i ordered two cakes from Awfully Chocolate for a family christmas dinner..
and it was a huge hit. de.li.cious. !!!!
b+w box. decor- clean + simple. no frills, no flowers, no fuss. iced with chocolate.
heres a picture of the chocolate banana. YUM.
it was rich, dense, and moist, but not too sweet. the banana was fresh and sweet, did not taste artificial or flavored.
i could have killed half the cake myself. easily. i wanted to.
merry christmas!!!
xx j
xmas eve pre fixe dinner @ forchetta.
cherry tomato mozarella, toast with pate.
salad, abalone, baby octopus, scallop.
truffle soup with a really soft poached egg + tuffle oil.. and i think monkfish liver.. this was my favorite dish of the meal.
prawn, with curried gnocchi and bamboo.
a palette cleanser of floral ice with foam.. for some reason i tasted egg white. did not particularly enjoy.. i like it better when he sticks with yuzu.
my entree choice of new zealand beef rib. tender + juicy. the mushrooms and sticky taro on the plate did not particularly complement the meat…
chocolate lava cake with raspberry puree. cute reindeer.
i have to say the flavors were all over the place this meal, and not necessarily harmonious.. i usually really enjoy forchetta, so this was a first.
new mexican joint in taipei… and its not bad!
they have the basics: tacos- hard and soft, nachos, burritos, quesadillas, burrito bowls.
carne asada, carnitas, chicken, fish.. there’s also a tofu option.. which i will probably never try.
verdict:
the salsas: pico de gallo was pretty authentic. the red and green salsas were too watery for me, so i didn’t use them. their corn salsa is really good.
guacamole ordered as a side: disappointing, it was creamy, like it was mixed with sour cream, and was squeezed out of a bottle.. it was more of a “avocado sour cream sauce.” not what i was expecting to dip my tortilla chips in.
carne asada soft tacos. i added pico de gallo, lime, and cholula (yes they have it!) before i ate it. :)
fish tacos. i was impressed. yum.
* note: they ran out when i went back to the counter to order more to go..
carnitas nachos. missing beans. but i didn’t mind since i usually opt to remove beans from my nachos.. but for purists, i thought i’d note.
so happy that macho tacos is open. now i know where to go to get my carne asada fix.
Yanji St, Lane 126, #3 http://www.machotacos.com/
xx
comme ca, los angeles.
david meyers classic french bistro cuisine. hearty, refined and never disappoints.
french onnion soup. gooey goodness.
roasted beet salad. one of my usual orders, if you haven’t noticed yet.
baked mac n cheese. another one of my usual orders. and it is sO delicious here. the crumb topping contrasts the chewy cheesy macaroni, adding really great texture.
the comme ca burger. and their fries are really good.
bouillabaisse. the savory broth is great for dipping their mini french bread baguettes.
b’s short ribs.
http://www.commecarestaurant.com/
xx
the peninsula beverly hills.
i lOve having hotel high teas during the holidays, with the fires lit, decor + trees up.
makes me smile.
hand painted settings.
champagne, strawberries and cream to start. hotel teas are usually a little on the pricier side, the peninsula starting at $45/person for royal tea is no exception.
for two. scones, savories and sweets. i enjoyed the sweets here more than i did the savories.. which is not an unusual experience for me at high tea. all in all, the savories were just okay, but ambiance, service, sweets, all excellent.
xx
the front porch, sF.
this was my first, and def not last, visit.
high quality comfort food in a low key setting. a really great combo.
love the ambiance. hung out on the rocking chairs while we waited for our table. be sure to call ahead for reservations, this place was packed!
beet salad with goat cheese.
yard clippins salad.
now onto the “comfort” (aka heavy) food. aaaahhhh.. baked mac n cheese.
mama clara’s bucket of fried chicken. really the juiciest fried chicken i can remember eating. 9 pcs, with some popcorn for fun. comes with 2 sides.
collard greens + garlic mashers. these greens are so good. tart and sour, a bit different from what i’m used to, but in a really good way.
cast iron bowl of andouille sausage, okra + chicken gumbo.
now, desserts.
peach cobbler with mitchell’s vanilla ice cream. delicious.
beignets with chocolate sauce. on the dry side. they were good, but i’d stick with the cobbler next time.
comfort food, for when you REALLY want to eat.
http://www.thefrontporchsf.com
xx
Mijita Cocina Mexicana at the Ferry Building, sF.
when i get back to the states, i make a beeline for authentic mexican food. i miss the quality + variety of authentic mexican that’s available in Cali.
that said.
a good, thick, fresh guac, chips + salsa. and i’m set.
nvmnd. i lied. i still need my carne asada tacos.
just look at how fresh this one is.
MMM.
xx
just weekends 