lifestyle


Eataly Silicon Valley grand opening press event

eataly pastries san jose silicon valley valley fair
eataly gelato
summer street style san jose

wearing: statement earrings / stripe dress (under $50) / summer nail polish / top handle bag / gemstone bracelets (San Jose designer) / black white sneakers /

Eataly Silicon Valley has opened their doors! This well-known Italian marketplace and restaurant and been long-awaited at Valley Fair. We have been walking past the “Opening Soon” signs for what seems like forever in anticipation of getting our own Italian marketplace in Silicon Valley, and now it’s finally here! Love!

My ancestors are Italian, so obviously I am always looking for fresh Italian ingredients for when I cook. I also enjoy authentic pre-made food, because my Mom cooks everything better than me anyway. haha

Eataly is a marketplace and restaurant which was first opened in Italy, so it isn’t an American creation which is trying to be Italian. So many American chains, which claim to be Italian, are really just pretenders; which is very annoying when you know what the food is supposed to taste like, how it should be cooked, and the ingredients which should be used! I watched my grandmother, who came here from Italy, spend hours upon hours in the kitchen. While I may not be amazing in the kitchen like she was, I do know Italian food, so let me tell you about Eataly with confidence.

As an American, you will expect pizza, pasta, and risotto. That’s great, Eataly has you well-covered with these types of food. I love that you can find food from various regions of Italy throughout the marketplace, and in the restaurants within Eataly. My family is Northern, so I notice the food my family cooks right away! Since I attended a press event, I was able to sample a few dishes, and they were all delicious. So, whether you prefer southern food or northern food, you will find what you love.

Eataly Silicon Valley is also a marketplace! The ground floor has snacks, coffee, pastries, and gelato. When you venture up to the second floor, you will find a variety of wines in all price points. I love how Eataly labels the region the wine originates from. It made it easy to find wine from where my family is from, and still lives. Love that!

The third floor was my favorite spot, as this is where both restaurants are located, and there is a fabulous market. You will find a variety of packaged foods from Italy, a butcher, fresh cheeses, meats, packaged food, dairy, produce, breads, and more. I was in heaven. Seriously, we have small Italian markets in Silicon Valley, but nothing this vast and all-encompassing. This is a one-stop-shop for Italians like me!

Eataly opens early, before the mall, at 8:30am. This is perfect for shopping for groceries. We can pop in before the mall gets crowded and buy everything we all need to cook at home; in one location! Love that! In addition, there is more wine on the third floor plus you can find gift items, cooking tools, and cookbooks. Wear your walking shoes, and get ready to spend time shopping when you go to Eataly! You will love it.

I hope you stop in and enjoy the food! You can learn more about Eataly by visiting their website at Eataly.com.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

*I received free food at the press event, I was not paid to attend. All thoughts and opinions in this article are my own.

eataly restaurants

Zinfandel Trail in Cupertino

zinfandel trail cupertino

Hiking outfit: black jacket / tee-shirt / jeans / G buckle belt / backpack / waterbottle / spring nail polish / hiking boots /

Last weekend, we decided to check out the Zinfandel Trail in Cupertino. This trail is adjacent to a beautiful winery by the name of Picchetti Winery. It is also part of the Steven Creek County Park which we have hiked in before.

This is a fabulous trail whether you are hiking with children, or a group who might be interested in wine tasting after the hike. We were with friends who had small children, and they were able to hike for two hours without complaining! It was great! That being said, don’t think is an easy trail. There are hills, twists and turns. If you hike the entire trail, you will end up on the other side of the reservoir; which is a long hike, but worth it for the beautiful views and amazing exercise.

I really enjoyed the Zinfandel Trail because a good portion of it was in the shade. This meant we had enough sun and shade to not overheat or get burned. Of course, always wear sunscreen! We did!

There were some cute little wildlife sightings along the trail which the kids enjoyed. We saw large and furry caterpillars, as well as various types of lizards in red, green, and grey. There was a variety of birds, and an unidentified animal sound which the kids enjoyed trying to guess what they heard.

The one sad part about this trail is that you can see how low the reservoir is right now during our drought. To top it off, the pond along the trail is completely dry. We are in the middle of spring, which is the end of our rainy season. This means our ponds and reservoirs should be full and thriving. Unfortunately, that is not the case at all. Let’s pray for an odd rainstorm to help us out!

Despite being low, the reservoir still provided a beautiful view and a glimpse at some pretty water. The Zinfandel Trail does provide some spectacular views! You will be rewarded for the work you put in to hike it. I would call this a medium trail.

Of course, if you leave the kids at home, the winery opens at 11am for wine tasting. You can not only have the reward of fabulous views, but a little vino too! Love that! We had kids with us, so we admired the pretty winery from afar.

The Zinfandel Trail can be accessed off Montebello Road which is off Stevens Canyon Road. It is an easy find off highway 85.

I hope you have a chance to check out this beautiful trail!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy


Tempe Arizona recap

casual spring outfit ideas

Wearing and squinting into the sun: statement earrings / yellow and white stripe tee / cross body bag / G buckle belt / spring nail polish / boyfriend jeans / golden ring / platform sneakers /

During ski week, we took a quick trip to Tempe, Arizona. Much like our Boulder trip, it was quick, so we didn’t do a lot of site-seeing. What we did do, was enjoy the weather and eat at a lot of really good restaurants! Another thing we loved; Tempe didn’t have a mask mandate when we were there. It felt weird at first, but we loved shedding our masks!

Sushi and ramen from Shady Park in Tempe, Arizona

The city of Tempe is integrated into ASU, so there are plenty of affordable and delicious restaurants within walking distance of a hotel. We stayed at the Westin Tempe, which was right in the middle of town and had a rooftop bar where you could watch the dessert sunset. Love!

Our favorite restaurants included Zipps Sports Grill, and Shady Park. Zipps offered American casual fare and I enjoyed a veggie burger with onion rings. Shady Park was a Japanese restaurant which had really good sushi and ramen. If we ever return to Tempe, we will eat at these two places again! I highly recommend!

We took a walking tour around town and found many architecturally significant buildings, which was really fun. I loved the Frank Llyod Wright theater on the ASU campus, and the Tempe City Hall. If you love architecture, this is a great place to check out!

Wearing: statement earrings / black tee (sold out, also love this top) / cross body bag / spring nail polish / G buckle belt / wide leg jeans (old, also love this pair) / platform sneakers /

I wish we had more time in Tempe, we were only there for a day and half. I would love to return someday and check out their hiking trails and historical spots. It’s an easy place to travel to from the Bay Area, and the weather this time of year is perfect!

Have you ever been? What did you enjoy?

What was in my Tempe Arizona suitcase:

Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned! Spring capsule launches on the blog next week!

XOXO
Cathy