Sometimes they even let you wear funny hats
To kick off our New Year’s resolution, we made reservations at Bix for Valentine’s Day.
We aren’t huge into Valentine’s day, but it doesn’t take much to convince us that an occasion is worthy of splurging on something unique and delicious.
Bix delivered on both counts.
The List had recommended the Tuna Tartare and a Gin Martini, so we made a compromise. Josh had a gin martini and we started with the steak tartare, which was fantastic.
We moved on to the Marrow Bones, which came highly recommended from a friend. I was a little wussy about the whole thing, having to pull the marrow out of the bone, etc. Josh was much braver. It was good. It had been described to me as “meat butter” which I think is a fitting description. I had the lobster spaghetti, which was incredible.
And for dessert, my favorite part of the evening, warm chocolate brioche bread pudding…to die for! I’m so sad I don’t have a picture to share with you, you’ll just have to come taste for yourself!
In an effort to make sure we don’t get lazy, and to make sure we get to experience the best San Francisco has to offer while we’re here, we have adopted 7 x 7 Magazine‘s list of the 100 Things to Try Before You Die in SF, as a culinary to do list.
Cheers! To the most delicious New Year’s resolution I’ve ever made!
Cheers!
Well I’ve been horribly MIA for the last….well…4 months or so.
We take off for Ohio for the holidays in December, and then when we get back, I am chained to work, auditing like a crazy person for the next 4 months. Luckily, in this time I have not stopped eating, so now I have a huge backlog of places to share, just in time as we start planning for visits and our own travel this summer.
But first, I have to give props to some of the great places we had the pleasure of eating at while in Ohio. We are lucky enough to live in an insanely foodie friendly city, but there are just some things that the midwest does better than anyone else. So when we go home, we absolutely must..
1.) Eat wings at Buffalo Wild Wings, this is absolutely non-negotiable. My family likes to make fun that we get so obessed the minute we get off the plane, but you can’t get wings like this in SF. I’m getting hungry right now just thinking about it.
8 boneless wings with sweet barbeque? yes, please!
2.) Maybe eat wings at Quaker Steak & Lube too, and if we don’t do it while we’re home, there’s one in the Southwest terminal at CLE 
3.) Have a fancy dinner at Chez Francois. You will never have better lobster bisque in your entire life, I promise.
4.) Overindulge in ice cream at Toft’s. After becoming so accustomed to tiny $4 cups of gelato or frozen yogurt in SF, it’s worth a stop for a serving of ice cream the size of your head for about $2.
Toft's Sandusky, Ohio
Those were definitely the highlights of our last trip, looking forward to much more as we are making several more trips home this year to celebrate my sister’s wedding!
smart, but not quite as brilliant as instant chocolate cake in a cup
This may literally be the best thing I’ve ever seen …Nutella Mug Cake
You should try this 4 week dinner plan from Real Simple.
josH and I both work quite a bit, and weekday dinners had become a source of contention. It’s a constant battle between the time it takes to prepare, who does the preparing, who cleans up after, what time dinner would actually be ready after walking home, walking the dog and cooking. We wound up making pasta with meat sauce at least once a week and often eating the leftovers at least one evening.
So these meal plans have been a life saver. We’ve done week one, week four and we’re doing week two right now. Just about to dig into some curry shrimp and snow peas…
curry shrimp and snow peas
I’m going to take this opportunity to share one of my new favorite recipes. I found it, here, in a desperate search for dishes to feed a crowd which included several vegetarians and it was a big hit. Also, it’s healthy and great to bring for lunch at work.
Serving suggestion
Cranberry Almond Quinoa (Or Couscous) Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa ( may substitute couscous)
1 cup dried cranberries ( also try dried blueberries, or dried cherries, or a combination)
1 cup frozen green beans, defrosted ( may use fresh)
1/4 cup almonds, chopped ( may also use pecans, walnuts, or a combination)
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
1.) Combine the quinoa with 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and continue cooking until all water is absorbed. (If using couscous, simply prepare according to directions on package.).
2.) In a medium bowl, combine cooked quinoa (or couscous), dried berries, green beans, nuts, and green onions until well mixed.
3.) In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic until well blended. Pour over the quinoa/couscous mixture. Toss until well blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4.) Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Bon Appetit.
