Grub Lounge - Solano County

April 23, 2008

Bouchon, Yountville

After years of living in Solano County, Napa’s friendly neighbor, I finally ate at Bouchon Bistro in Yountville. My hubby took me there for my birthday dinner—after all, it was on my list. Yes, I have a list of restaurants to eat at.
We had a 6 p.m. reservation, which I must say was the perfect time; the dining room was not packed, as it can get, but there was most definitely a lively buzz of enjoyable eating. We got the best seat in the house: the far back left corner of the dining room, in the corner of the banquettes. You can see the whole place but it is a very intimate table.Read more »

Posted on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 in Grub Lounge | Permalink | Comments

April 11, 2008

Yank Sing, San Francisco

I actually don't spend that much time in San Francisco; it just so happened that I drove in twice in the space of three weeks. (Yes, I drove, and before people start hassling me about fuel prices and pollution, let me point out that I live in Sacramento and the closest BART station is 70 miles from me. Whereas SF, the city, is only 90. All I'm spending money on is parking, and if my car gets jacked in Berkeley, I'd rather pay the $18 for a parking garage.) ANYWAY, this time the trip centered around my mom's birthday, and my brother and I decided to treat her to lunch. After a bit of wandering and thinking and pondering and debating, we settled on Yank Sing in the Rincon Center.
Holy cow was this place... Read more »

Posted on Friday, April 11, 2008 in Grub Lounge | Permalink | Comments

March 25, 2008

Farm Fresh To You, San Francisco Ferry Building

This is more or less a quick note to let people know about something really important, if they happen to be (a) hungry and (b) in need of fresh, light, sustainable fare (and here I mean in terms of you being sustained for the day) and (c) in the vicinity of the Ferry Building, San Francisco's new-ish culinary destination point (OK, the Ferry Building itself was built in the late 1800s. So it's not new. But all the stuff inside it kinda is.) This is what you need to know: you may walk by the Farm Fresh To You storefront, thinking it's merely a grocery store, but there is a menu inside and on that menu is something called the Apple Walnut Raspberry Salad. And that salad is absolutely... Read more »

Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 in Grub Lounge | Permalink | Comments

March 13, 2008

Ernesto's Mexican Food, Sacramento

When I first moved to midtown Sacramento, there was one restaurant down the street from me that always seemed to be overflowing with people, day or night, any season: Ernesto's Mexican Food. I was told the food was good, but despaired of ever knowing for myself since, as I said, it always seemed to be overflowing with people. Clearly I'd have had to put my name down last week for a table next month. (OK, so, maybe the patio was vacant when it was raining. My point still stands.)

Well, one day, my brother and I decided to brave the crowds for lunch. It was easier to get a table than I thought... Read more »

Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 in Grub Lounge | Permalink | Comments

March 1, 2008

Alejandro's Taqueria, Fairfield

What’s a wet burrito? Mmmmm. It’s two bangs for the buck, that’s what it is! Wet burritos make my tummy oh so happylicious, and then I pass out in frugal gastronomic bliss.
A wet burrito is most commonly referred to as a burrito “mojado”, which means “dunked or drenched” in Spanish. It’s a burrito with—usually red—sauce poured all over the top of it, hence the nickname “wet”. (For those unfamiliar with burrito culture, they are typically served “dry” and wrapped in tin foil for easy I-don’t-need-no-stinking-utensils eating.)
At Alejandro’s Taqueria in downtown Fairfield, the mojado comes drenched in red sauce and oozy melted cheddar cheese. At first glance, the dish looks like your standard burrito with... Read more »

Posted on Saturday, March 1, 2008 in Grub Lounge | Permalink | Comments

February 28, 2008

Somerset Restaurant, Oakland

One of my mother’s and my favorite places to spend a girls’ day out is the College Avenue/Rockridge area of Oakland (just a mile or two down, College Avenue turns into Berkeley and leads directly to the campus). A couple Sundays ago, we met up at the Rockridge BART station, stashed our cars and began walking. Yeah, OK, the lot is supposed to be for BART patrons only—but it was virtually empty on a Sunday morning.
Our girls’ days are usually comprised of two goals: shopping for a particular item, and eating ... um, anything. The shopping goal for the day was to find myself a pair of black flats for me. It was a moral imperative, as I was currently flouting the UWL (Universal Womens Law) by not owning a single pair of black flats. (No, that doesn’t mean... Read more »

Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2008 in Grub Lounge | Permalink | Comments

February 16, 2008

Bistro Jeanty, Yountville

For quite some time I have wanted to check out Bistro Jeanty in Yountville. Not because it received a Michelin star on the 2008 Michelin list, but because it’s a popular favorite amongst locals in the Napa Valley. You’ll hear about many who go at least once a week for lunch or dinner and just eat at the bar. Apparently, it’s a local hangout.
I arrived for lunch at 11:28 a.m. (we had a reservation for 11:30) on Valentine’s Day. The front door was locked and there was an expectant crowd gathered on the sidewalk eagerly peering inside. Hmm. Interesting. To our relief, at exactly 11:30 they unlocked the front door and let us in. Phew. Hungry mobs can be a tad dangerous.
The atmosphere is cozy, casual and intimate just like a bistro... Read more »

Posted on Saturday, February 16, 2008 in Grub Lounge | Permalink | Comments

February 6, 2008

Hush, Laguna Beach

On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I was fortunate to garner an invitation to meet for drinks at Hush in Laguna Beach. Located on the main drag in downtown Laguna Beach, Hush offers a contemporary, upscale experience whether you’re in the elegant blue neon accented bar or the quietly sophisticated dining room. It’s a nice contrast to the rest of Laguna’s beachy casual establishments. Having checked out the website prior to arrival, I was intrigued by their extensive wine list and the variety of imported proteins.

In L.A.’s Friday night traffic, it took me over three hours to get from Santa Monica to Laguna Beach. So of course I was late, starving and nervy from driving illegally in the carpool lane. (If not for the HOV lane,... Read more »

Posted on Wednesday, February 6, 2008 in Grub Lounge | Permalink | Comments

January 18, 2008

Rutherford Grill, Napa

Every couple of months, my mother and I like to meet up somewhere for lunch and a little shopping. It's often in the Napa Valley somewhere, since it's a sort of mid-point between my home (Sacramento) and hers (Danville). One question we always have is, Where to go for lunch? This time she decided she wanted to try Rutherford Grill. Mom, always knowing best, had the brilliant idea of getting there right as they opened for lunch. It was a Saturday, and we were seated right away, but the place filled up in no time at all.

Up came the menu. We try to eat healthfully, particularly if we have a day of shopping in... Read more »

Posted on Friday, January 18, 2008 in Grub Lounge | Permalink | Comments

April 23, 2008 Bouchon, Yountville After years of living in Solano County, Napa’s friendly neighbor, I finally ate at Bouchon Bistro in Yountville. My hubby took me there for my birthday dinner—after all, it was on my list. Yes, I have a list of restaurants to eat at. We had a 6 p.m. reservation, which I must say was the perfect time; the dining room was not packed, as it can get, but there was most definitely a lively buzz of enjoyable eating. We got the best seat in the house: the far back left corner of the dining room, in the corner of the banquettes. You can see the whole place but it is a very intimate table.Read more » Posted on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 in Grub Lounge \| Permalink \| Comments

April 11, 2008 Yank Sing, San Francisco I actually don't spend that much time in San Francisco; it just so happened that I drove in twice in the space of three weeks. (Yes, I drove, and before people start hassling me about fuel prices and pollution, let me point out that I live in Sacramento and the closest BART station is 70 miles from me. Whereas SF, the city, is only 90. All I'm spending money on is parking, and if my car gets jacked in Berkeley, I'd rather pay the $18 for a parking garage.) ANYWAY, this time the trip centered around my mom's birthday, and my brother and I decided to treat her to lunch. After a bit of wandering and thinking and pondering and debating, we settled on Yank Sing in the Rincon Center. Holy cow was this place... Read more » Posted on Friday, April 11, 2008 in Grub Lounge \| Permalink \| Comments

March 25, 2008 Farm Fresh To You, San Francisco Ferry Building This is more or less a quick note to let people know about something really important, if they happen to be (a) hungry and (b) in need of fresh, light, sustainable fare (and here I mean in terms of you being sustained for the day) and (c) in the vicinity of the Ferry Building, San Francisco's new-ish culinary destination point (OK, the Ferry Building itself was built in the late 1800s. So it's not new. But all the stuff inside it kinda is.) This is what you need to know: you may walk by the Farm Fresh To You storefront, thinking it's merely a grocery store, but there is a menu inside and on that menu is something called the Apple Walnut Raspberry Salad. And that salad is absolutely... Read more » Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 in Grub Lounge \| Permalink \| Comments

March 13, 2008 Ernesto's Mexican Food, Sacramento When I first moved to midtown Sacramento, there was one restaurant down the street from me that always seemed to be overflowing with people, day or night, any season: Ernesto's Mexican Food. I was told the food was good, but despaired of ever knowing for myself since, as I said, it always seemed to be overflowing with people. Clearly I'd have had to put my name down last week for a table next month. (OK, so, maybe the patio was vacant when it was raining. My point still stands.) Well, one day, my brother and I decided to brave the crowds for lunch. It was easier to get a table than I thought... Read more » Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 in Grub Lounge \| Permalink \| Comments

	March 1, 2008 Alejandro's Taqueria, Fairfield What’s a wet burrito? Mmmmm. It’s two bangs for the buck, that’s what it is! Wet burritos make my tummy oh so happylicious, and then I pass out in frugal gastronomic bliss. A wet burrito is most commonly referred to as a burrito “mojado”, which means “dunked or drenched” in Spanish. It’s a burrito with—usually red—sauce poured all over the top of it, hence the nickname “wet”. (For those unfamiliar with burrito culture, they are typically served “dry” and wrapped in tin foil for easy I-don’t-need-no-stinking-utensils eating.) At Alejandro’s Taqueria in downtown Fairfield, the mojado comes drenched in red sauce and oozy melted cheddar cheese. At first glance, the dish looks like your standard burrito with... Read more » Posted on Saturday, March 1, 2008 in Grub Lounge \| Permalink \| Comments

February 28, 2008 Somerset Restaurant, Oakland One of my mother’s and my favorite places to spend a girls’ day out is the College Avenue/Rockridge area of Oakland (just a mile or two down, College Avenue turns into Berkeley and leads directly to the campus). A couple Sundays ago, we met up at the Rockridge BART station, stashed our cars and began walking. Yeah, OK, the lot is supposed to be for BART patrons only—but it was virtually empty on a Sunday morning. Our girls’ days are usually comprised of two goals: shopping for a particular item, and eating ... um, anything. The shopping goal for the day was to find myself a pair of black flats for me. It was a moral imperative, as I was currently flouting the UWL (Universal Womens Law) by not owning a single pair of black flats. (No, that doesn’t mean... Read more » Posted on Thursday, February 28, 2008 in Grub Lounge \| Permalink \| Comments

	February 16, 2008 Bistro Jeanty, Yountville For quite some time I have wanted to check out Bistro Jeanty in Yountville. Not because it received a Michelin star on the 2008 Michelin list, but because it’s a popular favorite amongst locals in the Napa Valley. You’ll hear about many who go at least once a week for lunch or dinner and just eat at the bar. Apparently, it’s a local hangout. I arrived for lunch at 11:28 a.m. (we had a reservation for 11:30) on Valentine’s Day. The front door was locked and there was an expectant crowd gathered on the sidewalk eagerly peering inside. Hmm. Interesting. To our relief, at exactly 11:30 they unlocked the front door and let us in. Phew. Hungry mobs can be a tad dangerous. The atmosphere is cozy, casual and intimate just like a bistro... Read more » Posted on Saturday, February 16, 2008 in Grub Lounge \| Permalink \| Comments

	February 6, 2008 Hush, Laguna Beach On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I was fortunate to garner an invitation to meet for drinks at Hush in Laguna Beach. Located on the main drag in downtown Laguna Beach, Hush offers a contemporary, upscale experience whether you’re in the elegant blue neon accented bar or the quietly sophisticated dining room. It’s a nice contrast to the rest of Laguna’s beachy casual establishments. Having checked out the website prior to arrival, I was intrigued by their extensive wine list and the variety of imported proteins. In L.A.’s Friday night traffic, it took me over three hours to get from Santa Monica to Laguna Beach. So of course I was late, starving and nervy from driving illegally in the carpool lane. (If not for the HOV lane,... Read more » Posted on Wednesday, February 6, 2008 in Grub Lounge \| Permalink \| Comments

	January 18, 2008 Rutherford Grill, Napa Every couple of months, my mother and I like to meet up somewhere for lunch and a little shopping. It's often in the Napa Valley somewhere, since it's a sort of mid-point between my home (Sacramento) and hers (Danville). One question we always have is, Where to go for lunch? This time she decided she wanted to try Rutherford Grill. Mom, always knowing best, had the brilliant idea of getting there right as they opened for lunch. It was a Saturday, and we were seated right away, but the place filled up in no time at all. Up came the menu. We try to eat healthfully, particularly if we have a day of shopping in... Read more » Posted on Friday, January 18, 2008 in Grub Lounge \| Permalink \| Comments