Category Archives: √√√√

Awesome – Boy was I glad I went. Check this out.

Moroccan with Attitude – the Aziza in San Francisco



My kids have been trying for years to get us to go to the Aziza, and the stars finally aligned this weekend. What a treat!

Lots larger than it looks at first – but still relatively small – the Aziza is located on Geary Blvd, close to the Presidio park with its miles and miles of walking trails. Geary Blvd, at least in the area near the Aziza is a motley collection of Russian shops, low-end grocery stores, and intriguing shops. From the outside, the Aziza appears to be just another darkened doorway among many others, but inside it sparkles with subdued elegance and quiet elegance. Even full, the noise level was acceptable, the feeling a low-level comfortable sophistication completely in tune with the emphasis on fancy bar drinks (like a muddled Fig option) and contemporary cuisine.

I had to take a picture of the menu – it’s that distinctive. Rather than giving the name of the dish – the options just listed the ingredients – eggplant, caper, tomato, gypsy pepper – for example. No indication on how the food would be prepared – for that you must trust the chef.

Under the kids guidance, we opted for the 13 course tasting menu. It made for a long meal – we arrived at 5:30 and left at 8:30 – but it was well worth both the price and the patience. Stunning pretty much sums it up.

Presentation is clearly their strong suit – and I was so consistently amazed – I forgot to take pictures! For example – our 1st course – described as rice cracker, yogurt, corn, coffee – was served on a rock glass that had a piece of plastic stretched over the top to create a ‘plate’. The cracker was then perched on top – appearing to float in the air. Delicious – and amazing. Great combination.

My personal favorite courses were the Scallops (I ate mine – and my son’s), the sous-vide egg, and the deserts. Oh man, the deserts. We ordered one off the a la carte menu – a blackberry creation that was delicious, and then enjoyed the 2 desserts that came with the tasting menu.

I can’t guarantee that anything we had will show up on the menu when you arrive – but I can assure you that the presentation will be worth the wait for a reservation. Go. Enjoy. Go Again!

Aziza on Urbanspoon

Foodio54 Note – the address is right – the name is different! (and it’s been the Aziza for years..)

Kasbah on Foodio54

20130922-130316.jpg

20130922-130327.jpg

A restaurant worth Blogging about – Zeni in San Jose, CA



Ever eaten ‘Ethiopian’? Me neither. So when my son and brand new daughter-in-law suggested we try their favorite restaurant on our trip to visit them this week – we were delighted to accept. And what a meal it was!

First a bit about the restaurant. It’s located in a mall (not totally surprising around here – there are lots of restaurants in malls) in a rather laid back and lower-income section of San Jose. As my son joked – it’s the ‘wrong’ side of the tracks. But once thru the front door – the restaurant exudes love, warmth, and welcome. From the smiling staff in their very attractive bright blue blouses to the gentleman playing jazz on 3 – count’m 3 – keyboards in the corner, this is a delightful space.

There are 2 sections to the restaurant – and we were fortunate to score a table in the more traditional section with its wicker tables and low stools. These are perfectly suited to the very traditional way the meal is served – on a single large platter with a pancake like flat bread serving as the base on which the food is lovingly placed. Along with that pancake (intended to be used to mop up the remains of the meal) they gave us a basket of rolled flat breads. The basic idea – use the bread to grab the food – and good luck getting it from the platter to your mouth!

Cautioned by our kids to be careful about ordering too much food – we opted for just 3 main courses for the 4 of us – a vegetable combo, a lamb dish (stewed lamb in a curry like sauce), and a spicy beef dish that came with home-made cheese. We also ordered one appetizer to share – a filo dough pastry stuffed with meat. Everything – and I mean everything was totally yummy. I particularly liked some of the vegetable options – colorful and tasty, they were a delight to the palette. But I’m ready to eat Eggplant under just about any condition.

What was most surprising – beside the extremely reasonable price of just $70 for everything – including 2 drinks – was how incredibly filling the meal was. Despite our cautious ordering – we simply could not finish everything.

According to my kids – who apparently eat here regularly – coming early is critical. If you arrive around 7:15 – you can expect to wait in line – a truth that was obvious as we left, pushing our way thru waiting customers!

Another note – during the day they offer a ‘coffee’ ceremony that must be ordered at least 24 hours in advance – costs $40 for up to 10 people – and includes a server who roasts the beans right in front of you. My husband was keen to come back to try that – and I must agree – it would be cool to watch.

Definitely an A restaurant – do check it out!

Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Super Foods – Part 1



Yummy ways to eat yourself into better shape!

I didn’t invent these lists (there are 16 Super Foods in total), for that I must give credit to Rebecca Katz’s “The Longevity Kitchen” and my favorite source for advice to the aging – the AARP Magazine. But the comments are all mine!

Food 1: Coffee. Don’t need much to convince me that life without coffee isn’t worth living. But it’s nice to know that in addition to caffeine – there’s some good stuff – including antioxidants that can protect against cell damage and reduce your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes.

Food 2: Wild Salmon: It’s not just that it is a fish – and everyone knows that you should eat more fish – it’s also omega-3 fatty acid heavy (good not just for your heart, but also possibly a way to keep your DNA healthy).

Food 3: Sweet Potatoes: I admit – I just really prefer the taste of Sweet Potatoes over the plain boring white ones. But it’s seriously nice to consider that sweet potatoes have lots of Vitamin B6 and potassium. They can even help regulate blood pressure. And when eaten with the skin ON, they have more fiber than a copy of oatmeal.

Food 4: Olives/Olive Oil: Known to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, Olive Oil may even reduce the risk of stroke by up to 41%.

Need dinner tonight with 3 of the 4 super foods?
Try Salmon Burritos with Chile-Roasted Vegetables from MyRecipes.com. This recipe is rated as Outstanding!

The usual rice is replaced with pan-roasted sweet potatoes, onions, and poblano chiles, giving this burritos a healthy dose of fiber as well as heart-protecting micronutrients such as carotenoids (in the sweet potatoes), flavonoids (onions), folic acid (cabbage), and omega-3 fatty acids (salmon). Prep and Cook Time: about 45 minutes.

Nutritional Information – Amount per serving
Calories: 325
Calories from fat: 39%
Protein: 19g
Fat: 14g
Saturated fat: 2.5g
Carbohydrate: 30g
Fiber: 3.4g
Sodium: 852mg
Cholesterol: 45mg

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lime juice
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground dried chiles
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 pound boned salmon fillet (about 1 in. thick) $
1 large Garnet or Jewel sweet potato, peeled, quartered lengthwise, then sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced 1/3 inch thick
1 red onion, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
1 fresh poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
6 whole-wheat flour tortillas (10 in. wide), warmed $
Chopped cilantro, shredded cabbage, low-fat sour cream, and lime wedges
Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line two 12- by 15-inch baking pans with aluminum foil.
2. Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, ground dried chiles, and salt.
3. Rinse salmon and pat dry. Brush flesh side of salmon with 2 tablespoons of the lime-chile marinade. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, toss the sweet potato, zucchini, onion, and chile with the remaining marinade. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on the baking pans.
5. Roast vegetables for 10 minutes, then add salmon, skin side down, to one pan and return to oven. Continue roasting until potatoes are tender when pierced and salmon is opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part, 7 to 10 minutes.
6. Remove skin from salmon and slice fillet into six equal portions.
7. Spoon vegetable mixture equally onto warm tortillas. Top each with a piece of salmon and a little cilantro, cabbage, and sour cream. Fold tortilla over the filling. Serve with more sour cream and the lime wedges.

Curious about the rest of the Super Foods? Stay tuned!

8 Easy Steps to Eating Smart when Eating out!



This is one of my all time favorite topics. I leave and breathe eating out – and I watch my weight like a hawk. I went with Weight Watchers in Feb 2002 – lost 30 pounds by June 2002 – and have kept it off for over 11 years now. Clearly – I’m pretty pound of that accomplishment. I weigh what I weighed in High School. Rocking Grannie!

BUT – there’s a price to pay in staying slim and eating out more nights than I eat in – and I call it the menu game. And like all games, there are rules.

Step 1: Before sitting down – Choose your price point and be sure that the restaurant offers options that will work. For example – if you are thinking of spending about $20 per person – the average price for the entries on the menu should be $10 to $15. The wine, the dessert, the tip and taxes will bounce a $10 entry up to $20 in a blink of the eye.

Step 2: Choose your cuisine – A study by the folks at Tufts School of Nutrition has determined that there are ‘better’ cuisines and ‘worse’ cuisines from an average calorie point of view. Not surprisingly, Vietnamese and Japanese have the lowest average calories when their most popular dishes were analyzed, while Italian, American and Chinese have the highest average calorie counts. (Check out the exact numbers in the study published in JAMA Internal Medicine by Susan Roberts, Director of the HNRCA Energy Metabolism Laboratory. Susan Roberts also is the author of “The “i” Diet” (www.myidiet.com))

Step 3: Try not to arrive famished. This is so hard to avoid, and so critical to keeping control over how much you eat. The other day I ended up devouring almost 1/2 of a delicious milk shake because I was just too hungry when I walked in to remember to ask for water.

Step 4: Always ask for water first – and always drink it before ordering. Then you can focus on what you are ordering, and not ‘shop hungry’.

Step 5: Plan ahead – and either order a small portion – or try to put 1/2 away before you start eating. Restaurants, particularly smaller ones at lower price points, serve way too much food. In fact, those crazy folks at the Tufts Nutrition School cited above studied calorie counts and determined that average meals in 33 randomly selected smaller restaurants in the Boston area ended up weighing in at an astounding 1,327 calories per meal – that’s about twice a normal meal, and more calories than I normal consume in a day. More distressing – fully 73% of the meals they analyzed in their study contained more than 1/2 the daily recommended calories per day for an adult. No wonder we get fat eating out. So plan on take out – every time you eat out. In fact 12 of the 157 meals analyzed actually contained more than 2000 calories – the calories recommended for an entire day

Step 5: Be a fussy eater! Ask for all sauces and all salad dressings to be served ‘on the side’. That way you can control how much of the most fattening things get in your stomach!

Step 6: Don’t order what you really shouldn’t eat. If you don’t order the french fries – you won’t be tempted. Don’t ruin fish (something you should try to eat at least twice a week) by getting it fried, and if you order steak – order the small portion.

Step 7: Put your fork down between bites. This works for any meal – home cooked, or eaten out. Study after study has shown that it takes time for your tummy to register ‘full’, and it’s easy to eat so fast that you go past that point. In fact – this is why I love tasting menus. The time delay between the courses gives my body time to decide how hungry I still am.

Step 8: Carry food with you – and eat it when you get hungry! I always have a small resealable container of almonds with me. They are the perfect snack – not terribly high in calories, take effort to eat (if it goes down fast – it didn’t count is false!)

Well there you have it – 8 easy steps to eating Smart when eating Out.

Best Car Rental Experience Ever!


I travel a lot. I know that. So I’m frequently renting cars. And my go to rental place is hotwire.com. I type in the location I’m interested in renting the car, and I take the least expensive car available and I’m done.

So that’s why I was heading to National/Alamo in Detroit on Friday around noon. Hotwire had randomly assigned them to me. And all I’d planned to do was to pick up a compact and head up to Bloomfield Hills.

The trip from the airport to the car rental place was pretty average – not short, not long. Just long enough to grab a map from the rack and try to figure out where we’d be heading in just a bit.

We get off the bus – and get greeted with a friendly smiling employee – and asked if we’d like to try to automated kiosk – or go traditional. I opt for traditional and join the short waiting line. That’s when I notice the bags of freshly popped popcorn. Yum. And free water bottles! Little mini ones – but hey – they were in a fridge and nice and cold. My kind of quick pick-me-up after a boring flight. In case we didn’t notice – an employee would occasionally walk by offering water and popcorn to everyone. Nice.

We check in as normal – no, we don’t want an upgrade, no, we don’t want the gas, no we don’t want insurance. We get our forms – and are told to take any car sitting in the compact lane. That’s cool. I prefer darker colored cars – so this way I get to choose.

Walking out – there’s another employee – grilling hotdogs. Looks yummy – but right now we’re focused on getting our car. We walk to the compact lane – no cars! We spot another employee and ask – what do we do. Her reply – you get a free up grade. Take any car you want!

Really? No joke? That’s so cool.

So – hey – I press my luck. You got a hybrid around? We’ve been thinking of getting one, and I’m worried about the silent engine. She looks around, says that there is not one in the lanes – but she thinks there might be one getting a car wash. She’ll check – but meanwhile, we should wait by the grill – maybe grab a hot dog.

We do, she does – and we drive away in a Hybrid Sonata! It’s very cool. No leather seats, but nice pick-up on the highway, completely silent when you turn it on – and of course, hard to be sure you’ve turned it off. The first few times – it kept beeping at us because we’d press the button once too often. But we eventually caught on. And at the end of the weekend of driving all around Bloomfield Hills – I’m guessing about 200 miles in total – our ‘fill-up’ cost us under $10.

Hybrids are cool. The Sonata is a very nice car. And the Alamo in Detroit is a great Car Rental Agency. One note – Hotdogs are only served on Thursday and Fridays! Popcorn and water are always available.

Stratford Studio Theatre – Smaller is definitely better!


Of the 4 theatres at Stratford, the smallest is the intimate Studio space. Only two production were being featured there in August – but both are absolutely brilliant.

Both are new productions, but expertly produced, directed, acted, and told. I highly recommend seeing them both – but for far different reasons. “Thrill” is a tour de force for Lucy Peacock – one of Stratford finest. Her performance of a wheel-chair bound crip is so believable – that I was shocked – absolutely shocked – when she walked out to receive her well-earned standing ovation. She spends the entire play – and she is in almost every single scene, bent and contorted in one of those motorized wheel chairs – which she drives around the stage like a 6-year-old drives a Matchbook Car – in circles, spirals, with startling stops and starts. Amazing.

The story is both heartfelt, heart warming, and devastating. Despite the heroine’s severe handicaps – there’s no issue with her mental acuity – and she wins you to her side through wit and creative story telling. You are cheering madly for her at the end, regardless of the blinders you might have been wearing when you entered the Theatre.

“Taking Shakespeare” is a horse of another color completely. The hero this time is a rag-tag 24 year-old student is not living up to ‘expectations’. He is sent for private Shakespeare lessons with an aging female professor – and the chosen play is Othello. This is particularly appropriate because Othello is actually playing at the Avon – another theatre in the Stratford world. So one can easily apply the lessons the hero is learning to the play itself!

The ending, while not entirely unpredictable, is a story of growing up – at any age. I loved it, my husband loved it, our friends loved it, and by all accounts the audience loved it too. So go – if you can get tickets.

If you can’t – not to worry – I’m sure a production of this play will soon be done near your hometown.

Stratford – Canada’s Go to Theatre Experience – The Festival Stage


9 Plays in 5 days – really? Am I nuts? I guess the answer must be the obvious yes – but somehow it didn’t seem nuts to plan one trip to Stratford – and while there see as many plays as I possibly could.

And probably it’s only at Stratford, the repertory theatre par excellence of Canada, that one can squeeze in that many plays without worrying about conflicts and travel times. All the 4 venues are within easy walking distance of each other, and all performances start at 2:00 or 8:00. Since much of the staff performs in multiple plays – they need time to get to the next gig – just like the audience does.

I’m not going to review all 9 plays in one super blog – My plan is to break up the plays by Theatre – starting with the Grande Dame – The Festival Stage. It’s huge, it’s famous, the acoustic are awesome, the staging reliably stunning, and of course the acting is superb. So picking winners is a bit like choosing between grand-kids. You kinda love them all! But that said – here goes nothing.

My favorites of the 3 we saw on the main ‘Festival’ stage was a toss-up between the absolutely brilliant Fiddler on the Roof – excellent in its ability to convey the conflicts, the joys, the troubles of the fiddler in top-notch fashion. Great singers, solid convincing acting, a lovely set that was inspired by the art of Marc Chagall combine to get and keep the audience enthralled. No wonder good seats are hard to get. This is a production worth seeing.

My second favorite – and it was a close call thing – was the outstanding production of the Merchant of Venice. The actor playing Shylock also plays Tevye – which quickly tells you a lot about his range and capabilities. He was quite literally mind-blowing in both roles, in such hugely different ways. For those who don’t know – and apparently some of these people were in the audience – the Merchant is one of Shakespeare’s toughest plays. Today no one likes to watch people callously making fun and then physically and verbally degrading another person – regardless of why that person is ‘different’. And at the end of the highly dramatic and very emotional court scene – Shylock lies degraded and abused on the very front of the stage. It is a highly charged moment – made more so by an audience member who choose that point to stand up – throw his program to the ground and state clearly enough so everyone could hear – “This is the most antisemitic thing I’ve ever seen”.

True – and my husband argued afterwards that the director had perhaps taken the text a bit too far by placing the play in Fascist Italy just before World War II. The presence on stage of ‘brown shirts’ did little to make the audience feel better about the behavior of the main characters, and even the color-blind casting doesn’t quite make us forget that in the Merchant – what is objectionable behavior today was very acceptable when the play was written. But topic aside – the production is outstanding. Just go prepared.

Devon Cream – Divine stuff – and you can get it at Harry Ten Shilling in Stratford


There’s nothing quite like Tea Time and the Devon Cream at Harry Ten Shilling.

Clearly a ‘Oh Yum’ kind of place – it features Devon Cream, Rich ‘Coffee’ Cakes or ‘Tea’ Breads made with fresh fruit, a rich strawberry compot, and at least 40 different teas to enjoy.

And ‘Oh Yum’ pretty much sums it up. The Harry Ten Shilling is utterly adorable – for women. It’s easily my favorite lunch spot in Stratford. Truly a teeny tiny place, it is conveniently located directly across from the Avon Theatre. Easy to enjoy, and truly easy to get to your matinée performance.

But my husband hated it. Cute sandwiches just won’t do it for him and the savory options – an overly peppered cold Gaspacho and an overly peppered Quiche were both better avoided.

But the Tea for Two at $48 was a delicious delight. Served on a double plate rack loaded with tea sandwiches (no crusts of course), tea bread, Devon cream, sweet treats and a pot de creame. I opted for a Roibos tea called Tuscany Pear. Oh dear – it was wonderful.

There are other less pricy options of course – a simpler tea just gives you Devon cream (I simply can’t get enough of that) and a sample of what they call scones – but I call tea bread.

From the fine porcelain cups and saucers to the rose decorated plates this is place that knows which side of the toast is buttered – and definitely does it right.

The White Barn Inn – The Perfect Place When Money is No Object


We discovered the White Barn Inn several years ago. Located in Kennebunkport – known as the summer get-away spot for several US presidents – it’s not exactly the low-end option. In fact – the first time we went, they cautioned us that they had a dress code. My then 8-year-old granddaughter insisted that she’d definitely need a dress! For my husband, it meant borrowing one of their ‘loaner’ jackets.

There are only 2 price points – you can choose the standard menu, at over $100 per person, or the 12 course Tasting Menu at over $150. Either way – you are definitely in for the taste thrill of a life-time. Yes – it’s that good.

We’ve eaten at the White Barn once a year for the last 5 years. Generally we do the standard menu – but last night we did the tasting menu – just for the fun of it. And we were rewarded with some supremely yummy dishes and excellent service.

Let’s talk service first. Upscale restaurants like The White Barn have several standard extras that just make the service that much more special. For example – if you get up to go to the bathroom – a waiter will quickly replace your napkin with a freshly folded one. Or when the entrees are served – at say a table for 6 – 6 waiters will arrive, one with each dish, and then at a discrete signal from the lead waiter, all dishes will be placed in front of the diners in unison. Makes for a lovely feeling. Other special service touches – fresh silverware for each course – regardless of which spoon or fork you used, salt service with both black sea salt and white sea salt, perhaps a butter tasting, bread options ranging from white to carraway seed – brought to the table in a large basket and individually served. One seriously nice touch – when we arrived, the wait staff lined up to greet us as we walked into the restaurant.

My daughter, who has her chef’s papers from Culinary Institute of America, says that in a restaurant like this the staff is trained to say yes to any request. Then go back and make sure it was ok. But yes is the right answer at first. So refreshingly different from most restaurants where ‘no’ – or at best – ‘I’ll check’ seem the standard responses.

But it’s about the food – right? With 12 courses – none very large of course – there are multiple chances for losers as well as winners. At the White Barn Inn, there were 7 winners – and last night – only 2 losers. The winners were the Carpaccio of salmon – incredibly thin slices of fresh salmon lightly seasoned and served with a sweet mustard sauce. Words can not describe how totally delectable this combination tasted on the tongue. Another winner – the Morel dusted Beef Tenderloin. Perfectly seasoned, delightfully raw, super tender, melt-in-your mouth delicious. And my third favorite – the chocolate pre-dessert with its candied pistachios and tiny piece of chocolate cake and airy chocolate pudding. I also liked the duck dish, the pork belly, and the foie gras duo. The Sherry vinegar ice cream with fig roll was a savory/sweet surprise.

Less wonderful overall was the butter poached smoked lobster – in my case the smoke didn’t happen and my piece of lobster was slightly over-cooked. Neither of us was thrilled with our main desserts. The souffle was very ‘egg white’ heavy, not rich and dense like a proper souffle. And the doughnuts, which looked lovely, were heavy-handed and dense. I guess I was expecting ‘beignets’ – not clunkers. Oh well. Fortunately, the Friandise served with the bill made up for the ‘oops’ on dessert – I loved the dark chocolate ‘stick’ and the raspberry jellies.

Bottom line – if you’ve got the money to spend, and a special occasion to celebrate, or just really need an outrageous night out – the White Barn is perfect. Just call ahead for reservations and don’t be surprised if the only option is a 6:00 seating.

White Barn Inn on Urbanspoon

White Barn Inn on Foodio54

Easily the best Lobstah in all of Maine – Trust me!


Want the Best Lobstah in Maine? I’ve so got you covered

Nope – I’m not joking. I know the best place to get Lobstah – and Clam Chowder in Maine. And I’ll even share that information – but only after you get the entire picture.

My idea of the perfect holiday day starts with coffee, cereal, fresh fruit, and a sea breeze. The sound and sight of the ocean never ceases to bemuse and relax me – even when it’s cold and rainy – or hot and sunny – it’s not ‘Maine’ that I love – it’s the ocean. The fact that going to Maine makes it easier to get to the ocean is of course critical for vacation planning purposes – but without the ocean, Maine would just be another state.

So – breakfast listening to the ocean, a day spent with my feet in the sand, maybe jumping the occasional wave if the water is anything other than frigid – lunch of left-overs or fruit, and then dinner.

Ah, dinner. Maine doesn’t lack for restaurants – from the fab to the touristy, from the fried fish to mock italian, even Chinese and Thai. You want it – you can get it in Maine. But what I want is Lobstah and Clam Chowder.

We have rented what can best be described as a shack near the beach for at least the last 15 years. It’s small, it’s cozy, it’s across from a great walking and surfboarding beach – and it has a kitchen. Because there’s a kitchen, we can eat in. And that brings me right around to that best lobstah in Maine claim.

It’s the Wells Beach Lobstah Pound. The offerings are stunningly simple. Lobstah – you can get it raw – but for free they will cook it for you – and trust me, they know how to cook Lobstah. You just choose your size – tiny little ones, the 1.5 lb ‘normal’ size, up to 3 and 4 lbs monsters if you order ahead. They toss your choice into the cooker – and 15 minutes later – hand you a bag to ‘take-home’. Butter costs 60 cents extra – but you don’t need more than one to be honest. The Clam Chowder comes in pints and quarts – we always get a quart – and rarely have any left for the next day.

It’s perfect.

Oh yes – they also sell fresh off the boat fish – the quantity of which depends on the luck of the fishermen that day – generally there’s haddock and scallops for sure. And they will do the work for you and just give you the lobster meat – an option that I really don’t understand. If you don’t want to mess with the Lobstah – don’t eat it!

Can you do better? Maybe. I’m sure other people have their favorite pounds – but for me – this is the best. Lobstah is best eaten within the sound and the smell of the ocean, and the Wells Beach Lobster Pound is perfect. Just perfect.

Wells Beach Lobster Pound on Urbanspoon