restaurants

Best Pasta in the South Bay

 in Travel  tagged lifestyle / restaurants / staycation by

pictured: Fettucine Bianco from Bella Saratoga, in Saratoga, Ca. This is one of my favorite pasta dishes in the South Bay /

One of my favorite meals is a yummy plate of pasta. I love all types of pasta dishes, and you will find me ordering pasta in restaurants, as well as cooking it myself at home. Therefore, it is only natural that I have a list of the best pasta restaurants in the South Bay!

I grew up eating pasta since my ancestors came here from Italy. Fun fact, I am one hundred percent of Italian decent! So, I would like to consider myself an expert on delicious pasta and how it should be cooked, as well as the best sauces.

So, if you live near San Jose, and you love pasta, let’s talk about the best pasta! Yum!!

My favorite pasta restaurants in the South Bay, listed in alphabetical order.

  • Aldo’s Ristorante & Bar
    • 14109 Winchester Blvd., Los Gatos, CA
    • Favorites: Tortellini alla Tommaso, Rigatoni Paesani, and Tagliatelle alla Aldo. Get the cannoli!
  • Bella Saratoga
    • 14503 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, CA
    • Favorites: Fettucine Bianco, Bolognese, and Chicken Mushroom Linguine.
  • Florentine Trattoria
    • 14510 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, CA
    • Favorites: Half & Half, Ravioli, and classic Bolognese. Also, get the lemoncello dessert!
  • Italian Brothers Restaurant
    • 330 No Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos, CA
    • Favorites: Pappardelle Salsiccia e Funghi, Rigatoni Pesto, and Rigatoni Mafiosa
  • Sorelle Italian Bistro
    • 915 San Tomas Aquino Road, Campbell, CA
    • Favorites: Sorelle Short Rib Bolognese, Linguini with grilled jumbo shrimp, Traditional meat sauce, and get the cannoli!

Do you have any favorite pasta restaurants in the southern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area? If so, feel free to share in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by, and eat the pasta!

XOXO

Cathy

pictured below: Half and Half from Florentine Trattoria

Places to eat in Long Beach California

 in Travel  tagged long beach / restaurants by

Pictured: Bruschetta from Utopia

Our trip to Long Beach was short and sweet, but that does not mean we didn’t find plenty of yummy places to eat during our stay. We usually try to stay away from chain restaurants we can eat at home. So, we scour the internet and read the reviews of places we want to try. I was able to find a few fabulous restaurants which I am featuring here and are worthy of your time! Next time you are in Long Beach, be sure to try these restaurants! In my opinion, these are the best restaurants in Long Beach, California.

Best Breakfast: East Village Cafe

The coffee always tastes better at independent coffee shops, and the East Village Cafe is no different. They had the freshest brew and many different types of coffee drinks to choose from. I enjoyed a classic latte while my oldest is a vanilla latte kind of girl and my middle child enjoys getting something new and different every day. She loved everything she ordered! Do you know what else we loved? The food! They make the fluffiest, freshest, most delicious eggs! Love! East Village Cafe is a must-try next time you are in Long Beach.

Also want to add: love the local vibe and friendly faces who work there.

Best Lunch: Long Beach Taco Company

Tacos! This place has delicious food in every category. My favorite were the seasoned pork tacos. Long Beach Taco Company is a must-try next time you are in Long Beach. My daughter also loved the Jalapeno Poppers. Yum!

Best Dinner: Thai District

Thai District is tucked around the corner from its’ address, so while slightly tricky to find for tourists like us, it was worth the confusion. The food was SO GOOD! I highly recommend adding toasted tofu and getting your spice level to at least a two. In addition to delicious food, the service was amazing. Everyone was so nice and helpful! The waiter talked us into moving the spice level to a two and I am so happy he did. The rice was perfect, as was everything else. We also enjoyed a chicken curry dish which isn’t pictured. This is a must-eat-at place in Long Beach! Love!

Also Loved: Utopia

Feeling fancy yet chill? Utopia is your place! I would definitely eat dinner here again. The mushroom risotto was to-die-for, and my daughter’s tiramisu was amazing. I highly recommend enjoying your dinner on the patio under the vine canopy. It was relaxing and chill.

Also Loved: Parker Lighthouse

You have to have dinner on the pier at least once! Parker Lighthouse is the best place for both a delicious meal and waterfront views. My daughter had the cauliflower steak and she told me it was absolutely delicious. She would love to have it again! I enjoyed clam chowder and sushi, which were both tasty. I highly recommend indulging one night at Parkers Lighthouse.

Well, there’s my list! We ate at several additional restaurants, but these were our favorites, and the ones we would visit again. I hope you enjoy your trip to Long Beach!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

pictured below: dessert at Utopia

Places to eat in Chinatown

 in General Fashion / Travel  tagged family / outfits / restaurants / san francisco / staycation by

wearing: statement earrings / sweater (sold out, similar here) / black handbag / bracelets (local designer) / summer nail polish / black belt / jeans (sold out, also love these) / sneakers /

It is always a fun day in Chinatown with our family. We tend to gravitate towards the same restaurants when we visit, but this time we decided to try a new place, and we are so glad we did!

Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company

We started our day by visiting the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company. While an obvious tourist destination, us locals love going there too! They have really yummy chocolate dipped fortune cookies. If you visit the city, be sure to pop in and pick up some cookies!

Far East Cafe

On KTVU Amber Lee filmed a segment where she highlighted her favorite places to go in Chinatown. She mentioned Far East Cafe and how it has been in the city for over one hundred years. How did I not know about this restaurant? So, of course, we had to try it!

Far East Cafe has a large menu and we ordered just enough for the five us to enjoy for lunch. The decor inside the restaurant is traditional and the overall vibe is old school San Francisco. Love that! We will definitely go back in the future!

Another recommendation by Amber Lee was to try the mango cake and mango desserts at AA Bakery. Unfortunately, I forgot to snap pictures, but take my word, it is delicious! We tried mango pudding as well as other breads and pastries which we took home. We will be back there too! The food is delicious and next time we want to pick up a full mango cake. Yum!

Hi Sweetie Tea and Treats

What day is complete without boba? We found the cutest boba place with squishies for sale, and games you can play while enjoying your afternoon boba. Hi Sweetie Tea and Treats was a fun place to pop into for tea and few games. The Creme Brulee boba is my favorite. yum!

Our family also loves the moon cakes at Eastern Bakery. So, we picked up a box to bring home, as well as an order of their sesame balls. Seriously, they have the best sesame balls; and they are huge! I highly recommend enjoying one while they are warm. So yummy!

Locations:

Far East Cafe is located at 631 Grant Ave., San Francisco.

Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory is located at 56 Ross Alley in San Francisco.

AA Bakery is located at 1068 Stockton Street in San Francisco.

Hi Sweetie Tea and Treats is located at 775 Jackson Street in San Francisco.

Eastern Bakery is located at 720 Grant Ave., in San Francisco.

I hope you have a chance to try at least one of these yummy locations!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy