Food – Page 10

August 17, 2015August 14, 2015

Road Trip: Amy’s Drive Thru

Love the garden on the roof. Drip irrigation is drought friendly and the living roof should aid energy conservation.

UK Sarah sent me a Facebook post about Amy’s Drive Thru. I was delighted to learn this new vegetarian fast-food restaurant was located in Rohnert Park because I could combine it with a visit to my Auntie J.

Auntie knew exactly where it was located–conveniently off 101 near the new casino :(, Costco :), and an In-N-Out (what is symbol for irony?). We pulled in at about 1:00 p.m. and the tables were full, there was a healthy drive-thru line of cars and the parking lot was full. For the next 1.5 hours there was a steady line of customers and cars. It has only been open a few weeks but the popularity appears to be growing. The restaurant itself has a garden on the roof and beautiful landscaping.

We took a few minutes to decide between the Amy veggie burger, the various macaroni and cheese options, burritos, pizza and brown rice bowl. There are non-dairy shakes and no-brand soft drinks. Auntie ordered the Amy veggie burger. I ordered the Broccoli Cheddar Mac. We split french fries with organic ketchup. We both had ice tea and added water to this very steep brew.

The packaging is very earth-friendly without falling apart. We had choices to recycle most of the cartons and utensils. But then there was only landfill left. We thought there would be a compost option. Still a marked step up from any fast food establishments in NorCal. It is also priced as cheap eats but not as inexpensive as McDonalds or Taco Bell; however, very affordable for the quality of food.

We sat at an outside picnic table and enjoyed talking to the other guests, including Nancy who is a big fan of Amy’s Drive Thru. This was her fourth visit and she returned to satisfy her craving for the veggie burger on a gluten free bun.

I found the Broccoli Cheddar Mac very rich and satisfying. The portion was normal size but small by fast food standards. The french fries were tasty and not at all greasy. Auntie is normally a dainty eater but she chowed down on her Amy’s burger. We would definitely go back and wish them success in this endeavor and in changing our expectations of fast food restaurants everywhere!

July 16, 2015July 14, 2015

Eating My Way Through Portland Again

Beef rib feast at Clyde Common could easily serve 5-6 people.

Portland is a great city for cycling, for book shopping, but it is probably most famous in the moment for its food culture. Even though the Mark Spencer Hotel offers a free breakfast, we ate out almost every meal. Staying in the Pearl District is great for walking to great restaurants.

About 18 months ago, I decided to give my adult children experiences instead of things. This weekend Sarah Harriet, Marcos and I were in Portland for the World Domination Summit. We kicked off our visit with dinner at Clyde Common with friends Lisa and Meg. We ended the evening at the fabulous Ruby Jewel ice cream shoppe.

The next morning we sought out the highly recommended Barista for coffee and second breakfast. The coffee was good but the baristas were aloof and the everyone there was so hip.

We intended to go to Lardo for Friday lunch but when we looked at the menu we changed our minds. We ended up at Cha!Cha!Cha! for Mexican food. Sarah and I shared some greasy nachos and we both got upset tummies. We drove to dinner at Bamboo and enjoyed a terrific meal with really good service.

On Saturday we were determined to get to the opening session of #WDS2015 early and be at Blue Star Donuts at the 8 a.m. opening time. First we went to Stumptown and got some coffee. Marcos liked the Nitro Cold Brew best. We hung out for a few minutes in the Ace Hotel lobby and Sarah and Marcos used the photo booth.

We were so excited and hungry we almost forgot to take a picture.

There was a line when we got to Blue Star, but not too long by Portland standards and it moved quickly once the shop opened. Lisa said Blue Star would fundamentally change our relationship to donuts–especially the buttermilk donut. They are truly amazing and I loved watching the Blue Star team working together. Skip the line at Voodoo and go to Blue Star! When we got to the Summit many of the Portland based ambassadors gave us thumbs up for the Blue Star box.

Quin is a small store front and features hand made candies and original recipes.

Sarah and Marcos grabbed Jimmie Johns sandwiches for a hike in the Columbia Gorge. (They highly recommend the hike to Punchbowl falls although watch the parking markers to avoid tickets and towing.) I went to Tasty n Alder for a wonderful frittata. We met up again for dinner at Cheryl’s because it was close and we were looking for a burger. The place was empty at 6:30 p.m. and while the food was solid, the service was rubbish.

On Sunday we went to Heart for coffee and a muffin. Sarah also ordered the sandwich but then could not eat it because of the relish and the ham was more like uncooked bacon. Sarah and Marcos liked their coffee the best and found the baristas super friendly. Lunch was a challenge because Zeke’s deli had a tremendous line and we were really hungry. We went down the street to Zeus Cafe. The food was good and we felt that good feeling that refueling gives.

Oh yeah, and somewhere in the midst of all of this activity I went a half block to the candy shoppe Quin and bought some caramels. Yum.

It was a dash to the finish of the conference and to the airport. So much good food in a few blocks. We will be back.

July 6, 2015July 4, 2015

Lucky Cafe a American Classic in Midtown Sacramento

Eat at the bar or in a booth. — Eat at the counter or in a booth.

All of my bike riding in the morning has cut into my going out to breakfast time. So it was several months before I was able to walk the two blocks to the Lucky Cafe. I sat at the counter and enjoyed pancakes, an egg and bacon. Delicious.

The service is good and it always good to enjoy the bottomless cup of coffee.

Lucky Cafe is at 1111 21st Street in Sacramento, California. It is open most days from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.

June 25, 2015June 21, 2015

Funky Flagstaff is Fun Stop

Hotel Monte Vista in downtown Flagstaff.

We only planned to stay in Flagstaff to make it easier to catch our flight to Phoenix with a connection to LAX. Originally I had a reservation at the Hampton Inn outside of town. Then a colleague with a love of Flagstaff gave me some great travel advice.

1. Stay at Hotel Monte V

This hotel has seen a lot of famous guests and after parties. It is clean but worn. The art deco lobby and most of the rooms have not been remodeled since opening. Cool except for the swamp coolers in the window. Our room was an unusual layout: 2 rooms with a double bed each separated by a jack and jill bathroom. The rooms are named after famous guests who have stayed at the hotel over the years. Ours was named after a whiskey.

The Hotel Monte V is lit up in neon at night.

2. Enjoy the night life.

We strolled across Route 66 and then the railroad tracks to our restaurant, The Tinderbox Kitchen. We enjoyed a relaxing, delicious meal and then strolled around town stopping to listen to a rooftop band and enjoying the variety of people on the street.

3. Appreciate the unique architecture of downtown Flagstaff.

The Grand Canyon Cafe is a blast from the past like so much of Flagstaff.

Flagstaff must have built its downtown during a timber or other resource boom. The architecture is remarkable cohesive and attractive. We loved being right near the famous Route 66.

We ate breakfast at the Grand Canyon Cafe the next morning. The food was not anything special, but the ambiance was fun. Like Flagstaff.

June 18, 2015June 18, 2015

24 hours at the South Rim of Grand Canyon

Remote is not the best way to describe the crowded Rim Trail at the Grand Canyon National Park. However, it was our word of the day after we saw a funny t-shirt at the Market Plaza store: “Remote is not just the thing on the coffee table.” And as we hopped on and off the bus to Hermit’s Rest, we actually experienced that refreshing peace one does in a truly remote place between the Abyss and Mohave Point.

Looking back at the South Rim Village from Trailview Overlook.

It was one of the few sections of the trail where it is not paved or without the rock barrier built by the CCC. We agreed as a security to stop if we were going to look at the canyon or take photos or gape at California Condors. It was quiet and beautiful and felt remote.

We had 24 hours to enjoy the Grand Canyon. We lucked in and grabbed one night in the Yavapai Lodge next to Market Plaza. We dropped our bags and walked about 40 minutes to view the South Rim for the first time (for my friend) about a mile from Veerkamp Visitor Center. Our goal was to mooch along the Rim Trail to Bright Angel Lodge and stop at anything of interest along the way.

We had 7:45 p.m. reservations at El Tovar dining room. This was also when the sun would have set and the bus would stop running to Hermit’s Rest. We planned to watch most of the sunset from Maricopa Point or Powell Point and catch the bus to El Tovar. Turns out that very few of the bus stops pick up/drop off in both directions. And we stopped to take photos so often that we reached Maricopa Point about the time we needed to turn around. That is when we discovered the only return bus stop was another half mile up the trail. We did not realize there was a 30 minute grace on our dinner reservation so we ended up dashing back on foot.

Finally I saw a California Condor! I have been reading about their decline and recovery my whole life! To see one riding the air currents wild and free was thrilling!

The El Tovar dining room is decorated in the classic Bavarian dark hunting lodge style. The patrons are noticeably grayer than the people we met on the trail. This is the only proper dining room we could find (the Yavapai Cafe was closed for remodeling) and it is expensive. The food was good, not great. Our server was competent but glum. And we were tired from hiking in the altitude and sun. It was a relief to get on the bus and ride back to Yavapai Lodge and crawl into bed.

We set the alarm for 4:30 a.m. so we could watch the sunrise. The Grand Canyon sunrise deserves a post of its own because it is delightful. Afterward, we ate breakfast at the cafeteria at the Market Plaza and bought sandwiches and salty snacks for our day pack. (We used my Nuun tablets to help us stay hydrated.) Our plan was spend the day riding the bus to Hermit’s Rest and hiking our way back.

Sunset: I have so many pictures on my phone of the Grand Canyon that it is a huge challenge to select photos for this post.

It was a great day and not as hot as the previous afternoon. Wear sunscreen even when overcast! It looked like thundershowers might cross our paths but they were always at a distance. About 3 p.m. we were satiated. So much beauty!

June 11, 2015June 11, 2015

Majestic Sedona Stuns First Time Visitor

I love traveling with my friend UK Sarah because it helps me see places I have been to several times with fresh eyes. We flew into Flagstaff and picked up our rental car and drove to Sedona on Highway 89A. It is a beautiful drive along Oak Creek. We stopped at Rock Slide State Park to take pictures because all of the other laybys were full of cars also taking pictures.

We spent some time enjoying the amenities at our hotel and then went to Bell Rock and Courthouse Rock for a short hike. It was great fun and we came up with our word for the day: Majestic. We needed to come up with more vocabulary than Wow! and majestic just fit.

We took the time to read the Sedona Vortex Map. Bell Rock is one of the places that the energy is strong even from the parking lot. Call us skeptics but we did not feel it. Perhaps we are insensitive.

There is a Butte Loop trail around Courthouse Rock--yeah, we didn't do that one. — There is a Butte Loop trail around Courthouse Rock–yeah, we didn’t do that one.

After our hike we drive to the end of Verde Valley School Road to view Cathedral Rock more closely. Majestic. Better than a man-made cathedral.

We returned to the Hotel and changed for dinner. Then we walked to the Cucina Rustica for a delicious Italian meal with impeccable service from Paul. Dining outside in the warm Arizona evening with guitar music in the background would be very romantic with the right person. We took advantage of the ambiance to have a great conversation and to catch up after 6 months in very different time zones.

I love the cloud formations as much as the rok formations. — I love the cloud formations as much as the rock formations.

Today we will visit Chapel of the Holy Cross on our way to the Grand Canyon.

June 6, 2015June 6, 2015

Dining Next to the Mayor

Shipping containers make an interesting building.

I enjoy living in midtown Sacramento because it is a complete neighborhood. My neighbors range from people without homes to the 1% with a Maserati in the parking garage. Within walking or biking distance I can find every imaginable restaurant and shop I need. I am meeting friends for a drink or lunch more often. Tonight my friend Monica and I met for a walk and stopped in at the Federalist Public House.

The Federalist Public House is built with shipping containers, which makes a fun and funky atmosphere. We ordered a pizza to split and beverages and then sat down at the end of one of the long rows of picnic benches. Everyone sits community style so we started our meal next to strangers. People watched the baseball game on television and others played bocce ball in the astroturf bocce court along the back wall.

At some point the couple next to us left and the waitress put a “reserved” sign down on the table. Then out of the corner of my eye I see a man sit down and put his iPhone on the table. I could tell by Monica’s face that she recognized him, but she did not say hello. I glanced over and realized it was Sacramento Mayor and former Phoenix Suns basketball star Kevin Johnson. A few minutes later his wife Michelle Rhee, the education reform advocate, sat down across from him.

Monica and I played it cool. Other people in the restaurant interrupted to say something to Mayor Johnson or take a photo with him. And the wait staff kept bringing Kevin and Michelle additional dishes including the polenta and then a giant ice cream sandwich. We could not help but ooh and ahh at the two supersize oatmeal cookies filled with vanilla ice cream and dipped in chocolate and rolled in pistachios. They offered to share with us and so we got to taste it. Yum!

We thanked them for our taste and then continued our walk. I love a cup of coffee after dinner so we stopped at The Trade, a relatively new coffee place on K Street near 24th Street. Then we hurried back because of the gathering dark clouds and marveled at the unexpected lightning show.

May 31, 2015

Art Community near St George

The community of Kayenta is a community designed sensitively to blend in with the desert landscape. All of the homes are in adobe looking in hues from chocolate to sand. The development is low density with native plant landscaping. We approached from St George passing through Ivins. Almost as soon as we entered the community we felt a kind of peace and tranquillity.

Also curiosity: how much do you think these homes sell for? Can you rent one on luxury homes for the week? It is hard to turn off the real estate orientation when you travel. You imagine yourself living there and of course wonder how much money it would take.

The first visit we stopped at the art village and most of the shops were shut. The Xetava Garden Cafe was open and I bought a coffee. It was free-trade, organic and a couple of other wholesome modifiers, including delicious. We wandered around looking at the chalk art on the ground from the competition from earlier in the week. I admired the driftwood horse and Carole admired the interesting garden benches.

The next visit we did some serious jewelry shopping. We browsed in several art galleries. And we ate lunch at the Xetava Garden Cafe. Carole enjoyed the waffles on the brunch menu and I had the tacos made with filet mignon. We both gave thumbs up to our choices. The service was excellent.

We also sympathized with this bubble of liberalism. We saw a poster for a marriage equality fundraiser and felt like cheering. St George is a lovely community with loads of friendly people. Seventy-five percent of them are Mormon and probably conservative. A friend shared how we could spot polygamist families and we saw at least one group watching the Triathalon. So we threw up a small cheer for the organizers of an event hoping for a long shot–or a Supreme Court decision.

May 23, 2015May 23, 2015

5 Top Places to Eat in St George, Utah

The challenge is to rank all of the great places in St George and choose only 5. So I’ll just say it now, I plan to cheat a little and mention a few honorable mentions as well. Prices are very affordable for a vacation spot and low compared to California or Washington, DC.

Chocolate and strawberry — Mini shakes at Iceberg Diner.

1. Iceberg Drive Inn

We drove by the Iceberg Drive Inn on our way to Zion National Park. The sign “famous thick shakes” caught my eye. After a day hiking in Zion it was an easy choice. We stopped for dinner and bought the combo: hamburger, fries and mini shakes. We could have easily filled up on the shakes alone!

2. Xetava Garden Restaurant

Drive to Ivins outside of St George and keep going a little way to the Kayenta Art Village. Among the great places to shop is a cafe with terrific coffee and very good food.

3. Croshaw’s Gourmet Pie

If you have read my blog you know that I break for pie. When I read taht there was a place called Croshaw’s Gourmet Pie I made my friend go there. We started with scrumptious pot pies. Then moved on to amazing dessert pies. So good.

4. George’s Corner

We ended up at George’s Corner because few places are open on Sunday. Lucky for us the food and service is very good. There is live music on the weekends on the bottom floor. Enjoy it or ask to be seated upstairs where conversation is possible. Of course they also have awesome pie.

Touch of chocolate at the bottom of banana cream pie is delish.

5. Egg and I

The breakfast at the Egg and I was delicious. The portions were generous and the service was top notch.

Honorable mentions: Grandma Tobler’s Bakery is a solid place for breakfast or to pick up sandwiches before a hike. The women who work there are super nice.

Cliffside Restaurant is a place with a heck of a view.The food tasted great too–we split the Chicken fried chicken. Then both of us got upset stomachs and we were less enthusiastic about the place.

May 16, 2015May 16, 2015

20 Hours in Las Vegas

I met up with a college chum in Las Vegas, Nevada for a brief stopover on our way to St George, Utah. We live on opposite coasts so we like to meet up in the middle of the country for spa weekends. It is only a 2 hour drive from Las Vegas to St George, so an overnight is not required, but why not?

Unfortunately we were oblivious to “the fight”. It was only Wednesday and the boxing match was on Saturday. Who knew that people would already be pouring into Las Vegas for this event. It impacted our car rental at Hertz (we could not pick it up early).

We checked into the Cromwell Hotel. It is in a great location right on the Strip. The staff at the Cromwell did a super job. Dana, our bellman was outstanding including pointing out a “special” feature of the room. If the lights are off in the bedroom and on in the bathroom then the giant mirror on the wall becomes a window into the shower. Combined with the bordello decor we decided the decorator was a pervy man.

We changed for dinner then dashed through the smoke filled casino to the Strip and walked to the Mirage. We had reservations at Tom Colicchio’s Heritage Steak House. The restaurant is a calm oasis in the middle of the casino. The steak, asparagus, and potatoes were pricey and good (not great). We were enjoying a nonstop conversation. The service was attentive without interrupting.

The new ferris wheel, the High Roller, in the background.

We walked back to our hotel via the Cinq, stopping at Starbucks and Sprinkles for cupcakes. We wandered through the Flamingo. Carole had a go at the Batman penny slot machine in memory of her brother Timmy. Eventually we made it back to the Cromwell.

Our beds were comfortable but the noise in the room was odd. It sounded like a monorail was just outside. At first we thought we might be by the elevators, but we were not. Sleep came eventually.

The next morning I participated in a conference call while Carole collected the rental car. When she returned we went down for a late breakfast in Giada’s restaurant. It is the Cromwell’s main restaurant that also prepares room service. The menu was created by the chef of same name on the Food Network. Our food was delicious and the view of the Strip was even more amazing. Our wait staff all had charming Italian accents and provided excellent service. We would have lingered over lover coffee except we were anxious to get on the road to St George, Utah.

Extra notes: Carole introduced me to the podcast, Satellite Sisters. We listened to it on the Stitcher app on our drives. One podcast included a sister’s report on her recent trip to Las Vegas. She gives the Cirque du Soleil Beatles Love show 2 thumbs up.

On the way home Carole stayed an extra night in Vegas before flying to East Coast. She offers: I went to Guy Fieri’s restaurant for breakfast this morning and had the French toast with maple candied bacon. It was delicious. The service was great too. I would go back there. On the way to the M&M store I stopped at the chocolate shop we saw at Paris Hotel and had the most delicious cup of hot chocolate I’ve had outside of Switzerland. Highly recommend going back there too.