La Madeleine - Fort Worth, TX

Scott and I arrived in Texas last week and were welcomed to rain! Rain and warm weather has made the countryside so green! The rain fooled us into seeking a comforting setting and what could be more so than a quaint French cafe? 

I am not going to lie Le Madeleine is a little confusing when you walk in. You have to place your order or choose to take from the food line right when you walk in the door. It makes for an awkward experience when you feel pressure to hurry up and order something as the hostess stares at you. I felt the pressure and made my decision of Tomato Basil soup pretty quickly. 

All Scott wanted was coffee and breakfast. Eggs, tomatoes and a croissant is all he wanted. He made the hostess's life easy. I stared at her blanking a little too long for comfort deciding what I wanted with my soup.

Surely a French Dip from a French cafe would be tasty right? Despite the greasy au jus, which did not offend me at all, it was a hell of a sandwich. My only complaint was that I only ordered a half! I could have really dug into another side of that sandwich! 

I noticed the bakery case on my way out and as I lie in bed typing this I am kicking myself for not getting a little somethin' somethin'. A lemon tart or a chocolate macaroon sound really good right now!

BMW's & Breakfast - Santa Barbara, CA

 We were not actually car shopping when we stepped on the BMW lot in Santa Barbara but when they wanted to give us such a good trade in deal on my Range Rover Sport we could not walk away. So now we are proud owners of a BMW X1. Sporty yet classy, Scott already has plans on installing surf racks on top.

 Scott wanted to take me to "Flaming's Steak House" to celebrate but the old place is now "Marmalade Cafe" and so we had brunch instead. The place was hopping and we took our seats to go through a pile of menus. Scott went the breakfast route and settled on scrambled eggs, home style potatoes and toast. He said it was tasty and would return.

 

When I saw the Parmesan Crusted Snapper with mashed potatoes, spinach, tomatoes and cream sauce. It was delicious. The portion was large and just really hit the spot, I was truly hungry. 

There was tons of things on the menu and I look forward to ordering different things on upcoming visits. So cheers to a new car and new cafe as well!

Nina's Baby Shower - Hollister, CA

My girlfriends! I have missed them so much and was glad I got the opportunity to catch up with them during my last visit back home. Allison, Nina and Keri have been great friends to me throughout the years! They are all married and have babies so that makes me Aunt Missy! 

At Nina's shower she served the best food. I went back for seconds of this Breakfast Casserole. Filled with egg and sausage, it was truly comforting! 

Spinach Salad with bacon, red onion, hard boiled eggs and tossed with a delicious vinaigrette. I chose a section of the salad with extra bacon - I am sneaky like that!

Lots of fruit! All juicy and delicious.

Cheers to Nina, her baby boy and the rest of her family who is just over the moon about his arrival!

Marty's Catering - Ojai, CA

Go here when you have time! Lots of time... I ordered a ham, egg and cheese toasted sandwich to go and the poor girl behind the counter tried her best to get served up. Her helper left her all by herself so I feel bad. Maybe I will go back for a bagel ...

Don't these Jalapeno and Cheese bagels look great? Toasted with cream cheese would just be heaven. I have a heart, I will be back.

Los Arroyos - Montecito, CA

I have dined in Montecito a couple of times. The first time it was at the famous, Lucky's. What is better than Lucky's? Pretty much nothing in my opinion. But, I have also been to Cava. That was an expensive experience - even just appetizers and a drink will set you back almost a Benjamin. And now I have dined at Los Arroyos.

Just across the street you find this fun little adobe. The cute patio, stylish decor and a menu full of delicious items just beckoned us in.

They know how to get the party started! Complimentary guacamole, spicy salsa on top and mild pictured on the bottom. The "spicy" wasn't so spicy, in fact it was just right. Mixed with the guacamole it really became something special. The mild was pretty much watered down ketchup.
That is my BRIGHT red Pork Pozole. It was delicious. I topped it with cilantro, cabbage and squeezed in a little lime after I took the photo. The pork was very tender. The hominy is just so filling, I couldn't finish it all.

Scott ordered the Chiliques, which is basically eggs and tortilla chips cooked together with a green chile sauce on top. A little cheese and pico de gallo on top is what finished off the food mountain. Refried beans, potatoes and a generous portion rounded the dish. He ate it all, said it was delicious and claimed to be "stuffed." And that my friends equals success when dining at a Mexican restaurant! Ole Ole!!

Left Bank Brasserie - San Jose, CA

With cloudy skies above, my girlfriends and I ventured to San Jose, brunch and facials were what we had in mind. We decided to go to Left Bank, since we all had not been there before. Located in San Jose’s Santana Row, Left Bank Brasserie transports guests to a quaint brasserie in Paris, where diners feast upon classic French cuisine in a charming brasserie setting along the boulevard, where people-watching has been elevated to a sport.

The three of us - excited for a relaxing day.

I really liked this picture, so colorful and the elephant looked so happy!

The Ultimate Indulgence -Fondue aux Fromages. Brie, Blue and Goat’s Cheese Fondue. Holy Moly! The three of us shared this and still could not even come close to finishing it.

Of course I ordered the soup. It was Cream of Butternut Squash, very tasty - just needed a pinch of salt.

My order was the Quiche et Salade. Quiche of crab meat, mushrooms, spinach & Emmental cheese; frisée salad. Very tasty. I love Quiche's they can have almost any filling and still be wonderful.

Elena's order was the Brouillè de Provence. Which was Scrambled Eggs with oven-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, basil & potato hash with Artisan goat’s cheese. I think the photo did not do the dish justice. She said it tasted amazing.

Last but not least, Amanda's order of Eufs Bénédictes.
Which basically was Eggs Benedict - Poached Eggs with Parisian ham, English muffin, hollandaise and potato hash. I am a big fan of anything hollandaise.

At this point we were pretty relaxed, and full from our delicious meal. We strolled on out of the restaurant just in time to take advantage of the full spa - steam room, sauna, jacuzzi before our appointments. I would recommend the Left Bank to those who have not tried it, French food is fun because everything sounds so fancy! It gave us a good laugh. There is a lot to try on their menu - the dinner read amazing! Santana Row is fun - thank you Amanda and Elena for a lovely day.

Brunch on Sunday

I should have taken a picture before my Mom and I tore into it! Kathy Good Taste decided to whip up a Quiche on Sunday morning and I happily indulged. Her flaky pie crust is what really made this quiche special, no one has it beat. Eggs, cream, sugar, salt & pepper, Tabasco, ham, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, green onion, asparagus and tomato finished off the dish! How beautiful is it? I mean really. I hope every one's weekend was as relaxing as mine!

How is your Monday treating you so far?