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Laili • Tasty Afghan Restaurant in Santa Cruz

Sunday, October 14th, 2012

If you want a great local, seasonal harvest treat, seriously, try the Pumpkin Bolani (Afghan vegan flatbread with a vegetable filling) at Laili Restaurant in Santa Cruz.  You won’t be disappointed in the Bolani (pumpkin or spinach) as an appetizer (sort of like an empanada or samosa) or part of the “Pick 2 Lunch Special.” See the photo above for a visual description and evidence of the three great dipping sauces the Bolani comes with.

Laili is a downtown, upscale Mediterranean restaurant right across the street from the MAH (Museum of Art & History). It was our first time eating Afghan food and it was delicious Mediterranean style cuisine.  We have only eaten at Laili for lunch so far but we were blown away with the flavor-packed bites of everything we tried.  The garden patio is lovely as is the decor and ambiance for a special lunch.  We also recommend the Silk Road Plate and the Maush-awa soup: lentils, shelling beans, braised lamb, qurut  yogurt (also a vegetarian option).  The server suggested the lamb wrap, which we’ll try next time.  The lunch prices were reasonable and we were absolutely stuffed when we left.

I suggest Laili restaurant if you have friends or family visitors in town who are either vegetarian, vegan, and/or meat eaters as there are options for everyone.

101 Cooper St
Ste B
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

(831) 423-4545

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Best Stromboli in San Jose: Tony Di Maggios Pizza

Thursday, April 12th, 2012

Tony Di Maggios Pizza is hard to find and in the middle of ‘no where’ San Jose/Campbell (this location: San Tomas) but it’s so worth finding! The Stromboli is delicious and has a unique ingredient that makes your mouth happy. You take a bite of the piping hot gooey, melted cheese and pizza dough, which could pretty much be as plain as kid’s mac n’ cheese, but wait, it has a kick, it’s … mustard (and probably some flavor from the butter drizzled on top too)!  If you are in need of some tasty comfort food, this is one you want to save your calories up for.  It’s not vegetarian, healthy, or gluten free.  It is a sinful treat!

Stromboli: Ham, Italian Sausage, Salami, Mustard, American and Mozzarella Cheeses wrapped in Pizza Dough and topped with Butter, Oregano, Black Pepper and our home made Tomato Sauce

Tony  Di Maggios Pizza

3852 Monterey Rd
San Jose, CA 95111
(408) 629-7775

&

915 S. San Tomas Aquino Rd
Campbell, CA 95008
(408) 374-1800

*Photos taken with Camera + App.

Posted in Eating Out, South Bay - Silicon Valley | 2 Comments »
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Zeni: Ethiopian Food in San Jose

Friday, February 24th, 2012

It is a pretty good sign when you arrive on a Friday night at a restaurant and there is a bit of a wait.  We waited for maybe twenty minutes as lots of other folks piled in to try and get their name on the list for a table and it just kept getting more and more crowded.

Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant is on Saratoga Avenue, the street with many great diverse restaurants in the San Jose area (along with of course our favorite, Halu Ramen).  There are still so many others for us to try from Persian to Japanese and African.

On the Friday night we dined, we sat on stools with a big round bowl table in front of us as we listened to a live musician play the keyboard as some little kids bounced around to the music.

The bill was very inexpensive for the four of us with plenty of food and wine (I think it was $35 each couple).

For a table of 4, Order (non-vegetarian):

  • Bottle of TEJ Organic Ethiopian Honey Wine
  • Tell the waitress to pick for you with a combination of veggie and meat dishes, you won’t be sorry- we liked the lamb and chicken dishes as well as all of the veggie dishes too

All Entrees are served with Injera, the unleavened bread prepared today as it was a thousand years ago and Zeni’s house salad (Injera also eaten in Somalia and Yemen). Injera is like a giant savory, spongy pancake that is laid out in front in a huge dish for communal eating. The salad is placed in the middle with all of your meat and veggie dishes along the sides also on top of the Injeri (see photos above).  Then you get an additional stack of Injera to use to scoop up the dishes and eat them with your hands.

Go with close friends or your honey, as this may be a bit of an awkward business lunch or dinner with people who don’t understand what double dipping is (just take one portion of Injera, enough for one scoop of food and eat that – can tear the Injera to get just the right size)!  That is of course coming from my own cultural context and I actually don’t know the custom for this in Ethiopia. I will have to find that one out!

Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant

1320 Saratoga Ave
San Jose, CA 95129

(408) 615-8282

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The Naglee Park Garage • San Jose

Sunday, July 10th, 2011

The Naglee Park Garage is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that you want located a short bike ride down the street from your house.  There is a small interior space with a few bar stools and some tables with the kitchen wide open and the grill right there.  In any case it is located very close to San Jose State University, hence the 7-11 right next door.  It was featured on Triple D’s, which is how we found out about it, but I’m not sure that it is a typical Triple D’s pick, it is maybe a bit on the hip divey side, so OK, it works for that.  You order your food and a beer (Allagash White – A traditional Belgian Wheat Beer on Draft) at the counter and can grab a seat inside or if it is nice enough you can sit out back at a picnic table in the beer garden.  The menu is not what you would expect from an order at the counter joint.  The fare includes interesting seasonal California foods such as salads including their classic Picnic Salad with beets, blue cheese, and bacon or a seasonal salad with apples, pears, endive, and goat cheese as well as tasty burgers and interesting main dishes (Ribs, Trout, Lamb Meatballs).  My choice for tastiness (and a great date night place to sit at the bar) is to split the burger and order a small salad and an interesting side … oh, as well as what I would consider the best item on the menu, their Chocolate Bread Pudding with whip cream and candied pecans (or vanilla too) for dessert.

I’ve been to Naglee Park Garage at least five times now and my friends from out of town dig it.  They do have breakfast (mmm… tri-tip hash), although I’ve never tried it and they also cater local backyard family-style events which sounds interesting and you can check that out on their website.

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Ladies’ who Lunch? The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards, Livermore, CA: SF Bay Area Day Trip

Friday, May 27th, 2011

Do you need to pretend you are among the ladies who lunch, even though you have to head out on the one day of the weekend that you don’t actually have to work? This is California right … everyone works.  The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards is your spot for a ladies who lunch outing.  Wente is also a good place for dates with your honey, hubby, or daddy too (we saw all of the above).  The complimentary lunch valet also makes you feel like your out-for-lunch, aka on vaca.  You even get to head out of town a bit for a nice drive in the country to get there, a true San Francisco Bay Area Day Trip for sure, without having to go all the way to Napa or Paso Robles.  It is about a 45 minute drive from Mountain View and from Oakland to get out to Livermore, CA.  As you get closer to Livermore you will find fruit stands along the road.  We bought cherries along the way and had a cherry spitting contest, FYI, not at Wente (don’t get yourself kicked out).

We liked snacking on: Cayenne Spiced Roasted Nuts, Maple, Garden Herbs & Warmed Nicolau Farms Goat Cheese, Herbed Bread Crumbs.

We liked sipping on: SEASONAL COCKTAILS such as the Lavender Martini and local wines at Wente.

Posted in Around California, Eating Out, Out of Town, SF Bay Area Day Trips, South Bay - Silicon Valley | 1 Response »
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For Sure, Breakfast @ Silver Spur: Santa Cruz

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

Their coffee is even good. You got it, not your typical diner. Seriously, my only problem with Silver Spur is, as their sign states, “Breakfast and Lunch 6am-3pm – Closed Sundays!” It is just open for breakfast and lunch and not on Sundays!  Why can’t there be a high quality restaurant with great comfort food like Silver Spur that is open for dinner too in Santa Cruz.  I mean, some evenings call for a blue plate special reminiscent of any American’s childhood favorite comfort foods (Meatloaf, Pork Chops, Mac & Cheese with a quality twist).  Yes, this is one the best, top breakfast spots in Santa Cruz and frankly, in the Bay Area.  The food is of a high quality with unique touches and an atmosphere that reminds me of great western breakfast spots from New Mexico to Montana.  The western feel and often tex-mex inspired dishes (South of the Border Scramble, Corned Beef Hash, Huevos Rancheros) are delicious, particularly with the accompaniment of their homemade salsa. Silver Spur always has specials written up on the board often featuring their yummy orange poppy-seed pancakes as a special and of course their daily muffin selection.  When you don’t think you want to the daily muffin special with your meal, get the cinnamon roll (pictured above).  Another perk, while you wait for your table (as you know, all awesome breakfast spots have a wait) you can drink the great coffee outside in the sun and read the paper.  My favorite dish is the South of the Border Scramble (has nice large pieces of avocado) and John’s is the Corned Beef Hash.  Alright, uber-critical types, find something wrong with Silver Spur besides the wait and the weight, you’ll add to your thighs.

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Santa Cruz in the News: Our Favorite Santa Cruz Restaurants (to date)

Sunday, January 23rd, 2011

36 Hours in Santa Cruz – from the NYTimes

Lots of Santa Cruz folks wrote-in comments on this article with their picks for their favorite restaurants in Santa Cruz.  One person said the NY Times list of restaurants was a bit outdated.  This got us thinking about our favorite restaurants in Santa Cruz and has also inspired us to try a couple of reader recommended spots that we haven’t been to yet.

Our Favorite Breakfast Spots in Santa Cruz:

  • Cafe Brasil - Banana Pancakes, Acai Bowl, & Feijoada (long waits on weekends).
  • Zachary’s - Best Burger in SC (Gourmet Burger w/ Avocado & Bacon), Mike’s Mess, Sourdough Pancakes, & Fresh Baked Goods.
  • Silver Spur – South of the Border Scramble (get their homemade salsa on the side) & Daily Special Baked Muffins (not Open Sundays).

Best Splurge in Santa Cruz:

  • Cellar Door Cafe – Awesome small plates (Smoked Fingerling Potatoes & Brussel Sprouts with smoked Chevre and Cider) & nightly Prix-Fixe Dinner – all local and daily changing seasonal menu.
  • Ristorante Avanti - Great California-Mediterranean inspired local and seasonal menu (such as Dungeness Crab Cakes OR Manchego Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms & Homemade Pappardelle and Baked Marin Sun Farms Meatballs).
  • Soif - Nice Wine Bar downtown with tasty small plates (Piquillo peppers stuffed w/ Manchego cheese).

Casual Spots:

  • Dynasty – Mandarin/Szechuan Cuisine in Capitola (not the village).  We order the Mushu Pork and Beef with Zilan and the complimentary peanut celery appetizer is good too.
  • El Palomar Taco Bar - Freshly cooked meat for tacos in Downtown. Check out Taco Tuesday.
  • Tortilla Flats Located in Soquel, is inspired by French and Mexican Cuisines, and has been a local favorite for over 25 years.
  • Smoqe – A BBQ and Wood Fired Pizza restaurant just off the freeway, south of Santa Cruz in Aptos.
  • I will add more spots onto this as I think of them!

Best Coffee:

  • Verve – Superb light roast coffee made by an award-winning Barista. Also try the Bowl of Soul Tea (Tea steeped in steamed soy milk and honey). Great vibe too.
  • Casalegno’s Coffee Bar w/ Ugly Mug Coffee – If Chris is working ask him to make you his coffee specialty!

Favorite Desserts & Bakeries:

  • Chocolate - Downtown Santa Cruz – LOVE their dark chocolate gelato hot fudge sundae – for Chocolate Lovers, you will LOVE it!
  • Penny Ice Creamery – Organic Ice Cream Shop with very unique flavors that change almost daily.  Many of the flavors are often reflective of Santa Cruz (Verve Coffee Flavor, SC Brewery, Organic/Local Fruits).
  • Marianne’s Ice Cream – This is a nostalgic, classic ice cream shop with lots of flavors on your way to or from the beach in Santa Cruz. I like the Macapuno, Creamy baby coconut ice cream which is not an ice cream I would have ever thought I would like (it’s not chocolate).
  • Gayle’s Bakery - Located in Capitola – Love their Princess Cake for Birthdays (Three layers of vanilla genoise cake ~ layers of pastry cream, raspberry jam & whipped cream inside ~ pastel marzipan shell outside ~ sprinkled with powdered sugar ~ topped with a fresh rose)!
  • Kelly’s French Bakery - Love their Macaroons.  Great area to hang out in over in Swift Street Courtyard.  There are wine tasting rooms, the Santa Cruz Brew Pub, Bonny Doon/Cellar Door Cafe, a Clothing Shop, Knitting Shop etc…)
  • The Buttery – Can’t forget the Buttery. They are packed with orders around every single holiday!

Favorite Spot for Cocktails:

  • 515 Kitchen & Cocktails – Love their Signature 515 Pomegranate Margarita (cazadores tequila, la pinta tequila, lime, pama liqueur, patron citronge liqueur, sugar rim)! 515 is kind of loungy and a great spot to enjoy cocktails with friends or lovers.

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These are favorite restaurants mentioned in the Comments about the NY Times Article: Click to continue »

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A Local’s Local: Cicero’s Pizza in San Jose/Cupertino

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

Cicero’s Pizza opened in San Jose, CA (Cupertino, CA to be exact) in 1968 which has given it thirty years and three different locations to build a local following.  We’ve tried so many pizza joints around San Jose from A Slice of New York (we like the garlic knots and cannoli’s @ Slice of NY) to Rosie’s New York Pizza, Pizza Chicago, Pizza My Heart, Thunderbird, and few others.  Cicero’s feels the most like a neighborhood joint, that you would go to after a softball game or swim meet, even though it is located in a a Safeway strip mall in its current location.  It is a comfort zone where you can wear your sweats and feel nostalgic for your hometown pizza place like my beloved Pizza Villa that I grew up frequenting every Wednesday night in the summers.  Local folks seem to stop by Cicero’s to pick-up pizzas on Friday nights on their way home from work to take to the family.  Cicero’s also has a decent size dining room (please don’t modernize it) where you can order at the counter and take a seat at a booth or table and sip on a draft Sierra while you wait.

Our favorite is the shredded Italian sausage, very fine crumbs, topping on Cicero’s thin crust pizza (crust is not so crispy that it is like a cracker, just not deep dish).  Lots of people suggest the Belly Buster but once we found the crumbled sausage pizza, we were hooked.

Cicero’s Pizza
6138 Bollinger Road
San Jose/Cupertino
408-777-0690

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