Orchard City Kitchen: Bay Area Bib Gourmand.
With limited time in South Bay and a calendar not on my side, I looked long and hard at Google Maps, before deciding on Bib Gourmand recognized Orchard City Kitchen. Creative cocktails? Yes. Small plates for a solo diner? Also, yes! No reservation needed? I think you can see a pattern here. The restaurant was bustling, with seating both outside and inside, as well as a bar area. I took a seat near the open plan kitchen. I do love American service staff – there’s a level of friendliness and banter that is so rarely found in the UAE. After reviewing the menu, I had some questions, which my server was easily and knowledgeably able to answer, and I was able to order the perfect amount of food for one diner (a trip of #foreveralone). So, what did I order? Well, it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t order Steak…
Manresa.***
For my only likely 3 Michelin star meal of 2019, coming off of a relatively disappointing 2-star experience, I was ready for some outstanding food and service. Unfortunately, I was also exhausted from a four-day conference with Google, which had ended earlier in the morning. Still, there was no way I was going to miss my reservation at Manresa. The restaurant, fronted by celebrated chef David Kinch, is tucked away outside of San Jose, in the smaller city of Los Gatos — an unexpected location for such a prestigious venue. I could go course by course, but as the menu changes on a relatively regular basis, I would rather look at the meal as a whole. So, how does Manresa rate? Pros Service. Service. Service. Y’all….. Mary was, and might be, one of the best servers I’ve ever had the pleasure of dining with. Honestly, I’m wondering if she was…
Sushi Park, an omakase experience.
When looking for a suitable lunch spot in Los Angeles, I knew I wanted something like a tasting menu (if possible), and as close as possible to where I was staying. After researching many (many!!!) lists, I stumbled on Sushi Park. Sushi for one is a challenging endeavor (as exciting as some of the other restaurants looked, there was no way I would be able to eat more than two sushi rolls and a few pieces of sashimi), making omakase the perfect option. As a restaurant that touts itself as authentic (there is a sign on the door which says, ‘no California rolls’ among other routine sushi dishes that they do not provide), Sushi Park is not a place to go for a Dragon roll or dynamite shrimp. Essentially, there is one menu, and that is the chef’s choice. Located in a very nondescript strip mall off of Sunset Boulevard,…
Vespertine.**
When planning my trip to Los Angeles, I made a long list of venues to visit (literally, twenty restaurants). While I now wish I had done a bit more to find a POC/WOC kitchen to dine at, I’ll admit, I was swayed by the amount of accolades Vespertine has received. Two stars? Best restaurant in Los Angeles? Awards of best atmosphere? This venue had a lot going for it. Although I had been disappointed by my other two-star experience earlier this year (I’m looking at you, Patrick Guilbaud), my optimism was once again high. Of course, given I only had limited nights in Los Angeles, I wanted a friend to join me, but, and I’ll get into this below, I couldn’t find anyone to join me. The cost of dinner literally put off every single person I know. I decided to forge ahead with my booking for an ‘otherworldly’ meal,…
SHED Cafe at Healdsburg.
After a morning tour of the vineyard where my friend works (the biodynamic Eco Terreno, if you’re looking for something nice for your wine collection), we decided to head into town for lunch. My host, a friend since…well, 1993? 1994? quizzed me, then settled on SHED Healdsburg, a well-known restaurant and culinary shopping venue in town (that also happen to serve their wine). As Rob is crushing it with Cross Fit, and I was (at least on day #3 of my trip) still trying to keep to something of a diet, I was impressed with the number of healthy options available. Although really, it’s northern California, so perhaps I shouldn’t have been too surprised. Inside this bright and airy restaurant, I also had a distinct moment of ‘this would never happen in the UAE.’ Although we come close in Dubai (The Lighthouse in D3 and Comptoir 102 on Beach Road…
Gary Danko,* what does a Michelin star mean?
Due to some less organized behavior by yours truly, I ended up with an extra night, or rather, an evening with no dinner plans while in San Francisco. The dining scene in the city is rather daunting – there is so much choice! Anyway, being the lazy person that I am, I decided to limit my radius to those venues that were within walking distance of my hotel (I stayed at the Hyatt Centric, a modern hotel, with excellent service). Enter, 1 Michelin star Restaurant Gary Danko. Now, almost exactly two weeks before this meal, I dined at another 1 Michelin star restaurant (Mingles) while in Seoul. While the cuisines are completely different, I do think standards and quality of food should be fairly similar. After all, what good is a grading system if you can’t trust it? While I realize food is very subjective, there are certain qualities I…
Tiburon, relaxed NoCal vibes.
With an invitation to Google’s Local Guides Connect this year, I made plans to spend a few extra days in the San Francisco area. Having friends and family nearby, I chose not to stay in the city (mostly because I knew the bulk of the events with Google would be based in the metropolitan area), but instead Marin County, in the small coastal town of Tiburon. Tiburon is easily accessible by ferry, which is an excellent and memorable way to experience the bay. I lucked out with the weather, and while the temperature was a bit cool for my desert self, there was something exhilarating about being on the Pacific Ocean — plus I got great views of both Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. After purchasing my ticket, I jumped on the Blue & Gold Ferry boat. Tickets are available online or at the booth at famous Pier 39…