A Grand, New, Cal Mexican Hot Spot in Downtown Paso Robles

In general, Paso Robles is a pretty quiet, sleepy, little wine town. Whether you’re looking for a nice place to drink or eat dinner downtown, people tend to recommend the same handful of places. That’s probably because new bars and restaurants don’t open very often, and the options always are what they are. But, when new bars and restaurants do open, they tend to cause a big stir. Recently, a massive new bar and restaurant popped onto the downtown scene – a trendy, upscale, Baja-style Cal Mexican joint called Fish Gaucho and I knew on my most recent trip that I had to see for myself what all of the hype was about.

(more…)

Continue ReadingA Grand, New, Cal Mexican Hot Spot in Downtown Paso Robles

Great Global Tapas with a Latin American Edge at Cascal in Mountain View

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. It ain’t easy finding great restaurants out in Silicon Valley, but they do exist if you look hard enough. Downtown Mountain View has proven over and over again that it’s loaded with great spots and the Latin inspired tapas joint Cascal is no exception. Buckle up, this is gonna be a long one. But I guess that’s bound to happen when you dine tapas style as a party of eight. I’ll try to keep my commentary concise because honestly all of the food was really awesome.

(more…)

Continue ReadingGreat Global Tapas with a Latin American Edge at Cascal in Mountain View
Read more about the article A New American Date Night Spot in NoHo at Bleecker Kitchen & Co.
A New American Date Night Spot in NoHo at Bleecker Kitchen & Co.

A New American Date Night Spot in NoHo at Bleecker Kitchen & Co.

DSC_3280_edit

It’s not always so easy finding a good date night spot in NYC. Often times at the popular places it’s tough to get a table without a long wait, or the menu is super-pricey, or the restaurant focuses more on ambiance than the food itself. I’ve certainly found some great (and unusual) places along the way, but sometimes you want a place that has the ambiance, good drinks, and upscale but accessibly comfortable food. That where’s the newly opened Bleecker Kitchen & Co. comes in. In my opinion, it is a great addition to the NoHo dining landscape which could always use a reasonably priced, quality date night spot.

(more…)

Continue ReadingA New American Date Night Spot in NoHo at Bleecker Kitchen & Co.
Read more about the article Serious Beer and Excellent Gastropub Fare at Liquid Bread in Campbell
Serious Beer and Excellent Gastropub Fare at Liquid Bread in Campbell, CA

Serious Beer and Excellent Gastropub Fare at Liquid Bread in Campbell

DSC_3017_edit

In northern California, neighboring Cupertino is a small town called Campbell. It seems like kind of a nothing town with chain restaurants and not much else. But, there’s actually a cool little strip of town called Historic Campbell with a number of fun, upscale restaurants.

For some reason they all have the same fiery torches illuminating their front walkways. The walkway torch empresario must have had a hey day selling these tall flickering lanterns to every upscale hotel and restaurant up and down the California coastline. Nestled in amongst the high-end restaurants is a tiny gastropub called Liquid Bread serving gourmet, modern American cuisine along with a ton of quality beers rotating on tap.

(more…)

Continue ReadingSerious Beer and Excellent Gastropub Fare at Liquid Bread in Campbell