Pasta Moon (Half Moon Bay)

STAYCATION: 05.18.2012 @ 8:30 PM

AS SEEN ON CHECK, PLEASE! BAY AREA: http://www.youtube.com...

The lounge was sleek and sexy.
The food and drink were tasty.
The jazz guitarist got my juices flowing...........


AMBIANCE/DECOR:
Pasta Moon is a good place to have a nice dinner in Half Moon Bay. The outside looked like a very  casual eatery with a couple of patio tables. The menu was written on a blackboard.

Upon walking in at around 8:30 PM, we were greeted by the tantaliziing jazz music being played by the guitarist on the stage. We were offered to be seated at the main dining area but we opted for the lounge that was modern and sexy. It was spacious with high ceilings with exposed slat beams.

The mood lighting of hanging red/yellow glass lights were turned down. Low lounge chairs made of red leather along with eclectic dining tables were available for seating.

FOOD AND DRINK: (Sorry, no food pics. Too dark for the camera!)
ITALIAN 77 $10:   St.Germain Elderflower Liquor, Fresh Lemon Juice, Prosecco 
* Citrusy bubbly. Refreshing. However, it tasted more like champagne with lemon juice. Just okay.

BRUSCHETTA $10: Burrata cheese served over local greens and sun dried tomato pesto
* 2 Bruchetta piled high with greens and sun dried tomatoes. Good and filling!

TAGLAITELLE PRAWNS $ 22 : Spring Asparagus,lemon, parmesan, basil, garlic, EVOO
* Good but nothing remarkable. It tastes like the the bowl of pasta that I make at home when I want something simple and comforting. The pasta was chewy but slighty dry. The plump prawns were fresh and generous.

PASTA MOON LASAGNA : $12/$19 House made Sicilian sausage, ricotta, parmesan, chili flake, tomato sauce
* Enrique got the full order. Sadly, he got food poisoning at San Benito Bar earlier in the afternoon. He barely touched his lasagna. I tasted it to compare it to my lasagna and it was actually pretty good! This lasagna is Pasta Moon's signature dish.

VERDICT:
Pasta Moon is a solid dining venue in Half Moon Bay. It is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary this coming June 2012. It's farm to table philosophy making use of the local, sustainable produce is just one of the good reasons why this 25 year old restaurant should be patronized. The rest is the house made pasta and lovely ambiance.

TOTAL: $90 including tip, 1 alc and 2 non-acl drinks

NOTEWORTHY:
1. Sexy lounge area.
2. Check out Pasta Moon's Live Music Calendar for free, no cover music until 9PM.
3. Definitely order the Pasta Moon Lasagna!

Imperial Tea Court (Ferry Building)

GIRLS' TEA TIME: 05.03.12 @ 2:30 PM

Use your imagination and you will find yourself transported  in a tea court in China.You will find yourself seated at a glossy cherry dining table, with paper lanterns hanging from the ceilings and staring at jars of exotic teas.

This is exactly where my lovely friend Heather  and I wanted to be on a Thursday afternoon. Instead of sharing tea in Asia, we were at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. We have no complaints. This is one part of of the world where we would rather be on a rainy weekday afternoon.

TEA PRESENTATION:
Armed with a Living Social Deal for Tea Presentation for Two, we were treated to an elaborate tea ritual. It started with our friendly and knowledgable server showing us 6 kinds of tea leaves: puerh, oolong, chrysanthemum, black, green, etc. She allowed us to smell each tea.

We decided on the puerh and green tea. She explained that for the green tea it is recommended to hold it in your mouth for few seconds to savor its light and delicate taste; while the puerh belongs in your back palate. 

The tea presentation was a great tea experience. What we participated in was the Gaiwan Tea Presentation or China's classic covered teacup. It  represents the traditional way of sharing tea informally with friends.

It shows respect for the art of drinking tea with different vessels for seeping the tea, changing the water and the final enjoyment of the hot tea being poured for you. It was calming. It was Zen.

TEA ACCOMPANIMENTS:
Heather and I enjoyed our teas with a SNACK PLATTER of wasabi squash seeds, almonds. poppy seed cookies and prunes (similar to Filipino-Chinese snack "champoy.") We enjoyed the sweet-savory flavors and variety of textures of our snacks. (Included in the package.)

We ordered an extra plate of DIMSUM PLATTER $12: 1 fried eggrolls, shrimp sui mai, pork sui mai, bean dumpling, mustard greens dumplings. Skip it!  Not only the platter too skimpy for the price, everything was either very greasy or dry. The dumplings tasted like they were microwaved -- came out very dry and inedible.

PRICE: The regular price for the Introductory to Tea (which we participated in) was $30 for 2. With Living Social I paid $24 with a free book "The Great Teas of China."
Was it worth it? As educational and wonderful our tea experience was, I am glad that I did not pay full price.

RECOMMEND:
-Go for the tea. They were delicate, fresh and a wonderful treat for you and your friend.
-Skip the food. You are at the Ferry Building-- foodie haven. No excuse for eating mediocre food.
-If you are really craving dim sum, go to Chinatown, just one BART ride away.