food

tasty midtown treats

in

after a long day at work, a big (but short) presentation to some VIPs and spending time helping students practicing their networking skills, I thought I should go out for a nice dinner. mister wanted to try Ernesto's (he's never been before). we arrived around 7:00 pm and were greatest by these fine gentlemen at the door...

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20120509-223026.jpg

they were playing/singing throughout the evening :)

dinner was nice and relaxing, food was served promptly. drinks were always topped off. and oh, the salsa is fantastic.

as expected, I cleaned plate.

before & after:

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20120509-223313.jpg
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20120509-223339.jpg

when we were finished with dinner, we headed to Devine (my latest favorite desert joint) for some gelato.

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20120509-223438.jpg

a night in

in ,

tonight was a night in kinda night. was actually too exhausted to go out. really wanted something warm and comforting and so, I baked some chicken and served with a side of risotto and veggies. nothing fancy, but it did the trick.

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20120423-214733.jpg

winner winner, chicken dinner (er, lunch)!

in ,

so anyone who's known me for a period of time will hear me talk about going to San Francisco for some chinese chicken wings. call it an obsession but i love these wings. it has been a really long time since i've had this, mainly because i keep forgetting they're closed on wednesdays and keep showing up, only to be utterly disappointed (read as: hulk mode). anyways. not this day. i woke with full anticipation of either going to UC Davis Picnic Day or Sacto MoFo, but wasn't really feeling either one of those. eventually I decided it was time to get my "crack chicken wings". so i drove.

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

about two hours later, i arrived at San Tung Restaurant. it was a little past 1 PM and the place was packed, with the line of people out the door. i walked inside to put my name on the whiteboard (they don't have hosts/hostesses to do that so you'll have to do it yourself) and waited....

almost 45 minutes later, i was seated... and naturally starving. i ordered the original dry fried chicken wings (if you come here, you'll see that EVERYONE orders this) and a few other dishes - pork dumplings, walnut prawns, combination fried rice, noodles in peanut sauce (my other favorite). maybe it was because i was hungry, but it felt like forever before the food arrived. when it did, i was very very happy. everything was super tasty, and yes, worth the drive :)

i do have to admit, perhaps i over thought the "crack chicken wings" because although it was good, it wasn't as i had remembered it. it was a little sweeter, a little less spicy. nonetheless, still one of my favorite spots... and believe me when i say, i will be back.

Original Dry Fried Chicken Wings, San Tung
Original Dry Fried Chicken Wings, San Tung

the porch

in ,

every year, i take my bff out for her birthday. we always try to find something new because we have this habit of going to same spots over and over again any other night. this year, we ended up at The Porch in downtown Sacramento. i've been here a few times for happy hour/drinks, but never had dinner here. so was excited to try it out. we were seated promptly - it seemed pretty quiet, which was nice so that i can have a nice chat with my friend. we were handed a menu (daily menu - printed and bound to wooden boards, pictured below) and some appetizers were dropped off (bread and some sort of spread - both i didn't care too much for - i like doughy bread over crispy toasted bread). anyhow, we ordered drinks and a brie appetizer to start. i wish i remembered the name of the drink, but i don't. it was not too bad, although much sweeter than i expected it to be. i think it was a berry flavored mixed drink, but yeah, anyhow...

Appetizers & Drinks, The Porch
Appetizers & Drinks, The Porch

the brie appetizer was very good - the brie was warmed just right and was served with four big slices of toast and some fruit preserves. we ate our appetizer contently as we waited for the main course. for dinner, i decided to order the fried chicken - i was excited to see what a $21 fried chicken dish would taste like. (yes $21). it also came with mashed potatoes,greens, and a biscuit. my friend ordered the pork tenderloin which was served with roasted brussel sprouts. in short: chicken - good (crispy, large serving, sweet crusted), biscuit - ok (dry, not flaky), mashed potatoes - great (very buttery, creamy), collard greens - great (well seasoned, buttery), pork tenderloin - ok (a bit dry, flavor not very robust), brussel sprouts - great (served with bacon).

Main Course, The Porch
Main Course, The Porch

to top the night off, we ordered apple crisp and peach ice cream to share. it was well presented - the apple crisp was good, although i wish it was heated up a bit more. the peach ice cream tasted home made, not the best i've had, but couldn't complain. overall, we both had a good time and enjoyed our dinner.