adrienne "feed animals FREE www.theanimalrescuesite.com" g.'s Profile

Mitchell's Ice Cream has been a regular stop for me for the past 10+ yrs

I have 3 go-to flavors & just can't seem to get away from them to try anything new.....also can't seem to stick w/ a scoop or 2 but usually stock up on pints when we go - aka, single serving containers

Macapuno - sweet coconut base w/ tender, chewy coconut

Mexican Chocolate - cinnamonny & chocolaty but not too sweet

Pumpkin - extremely pumpkinny w/ real pumpkin, nutmeg & all-spice .  This seasonal treat is a MUST have for Fall & Winter.... as much as you can possibly eat - you'll thank me!!

Sis swears by their Pecan Praline & their Buko (which is a lesser sweet version of the Macapuno)

Get there early to avoid the long wait - or grab your number & spend the time going through all the multitude of flavor combos you can possibly get

Or better yet, just buy a 1/2 gallon & walk right up to the window & you'll have lots to enjoy over & over again

Cash Only!

Body Time is one great smelly spot!

Walking by, trying to kill time before a show, their half-door allows the fantastic fragrances to waft out onto the street, beckoning us in to sample their wares

All kinds of lotions, soaps & essential oils are yours for the taking ... flowery, fruity, woodsy ... it's all here!

They'll even mix up a custom lotion just for you

I got a lavender body wash & some veggie soaps & they have been nice & soothing to my skin, made me feel clean & relaxed & ready to face the day

Who knew bath products could have this effect??

La Nebbia Winery reminds me of a frat party. There was supposed to be a Cheese Pairing event the day we visited but we found no evidence of it - disappointing

Tons of younguns in their small tasting room, all rowdy & clambering over each other to get more wine.....the $6 tasting must be a big hit

Glad we got the complimentary tasting (2 varieties) as the wines were not to my taste at all.....

What was to our taste however was their Garlic Mustard - it was out of this world so we bought a couple of bottles & felt the visit was well worth it

Nice patio outside w/ picnic tables plus 2 Bocce Ball courts

Guy next door giving demonstrations of blown glass - made the "famous" HMB pumpkins you'll see in lots of stores along Main St

Also next door is the best flower market & we got arm fulls

Atmosphere, cool surroundings & that Garlic Mustard make this a 3-star joint in my book

Half Moon Bay Bakery has been bookmarked for quite some time & this past weekend, we finally got to indulge

Basically, it all boils down to their Pumpkin Bread....... not only is it 5-star worthy but all the hype people have thrown out there is completely true!

We're talking down-to-basics Pumpkin Bread.  No nuts, no ginger, no chocolate.....just sweet pumpkinny goodness.  The bread is so moist but smooth - sometimes moistness can lead to lumpiness but not here.....don't tell anyone but I'd polished off 1/2 a loaf by day's end w/out even realizing

And what Linh N said about getting there early?  Pay attention!  We got there around 10:30 am & between Sis & me plus the 2 guys behind us, that shelf was left awfully bare

We got lots & lots for the family & here is the assessment:

Brownie had a thick layer of chocolate frosting - started out crumbly but was better once it sat in the fridge overnight & got more fudge-like

Pumpkin Cupcake was not all that great - not sweet & the frosting was likewise not sweet / or cream cheesy

Pumpkin Muffin was better than the cupcake but it doesn't hold a candle to the one served at Pleasanton's Bagel Street Cafe

Artichoke Pesto Bread was soft & completely weighted down w/ artichokes

Cheddar Cheese Jalapeno Bread was the same weighty delight & Dad likened it to his fav Cheddar Jalapeno Bread from Safeway - which is a compliment!

Blueberry Bread was sweet w/ a good number of blueberries (Mom said there needed to be more... but had no problem polishing off the whole loaf that weekend)

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread was nice & lemony, moist & dense

Garlic Rolls - these were kinda like Monkey Bread but savory.  Pull apart rolls w/ tons of garlic flavor but not overpoweringly so

While we still have a few leftovers, Mom & Sis said they are heading back down to HMB this weekend & will be restocking for Thanksgiving..... if we can make it that long!

Enjoyed a wonderful fall day in Half Moon Bay this weekend..... walking around Main Street, enjoying the pumpkin patches still around, searching out tasty treats & Pasta Moon was on our list

Be sure to make rezzies - sure glad we did! We got there as they opened at noon & by 12:30 they were packed....& for good reason!

Started out w/ the Tempura Pumpkin w/ homemade Applesauce & Basil Pesto - OMG was it goooood

Beets w/ Burrata & Honey Vinaigrette......intense honey flavor paired w/ the nicely marinated beets & the creamy Burrata - WOW

Entrees for us both were the Butternut Squash Ravioli. It was completely outstanding!!! Cooked just perfectly & surrounded w/ this cheesy, creamy sauce w/ aged balsamic. The squash wasn't too sweet but nutty & savory & the pasta was cooked just perfectly

Dessert (and yes we *still* had room) was Lemon Parfait for Sis & Butterscotch Pudding for me. I'm told the lemon was extremely lemony - but I am not a citrus fan so didn't try - but I can vouch that that Butterscotch was the best I've ever tasted!

So rich & creamy & pungent w/ butterscotch..... I normally wouldn't have even thought to order this but most all other desserts were combined w/ some sort of citrus so by process of elimination, it was the Butterscotch.

Now I've learned my lesson to make that the go-to dessert at Pasta Moon.....along w/ as much pumpkin / squash as we can order!

Fall is my fav time of year when it comes to enjoying pumpkinny delicacies

As I am walking past Batter, I see a Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread on their board so immediately whip out the wallet

Unfortunately it wasn't all that & in this rating system, 3-stars stands more for "only okay" instead of "a-ok".

Mild pumpkin flavor w/ even milder chocolate

The chocolate chips had a somewhat waxy aftertaste & a more intense chocolate is definitely needed here

Maybe the cupcake would be different??

Fail Boudin - absolute fail!

At SFO & looking for a simple sandwich to take on the plane w/ me. Asked if I could order a cheese sandwich (they didn't have 1 on their menu) & the lady very nicely says yes.......liking the sandwiches made to order!

Imagine = I'm getting a *real* sandwich w/ all the accompanying fixins & cheese as my main ingredient

Reality = I'm handed 3 slices of cheese on a cold roll.......that's IT. No lettuce, no tomato, no condiment of any kind

Now if they had heated it - aka grilled cheese, it would have been okay, but this was an absolute joke......that cost me $5

Moral of the story:  Be careful what you ask for......you will get it.... literally

I remember Kroger from living back in VA & happy to see they're still around......in TX

Stocking up for my BFF's "Free At Last * " celebration, we hit this location for some last minute essentials

.....like more cheese; MORE wine, maybe some nice flowers, etc... this store is ginormous & has it all....great selection of fresh cut flowers or plants;  produce section is likewise huge & the fruit was super-fresh & ripe

There probably isn't a brand of chips this place didn't carry.....fantastic beer & wine selection....I could go on, but you get my point

While there, we also happen upon the sample tables & tried a delish wine & the MOST amazing Chocolate Cake with Caramel & Chocolate drizzle

As you might remember, I almost completely base my grocery store ratings from the Bakery section & Kroger is where it's at!

Bought a huge slab to take back w/ me on the plane & it was moist, dense chocolaty cake w/ ginormous gloops of drizzle that stuck to the spork ( provided w/ my slab in its own package indention - brilliant! )

Big 5 Stars for Kroger!

*  Free At Last = divorce final

Brunching w/ my fav BFFs last weekend could only mean Le Peep

Nice diner setup w/ all the basics of good standard brunch fare

Friends got eggy skillet w/ taters & bacon - it's her go-to & consistently gewd;

Another got the Cesar Salad - they forgot the grilled Flatbread but quickly brought it out when we called them on it. Even though the dressing wasn't on the side, it was the perfect amount - lettuce was crisp & fresh; chicken was grilled & tender

I opted for the seasonal Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes. They were good but had *very* little pumpkin flavor. The best part about this dish was the Cream Cheese "dipping sauce" they came with........it had the consistency of whipped butter & was a perfect schmeer - sweet & a little tart

The waitress asked if I also wanted syrup......oh yeah!  Perfect pairing to the cream cheese - there's no such thing as pancakes w/out syrup!!

Best part was that we had a coupon for buy 1 get 1 free - this in addition to their already super-affordable prices & we were good to go for the rest of our day!

The Edge is a fun trendy store in historic downtown.....just a bit of everything from sparklie shirts to sparklie jewelry to funny sunglasses.... reminded me of shopping in Vegas

We bought our friend the most hysterical pair of "wine glasses".....they were wine glass-shaped sunglasses w/ "red wine" as the tinted lenses....I'd post a pic but she'd kill me

They also sell Yield Jeans - buy a pair & they pay 3 months of food for a needy kid - cool concept ( like Tom Shoes )

Alas, they looked horrible on me.....WHY must good jeans be so hard to find?!

The lady did try to tell me that she just didn't know why people were so hooked on numbers & this run was the last "true size" run & they've now switched to vanity sizing so maybe I wanted to try 1 size bigger.  

Uh, no - the jeans fit but they looked BAD......but thanks, I guess, for telling me I'm actually bigger than I think I am

But definitely worth a visit & those wine glasses are the shnizz