Panama Joes - Long Beach, Ca

It's been years since I've been Long Beach. To be honest ten years ago Long Beach was the place to be. A friend of mine had a boat and on the weekends we'd pull out of Long Beach and stop at various ports and just have a blast drinking margaritas and eating good seafood.
Every time I attempt to come to Long Beach there is just too much traffic leaving from my house to go there. Now I know... you have to get an early start.
My sister-in-law suggested this place after visiting here over the Thanksgiving weekend.
To me the food wasn't memorable. The Bloody Mary Bar is what's happening!!
When you order, they give you a pitcher of ice and Vodka. Then you go over to the Bloody Mary bar and make your own bloody Mary's. I added worcestershire sauce, horse- radish, hot sauce, celery, salt, pepper, pickled green beans, onions and any other seasonings that were out there.
This place was up my alley! We sat outside on the patio and just enjoyed the beautiful weather and enjoyed good conversation. What else can you ask for?

Dots Cupcakes- Pasadena

Some friends recommended this place over Sprinkles in Beverly Hills. I don't know... I have to disagree with their opinion. I tried several of the cupcakes at Dots and they were completely dry, no moisture and tasted like they came out of a box. There was only flavor in the frosting. My issue with only having flavor in the frosting is once the frosting has been eaten where's the flavor? I want to be able to eat the cake portion and still enjoy every bite without the frosting. That's just my opinion. Since most of these cupcakes don't have preservatives, why not go all out??
I noticed that there is a lot of these cupcake shops popping up and although I find them really cute I think my sister should go into her own cupcake business. Her "Black Bottom Cupcake" would blow them all out of the water. I'd rather my cupcake just be the sin of all sins with 800 calories in each one.
My suggestion: Instead of making a bunch of different flavors just focus on 4 or 5 flavors and make them wickedly tasteful and moist.

Tropicana Bakery and Cuban Cafe- Downey, Ca

The other day I thought I was going to faint because I hadn't eaten all day. As I was sitting at a stop light I saw the Tropicana sign to the right of me and decided to stop in for lunch. Well I am certainly glad that I did. As I walked in I was greeted by a really pretty Cuban girl wearing a straw Havana hat. (Now I think I need to add a Havana hat to my wardrobe, lololol).
Whenever I try a new Cuban restaurant I usually will try their oxtails which is the indicating factor if I will return for a second visit. Well, it looks like I will be returning. Their oxtails were falling off the bone. Their black beans were some of the best that I have tried in a restaurant. They make their black beans the same exact way that I make my own. Garlic, onion, bay leaf and salt pork. They also had my favorite soda, Jupina (which is a pineapple soda). They also had some other things on their menu that I haven't seen at other Cuban restaurants so I am looking forward to bringing some of my friends.
At night they have a live band and entertainment while you eat and drink. The seating there is also really comfortable with leather chairs and couches in the bakery area. I can honestly say that this place is very inviting but also has a very classy look to it.
For a while I watched the pastry chefs make cakes and decorate desserts. This place was very impressive. They made all types of desserts such as tiramisu, flan, cookies, breads and potato balls.
There was also a really nice lunch crowd. If you are single this is the place to be. :-)

Sweet Baby Rays bbq sauce- The sauce is the boss!

In 2003 a friend of mine turned me onto Sweet Baby Ray's Bbq sauce. I remember buying all types of bbq sauces trying to find the perfect one. I wasted so much money over the years. After I tried Sweet Baby Ray's I rarely ever make my own unless I am going for a more distinct flavor. Sweet Baby Ray's has the perfect savory taste. Its not too sweet, smoky, tangy or vinegary. There is nothing more annoying than a bbq sauce that has too much of one ingredient. I remember years ago not wanting to have bbq at a friends house because I knew she would only buy bull eyes bbq sauce. (That is probably one of the worst sauces I have ever had. Honestly I wish they'd discontinue it). So a mutual friend and I got together and volunteered that we'd go to the store and pick up the sauce. My friend wasn't too happy at first because she had purchased 12 bottles of Bullseye Bbq sauce. We told her we promise that her bbq party would be a success if she just trusted us.
Later on...
It was no surprise everyone raved about the bbq that night.
Everytime I am in a grocery store and I am buying bbq sauce and I see someone looking for bbq sauce I just tell them don't waste their time, buy Sweet Baby Ray's. LOL... plus its the cheapest sauce on the shelf!! You can't beat that.

Quick Tip: Always wait to apply bbq sauce till the end. Typically wait until the last five minutes of cooking before applying. If you apply it before it will burn the skin and your meats will not cook thoroughly. You don't want to risk the chance of samonella poisoning. Also use a paint brush when applying bbq sauce, it spreads more evenly.

Oinksters- Eagle Rock, Ca

As you all know my television is permanently set on the Food Channel all day, week and year long. As my television was playing in the background I heard Guy Fieri mention that Oinksters has one of the best Pastrami sandwiches ever. Of course I must of had dog hearing from my shower because I jumped out and had to rewind the episode to see what he was talking about. For those of you that have visited my blog in the past I love Pastrami sandwiches not because of the yummy flavor but because it really does remind me of living here in California. You cant find pastrami anywhere else in the country that taste so good.
Last night I had a sudden urge to drive 30 miles from my house to check this place out at 10p.m. (BTW: they close at mid-night). Since I hadn't eaten since 2p.m. I was starving. I ordered the Oinksters Pastrami sandwich which had caramelized onions, gruyere cheese and red cabbage. What a great combination. The bread was toasted to perfection. The meat was so flavorful that I ate it extremely slow because I wanted to taste the flavors in the meat. I typically put a generous amount of mustard on my pastrami but it didn't need it.
The sandwich comes with french fries and their very own garlic aioli dip. They also make their own mustard and ketchup. The ketchup had a beautiful red color to it and had a hint of cinnamon in it. It was addicting.
I couldn't stop eating....lol.... my tummy hurt so bad because I ate too much.
I'm definitely going back.

Falcon Hollywood- Hollywood, CA

Falcon is a very beautifully decorated restaurant and bar with Hardwood floors, romantic dim lighting, comfortable seating and a good DJ to set the mood. We were invited by our friends the Hays since they frequent the restaurant a few times a year.
Too bad for us that night poured cats and dogs and it was Oscar Night. Who would had known that driving a block in Hollywood could take you twenty minutes.
Well, it seemed like nothing went well that night when it came to service. Our waitress was horrible!!!! Not only did she totally screw up our order she charged us for 5 meals for 4 people. She also let me order a side of vegetables when the same exact vegetables came with the meal. We had to get the hostess several times to get her to come back when we needed things such as drinks. The first time around she only brought half of our drink order and we had to wait 20 minutes for the other half. At the end of our evening we had to speak to the general manager who said that she was new and that she was French. After he said that I think I mentally checked out because I couldn't believe someone would use that as an excuse why the service was so horrible. He also tried to blame it on the fact that it was Oscar night and they were catering to a lot of celebrities which I did not see one. LOL!!!
When you have bad service it tends to over power the food but the most memorable thing on the menu was the Blue Ginger Mojito. It was probably one of the best cocktails I have ever tasted. The drink is so good that you forget that there is alcohol in it.
As far as the food. It was a little better than average but I think they were having an off night. My friends always have a good time. I am willing to give them another try on a less busy night and a request that there is a better waitress. Too bad we hardly saw her I would have taken a picture of her. :-)

Cyrus- Healdsburg, Ca

Cyrus- Wow!!! We arrived at 8p.m. and left a little after midnight. Although it was a eight course tasting menu, I know we ate more than eight courses over a four hour period. I was exhausted by the end of the meal but it was well worth the $$$$ and time. I have been wanting to go to Cyrus for over a year. I saw an episode of "In wine country" on what an amazing experience you will have at this restaurant. I was impressed by their caviar on the episode and the restaurants presentation.
The restaurant was also featured on Bravo's Top Chef reality show last season. The first time I called to make a reservation they were completely booked. When I called this year they were booked but we were placed on the waiting list and happened to get the time slot and day we requested. We were so happy and delighted that we finally were able to see if Cyrus was all show or really an amazing experience.
One of my favorite dishes that we tried was the Tasmanian Trout. I have never been impressed with regular trout but I fell in love. At first I thought it was a salmon or tuna but my taste buds were really off base. It melted in my mouth and was delectable. It was very light and had a fresh refreshing taste and made it a great starter dish.
I was also impressed with the Caviar. Although we ordered the least expensive caviar on the menu it was the greatest flavor I have ever tasted. It was fresh and had a light ocean flavor that wasn't too fishy. They paired it with a goat cheese but this was not any goat cheese. The Chef utilized a technique called gastronomy. The goat cheese appeared as a powder on your plate but as soon as you touched it, it turned into a soft cheese. It was awesome!!! Almost like a magic show.
I was also impressed with their artisanal cheeses. Our favorite was a blue cheese soaked in wine. By the time we got to the cheese pairings we were full but we made room and really loved their selection.
We had a lovely time at Cyrus and recommend that you splurge on a meal like this at least once in your life. From the wine selection to the desserts this Chef really makes food enjoyable. Just be prepared to eat for a really long time.
To finish the night we were provided with snacks to go in a beautiful Cyrus gift box. After I arrived home from our Napa trip I opened the box and chocolate brownies were wrapped beautifully. I couldn't imagine it tasting less than perfect. Since there was four, I ate 3 and gave the other one to my husband so he could at least try what I was bragging about.
Cyrus also gave us our menus which had our names written on the menu. It was a nice personalized touch.
This place will always have great memories and hope one day I can go again.

castello di amarosa-calistoga

Castello Di Amarosa is located in Calistoga, Ca. Castello Di Amarosa is owned by V. Sattui. Castello Di Amarosa is a Castle Winery which produces mostly Italian Style wines. I have only tasted here once which was in 2008 when my sister and husband came to visit. (I included a lovely pic of them from that visit.)
By the time we made it to the winery this time around we were a little burned out. As you can see this winery is stunning. One of these days I plan to attend one of the Black tie Ball events. I have always wanted to attend a Ball and look forward to attending my first one here.
One of my favorite wines at this winery is the late harvest gewurztraminer. Its perfectly sweet and gets to the point.

V Sattui Winery-St. Helena

V. Sattui is located in St. Helena, Ca.

V. Sattui has many fond memories for me. The first time I saw this place was ten years ago with one of my best friends, Norma. That day, we decided to take the "Napa Valley Wine Train". On our way through Napa Valley on the Train we witnessed a wedding take place. I remember saying to her, "If I ever got married it would be here".
V. Sattui Winery is one of the most beautiful, fun, picturesque places you'll visit in Napa Valley, not to mention this winery has won many accolades. I love this winery because it has picnic grounds to have a picnic with others and enjoy great wines. They also have a great gourmet cheese deli. I recommend tasting and buying their artichoke cheese spread. Once you have one taste you can't help but eating the rest. For those that don't enjoy garlic, I wouldn't recommend it but since I enjoy garlic I don't mind it seeping through my pores :-)
I especially enjoy V.Sattui's dessert wines. My favorite is the Angelica. The Angelica is a muscat wine infused with Brandy. A little goes a long way. To me, it is to be sipped slowly. The Angelica has a smoothe finish and sweet taste but not a burning sensation that most brandy's give. My sister and her husband are also big fans of this wine. I just learned that they only have a limited batch so I will be ordering a case soon. Every time I take someone to this winery they fall in love with their wines, the grounds and all that it has to offer.
One of my favorites was the 2005 Gewurztraminer. Unfortunately they sold out. I have tried several of their new ones but I haven't been impressed with their recent gewurztraminers. On my visit I did purchased a semi sparkling moscato and cannot wait to open this bottle of wine with loved ones.


This winery gets 5 stars!!!!

Van Der Heyden Winery- Late Harvest Syrah

Van Der Heyden is a Dutch winery. Van Der Heyden is probably the best boutique/ family winery in Napa Valley. Don't let the outside fool you. The winery is literally a trailer. At first you are turned off and it looks as though you are entering into something scary. Every wine you have here is made with love and perfection.
My husband and I found this winery when traveling on Silverado Trail. Days before we went to Van Der Heyden last year we had heard grand reviews on the local radio station about Black Stallion which is located next door to Van Der Hayden. Since we are on the topic I will quickly mention Black Stallion winery. Its beautiful and I am sure they spent a lot of money building the facility but the wine is not. It is overcrowded and the wines were too robust and strong. I had an instant headache from drinking the wines. Every wine I tried, I quickly discarded. I will never go back. The staff was unfriendly and it was extremely cold inside.
Okay back to Van Der Heyden....
Since my husband is half Dutch we took his mother here last year so this year we couldn't wait to bring our friends, the Hay's. We forewarned them about the winery and that its not this elaborate place but they had the best tasting wines ever.
Van Der Heyden is the only winery that makes a Late Harvest Syrah, which is a very hard wine to make. They are also the only winery in the world to produce a late harvest Cabernet.
Just recently when Minnesota lost to New Orleans we shared our only bottle with our dear friends, the Heeren's. They loved and enjoyed it just as much as we did.
On this trip we had purchase another bottle and can't wait to share it with someone else. Every wine you try here you will be impressed. As you can see from one of the pictures this winery's wine has won many gold and silver metals.
xoxoxoxoxo to Van Der Heyden!!!

Alpha Omega Winery

Alpha Omega is located in Rutherford, Ca in Napa Valley. I really loved this winery. We got special treatment which made our wine tasting experience for the weekend memorable. Upon Arrival our wine pourer took us on a tour to the inside barrel room where all the wines are tanked. She gave us in depth information on our wines and the history of the wines and wine makers.
This boutique winery had some of the best wines I have ever tasted. I am not a huge fan of Chardonnay wine but they had one of the best Chardonnay's I have every tasted. Wine Spectator gave this winery 96 points out of 100. I'd have to agree!! :-)