Dinner with Friends!

Tuesday after work, Jennifer and I met up with Katherine for a night of seafood and gossip! Sounds like a good thing to do on a rainy afternoon - Phil's Fish Market is about half way for Katherine and I so we called it even.

Jennifer ordered Champagne Oysters sauteed in butter and shallots. They sounded so delicious in description but they really did not deliver as promised.

When I read the special #27 - Grilled fresh Alaskan Halibut & grilled crab meat topped with hollandaise sauce on a bed of spinach - you know I was sold! I really concentrated on eating the protein. There were steamed vegetables, besides the tasty spinach, that I played around with but I ignored the bread and potatoes. Protein power - I am telling you, that is the way to go when you are watching what you eat.

And this my friends, is an Artichoke Cupcake! Yes, you heard right! I had to try it! It was quite good, tasted kind of like zucchini bread with cream cheese frosting.

Here's the thing about Phil's - I like how you order and sit down. You don't have to wait on a waitress coming to take you order - that is nice. But, Phil's is so expensive! I don't envy anyone in the restaurant business because I know it is a rough industry but - WOW! I eat out a lot and could not afford to eat here regularly. But, this place is always packed! Keep on what your doing Phil - but maybe charge me less! ;)

Healthy MELISSA!

My daily 5k - check. Healthy eating: Salmon & Asparagus - check. I am so in this!

Rib Cook-Off - San Juan Bautista, CA

After stretching out after the Red Barn Run, I grew an appetite for some bbq. It just so happened that the Annual Rib Cook-off was in my little hometown of San Juan Bautista.. imagine that!

Lines were long. Tons of people filled Main Street!

Prize winning Rib booth - Don't mind if I do!


These are Pulled Pork Fries. They sounded delish on the menu but most of the fries were raw, like crunchy raw. Mistake!

The first placed ribs were not the best ever, but the sauce was too die for! All a lot of fun though!

Red Barn Run - San Juan Bautista, CA

Hello Sunday morning... 5k?! Yes, please.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Yankee Pier - San Jose, CA

I would like to say we went to Santana Row and it was a beautiful day. It wasn't! Very cold and overcast... It didn't scare us away! We came hungry and ready to shop. My sister said the Yankee Pier had the BEST clam chowder so I had to try it myself...

Hey look, it is Melissa Good Taste!

Inside the YP it was very East Coast, beach house feel.


Jennifer! The one who swore by the chowder...

Downtown Brown? Don't mind if I do! It was a nutty brew, very creamy.

Oysters on the half shell, yes please! Tasty little devils.

Did you know the smaller the oyster the sweeter the taste?!

According to Jennifer this is the best clam chowder ever. It was pretty good. Not the best, but darn good. I appreciate the dill biscuit floater. I am a believer Jennifer!

This is the Hot Lobster Roll - Just toast filled with heated sweet lobster. I wish they served it with melted butter. But, no. They served it plain Maybe a suggestion for next time?

Fish and Chips - Delicatly breaded and delicious. I know fried foods are pretty hard to mess up but the quality of the fish is really what made this over the top.

After our meal we had to walk off some of the calories we just consumed. A good way to do that is by shopping! In and out of stores we went settling on purchases from Anthropology and H&M. It was a lovely day but I think I need a nap now!

Cafe Ella does it again!

Cafe Ella updated their menu and everything sounded so delicious!

When I saw the Poached Seabass with a grilled portabello mushroom filled with crab, chives & corn salad tossed in tomato aioli. I had to have it! It did not disappoint! There is also a Duck Salad that is new to the menu, my sister ordered it and it was wonderful! I ate what she didn't finish! Go check the new menu out and visit with Ella!

BINGO!

Every third Wednesday at Ridgemark Country Club and Golf Course they hold a buffet dinner and BINGO! The dinner is okay - the mashed potatoes were pretty tasty last night but for the most part it is forgettable. Onto the BINGO game..

These are my losing BINGO cards - I was not so lucky!

This is Kathy mostly texting about tornados and storm drains.

Lookie here, lookie here! Two big winners at BINGO!

All in good fun! Happy Thursday!

Chunk's first win!

I am such a proud mother! This was Chunkaroo's first blue ribbon!

Melissa Good Taste and Chunk!

Chunkaroo and I becoming a better team one run at a time!

Holy Guacamole!

I was sent home with a boat load of avocados grown in beautiful Southern California. Besides guacamole - which is pretty much heaven all by itself - what do you like to do with your avocados? Come on readers, shoot me your ideas! Thanks Scott!

Lil Roc

Don't tell Chunk, but Lil Roc might be my future favorite! Such a handsome little devil!

Paradise Beach Grille - Capitola, CA

My Mom and I had to run over to Santa Cruz for a few errands and maybe a little bit of bonding time. We both declared ourselves famished so we decided to try somewhere new for dinner - Why not the Paradise Beach Grille in Capitola Village?

If you find a metered parking spot right on the beach be prepared to shell out almost $2 in quarters to have the meter green for about an hour! Capitola must making a killing in the summer with those meters! Cha-ching!

Inside the restaurant we were seated very quickly. When asked where we would like to sit we said inside, it was so chilly in Capitola - maybe next time if we were dressed warmer. Did you notice what is floating in my water glass? Cucumber - how spa like! The little things, it's the little things.

Clam Chowder? Yes, please! My mom and I both had a cup. My consensus: I liked the consistency, the right amount of potato to seafood - however, it was not served hot enough for my liking. I like my soup, chowder, bisque - whatever - served with a little steam! My mom thought it was too thick, maybe a little too paste like. Opinions, opinions we all have them! Did you notice my crayon artwork - always marketing!

This my friends is what they call "The Cake Walk" - And by that name they serve: Petite servings of Rock Crab Cake, Smoked Salmon Cake and Rock Shrimp Crab Cake. When I saw this on the menu you know I could not pass it up! Holy yum. The sauces were each a little different. One smoky, one sweet and the other a little tangy. I noticed one thing, it was a little salty but I didn't mind it too much because I have a taste for that kind of thing.

Kathy Good Taste ordered a salad, the Pacific Rim Salad to be exact. Grilled teriyaki chicken breast, marinated rice noodles, mandarin oranges, water chestnuts, tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded carrots and toasted almonds tossed with fresh greens served with a miso vinaigrette. That was a mouthful and a huge mound of salad! I swear they used two cans of mandarian oranges on this baby. My mom ate her way around it and tried to finish it. She couldn't even finish half! Big salad.

This was my first experience at the Paradise Beach Grille and I would be happy to return. Maybe sit outside on a nice day and enjoy a cocktail and a few appetizers. When we went last night we were seated next a large group who seemed to be having a business meeting so it did get quite loud. Not the restaurants fault but it did distract from our meal. The server was pretty prompt but at the end of meal when we were ready to go we had to flag someone down to find him. No worries though, he must have been busy. Like I said before, it is just the little things...

Melissa Green Thumb

A little organized, no?

Roma Tomato plant.

Melons, strawberries and cabbage.

Zucchini and cucumbers.

Red romaine, serrano peppers and swiss chard.


Wiring up the posts so the sweet peas can grow up tall!

Pretty cool tubs! A vintage feel ;)

Ancho peppers, red onions and habaneros!

Early Girl Tomato

Notice the propane tank in the background. Nice!

Feeling pretty accomplished... I was one with the earth!


Now onto the roses! Snip, snip!

And the prettiest one of them all...

Chunkaroo!

Still celebrating!

Whole Enchilada here I come, it is Cinco de Mayo after all...

A Pomegranate Margarita, well maybe two. Very delicious and refreshing!

These are Seafood Enchiladas - They were a special and in the tastiest Lobster cream sauce. I was debating on ordering these but decided to go with my usual...

Fresh Fish - Sea Bass to be exact. This was so good! The fish rested on a bed of spinach, rice and corn and so delicately floating along side was a terrific cream sauce. So perfect, so fresh, so going to order this again!

My lovely family and friends spoiled me rotten!

Until next year... Thanks again everyone!