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!

Six Peaks Grille (Lake Tahoe)

Memorial Day Weekend Getaway 2011

As my first carnivore meal after 8 1/2 months of pescetarianism, I had the 7 oz RIBEYE STEAK at Six Peaks Grille. I know I have been deprived but I have not forgotten how a good steak should taste like. The steak was medium rare, juicy, almost melt in your mouth tender and so full of flavors. ($16)

A PEPPERCORN SAUCE was served on the side but the steak was good without the extra help. That's when you know the meat is of good quality.

Enrique had the same thing. He had the MASHED POTATOES as a side dish while I had the BROCCOLINI. Both were simple but good. ($5 each)

I guess once a seafoodtarian will always be a seafoodtarian. I kept on going back to seafood and ordered DIVER SCALLOPS as our appetizer. Our server warned us that one order might not be enough. Why? Because these scallops were so perfectly seared and deliciously seasoned. They just melted in our mouth. And only 2 came per order accompanied by yummy onion crisp. ($13)

I had the BERRY BELLINI while my guy had the MOJITO. My bellini would have been yummy if not for slightly tasting like cough syrup. It was still good, though. We were not sure if it was because of being in a high altitude or the strong alcohol or combination of both but we both got pretty intoxicated during dinner!

We were full but we were given a "passport" for free dessert for every entree when we checked in:

*FRIED NEAPOLITAN ICE CREAM: Individually fried scoop each of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream and coated with rice crispies. A variety of texture and temperature going on at the same time. Pretty and yummy dessert!

*3 MINI CUPCAKES: We had to take them home. Even after the next day they were still fresh, delish and not dry.

DECOR:
Six Peaks Grille's decor is attractive enough but generic. The designers probably felt like they could not compete with nature's own beauty that surrounds the place. We were seated by the window and dined while fluffy snowflakes were falling. We had a view of the mountains and the outdoor patio with a big fire on the fireplace while it was snowing. As we were eating dinner, our surroundings were being covered in whiteness and softness except for the colors of fire in the fireplace. It was so quiet and serene.

SERVICE:
Our server, Lucci, was top-notch. His services were comparable to fine dining at fancier restaurants.

LOWDOWN:
I appreciate Six Peaks Grille's thoughtfulness in putting together a delicious menu on top of the mountain in the middle of nowhere. Seeing the world slowly being covered in white fluffy snowflakes added to the magic of our meal. A table by the window is a must when dining at Six Peaks. Do not settle for anything less!

Tab: $98 including tax, 2 drinks, 2 complimentary desserts before tip.

Foodie Girl's Rating: 4 Stars

Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Some are good. Some are okay. Some are bad.
3 Stars: Like! I will return!
4 Stars: Love! I will be dreaming of you at night!
5 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)

Saturday Date Night at the Pez Museum

Saturday Date Night: October 9, 2010 @ 4:30 PM

When Enrique and I first started dating almost four years ago and even to this day, he has been giving me Pez toys here and there to "put in my office." Not only is he a big kid at heart but his last name is very close to "Pez." I guess his love affair with Pez started since he was a kid.

On the other hand, I never cared for Pez as a young kid.  They were available in Manila where I grew up but I just hated the taste of the Pez candy. 

When I found out about the Pez Museum and Memorabilia through Groupon (Deal was $5 for 2 tickets and $5 store credit,) I just knew I had to take Enrique to this place!

I already read that the Pez Museum is going to be tinier than my living room. What I was not prepared for was that it really is a tiny storefront that seemed to have gotten stuck in the '80s.  The store was divided into two sections: The first section was the store where you can purchase all kinds of Hello Kitty, Elvis and Disney Pez dispensers and even retired Pez toys.  The second was the actual museum.

For $3 entrance fee, you also get a "private" tour by the very friendly owner and he will tell you some fun trivias:

1. Pez was invented in Austria.
2. Pez is short for the german word "PfeffErmiZ (got it?) because the first Pez candy flavor was peppermint.

Vintage Pez Poster

3. The first Pez dispenser came out in 1950 and did not have a "head" on it. It looked like a cigarette lighter. In 1952, they started addding "character" head to Pez.

4. This Pez museum has the largest Pez dispenser. This is the home of the 7 ft 10 in "Pez Snowman" that appeared in the Guinness World Record as the largest Pez dispenser ever.

The museum showcased all kinds of Pez dispensers since the 1950s and it also included nostalgic toys that shared the same dateline as Pez.  It was fun to see and hear about  the "illegal, bad toys" which include a Cabbage Patch doll who "ate kids' hair and fingers," the Barbie Matador who "killed" bulls and Potato Head that needed a real  potato to exist.

"Bad Cabbage Patch. You 'ate' children's hair and fingers!"

Mr. and Mrs.  Potato Head without their Potatoes

We were in-and-out in about 20 minutes. The tour itself only took about 5 minutes where we were left to browse on our own and take pictures. We spent the next 10 minutes deciding which Pez to buy for mostly $2.15 each excluding the "retired" Pez which sold for a lot more.  Enrique made out with  "Joker" and "Goofy," and I bought  the mouse and chef Pez from the movie "Ratatouille."  With the $5 Groupon, we left the store spending only $4!

So, if you are a "kid at heart" and/or know someone who will enjoy the Pez Museum --for $3 and the price of gas--you can enter the Pez time machine and be a kid again.  Do not expect much--just enter the grungy store with a child-like wonder. You will definitely be "wowed."  A fun and cheap date place!

Date Night Recommendations:
1. Visit the Pez Museum and buy a Pez or two to remember the fun afternoon.
2. For dining options, down the street is the cozy Downtown Burlingame where there are plenty of boutiques to browse and restaurants to choose from.

(Enrique and I checked out downtown Burlingame for a little bit but decided to go to the City for dinner.)

Saturday Date Night on the SF Bay Explorer Cruise

Saturday Date: September 4, 2010 @ 3:30 PM

Armed with 1/2 off Groupons for the  San Francisco Explorer Bay Cruise,  Enrique and I headed to Pier 43 1/2 last Saturday for a date night that's "a little different" from our usual dinner-movie Saturday nights.

It is fair to say that we were a couple of brave souls to go to Fisherman's Wharf during the Labor Day Weekend. Not only it was a long holiday weekend but the sun also decided to "vacay" in San Francisco for a few days (although it played "peek-a-boo" during our cruise but that's San Francisco for you!)

Fisherman's Wharf was packed with tourist actions. It was almost elbow to elbow and we literally got the last parking space avalable! We were happy to pay "only" $28. If you live/work in San Francisco, you totally get what I mean. (Last year I paid $38 for 3 hours of parking at the Wharf!!!!)

We boarded our ferry at exactly 3:30 PM. It helped that I reserved our space few days ago. The boat has 3 levels, spacious with plenty of room to roam around.

It has a concession stand where you can get food and drinks, and/or sweatshirt if you get too cold and forgot yours in the car. (Just like Enrique.)

We hangout on the third level and just enjoyed the view.  It was our second time crusing on the bay. Last year we went to visit Alcatraz. What was cool about the SF Bay Explorer Cruise was we were able to sail around the whole island of Alcatraz, and see the sides that you can only view by sailing around it.

For an hour and a half, we also cruised by Treasure Island Lighthouse, Yerba Buena Island, AT&T Ballpark etc and finishing off by the Ferry Building. We also saw the "new" Bay Bridge under construction.



Ferry Building




New Bay Bridge Construction



The narration was nonstop for 90 minutes. Although the history and story of each landmark we were cruising by were interesting, for the the most part they narration on the loud speaker was just distracting and annoying at the very least.  The billion dollar views, however, were priceless.

The coolest thing for me was sailing under the Bay Bridge.  It was just so amazing to sail by and under this bridge that I drive on everyday to go to work!

When Enrique and I got cold, we grabbed a cup of hot chocolate that we shared while enjoying the saltwater on our face and the fresh ocean wind. Now that's romantic!

San Francisco Bay Explorer Cruise
Pier 43 1/2
San Francisco, CA
$36 per person

Fried Snicker Anyone? Sinfully Yummy County Fair "Cuisine"

Saturday Date with my guy and we found ourselves at the Pleasanton County Fair. What do you do at a fair when you are too chicken for rides like me?!

Aside from petting the sweetest furry creatures like little bunnies and baby turkeys, my sweetie and I plunge into the the deliciousness of fair cuisine.

Sweetie started off with the "barbecued beef sandwich* from Big Bubba's Barbecue stand. Not to be outdone, I ordered a turkey drumstick (which my sweetie would not let the opportunity go without not commenting what's already expected, "You look like a caveman!") The drumstick was so huge that it won't fit into a picture.

Of course, a trip to the fair would not have been complete  without an order of garlic fries.

And the most sinful food of all:  DEEP-FRIED SNICKERS BAR! I just had to try it. Sweetie and I shared this Hot. Melt in your mouth. Deep Fried but not greasy morsel. The batter was thin enough that it was not noticeable. Call it a mutual BIG F (foodgasm)!!!! 

Just in case you decide to visit this food fair heaven next year:

http://www.alamedacountyfair.com/2010fair/General_Info/index.php?row=0

Be sure to dress comfortably and wear comfy shoes. It was sweltering hot!

The fair is huge and lots to see.