eating adventures Archives - Page 7 of 7

Have a Picnic Weekend

July 1, 2016February 3, 2025Silvia

Oh it is the season! Close your eyes and smell the burn.

So yes, BBQ season is upon us with the major holiday of Independence Day taunting you to picknick and eat the perfect hot dog.

In most parks around here, if you are a small group, it is first come first served for the tables and grills. With larger groups you have to plan way in advance and make reservations.

My favorite gathering spot here in Mountain View is Cuesta Park with huge grass fields to play in and picnic tables to hang. If you like a view with your hot dogs, I’ll recommend the Half Moon Bay State Beach. You can set-up right next to the ocean.

If you are looking for a cultural setting for your picnic, the City of Mountain View presents children’s theatre in the park every Friday at 6:30.

Cupertino offers, on selected dates, Shakespeare in the park.

And of course, there are free movies in the park. For a comprehensive list check out a fellow blogger of bayarekidfun:

http://www.bayareakidfun.com/outdoor-movie-nights-in-the-bay-area/

Whatever the setting, enjoy the summer!

What is your favorite picnic spot?

Soups on!

January 27, 2016February 3, 2025Silvia

Wintertime is soup time – even here in Silicon Valley where the average temperature is rarely below 50F (10C), soup is on everyone’s mind.

While you can find a lot of great restaurants on Castro St. in Mountain View there are some that are particularly great for your soup fix.

Kirin Chinese Restaurant has a wonton soup to die for and everyone can share.

Sharing is also a big hit at the Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot (see photo). You order the broth, which can be spicy or original and whatever meat, vegetables and noodles, or tofu you would like in your soup. It cooks right in front of you. We went with the original, but asked our server for some chilies. There is also the option to have half and half broth, in what looks like a yin and yang pot.

Further options are two Ramen places, which is a Japanese noodle soup dish, and a Japanese Shabu Shabu restaurant, which offers a kind of meat fondue (which is high on our list to try out next).

What are your favorite winter dishes? Do you have a recommendation for a soup restaurant in the Bay Area?

Dinner & a Movie

January 15, 2016February 3, 2025Silvia

We did it! We finally saw Star Wars. I can’t believe Mountain View got a movie theater with these fancy recliner chairs.

We planned to have dinner near the movies and went to a place pretty much behind the movie theater that has about 5 restaurants. While we were looking around trying to find one that would please all of us, two guys came out of the indian place telling me the place is good, real good. Both nodding their heads. Well, you can’t argue with a recommendation like that. And boy were they right!

Wall decoration at my new favorite place for Indian food!

We have a new favorite restaurant now, serving Indian /Pakistani food on metal trays with an arrangement of dal, rice and a salad. Yum!

Plus they give you free chai tea and we also got one free dessert because they figured we were their new favorite customers.

Zareen’s

1477 Plymouth St suite c, Mountain View, CA

Capitola

December 22, 2015February 3, 2025Silvia

One of the things that amazes me around here is that every beach and the towns near those beaches are different.

The other day I took my in-laws to Capitola, a nice little beach town near Santa Cruz, California.

I’ve only been here once before with my family to enjoy the beach. That was during spring break. While it was entertaining to watch teenagers, the atmosphere was not too relaxing. This time is was a bit too cold for hanging around at the beach.

While we watched some surfers we decided that it is proably a great spot to learn how to surf. The surf seem to slowly come in and giving you enough time to get ready.

We explored the little town with its cute shops. What stroke me as amazing was our lunch right next to the beach, a great meal with a beautiful view.

The colorful houses are the historic Venetian hotel “The first Condominium Beach Community in the United States, built in 1924”.

What is your favorite beach in Northern California?

Holiday Markets

December 4, 2015February 3, 2025Silvia

It seems these days I have only shopping on my mind. Well, Christmas is near, and while I am not really a big gift giver, I prefer to gift something homemade, or close to that.

This weekend (1/5/2015) are two holiday markets that I will try to catch. One is at my sons middle school: Graham Middle School in Mountain View, CA from 9am to 1 pm. I am hoping for a lot of crafty items. I also heard that the food is amazing!

The other on is at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara. This will feature local artists, not only paintings, but ceramics, jewelry and textiles. Sounds interesting, right? Well they have two bonus programs. One is a jazz pop performance from 3:30 to 4:30. The other one is the family art day from 10:00 to 2:00.

On December 12th, 2015 is the third annual German International School of Silicon Valley’s German Holiday Market from 11 am to 9 pm at the City Hall Plaza in Mountain View. This one I am really looking forward to! There are not many things I am missing from Germany (plenty people, not things!), but around Christmas time I like to stand in the cold and get warmed up by a nice mug of Glühwein. The food is also good traditional German fare.

Happy shopping, giving and partying!

Do you know of any Holiday Markets in the area?

Not your Average Mall, Town and Country Village

December 2, 2015February 3, 2025Silvia

Yesterday I wanted to stroll in a mall and I picked the Town and Country Village near Stanford in Palo Alto. This is a cute mall with some unique shops and food places. I saw some homemade ice cream and a french café with some great looking pastries. I went into the butcher and scooped out the amazing meats. Okay, guilty: I am a Foodie. But I managed to not buy anything. For the clothing stores and beauty parlors I would suggest taking your mother-in-law if she is on the wealthier end of the scale.

Anyway, what really got me was the christmas tree in front of the toy store. It is called a Family Giving Tree for the Holiday Wish Drive. (Yes, that is a mouth full and there will be a quiz at the end of the holidays.)

This is your chance to turn into a real live elf! Pick a card, buy a gift for a child, return to a participating store by December 18th, 2015. Easy, right?

The idea is not unique to this mall. I was at the Mountain View YMCA and they also have a gift tree.

Do you know of any other gift trees in the area? Have you ever been an elf?