Tahoe House

If you are ever in need of coffee and a bite and you are near Tahoe City I absolutely love Tahoe House. It's a specialty foods grocery that does all its baking on premises. My best breakfast there is to get the house smoked salmon. Fresh cream cheese and bagels made that morning. If you happen to have a heirloom tomato from the Farmer's Market... so much the better. Annika loves the pastries. Fresh fruit, sugar and dough baked into gooey goodness (in any combination) is hard to beat.

Gar Woods

OK, I've been initiated into the Wet Woody fan club. Along with a Southside on the porch at Shinnecock or a Mt. Gay and Tonic on the Brockleman's boat on Lake Waccabuc... The Wet Woody is now one of my favorite summer drinks. Tasty and dangerous. Gar Woods is a fun restaurant sitting on an incredible spot. It's also a boat and I now want a Baby Gar Wood... which would make our dinner really expensive in the long run.

Bridgetender

On out first night in Tahoe we went back to the Bridgetender. The food is fine but what I love is the atmosphere and the crowd. It's a great place for a burger and a beer. I only wish I still had my Harley to drive up on.

La Terrasse

This place was recommended to us by Lloyd Silverman. It has a lovely view of the bay. When we were there for dinner there was a sailboat race going on. The food is simple and delicious, the  place cozy and intimate. You are in San Francisco but you feel miles away. Annika brought a friend and they both had pizza which they loved. Carol especially liked her mushroom soup.

The Pasta Bowl

I took a group from the agency to the 3rd Annual 49er Foundation Pasta Bowl. It was at the Santa Clara Convention Center. We had two rookie linebackers at our table (great guys) who were there to help me serve dinner to the table. It was a very nice night for a really good cause. Every time I hear Mike Singletary speak I want to work even harder and do even more!

Marin Farmer's Market

When I first came to SF I would got to the Farmer's Market at the Ferry terminal on Saturday. I love locally grown food that is organic and really fresh. Really fresh, as in picked within 24 hours or so. Since moving to Tiburon we have found the Farmer's Market by the Civic Center in San Rafael. We go virtually every Sunday morning and hunt for what's in season and really fresh. Carol has made quite a few meals where the perfect ingredient came before the recipe. I tend to make a breakfast of the free samples. I also always get a tamale on the way out. The only other constant is that Carol always buys some flowers for the week ahead. The whole place has a wonderful vibe and energy.

Left Bank

While searching for a parking place on a recent trip to Picco I spotted Left Bank. We decided to give it a try. We sat outside on a beautiful night after a day at the beach. With the exception of a martini, I went for the classic French Bistro fare: oysters (only four to an order) and the steak frites. Both were really good. The steak was tender and moist and the fries were nice and crispy. There is a great big fireplace in the dining room that we will go back for in the winter.

SF Giants Food

Took Carol and Annika to the Giants game today. Beautiful sunshine and a Giants win. Seemed like it was nearly a full house. All the food is pretty basic at the park but the Garlic Fries are something else. Loaded with fresh garlic and sprinkled with parsley they have a sharp flavor. On the heart health scale I wonder if the garlic offsets the frying of the potatoes?