Nicole "Bay Area Foodie" W.'s Profile

Finally a Mexican restaurant in the Saratoga Village. The town is slowly getting revitalized. The old Gervais building has gotten a Latin makeover with copper/turquoise painted walls and handmade tables and chairs (Cute -- but I give these things 6 months before they need to be replaced). You won't find the usual burritos and fajitas here but much lighter unique and flavorful dishes, similar to Consuelo's at Santana Row.

We started off with the guacamole and chips. Everything was made to order and tasted ultra fresh. Next up taquitos. They have 7 varieties. We went with braised bacon!, Chivo (goat), Al pastor (pork with pineapple) and Camarones (shrimp). All were delicious but my favorite was the shrimp (I know....better than bacon). My husband enjoyed the goat best. Then came the black bean flautas and Quesa de hongos (mushroom quesadilla). I'm giving you all the Spanish terminology because that is the way the menu reads. Be prepared to need translation unless you know Spanish. By this point we were pushing maximum capacity but of course had to try dessert. Jiricaya a cinnamon flan/creme brulee creation arrived and was quickly devoured.

We decided this is now our favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. The prices are reasonable and you can leave without breaking the bank as long as you stay away from the tasty $9 margaritas.

Tip: the place is busy after 7pm especially on the weekends.

Rating: 3.5

We headed to Alexander's Steakhouse for my husband's birthday. I had read numerous positive reviews despite it's obscure location next to the dilapidated Vallco mall. Alexander's is all about the meat so if you're a vegetarian don't bother.

As we took our seats in the dining area we saw that the recession has not effected Cupertino. The place was packed. I was really surprised to see a restaurant where you can order a $200 piece of steak so busy.

The grub for the evening included:
amuse-bouche: celery root custard with shallot marmalade (I was glad it was free)
apps: Tomato soup with basil oil and the caesar salad (the soup was the standout dish)
pallet cleanser: a small square of passion fruit gelee along side a raspberry and blueberry (A delightful bite)
main: "Beef three ways" and 6 oz. filet mignon (filet was perfection)
side dishes: beets & greens and creamed spinach (spinach is the bomb)
dessert: basil panna cotta with blueberry sorbet and complimentary choc b day cake (basil concoction was lovely)

One gripe about the menu was that the majority of the meat entrees ranged from 14 oz.- 2 pounds! Who can eat that much? Along with the bill we were given a large helping of grape flavored cotton candy and 2 small bags of caramel corn to take home. The owner must be an ex-carny. In all seriousness they were wonderful surprises and a sweet way to end the night.

After 2.5 hours of eating we departed at 9pm and there were 8 people in the lobby waiting to be seated. Alexander's is a cash cow (pun intended)!

Note: even though Alexander's is a upscale establishment don't worry about the dress code. We saw folks in sports coats and heels to sweatpants and pumas.

What will be the next food fad after cupcakes? Bundt Cakes!

I've taken home 5 single serving bundtlets: lemon, carrot, white choc, choc turtle and marble. I was flabbergasted at the price. A bundtlet is only $3.99 which is cheaper than what most upscale bakeries charge for a cupcake and this is a tad larger. So how did they taste? The bundts were moist and flavorful. My favorite was the marble and the white choc.

I'm not sure if bundt is better than regular cake but I'll go back to try some more. I'm a bundt-liever!

A visit to Nick's on Main was waaaay overdue. Nick's has a very cozy atmosphere. Be prepared to get to know your neighbors as the tables are positioned within inches of each other. We lucked out and snagged an end table away from the front door (which can be freezing in the winter). It was a fishy evening for us...we chose to order the mussels, sea bass and salmon. All dishes were cooked perfectly and the flavors fantastic. Nick's hit a home run and is a great addition to LG.

Tip: Make a reservation. I lost count of the number of people who attempted to walk-in and get a table on a Saturday night. It's just not happening!

Got a "green" box of chocolates for Valentine's day. A delicate assortment of fresh herb and tea infused chocolates. My favorites were the Spring Jasmine Tea and the Tarragon Grapefruit. I'm usually a straight milk chocolate gal but these could make me a convert.

All the hoopla in LA about this chilly treat had me intrigued. I've been 3 times and it's just Meh (nothing earth shattering). I wish I liked the green tea but it tastes weird. I always go for the original. Since my first visit they have revamped the topping situation. Now when you order a topping you get to choose 2. When I went the first week it opened you got 1. I can't remember what the price was before so I'm not sure if it's a better deal or not. Either way, I still think they are stingy on the toppings. I will give them props on the amount of froyo you get though...

Verdict:  Walk....don't run...

We must of been one of the last groups through the FREE 1 hour factory tour before it was discontinued in January. So Sad...

My favorite variety of chocolate was the Milk,  something Scharffen Berger just began to produce due to public demand. Even though we didn't see a river of chocolate or any umpa lumpas we still had a great time.

Tasty Tip: There is a retail shop and cafe on site and the breakfast & desserts looked good.

When we arrived at the cutely decorated small pizza joint on a Sunday afternoon it was pretty packed, but we were still seated immediately. We ordered the special and 35 minutes later our meal arrived (the wait was LONG but normal for a deep pizza). Now, I had eaten a real deep dish pizza in Chicago so I had some expectations.

Here are my reactions...
1. The pizza wasn't very deep. I mean I ate 2 slices and wasn't full. That wouldn't happen in Chi- town.
2. The sauce was really saucy. I recall it being more chunky and zesty in flavor. I know we ordered a pie with sausage,onions & peppers but all I could taste was tomato sauce.

My overall feeling was that the pizza was a interesting change to the normal thin crust variety but I wouldn't go out of my way to have it again. If you're in the area give it a try.

This was the best freakin' eggs benedict I have had in my life (so far). Everything was insanely fresh right down to the homemade english muffins. The ham was caramelized, the hollandaise light and flavorful and the home fries (NOT HASH BROWNS) were made out of red potatoes!!! I thought I had died and gone to breakfast heaven. The portion was large enough to make me sick but I couldn't bare to let a single morsel be thrown away.

Following a movie at the camera 12 we stopped at Hawgs for a light bite. The place was practically empty on a Sunday night. We had the calamari, salads and chowder. Everything was bland. The chowder overly herby. The best thing was my single crouton on my Caesar salad. Over priced.