Little Napoli - Carmel, CA

While in San Juan Bautista over Christmas I got to spend a night out with James and Kate in Carmel. We kicked off our evening at the Caraccioli Cellars Tasting Room. Kate and I enjoyed a glass of their award winning Brut Rose. It was lovely, blend of not too sweet and not too dry. It was the perfect start to our meal to come!

Little Napoli is an Italian restaurant located in the heart of Downtown Carmel. James and kate like coming here so they wanted me to experience their little spot. We had late reservations but I was amazed at how packed the place was. I love a restaurant that serves late into the night. It was a quaint space, the lights were low and I felt like I was transported to somewhere in Italy.

When I saw that they had an appetizer special of Truffle Gnocchi I knew instantly that is what I wanted to start our meal off with. I ordered up the baked pillowy clouds of awesome intending to share but found myself pretty much polishing off the dish on my own. It would make an excellent entree order! 

Hey guess what y'all?! I didn't order seafood for dinner! This has got to be a first in a long, long time. I saw the New Zealand Lamb Shank "Osso Buco"on the menu and decided that sounded great. My lamb shank was very tasty, totally tender and the perfect amount of food for me. It came with mashed potatoes and they were a tasty compliment to the rich sauce made from the braised lamb and vegetables.

Kate did something every little foodie loves... She ordered off a secret menu! She almost spoke in code with our waitress! So cool. Kate wanted: roasted chicken, no skin, with special pink sauce and potatoes. It was amazing. The potatoes that usually come with the dish are oven roasted however they did not have them on hand that day so mashed potatoes were substituted and they just kind of disintegrated into the sauce. I think pasta might have been a better substitution because that sauce was so good.

 James ordered up the Chicken Parmigiana and it was jam packed with food. The "gravy" that the fried chicken was topped with was very good. The right amount of tang to sweet ratio. A healthy blanket of mozzarella was broiled on top. I switched plates with James at the tail end of our meals so I could sample his meal, and he could try mine. Bites of the chicken entree and tender house made pasta were delightful.

At this point we were almost uncomfortably full so we declined on dessert. Little Napoli was a great place for our little night out on the town. I enjoyed the ambiance, food and most of all the time i got to spend with my brother and Kate!

Osteria Monte Grappa - Ojai, CA

I have to admit I have had some previous visits at this restaurant that were less than stellar but lately, they have been knocking it out of the park. Just to make sure they were on a roll I dined here three times before giving them a solid thumbs up. The olive oil and balsamic on the table that greeted me with the bread was terrific. Everything I look for for a go to nosh while deciding what to eat. 

I got a Risotto special that featured Seared Scallops, tomato, onions, diced arugula and finished with cream. It was delicious. My only complaint it wasn't on the menu the next time I dined there. It was totally fantastic and look forward to when it is on the menu again. 

Dana orders the same thing every time and lucky for her the Panino Canoviano is on the menu constantly. The sandwich features mozzarella cheese, arugula, tomato, avocado and proscuitto. It looked as good as it sounded! I am impressed with its price too, what a deal for $8.

I do have to say that Osteria Monte Grappa is on top of its game and I am happy to give it my good review. Restaurants are hard to leave people feeling satisfied and I have left feeling ecstatic her latelly. Go get a bite for yourself!

Cafe Firenze - Moorpark, CA

Last week I had the opportunity to meet a few of my gal pals for lunch and I was just thrilled about it. Darla and Dana met me at my favorite out of the way restaurant, Cafe Firenze in Moorpark. They had never been so I was happy to share with them the goodness of Fabio from Top Chef. I arrived to the destination first so I got first dibs of the focaccia and marinara. Such a lovely start to any meal!

I have been denying myself the pure joy of Lobster Bisque as of late so when I saw it on the menu I knew that is exactly what I wanted. I started my meal with the liquid gold and I practically licked the bowl clean. There are not actual chunks of lobster but it is heavily saturated with the flavor.

I followed my creamy bowl of soup with another creamy concoction, Butternut Tortellacci. It is wonderfully filling almost to the point of button popping exhaustion but worth every calorie. If I had to critique the dish the dough on the pasta was quite thick. If it was a smidge thinner it would have been a more pleasant mouth feel. The fried sage is always my favorite. I try to get a piece in every forkful. 

Dana went the pizza route and ordered the Arugula and Prosciutto pie and it was totally amazing. I never crave pizza the way she does but if I did, it would be this type of pizza. I like the saltiness of the prosciutto, freshness of the arugula and the crust was perfectly crisp and could standup to the ingredients on top.  

Lastly, Darla ordered the Filet Mignon Sandwisch special and it was filled with steak, arugula, horseradish creme and served on focaccia. It was a tasty sandwich as Darla sliced off a bite for me. I appreciated that they left the steak medium rare, usually sandwiches are filled with meat that had maybe been over cooked. Great sandwich.

I loved this day at Cafe Firenze. It is perfect for lunch and also romantic enough for a date night out. I look forward to coupling up and inviting a possee to share an evening out with our husbands... They deserve the great food of Cafe Firenze as well!

Don Vito's - Las Vegas, NV

And... We are back at the South Point Casino for the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association's 2014 Derby! Scott and I pulled in yesterday afternoon, put up the horses, got our room just in time to watch California Chrome race. Disappointed with his loss, we dressed for dinner and made our way downstairs for an Italian meal at Don Vito's. I decided a glass of "Marinus" by Bernardus - Carmel Valley, would cheer me up from the race results and it did just that.

We were surprised by an Amuse from the Chef, I love that! A toast point, prosciutto avocado, grape tomato half and olive oil. It was simple but totally delicious.  

I have had baskets and baskets of this bread in my lifetime but I did not want to spoil my appetite for dinner so I passed. They serve it not only with decorative rosette butter pats but also a garlic bruschetta topping, both are totally addicting.

My entree came with my choice of soup or salad and you know what I chose. I mostly savored the broth of the Pasta Fagioli as it paired nicely with my wine. I love a good soup broth! It warms me from the inside out, a very comforting feeling.

Scott and I both went outside the box in our entree orders last night. He had the Chicken Tuscany which surprised me completely, he never orders chicken. A garlic and rosemary marinated chicken breast, broiled, and then served over white beans. It looked like a lovely dish, it fact it was so full of protein that Scott had a hard time finishing it all.

Normally, I would have ordered the salmon, sea bass or even the scallops but I decided I needed to step up my game and explore the menu. I was craving a "stick to your ribs" type of food and Gnocchi with a parmesan cream sauce sounded just perfect. The gnocchi was legit, it was not the little dumplings that you can buy in the vacuum sealed package from your local grocery that is for sure. Big, pillowy treats covered with just enough cheesy sauce. I could only eat half but took the rest to enjoy as a midnight snack.

A complimentary glass of champagne was brought out for us and I thought it was just too sweet. I wish  I was not so full from dinner otherwise, a big dessert would have been enjoyed as I sipped my bubbly. This was by far the best experience I have had at Don Vito's in all my trips to the restaurants. Our server was perfect, food on point and the ambiance lovely. 

Taverna - Fort Worth, TX

Back in Texas...

On Cowgirl Kate and James's last evening out in Texas I decided to search for an Italian joint, what could be better than an "Risotteria"?! I used the fish-eye camera for the first time and it was kind of fun, I have some good sports! The restaurant was decorated nicely and is located in the lively Downtown Fort Worth.

We got some Focaccia to share with the table rosemary olive oil and Parmesan cheese. It was piping hot and totally tasty.

I ordered the Fiocchi with Gorgonzola and pears. Sounds good right? Then it was topped with arugula, walnuts and Dolce Latte Cream Sauce. It was the post popular dish ordered on Yelp so I was all about it. It was served a little less than luke warm so I was down on it from the beginning, I like my food hot! It was tasty but a little gummy.  

Scott had the Rustic Gnocchi and it looked delicious with the shaved Parmesan on top. I love the steady Italian fare. The tender beef ragu served was fork ready and the spicy marinara totally snappy.

Ron ordered the Seafood Fettuccine - The seafood was a plenty, noodles glossy and lightly sauced. Ron seemed like he loved it.

James ordered the Braised Short Ribs with a terrific pan juice and mixed vegetable risotto. It looked like the ribs had a nice sear and he said that it too, was totally tasty.

Kate ordered the Chicken Scaloppine and worked around the layer of Fontina cheese and ham. She doubled up on vegetables like a good Farmer's daughter and really enjoyed the meal.

The waiter suggested desserts and I heard "budino" I was expecting a custardy treat but got a Chocolate Lava Cake, not what I expected but it was a-ok.

Bread Pudding was also brought out to the table and it was devoured in 5 seconds flat.

The meal as a whole at Taverna was not bad, I just had little to write about. No one hated or extremely loved their dish so we just cruised through the evening with little to chat about food wise. Everything was just fine.

The Oak Grill - Ojai, CA

By living in a cute little resort town we have the options on where we want to dine. Two extremely nice options are found at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa so we took our pal Cowboy Ron in to the Oak Grill to enjoy an evening on the patio. All three of us were in the mood for Pinot Noir so I was the boss and gave it the ok.

All three of us all wanted to start with something before our main courses came. I of course went for the Chicken Tortilla Soup it was perfectly tasty and filled my body with a bowl of warmth. It was a chilly evening and soup to me is like a pair of fuzzy socks.

Scott is gaga for corn like I am for soup so when he saw the Grilled Corn Salad on the menu he dove head first. Avocado, arugula, grilled peaches, pickled onions with a tarragon vinaigrette rounded out the plate. it should have been delicious, Scott should have loved every bite. Sadly it was lack luster, maybe because corn is out of season, i told him hang on until summer.

Cowboy Ron always orders a Caesar Salad and it makes me smile every time because he gets extra anchovies. I love anchovies so much. I sometimes forget it too. They would make an excellent snack in Melissa Good Taste down time.

I was craving a big piece of well cooked fish and when I saw Scottish Salmon paired with ricotta gnocchi it made my heart swoon. The crispy, seared salmon was perfectly prepared and went nicely with the cauliflower and roasted tomatoes served. This is a most order.

My two cowboys both ordered the Wild mushroom Ravioli bathed on a sun dried tomato sauce and onion compote. They both thought it was delicious and licked their bowls clean.

We all had wine left in our glasses so we decided a rich chocolate dessert would help us finish it up. The chocolate cake served with ice cream did the trick. It took a little too long for the dessert to hit our table so we were less excited about it as it finally hit our table.

Other than the dessert taking a little too long, the meal itself was a hit. We are beyond blessed to have such a luxurious meal with people we love.

Cheers!

Buona Tavola - Paso Robles, CA

Scott and I drove up to Paso Robles fairly early on Thursday afternoon so we could beat the rain, get a nice dinner and go to bed early. Well, two out of three isn't bad. We got drenched. It was ok though, as we so desperately need the rain so it was a blessing. After we checked in, changed out of wet clothes we made a our 6:00 reservation at Buona Tavola.

I like the open kitchen, you get to see the chef working his magic.

They start you off with an olive tapenade and soft, fresh bread. I used to love olives more than I do now, I just do not crave the taste of them anymore. But, I do love capers and anchovies, yum yum!

A creamy, hot soup was just what I wanted to warm me up so when I heard the soup special was a Cauliflower puree I got very excited. It was so silky and absolutely comforting. It was a large sized serving but I just took my time. It was delightful.

From one creamy dish to the next, I stayed on trend and ordered appropriately. I am a sucker for the Pumpkin and Ricotta filled Tortelloni with a marscapone cheese sauce, sage and chopped walnuts. It is just lovely. I really shouldn't eat the entire plate but I do. Slowly, but very lovingly.

Scott went for a completely different route and had a short tube pasta dish filled with tomato, sausage and topped with parmasaen. I am sure it was delicious, he encouraged mw to try his but I was over stuck on creamy Cloud 9.

I love going to Buona Tavola because it has the same great food as others in town, without the pretentiousness. They serve nice food, leave you alone and do not circle your table like a hawk - ready to fill it with the next paying customer. It is a relaxed experienced with comforting food.

Rio Grill - Carmel, CA

 The day after Christmas my Mom wanted to use a gift certificate that she received for Christmas so we made our way to Carmel. The weather was beautiful and restaurants were packed! I guess no one wanted to eat their leftovers. We sat down in the bar area of the Rio Grill to get fed quickly.

The soup of the day was a Beef pozole. I have had plenty of pork and chicken versions so I figured this deserved a try. It was very familiar to to a beef stew, I wish it had just been tad spicier.

Kathy went for the tacos, fish and shrimp. They were just ok. Nothing to be disappointed or too excited about.

I saw a cheesy, chicken and spinach pasta on the menu and went for that as my main entree. It was mostly like Mac and Cheese but it was still quite tasty. I had wished for more chicken versus pasta but it still was totally fine.

While we were at it we decided to go for desserts. Mine a Mocha Flan which was really fantastic, the whipped cream totally made each bite delectable.

Kathy went for the Roasted Banana's with ice cream, strawberries and walnuts. I thought it looked like a messy, good time. 

We had entertainment people watching inside the bar. It really is amazing how fast you can get to know someone! An hour lunch, filled my tummy and entertained my mom and I! Double score!

Enzo's - Santa Paula, CA

Enzo's is a restaurant within the Glen Tavern Inn located in historic Santa Paula. The Inn is said to be haunted, that inrigued me as I read through stories about spiritual encounters. Besides that I wanted to try the restaurant as I had heard it was good.

The menu was pretty standard. There was one appetizer that I wanted to try but didn't have the appetite as I was by myself. The Crostino al Prosciutto sounded divine as it bathed in a butter sauce - knife and fork type action! Next time, for sure.

My meal was that of my two favorites, Salmon - fish always, always! The white wine, caper sauce was very delicious and there was plenty of it. I love extra sauce. The risotto was lovely, probably a little thick and heavy, but tasty all the same. I was very bad and told them to leave off the vegetables, they were included in the meal.

I was impressed with Enzo's and cannot wait to dine there again. It is nice to have another fine dining desination "on that side of the hill"...