Category Archives: Pasta

Bungalow Before Baby

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Tuesday night, Jay and I realized that Wed night would be our last night solo.  My mom is flying in tonight from Florida, and she will be here until Wyatt is born so we wanted to have a nice date night to celebrate the next chapter in our lives.  I chose Bungalow 44, a restaurant in Mill Valley I’ve been wanting to try out for a while.  I drooled over the menu before we finally chose an appetizer to start with, the Gnocchi with Gorgonzola and thyme.  It was the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi I have had the pleasure of eating.  I loved the seared texture and it had the perfect amount of Gorgonzola.

photo 1Jay and I, as usual, split a couple entrees.  First up was the Sky Hill Goat Cheese Ravioli.  I loved the little fried basil leaf on top, I wish they had a few more of those on there.  It was a good dish, but didn’t blow me away.  Maybe a different sauce would have complemented the ravioli better?  Jay makes the best sauce so I’m spoiled.

photo 3Next up was the Pork Shoulder Chop.  This was the best (and biggest) pork chop I’ve ever had!  It was incredibly juicy and packed full of flavor.  Jay is a huge steak guy, and said this was even better than steak.  The beans and bacon tasted great as well, but I think some of the beans were a touch undercooked.

photo 2A pregnant woman always needs dessert!  The server recommended the Sticky Toffee Cake with their vanilla ice cream.  It was incredible.  The warm cake had a heartier texture (probably because of the dates?) and had a wonderfully caramelized exterior.  The ice cream and the butterscotch sauce was the perfect compliment.  I could have eaten another one if it was put in front of me.

photo 4It was an amazing dinner!  Bungalow 44 has great food and service, and I hope to go back!  Next time I want to try their Kickin’ Fried Chicken.  What’s your favorite part of a meal… appetizer, entree or dessert?

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Baby Needs BBQ

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The selection of BBQ is pretty meager here in the North Bay. So when I saw a review for Best Lil’ Porkhouse in the newspaper I was thrilled! We got there around 4:00 on a Saturday so it wasn’t too busy. We placed our order at the counter and picked a table. I was definitely pleased with the sauce selections.

Both of us ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich, which the cashier recommended. It was so frigging good! The bun was nice and soft. The pork was super tender and slightly smoky. It was definitely on the larger side, which was good because I was hungry!  Jay and I both agreed it was the best pulled pork sandwich we had eaten in a while.  The homemade sauces worked really well with it. My fave sauce combo was mixing Sweet with Winged Spawn of Satan. Luckily for me, the Spawn sauce wasn’t really that hot. But I could see how a real heat lover would be a little upset. The name makes it sound like you need to sign a waiver to try it.

The sandwich came with one side, so we each ordered a different one to share. First up is the Mac & Cheese. In my opinion, it was just as good as my Crackaroni & Cheese recipe. It was super cheesy and super creamy. I loved the crunch that the bacon gave it.

Next up, fried pickles! Since I’m preggo, I HAD to order them, hehe. They were good, but as a fried pickle connoisseur I’d rather have the slices than the whole spears. I wouldn’t order them again. But overall, Best Lil’ Porkhouse had some great food, and we will definitely be back!

Have you ever had fried pickles?

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Tasting Trader Joe’s

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The first thing I said to Jay when I found out we were moving to California 6 months ago was, “There better be a Trader Joe’s there!”. Now, I go there about once a week to stock up. I love TJ’s because the prices are good, and there are always new items to try out. Here are some reviews of a couple products I’ve loved…and one not so much.

Butternut Squash Triangoli – this was one was one of my first finds ever. The subtly sweet and savory filling is my idea of perfection.

For the sauce I sauté the diced Trader Joes pancetta (and sometimes onion) in butter, then toss in the triangoli, and cover with Parmesan cheese. I could eat this every day!

Organic Wood Fired Pizza – I got this on a whim last week since I was home alone on Friday and that’s when I love to get my “junk food” fix. The box looked promising.

Unfortunately, I was really disappointed. I had to add cheese because what it came with was so sparse. The crust was very tough, almost cracker like. I won’t be getting that again!

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad – The ingredients intrigued me and I couldn’t pass it up. It makes a great quick lunch. I threw some leftover chicken into the mix and I think it was the perfect addition. The combo of flavors is great and the wide variety of colors are eye pleasing. I would definitely get this again!

What new food finds have you been craving lately?

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