staycation

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

5 favorite restaurants in Saratoga CA

 in Travel  tagged lifestyle / restaurants / saratoga / staycation by
bella saratoga

pictured: Fettuccine Blanco from Bella Saratoga

Saratoga is a bedroom community nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains and adjacent to San Jose and Los Gatos. It is filled with families, and mainly home to people who work in the tech industry. The town originated as both a farming community and a destination for San Franciscans to go to in order to escape the city. There used to be springs here, which reminded people of Saratoga Springs in New York; hence the name, Saratoga.

In present day, Saratoga is a flourishing town with a quaint downtown known as the “The Village.” This small area is made up of local shops and restaurants. There are so many good restaurants, which are all family owned. No chains! In writing this post, I feel like I am excluding so many good places to eat, but please know, these are just my five favorite restautants in Saratoga, the other restaurants are also delicious! There are no bad places to eat in town, Saratoga is very fortunate. Love that!

So, next time you are in Saratoga, here are five of my favorite places to eat; of course, all of the restaurants downtown are delicious! Please note, these are in no particular order.

Darla Cafe

Darla Cafe is new restaurant which recently opened in Saratoga. They serve breakfast and lunch. I am in love with how they prepare their potatoes! If you are looking for a good brunch place, check out Darla Cafe!

Mint Leaf Saratoga

Mint Leaf Cuisine is my favorite Thai restaurant. The food there is delicious! All of their appetizers are not only delicious, but they are also presented in an artful manner. This is a feast for both your eyes and your palate. Yum! Bring your appetite to Mint Leaf Cuisine! The pineapple fried rice and the scallops are my favorites.

Bella Saratoga

Bella Saratoga is a delicious Italian restaurant. This is where I like to go for special occasions, such as an anniversary. Everything they make is delicious, but my favorite dish is the Fettucine Blanco. It is to-die-for!

Florentine’s

How in the world do I not have a photo to share? We have been eating at Florentine’s since before we lived in the South Bay. My great aunt loved this restaurant, and we had many family celebrations there for graduations, religious sacraments, birthdays, and more. This is a casual, everyday Italian restaurant and it is a family favorite of my immediate family, as well as my cousins. I am kicking myself for not having a photo! How did that even happen? We eat here frequently! Everything on the menu is amazing. My favorite is the ravioli, and the Bolognese is a big hit too. The triangle shaped, herb bread served while you wait is also a big winner. Yum!

Masu Sushi

Well, you know I love sushi! Masu is my favorite sushi restaurant. The fish is always fresh, and the sushi is always made just right. They have a few outdoor tables here, which are ideal in the spring, summer, and early fall. They even have one large table which is perfect for our family of five. Love that!

Well, there you have it. All of these restaurants are located in downtown Saratoga on Big Basin Way. In addition to these five restaurants, there are plenty of other fabulous places to eat. If you are in the mood for Indian cuisine, Mandala is delicious. If you are looking for an extra special experience, La Fondue or Plumed Horse are classic destinations. La Mere Michelle is also delicious. They offer casual French cuisine; I love how they prepare their carrots, yum!

Thanks for stopping by, Mangia!

XOXO
Cathy

3 California road trip ideas

 in Travel  tagged family / staycation by

It is the time of year when we all start to plan family vacations. Spring break is fast approaching, and summer vacation is on the horizon. Sometimes we have enough of a break in our schedule to plan a plane trip somewhere and enjoy it for a week, or possibly more, but other times, we have a small break in our schedule and a road trip is the best option for a family vacation.

If you are local to California, and looking for a road trip idea, here are a few, which may seem obvious, but hopefully will spark a road trip idea anyway. If you are from out of state, you can easily fly into one of our airports, rent a car, and enjoy one or more of these spots on your vacation. Feel free to leave your road trip ideas in the comments below!

Napa Valley

napa river sunset winter

One of the most popular road trips in California is heading up to wine country. That being said, you don’t have to go wine tasting to enjoy the Napa Valley. This can be a road trip you enjoy with the entire family, and also as someone who does not drink alcohol.

There are plenty of activities in the Napa Valley the entire family can enjoy such as hiking through the Petrified Forest. Here is my full post on this beautiful destination. Call before you go to ensure they have recovered from the recent storms.

You can also visit the geysers, check out the culinary institute, or enjoy a winery with or without drinking.

Pismo Beach

pismo beach sign pier

Pismo Beach is one of the less traveled beaches in California. It is in between Los Angeles and the Bay Area, so for those of us traveling between the two Metropolitain areas, Pismo Beach is a great rest stop for lunch or brunch. That being said, have you ever stayed overnight? If not, then you should! There are fabulous hotels on or near the beach and the beach itself is quite relaxing in the quiet morning hours before the tourists arrive. Even when the tourists arrive, it isn’t too overrun.

In addition to enjoying the beach, you can drive a few minutes to San Luis Obispo and enjoy the hiking trails at Cal Poly SLO. You can check out my post about it here. Poly Canyon Trail is a must-see in the Pismo Beach, SLO area.

Tahoe

Lake Tahoe might be an obvious choice, but it is a place you can visit again and again. So, even if you have already taken a road trip to Tahoe, you might think about going back to see something new. There are too many trails to count, so hiking is always new and exciting. The views from most hiking trails are beautiful and beyond belief, therefore, it is always a breathtaking experience; in addition to the thin air! haha

There are also silver mines close by. These are worth the drive to see in person. We always talk about the gold mining history in California, but the silver mines were here too.

This year, we had record snowfall. This means the Tahoe region may still have snow during spring break and early summer! Grab your sled and get ready to play in the snow! You can build a snowman, make snow angels, have a snowball fight, and just play!

Of course, these are only three ideas. You can always take a road trip to a more obscure location in the state, or head down to Disneyland or Universal Studios for some fun. It is also fun to play tourist and check out all the tourist areas and traps in Hollywood.

What are your favorite road trip ideas in California?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy