Fog Harbor Fish House

A friend of Mertz recommended a restaurant for us, saying they served the best clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. We were so hungry after having toured Alcatraz so it was good timing. The restaurant was located at Pier 39, not far from where we disembarked our tour boat.

The restaurant was the perfect choice for San Francisco because Fog Harbor Fish House extends out over the beautiful San Francisco Bay so we were able to enjoy the view from our table. We got the menu and I was tempted to have crab legs but immediately dismissed the idea when I saw a lady cracking the crab legs and eating small pieces of crab. It looked like too much work.  Mertz and I ordered what we originally came for, which was the Original Award Winning Clam Chowder served in a house baked sourdough bread bowl. Before that, they asked if we wanted some bread. We could never have too much sourdough. The sourdough was nice and sour served with cold butter and we all loved it.

The clam chowder was supposed to have bacon in it but we never detected any. The chowder was good but I don't think it was outstanding.  Sujata had the Fried Shrimp with French Fries. She had no complaints.

We were pleasantly surprised when they brought out a large portion of Tiramisu for the birthday girl. Our server brought 3 spoons so we could share the birthday calories. The tiramisu was quite edible and soon after we started picking at it, the dessert had vanished into thin air.

Fog Harbor Fish House is located at 1-81 Jennings St. Pier 39, San Francisco, California.

Bettolino Kitchen

I haven't been to Bettolino Kitchen in a few years. Frankly, my last experience was not a good one. Last night my friend Mertz and I thought we would give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. A song came to mind: "Love is lovelier the second time around...."

We were greeted by Vince Giuliano, one of the owners. Thursday night they offer a "Tre Piatti", a 3 course dinner, for thirty dollars without wine and forty dollars with wine pairing. I opted for the tasting menu but Mertz declined since the secondo was Polipo Alla Griglia (grilled octopus). Instead she ordered the Insalata Mista; mixed greens with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, mixed Italian olives, in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It was delicious and Mertz loved it. Her secondo was her entree, the Tagliatelle Bolognese; ribbon pasta, hand ground chuck and pork shoulder, white wine pureed tomatoes, Parmesan fonduta and fresh basil. I had a bite of it and it was very good and I am not easy to please when it comes to bolognese.

My antipasto was Gorgonzola e Ficchi; Gorgonzola, fresh figs, crostini paired with a 3oz. glass of Pinot Grigio. I loved the combination of Gorgonzola and fresh figs. The crostini, although good, was hard to eat as it was too delicate and it crumbled when I tried to put some cheese on it. There was a little bit of salad underneath the crostini. Mertz had asked for extra dressing for her salad so I promptly used some on mine. It was perfect, not sour like most vinaigrettes.

My primo was the Spaghettini Aglio e Olio; handmade spaghettini, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan with a 3oz. glass of Fog Theory Pinot Noir. This dish won me over. Cooked to perfection; aldente and pure deliciousness. It reminded me of a very good cacio e pepe without the pepper.  I could have eaten a very large bowl of it.

The secondo dish was Polipo alla Griglia; grilled octopus, marinara braised white beans, Tuscan kale paired with 3oz. glass of Morgan Syrah. Again, the octopus was cooked to perfection. It was nice and tender (not chewy or overcooked) and packed with flavor.

Dessert time came and Mertz decided on the Pomegranate con Mascarpone, which she enjoyed. I ordered the Salted Caramel Semifreddo; semi-frozen salted caramel mousse layered graham crackers with a chocolate sauce. This dessert is huge, enough for 2 people. It was delectable and mouth watering!

I noticed Chef Fabio was not there so I asked our server if they changed chefs. We were happy to learn that a lot of the entrees were Vince's creation. I had to compliment Vince on everything. The dessert was also his creation.

The restaurant was packed last night. Even Vince's mom, Dori couldn't stay away. She was there having dinner with friends. She came by our table to say hello and I had to compliment her on how great she looked. It's retirement and the fact her kids are successful doing what they love to do with passion.

Bettolino Kitchen is located at 211 Palos Verdes Blvd. in Redondo Beach, California. They are open from 11 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday to Sunday. On Fridays and Saturdays they stay open until 10:00 p.m.

The Original Chileno Cheese Bread

I was a lucky recipient of a loaf of The Original Chileno Cheese Bread from the famous Erick Schat's Bakkery (not a mispelling).  My friends Nako and Amy bought a loaf in Bishop, California on their way home from a fishing trip in Mammoth. The bread is made from unbleached wheat flour and yeast. It has lots of Jack cheese, Chileno peppers, sugar, olive oil and sea salt.

It is best when it is sliced thick and toasted, buttered immediately and topped with your favorite jam. A cup of strong coffee with some whipping cream to accompany your toast makes a very good breakfast.

Patina

Thanksgiving at Patina; what more can one ask for? It was a record breaking heat in Los Angeles. A friend of mine was dying at her condominium cooking her turkey. It was a great day not to do any cooking at all. I was very lucky to be invited by my friends. We all opted for the 4 course dinner which was really a late lunch.

We got to the restaurant early but they graciously seated us right away. We had a choice of 2 appetizers, an entrée, and a dessert. We first started with cocktails. Lizzie had white wine, John had a glass of red and John Jr. had a cocktail, "50 shades of cranberry". Mertz and I had a glass of bubbly. An amuse-bouche of Salmon w/ crème fraiche was brought out. That was inhaled quickly. We were all proud of Mertz to see her eat her coned salmon as if it were an ice cream. A variety of bread was in constant supply.

We ordered our first round of appetizers. The choices were: Dungeness Crab with avocado, piquillo and roasted shallot and Beef Tartare with celery, wasabi, pommes gaufrettes. It was nice to sit next to Mertz so we could split both and both were equally good.

For the second appetizers; one had the Pumpkin Veloute; maple gastrique, cinnamon chantilly and bacon-pine nuts. A couple of us had the Roasted Kabocha Squash & Beet Salad. Two of us had the Salsify Agnolotti; pumpkin seed oil, mimolette and black trumpets. I really enjoyed my agnolotti.

There were several selections for entrées. We could have Turkey, Wagyu Beef, Wild Striped Bass or Scottish Salmon. It might have been sacrilegious not to order turkey but I couldn't pass up the Wagyu Beef. I felt better when at least Lizzie decided to have the turkey. We all were very happy with our selections. Everything was delicious. Charles, our server, was attentive without being overbearing.

There were three choices for dessert. Butternut Bread Pudding; spiced caramel and crème fraiche gelato, Pumpkin Pie; streusel, apple cider and cinnamon ice cream, and Sweet Potato Beignets; ginger with bourbon vanilla ice cream. I would have liked to see an apple dessert, perhaps a Tarte Tatin. Since I dislike pumpkin and sweet potato, I ordered the Butternut Bread Pudding which turned out to be a great choice. I was informed that the pumpkin pie and the beignets were very good.

As if the desserts were not enough, they served a little dish with a variety of desserts after dessert! Those too vanished in a few minutes.

It was one of the best Thanksgiving dinners. You can't beat being invited by close friends, not having to cook, not having to do dishes and enjoying great food and company. I thank my friends for a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Patina was a great choice for our Thanksgiving Celebration. I have always had a wonderful meal there. One can consistently count on excellent food and service. Patina is located at 141 S. Grand Ave. in Los Angeles at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Beef Tournedo

I had some Beef Tournedos I purchased from Mark at Specific Pacific (quality meats and seafood delivery service) in my freezer for special occasions. Last night was one of those occasions as we were celebrating Nako's birthday.

I made lumpy mashed potatoes with lots of butter and Feta cheese. To make it a bit healthy, I served fresh asparagus with a sauce I made with Japanese mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, Maggi, lemon and champagne mustard. Amy made a coleslaw salad which we all enjoyed. The Filet Mignon was very good. I cooked them in the oven and turned on the broiler the last 2 minutes to get the bacon crispy. Everyone could not get over how tender they were and the Bordelaise sauce kept them juicy.

For dessert, I made my Lola Neny's Leche Flan (my Grandmother's recipe). I must admit it was perfect. It tasted much better than the picture if you can imagine that.

After dinner, Nako opened his presents. I gave him a mug that said: " I Donut Care" since he loves his donuts. Mertz got him something for the gym. A tiny bottle of Chivas Regal for when he's not feeling energetic, and a larger bottle for when he's under the weather.

It was a nice celebration and everyone left pleasantly full.

Carl's Jr. / False Adverstising

If this isn't false advertising, I don't know what is. They say pictures paint a thousand words and the picture below says it all. My friend and I landed at a Carl's Jr. one morning and, since I have never had breakfast at Carl's, I relied solely on the pictures above the counter. The Bacon, Egg & Cheese Burrito looked good. My friend had a Bacon, Cheese & Egg Biscuit.

We were both flabbergasted to see the pathetic looking burrito as I unwrapped it. It looked nothing like the picture. The burrito was flat, as if someone had sat on it, and  was tasteless. My friend's biscuit was not any better. It was so dry that after one bite she could not eat the rest.  She did enjoy the potatoes that came with it.

I have always been a fan of the burgers at Carl's Jr. This incident really bothered me as I do not think places like this should be allowed to get away with false advertising. So I wrote a letter to the corporate office in Franklin, TN and attached pictures. I did this mainly because I wanted them to know about my experience but I also wanted to hear their thoughts.

I received a very informal form letter which was just signed " Management of 158" from the store. The letter clearly did not address the issue. They just included 2 coupons for the Biscuit sandwich. Now, what do you think of that?

Ubon Thai Cuisine

This is one of our favorite no-nonsense Thai Restaurants.  We have tried a few of their dishes but we always seem to go back to the Panang Curry in which you can choose to have chicken, pork or shrimp and the Crispy Lemongrass Chicken which is deep fried and marinated in lemongrass. The curry is so addicting, especially when poured all over the steamed jasmine rice. Like Sandi would say, "never mind the chicken, I am happy with just the sauce." The lemongrass chicken is so crispy, light and when dipped in the sweet and sour sauce, it is magic.

This time we ordered something new called Kee Mao Noodles; flat noodles with chili, garlic, onions, bell pepper and scallions. We all loved the sweet and slightly spicy noodles.

We were all sad that we couldn't have the sticky rice mango dessert since mangoes are no longer in season. They make one of the best sticky rice mangoes.

Ubon Thai Cuisine is located at Torrance Crossroads a few stalls from IHOP in Torrance, California.