Lazy Update Part II

Soon after coming back to Tokyo, I went back to CA again for one week. Went to Vegas for half of it so it was a whirlwind trip back home. Here are some shots from my phone:

Southern California = Palm trees.

Pizza time! Pizzeria Mozza Newport

Beer al fresco. Basically commuted to Bruery Provisions every night.

Vietnamese food fix: Brodard Cafe

Cheeseburgers: In-n-Out Burgers

Absolute favorite beach back home, Laguna Beach.

A whole new appreciation for the close access to the amazing beaches after being away from OC for a bit.

Santa Fe Eggs Benedict (substituted Potatoes with Spinach): Plum's Cafe

Enjoyed hanging out with friends and of course, this handsome boy.

Miss him so much!

Counting down the days until I'm back...!

Beer Beer Beer!

Belgium is the ULTIMATE for beer lovers.

The selection is insane!

Craftheads

After dinner drinks at Craftheads.

This was my first time here, and it's a bit of a walk from the station but in a really quiet, residential area of Shibuya. They have a really great selection of imported and domestic beers and whiskey.

Bar.

Interior.

Cheers!

Bar Tartine

Last post from SF...

After driving back to the city from Healdsburg, we had dinner at Bar Tartine. They had really unique dishes. You really couldn't imagine what it would taste like until you ate it.

We got the last seats at the bar.

Loved the atmosphere, interior and that the walls were covered with art. They also had a really cool wooden chandelier.

Bar Tartine is run by Tartine Bakery, so the bread was excellent.

Duck Pate, Rye Bread, Gooseberry Jam, Elderberry and Corriander Mustards.

Never had Duck pate before, but it was so tasty. Out of the three condiments, my favorite was the Corriander Mustard! Loved the wood tray too.

Smoked Eggplant, Cranberry Beans and Garlic Sausage.

The Eggplant was good, but I thought the sausage was too salty and overpowering.

Chicken Paprikas: Baby Shitake, King Trumpet, Shallot, Kale.

The Paprika sauce was so mild and the Kale perfcectly balanced out the taste.

Strawberry Creamcheese Tart.

This was my ideal cream cheese tart. It had the perfect tartness, light and a crunchy, buttery crust. I also love strawberries, so it was the perfect ending to a very satisfying meal.

Healdsburg

My dear friend took me on a day trip to Healdsburg. She was saying the locals have recently been going to Healdburg instead of Napa to avoid the tourists.

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.

Once we crossed the bridge, the weather was gorgeous!

Found the Bear Republic Brewery in downtown Healdsburg.

Took a beer break on the patio.

I ordered the Pale Ale and my friend ordered the Rye Ale. They were both really good and so refreshing on a hot day!

Since we were in downtown already, we went to the Kendall Jackson tasting room. I had been drinking their Chardonnay religiously this summer so it was great to try their other wines. For $5, you get to try any 4 wines.

We hung out at Bear Republic too long and realized that most wineries closed around 5pm on weekdays. So we ended up going to Simi, which is really close from downtown.

You get any 8 tastings for $15. I'd seen their wines before but had never tried any of them. I really liked their Sauvignon Blanc, Reserve Cabernet and Petite Syrah.

The people who worked here were super friendly and kind, even though we went 15 minutes before closing. After they closed, they chatted with us and gave us extra pours of wine (which was wonderful). 

The garden outside the visitor's center.

The great thing about Healdsburg is that the tastings are very reasonably priced (especially compared to Napa) and most places will waive the tasting fee if you purchase wine. On my next visit, I would love to spend more time and visit other wineries and also dine here. Supposedly there are a lot of great restaurants!

Auberge du Soleil

One place I had to go to was Bistro & Bar inside the Auberge du Soleil resort.

Entrance.

It's located on top of a hill and the reason I wanted to come here was...

for this insane view.

No obstructions whatsoever. Tranquility.

They start you off with some house olives.

Took a break from wine with a nice amber beer.

Shared the Charcuterie platter.

(Top to bottom) Mortadella, Salami and Foie Blonde Pate.

The view itself is definitely worth coming here.

Vancouver Eats

I love yogurt. Out of all the yogurts I've ever had, Liberte tops them all. I usually prefer plain yogurt, but this mango-apricot flavor is amazing.

I have yet to see this in stores around here though.. boo.

Oyama Sausage Co. inside Graville Island.

Pate, salumi, proscuitto, cheese, sausages, they have everything deli!

A bit cruel...

Bought some pate and salumi to snack on in the hotel. Yum.

Fresh berries at Granville Island Public Market.

Terra Breads to pick up my favorite...

Blueberry White Chocolate Bread.

More like a sweet focaccia, the tartness of the blueberries and the sweetness of the white chocolate (baked in the dough) is so good. This is a must for me when in Vancouver. We were lucky this day because these came right out of the oven, just in time for an afternoon snack.

Beers inside the bar of Dockside Seafood Restaurant. The beers are brewed in-house. The view from the bar/restaurant is incredible and they have a beautiful patio area if the weather is nice. 

Good coffee/espresso at Trees Organic.

 The muffins (we ordered a cranberry bran) were also very good.

Osaka Eats

Earlier this month, we took a quick weekend trip to Osaka & Kyoto. After arriving in Osaka on Friday night, we went to eat...

Okonomiyaki at

Yukari

They were one of the only Okonomiyaki restaurants that were open late.

After dinner, we walked around Osaka city and had a drink at Mille Caresses, a wine and champagne bar.

The next day we spent in Kyoto (will blog separately) so our last day, before our Shinkansen back to Tokyo, we grabbed a quick Osaka-n snack.

Takoyaki at Hanadako.

Negi-Mayo (Scallion-Mayo) Takoyaki

Definitely a Japanese comfort food.