Did anyone eat any awesome Superbowl snacks or food while watching the game? I gorged on food from late morning to early evening watching the game. I started off eating bagels with cream cheese and blueberries. I then moved on to Manhattan Clam Chowder with oyster crackers. The next course was BBQ pork ribs. The meat was purchased from Costco and slowly smoked and grilled. I have to say the meat from Costco is better than expected. The ribs were extremely tender and fell off the bone. After eating a few courses, I had to take a break from eating. During half-time, it appeared the Colts were on their way to win another Superbowl. The half-time show watching The Who was somewhat difficult to watch. The band members were old and not their rock-n-roll sexiness that everyone remembers them by. As the third period started, I continued on my eating journey with filet mignon. The meat was awesome! The beef was purchased from Costco and it was so juicy, tasty and really delicious. You could eat the meat without a knife, it was that tender. The meat was cooked on a BBQ grill. The last and final course was dessert. A chocolate cake from Boniere Bakery was at the party. The sheet cake was gorgeous to look at, but the chocolate flavor was not intense. The cake lacked personality even though it was moist and the frosting was not tooth ache sweet.
Fourth quarter, the game changed and the Saints rallied back. Surprisingly enough, The Saints won and earned their first Superbowl title.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
India Palace
The amount of rain in the past month has put a damper on outdoor workouts and riding my bike around the island. So with all of the wet weather and gray skies, I have decided to have indoor workouts and eat instead. If you don't know what type of food you want, it makes it difficult choosing a restaurant in Alameda. One night I was too lazy to make dinner and could not pinpoint my hunger. I wasn't in the mood for Chinese or hamburgers, and ended up going to India Palace.
What is great about Indian food is the versatility. There are curries, meats, and vegetarian dishes. I ordered a small smorgasbord of food with the poppadom, naan, vegetable pakora, saffron rice, chicken vindaloo and lamb curry. At the end, there was a lot more food than what I expected. There was enough food to feed four. The pakora is always yummy because it is fried food. Poppadom can be a miss at times if there is too much oil, but the poppadom that night was crisp and delicious. The chicken vindaloo had a great sauce, with some heat to it, but the chicken was overcooked. It seemed the vindaloo was made ahead of time in a giant pot and scooped out when ordered. The lamb curry also had a great sauce. The meat was prepared well and the dish was cooked with potatoes. Saffron rice is always a wonderful side dish. I enjoy tasting saffron, such a great and unique spice.
So the next time you are asking yourself what food you are in the mood for, Indian food makes sense.
What is great about Indian food is the versatility. There are curries, meats, and vegetarian dishes. I ordered a small smorgasbord of food with the poppadom, naan, vegetable pakora, saffron rice, chicken vindaloo and lamb curry. At the end, there was a lot more food than what I expected. There was enough food to feed four. The pakora is always yummy because it is fried food. Poppadom can be a miss at times if there is too much oil, but the poppadom that night was crisp and delicious. The chicken vindaloo had a great sauce, with some heat to it, but the chicken was overcooked. It seemed the vindaloo was made ahead of time in a giant pot and scooped out when ordered. The lamb curry also had a great sauce. The meat was prepared well and the dish was cooked with potatoes. Saffron rice is always a wonderful side dish. I enjoy tasting saffron, such a great and unique spice.
So the next time you are asking yourself what food you are in the mood for, Indian food makes sense.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Asena
Of all of the restaurants in Alameda, there is one restaurant that has remained consistent in the quality of food, that place is Asena. Asena's menu is not long, but it has a Mediterranean flair with spices and sauces. One can always find a chicken, lamb, beef or seafood entree on the menu along with vegetarian options.
The roasted garlic has been a favorite of mine as an appetizer. The flavor of the garlic is great, slightly sweet and it's not overwhelming like fresh garlic. The bread that accompanied the garlic over the years has changed. About a decade ago, the bread was a thin cracker, and then it changed to the same bread the staff brings out to the table when you first sit down, and now it has changed to a more thicker bread with a cheese on top.
Another favorite of mine is the house salad. I always enjoyed salads that came straight out of the refrigerator on a cold plate with fresh, crunchy greens. The dressing is tasty, slightly sweet with a hint of balsamic vinegar. The cheese crumbles is a good contrast and adds a smooth texture and flavor, and the nuts brings out the salt of the salad. Once upon a time, the house salad or soup came with the entree at no extra charge. Those days are over. There is an extra charge now for a starter.
The homemade ravioli also brings a smile to my face. Fresh pasta with a great sauce is wonderful. The staff takes the time to make a delicious stuffed pasta with seafood, vegetables and cheese or meat. One should always inquire if they have ravioli as a daily special.
The desserts have been a hit and miss for me. At times that had great desserts of flan or chocolate cake, while other times, the creme brulee was bland. The tiramisu is light and fluffy and make sure you get a slice that is not soggy or old.
The prices of Asena have been reasonable over the years. Entrees range in price between $15 to $25. Portion sizes are perfect, one never leaves hungry after a meal.
Asena recently had a mild face lift and changed the color schemes of the front of the restaurant as well as the interiors. The black front creates a more dramatic affect and has contrast with the blue, purple color of the interiors. The old art work had a Chagall-feeling to the room, that too has changed to different color scheme paintings with more still life settings.
Overall, Asena is a great restaurant with reasonable prices. The food is always delicious.
The roasted garlic has been a favorite of mine as an appetizer. The flavor of the garlic is great, slightly sweet and it's not overwhelming like fresh garlic. The bread that accompanied the garlic over the years has changed. About a decade ago, the bread was a thin cracker, and then it changed to the same bread the staff brings out to the table when you first sit down, and now it has changed to a more thicker bread with a cheese on top.
Another favorite of mine is the house salad. I always enjoyed salads that came straight out of the refrigerator on a cold plate with fresh, crunchy greens. The dressing is tasty, slightly sweet with a hint of balsamic vinegar. The cheese crumbles is a good contrast and adds a smooth texture and flavor, and the nuts brings out the salt of the salad. Once upon a time, the house salad or soup came with the entree at no extra charge. Those days are over. There is an extra charge now for a starter.
The homemade ravioli also brings a smile to my face. Fresh pasta with a great sauce is wonderful. The staff takes the time to make a delicious stuffed pasta with seafood, vegetables and cheese or meat. One should always inquire if they have ravioli as a daily special.
The desserts have been a hit and miss for me. At times that had great desserts of flan or chocolate cake, while other times, the creme brulee was bland. The tiramisu is light and fluffy and make sure you get a slice that is not soggy or old.
The prices of Asena have been reasonable over the years. Entrees range in price between $15 to $25. Portion sizes are perfect, one never leaves hungry after a meal.
Asena recently had a mild face lift and changed the color schemes of the front of the restaurant as well as the interiors. The black front creates a more dramatic affect and has contrast with the blue, purple color of the interiors. The old art work had a Chagall-feeling to the room, that too has changed to different color scheme paintings with more still life settings.
Overall, Asena is a great restaurant with reasonable prices. The food is always delicious.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Mountain Mike's Pizza
When Mountain Mike's Pizza first opened, I was a fan. The pizzas tasted good, they used fresh ingredients and they were very meticulous with their standards. For some reason, I stopped going there, probably because I got lazy and decided to go back and see how they were doing. I ordered a medium, one-topping pepperoni pizza. The pizza took a while, so I decided to wait inside the restaurant. There were other people inside also waiting for their pizzas, which I guess accounted for the long wait. The video games and the claw machine for stuffed animals were old school. The large television overwhelmed the room with its giant screen showing sports and not in high definition.
After waiting for approximately twenty plus minutes, I took my pizza home and consumed it in the comfort of my own home. The pizza was decent, but the end result lacked the love and attention as when the pizzeria first opened.
After waiting for approximately twenty plus minutes, I took my pizza home and consumed it in the comfort of my own home. The pizza was decent, but the end result lacked the love and attention as when the pizzeria first opened.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Great American BBQ
On a late evening, I called the All American BBQ restaurant and ordered chicken and ribs twenty minutes before they closed. By the time I got there, I was the last person and the last customer of the night. Fortunately for me, the cook had extra chicken and gave me the other half for free. Yippee! I guess he was feeling generous because it is a New Year and he had half a chicken he didn't have a customer for.
The chicken was very good and tasty. There was a definite smoky flavor and the meat was moist. The BBQ sauce that was served on the side gave the meat a boost.
The pork ribs were generous in portion, but the amount of fat on the ribs made it difficult to eat. The other problem with the meat was that it did not fall off the bone, it was not tender. You had to chew it off with some force. The flavor of the ribs were palatable, but I could not get past the difficulty of eating them.
The sides I got with the entrees were collared greens and macaroni and cheese. The mac and cheese was decent, but nothing to write home about. The collared greens was the better side.
The greens had a slight crunch to them and were not boiled to mush as most BBQ joints.
I had the Peach cobbler for dessert. The dessert was not part of the entree and I paid extra for it. The cobbler was ice cold and came out of the refrigerator. I decided to slightly warm the cobbler to bring out the flavors. The cobbler was good and the peaches were plenty.
The chicken was very good and tasty. There was a definite smoky flavor and the meat was moist. The BBQ sauce that was served on the side gave the meat a boost.
The pork ribs were generous in portion, but the amount of fat on the ribs made it difficult to eat. The other problem with the meat was that it did not fall off the bone, it was not tender. You had to chew it off with some force. The flavor of the ribs were palatable, but I could not get past the difficulty of eating them.
The sides I got with the entrees were collared greens and macaroni and cheese. The mac and cheese was decent, but nothing to write home about. The collared greens was the better side.
The greens had a slight crunch to them and were not boiled to mush as most BBQ joints.
I had the Peach cobbler for dessert. The dessert was not part of the entree and I paid extra for it. The cobbler was ice cold and came out of the refrigerator. I decided to slightly warm the cobbler to bring out the flavors. The cobbler was good and the peaches were plenty.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Speisekammer
One night after the holidays, I was hungry for a chicken or turkey pot pie. I know Ole's has one, but the last time I went there for a pot pie, it was the worst ever. Sorry, Ole's.
I know I could have easily purchased a frozen pot pie in any grocery store, but the amount of sodium and fat inside each little pie can deter anyone from entering the frozen food section.
I was driven to find a pot pie. After no luck, I went to Speisekammer for rotisserie chicken, green beans, cranberries and mash potatoes. Okay, so the food was not exactly a pot pie, but nonetheless it was the closest I came to one without the crust. The chicken was moist with the skin on, and it was spiced up with lots of herbs. The cranberries were fresh with a hint of cinnamon. I am a huge fan of cinnamon, but not with cranberries . I still consumed the entire bowl, but the cinnamon was a miss. The mash potatoes were okay, a little light on flavor, and the green beans were decent. Interesting enough, when you want extra sauce even though the meal comes with a small amount, the restaurant still charges you $1. It doesn't matter that you order a full entree, you still must pay for the extra sauce. The meal portion was large. I received one-half of a chicken, which was plenty.
I know I could have easily purchased a frozen pot pie in any grocery store, but the amount of sodium and fat inside each little pie can deter anyone from entering the frozen food section.
I was driven to find a pot pie. After no luck, I went to Speisekammer for rotisserie chicken, green beans, cranberries and mash potatoes. Okay, so the food was not exactly a pot pie, but nonetheless it was the closest I came to one without the crust. The chicken was moist with the skin on, and it was spiced up with lots of herbs. The cranberries were fresh with a hint of cinnamon. I am a huge fan of cinnamon, but not with cranberries . I still consumed the entire bowl, but the cinnamon was a miss. The mash potatoes were okay, a little light on flavor, and the green beans were decent. Interesting enough, when you want extra sauce even though the meal comes with a small amount, the restaurant still charges you $1. It doesn't matter that you order a full entree, you still must pay for the extra sauce. The meal portion was large. I received one-half of a chicken, which was plenty.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to All! 2010 is just around the corner and there is good news to cheer about. Optimism is in the air and restaurants are on the rise in Alameda Towne Center.
Pearl's Hamburgers will open soon! They claim they will serve gourmet burgers which will be awesome. I love a great tasting hamburger with good quality meat.
A new dessert place will open soon called Fruits and Chocolates. I think their name pretty much sums up what they will be serving. I am ecstatic because Alameda desperately needs a dessert place that is not yogurt.
If someone would open a gourmet dessert place that stays open late just like La Pinata, the owner would make a fortune. Obviously, the dessert must look scrumptious and taste incredible. I wonder if someone is ready for that challenge.
Pearl's Hamburgers will open soon! They claim they will serve gourmet burgers which will be awesome. I love a great tasting hamburger with good quality meat.
A new dessert place will open soon called Fruits and Chocolates. I think their name pretty much sums up what they will be serving. I am ecstatic because Alameda desperately needs a dessert place that is not yogurt.
If someone would open a gourmet dessert place that stays open late just like La Pinata, the owner would make a fortune. Obviously, the dessert must look scrumptious and taste incredible. I wonder if someone is ready for that challenge.
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