Waterbar

399 The Embarcadero between Folsom & Harrison
http://www.waterbarsf.com/
(415) 284-9922

Overall, I'd describe the food and service at Waterbar to be nondescript and uninspired. J and I were super excited to catch up at this hip, new Pat Kuleto creation right on the water. Being that the prices are a little steep, we decided the best way to get a flavor for the food was to meet after work for a tasting of the bar menu.

The Well Fleet and Pemaquid oysters were awesome, though I think as long as they are fresh, oysters are tough to mess up. We also had the Artichoke and Crab Gratin which was served with toasted pita bread and lemon. The crab in the dish was abundant though it left me wondering how something prepared gratin style (read: tons of cheese) could be so flavorless. We fared a bit better with the Monterey Squid appetizer - grilled and served with butter beans, basil pesto and four minute pieces of chorizo. The dish was fairly tasty though the portion was tiny, the texture of the squid was just a bit "off" and the pesto was a tad overbearing. Lastly, we ordered fries to round out the meal - served soggy with no dipping sauce. When I asked for something to dip them in, we were presented with an aioli that was basically glorified mayonaise with a touch of garlic.

Add two glasses of house prosecco each and we ran a disappointing tab of about $60 per person.

Verdict: Not Worth the Hype

Recipe: Jenine's (Mom's) Bean Dip

I'm a little behind on my posts so I'm making it a two-fer today. J first introduced us to this glorious dip at our Super Bowl party - the dish was finger-licking clean despite all the other goodies we served! So for a recent Cinco de Mayo themed potluck with my classmates, I decided to put her recipe to the test to see if that scrumptiousness could be duplicated. As it turns out, the dip was a hit (again!) Boy am I glad the dip made it despite my tumble into the cab on the way to the party!

Layer ingredients in this order - I used a rubber spatula to spread ingredients:
- Refried beans (about 1/4 inch thick)
- Taco seasoning (the packet you buy to make taco meat - sprinkle liberally on beans, don't need whole packet)
- Sprinkle of garlic powder and onion powder if you have it
- Guacamole (I used fresh avocados, add finely chopped red onion, lime or lemon juice and some spices - cayenne pepper, garlic powder, lots of salt, pepper)
- Sour cream (about 1/4 inch thick)
- Salsa (I used La Victoria Medium Chunky Salsa)
- Lots of cheese
- Whatever you want to add on top (I used fresh tomatoes and black olives)

La Pastaia (San Jose)

233 W Santa Clara St. at S. Almaden
(408) 286-8686

We took mom here for Mother's Day. The spot has some pretty decent reviews and mom is a big fan of Italian food. Two words: never again. Service was dismissive and our server was...well let's just say when mom sent her pasta back because it tasted fishy, our server said, "well there is fish in it." Since when are shrimp and crab considered fish?? Well I'm no genius, but...and when D asked her what the sausage in his pasta was made of, her response was, "well, I guess pork". That aside, mine and mom's pastas were rock hard (there is such thing as too al dente), dad's swordfish was salty and dry and D's pasta tasted like a Lean Cuisine but greasy (honestly, how is that possible?) Not to mention that when mom's fishy pasta was replaced with the house specialty, she was served up a plate of overly garlicked greasy pasta topped with rubbery clams. The only thing that was decent was the calamari appetizer but there were literally five pieces on the plate - severe lack of portion. I am officially banned from choosing special occasion restaurants in San Jose.

Verdict: Not Worth It

Pete's Tavern

128 King St. between 2nd and 3rd
(415) 817-5040

Friday afternoon, A and I decided to grab an end-of-week drink at Pete's Tavern so we could catch some of the Giants game. B and J met us there and of course, we decided that nothing would go better with our beers than some food.

A and I shared the Chicken and Chorizo Nachos - the server claimed that everyone orders them and A is a huge nacho fan. The nachos were fantastic and included all my must-haves: creamy sour cream (not the coagoluted cold blob that just sits in a corner or worse in the middle of lesser nachos), crispy but not greasy chips and most importantly, an even distribution of melted cheese. I only wish the meat was more obvious - I could taste chicken and chorizo but could never really identify a piece of either.

For a second course, A and I chose Rusty's Asian Chicken and Peanut Salad. The salad was the perfect portion of asian chopped salad goodness including cabbage, cilantro, lettuce, TWO different kinds of noodles (one crispy one chewy), slivered carrots, chicken, pickled ginger, mandarin oranges and peanuts. The dressing was light and sweet and the ginger provided a surprising tang every few bites. I LOVED this salad and would revisit Pete's just to eat it again.

As part of this new food blogging hobby, I am making sure that I try everything that comes to the table - much to the chagrin of my friends. So right as J's Smoked BBQ Half Chicken arrived, I immediately stuck my fork in it. Okay, okay, I do that anyway... The chicken was juicy - the kind that you know has been over the flame for hours. The black beans had a Carribean feel to them and the corn bread was ridiculous - crisp on the outside, moist on the inside with kernels of corn baked right in.

B had the Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich on Foccacia - the only dish I probably wouldn't order again. The sandwich contained chicken, lettuce, tomato, and bacon. These ingredients tasted very fresh and of high-quality, but the sandwich suffered a major flaw - the bread. The bread suffered the plight of many foccacias - either too dry or too greasy. In this case, the bread tasted like thick cardboard and there wasn't any sauce or mayo on the sandwich to combat this affliction.

My only complaint about Pete's was the service. The server forgot B's beer twice and we waited forever for the bill. But to be fair, I don't come to a bar for service.

Verdict: Totally worth it

Recipe: Halibut with Balsamic Glaze

I've made this recipe a few times now and each time, it's awesome! It's a Giada recipe (I'm obsessed) but I've tweaked it a bit based on experience.

(4 servings, 25 min.)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 6-oz halibut fillets
- Non-stick cooking spray

1. Whisk the vinegar, honey, oil & garlic in a bowl.
2. Arrange fillets in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over the fish, coating completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 min. and up to 4 hr. (I'd marinate for as long as possible for better results.)
3. Preheat the broiler and line the bottom and sides of a baking dish with foil. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Remove the fish from the marinade, reserving marinade, and arrange fillets in a baking dish.
5. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Simmer until it thickens slightly and becomes syrupy, whisking often (approx. 15 min.)
6. Meanwhile, broil the fillets until just cooked through and carmelized on the top (approx. 10-12 min.)
7. Transfer the fillets to plates. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve.

A few tips:
- You need to marinate the fillets ahead of time so make sure to take that into account.
- Make sure the fillets are all relatively the same size so they cook at the same rate.
- Be patient with reducing the marinade. Boiling it off too quickly will cause it to burn and harden (trust me, I've done it.)

Thanks to E for turning me on to this one!

I'm Here at Last!

So I finally did it. I have been wanting to start a food blog for years now, and I finally found the time and the guts. But now it almost doesn't make sense because putting myself through school and becoming a homeowner (ok condo) this year has left me little funds to spend on eating out. So that's why it is important now, more that ever, for me to find places that are not only delicious but are worth opening my waning wallet for. You'll go everywhere I do - from the hole in the wall discoveries to the occasional splurge (SO better be good!) Hope you enjoy the journey!

Xo,
Cammie