Steaking My Claim

Steak.

In my personal opinion, it's really hard to beat a great steak. Steak is great in anything, with anything, at any time. From carne asada to filet mignon, with sauces to rubs, there are a million and a half ways to make a great steak - I love them all. I am truly indiscriminate in my unmis-steak-able (ha) passion for great food, but steak holds a place atop the upper echelons in my pyramid of favorite foods. In a category of its' own, flank steak, porterhouse, rib eye, filet mignon, sirloins, brisket, and even ground beef for god sake overwhelm my entire being with pleasure; not just my taste buds!

Therefore, when offered my choice of restaurants to celebrate my recent collegiate graduation - courtesy of JoAnne and Lisa Momono - of course I picked a steak house. Generously, two of my Mom's best friends decided to treat my whole family. They recommended Izzy's Steaks and Chops, an upscale and traditional, yet not overwhelmingly swanky steak house located in San Carlos. They also have restaurants in San Francisco and San Ramon, both of which I would kill to go to in the near future. Here's a menu for your reading - and looking pleasure. http://www.izzyssteaks.com/content/view/98/98/

I ordered the filet mignon and fresh fries (how French of me right?), with a side of homestyle creamed spinach. It was awesome. Whoever said french fries couldn't suffice as a side dish in any setting other than a drive thru McDonalds was wrong. Dinner was followed by a key lime pie and a fruit crumble, coupled with an espresso. Pictures are below!

Throughout my searches and internet explorations for interesting food columns, blogs, and writers, I cam across a blog entitled, "TiedToTheSteak." Quite entertaining and mouthwatering for all you meat lovers. The link to the blog is listed below:
http://tiedtothesteak.blogspot.com/

Also just for kicks, here are links to both the "Top 10 Steak Recipes" by About.com, as well as the "Top 10 Steakhouses in the San Francisco Bay Area" by Gayot.com, respectively.

http://bbq.about.com/od/steakrecipes/tp/10steaks.htm

http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/best-sanfrancisco-ca-top10-steakhouses_3sf.html

Happy Bastille Day!

It's Bastille Day. French Independence Day.

Le petit déjeuner (breakfast)
I love me some France, and all of the Frenchies that come with it. After studying abroad and living in Paris for more than 4 months of my life in 2010, France has a special place with me. I love everything about the French culture, lifestyle, language, and of course, French food.

ESPECIALLY FRENCH FOOD.

What better way to celebrate the "storming of the bastille," than with some French cuisine to vicariously commemorate France's version of our 4th of July. Duck, cheese, wine, baguettes, truffles, champignons de Paris (mushrooms), goose, and foie gras barely begin to touch the tip of the iceberg that makes up the overwhelming mountain of French food that makes my palate "cheese" (pun intended).





Le déjeuner (lunch)
Why and how do we (well, they) celebrate?

To make an incredibly long and complicated story short and sweet for the interest of all readers, I'll keep this part brief. July 14, 1789 marks the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison in France. This was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French during the French Revolution. Festivities and official ceremonies are held all over France, from the Northern tip to the Mediterranean Sea. The oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe is held on the morning of 14 July, on the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris in front of the President of the Republic, French officials and foreign guests. Here's a link for more detailed information on this history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille_Day.

Le dîner (dinner)
French food is by far my favorite style, flavor, and kind of food. If I could recommend any restaurant to celebrate Bastille Day, it would easily be Bouchon of Santa Barbara. Although they do not serve foie gras anymore (an issue I will surely write about in the near future) due to the July 2012 ban in California, their menu consisting of the classic french onion soup, duck confit, venison, lamb, and my girlfriend's favorite, the seared yellowfin tuna, is a hard menu to beat. Although a little pricey, you get what you pay for and more, which is great food, great service, and an amazing ambiance and decor. Even their butter and bread is awesome!

http://www.bouchonsantabarbara.com/homepage.php
http://www.bouchonsantabarbara.com/pdfs/bouchon_dinner_menu.pdf

I wish you all happy eats and an enjoyable (and delicious) Bastille Day!

Utensils for Life

Post collegiate graduation: the most confusing, stressful, and overwhelming time of my short life so far. Moving from the beautiful grunge of Isla Vista which I came to know and love so much, to the original homeland of El Cerrito was, and still is quite the transition. No longer can I walk from the front door of my house on Pasado to the beach, bars, Thunderdome, and University Center (while stopping at every other house along the way to say "hi" to friends) all in one trip.

Now, all of us fresh graduates have the ecstasy of academic freedom coursing through us, coupled with the depressive sensation of unemployment and uncertainty as to what where our lives will lead us now. Until now, we've all had a rough outline sketched out for us as to where we will go, or what we will do. Being the food lover that I am, I have often mentally compared this situation to a set of utensils at a fine dining restaurant - humor me:

Similar to the sense that you are expected to use your utensils in a certain order, your path through academia is much alike. Everyone is expected to use your butter knife first, simply preparing you for the bigger and better things to come, just like elementary school. Moving along, the salad fork (NOT the dinner fork) and soup spoons are essentially ensuring your palate is ready to take on the main course, just as middle school readies you for high school. As you finish middle school, you are ready to pick up the dinner fork and knife, showing that you mean business. Dessert, or in this analogy "college," is the sweetest part of any persons life meal; but some care for it and some don't.

We've all finished our dessert, and there are no more guidelines as to where our life path goes now; the utensils are all used up. Watching my class peers, friends, and girlfriend all go very different directions after college has made me realize that the next course in my life's meal should be one that I can enjoy. Whether it be work, travel, a vacation, or anything else that you decide to do, you should love doing it and want to keep coming back everyday. So eat dessert with your knife, and butter your bread with your spoon, because now you are setting the guidelines for yourself. Don't worry about the bill because however expensive it may turn out to be, if you loved the meal, it's worth it.