You had me at "mochi."

Jim and I had plans to hang out in the morning, but it didn't quite work out. He ended up working late and hitting traffic, so we actually only got to spend a few minutes together. I got started on breakfast while waiting for him. I pre-heated the oven to 400 degrees and then placed three slices of bacon on a roasting rack. Thankfully I had the good sense to line the bottom of the baking sheet with aluminum foil. All I did was bake the bacon for 15 minutes and then brushed it with some maple syrup. Jim really liked the end product, which was a recipe courtesy of Ina's Barefoot Contessa at Home book. I saw the hard white fat on the bottom of the baking sheet later on that afternoon. Pretty gross.

Anyway, my former paralegal A called me yesterday needing some computer help. Now, to know me is to know that I am anything but a computer expert. However, in comparison to the majority of the baby boomer crowd, I'm a complete whiz. And thankfully, I absolutely, without a doubt knew the answer to her question: there IS a difference between Microsoft Word and Word Perfect. She also mentioned that she'd be the area today and asked if I wanted to grab lunch. After going to the post office to mail off some of the baked goods for S, I met up with her for lunch. We ended up back at Marie Callender's for an encore of salads. This time we got the regular-sized ones, which was much better for me. Supplemented with a granola bar and cottage cheese, it was a decent lunch. Plus our waitress brought us cornbread, which was soft, moist, and crumbly. Sooo good. Usually cornbread is too dry for my tastes, but this was some good stuff. Anyway, our waitress totally rocked, also because she told us how to make candied pecans--egg white, sugar, butter, and toasted in a skillet. And she said that TJ's balsamic vinaigrette was very similar to Marie Callender's.



Again, we had a really good lunch together. We just talked about life and had fun. Oh, and the cheese was definitely Gorgonzola today. But it was really mild and I actually liked it.

Later on, Jim and I met up with his cousin S and her hubby J for dinner in Sacramento. We went to a sushi place called Nishiki's, which is right off the freeway and smack dab in the middle of downtown. Once upon a time, I wanted to live in Sacramento. Part of me still does, but the one thing I hated more than anything in the world (besides the insane dry heat) was all of the one way streets. Horrible! Tonight was different, though, because we had the GPS to guide us.

We actually walked right by the restaurant and overshot it by a couple of blocks. The neon restaurant sign is green and yellow, with small, squiggly letters and the outline of a fish. Not exactly designed to catch one's eye. S & J had snagged us a choice corner booth away from the bars and noise, which was absolutely perfect. The restaurant is a decent size, with an alcohol bar in the front entry way and a sushi bar on the opposite side. Small booths run up and down the length of the restaurant with the typical wood/glass dividers between the rows. They do have a sizable outdoor patio strewn with Christmas lights that would be perfect dining in late spring. The inside decor was apparently nondescript, since I can't remember a thing about it, other than the fact that the tables were marble.

I wasn't expecting very good things from here, mostly because it's Sacramento. While Sac has tons of restaurants, some of them actually very good, overall it just can't hold up the the cuisine the Bay Area offers. I had checked out the menu online beforehand and while I was relieved that they did indeed offer several different types of vegetarian sushi, none of it was particularly creative or unusual. The rest of the menu was rather extensive and full of unique rolls, so I was a little concerned for Jim.

My fears proved to be completely unfounded. We were pleasantly surprised to discover a really good sushi restaurant. It's no Ray's, mind you, but it was quite decent and I would not hesitate to come back. I wouldn't make a trip out there just for Nishiki's, but I would for Mochii Yogurt (more on that later). Our waitress was super nice and helpful with the menu, and S & J both recommended different rolls to Jim. They just moved back from Arkansas a few months ago, but before the move, they had frequented the place quite often and it is their favorite sushi restaurant. With J's previous job, he took clients out to eat a lot, so he would take them to Nishiki's and bring S home a couple of rolls. Good deal for both of them.

Anyway, I ended up ordering a Heidi roll and a Futo Maki roll. Jim got a 16th Street Roll and a Spider Roll. I couldn't even begin to tell you what S & J ordered. It was a good thing we had a large rectangular table because when all of the platters came out, there was just enough room for all of our dishes. S & J's came out on one large tray, mine on two little ones, and Jim's on one medium one. Add in the water glasses, my hot tea and kettle, Jim and J's iced tea glasses, and the edamame bowl and it was a full house.

But I'm jumping ahead of myself here. Let me back up the the appetizer part. I wanted to try their vegetarian potstickers, and Jim was more than happy to oblige. They were good, but unremarkable except for the green coloring of the wrapper. It didn't taste any different, though. The ponzu sauce it came with made the dish, though. Slightly sweet, it was really, really good! The edamame wasn't salted at all, so it wasn't all that good. Plus it was a little undercooked. My green tea was delicious, but Jim's iced was instant. It was quite a surprise for us that he was served instant iced tea in an Asian restaurant. Weird. Everyone but me also got miso soup. I thought Jim would like it, but he didn't particularly care for it.

Our appetizers came out pretty quickly, and our sushi was brought to the table quite a while thereafter, but it was all brought out at once, which was rather impressive. I don't think the delay was unreasonably long, but there was a noticeable pause there.

Hands down, the Futo Maki was the best I've ever eaten. The egg had a completely different texture and consistency than I'm used to getting in sushi. It was more scrambled and tender instead of chewy and thick. That alone made a huge difference in the roll, but they also put inari in there, which was also very yummy. Then there was avocado and the other usual veggies. The roll wasn't wrapped quite tightly enough, so it was on the messy side to eat, and there was nowhere enough ginger for me, but all in all, it was delicious.

My Heidi roll was a stereotypical SoCal veggie roll, except it was topped with an extremely tiny smattering of seaweed salad. I'm used to the rolls being drowned in the stuff at Ray's, so it was a bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong--I loved this roll. It just wasn't anywhere near the Ray's standard of excellence. And since I just had Ray's three days ago, it's hard to measure up.

I don't know what all Jim got, but it was completely different from what I usually see him get. He said it was good, but we didn't really discuss it. At least it was pretty!

The only disappointment with Nishiki's was the bill. It was absolutely outrageous! Not only did they charge for the edamame ($8 for two bowls!!), the rolls were absurdly overpriced. My two rolls were $19 by themselves. $19!! Ray's would have charged me $13. And seeing as they're closer to the City, it's ridiculous for a Sacramento restaurant to be charging those kinds of prices. Jim's order was also around $20. Once we added in $6 for the appetizer and another $2 for Jim's drink, we ended up putting in $60 for the two of us. While that's nowhere near breaking the bank for our dining out, considering the amount of food, it wasn't a great deal.

That being said, the company made the price tag worth it. I had such a good time eating with S & J. The conversation flowed naturally without any awkward pauses. For as different as our lives are and as little as we know each other, the evening turned out better than I could have hoped for. I would love to go out to eat with them again and I actually do hope that we can make it a somewhat regular thing. Two memorable things: we basically killed off an entire bottle of soy sauce between the four of us, which is craziness. The other was the lasagna story. For their fourth anniversary, they were still in Arkansas and had been recommended an "authentic" Italian restaurant. J ordered the lasagna and couldn't figure out why it took 45 minutes to come out. Well, it turns out that the owner was spotted at 2 am in the local Wal-Mart the night before stocking up on frozen Stouffer's. And they brought out S's wine in a airplane-type bottle and gave her a water glass to pour it in. Finally, the owner lived above the restaurant and grandma rocked away in her rocker all night right above their table. Straight out of Psycho. Hilarious. Of course, it did nothing change my mind about Tennessee and the rest of the southern states.

Afterwards, Jim and I went to a place we walked past on our way to Nishiki's called Mochii Yogurt. I did a double take when I saw the place because I love, love, LOVE mochi ice cream. I first had it when I was living in Hawaii at a place called Bubbie's, and ever since then, I've been hooked. I've never managed to find a place as good as Bubbie's, so I have to satiate myself with the occasional taste at a sushi restaurant. So when I saw the sign, I freaked out. We walked into the place a little after 9 pm. There were only a couple other people in there, so the guy working the register gave us his complete undivided attention. We got samples of the three yogurts they had: Zang (plain yogurt that gets its tangy flavor from added Vitamin C, peach, and strawberry). The Zang was pretty good, and I was shocked that it has a calorie count of 20 per ounce. That's just insane. Oh, and it's all non-fat and all-natural. I truly don't know how they get the flavor without a ton of sugar, but it was really tasty. And then we tried the peach and strawberry flavors and it was game over. They were absolutely delicious. I was sold. And then we sampled the mochi, which actually is just the mochi itself. It doesn't have ice cream in it. The mochi is used as a topping on the yogurt instead. We each tried a piece of the pomegranate and after we popped the samples into our mouths, we just looked at each other in astonishment. It was kind of like a gummy bear consistency, except less softer and less chewy. But the flavor was so good! It wasn't too sweet; it was perfect. We ended up sharing an 8 oz. (their version of Cold Stone's Love It) with pomegranate and peach mochii and fresh strawberries (the only slight disappointment--not as fresh or sweet as I had expected).





The yogurt was really good and comparable in price to Cold Stone. We paid $4.67 for the bowl, which isn't a bargain, but it's not a bad deal. And the taste was so good. Plus, with only 160 (well, probably add another 80 for the toppings) calories for the whole thing, it was basically guilt-free indulging.



Afterwards, the fullness factor really kicked in after we got back to the car. I couldn't believe how full the stuff made me. Not sick full. Just satiated full. Stuffed, really.

Double chocolate

So this morning I got to go to the shooting range with L, L's M, and a couple of others. I only had time to shoot one round, but it was so much fun that it was worth the drive. There's something to be said about shooting things--for some crazy reason, there is such satisfaction from seeing those bright orange disks explode. And plus, I didn't do half bad this time. I probably hit 35-40% (out of a round of 25), which, compared to my last attempt's average of maybe 10% in November (at a stretch--I think I hit between 1 and 5 per round for three rounds), is pretty good. I was happy with it. I am very tempted to save up for a shotgun one of these days. Whereas last time, I kind of just pulled the trigger randomly, today I could actually line up the gun and aim. I forgot how friggin' heavy the guns are, though. Yeah, I'm a wimp.

Hey, if I get good enough, maybe I can shoot a bird! Then Jim can get it, take off the feathers and head, and I'll cook it. :-) I have such the vegetarian mentality, don't I? I actually don't know if I could handle seeing all the blood. And once I read a story about how the boy duck flew down and lay next to the dead girl duck and waited for the hunter to kill him, too. That would break my heart. You'd almost have to kill him to put him out of his misery. Okay, maybe I couldn't shoot a duck. Besides, Jim doesn't like them anyway. A chicken or a turkey on the other hand . . .

We have dinner plans with Jim's cousin and her hubby tomorrow night. It's their fifth anniversary the day after, so I wanted to bake them something. I genuinely love baking, and it's certainly cheaper and more fun than buying a gift. And I feel somewhat obligated to do so, since we're seeing them the day before their anniversary. Not that it's an onerous obligation by any means. It's just the right thing to do.

I was racking my brain, trying to figure out something to bake for them. I actually couldn't come up with anything until I was on my way home--I decided to go with a recipe I haven't made since my best friend M was in town, brownies a la the Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate baking bar wrapper recipe. I've used this recipe at least a half a dozen times over the years because it's foolproof, quick, and nets a moist, tender, and not-too-rich brownie. I used a double boiler this time instead of melting it in the mot like I always have in the past. Other than that, it was business as usual. Oh, and I used Nestle Toll House chocolate chips instead of Ghiradelli (thanks to Costco, I have a huge bag of 'em). I use this scat brownie pan I bought on sale from Safeway of all places, and for whatever reason, that may be the best baking pan I own. I've abused the crap out of it and yet it continues to bake evenly and be non-stick. Amazing.



The brownies are so easy that while the melted butter/chocolate combo was cooling, I had time to start a recipe I haven't made before, Nigella's mint chocolate cookies. Contrary to their name, they're barely mint. The only mint in there is actually 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract used in the icing. But that is actually quite a potent flavoring--I've never baked with peppermint before and I was surprised at its strength. A little definitely goes a long way.

I feel like chicken tonight!

I fed Jim chicken yet again tonight. I know. But it's been different every time, so I'm hoping that it's kind of like tofu, in that you can eat it every day so long as you cook and season it differently. Jim had chicken in soup last week and roasted with a tangerine-maple glaze on Monday, two very different things. And today he got Shake n' Bake, which he loves. Plus he had a break from chicken yesterday (he got pizza for dinner and leftover minestrone soup for lunch). Shake n' Bake is one of those convenience food things that I don't like making. I bought a bunch before I realized this and now I'm stuck with it. And it's not as though Jim doesn't love Shake n' Bake, and I got extra bonus points for it being the "extra crispy" variety. Some Rice-a-roni thrown on the stovetop and asparagus, and dinner was done! It was literally less than 15 minutes of actual work, including disinfecting the countertop.

Shake n' Bake is one of those ridiculous convenience food inventions, in my opinion. They give you seasoned crumbs and a bag and sell their 50 cent product you for like $4. I got Jim's on sale for a dollar, which is the only reason I condescended to buy it in the first place (incidentally, it hasn't gone on sale for that cheap since then, so Jim may very well be out of luck). Anyway, I dumped the crumbs in the bag and the chicken breasts dove in with the assistance of tongs. I shook the bag and then placed them on a foil-lined sheet plan. They baked at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

I varied the asaparagus slightly by roasting it with EVOO, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese instead of the usual steaming treatment--a Barefoot Contessa recipe. For the record, I absolutely love roasting vegetables. The process just intensifies the flavor so much and the veggies are amazing that way. Jim's never had much in the way of vegetables other than canned, the crap boiled out of them, in green been casserole, or a combination of some or all of the above. I have introduced him to sauteed, steamed, roasted, grilled, and baked into various gratins. Plus he doesn't get to eat anything out of a can (unless it's corn baked in a casserole). Sorry, when you date an Asian, that's just the way it is. Canned vegetables are the most disgusting things I've ever eaten in my life (with the exception of accidental carcass injestion). Sometimes he thinks it's weird, but he mostly likes them.

Anyway, I had to leave Jim's house pretty quickly, so he had to finish the meal up on his own with the assistance of the detailed instructions I wrote down. Apparently the rice burned, but other than that, it was a success.

Bonding time

Pizza Pirate is having a special February deal again. Last year it was their 35th anniversary, so they sold one topping 14" pizzas at the original 1972 price. This year they're doing a similar but not as good special--12" cheese or pepperoni pizza at the original 1972 price. Jim was all set for Taco Tuesday, but I reminded him of the Pizza Pirate deal, so he (grudgingly) agreed to do Pizza Pirate instead.

Since I had dinner plans with my dad, I went ahead and phoned in a takeout order for a cheese pizza and plan to pick it up straight from work. I was quite surprised when the guy said my 4:30 order would be ready at 6 o'clock! Undaunted, I headed home and picked Jim up so we could go there together. It was much better that way anyway.

It was a madhouse even in the parking lot. There were teenagers milling all over the place, older WASP couples grabbing takeout after work, and families congregating around the area. This year they were far more organized, having designated two lines outside of the restaurant, one for those who hadn't ordered and another for people who had already phoned in their orders. I was distracted by a booth full of free goodies. I got on the e-mail list, entered a drawing for 36 pizzas, and grabbed all of the things off the table: a t-shirt, pen, magnet, and plastic pizza cutter. See, Asian + free things = game on. Thankfully, my much more practical man was patiently waiting in line by the time I got done. I switched places with him so he could go get a t-shirt. I got mine for Sister J, since I don't wear t-shirts and she loves them. Unfortunately for Jim, they were out of XL t-shirts, so he was stuck with a large. I told him if it didn't fit, he could send his to TB so he and Sister J could match. Of course, he probably fits into a medium.

Anyway, we picked up our order and headed back to Jim's house. I couldn't wait to get home, so I strongly hinted to Jim about starting in immediately on the pizza. He was happy to oblige, and the first slice was halfway gone by the time we got out of the parking lot. I haven't had full-on cheese pizza in a while. Soo good.

My dad and I went to Ray's for dinner. Yes, I was the one who picked the restaurant. And I also picked what we ate. I was a little nervous about his reaction, since everything was my choice. I absolutely love Ray's, but then again, I absolutely love sushi. I could eat sushi every week. If my metabolism could handle it, I would primarily live off of pizza, pasta, sushi, and Mexican food, with regular trips to In-N-Out and weekly servings of creme brulee.

Ray's makes some of the best vegetarian sushi I've ever had, both in quality and variety. I ordered us 2 eggplant rolls, 2 Florida rolls, a Futo Maki, and a shiitake roll. The Florida roll is an asparagus roll topped with seaweed salad. The eggplant roll is also an asparagus roll topped with eggplant and a Ponzu-style sauce. The Futo Maki is different than the typical one in that it has cooked spinach among the usual veggies. And my dad loved it all!

We actually couldn't finish all of the food, so most of the Futo Maki and one piece of the shiitake roll got brought home. I was quite stuffed, and I actually ate slightly more than my dad. My dad said it was the first time he's ever really enjoyed sushi, so I was very, very happy. Besides having great food, it was great that he had a good dining experience, too.

Overall, I was pretty disappointed with the service. They just took way too long to bring out the food. That is my only complaint about the evening, because all in all it was nice to go out to dinner with my dad--we haven't done that in ages.

Bobby is too fancy for plain old orange chicken

I saw Bobby Flay grilling tangerine and maple glazed chicken and I had to try it. It just sounded good. I'm not obsessed with Bobby Flay by any means, but ever since trying his food at Mesa Grill in Vegas, I am definitely a fan. The hardest thing about his cooking is that he uses so many different spices that get used for one or two recipes and then just sit. If I were to invest heavily in all of his spices, I would have to cook his recipes almost exclusively just to justify the cost. But this recipe happened to not require a whole lot of unusual ingredients, with the exception of tangerine juice. It was on sale at Safeway, so I was in business. And I can always buy it at Trader Joe's, too.

Due to Jim still sleeping and me not knowing how to operate a barbecue, the recipe had to be modified. Instead, I drizzled chicken thighs and a breast with EVOO, salt, and pepper and roasted them at 350 for 45 minutes or so. While they were roasting, I sauteed red onion in EVOO and then added tangerine juice and fresh thyme, simmering the mixture until it reduced to a thick, syrupy consistency. I strained the glaze and then whisked in soy sauce, maple syrup, and pepper. I wasn't sure how red onion and tangerine juice would taste together, but it was a sweet, rich sauce. I liked it. All I had to do was baste the chicken with the sauce in the last few minutes of cooking and then top the chickies with some sliced scallions for garnish.





Some steamed asparagus and Jim's garlic bread and dinner was done. Minimal effort. It took some time, but most of it didn't involve me doing anything. I took the time to clean up the kitchen a bit. I'm afraid it suffered somewhat last week. I also started cleaning out the fridge, which it desperately needed. It doesn't look half bad now.



Jim doesn't actually eat the skin of the chicken, so I don't think he really got a whole lot of the glaze, but he said he could taste the "orange" flavor. I corrected him stating that it was tangerine and he sarcastically replied that of course it was tangerine, since Bobby Flay was too good for just plain old orange juice--it had to be fancy tangerine juice.

I think I'll try the recipe again with grilled chicken before deciding one way or another. I certainly liked it for its ease. But Jim's the one who has to eat it, so we'll see.

Pasta overload

My poor Dad had to endure yet another pasta dinner tonight. What I didn't know was that he was served the remaining leftovers from the previous Sunday's roasted veggie and smoked mozzarella penne for dinner last night. And then my mom decided to give him frozen manicotti for lunch today. And here I come making another pasta dish. Sorry Dad.

Carb avalanche aside, the dish turned out really well. I wasn't quite sure about it, since some of the reviews of Giada's Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree complained about a lack of flavor. Apparently what they meant was a lack of fat, because there was plenty of flavor with this dish even without tons of cheese, butter, or cream. Plus it was insanely easy to make.

All I did was roast a pint of grape tomatoes and 1-inch cubes of eggplant at 400 for 35 minutes. The veggies were tossed with EVOO, salt, pepper, and garlic. After they came out of the oven, they went into a food processor with mint. Giada called for more EVOO, but I omitted it by mistake and in retrospect, I don't think the recipe needed anymore oil. Then I tossed together the puree with pine nuts, 1/4 cup of parmesan (half of what the recipe said), and one pound of rigatoni. Voila! A simple, hearty dinner low in fat and full of fresh, subtle flavor. Was it full of complex, in-your-face flavor? No, but that was perfectly fine with me. The pine nuts added a richness, while the mint supplied freshness. Rigatoni was the perfect pasta shape to use--nice and hearty, and the ridges gripped the sauce.

Other than omitting some of the fat, the only other change I made was to toss in some red onion with the other roasted veggies. And that's how it's done! Thanks again, Giada. :-)

Date night

We had these plans to go to San Francisco for the Chinese New Year parade, but the weather was so horrible that we decided to stay in town. Jim is still not 100% yet and the idea of watching the parade in all of the rain and wind was less than appealing. While I was disappointed about missing the parade, it just wasn't happening.

Instead, we headed out to Pizza Pirate, one of our favorite pizza places. We haven't been there in months, and courtesy of an Entertainment Book coupon, dinner was the cheapest we've had in ages. I was surprised to see that they had remodeled the place slightly with the decor. It used to be very pirate-themed, and while that hasn't changed, it looks a little more updated now. We always order the same type of pizza. It's kind of like Round Table in that they have theme-based names for all of their pizzas. Basically half of our 16" is vegetarian combination with light cheese and half regular combination. Even though it was 4:30 in the afternoon when we arrived, the place was full of people. In fact, we were each given a slice of what I presume to be Costco birthday cake.



What I like about Pizza Pirate is that they're super generous with the toppings. The crust is very doughy and chewy, which isn't my favorite type, but I do like the fact that it doesn't rip up the roof of my mouth. It's overall just really good pizza, although it's hard to describe exactly why. We always have a few slices leftover for Jim to take to work, which is nice.



After Pizza Pirate, we headed to the movie theater to watch 27 Dresses. It's been out for a while, but we haven't really had much time to go to the movies. Plus I think they're absolutely overpriced. Anyway, this was (obviously) my choice, and I was so happy to discover that it was actually a really good movie. I'm sure Jim would disagree with me on it being really good, but he didn't absolutely hate it. I didn't think Katherine Heigl deserved an Emmy for her work on Grey's (Sandra Oh and whoever plays Bailey were way more deserving), but she is a very good actress. She just didn't rise to the same level as the other two ladies, although I do think she's perfectly capable of doing so.

Anyway, after the movie, it was still early enough that we went to get some ice cream at Cold Stone. We decided to go original and get a Love It size of Cookie Mintster. It was mint ice cream with Oreos and fudge. I love their mint ice cream, and who doesn't like an Oreo cookie every once in a while. Soo decadent and so good.





Even after ice cream, I wasn't ready for our date night to end. So we ended up at Starbucks. Ironically enough, we have never been to Starbucks together. I know! After knowing each other for over a decade, we have never gone to Starbucks. I am not a big coffee fan. Okay, I'm not a coffee fan period. I don't like the taste, and I try my best to avoid caffeine. But their frou-frou drinks aren't half bad. I just can't justify the calorie contents with what you get. I would consider trying their skinny lattes, which they've been promoting lately, but even 90 calories for a drink is kind of a lot. It's practically a can of soda, and I don't drink anything but diet. Anyway, we shared a Paradise Iced tea, which has no calories at all if you get it unsweetened, which we did. It was very good and plenty sweet. We talked, people watched, and had a fabulous evening.

When we got back to Jim's, he put a log in the fireplace and we watched Hairspray. Surprisingly, neither one of us hated it. I wouldn't see it again, but at least I can say I've watched it now. It was a nice change of pace to have a quiet day. It's all about balance.

From Fast Food to Four Star

Oh In-N-Out, how I love thee! There is just something addicting about their food. Jim surprised me by coming up to take me out to lunch today. I wasn't planning on eating lunch at all on account of the anticipated pigout tonight. But now that Jim is getting better, his appetite has returned, and the boy was hungry. So we went to In-N-Out for our fix. Upon my insistence, we ate light by omitting my fries and the neapolitan shake. It was extra nice to get back to the normal, perfect In-N-Out I know and love, unlike my last experience with the grilled cheese debacle. I was, however, dismayed that it started raining on our way out of the place.



Despite the imperfect weather, we braved the rain to go to San Francisco for the evening. A few weeks ago I decided that we needed to go to the symphony, something I've wanted to attend with Jim for years. It's definitely not for him, but classical music is something I've grown up with and love. And there truly is no other experience quite like attending a symphony. I think it's very special and something everyone should do at least once. Someone must have agreed with me, since it didn't rain the entire time we were in the city, on our way there, during the concert, or on the way home.

Anyway, it was a Mozart program, which Jim had requested. I was quite happy with the concert choice for two reasons: 1) there was a piano concerto and 2) Blomstedt was the conductor. Having played the piano for as long as I can remember, I am particularly drawn to concerts which feature pianists. I am a big fan of Mozart piano concertos as well. I have had the pleasure of seeing Blomstedt conduct before and was happy to have another opportunity to observe again.

We walked from the parking garage to Maharani, hailed as one of the most romantic restaurants in the city. Given Jim's somewhat decreased appetite, Indian food was a reasonably good choice. Plus it was another 1000 points on Open Table. I originally wanted to go to Jardiniere, but there was nothing available until late. Although I still made reservations for Jardiniere for after the concert, there was no way we could last until 10:30 without eating anything.

Thanks to Yahoo, I knew it was a .8 mile walk, which, although by no means too far, was not as easy in heels. I wear my Naturalizer boots just about everywhere, and they are uber-comfortable; however, there is a limit to how comfortable it is to walk in heels period. Thanks to my super slow pace (which Jim was hating), we were a little late to make our reservation. It didn't matter anyway, since we were the only ones in the restaurant.

From a distance, the outside was nothing special to look at. In fact, with the graffiti, I would venture to say it was closer to an eyesore.



Once we got to the door, things looked a little better from my perspective. I really liked the outside decor of the restaurant itself.



Jim and I were immediately seated at the table closest to the window and handed paper menus that were slightly bent with use. The contents weren't exactly what was posted on their online menu, but it was close enough. One thing I saw on their online menu (Mushroom Matar) that I really wanted to try wasn't listed on the restaurant menu, which was a bit of a disappointment. But there were plenty of other options to choose from, so it was all good in the end.

We started off with a vegetable combo appetizer, which included four different ones. As we were the first ones in there, I had to cut them a little slack for the time it took to get the food out on the table. Someone kept on top of our water glasses at all times, so it wasn't as though we were ignored. It just took a while for the food to come out. Speaking of the water, it was flavored with fresh mint leaves, which was a refreshing and unique change from the norm.



Once our appetizer came out, I was so ready to dig in. My hunger hit me all at once, and I couldn't wait to try the food. Our waitress explained the three different sauces it came with, as well as the food itself, but I was so eager to start that I kind of tuned her out. I was so excited because it looked absolutely gorgeous!



Each of us started on our respective right hand sides and worked our way to the left. So I started with something that was round and topped with yogurt. I haven't the slightest idea what it was, but it was really good. Very light and crispy, even though it was a cold app. Then came the tortilla-looking thing made out of lentils that was also very good. I used a lot of sauce on my piece of it and found that I liked the red stuff and the salsa-like topping but not the green one so much. The salsa definitely had an Indian-spice flavor to it which I absolutely loved. I think I hogged most of it. Jim and I both agreed that the red sauce was really good and the green one just okay. Anyway, the samosa was the spicy appetizer. It had a gradual kick to it that really heated up after the fact. The outer crust was very light and flaky, belying the deep-friedness of it all. The last thing I had was a deep fried round thing that I drizzled with the red sauce. Again, super yummy, and again, no idea what I ate. But I loved it.

Jim ordered the chicken tikka masala based on the waitress's recommendation. He was really hoping she'd be more helpful (a la Vik's in Berkeley), and in my opinion, she was reasonably helpful with a little bit of prompting. She just didn't go way out of her way and act all enthusiastic like Vik's guy. He also ordered some Indian Chai Tea, which was a surprise to me, since it was hot tea. It was smaller than I thought it would be, but looked absolutely gorgeous in its creamy red sauce.



I got the Bangan Bartha, which was fire roasted eggplant with peas and tomatoes. I really liked the chunks of tomatoes in it. Overall, it lightened up the dish and added freshness and sweetness. I thought it was the perfect counterpoint to the heavy spices. It didn't seem overly oily, which was nice. Jim also liked my eggplant. We had it in Santa Monica, and he also liked it then, so I think it's safe to say that he's a fan of the dish period. They were definitely not the exact same taste, but they were technically the same dish.



We also got naan and rice pilaf to share. The rice was very good, moist and flavorful without being heavy or anything but an accompaniment to the main dish. I actually found myself putting more and more of it on my plate. The naan was some of the best I've had--light and crisp without being drenched in ghee.



It really was a wonderful dining experience. Not only did we get 1000 Open Table points, but we also had the opportunity to eat a style of food we don't indulge in very often. As much as I do like Indian food, the amount of oil they use causes me to limit the frequency of which I consume it. Today's meal, while admittedly oily, wasn't nearly as bad as I've had before. Plus the restaurant itself was very cute. They have a sub-section called the "Fantasy Room" which we didn't dine in, but we both want to come back and try sometime after seeing it. Kinky-esque innuendos aside, it's actually just a very beautiful, private area where you sit on the floor with lots of pillows and have a special prie fixe meal.

The restaurant did seem awfully big on romance, love, and the like. The bathroom had love quotes all over the place, the wall paper had hearts, and the menu pointed out "aphrodisiacs" as often as possible. It could have come off as completely tacky, but I thought it actually worked. The overall effect was pretty romantic. I can only imagine the upped romance factor when dining in the fantasy room.



I allotted plenty of time for dinner, so we were in no hurry to get back to the symphony hall. In fact, we were so early that we made the pre-concert lecture at 7 pm. I was so excited for Jim to see the place, and we were able to walk around for a good amount of time before heading to our seats on the left hand terrance. We were Row A, seats 27 and 29. I haven't sat in that section before, but I thought Jim might enjoy it. It's on the side of the orchestra and provides a fabulous view overlooking the hall and the instrumentalists. We got a bit of an idea as to how the performers feel looking out over the audience. Jealous much.

As I said before, it was a complete Mozart concert. What I didn't say was how fabulous it was. It's been a good two years since I've been to one, and I realized how much I miss attending. I'm not one of those die-hard, have to go every month type of people, but for the right program and the right performers? It's a welcome treat. I hadn't heard of the pianist performing the Mozart Concerto, but I thought he did a fabulous job. His touch was absolutely perfect. The only disadvantage to our seats was that we don't get the full sound effect, which is, in and of itself, an experience not to be missed. However, visually, it's one of the best seats in the house, with a perfect view of Jonathan Bliss's hands. I also enjoyed seeing Blomstedt's face the entire time. He is about as different of a conductor than MTT that you can get but no less amazing. Now I can really appreciate the genius the symphony had in picking these two outstanding musicians back to back (Blomstedt was the previous conductor of the symphony). I loved seeing him get into the music and smile and just have such a good time conducting.

The program started with Mozart's Divertimento in D Major, followed by Piano Concert No. 22 before the intermission. The finale was the Prague Symphony, the third movement of which was my favorite. Of course, my favorite overall was the piano concerto. Biss did such a good job--I even bought his CD during intermission and got it autographed.

It just so happened that the ballet let out at the same time as the symphony and the streets were absolutely packed. It turned out to be a good thing that we had 10:30 reservations for Jardiniere. I can't begin to explain how incredibly excited I was to eat there. The main reason is that I have wanted to go there since I started attending the symphony. I now know that it opened in 1997, which means that when I first saw the place (I believe I was a senior in high school), it was brand new. In my mind, it was always something I was going to do when I was "grown up." Jardiniere looked so beautiful and fancy and to me, what being an adult was all about. Over the years, I've walked by the place dozens of times, and I finally got to go inside.

We obviously weren't the only ones who had the same idea, as there were already several couples ahead of us. Despite the wait to check in, we were immediately taken upstairs and seated at a beautiful table for two. The inside of the restaurant is designed in a circle, with the upstairs tables set in two concentric circles. We were in the outer, bigger circle on the right hand side of the restaurant. The inner circle overlooked the massive downstairs bar.





After we sat down, it took a little while for our menus to come, but after that small lapse, service was absolutely impeccable. Our waiter was knowledgeable about the menu and didn't hesitate to offer suggestions without being pushy. My water glass was never empty, and our plates were cleared quickly.



The menu at Jardiniere changes on a daily basis, although it's not completely revamped every night. Jardiniere prides itself on using fresh, local ingredients, which is why the menu needs to change regularly, depending on what's in season and stock. I had called ahead and was pleased to learn that there is always a vegetarian entree on the menu and that the soups were all vegetable-based. I wasn't sure what exactly my risotto consisted of, but I went for it. Jim and I split the creamed parsnip soup with apple, which was topped with garlic croutons. For his entree, he selected the Hoffman Ranch Chicken, which came with a crispy farm egg, Hedgehog mushrooms, smoked bacon, and truffle jus.



After we ordered, individual servings of bread were brought out and placed on our plates (which I loved, since they were emblazoned with a calligraphy-style "j" in silver on them). Warm and flaky on the outside, chewy and tender on the inside--absolutely perfect. It wasn't sourdough bread, but it still had a very nice flavor to it. If I was hungrier, I would have wanted more than one roll.



Our soup came out very quickly. They came out in huge bowls, and I was nervous about finishing my portion, but it turned out that the bowls were very shallow. I loved how each portion came with fresh apple slices, garlic croutons, and I believe dill on top. And there was cream drizzled over the soup, giving it slight but beautiful contrast. It was absolutely delicious. For the record, I am not a huge fan of sweet and savory dishes, but the apple slices were delicious with the soup. It didn't hurt that the green apple slices themselves were crisp, juicy, and sweet. I could have just eaten plain slices of the apple and been perfectly happy. The croutons were absolutely amazing. My best guess is that they were drizzled with olive oil and then grilled off. They were crisp, flaky, and with just the right amount of garlic flavoring. Unfortunately, I couldn't savor them like I wanted to, since they started getting soggy pretty quickly. The texture was so perfect right after they brought the soup out. The crouton was crunchy and then immediately melted in my mouth. The soup itself was also very good, but for me, it was all about the croutons, with the apple slices a close second.



The timing between the courses was spot on in my opinion. We weren't rushed, but neither were we sitting around waiting and twiddling our thumbs for the main dish. Jim also tried a cocktail, some sort of vodka limeade. It was quite tasty, although on the strong side. I loved the lime garnish. I know, I'm a total sucker for pretty things.



Between the courses, our waiter reset the table with the silverware needed for our main courses. For me, there was a spoon for my risotto and for Jim, he got a meat knife and some sort of flat spoon. I've never seen one before, and neither one of us knew exactly how he was supposed to use it. It really was one of the odder pieces of silverware I've seen.



I have to admit, my risotto took me by surprise when I first saw it. First of all, it was almost soup-like in texture, with a lot of liquid. Second, the risotto was, of all possible colors, green. I'm not sure what tinted it that color, but it was awfully good. The top was foamy like sea bream. I was a little nervous to take a bite, but after that first taste, it was game over. It was so freaking amazing. There was raddichio, olives, and roasted onions, parmesan cheese, and balsamic vinegar. The menu said there were nettles in there. I've never had nettles before and have only heard of them as per a fairy tale (some sort of dress made out of nettles), but apparently I like the taste. The dish itself was unlike anything I expected, but it was absolutely delicious nevertheless. I could have done with a slightly creamier texture for the rice itself--it seemed a tad bit chewy, but the flavors themselves were outstanding. While I preferred the bites without the olives, I actually didn't mind them in this dish. However they cooked them, the olives were extremely mild and melted in my mouth. The best part was definitely the roasted onion--they were probably pearl onion-sized, although I'm pretty sure they weren't pearl onions. They were so tender and juicy and sweet. Yum.



Jim's chicken was beautifully plated. I think it was a thigh. The crispy egg was so pretty, and it was a surprise that despite the deep frying, the egg yolk ran when Jim cut into it. I wonder how they did that. Anyway, it was a rather small portion for Jim, but given all the eating we had already done, I think it was okay.



When they brought out the dessert menu, I was already feeling a little full. But I couldn't turn it down. Had we both still been hungry, I would have wanted the dessert platter, which came with espresso creme brulee among several other mini-items. There was a trio of tropical ices that I wouldn't have minded trying, but what called to me the most was the dulce de leche flan. I'm not a huge flan fan, but it came with churros, and I love dulce de leche anything. Jim ended up picking the chocolate hazelnut marjolaine, and I'm really glad he did. Not only was it beautifully plated, it was decadently delicious. It was a tiny slice of "pie" with some sort of non-chocolate crust. The filling was chocolate mousse, and there was a layer of chocolate on top with ground hazelnuts and espresso beans. There was a thin slice of chocolate and garnishes of espresso oil and Nutella on the side. I think I discovered a new love in hazelnuts. I mean, I knew I liked them, but for whatever reason, tonight they were soo good with the chocolate. Maybe even better than walnuts, which is saying a lot for me.



Thanks to Jim's company discount, our bill was almost reasonable. It saved us $26! I am so excited to come back to this place. I really, really enjoyed the experience. The food was delicious, the service outstanding, and the ambience incredible. It was all I fantasized about and then some.

M'm M'm (Better than Campbell's) Good

So today I met my former paralegal A for lunch. It was so nice to see her again and catch up. What struck me halfway through lunch was that I never really got to know her as a person, and for the first time, we were talking like equals. I liked it. I know she only worked for the firm for 8 months or so and that it takes time to get to know somebody, but it was nevertheless a surprise to discover that I genuinely like her. I originally agreed to go to lunch because it was the right thing to do. I have my own opinions on her skills as a paralegal, but when it comes down to it, she did a lot of work for me, and I appreciate all of her help. At the end, I found myself agreeing and even looking forward to our next get-together.

We went to Marie Callender's at her request. She is apparently a big fan of the place. I'm not. Ironically, we both ended up ordering the same thing, a petite salad with greens, Gorgonzola, candied walnuts, and cranberries. The only difference was that I requested the balsamic vinaigrette on the side. It was absolutely delicious. Then again, how do you honestly mess up a salad? Luckily for me, I think they did do so. There was no way the cheese on there was Gorgonzola, because a) there was no blue color to it, and b) I liked it. I think it was feta instead, which was a happy mistake, since I'm not the biggest blue cheese fan. Either that or it was the least ripe blue cheese I've ever seen. The candied walnuts were absolutely perfect--toasted but not overly sweet. The dried cranberries added a nice tang and the dressing was surprisingly good for a chain restaurant.

A thought the salad was huge and actually took a to-go box with leftovers, but the reality was that it came out on a bread plate. I went back to the office and ate a sandwich. A salad does not a lunch make.

Our computer server crashed this afternoon, so I left early. It worked out well, since Jim is still sick, so I was able to go to the grocery store and pick up some items: chicken and celery for chicken noodle soup, cough drops, and OJ. I got garlic, red bell pepper, and asparagus too, but that's only because the latter two were on sale and the first was needed.

I brushed one bone-in with skin chicken breast with EVOO and liberally salted and peppered the thing before roasting it at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. I covered the baking pan with aluminum foil, but because I did it incorrectly, it ended up being a total waste--the grease slipped between the two sheets and I had to wash the whole thing out anyway. Oh well.

Oh yeah, I forgot to start out by saying that I made Ina's chicken noodle soup recipe, which was super super easy and other than the time it took to roast the chickie, very fast. All I did after chickie cooked was to heat up some boxed chicken broth (yeah, Ina makes her own, but no way am I going to ever do that), simmered carrot, celery, and egg noodles in them until cooked, and then added the chicken, which I diced after removing the skin and bones, and parsley. Oh, and black pepper. That was it! I baked off a bit of garlic bread, and Jim was good to go.

I have no idea if it was better than Campbell's, but it looked just like the picture in the cookbook, and at least it was homemade. That counts, right? At least there was less salt in it! And I used organic, free-range broth.

Soup's on

Jim called me this afternoon, sick as a dog. He had already called in sick to work, something that he has never done. While he has called into work before, he's never done it so early. Jim is the type of guy to be seriously sick before missing work. And because of that, he typically waits until the last possible second just to make sure that he really is too sick. I was absolutely shocked.

I called him a couple of times to check in over the rest of the day and on the way home, I asked him if he wanted some soup. I specifically stated that I didn't have any chicken to make chicken noodle soup and that it was pretty much the only thing I couldn't make for him. Two seconds later he's requesting chicken noodle soup. Finally he settled on minestrone, something I was relatively confident I could accommodate him with. I don't keep a whole lot of canned soup on hand, and I definitely prefer to make things from scratch, so part of me was glad that he didn't ask for Campbell's. Plus he would have been limited to Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Chicken, and Tomato. Those are the only soups that I keep on hand because they can be used as bases for simple and quick casserole dishes.

Anyway, I was a little worried at first because the Giada book (Everyday Pasta) I thought I needed wasn't at Jim's house. But a quick flip through Giada's Family DInners produced a recipe for Winter Minestrone Soup. And amazingly enough, I had just about every ingredient on hand. Considering the rather lengthy list, I consider the dish meant to be.

It started out with a sofrito, but since I didn't have any celery (the one missing thing), I just threw in some extra carrots. Fresh spinach and diced potato went in next, followed by a can of diced tomatoes and fresh rosemary sprigs. The spinach was a substitute for swiss chard, but when I originally read the recipe, I had always planned on swapping spinach for chard, so it was perfect that I happened to have a bag of fresh spinach that needed to be used up. I pureed some cannellini beans with beef broth in the food processor and added it to the pot to simmer it with the rest of the beef stock and a paremsan rind until the potatoes finished cooking. Finally I added the rest of the whole beans and some fresh Italian parsley. Some black pepper finished the soup off. The rosemary sprigs and rind came out and Jim got a hot fresh bowl of soup in less than an hour.



I left him to go eat dinner with M & R. In honor of Jim, we went to Rubio's. I stayed simple with a salad and iced tea, while M & R got burritos and a fish taco apiece. It was a fun dinner, full of laughter and good times. Tonight the main topic of conversation was that of weddings. Watching M squirm was entertaining as always. Matt thought my salad was gross, and truth be told, there wasn't a whole lot to it. But salad is salad, and it's a decently healthy snack.



Tomorrow I'll have to go get some chicken so I can make Jim's chicken noodle soup. Barefoot Contessa has a recipe for it that seems very simple.

I still can't get over how I had all the ingredients on hand for Jim's soup. It's unusual for me to have fresh spinach on hand. Plus there was beef stock that I used last week for Jim's filet mignon, I had exactly two cloves of garlic left, a parmesan rind in the freezer, carrots and potatoes needing to be eaten up, and rosemary that was still good. Although I actually did have pancetta on hand, I omitted it since I didn't think Jim needed the meat. But to have all of the ingredients (minus celery) on hand without planning it? Amazing. Jim said it was good. I didn't try it on account of the beef stock, but it looked yummy. The puree really thickened up the soup once it cooled down. Very pleasant surprise. Jim had a second serving after I got done eating with M & R and had some garlic bread with it.

Time machine

I went out to lunch with an old friend today, C. We haven't seen each other in over a year, and even that time was accidental, since she happened to be working at Cost Plus when Jim and I meandered into the store. There was a time, probably 7-8 years ago (!), that we hung out constantly. It's crazy though, since I don't think she's changed a bit. Well, that's not entirely true. What I mean is that her personality is still the same. Of course we've both grown up and matured quite a bit over time, but the way she talks, her mannerisms, etc. is dead-on as how I remember her.

She's now living in Texas, and she had a craving for Johnny Carino's, so that's where we ended up for lunch. It was a last second thing really. I ordered the same thing I got the last time I was there--the vegetable primavera stuff. Just as last time, it was good if not particularly spectacular or memorable. C got the cheese tortelloni with alfredo sauce and topped with a ton of extra parmesan. That brought me back to our Olive Garden trips, when she would only order fetuccine alfredo with lots of extra cheese. She was, and still is, a total "cheese hound" (as she puts it). We worked our way through two loaves of bread while catching up.

I heard stories about people I haven't thought about in years. There were definitely some surprises that we both shared with the other and lots of laughter. Unfortunately since I had to get back to work, we didn't get to visit as long as I would have liked.

It's always so nice to catch up with an old friend.

Rebel, rebel

I actually had a very productive day off. I woke up around 8-ish because my piano student T was coming for a lesson. It ended up being a two hour lesson. He's got a lot of music to get through before the PUC festival in April. Based on how far we got today, I think he'll be fine. I wasn't so sure before, but I'm reasonably optimistic now.

During his lesson, I roasted up some veggies: red bell pepper, cremini mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash, and red onion. I made Giada's penne with roasted vegetables for the second time (but first time for my dad). It's the same dish I made for our last potluck with the M & R household. I think my dad will like it since we have pretty similar palettes. The second time making a recipe is always interesting for me. Because I kind of remember it, sometimes I'll get careless and rush and then the end result is different than the original attempt due to forgetting an ingredient or not measuring. I don't think that happened today, but I did remember how to do it and was that much more efficient in assembling it.

While walking Midget, Jim called because he finally woke up. He really is pretty under the weather, which is so unusual that it's hard for me to comprehend. We ended up doing stuff completely out of the ordinary, but not due to his igginess. For whatever reason, I was in the mood for being different, so I planned the day that way. We started out by going to Bo's Barbecue Restaurant in Lafayette, a place ranked as one of the 2007 Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area by the SF Chronicle. As the name of the place suggests, it wasn't exactly vegetarian-friendly, but because I had eaten breakfast, I was okay with it.

Lafayette has one main road, Mt. Diablo, and basically everything is on or off of it, Bo's included, so getting there was a snap. Due to it being a holiday, we parked right on the street with no time limit.



We walked across the veranda to get to the main entrance. What struck me first was how busy it was. There was a steady stream of people in and out of the place the entire time we were there. The second thing I noticed was the simplicity of the menu. There were a very limited number of items and they came with all of the sides, so you literally just ordered your meat and you were done. About the only thing you had a choice in besides the meat was your drink. They had several refrigerators full of bottled beers and various fountain drinks, also in glass bottles. I found it very charming and old fashioned.

Anyway, at Bo's, you just go up to the counter and order your food. They bring your food out to you (a la Carl's Jr) and you're all good to go. Jim ordered the brisket, which came with potato salad, green salad, an Acme baguette (!), and a roasted sweet potato, and grabbed a diet black cherry bottle of soda. We then went outside to enjoy the absolutely gorgeous day.

The patio area overlooked the main street, which I thought might be a problem with the noise, but despite Mt. Diablo being the main road, it is still Lafayette, and therefore a relatively sleepy town. There were plenty of heat lamps, but the weather was so perfect that they weren't at all necessary.

Jim's food came out extremely quickly, like fast food. For $8.50, there was a decent amount of food, and apparently the quality was there. I was a little surprised that Jim didn't order the ribs, since that's what he usually gets. But I am still learning about my meat-eating beau. Apparently I've never been to a place with him where brisket was even an option, which is why I've never seen him eat it. The meat literally looked flaky, and Jim never even picked up his knife. It fell apart and his fork cut through the pieces like butter.



Because Jim doesn't eat potato salad (on account of the mayo), that was mine. I found it decent, but not particularly memorable except that it had a pureed consistency, something I've never experienced with potato salad. The sweet potato on the other hand . . . roasted, buttery, and tender, it was absolutely delicious. There was no special technique used. Certainly I've had them homemade in the exact same way, but I've never eaten it at a restaurant like that. Acme bread is considered the best in the Bay Area, and it didn't disappoint. And the salad was fresh with a very light, non-overpowering dressing. So the sides were good for me. The soda didn't taste diet to me, but Jim caught an aftertaste. I just thought it was very, very good for a diet soda, although it wasn't very carbonated.

All in all, Jim liked his meal and would go back to the place. He wanted to try the ribs and the chicken next time. THERE'S the Jim I know! The only odd thing for me was that his meal was the brisket "sandwich," and other than the little piece of baguette, there was no other bread to be seen. Oh well.

We then set off for a bike ride. That's right. Yours truly went on a bike ride today of her own free will and volition. What's more, it was my idea. And the biggest shocker? I had fun. I was mostly thinking of training for the triathlon. I didn't expect to enjoy it. Don't get me wrong--I am in no danger of turning into a hardcore cyclist anytime in the next millennium. But maybe I don't have to hate it quite as much as I have.

We biked from the car to the Lafayette Reservoir and around the trail. We got to the very end and then realized that we had been biking illegally. Apparently you can only bike on certain days of the week, and guess what? Monday isn't one of them. Isn't that the weirdest? I have never heard of something like that. Crazy. But we went back down Mt. Diablo and turned onto Pleasant Hill Road and rode that to Olympic. There was an actual bike trail that you could apparently ride on every day. We went on that for a bit and then turned around and headed back. It started getting cold, and I was very, very glad to see the car.

Other than a broken va-jay-jay and the bike (as it never fails to do) biting me at the very end, it really was a fun afternoon. It was a little exercise but nowhere near too strenuous. With Jim on his mountain bike and being sick, we were much more evenly matched, although realistically, I was still way behind. I think I am finally getting used to all of those complicated gears. I'm still not very good at biking, but if I go out a few more times, I may be good enough to improve my time for this upcoming triathlon.

We then headed back to Walnut Creek, since we had a 1000 point Open Table reservation for Lark Creek. M & R both recommended the place, and although their recommendations are always potentially sketch, the place also got a good review from Gayot.

We went to Banana first off so I could return a couple of cashmere sweaters that I was over. We went through Macy's Juniors to find a bathroom and I was tempted to buy a Roxy hoodie, but practicality won out. I don't need another sweatshirt right now, and as cute as it is, it probably won't get worn enough to justify the cost, even if it was on sale. Plus it was awfully thin. I've never been inside that Macy's before, so that was quite an experience. I'm so over junior fashions, with the exception of Roxy, so I don't really go in the junior department of any store very often. Although I'm nowhere near too big for junior sizes, they don't seem to fit me like they used to. They're too tight in the wrong places, especially in the hip area. I've never thought of myself as having big hips, but they're definitely wider than when I was in high school.

Anyway, after a quick walk-through of Crate and Barrel (and learning to my devastation that Giada will be in San Francisco tomorrow afternoon), we headed towards Lark Creek, which was a lot closer of a walk than I expected. Oh yeah, we did stop at Tiffany, too. :-)



We were promptly seated in a booth in the main dining area. There were already a couple other tables occupied, which surprised me, since we had 5:00 reservations. I hoped it was a good sign. The decor was simple and tasteful, but very much bird-themed (even the chandelier had birds on it!) and heavy with wooden accents.



What I didn't realize was that February is crab month for the restaurant. They had tons of crab-themed appetizers and main courses.





Jim, of course, went for the crab, ordering a crab cake with cilantro aioli (not cakes, as the waiter made sure to point out) and a half steamed crab with chili-lime butter and shoestring sweet potatoes. I decided to be adventurous and select the roasted acorn squash with a warm fruit vinaigrette, mustard greens, and pumpkin seeds. The other vegetarian option was a delicious-sounding pasta, but in the spirit of trying new things, I went out of my comfort zone.

While we were waiting for the food, we got bread and butter. The bread was twisted up into knots and arrived in a cloth envelope. It was so cute! The bread itself was pretty good--warm and flaky, with a very soft center.





The crab cake came out pretty quickly. I know I don't see crabcakes all that often, and it's been awhile, but I swear it looked different than usual. it looked pan fried and finished by baking, and I was used to deep fried-looking cakes. It was topped with this vibrant green cilantro aioli and plated on a bed of greens. Jim liked it a lot.



Our meals came out well after the appetizer, but all of the food came out at once, which was pretty nice. Our waiter started bringing out tons of accessories, all of which were for Jim's crab. There was a bucket for the shells, a steaming hot napkin, and the clarified child-lime butter that smelled amazing. His bucket contained a napkin and the crab pick things.



Finally our main dishes came out, along with the three shared sides we had ordered: mac n' cheese, sauteed spinach, and roasted fingerling potatoes. I wasn't sure what to think of my main dish. Visually, it wasn't all that appealing. It was dark, and there was no contrast of colors.



Jim's dish scared me. It was an entire half of a crab. Eye and all. I made Jim turn the dish so the crab wasn't staring at me. It creeped me out big time.



Our sides were definitely the prettiest things about our meal. The roasted fingerling potatoes were sliced lengthwise and sprinkled with toasted garlic and parsley. The green was so pretty! The mac n' cheese was topped with some sort of bright orange stuff which I couldn't figure out, but it was a gorgeous contrast to the white creaminess of the rest of the dish. And the sauteed spinach had toasted pine nuts, sliced red onion, and golden raisins--gorgeous colors.





As far as the food itself goes, it was okay. Being adventurous kind of backfired on me tonight. The warm fruit was just strange to me, but the squash was so bland without it that I felt the need to use it. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I don't dislike mustard greens. I thought they might be too bitter for me, but they were fine. The roasted squash was topped with shavings of the same. It was kind of an interesting play of the different textures--thin and crispy versus creamy and soft, but taste-wise it was the same. Overall my meal was kind of on the bland side. I ate almost all of it, but it's not a dish I'd like to have ever again.

Jim fared better with his crab. I couldn't bear to look up from my plate while he was picking and cracking and digging, so there wasn't a whole lot of conversation going on over dinner until he was finished prepping. He said it tasted fresh and didn't have a strong fishy flavor. Since I don't know what crab tastes like, I don't know what else to say. The shoestring potatoes were so thin and flavorless, we both agreed that they were nothing but decoration. They were pretty much useless.

The sides redeemed the meal for me. The fingerling potatoes were delicious. The toasted garlic added so much flavor and texture contrast. They didn't add too much oil when roasting the potatoes, so they were light and creamy--absolutely perfect. The spinach was equally good. The red onions lent some much needed sweetness, since the pine nuts were toasted to the point that they were slightly bitter. The spinach itself wasn't sweet either, so the golden raisins also helped out the dish. I never would have thought to add raisins to spinach, but it really did work. I may try to play around with it at home. The thing about the spinach and the potatoes was that they were simple enough that I could probably recreate them on my own. The mac n' cheese was rich, creamy, and absolutely unlike Jim's mom's recipe. This was definitely a roux-based sauce and the white cheddar added a completely different flavor dimension. Jim's mom's mac n' cheese is not at all sauce-y, so it's almost impossible to compare the two, other than to say that they are completely different. I liked it a lot. It was certainly better than that McCovey's crap the boys had the other night.

By the time we finished our meals, we were pretty full. Luckily, Lark Creek offers miniature desserts. So we tried an orange creme brulee, which took forever to come out.



It came with an adorable miniature chocolate-hazelnut biscotti. The dessert was in a 4 oz. ramekin with a candied orange slice. Gorgeous presentation, and luckily, the taste matched the looks. It was thick and creamy, with the orange flavor coming through nicely. As Jim put it, it tasted like orange creamsicle. Although I've never had creme brulee that I didn't like, this was one of the better ones.

Due to my main course, I wasn't overwhelmed with the place. I would go back and give it another shot, but no hurry. Even though Jim had a good dining experience, I don't think he's in any hurry either. At least we got the 1000 points. As far as service goes, our waiter was strictly mediocre--nothing horrible, but nothing great, either. I did like their uniforms with vests, ties, and white waist aprons. The busboy did a good job, though.