A Burger and some Samosas

I have two food trucks to blog about today. 

Yesterday I enjoyed a delicious burger from the Fatburger truck (www.fatburger).  They are known for their restaurants in LA (and now other locations around the world….primarily in the Middle East for some reason).   They are pretty basic:  they only offer burgers (beef, turkey or veggie), and you can have it with everything or plain, cheese and bacon.  Yesterday they also offer a fried egg as a topping, but I declined (bleck!)

I hadn’t had a Fatburger in a long, long time, but I remember them as being very juicy and tasty, and this burger was not a disappointment.  I ordered mine plain, just meat, cheese and bun, and I added bacon (because I haven’t met my cholesterol quota this week!  HA!).  It was definitely juicy and they tend to season their patties a little heavier on the pepper side – and I like that! 

Because all they do is burgers, they do not offer fries on the truck.  The combo offered for $7 (plus an add’l $1 for the bacon) is a burger, potato chips and a soda.  The truck for In-N-Out does the same thing, or at least they have when I had them in the past.  I get it; it’s easier and makes the process move more quickly and smoothly.  I had my burger in just a few minutes.  Overall, I’d rate it as a very good truck experience and the food was high quality.

Today I got to try the No Tomatoes truck (http://notomatoes.com) which provides fresh Indian cuisine on a limited menu.  They offer up rolls, entrees and finger food.  I decided to try a combo and had the chicken tikka masala with basmati rice.  It also comes with a drink and an appetizer for $9.  The samosas spoke to me (the potato and pea version).  It was a lot of food for $9!  The tikka was spiced well without being overpowering (I believe they toned it down for “white people”).  They had large chunks of chicken steeping in that delicious masala sauce over a bed of rice.  It was just enough to satisfy my Indian craving.

The samosas were well cooked (not over-fried, nor greasy) and the potato/pea filling again was spiced well and melted in your mouth.  I got three of them but could only finish two as I was getting full.  I hope to try them again – they’re supposed to be back in Century City for lunch on the 20^th!

A Beautiful Day in Santa Barbara

I picked an absolutely stunning weekend to schedule a Segway tour in Santa Barbara.  I had yet another Groupon for a tour with Segway of Santa Barbara (http://www.segwayofsb.com/).  My friend Thom (yes, he pretty much does all the fun stuff with me – we’ve been friends for a long time) joined me again, he had never been to Santa Barbara, so this was a good opportunity to show him around.  We drove up early in the morning as we had a 10am tour time.  Thankfully traffic was near non-existent and we got there in plenty of time to park and walk through downtown a little bit.  The Segway shop is right across from the beach and a block off State Street (and a couple of blocks from the train station). 

We really lucked out with weather; it was cool, but not cold, and clear skies with just a slight breeze.  Given the time of year, it was near perfect.  Our group was about nine people, plus our guides Michael and Josh.  Michael started us out at the west end of the beach at an open lot/park lined with palm trees that lined what had once been the grand entrance to a huge hotel.  The area was originally called Burton’s Mound and was bought by Milo Potter in 1901 to turn it into a resort.  He built a 6 story hotel/resort on the 30 acre spot that was one of the largest hotels on the west coast, the Potter Hotel.  It was very lavish.  This spot also has been a Chumash village at one time.  When the hotel burned down in 1921, it was intended to be rebuilt, but wound up being sold to different developers who built various hotels and businesses on the property.  Also, Chumash bones were found on the site that were dated back over 10,000 years.  Today the remaining parcel with the palm trees is left as a park.

We cruised down the boardwalk down eastward toward Butterfly Beach, which was our destination.  We stopped outside the Santa Barbara Zoo, which is located just near the border of Santa Barbara and Montecito.  We got a decent view of the giraffe enclosure (though the giraffes were not in view at that time).  We continued on into Montecito and cruised past the cemetery on the north side and on into a residential neighborhood.  Michael stopped us at the corner of a path leading past a huge estate.  It turns out the estate was built by Ty Warner – the creator of Beanie Babies.  He bought up several lots on the bluff over the ocean and torn down the homes there to build his estate.  When we went down the path around the back I was able to snap some photos over the wall.  It really is a HUGE estate.  When you get on the path on the bluff behind the homes, you have some stunning views of Santa Barbara as well as the Channel Islands (and unfortunately some oil rigs).

We cruised down the path to the Four Seasons Hotel, and the Coral Casino.  We stopped to take in the views and get some pictures.  I wouldn’t mind getting a room there sometime (when I’m feeling wealthy, or get a great deal!).  We buzzed around behind the hotel and back around the cemetery (which I think would be a cool tour in itself – going through the cemetery) and back down to the path to the beach.  We wound our way back to the shop where we started, and it really seemed like we had not just spent two hours on the Segway, but we had.  Michael and Josh made it fun, interesting and informative.  They offer a couple of other tours of Old Santa Barbara and the Mission, so I believe I will definitely be going back to experience those!

After our tour, it was noon and we were hungry.  Thom had another Groupon for the Greek House Café just off State Street on Haley.  It’s a little hole in the wall.  We both ordered the gyros wrap, as well as a side of hummus and pita.  The hummus was delicious, and I detected a note of honey in it.  It was too busy for me to go back and ask if they put honey in it, but I am pretty sure they did.  The gyro was very good too.  Quite tasty.  It was also very unique in that they put French fries in the wrap!  At first I thought it was onion, but Thom said it was fries.  I’d try them again.

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We walked around State Street and did some shopping,  We had gotten to the northern end of the main shopping district and looked for the bakery Michael at Segway had recommended for cupcakes, Crushcakes & Café (www.crushcakes.com).  It is located on the corner of Anacapa and Arlington.  I wound up getting a Lemon Drop cupcake and a small taste of the Red Velvet.  Both were very yummy.  They were very generous with the frosting too! 

Alas, it was getting late in the afternoon, so we had to get back to the car and head back home.  It was a very nice day to spend and we were blessed with ideal weather.  I love Santa Barbara and will have to make a point to go visit more often (and also blog about the food scene!).

Kogi Redeux and Global Soul

Yesterday I walked down the street from my office to the Fox Plaza building just the other side of Olympic after a friend turned me onto the fact that they sponsor a food truck several times a week – and I discovered they even publish their calendar!  (http://www.irvinecompanyoffice.com/for-customers/fox-plaza-205/lunch-is-served-at-your-doorstep-2404)  So yesterday I trotted down there with my co-worker Madeleine to get some Kogi BBQ (www.kogibbq.com).  I have had them before, but it was nice to try them again.  I wound up ordering the combo with the slider and a taco – both of which were short rib as the meat filling.  They make a mean short rib taco, and it turns out the slider was even tastier…..and quite generous; the size was more of two sliders.  All this, plus a drink for $8.  Such a deal! 

Today was the other building in Century City that sponsors food trucks on Wednesday, and I had the opportunity to experience something new and interesting:  Global Soul street eats (www.globalsoultruck.com).  Kind of soul-foodish.  They offered up a sandwich of hot and spicy sausage, but what spoke to me more was their offering of a lamb gyro.  They took ground up lamb and added some spice and grilled it into small patties, serving it up in a pita with feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers and a yogurt sauce.  I opted out of the grilled onions…never have been a fan.

In a word:  sublime.  Probably one of the best renditions of a gyro I’ve had a while.  The meat was well cooked and very well seasoned, and complemented well by the feta, tomato and sauce.  I would eat it again for sure!  I can recommend Global Soul most definitely.  They do have a very limited menu, but then, so do most all of the food trucks:  do a few items very well and stick to it!

Santa Anita Food Truck Festival

Yesterday out in Arcardia (it’s just east of Pasadena for those of you who are wondering ‘where?’) at the Santa Anita Park and Race Track, there was a HUGE Food Truck Festival.  There were about 70s trucks total….all parked out on the infield of the race track.  I was in food truck heaven.  It was a great opportunity to experience many of the trucks I haven’t yet enjoyed. 

My friend Thom drove out with me.  I had never been on the infield of any racetrack, so it was kind of cool to be in the middle of a horserace (yes, they had races going on yesterday).  Parking was $4, and entrance to the park/track was $5 each.  The festival started at 10:00am, but we didn’t make it out there until about 11:30.  We were given a map as we entered showing which trucks were in which location (they were set up in three locations on the infield).

We started on the east side, just to our left as we walked through the tunnel.  I recognized many of the trucks, and wanted to get a lay of the land and walk around a little bit.  But I was also getting hungry.  So in the first area, we settled on a truck called Fresh Fries (www.freshfries.biz) .   We both just wanted a snack to sate us until we could see the rest of the trucks and pick one for lunch.  We ordered the Buffalo Bleu fries – crispy fries tossed in blue cheese and buffalo sauce.  I chatted with the woman at the order window, and she told us that the last time they had the festival there they only had 30 trucks and the line for theirs was over 2 hours wait time!  I’m glad we didn’t have that experience.  And the fries were just what we needed – cheesy and spicy.  I wound up having to get an amber ale (which normally I don’t like the darker brews, but it tasted good and paired well with the spicy fries).   We woofed those down and milled about some more.

We walked around a bit more and checked out more of the trucks.  As we wandered, I saw a sign on one of the trucks for duck tacos……duck always gets my attention.  For $3, I decided to stop at Flavor Rush (www.flavorrushtruck.com) and try out one of those tacos.  It was duck confit with a cranberry relish.  Without the cranberry, it would have been rather bland. 

I was on a mission to find the Lardon truck that was supposed to be there in the far western section (near the Grilled Cheese Truck).  We got over there, and it was no where to be found.  Didn’t see it anywhere at the festival.  I was greatly disappointed.  I had been jonsin’ for some bacon, and was very let down that Lardon didn’t make it.  (You hear that Lardon?!  You let down the food truck enthusiasts!)

While over the third area, Thom found the Paradise Cookies truck (www.paradisecookies.com).  He got a half dozen cookies, mixed, to enjoy later.  I did sample one chocolate chip cookie, and it was very tasty – I hope I run into them again!  I was also starting to get a hunger headache and needed some lunch.  Since Lardon had let me down, I had to go for Plan B and pick another truck. 

The Flat Iron Truck intrigued me (www.flatirontruck.com) and their menu looked good.  I was drawn to the Oxtail Poutine (I know, more fries, but I hadn’t had poutine in a while).  However, my hopes were dashed when they informed me that the oxtail gravy wasn’t ready and would be a little while longer.  I needed to eat, so I instead opted for the flatiron steak.  They served it on a bed of crispy potato hash and a herbed aioli sauce on top.  I ordered my steak medium.  The steak and sauce were delicious, but the steak was more rare than medium, but tolerable.  I enjoyed it, but would have enjoyed it more if it had been cooked true medium.  I’d try them again, but ask them to cook it more next time.

Thom wanted something else, so I grilled him on what he was hungry for, and finally narrowed it down to something burger-ish.  So, I recommended he try Baby’s Badass Burgers (www.babysbadassburgers.com).  While yes, I have eaten there several times, Thom never has, so he heeded my recommendation.  He was rather pleased with the choice once he sat down to eat.  And by the time we had eaten, the lines at all the trucks were getting longer and longer, so it was a good time for us to hit the road. 

It was a fun afternoon and I wish L.A. had more events like this – the food truck culture in L.A. is growing and evolving and could stand to have more large events to introduce it to more people. 

Hyatt/Andaz Event

I took a little recovery time from my Tahoe trip, and actually am working on a wrap-up posting on Tahoe that I hope to post this weekend, but I went to an event last night that I wanted to share.

Membership definitely has its privileges.  I happen to be a cardholder for Hyatt’s affinity Visa card.  A few weeks back I received an email from them regarding an event they were hosting in Los Angeles for cardholders at their Andaz West Hollywood hotel.  It was for a limited number of guests, so I did call right away to get on the list, as I was intrigued.

Last night was the event, and I took my friend and co-worker Madeleine (I drag her to the food trucks when they are in Century City during the week) and we were both impressed with the event.  They held it on the rooftop lounge and deck, with stunning views of the L.A. skyline from the Hollywood Hills.  Being a warm October evening helped as well. 

The event was far more than I was expecting.  I thought it was going to be a small cocktail party with food being passed around on trays with a central bar.  They had definitely stepped their game up for this and exceeded my expectation by far.  They had servers walking around offering glasses of champagne to everyone, and in the center of the room was a station set up with cured meats, cheeses, olives that were marinated in oil, garlic and I want to say rosemary and oregano…..I could have eaten the entire container, and breads.

The event planner put much thought into the rest of the set up, and worked with wine blogger and sommelier David Organsiak to create stations around the lounge with small plates paired to very specific wines.  My one big regret (and I really need to get better at this) was that I did not write down or photograph each station and what was served and paired.  Arrrrgg!

It was set up with one side being white wines, the other reds.  So we started out with whites, and I tried the foie gras (no comments please) with a chenin blanc.  It was a great pairing!  The next station had grilled goat cheese wrapped in grape leaves paired with another white – amazing.  I have forgotten the third station unfortunately, but whatever we ate, we did like.  The last station on the white side was a salad of greens, pecans, pomegranate seeds and feta cheese with a vinaigrette – absolutely delicious. 

On the red side there was one fewer station.  It started with a mushroom risotto, which we both passed on (I don’t do fungi).  They next station was pork tenderloin with rosemary, paired with a bold red wine – very, very tasty.  The last station was beef cheeks, but they had run out by the time we got to it and we never saw more come out (bummer). 

There was also a dessert table, also paired with wines.  There were various macaroons paired with a white, which I believe was a sauterne.  For red they a port paired with various chocolate treats.  I behaved myself and only had a few choices from the dessert table (though I wanted to put on a bib and dive in!). 

One other pleasant surprise at the event was they had author Amelia Saltsman there signing copies of her book The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook for all the guests.  At first I didn’t quite recognize who she was until she started talking more, then it hit me:  she can be heard as a frequent guest on Evan Kleiman’s show “Good Food” on local public radio station KCRW (www.kcrw.com).  She has collected some wonderful recipes in this cookbook, which I fully intend to try out soon!  (If you read this Amelia, it was such a pleasure to meet and chat with you last night!)

And to finish the night, they had some great LPGs for everyone (lovely parting gifts).  We each received a neoprene, insulated, branded wine tote with two bottles of French wine – one white, one red.  Looking forward to cracking those open sometime!  The tote also included a nice corkscrew.  Oh, and they also had a cigar bar next to the deck where they had a Cuban ex-pat cigar roller making handmade cigars for anyone who wanted one.  While I don’t smoke, I did avail myself to give as a gift.

I give major kudos to Hyatt and their partner Chase for putting this event together for cardholders, and I hope they do more like this in the future.  Heck, I’d even be willing to travel to other destinations for an event such as this!  (Hint hint!)

Tahoe Vacation - Final Dinner

Last night we had our final meal in Tahoe at the Swiss Lakewood restaurant in Homewood.  I was a tad hesitant as I had read some mixed reviews on Yelp and other places, but the menu had looked interesting, so Phil and I chanced it.

You walk in and the décor is definitely 1960s Americanized “Swiss/German” – a tad dated.  And one thing we noticed:  we were the youngest diners in the restaurant.  The hostess seated us In the main dining room and our server, Amanda, was quick to take our drink order.

We both started our meal with the baby spinach salad.  They dressed it with a honey based dressing, with feta cheese, almonds, orange sections and bacon.  It was incredibly delicious.  Sometimes the spinach can be a little bitter, but the way they prepared it with the dressing, it was just right and not at all bitter.

For our next course, we both ordered the French onion soup.  Normally, French onion is on the salty side, but however the prepared it, it didn’t have that “salt lick” effect. 

For my entrée, I ordered the Pepper Steak – a NY strip covered in a peppercorn sauce.  The cut was very generous – I had leftovers to bring back for breakfast or a snack on the road.  It was very peppery…which I like, but I imagine that some people might be put off by the amount of pepper, but if you like that, this is the dish for you.

Phil had the wienerschnitzel with lingonberry sauce.  He was pleasantly surprised with the combo, and said it worked very well together.

Neither of us much cared for the mashed potatoes included with our meals.  Phil said his were very salty, and mine tasted almost sweet in an odd way. 

Overall, we had a good experience and very good meal. We both rated it about 3.5 to 4 stars.  However, it is not cheap.  Entrees run from $24 to $36.  Expect a meal for two like we had, including wine, to run you just over $100 – so it would likely be a treat meal rather than a normal night out.  It was a nice way to end our vacation in Tahoe, which we are sad to leave.  I think we both will come back, perhaps in the spring or later summer/earlier fall before the snow so we could do more of the outdoor activities.

Tahoe Vacation - Days 6-7

I didn’t get to blog yesterday as I didn’t get home until midnight last night, so will cover yesterday and today. 

Thursday, Oct. 6

Yesterday it was still snowing in Tahoe, moreso in South Lake Tahoe we discovered.  We decided to drive down the east side of the lake and take some pictures.  We stopped at a private beach in Incline Village (must be nice to have private access to the shoreline), but since it’s basically closed for the season, no one gave us grief.  There were some beautiful views of the lake and the mountains.

We drove on towards Stateline, and encountered some icy roads in the pass as we got further south, but it was better than what we had encountered on the west side of the lake the night before.  We pulled in to the Mont Bleu casino in Stateline to try another casino.  We played for about an hour and I wound up about $10 ahead when we left….not bad for the penny slots.

We were getting peckish, so we headed into Stateline and wound up eating at the Stateline Brewery (www.statelinebrewery.com).  I really don’t have much flattering to say about it, other than I did like the White-out Wit (a wheat beer).  I had kobe sliders and Phil had a chicken Caesar salad.  I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here, but if you’re in the area and hungry, it’s decent enough, but there are better options down the street.

We drove back as I had plans to meet my cousin Jen down the hill in Grass Valley for dinner.  I was about to leave just after 3pm as it’s a 90 minute drive.  It was a very pleasant drive over the Donner Pass (and stunning views of the snowy mountains.  I cut off onto the 20 Fwy, which is a gorgeous two lane rural highway.  I was basically the only person on the road.  You start out at around 8000 feet, with lots of snow, and as I descended down the mountains towards Grass Valley, the snow lessened and lessened.  It was neat to see the slow transition. 

I made it to dinner with my cousin and her sons in plenty of time.  I hadn’t seen her in years, so it was very nice to get caught up.  We ate at Frank’s Pizza in downtown Grass Valley (it’s an old mining town and the architecture is pretty much still intact).  I definitely would like to go back and spend some time exploring this quaint town (and visit more with my cousin and her kids).  The drive back was uneventful, but  being so late and so cold, I did worry about ice, but fortunately the roads had been sanded and I didn’t hit any ice patches,

Friday, Oct. 7

Today we hit the Old Post Office Café in Carnelian Bay, just up the road.  It has gotten great reviews and I can see why.  Compared to the Log Cabin, it’s more authentic and geared towards the locals and is true coffee shop fare.  I ordered a bowl of fruit and biscuits & gravy.  The b&g can go either way I’ve learned – restaurants either do it very well, or it’s awful.  They did it right.  It was almost as good as my dad’s!  Phil had the breakfast burrito with potatoes.  He said the burrito was very tasty and the potatoes were superior to the ones he had at Log Cabin.

We drove down the west side of the lake again and stopped a few times to take some pictures of the snowy peaks.  The snow was just starting to melt at the south end of the lake (the north end was pretty dry by this morning).  We headed out the 89, which I had originally came in on and got to see the snow covered valleys up a little higher in the Sierras.  It was quite stunning.  We drove out to Woodfords (if you blink as you drive through, you’d miss it) and turned around as we were getting a tad far out. 

As we got back in to South Lake Tahoe, we stopped to do some shopping.  I didn’t find much of interest, but I did find a birthday/Xmas gift for my niece (she may be reading, so don’t want to share my find!).  Our lunch was basically just a snack – we stopped at KFC for some popcorn chicken and chicken snackers.  I wanted to save room for our final meal in Tahoe tonight – we’re heading to the Swiss Lakewood – I will try to report on it later tonight, or tomorrow morning if I can.

Tahoe Vacation - Day 5

As predicted, it snowed today, but it was a very light snow that never stuck down where we are, but we still didn’t do much today.  It was cold, wet and made for a perfect lazy day.  Phil and I did walk down to Tahoe Vista and back, and got a few pictures of the lake and the snow covered peaks, though it wasn’t clear enough to get a great picture.



It did start coming down harder later in the afternoon, but it still wasn’t cold enough for it to stick here.  We decided to head down to South Lake Tahoe to get some pizza at The Brewery at Lake Tahoe (it smelled soooo good when were there the other day), but as we drove down the west side of the lake, we went up in altitude and wound up in a very snowy and icy environment, to the point that they had posted “chains required”, so we turned back when the snow plow truck passed us on the other side.  It was beautiful, but unfortunately too dark to get any pictures.

We headed back north to Tahoe City and pulled into Front Street Station Pizza (www.frontstreetpizza.com) hoping it would be good.  It’s a small place, with only counter space to sit at (though they had table seating outside…….but definitely not in THIS weather).  We ordered a pepperoni and some sodas and sat down waiting for our pizza.  There was a family at the counter next to the kitchen, so we sat on the side counter along the wall – but the family was leaving just as out pizza came out of the oven and we had better seating at the counter.

The pizza was thin crust and very crispy, the cheese very stringy (as it should be!), and they seemed to have the balance of sauce, cheese and pepperoni right.  It was a tad greasy, but I kind of expect that with pepperoni.  It made for a good cold night dinner.  The pizza wasn’t cheap, but not expensive either.  A 16”pizza plus two sodas ran me about $23.  It’s worth checking out if you’re in Tahoe City and want some pizza.

Tahoe Vacation - Day 4

We started the day eating at home and having a lazy morning.  We eventually got out and drove out to Squaw Valley to see the old Olympic village.  It was nice to see where the 1960 Winter Olympics were held.  They have kept the original Olympic village where the athletes were housed….it’s not a hotel.  But there are definitely lots of new construction, and the ski lifts head up some steep mountains!

It was freezing out, so we stopped in at the Plumpjack (www.plumpjackcafe.com) at Squaw Valley Inn for some hot chocolate and warmth.  The bartender was a hoot and fun to talk to.  She was from New Zealand and offered up some tips for places to visit up the road in Truckee.

After milling about Squaw Valley for a while, we headed into Truckee to visit the Donner Memorial State Park (http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=503) to see the site where part of the Donner party had camped and read up on the history of the Donner party and the eventual transcontinental railroad as it came through the area.  It was actually kind of interesting.

Eventually, we got hungry and started foraging for food.  I found several restaurants on Yelp down in historic Truckee, and we settled on the Pacific Crest Grill (http://www.barofamerica.net/).  It sits on the corner in a historic building and had an interesting menu.  Phil ordered their version of a Cuban sandwich (roast pork, ham, gruyere cheese, mustard and pickles).  He said it was okay, but not great.  I had ordered the Steak Frites (a bavette of beef, hand cut fries and herbed shallot butter).  I found it to be very delicious. 

After lunch, we headed back home for a bit to kick back and relax.  It was starting to rain and getting colder, so we hung out and I got some chores done.

For dinner, because we had such a great experience last night at Bite, we decided to go back for some comfort food.  We even asked for Shannon again (and the hostess even remembered us).  We both had the tomato soup, and I ordered the Crispy Goat Cheese Sliders (and they were soooo good and paired very well with the soup).  Phil had the Cheeseburger Sliders and seemed to quite enjoy them.

For dessert, we asked to mix a plate since I wanted to try the Coconut Cream Bites (and Phil HATES coconut), and Phil had the Chocolate Cake.  The Coconut Cream were sinful….if you enjoy coconut, they are a definite must.  Phil found the Chocolate Cake to be an interesting combination of flavors (and a good one).

Tomorrow we’re expecting snow, so may not have a lot to report, will try to post at least some pictures of the whiteness (or slushiness…depending)!

Tahoe Vacation - Day 3

This morning Phil and I breakfasted at the Cal Neva Resort (www.calnevaresort.com) just across the border (well, actually, it straddles the border).  I had the Cal Neva French Toast (with the option of raisin bread).  It was tasty, but perhaps a little too heavy.  Of course, being on vacation, I had to get a side order of bacon.  I’d rate the breakfast as average/okay – nothing special.  But it was a little on the pricey side.  I think my total for breakfast was about $20-22.  Tomorrow we’re doing breakfast in.

After eating, we drove down the east side of the lake to catch the 50 Fwy down the mountain into Carson, NV to check it out.  It also happens to be the state capital.  In the downtown core they have some of the old buildings that they’ve maintained, and the state buildings.  We visited the newer Legislature building and walked around the Senate and Assembly chambers – they were very nice.  The legislature was not in session, so there really wasn’t anyone around.

We then walked next door to the capitol building.  Back in the late 70’s through the early 80’s, they had gutted the entire interior of the building, keeping the façade.  It was a nice building, and very accessible for the people.  We were able to walk in and walk around, just as we had in the Legislature.

After walking around for a little while, we then headed on to Virginia City, on old mining town up in the hills above Carson City that has been pretty well maintained with the original buildings from the 1800’s.  They have made it a tourist destination.  It was nice to walk around and see the old saloons and walk along the boardwalks.  We spent a little over an hour walking around, checking out the buildings and shops, then decided it was time to get some lunch.

We drove down the other side the mountains down into Reno since Phil has had a hankering for In-N-Out (they don’t have any up in Portland).  Since we were in Reno, which surprised me by how big a city it really is, we decided to visit a casino in downtown.  We drove around and I picked the El Dorado to pull into (and they made you pay for parking unless you’re a guest or eat in the restaurants - WTF? It’s a casino making money off us already!),

We roamed around and played a few machines.  I introduced Phil to the "I Dream of Jeannie" machine – he found it as amusing as I do.  “Yes, Master!”  I walked out down only about $8.

We headed back to home base to relax a little and then head to an early dinner.  We had been recommended to try out a tapas place over in Incline Village, and we were looking for a little bit of a lighter meal, so off we went to Bite (www.bitetahoe.com).

It’s located in a strip mall in the middle of town, and it looks rather unassuming on the outside, but once you walk in (you’re in the bar area).  The atmosphere is very wine bar-ish and chic.  Our server, Shannon, was very sweet and friendly.  I ordered a unique Spanish red wine that was called Mencia.  It was very tasty and bold – just the way I like them.  Phil ordered a Viognier from Napa.  I had been telling Phil earlier in the day about an old classic drink I had a while back, a Negroni, and lamented that no one knows how to make them.  Phil asked Shannon if they made those there, and to my surprise, she knew exactly what I was talking about, so another trip this week will definitely be in order!

We started with a cheese plate that had a Humboldt Foggy Bottom goat cheese, and a triple crème brie.  They served it with some honey and quince paste (they were a little overly generous with the quince…a little goes a very long way.

Next we ordered their Grilled Cheese Bites.  They were very good, but needed a little something. I also had ordered a taste of their tomato soup and it was deeeelish and paired well with the grilled cheese.  The last thing we ordered were the Beef Spare Rib sliders.  Amazingly delicious!  The meat was juicy and well seasoned, and the crispy onions gave it a nice texture. 

For dessert, we tried the Key Lime Pie Bites.  Phil is very picky about this key lime, but he said these were very good, and I would have to agree.  Yum yum yum! 

The entire meal was great and the service was wonderful.  All in, our tab came to $62.  Not cheap, but for the quality of the food and wine, it was well within reason.  I highly recommend checking it out if you come to Tahoe!