restaurants

Casual spring look and a vintage bag

 in General Fashion  tagged casual style / outfits / restaurants / santana row / spring 2026 by

wearing: pearl earrings / short sleeve sweater / spring nail polish / classic cut jeans / vintage handbag / black boots /

Well, despite being February, we have enjoyed some days in the 70’s with evenings staying in the high 60’s. So, my family went to Santana Row to enjoy dinner out, little did we know the Row had been invaded by Seahawks fans that night!

Yup, this was Saturday night before the Super Bowl. I didn’t stop and think about all the non-niners fans that would be in town for the game. Thankfully, I had reservations at Left Bank so we were able to get a table without a problem. Whew! Shoutout to OpenTable.com!

We realized what was going on as we emerged from the parking garage. There were Seahawks fans everywhere! I had to remind myself I was in San Jose, not Seattle. I felt a little bit of warmth when a couple walked past us wearing niners jerseys. There are some locals like us here! Yay!!

My family navigated through the crowds of people trying to get tables at restaurants without a reservation, sad night for them! When we arrived at Left Bank, we lined up and, despite the drunk group behind us trying to eat a candle, no joke, we got our table right away.

The staff was super friendly and our food was delicious. 10/10 for Left Bank at Santana Row! Loved it!

After dinner we navigated our way back to the parking garage, and stopped for photos at NetApp, I love their tech art! It was fun seeing Santana Row so busy, despite the Seahawks jerseys. haha, next year, 49ers in the Super Bowl! I can feel it!

Shop my casual spring outfit online:

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Rainy winter day

 in General Fashion  tagged central pa / holidays 2025 / outfits / restaurants / winter 2026 by

pictured: umbrella / earrings / sweater / coat (similar here) / nail polish / black trousers / handbag / black boots / food from The Tavern: arancini balls / Pross Scallops (so good!!) /

One of my favorite restaurants in State College, PA is The Tavern. I took my daughter there for her birthday and it was delicious! We shared the arancini balls as an appetizer, and then I enjoyed the Pross Scallops, and my daughter enjoyed the bolognese. We also had dessert! It was all delicious. I highly recommend going to The Tavern if you are ever in State College. It’s so good!

The day we went it was pouring rain outside. I was thankful for this umbrella which also seems to handle wind extremely well. If you need a good winter umbrella, this one is fabulous.

These trousers are petite, so I didn’t need to shorten them. If you wear petite, you know how amazing this is! They are also available in regular and tall sizes too. Love that!

I hope your holiday season is going well. If you are still gift shopping, all my gift guides are in the main menu above. I hope you enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Taco Bell on the beach

 in General Fashion  tagged casual style / outfits / restaurants / staycation by

pictured: Cantina Bowl / Pina Colada (no alcohol) / me-windblown wearing: sunglasses / earrings / bracelets / black tee / black handbag / jeans / black loafers / nail polish /

OK, so if you are from the Bay Area, you already know about Taco Bell in Pacifica. This is touted as “the most beautiful Taco Bell in the world.” Apologies, I don’t know the original quote author, if you know, tell me and I will update credit.

The Taco Bell in Pacifica is actually a Taco Bell Cantina and it has a full bar inside! Yes, they serve alcohol if you are interested. In addition, they have a to-go window on the outside of the building so that you can stay sandy and salty from the ocean while indulging in your Taco Bell craving. Love that!

I filed this post under Staycation Bay Area because it really is a destination if you don’t live in Pacifica. You can combine a beach day with Taco Bell. This is also a beautiful and affordable way to have dinner on the beach while watching the sunset. Yes, I have done it, and it is fabulous. Highly recommend!

The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating. I love the patio, but we ate inside on this particular occasion because the wind was quite strong. The interior windows are large and allow full view of the beach. So, if you dine inside you can enjoy the beachy vibes.

Since it was a windy day, we enjoyed our lunch inside with a view of the beach and then took a walk along the beach. My hair flew everywhere, hence my hand on my head in the photo above.

This really is a special Taco Bell. You can have an affordable meal at a restaurant on the beach-which is almost unheard of here in the Bay Area. So, I highly recommend a beach day in Pacifica!

Pro tip: Avoid weekends. If you can go on a Tuesday or Wednesday, then finding parking and a table will be a breeze.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy