This past weekend (in February, I've been a tad busy!) my husband surprised me and whisked me away for a Friday surprise! We drove from Sacramento down I-80 westward toward the Bay Area. We watched wave after wave of dark stormy clouds interspersed with brilliant sunshine as they marched from the Pacific to the Sierras...
Eventually we headed to the northwest and meandered through the hilly farmland toward the coast. After crossing two flooded portions of winding road we wound upward from a tree-line lane to emerge in
Bodega Bay. What a treat! (Years ago I had booked a trip for my co-workers here, but I never had the pleasure going on that trip! A dream from the late 90's
finally realized!)
Cozy, yet understated, our accommodations at the Bodega Bay Inn were right up our alley! We prefer B&Bs (although they are sometimes quirky, they are usually welcoming and comfortable) and place this had that feeling. Our room was HUGE with its own private terrace facing the water. Although the bay was hidden by lush greener, we were able to hear the fog bell (proper name? didn't have them growing up in the Florida Keys!!) into the morning through our open window! The hallways are hung with local artwork and the common area doubles as the breakfast room in a sunroom with self-serve assortment of teas, coffees, bread (with butter, jam, Nutella and Peanut Butter offered), cereal, oatmeal, and milk (soy, whole and low-fat).
We walked across the parking lot to dinner - Bonus! At Terrapin Creek Cafe our meal was presented with none of the pretension that you usually find in restaurants of this quality. Best description I can give: an upscale, yet non-fussy bistro, with a friendly neighborhood feel. We chatted comfortably with the staff and met a lovely couple at the table next to us.
Our culinary pleasures included:
Oysters on the Half Shell w/ Shallot & Fennel Mignonette;
Pan-Seared Scallops w/ a Warm Chorizo Vinaigrette, Honey Crisp Apple & Fennel Salad;
Ahi Tuna Poke - Marinated Seaweed, Toasted Pine Nuts, Tobiko, Soy-Yuzu Vinaigrette;
Braised Osso Bucco - Creamed Spinach, Cipollini Onions, Roasted Clamshell Mushrooms, Natural Jus;
Alaskan Black Cod - Baby Bok Choy, Shitake Mushrooms, Manila Clams, Salted Black Bean Sauce; and a delightfully light, yet satisfying Oreo-laced cheesecake. (
At that point, I was so entrhalled in chatting with the couple next to us that I didn't pay too much attention to the dessert! If you know me, you won't find this hard to believe!
*) If I had to pick, my two favorite offers of the evening were the Ahi Tuna Poke & the Osso Bucco -- see photos below:
The proprietors of Terrapin Creek Cafe, Leah and Andrew, are doing a magnificent job and we both hope to enjoy their restaurant again in the next few months! (Having two young children -- this is a very high compliment from the two of us!)
*Special side note: Thank you Katie and John, we are very flattered and very appreciative of your kindness!
Saturday morning started with breakfast at our inn and continued with a gentle stroll along the cliffs at
Westside Regional Park. Features at this park included vibrant green hills (in March anyway!), sightings of gray whales (seen migrating twice a year from this perch by many, but they proved elusive the day we visited), the view of Bodega Bay back across the harbor, and cresting waves of the Pacific that would please most surfers -- if it weren't for the daunting rocky spires and massive mounds jutting through the surf!!
We had a clear drive heading South through Marin County into the city over the Golden Gate Bridge... sailboats, container ships and oil takers jockeyed for their lanes in the brilliant bay below, just as the tourists, wanna-be cyclists and dog walkers did on the narrow walkways flanking the sides of the bridge.
We joined our lovely Costa Rican friends for a Cantonese feast at
Lichee Gardens. This restaurant has been in business since the 80's. (Our friends started coming here when someone "took them under their wing" and decided to play tour guide to them throughout the Bay Area over the few years.... Lichee Gardens used to be really well known for their dim sum, but reverted back to their true Cantonese roots a few years ago.) The spare ribs are one of their signature dishes and they did not disappoint! Neither did the special noodle dish which featured an entire Dungeness crab and the Walnut Prawn dish. Their steamed goyza (or pot stickers) had a thicker than normal dough, but they too were delicious. *Next time we are ordering ahead: The Chicken Stuffed with Sticky Rice came very highly recommended by two staff members.
Having some extra time on our hands the four of us went over to the
Victorian Pastry Co. We purchased a box of fabulous cookies to share with our friends and their daughters. My favorites were a cocoa-shortbread meringue with hazelnuts!! The custard-filled Eclairs and Napoleons were screaming out my name, but fortunately I just had a very satisfying lunch at Lichee Gardens!! (When I see the decadent pastries and cookies displayed so beautifully, I long to work in a bakery again! Maybe one day...)
Next stop, mostly for the boys, we crossed over to
Little City Meats on the adjacent corner. Old school, Italian meat market with an impressive display of steaks, roasts, bone-in legs, fresh sausages, etc. There are basic recipes hanging on hand painted boards from the ceiling and typed up recipes offered along the top of the refrigerated meat cases. Ya gotta love it!
A Scavenger Hunt Like No Other --
Jayson Whetcher's CHINESE NEW YEAR TREASURE HUNT http://www.sftreasurehunt.com/hunts/chinese_new_year/index.htmlWe have an annual date with some friends. We are a team of treasure hunters. What is the booty we are seeking? Cake and champagne, but of course! That is what we have been striving to win for the past few years! Brainstorming over word puzzles, we begin our adventure at the Ferry Building. We spend the next four hours 'speed walking' ;) as a group, locating answers to clues throughout Chinatown, Telegraph Hill, North Beach and back again. We turned in our answer sheet with about 8 minutes to spare! Whew!
We, team Tiger Beat Dragons, solved 14 or 16 clues this year!! Our standings have yet to be posted for this year's hunt, but we are confident we have moved up in the rankings! (Last year in the Year of the Ox, our team, The Dewey Oxbergers, finished 71st by solving 12 of the 17 clues the Beginner's Category... )
Physically taxed
(the pedometer showed we walked over 15,000 steps on the hunt) and mentally exhausted, a late dinner & a cold beer were in order! We headed to
DuPont Thai in North Beach. A round of Chang beers was followed by the delicious Thai Samosas! Ahhhhh! Next to appear were DuPont's Wings -- pork and noodles stuffed into huge chicken wings and deep fried. Crazy concept, yet tasty! My husband ordered spicy noodles, they tasted great, yet had a heat that crept up and kept attacking your taste buds once swallowed!
(*Eat your cucumbers, Hunny!) The traditional Pad Thai was ordered, so was an assortment of curries: Duck Curry, Red Curry with Chicken, & Pumpkin Curry. All were well received. Hubby and I agreed hands down that the most delicious dish sampled was the Spicy Catfish
(pictured below) -- sweet and spicy, light fried outside, beautifully cooked inside! (We were forewarned by our local friends to eat it in house at DuPont That, as during delivery the dish
looses its fabulously crispy outer crunch!)
Sunday we awoke to a clear day in North Beach!! Our hosts' were off to Chinese Mass, but said if we hung around, they'd have brunch with us! I needed coffee. Best choice: Coffee at the Kelly's Apartment -- the view of SF Bay is stunning from their balcony... a true San Francisco View: assorted buildings jutting here and there, laundry drying on lines, ships of all shapes and sizes slipping around the Bay, not to mention an unobstructed view of Coit Tower if you glance across their master bedroom balcony! (After living in Atlanta nearly 10 years and criss-crossing the country numerous times I still think that this is the only "City" in which I could live... provided I had the fantastic views that our friends get to enjoy!!)
With our tummies grumbling, hubby and I walked a few short minutes to
Curly's Coffee Shop. This diner has the basic American faire, plus Japanese rice & noodle dishes. Nothing fancy, just good, consistent food at a fair price. Their omelets are fluffy and stuffed with goodness! Oh yeah, don't forget the bacon!
Saying goodbye to our friends we set out for home. If time is not an issue, we usually opt for back roads. Hubby suggested we meander from San Fran up to I-580 to CA-4, then sidle alongside the river on Hwy 160. As we crossed the tall-arching toll bridge (which reminds me of Card Sound Bridge in North Key Largo, FL) leading from Bridgehead, CA, we soon joined a Delta traffic jam on Sherman Island. After about 10 minutes, a passing motorist yelled out her window: "Bridge's out!" We were forced to turn around and make the most direct detour toward Stockton.... We we not deterred, the mantra in our vehicle is: "You are heading in the right direction!"
It was now late afternoon, so using the "Around Me" app on hubby's iPhone, we selected a restaurant called The Waterfront Bar & Grill. We walked into the converted warehouse finding only one office and one restaurant open. The restaurant was overrun with a
Cookie Lee party, so at the suggestion of the gentleman behind the bar, we headed to
Arizona Puerto Vallarta Restaurant. The traditional decor of zarapes, neon cerveza signs and a framed picture of Jesus was elevated by the sombreros-turned-light shades over each of the booths. The staff was friendly and food was basic, yet delicious -- just what we needed. My soft tacos had incredibly tender and flavorful white and dark meat chicken, and the chile relleno had just a tad too much egg coating for my taste. The hubby's steak and shrimp were nicely cooked and well seasoned.
(Nothing irks me more than food that is not seasoned, well except maybe horrible customer service!!) I bet we'll come here next time we're in town with the kids in tow!
What a weekend!! I got to unwind with the hubby, stroll on cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, participate in a brain-racking Scavenger Hunt with friends, eat in a lovely casual bistro, a former dim-sum joint, a Thai, a Japanese-American diner (the former 3 in North Beach!), and a Mexican Restaurant on an unplanned detour on the way home!! Crazy, yet so much fun, for a couple of food-a-phile gypsies!
Wonder where we'll head next?!?....
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Bodega Bay Inn
CA Highway One, 1588 Eastshore Road, Bodega Bay, CA 94923
Victoria Pastry Co. (North Beach)
1362 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA 94133
Mon-Fri 7-7PM, Saturday 7-9PM, Sunday 8-6PM(415) 781-2015
http://www.victoriapastry.com/
**2nd Location in Marin County: Greenbrae, CA (415) 461-3099
Little City Market (North Beach)
1400 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 986-2601 or 415-397-6854
DuPont Thai (North Beach)
1398 Grant Avenue, San Fransisco, CA 94133
Dine In, Take Out & Free Delivery - (415) 981-8008 -
http://dupontthai.com/dupontsf.htmCurly's Coffee Shop (North Beach)
1624 Powell Street (between Green St & Union St) San Francisco, CA 94133 -- (415) 392-0144Mon., Wed-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Sat-Sun. 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Arizona Puerto Vallarta Restaurant
11 N Center Street, Stockton, CA 95202 -- (209) 937-0925
Hours "Most Days": 7am - 4:30pm; Friday 7:00am-6:00pm
I am very fortunate in the fact that my husband is a wonderful cook, plus he usually does the dishes every night -- yes, he is a "KEEPER!!" His specialty is using up all the odds and ends in our fridge and pantry and making something delicious. Here is one of his, and my, favorite creations!! And for a bonus, a variation of his recipe that I created last week -- Dirty Orzo Stuffed Peppers!! Enjoy our comfort food with a nod to New Orleans!
