Countdown

'til my Japan trip has begun.

Sunday Lunch

Mentaiko Pasta with Squid.

Delicious and SO easy to make.

Freshly Baked

Onion Cheese Bread.

Hand made by my super mom.

Old Vine Cafe

Finally got to try Old Vine Cafe for dinner.

Its a nice restaurant with a cozy atmosphere,

friendly waiters and great food & wine!

Caprese of Mozarella Buratta.

BEST Mozarella I've had. Ever.

Worth the trip just for this!

Crispy Blue Salad.
Good, but a bit too "fried" for a salad.

Sauteed Sea Scallops.

Perfect.

Handmade Fettuccini Pomodoro.

Pasta was good (handmade daily)
but the sauce was a bit plain...

Spanish-style Creme Brulee.

Santa Monica

Happy Mother's Day!

Kodomo no Hi

In Japan, May 5th is "Kodomo no Hi" (Children's Day).

My mom made salmon nigiri. Fabulous.

Buddies

Zion's friend, Xabi.

Super Natural Cooking

Current Read:

Super Natural Cooking

By Heidi Swanson

Cafe Blanc

Teatime at Cafe Blanc.

I ordered a Double Chocolate Mousse.

Tried their Macaron... didn't meet my expectations.

Wink

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Today was my childhood friend & fellow blogger, Lina's birthday.

Her friend sent her an edible arrangement

of chocolate covered strawberries,

which I got to eat! Yum!

Happy Birthday!!

Belle Rose

Roses are in full-bloom in our garden.

I love the scent of roses.

Looks lovely too.

Sushi Mimi

To satisfy my Uni (Sea Urchin) craving,

I went to Sushi Mimi for their Kaisen Don.

They have very generous Uni portions.

Debut

Zion made his debut at a local dog park.

Curious.

The Dog Park was really nice.

Smile!

Exhausted.

Sunset

Insalata Caprese

I love it.

Not only does it taste good, its so easy to prepare.

Learned something new today:

Caprese=Salad in the style of Capri.

Old Vine Cafe

Went to the Old Vine Cafe for brunch.

Its a nice, small open cafe with a great patio.

Their brunch dishes were excellent.

Perfect portion and not overly sweet.

Caramel Apple French Toast.

Banana Pecan Crepe.

Walk

Chaya Brasserie

Chaya Brasserie San Francisco for Happy Hour.

Go a little early to get a seat by the window

for a fantastic view of the Bay Bridge.

They have really good cocktails too!