Get to Know a Serious Eater.

latteaday's Profile

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Location: Palo Alto

About: Love to eat, love to cook, and venture out of my comfort zone as much as possible. I enjoy reading and writing about food almost as much as I do cooking it or eating it. Is that strange? Probably not to this audience...

Favorite foods: Vietnamese, Mediterranean, "real" frozen yogurt, fresh California cuisine, Indian, really good hamburgers (even mediocre ones, to tell you the truth). I am always looking for that "perfect" salad.

Last bite on earth:

The Ten Most Recent Comments By latteaday

From Talk

Where to get good eats... Highway 1 Santa Cruz to San Francisco

We recently drove up from Palo Alto and spent a typical Northern California day at the beach at Half Moon Bay. Foggy, freezing, windy. But we made the drive and attempted to remain positive. When we left at dinnertime, we attempted to eat at Pasta Moon, a fancypants restaurant on the main street in HMB. They had a 90 minute (!) wait, however, and directed us to "It's Italia" -- what appeared to be a little pizzeria in a strip center about a block away. We felt a bit defeated, as we were looking for something more interesting than pizza, but we were cold and hungry and decided to go for it. Well, this place exemplifies why we foodies are so darn spoiled in the bay area. This little "pizzeria" had the most amazing menu, and a list of chalkboard specials that nearly made me weep. Wild boar osso buco with citrus risotto, an array of designer salads and one gorgeous entree after another being delivered to the tables around us. An excellent option as you head up the coast.

From Talk

Paula Deen or Serious Eats Trying to Kill Us?

MUST. HAVE. DEEP. FRIED. BACON.

From Talk

Gotta have this in!

Coffee (trader joe's organic) and 1% milk. I need 'em both to make my eponymous daily latte!

From Talk

Best casual restaurants...

It's not a HUGE chain, but Bravo! Italian Cucina is tops on my list. We have relocated to the west coast, and Bravo! is the restaurant I miss the most.

From Talk

Palo Alto Eats?

Hi Patty. My family and I just moved to Palo alto 2 years ago, and I think we have already eaten at more of the local restaurants than many of our friends who have been here much longer. Here are some of the favorites that come to mind:

Casual, Cheap and Quick:
Zao Noodle Bar on University. Their vermicelli noodle bowls are made with the highest quality ingredients and are absolutely delicious.
Tofu House -- authentic Korean. Zero ambience, brusque service, fabulous food.
Mediterranean Wraps on California Ave -- great middle eastern food.

Moderately Priced:
Palo Alto Sol on California Ave.--modern Cal-Mex cuisine
La Bodeguita del Medio--excellent cuban food, fun atmosphere, great cocktails

Fancier:
Evvia -- one of my definite favorites. Mediterranean cuisine with a California spin. Great service. Pretty restaurant.
Zbibbo -- I haven't been yet, but it comes highly recommended. High on my list.
Il Fornaio -- in the Garden Court Hotel downtown. It's a small chain, but it's very good.

Breakfast:
Don't miss the California Ave. Farmer's Market every Sunday a.m. year-round. You can eat lunch at one of the many wonderful food stands, or have a great brunch at Cafe Brioche or Joanie's (?) Cafe next door.

Not in Palo Alto but nearby favorites:
Xanh's Vietnamese Restaurant on Castro St. in Mountain View-- easily the hippest, coolest decor on the Peninsula, and the food is outstanding.
CasCal on Castro in Mountain View -- Great tapas, excellent cocktails, live entertainment on weekends.
Amber India on El Camino in Mountain View -- great Indian food.

DishDash on Murphy St. in Sunnyvale -- Really good, slightly unusual middle eastern fare

Well, that's a start. Welcome to Palo Alto!


From Recipes

Essentials: Feeding Your Friends (With Migas)

I can always count on the Chicken Marbella from the Silver Palate Cookbook to please the most varied of crowds. Despite its odd ingredients (prunes and green olives), it appeals to a broad range of palates. Add to that the fact that it can be made well ahead of time (even improves with time, according to the recipe), it makes a great company meal. Some rice to soak up the juices, maybe some crusty bread and a good green salad make for a great dinner that doesn't have the host bouncing off the walls in those moments before it's served.

From Talk

Most 'fun' cookbook you have read or own?

Amy Sedaris' I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. A brilliant blend of quirky humor, possible insanity and recipes (mostly Greek) presented in earnest. She is the anti-Martha.

From Talk

What childhood food do you wish they still made?

I am SHOCKED that jasonbrink beat me to Space Food Sticks, as I was starting to think I was the only one on the planet who ate (or even heard of) them! Every time I meet someone within a year or two of my age , I ask if they remember Space Food Sticks. As I recall, I didn't like them much them, but I loved the efficiency and futuristic appeal of a whole "nutritious" meal in a single tootsie-roll-like tube. It replaced Carnation Instant Breakfast for a while in my young diet. I also remember drinking Sego, a disgusting "meal replacement" drink in a can that tasted like ground up vitamins and the can itself. But my teenaged sisters had it in the 'fridge and, again, I loved the whole "meal replacement" idea. Maybe my mom wasn't such a great cook.

From Slice

In Videos: David Sedaris Delivers a Pizza

That is most definitely NOT David Sedaris.

From Talk

What to do with 24 leftover egg yolks?

key lime pies!

Responses to Comments by latteaday

From Talk

Where to get good eats... Highway 1 Santa Cruz to San Francisco

@cybercita - oh no! say it isn't so! I don't think I want to go back now :(

From Talk

Where to get good eats... Highway 1 Santa Cruz to San Francisco

i confess i was disillusioned about the artichoke soup at duarte's when i saw gigantic cans of campbell's cream of mushroom in the kitchen and realized what they use as a base.

From Talk

What childhood food do you wish they still made?

You can go to fizzies.com and order any flavor you like! My favorite is cherry or grape. By the case for $12 or 15 - I can't remember. But what I miss the most are those giant Charms lollipops - I was proposed to with a handful of Charms Cherry because I was always seen with one stuck in my mouth! I was in the Army and they were at the ice cream store on base and one day an officer said I should at least take the sucker out of my mouth with I salute!

From Talk

What childhood food do you wish they still made?

I LOVED ninja turtle pudding pies!!! and gadorade gum, jello pudding pops, Mcdonalds FRIED apple pies, Bonkers candy, Ecto cooler, grasshopper cookies, ... i wish i could remember more!!!

From Talk

Where to get good eats... Highway 1 Santa Cruz to San Francisco

When I was travelling through that area about 10 years ago I stopped (somewhere) and looked in the yellow pages hoping to find a good Mexican resaurant....I did but I can't recall town or restaurant name. It advertised the Greatest Chili Colorado anywhere, and they were absolutely right!!! Would you have any info on this place. Chili Colorado was their biggest draw and advertised prominantly. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you

From Talk

Where to get good eats... Highway 1 Santa Cruz to San Francisco

Heading south...

In Moss Beach, at California Street, El Gran Amigo Taqueria. Doesn't look like much, but it's been there over 10 years and the food is excellent.

About 1 mile south of Moss Beach is the 3-O Cafe at the HMB airport. Great breakfasts and lunches. Neil Young's been spotted there several times.

On Capistrano Road, right off of the highway, before the harbor light, is Capistrano Cafe. Food from the Yucatan, very reasonable. Dungeness crab melt sandwiches in season are phenomenal. As are the fish tacos. My kids consider it the location for the best hamburger anywhere, as well. The ribeye steak sandwich is great!

In HMB, the San Benito House deli on Main Street, just south of 92, does homemade bread sandwiches and soups. Always great food.

Also, Raman's coffee and chai for the best chai anywhere. Get it the way Raman makes it. No lo-fat, no soy, and plenty of sugar and spices. Head east on Main Street, away from the MacDonalds.

Tres Amigos taqueria on 1 is a great family favorite. Just south of 92.

Just south of Ano Nuevo is Swanton Berry Farms. Longtime organic farmer and a honor system fruit stand. Fantastic strawberries and strawberry pies.

In Santa Cruz, on 1 (Mission Street in SC), at the U-Save Liquor at Almar, is a great hot dog stand -- Snappy Dogs. Great ballpark-style hotdogs and cheap.

Farther south near Bay Street is Falafel of Santa Cruz, on the west side, next to MacDonalds. My kids love the falafel here.


From Talk

Paula Deen or Serious Eats Trying to Kill Us?

What ever happened to understandijng the concept of diversity. To the Indivdual beauty as well as passion is in the eye of the beholder Practice more tolerance of other cooking styles. These folks grew up around their cuisines and cherish their traditions as much as you do yours ! Our sensibilities are all different and take a lifetime to develop..Acid tongued food critics .....what R WE gonna do with them ?????

From Talk

Where to get good eats... Highway 1 Santa Cruz to San Francisco

If you hit Duarte's be sure to have the artichoke soup, but ask for half artichoke soup, half anaheim chile soup - they'll know what you're talking about. You wont regret it. My husband and 3.5 year old were in a few weeks ago after olallieberry picking nearby. I had the crab melt (just ok) and soup (awesome, as usual), he had a fried oyster po'boy (yum!) and my daughter shared both with me. They also have a good cioppino.

From Talk

Where to get good eats... Highway 1 Santa Cruz to San Francisco

Thanks for the ideas...

From Talk

Where to get good eats... Highway 1 Santa Cruz to San Francisco

You might want to check before you go-- parts of Hwy 1 in that area are still closed due to the wildfires.