A&W in Modesto

I was in Modesto the other day visiting a friend.

Who knew it was such a quaint town...at least sections of it.

We lunched at the A&W near downtown.

The girl rollerskated to our car...propping the food tray on our car window!

Just like the old days...uh, you remember the old days...where girls wore pony tails and guys slicked back their hair?

We slurped down frosted mugs of root beer floats...ice cream dripping down the sides...crunchy fries...and a cheese burger too big for me to finish.

Aw! The good life.

If you're ever near Modesto, stop by A&W for a bite to eat and drive through some of the little neighborhoods. There are some beautiful old houses reminiscent of Willow Glen selling for around $125,000.

A bargain in many ways.

May good memories surround you,


Cathy

Japan Earthquake/Tsunami: Day 13

I SEE THAT SANDRA BULLOCK AND GWEN STEFANI HAVE EACH DONATED $1M TO THE JAPAN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI RELIEF. I've always loved these women. They're beautiful on the inside and outside. THANK YOU for your generosity! ! !

Gwen has always loved Japan and introduced the Harajuku Girls (four young Japanese and Japanese-American backup dancers) on stage and in vids during her solo pop/dance phase. Sephora carries her Harajuku Lovers Fragrance. And sales of a special-edition T-shirt on the No Doubt website (see NoDoubt.com) will also benefit relief efforts.

Harajuku (hara.joo.koo) n. 1. A style and attitude of Japanese girls from Harajuku, Tokyo.  n. 2. Anything goes; outrageous, layered, and eye-catching.

HAD A LOVELY DINNER WITH ALEXIS AND THE CRAIGSTER (my New York friend who's in the music industry and working in LA for a while setting up a concert and launching a record label) at Cafe Cruz Rosticceria & Bar.

We started off with Cucumber Martinis...mmm!

Craig had a wonderfully crusted fish. Alexis and I shared the Cafe Cruz Trio Platter:  Smoked Pork Chop perched atop house applesauce, along with a Maryland Crab Cake topped with lemon beurre blanc (sauce), accompanied with a 1/4 Garlic Chicken with aioli. We get two sides; Alexis ordered fresh-cut fries and I had a pile of garlic-flavored smashed potatoes.

We ended the meal on a sweet note, sharing a Creme Brulee.

Heaven!

If you'd like to have an amazing meal, stop by Cafe Cruz, 2621 41st Avenue, Soquel, CA 95073, 831-476-3801.

May yummy food surround you,


Catherine

Kelly's French Bakery *****

ONE OF MY FAV THINGS TO DO ON THE WEEKEND IS TO GO FOR A WALK ON WEST CLIFF and then have brekkie at Kelly's...or, uh, skip the walk and just have brekkie (hee hee).

Kelly's has been around for years and specializes in European artisan baking.

I love standing in line and peeking into the glass case as I walk along...trying to decide what little treat I'll get...Apricot French Macaroon...Pain au Chocolat...Toralfa (buttery cocoa cookie sprinkled with sugar and sliced almonds)...all three?

Oh, yeah, breakfast. They have a wonderful menu with daily specials, cafe style with a French twist. Alexis and I shared poached eggs (how do they make them look so perfect...kinda like breasts) on toasted ciabatta bread, with roasted potatoes and sausage. Yum!

Eating outdoors in the courtyard is one of the bennies of living near Santa Cruz (sigh). Truly, we are blessed.

If you'd like to try their French pastries or pressed sandwich, stop by Kelly's French Bakery at 402 Ingalls Street (off Mission Street just before you leave town as you head north to Davenport), 841-423-9059. You can also visit KellysFrenchBakery.com.

May goodies surround you,


Catherine

Neto's Market & Grill

TELEVISED ABRAHAM-HICKS WORKSHOP THIS SATURDAY. O, I'm so excited! I got an email saying we might be able to participate in the televised version of the Abraham-Hicks workshop happening in San Diego this Saturday, March 5, 9:30 am - 4:00 pm. They'll send more dets later.

I'm really loving the immense power of the messages coming out of the latest workshops.

If you're interested in participating, be sure to sign up for their email at Abraham-Hicks.com > Next Steps > Sign up for E-NEWS > enter your info > Submit. 

NETO'S MARKET & GRILL.  Bill introduced us to Neto's last week, a third-generation family-owned restaurant that makes its own sausage.

Not just any sausage:  home-made, hand-made sausage:  Linguica, Italian, Andouille, Calabrese (spicy Italian) and more.

I had the Linguica Sausage Burger. Mmmm! Moist, with just the right spices in patty form (no fussing and fighting with the casing) with a wonderfully soft, fresh bun.

This is a popular place with loyal fans, each insisting their favorite is the best.  Bill's is the Linguica Sausage Burger, the guy ahead of me insisted the Calabrese is the one to get.

They offer:
--  Andouille, a French Cajun smoked sausage.
--  Brazilian Smoked Calbreza
--  Country Sausage
--  Herb-N-Onion Sausage
--  Italian, Italian with herbs, Italian with herbs & cheese, Italian holiday sausauge
--  Italian Cabrese
--  Linguica
--  Mexican Chorizo
--  Morcelas, a traditional Portuguese blood sausage
--  Polish Kielbasa
--  Pork links, pork links with apple cinnamon
--  Spanish-style Basque Chorizo
--  German sausage
--  Smoked chicken sausage

With so many choices, I'll have to go back and try them all.

And not to worry. There's something for everyone:  steak sandwiches, marinated chicken, veggie burgers, etc.

And they're not limited to just sammies. They've got apps (Calamari Fritti, Cheesy Chorizo Bread--I gotta try some of that), soups, salads, entrees (Eggplant Parm, Grilled Salmon), seafood (Cioppino), pasta & generous dinners.

You could also order the Three Stooges (beef, turkey & salami), Eddie Spaghetti (roast beef, turkey, cheddar cheese & secret sauce), and Hot Damn (Calbrese Sausage with jalapenos & pepper Jack cheese). With names like these, you know this is a fun place!

This is no ordinary sausage shack. They've been featured on the Food Network & use no MSG or glutens.

With a full bar, big-screen TV, it's a great place to meet fam and friends. They even have live music on the weekends.

Their deli carries sausage and gourmet foods from Portugal, Brazil, Spain & Italy.

You'll find them at 1313 Franklin Street, Santa Clara, CA 95050, 1-888-482-NETO, NetosMarketAndGrill.com for more info.

For great sausage in a warm & wonderful environment, you gotta go to Neto's.

May yummy food surround you,


Catherine

Chavez Supermarket's Taqueria *****

OBSERVATION. A YOUTHFUL SUN PLAYED PEEK-A-BOO, SHIFTING BEHIND PORTLY pines and regal redwoods.

 

INSPIRATION. Abraham (of Abraham-Hicks.com) reminded me that "words do not teach...true knowing comes from life experience." Understanding this, I lecture my daughter less, trusting she will learn in her own way and at the perfect pace. Understanding this, how perfect that teenagers do what they do. Understanding this, I can let go and trust that all beings are wise and wonderful.

I like seeing myself as a stimulator of thought rather than a dictator of thought.

What about you? Who do you lecture? Who do you not trust?

BILL SUGGESTED THE CHAVEZ SUPERMARKET TAQUERIA FOR LUNCH TODAY. OMG! It was soooo authenticallly Mexican. The Supermarket itself was clean and spacious. What a beautiful meat counter.

And right next door is their little Taqueria. There's a vertical rotisserie of roasting meat...just like in Mexico, where they shave off slivers of beef. YUM!

They have a full menu and daily specials. The portions are huge.

It was so hard to decide what to get. I settled on the Moresqueta Plate. Amazing! Tender little riblets smothered in a smooth red sauce over a little bean (yes!) and lots of rice (YES!), topped with Crema Mexicana and Queso Blanco (white cheese), all for $5.99 and it'll last me 3 meals.

And I washed it all down with Hibiscus Flower agua fresca (it's like juiced fruit and nothing added).

I can't wait to go back. I want to try the Carne Asada French Fries (oh, yeah!).

It's behind the Outback Restaurant, at 646 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, CA, 408-226-1452, open 7:00 am - 9:30 pm (every day?). Looks like they've got six locations (see ChavezSuper.com).

Try it. You'll love it!

May abundance surround you,
 
Catherine

Betty Burgers--Juicy Patties, Hot Buns *****

I JUST HAD MY FIRST BETTY BURGER. MMMMM! LOVE THE BURGER. LOVE THE LOGO. Love the story.

BURGER. I had a Point Grinder. A 1/2 pound of fresh, hormone free, grain fed, Black Angus beef, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, bleu cheese and green onion lube for $6.95. Me and Bachan split it.

We also split a 50/50 Fry Basket...half sweet potato fries/half reg fries...$3.95. It was sooo big that after Bachan ate the fries, she didn't have room for her burger.

Betty also serves up veggie, turkey, and salmon burgers; salad; chili; and kiddie food. I hear the shakes and malts (featuring the one-and-only Marianne's Ice Cream) are fantastic.

LOGO.  See above.

STORY. Her website has a pic of the letter she wrote telling her story, but since it's a little hard to read, I'm retyping it here for you to enjoy: 

Hi, I'm Betty.
     Folks are always askin, "Betty, this is a darn good burger--best in town--where did a girl like you learn to make a burger like this?" Well here's my story...
     I came from a small speck of a town in the Texas Panhandle. "Big Dutch Dixon" was the only family I ever knew. He raised me from the time Mama hitched a ride with a surfer dude passin' through heading out to California. I'll never forget that day. I was just five when we watched Mama wave good bye as the red convertible sped out of town with the Beach Boys blasting on the 8-track. She never looked back. As a kid, I watched those old Gidget movies and thought of Mama and her Moon Doggie.
     Now Dutch didn't have many talents but he could ride a Harley like a greased hog and made a wicked good mesquite burger. Many said the best in Texas. Anyway, like they say, the apply doesn't fall far from the tree and at sixteen I headed West to find Mama. Dutch vowed he'd not cook another burger till I returned. Well I found plenty of beach boys, some I even loved. One used to call me "Gidget Gone Bad." I never did find Mama or a burger as good as Dutch's. Dutch passed on a few years back and all he left me was his burger recipe. Hell, I didn't know the man could write, so here I am.

Kisses,

Betty


GO TO BETTY BURGERS. I don't know if you'll find her, but you will find her burgers at two places in Santa Cruz.

--  Midtown:  505 Seabright Ave., 831-423-8190.

--  Eastside:  1000 41st Ave., 831-475-5901.

You can also visit BettyBurgers.com.

May yummy food surround you,


Catherine



Scramblz ****

Friday, December 3, 2010

B ILL, SHAWNDA, STEVE (SHAWNDA'S HUBBY) AND I MET FOR OUR FIRST BREAKFAST Club Meeting at Scramblz...just another way we're trying to balance the stuff going on at work with more fun.

Scramblz is not the usual tired cafe serving a boring breakfast. This place if fun and they make everything fresh and from scratch, including their OJ and crepe batter. My friends arrived before I did, but I found them sitting on the school bus in the middle of the restaurant.

The menu looked like a morning newspaper and was packed with all kinds of yummy food. I ordered a fritatta filled with potatoes, peppers and and crunchy bits of smoky bacon, topped with mozz and feta cheeps, with a scoopful of marinara sauce. But that's not all; you get to choose 2 sides. For me, Half Grapefruit Brulee with a crunchy sweet topping over fat, sweet pink fruit segments and a delicate crepe lightly scented with lemon. All for $11.99. The portions are huge so it's really a bargain.

The waitress was as fun and fresh as the food.

I'll definitely go back there again.

Stop by sometime. Scramblz is at 5055 Almaden Expressway in San Jose. They're open Monday-Friday, 6:30 am - 2:30 pm and Saturday-Sunday 7:00 am - 3:00 pm. You can call them at 408-269-2900.

What's your fave brekkie spot?

Warmly,


Catherine