Greetings fair readers!
I'll admit it's been a loooong time since I've posted (mostly because, well, I've been working and not traveling) and I'm sorry for the delay. But here it is! My 50th post!
I've been dragging my feet for a while, thinking that I had nothing worthwhile to say. Besides an update on my life, what adventures could I possibly have while stuck in Dublin?
But this funny thing was happening. I didn't realize it, but I was having new kinds of adventures on the weekends with my partner in crime. FOOOOD adventures! Brunch is a particular favorite of ours, and sometimes the weekend consists of a quest to find the perfect french toast, bacon, and pastries. And I thought..."Huh, maybe it's time to use the blog to tell everyone about the best of the best!"
On a wonderful, amazing trip to Santa Barbara last week, Will helped me remember all the great places we've eaten in the past 6 months. What follows is the list so far, but hopefully more will be added. Some come from the Bay Area, others are from the trip down to Santa Barbara.
One of the things I love to do before I go out to a restaurant (blame my indecisiveness) is peruse their menu online. It's so much fun! So I've linked to each restaurant's website in case you have the same idea!
Here they are, starting in the bay and working our way down the coast....
Flaky almond croissant and delicious Americano.
It's not soup, folks. It's a mocha.
a) Will always orders better than I do (which is why I take his recommendation a lot)
b) I've never had a better tasting chicken sandwich.
Will says the secret is that Herbivore doesn't try to just imitate--they build a great meal from scratch, play to its strengths, and make their customer something tasty. I am inclined to agree with him.
Milkshakes made with Coconut Bliss are heavenly, and the organic vodka Lemon Drop was both reasonably priced (at $6.75) and refreshing!
For dessert--split a vegan cookie and a vegan donut. Mmmm!
Yeah.
This place looks like a regular, American style breakfast/lunch diner, but the french toast is something special. Now over the past few months, french toast has become my litmus test for rating a good brunch spot. Until very recently, the Graham Cracker-Crusted French Toast was the standard to which all other french toasts were measured (even La Note's Nutella French Toast and Straw's Jenga French Toast could not compare!).
Imagine this, but on fire.
A trip to this awesome speakeasy in San Francisco was a year in the making...
Will and I both have a soft spot for the 1920s. When we learned about Bourbon & Branch from some friends, we decided a trip was in order. It took a while, but a great group of friends finally had the time to go.
Now Bourbon & Branch works on an online reservation system. After you email them, you are sent your date, time, and the password for your party. It's in an unmarked building on the corner of O'Farrell and Jones. You buzz at the nondescript door and a flapper answers, asking you for the password. If you don't have one, just say "books" and you're whisked away to The Library (the open bar area that doesn't require a password, but gets a bit more crowded than the regular bar).
Old bookcases, dim lighting, and secret passages abound! The drinks have titles like "The Revolver" (I got one--they light it on FIRE!) and are delicious, though pricey. We definitely dressed up for this occasion, and want to go again. When we do, we'll get a real reservation and enter the real bar, where house rules apply (No cell phones, keep voices to a whisper...). Highly recommended for a fancier night-on-the-town in SF!
It gets a bit crowded on the weekends, but the pastries are incredible. Coffee and any croissant will amaze, to enjoy there or on the go! Sometimes a group of folk musicians get together and play there on the weekends at a table, inside or out, and it adds some local flavor. The Buttery is a bright, cheery spot and a must-visit location in Santa Cruz!
Will had lunch. I just had dessert.
In the historic Thorndyke House in the very strange, small town of Cambria, lies a little piece of Britain. After a long day driving down highway 1, Will and I stopped in for lunch and a nice cuppa. Decent tomato soup and french bread for both of us, then Will ordered a Sausage Roll. We sipped our tea while a stoic William & Kate looked down at us from the mantle.
Things were weird--perhaps the local residents of Cambria butting in from the table next to us seemed a little too much like the nosy British couple at a country pub--but the tea and cake we ordered was like a mini-vacation in itself. Will ordered Belgian Chocolate Cake, while I went with Lemon and Cream Shortcake. We definitely had to take half home for the next day! If there's one thing that the Brits (and the residents of Cambria) know how to do, it's make a good cake, and a nice cup of tea.
Didn't get a picture of the whole thing...we ate it too fast.
Both Will's brother Matt and his friend Woody work here, so this post may be a little biased. Matt's the pastry chef so when we visited we were plied with delicious desserts that he made! Fruit tarts with crumbly pastry and custard, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, delicious cups of coffee...a few days on holiday and I swear I gained a few pounds!
A cheese and spinach ravioli, served in a brown butter and sage sauce (with crispy pieces of sage on top--yum!). Simple. But hands down the best ravioli I have ever had. We topped of the meal with delicious dessert--I had an affogato, that is, white chocolate gelato drowned in delicious espresso and served with homemade whipped cream and a wafer cookie. I'm so glad that Will and Naomi shared this lovely place with me.
This is it, folks.
Now Will had the breakfast he always does--2 Eggs any style with bacon, baguette, and salad. He says it's a basic breakfast, but well prepared and always delicious. He emphasizes the choice you can have there with breakfast. Instead of a pastry, I decided to get something a little more filling.
This was it. The french toast of all french toasts. Brioche French Toast, served with powdered sugar, butter, preserves, and maple syrup. Not that it needed anything, really. The brioche was so perfect--grilled, but soft on the inside, a little sweet but not too much. A good portion. Add a bit of preserves and it was divine. Truly, this french toast knocked Cock-A-Doodle Cafe out of the water. Perhaps it was because of the smaller portion, but I didn't feel overly stuffed afterwards, even with the delicious cappuccino Will and I split. It kept us going till our late lunch at the Garden Terrace Cafe at the Getty.
I wish I could recreate most of the meals from this list, but part of the fun not being that talented means that I have something to look forward to--a real treat--when we visit these places again (and believe me, we will!). I suggest you check some out as well, if you're in the neighborhood.
xoxo,
Antonia
