Santa Cruz / Aptos w/ Ollie & Mel Nov 2010

Quick 1 night trip to Santa Cruz for Mai & Nick's wedding and to hang out w/ Ollie & Mel's family (since they were in Santa Cruz for a wedding the same day). It was a great opportunity for all the kids (Kaiya, Ellie and Aiden) to hang out.

Lodging

Seascape Resort in Aptos

• Accommodations: 2 bd villa/condo, 2 stories, full kitchen, big living room. Clean, not modern but not too old-looking.
• Value: $335 for 1 night was not too bad on short notice for 2 families.

Food

Shadowbrook: Lunch / wedding reception - great setting, with fun "elevator" down to waterfront dining area.

Taco Bar at El Palomar: Dinner at this "taco bar" in the back of a hotel on Pacific Ave in downtown Santa Cruz. Tasty, affordable tacos with addictive chips and salsa.

Sanderlings @ Seascape: Breakfast at the hotel because it was easy and raining. Food is pretty mediocre. Convenient if staying on the property, but just okay and overpriced.

Activities

Capitola beaches

Las Vegas - Wedding Anniversary May 2010

Overall

4 day / 3 night trip to Las Vegas with just Wendy. This is the first trip that we have ever taken to Las Vegas alone, and without meeting up with anybody else (most trips have involved travelling with Wendy's family and/or friends, or meeting up with them while in Vegas). Definitely positive to not have to plan around anyone else's schedule and/or meal restrictions or desires. Probably missed some of the energy and fun of traveling in a group and having partners in crime in the casinos (especially since Wendy and I play different games). Probably don't need this much time if it's just the 2 of us, although it was nice to not feel like we had to pack it in - waking up late, taking naps, eating early or late or whenever we wanted, and not feeling like I had to stay up until the wee hours of the morning to maximize the experience were all good things.

Lodging

The Venetian

I'd stay there every time in Vegas if I could (i.e. it's free). Great rooms - spacious suites, well appointed, great bathtub for soaking, lots of space for a couple, fine for sharing among 4 people with a "living room" space. The best poker room in Vegas right now - tons of tables, they spread Omaha, dealers are good, etc. Probably the best selection of restaurants on the Strip - Enoteca San Marco, Bouchon and Noodle Asia are the ones that I've been to and would go back to, while I wouldn't mind checking out Carnevino, B&B, Morels and/or Taqueria Canonita. Nice amenities within the hotel - Grand Canal Shops and St. Mark's Square provide nice places to stroll around (and get gelato on every corner). Although at the end of the Strip is not great, it's totally fine if you want if Harrah's, Mirage, Treasure Island, Wynn and Palazzo are the majority of the orbit we'd want to travel in a trip (and more difficult if Caesar's, Bellagio, Bally's, Paris, Aria and MGM are in the mix).

Food

Monday dinner: Enoteca San Marco at The Venetian

Would definitely go back for a casual Italian meal any time that I'm in Vegas. Good flavors. Interesting menu that departs from the traditional fare found in Italian restaurants in the US. Great space in the Venetian's version of Piazza San Marco. Buys food from local, sustainable farms. Reasonably priced. Doesn't require planning super ahead. Both the bucatini alla matriciana and the gemelli with house-made sausage were very tasty.

Tuesday breakfast: Hash House A-Go-Go at Imperial Palace

Add this to the list of places that have decent breakfast/brunch fare on the Strip (along with Bouchon, and I'm hoping Payard). Breakfast/brunch is fast becoming the easiest place to find a good, decently priced meal on the Strip. Portions are way too large (splitting one plate with maybe a small side between 2 people is the way to order) and I wish it wasn't in Imperial Palace, but the "twisted farm food" tastes good and offers more than the traditional Harrah's Cafe type fare (and it can be paid with by Total Rewards points!). The fried chicken with bacon mashed potatoes (with biscuit and fruit) was tasty and filling.

Tuesday dinner: Bradley Ogden lounge at Caesars

Although I was disappointed by the dinner we had a Bradley Ogden a couple years ago, I'd go back for an affordable nice dinner in the lounge. I've always like Bradley Ogden's sustainability bent and I like Parcel 104 in Santa Clara - I just don't want to pay $100+ for the food. However, eating in the lounge this trip, we got the $29 prix fixe with a delicious farmer's market salad (beets over mixed greens), pretty decent burger & fries OR fish & chips, and yummy dessert (butterscotch pudding and snickerdoodle cookies). The vibe in the lounge is nice and mellow (not as stuffy as the restaurant). And throw in that we can eat here on Total Rewards points, and I'm sold. It's like Bouchon in The Venetian - I don't need to go there when I'm in Vegas, but I'm happy to go there if I'm looking for a decent, reasonably priced (i.e. I don't feel like I'm overpaying) meal on the Strip.

Wednesday lunch: Beijing Noodle #9 at Caesars

Disappointing and overpriced, I don't need to go back. I actually liked the hip decor that makes me feel like I'm in the middle of some kind of Asian-pop music video, but I'm not coming back for $16 for a mediocre bowl of braised beef noodle soup and $13 for a very plain pork fried rice (plus a menu that lacked many interesting options and way to much run of the mill noodles and fried rice). I'd definitely rather eat at Noodle Asia in The Venetian, and if I need an Asian fix paying with Total Rewards points, I think I'd actually rather eat at Ming's Table in Harrah's - that's how uninteresting it was.

Wednesday dinner: Grand Lux Cafe at Palazzo

The Grand Lux has its place - affordable, really expansive menu, good for a group lacking consensus about what to eat (especially if it's late at night). Outside of that narrow window, I don't really ever need to eat at Grand Lux in Vegas (or Cheesecake Factory in California for that matter). The atmosphere was nice (on the terrace looking out over the Palazzo casino) but the food is mediocre at best. I picked off the beets on my salad (while wishing I had ordered the Thai chicken pizza) and couldn't have more than a spoonful of the overly rich chicken pot pie that Wendy ordered.

Thursday breakfast: Bouchon at The Venetian

So I'd definitely still go back, but I'm not as impressed as I was the last time I went for weekend brunch. The weekday breakfast menu is not quite as interesting - which made the value seem a bit out of whack. I don't mind paying $20 for a nice brunch, but $20 for a well executed but fairly plain "Breakfast Americaine" (eggs, sausage, bacon, toasted brioche, pastry, OJ and coffee) seemed overpriced. The patio seating was definitely nice (it's good to go early like at 8:30am), especially since the tall buildings provide a great deal of shade from the heat. I'd probably still choose to come here more often than I'd choose to go to Hash House, but I'm not quite as enthralled as I was after my weekend brunch there last year.

Next Trip

Food: the places that we missed and/or want to go to

- Brunch at Payard in Caesars

- Morels in The Venetian

- Julian Serrano at Aria

- Sage at Aria

Napa Valley Eating Fest May 2010

Overall

- Very relaxing and great way to really explore Napa Valley for the first time: 3 nights (Friday to Monday), 7 meals sampling a number of the popular restaurants, exploring up and down the valley from downtown Napa to past Calistoga

- Great food: Bistro Jeanty tomato soup with puff pastry and beet salad, Brix Sunday brunch buffet were the highlights

- Great company: Wendy, Mark, Alice and Mikey (no Kaiya or Cooper) - just a relaxing a weekend eating, talking, playing games and hanging out

Next Napa Valley Trip

- One night stay at Napa Valley Lodge in Yountville: walking distance to my favorite places (Bistro Jeanty, Bouchon Bakery), bike rentals, and in the middle of the valley with easy access to St. Helena and Napa

- Drive up Saturday morning, lunch at somewhere new (Farmstead or

Farm at The Carneros Inn

) or familiar (Bouchon, Bistro Jeanty)

- Afternoon nap, and then bike ride on Silverado Trail or olive oil tasting tour at Round Pond or massage at Villagio Inn & Spa or drive along Silverado Trail and short 1 mile hike up Table Rock Trail in Robert Louis Stevenson Park for great views of Napa Valley

- Dinner at somewhere new (?) or familiar (Bistro Jeanty, Redd)

- Sunday brunch at somewhere new (Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen) or familiar (Brix)

Lodging

Where We Stayed: Frog Hollow House - cute 2 bd+ cottage in downtown Napa, 15-20 walk to restaurants like Ubuntu and Alexis Baking Company, Oxbow Public Market, the movie theater and riverfront. Don't need to stay there again (downtown Napa or this particular house). Downtown Napa is sleepy, not that many interesting places, and too far south in Napa Valley (which makes for long drives to St. Helena, wineries, etc.). Frog Hollow House is okay - somewhat cute house with spacious backyard and upstairs deck, but a little old and not as well appointed as the pictures make it seem, ladder to the loft bedroom upstairs a little scary, porch not that interesting and lots of mosquitoes.

Where We Would Have Liked To Stay (But Only Available For 1 Week Stays): Napa Vacation Bungalow - 3 bd + cottage, nice house, great reviews, walk to downtown Napa (0.75 miles). Probably a good place to stay if you want to stay in downtown Napa, but not sure if that is ideal for a Napa Valley vacation.

Food

Friday dinner at Ubuntu (downtown Napa)

Not sure what to expect with the all vegetarian menu at Ubuntu (Wendy was clearly skeptical), and it didn't get too much better when we didn't recognize half the ingredients on the menu. But once we found some dishes to get excited about (homemade Sardinian flatbread, beet salad) and the food started coming out, it was a solid meal. No one was blown away by the meal, but it was certainly enjoyable with the highlights being the beet and goat cheese salad and poached egg on kohlrabi crumble. We don't need to go back any time soon, but I wouldn't mind going back some time in the future.

Saturday breakfast at Boon Fly Cafe at Carneros Inn (Napa)

Good breakfast menu in a nice setting. Donuts were good, flatbread was tasty and Alice thought the eggs benedict were perfect. Even though it's been described one of the best breakfast spots in Napa, probably don't need to go back just because it wasn't excellent and I'd rather eat really great meals instead of working in a 3rd meal of breakfast that is just fine, but not spectacular.

Saturday lunch at Bistro Jeanty (Yountville)

One of my favorites in Napa Valley. I could eat here every time we go. Have never had anything bad there. Light lunch of the tomato soup in puff pastry and beet salad was a perfect light hot/cold meal for the middle of the day. I also really like that this place is casual, noisy and potentially kid friendly. Sitting on the patio would be nice some time.

Saturday dinner at Terra (St. Helena)

Terra was hit and miss for our party of 5. Mikey had a great meal with the hamachi crudo starter and broiled sake marinated Alaskan black cod and shrimp dumplings in Shiso Broth. I really enjoyed my baked Redwood Hill Farm goat cheese and spring vegetable salad and Liberty Farm duck and forest mushroom "cacciatore", and then some of Wendy's asparagus soup. There were other misses on the menu (Wendy's NY strip steak, spaghettini with stew of tripe and tomatoes). Lastly, the atmosphere was a bit odd (office building, space split in two). Even I found the food good and menu interesting, I don't need to go back.

Sunday brunch buffet at Brix (north of Yountville)

One of the highlights of the trip. Food was good but not spectacular (although Alice and Mark thought it was really good). I liked the variety - breads, cheese and pates; several distinctive salads; standard breakfast fare like pancakes, quiche, roasted potatoes; a cold seafood selection of shrimp, oysters and smoked salmon; and a good sampling of seasonal fruits and desserts. My favorites were the salads: quinoa and cucumber, sesame carrot, and beet and dried cherries - these were different and executed really, really well. The other great part of Brix was the grounds. The patio opens out to a view of their vegetable garden (which is used in all of the meals), vineyards, and a view of the rolling hills. There is a super comfortable chair and table set to lounge on and digest after brunch. And there is a nice open space and feel that is family friendly. Going early (10:30am reservation) was great to beat the crowds. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Sunday dinner at Redd (Yountville)

Another solid but unspectacular dinner. Between Ubuntu, Terra and Redd, Redd is the one place that I'd want to go back to again. The menu seems the most suited to my tastes, including the 3 starters that I ordered for my dinner - sashimi of hamachi, sticky rice, edamame, lime ginger sauce; glazed pork belly; carmelized scallops, cauliflower puree and almonds. I would definitely get the hamachi and pork belly again - I could pass on the scallops. And although sitting outside on a warm evening was nice, I would want to eat inside - it's one of those places where I think the atmosphere inside would be better than outside.

Monday breakfast at Alexis Baking Company (downtown Napa) and Bouchon Bakery (Yountville)

Nothing really beats Bouchon Bakery. Alexis Baking Company looks cute for breakfast and has a nice selection of pastries (recommended by a server at Ubuntu as the best baker in the valley), but the muffins and cookies were just okay - I don't need to go back. Bouchon Bakery has an out of this world selection of croissants, scones, cookies, breads and other pastries. Another one of my favorites and a place that I can go back to again and again.

Activities

- Grazing in Napa: downtown Napa farmer's market on Sat morning (small, kinda lame farmer's market), Oxbow Public Market including Fatted Calf and Model Bakery (charcuterie at Fatted Calf was the highlight)

- River Rock Casino in Alexander Valley: 1+ hr drive through a beautiful part of Highways 29 and 128 to a small but still fun casino

Previous Trips to Napa Valley

- One night at Lavender Inn in Yountville Nov 2008: lunch at Bouchon, snacks at Bouchon Bakery and Oxbow Public Market, massage at Villagio Inn, dinner at Bistro Jeanty, brunch at Ad Hoc

- Two nights at a cottage in St. Helena in Sep 2002: dinner at Tra Vigne, picnic lunch at a winery, dinner at Greystone

Driving Up & Down 101 - San Luis Obispo Pit Stops

Favorite Pit Stops in San Luis Obispo
- Splash Cafe: This downtown outpost of the popular Splash Cafe boasts the ridiculously good clam chowder as well as a nice bakery offering breads, cookies, and chocolates. Clean, never as crazy busy as the Pismo location, good indoor and outdoor seating options, and not too far from 101 (California Blvd exit).
- Bel Frites: Small hole-in-the-wall serving only Belgian fries (with dipping sauces) and sweet waffles. Fries are good, with nice variety of dipping sauces (peanut satay is good). Waffles are good too. Great place for a snack. Nothing else on the menu, so not a place for lunch. A little expensive ($6 for a large fries).

- Big Sky Cafe: Sustainable food / farm fresh spot featuring soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. Ginger sesame noodle salad was tasty and wonderfully fresh. Fries were good too. Too bad the menu isn't for Wendy and her BLT was not what she wanted. Yelp review

Other Places We Have Been To
- Woodstock Pizza: decent pizza, pinball =)
- Novo Restaurant & Lounge: interesting fusion menu, food is hit-and-miss, garden patio is supposed to be nice

Places I Want To Try
- Cowboy Cookie & Grub (778 Higuera near Chorro): good cookies and other baked goods, quiche, salads, etc.; Yelp review
- Linnea's Cafe (Garden & Higuera): classic independent coffee shop; soups/salads/desserts
- House of Bread (299 Marsh St near Marsh exit on 101): bread, soups, salads; Yelp review
- G's Italian Freeze (1126 Morro St. near Higuera): fruit freezes; Yelp review
- Jaffa Cafe (1212 Higuera St. 1 block north of Santa Rosa): Mediterranean food; Yelp review