ike's extensive menu is very accommodating.  

If you are vegan, you can order the Vegan Elmo with "Cucumbers, Avocado, Lettuce, Tomato, Pesto, Cream Cheese.

If vegetarian, you can get the Chelsea Clinton- "Vegan Turkey, French Dressing, Avocado, Smoked Gouda."

Carnivores can get the Kryptonite with "Roast Beef, Corned Beef, Pastrami, Salami, Turkey, Bacon, Ham, Mozzarella Sticks, Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers, Beer Battered Onion Rings, Avocado, Pesto, EXTRA Pepper Jack."

These are just examples. There are dozens of options. 

You can also order half-sandwiches here.  As for me, I love the wordy "Going Home for Thanksgiving" sandwich.  Turkey, cranberry sauce, Sriracha, Havarti.  

"Going Home for Thanksgiving"

Danica, dearest campus buddy and food companion, went for the "Bill Walsh" with  turkey, avocado, and Havarti which this slender creature swallowed in just one bite. 

The "Bill Walsh"

Inside the kitchen.

The line at 11:45am on a Thursday.

The line right before noon.  

Tip: Go early.   We were delighted with a special treat the other day: Ike was hand-delivering the sandwiches to customers!  If you look closely at the center of this picture, you will see the blur by the pillar--that's him, zipping back-and-fourth in his spiffy black vest!

Coupa Café, Y2E2 Building

Scrambled eggs with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and chives

I write about Coupa every few days it seems. The other day, we went for breakfast.  We were at work, but it felt like vacation.  But now that Ike's is here: let the battle begin between these two!

I know Stanford students work extremely hard. But they are also so spoiled.