Dim Sum with Hanah and Annie

/ Cali, Food, Me

Hanah and Annie eating dim sum at Dragon Beaux in SF.

As always, Annie orders way too much food when we go here. But, I can totally understand her excitement. The food here is great! Here’s an older post from a couple years ago.

Already, our table was already filled with food… and there was more coming out. Hah! But it was allllll good.

Annie and her cousin, checking out a sweet view on top of Hanah’s apartment building.

Hanah showing off the rooftop fire pits.

The view was pretty amazing. You could see an unobscured view in every direction from their rooftop.

It’s kind of bonkers how much you can see from here. Their rent (split between 4 roommates) is $5700 per month.

Dinner at Fogo de Chao with Expa and Company

/ Food, Me, Photo

Dinner at Fogo

Photo of some of the Expa and Bravado team at Fogo de Chao.

Let me start of by saying that Brazilian food is amazing, and Fogo de Chao is da 💣. It was cool catching up with folks there, talking about design, start-up life, photography and food. Being around so many passionate people (that are masters of their craft) is inspiring.

**Warning: The next photo has some red color meat. Don’t scroll down if you’re vegetarian/vegan/etc**

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A variety of delicious all-you-can-eat proteins.

Oh yeh, did I mention that the salad bar there is probably better than most restaurant foods? I’m crazy about the assortment of things you can try there. The quality is 👌👌.

Mom Cooks a Surf and Turf Meal

/ Food, Me, Photo

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Lobster tail.

My mom cooked an awesome surf and turf meal for us this weekend.

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Lobster, filet mignon, mashed potatoes and asparagus.

She also cooked an amazing lunch that weekend as well. She served home made shumai, egg rolls and congee.

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Freshly steamed shumai.

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Salty black bean fish for the congee.

What an amazing meal this weekend. I think I just put back on all my weight.

Orens Hummus Shop and Boba with Annie and Julia

/ Cali, Food, Me, Photo

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Pulled beef served inside hummus.

After watching the sunset near Pacifica, we went to Orens Hummus Shop.

Oren Dobronsky, a technologist with 4 successful start-ups under his belt was drawn to the Silicon Valley, the epicenter of today’s technology innovations. Life in the valley was good, but one thing was missing: a big plate of creamy Hummus like back home in Tel Aviv, with fresh Pita & Mediterranean salads. A true entrepreneur, Oren decided to take matters into his own hands. With the help of his wife Nancy, an experienced restaurateur, the couple opened Oren’s Hummus, an authentic Israeli restaurant.

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Julia and Annie waiting outside and enjoying the evening weather.

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Seasoned fries with a lovely spicy mayo sauce.

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Chicken kabob dish with rice and falafels.

I thought the chicken kabob was pretty good. However, the rice was advertised as “basmati rice”… which felt a little unauthentic compared to some other basmati rice I’ve had.

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Annie and Julia posing in front of the chandelier in the restaurant.

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Boba at Teaspoon after dinner.

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Fresh mango smoothie.

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Annie getting her tea with tapioca.

Tartine Bakery & Cafe

/ Cali, Food, Me, Photo

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Fresh pastries at Tartine.

After Coit Tower, we grabbed some lunch at Tartine Bakery & Cafe.

Pastry chef ELISABETH PRUEITT and her husband, renowned baker CHAD ROBERTSON, are the co-owners of Tartine Bakery and Bar Tartine in San Francisco. They both trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Elisabeth and Chad traveled, trained, and cooked in France and upon their return, opened Bay Village Bakery in Point Reyes Station, California. Using a wood fired brick oven, they baked bread and created rustic, elegant pastries using many of the techniques they had learned abroad. Chad’s bread garnered the attention of Alain Ducasse, who wrote about the couple in his book, Harvesting Excellence.

I’d say that their pastries are pretty good. Their sandwiches are hella expensive. Be prepared to pay $17 for a sandwich. Annie said their breakfast bun was off the hook, so put your $$ towards their pastries.

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More deliciousness.

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Expensive cookies. $10.50 per bag.

I would say that the food was good, but probably overpriced for my liking. Other than that, their pastries are fantastic.

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More pastries.

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Julia walking into Tartine.

Breakfast at Sweet Maple

/ Food, Me, Photo

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French toast at Sweet Maple.

After watching the sunrise at the Golden Gate Bridge, we grabbed breakfast from one of our favorite places, Sweet Maple.

Nearly as famous are our Big Hip deep fried French Toast, bottomless mimosas and bloody Marys.

I typically get the eggs benedict… however, from this point forward, I’ll probably get the french toast—it’s unbelievable. Both Annie and Julia got it, and I have to say, I was a little jealous! 😋

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Millionaire bacon.

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Eggs benedict.

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Annie and Julia enjoying their breakfast in SF.

Founded in 2010, Sweet Maple is now the the go-to brunch destination for San Francisco locals and knowledgeable food tourists alike. Home of world famous Millionaire’s Bacon, our extra-thick, sweet and spicy bacon that is slow-cooked for hours with brown sugar and spicy peppers to a chewy perfection.

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Julia and Annie posing for a photo after breakfast in front of Sweet Maple’s entrance.

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Glass door entrance of Sweet Maple.

If you’re ever in the area, you should definitely check Sweet Maple out. Be prepared for a long wait if you want brunch on a sunday though.

🚶🚶🚶

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Big hip deep fried french toast.

EDIT

Annie said this photo is actually the “Big Hip deep fried French Toast”. She insisted that you try this—it tastes like funnel cake. And yeh, it’s pretty damn delicious.