restaurants

Favorite dim sum in Cupertino

 in General Fashion  tagged lifestyle / outfits / restaurants / spring 2023 by
casual cupertino street style

wearing: sunglasses / large hoop earrings (under $100) / spring sweater / jeans / bracelet (under $50) / nail polish / handbag / sneakers /

There is a new dim sum restaurant in town! Koi Palace Contempo might be new to Cupertino, but it is already a mainstay here in the San Francisco Bay Area. When I heard they were opening a location in Cupertino, I was overjoyed! They have the best dim sum!

Two of my favorite items on the menu are the mushroom shumai and the lobster har gow. Yes! LOBSTER har gow. Ooooh, so good! We definitely enjoyed everything we ate and left overstuffed. I will be back again for sure!

If you are local to the Bay Area, check out the Koi Palace closest to you, you will love it! If you are here in the South Bay, be sure to check out the new location at Cupertino Main Street. It is so good!

koi palace contempo restaurant review cupertino main street

FYI: The fork was a serving utensil; we ate with chopsticks. Just for the record.

It was literally the first spring day of the day, weather-wise, when we decided to try the new Koi Palace Contempo location inside Cupertino’s Main Street. I decided to wear my spring sweater, which I have been dying to wear for two months! It was perfect with jeans on this spring-like day. So glad spring has finally arrived!

Have you been enjoying this new spring weather? I know I am!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

coach tabby messenger 19

Eataly Silicon Valley grand opening press event

 in Entertaining / Events / General Fashion  tagged eataly / lifestyle / outfits / restaurants by
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

Great places to eat in Seattle

 in Travel  tagged city guide / restaurants / seattle / travel tips by

mcmenamins queen anne pub

We just returned from a really fun family vacation to Seattle, WA. While we were there, we ate out at several restaurants. Some of the restaurants were really yummy, while others, made you want to beg for your money back; no joke. So, to help you make the right dining decisions next time you travel to Seattle, and not repeat our mistakes, here are a few of the restaurants we ate at; these are the ones we loved!

All of these restaurants had great kids menu’s too, so these are both adult and kid approved places to eat! Love that!

McMenamin’s Queen Anne Pub

mcmenamins queen anne pub mcmenamins queen anne pub

McMenamin’s Queen Anne pub was our favorite place to eat during our vacation; we ate there twice! The photo at the top of this article is a Gardenburger with cheese and tater tots. The tater tots are soooo good! I highly recommend getting them instead of the fries with your sandwich or burger. So good!

The second meal pictured is a Queen Anne sandwich with tater tots. It has roasted mozzarella, tomato, and pesto. It’s SO GOOD! I also has a cup of clam chowder; it was equally delicious!

My kids enjoyed mini corn dogs and chicken from the kids menu. Parents and children approved!

If you like craft beer, they have really good beer. I highly recommend sipping one during your meal, they are quite good!

Also, in case you hadn’t noticed, this restaurant also has incredible decor. Each ceiling light fixture had a really cool, painted design around it. Don’t you just love it!

McMenemin’s Queen Anne is located at 200 Roy Street, walking distance from the Space Needle.

Shawn O’Donnell’s Grill and Pub

shawn odonnells grill irish pub

This was a delicious Irish Pub we stumbled upon while touring Pioneer Square in Seattle. Shawn O’Donnell’s American Grill and Irish Pub had a great selection of comfort and pub food. They also had a delicious kids menu! I had a chicken pot pie which was to-die-for! I highly recommend popping in for some cozy food when you are near Pioneer Square in Seattle!

Ten Sushi Seattle

ten sushi seattle

We cannot go anywhere without eating at least one sushi meal! We stopped into Ten Sushi on our first day in Seattle. It was located just steps away from the Space Needle. It was a little bit difficult to find the front door; you have to enter into a supermarket and go up to a mezzanine to find the front door. Once we found it, we were happy!

The food was delicious and they have very inexpensive lunch deals each day. My kids enjoyed the food, and we loved the prices of the lunch specials! If you love sushi and are visiting Seattle near the Space Needle, be sure to pop in for a bite!

Citizen Coffee

citizen seattle

We found the cutest little coffee shop at 706 Taylor Ave. N in Seattle. They have a delicious menu filled with brunch items and sandwiches; in addition to a coffee menu. The restaurant has a super cute outdoor area filled with picnic tables and a fir-pit. The decor is adorable and the food is yummy! I enjoyed egg and mushroom tacos, which were super yummy! If you are near the Space Needle, be sure to pop in to Citizen Coffee for brunch or happy hour!

Strawberry Shortcake Booth City Center

strawberry shortcake seattle city center

If you wander around the city center in Seattle, you will notice food booths. The Strawberry Shortcake food booth is SO GOOD! If you love strawberries, and you love dessert, this is your booth! It is a cup full of juicy strawberries, cream, cake, and pure heaven. Love!

Of course, if you are a huge Starbuck’s fan, be sure to stop in at the “Original” Starbucks located at pike Place Market. It’s isn’t technically the first Starbuck’s, that one closed in the 1970s, but I understand it is the oldest location still open with original signage. The line was crazy long, so I did not go inside. If you want to grab a snack or coffee from this location, be sure to arrive early while wearing your standing shoes!

If you have any favorite restaurants in Seattle, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. I would love to learn about them!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

original starbucks seattle