Real Good Fish - Community Supported Fishery

Our family doesn't eat seafood often mainly because I don't know how to cook fish that well. But calamari, THAT I can do! Thanks to a local business, Real Good Fish, we were able to try sustainable calamari last week. Real Good Fish makes weekly deliveries of seafood from 25 different fisherman who catch from Ft. Bragg to Monterey. The business was started by graduate students on a mission to protect our oceans and local fishermen. Their story can be found here.

I picked up my delivery on a Thursday from the local public library. It felt funny walking into the library with a cooler bag and getting frozen seafood from the periodicals section. But when I chatted with the employee there, she said it was actually a popular program and many people worked or lived close by and picked up their weekly catches at the library. It made me feel good about supporting not just a community business (Real Good Fish) but also a community center like the library. My fish was kept adequately frozen and they offered insulated bags to carry the catch home even though I brought my own.

For more information on how it works, costs, and pick up locations, you can read the Real Good Fish website. I received a one time order free of charge to write this review.

Left: cleaned and gutted squid

Right: Smoked black cod

I started with drying my squid on paper towels. Then I cut half into rings and did a batter. I added cajun spices and other seasonings into a batch of flour and split that into two containers. A third bowl had milk. I battered my rings in this order before frying them: flour, milk, flour, fry.

The fried calamari rings turned out great! The batter was flavorful and crispy. I would cut the rings larger next time so I could taste more squid than batter. If the oil is hot, they cook up super fast. We dipped these in Sir Kensington's Special Sauce with a swirl of Sriracha sauce.

The remaining half of the squid were scored and simply seared on a panini maker in an attempt to get grill marks. I didn't get the grill marks and they were still very tasty. No seasonings, just a spray of Pam on the grill surface. For these, I used Vietnamese nuoc cham (fish sauce) and Japanese ponzu. They tasted best with the nuoc cham.

Here's our whole spread with soba noodles in a soba dipping sauce. Shaved brussel sprout salad in the middle. It was a wonderful dinner and a great way to add variety to our usual rotation of beef and chicken. Deliveries from sustainable fisheries are a great way to support local businesses and ensure we don't overfish from our oceans. You eat what is caught that week and don't create demand for fish from far locations that must be shipped over. For the home cook like me, it helps me practice cooking new recipes that I wouldn't otherwise cook. I hope you check out Real Good Fish and see their offerings.

Sprouts Farmers Market Opens New Location on Brokaw Rd - San Jose

One of our favorite grocery stores in the South Bay just opened a new location in San Jose on Brokaw Road. This is the third store in San Jose. The location is in a brand new plaza still under construction. In fact, Sprouts is the only store open while none of the others even have signage yet. Recently, we were given a gift card from Sprouts to shop at this new store and write a post. 

Here are things that are different than other Sprouts stores I've seen.

There is a salad bar. Great side salads like quinoa, tabouleh, and fixings for a DIY salad are available with 8 dressing options. Of course, the usual olive bar is there as well.

Stop by for a sandwich at the sandwich line for lunch while you do your grocery shopping. Our other usual Sprouts locations don't have this option. It's a great addition.

While all Sprouts carry ready-to-heat meals, the selection at this store is much better. Any of these can be heated for a quick healthy dinner at home.

You can eat your lunch or relax after shopping in this Recharge and Relax area.

We usually go to Sprouts because I like the prices for their fresh seasonal fruits and produce. This store has an interesting offering of exotic fruits like passion fruit (above) and kiwano melons.

A typical weekly haul for our family looks like this. We buy our meat from Costco twice a month so I only need to get produce and fruits weekly. This is about $40+ worth.

- 2 bunches of lacinato kale

- 2 packs of strawberries

- 2 packs of blueberries

- mini watermelon

- zucchini for zoodles

- fresh mozzarella

- 2 packs of grape tomatoes

- 3 half gallon bottles of Straus Family Organic Whole Milk for our son

- as much dried chile mango slices as my heart desires

This is one of the best Sprouts locations I have been to. If you are in the area, make this one your default.

• 1028 E. Brokaw Rd.
• San Jose, CA 95131

GIVEAWAY - Tickets to Cavalia Odysseo in San Jose - Sept 17 at 2PM

Hi friends, a very cool giveaway has come across my desk. The Odysseo is coming to San Jose and I have tickets to giveaway. It's an equestrian show, think Cirque du Soleil but with horses!

Cavalia has given me a package of 8 tickets to do a flash giveaway. One winner's name will be put at will-call to pick up 8 tickets. The tickets are only good for this Saturday's show, Sept 17 at 2PM. 

Here's the website for more details.

http://www.cavalia.net/en/odysseo

To enter the raffle, all you have to do is follow me on Instagram @sanjosefoodblog and leave a comment on the Odysseo picture telling me you're entering I will draw one random winner on Thursday, Sept 15 at 5PM. I will contact the winner for their full name and email. If you don't respond by Friday at 9AM, I will draw a different winner.

Nintendo Flavors Launch at Yogurtland - San Jose

Between July 1 and Sept 8 this summer, Yogurtland is featuring different Nintendo themed flavors rotating through the weeks. By visiting https://www.yogurt-land.com/, fans of Nintendo, Yogurtland and winning cool prizes can enter for a chance to win a Wii U system and one year of free frozen yogurt. All participants have to do is visit the website starting on July 1 and follow the simple steps to enter. One grand prize package will be rewarded every week during the 10-week promotion. By entering the sweepstakes, you are also eligible for instant giveaways, including unlimited frozen yogurt cups, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games, as well as shiny new Nintendo 3DS systems that come with one game.

At the launch party this weekend, we tasted flavors like Mario's Chocolate Gelato, Toad's Rocky Road, and Yoshi's Honey Dew. There were also raffles and spin wheel prizes and a photo booth with Mario.

My bowl had Toad's Rocky Road which tasted like malted chocolate, Sea Salt Caramel, and Birthday Cake flavors. They were all great.

Phil had Toad's Rocky Road with gummi bears and oreo cookies.

His second bowl had Mario's Chocolate Gelato. It tasted like a thicker and richer version of the rocky road.

 We posed for a few photos at the photo booth with our Mario mustaches.

We had a great time at this family friendly event. Bring the kids down to try these flavors while they last.

Yogurtland Westgate West

5395 Prospect Road, San Jose

Events, Openings, Announcements - June 2016

NEGRONI WEEK at Bourbon Steak

June 6-12

Photo from Bourbon Steak

Bourbon Steak Santa Clara A unique evolution of Michael Mina’s award-winning, signature steakhouse, Bourbon Steak at Levi’s® Stadium is in keeping with the concept’s origins. The high-end, classic steakhouse is celebrating Negroni Week with two special cocktails:  The Discreet Charm (Beefeater Gin, Punt E Mes, Carpano Antica, Dash Orange Bitters) and Suze Q (Hendricks Gin, Suze, Alessio Vermouth). Each cocktail is priced at $14 and $1 of every cocktail sold will be donated to Ladies of the Empire.

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STARBIRD - Order through your App drive through restaurant

Chicken and the Egg

Pollo Panchito Taco

INTRODUCING:

STARBIRD

A new generation of American dining starts with Starbird, a super premium fast food restaurant transforming the traditional drive-thru experience in Silicon Valley

With the nation’s first super premium fast food concept, accessibility is now at your fingertips. Starbird reimagines the traditional drive-thru with the removal of the car queue and the addition of mobile ordering and payment.  Guests download the app and navigate through the sleek and easy to use interface to place an order from anywhere.  Select “I’m here!” upon arrival and pull into one of the numbered parking spots; a server delivers the order within five minutes. Guests can also park for an experience in the dining room or on the outdoor patio.

“Our lives and our expectations have changed dramatically since the advent of the original drive thru. With Starbird, we’re adapting to the new needs of our tech-savvy and culinary-conscious community. We’re changing the traditional fast food landscape with new expectations, new standards, and new ideals for quick service dining,” says Noveshen. “Flavor and convenience need to come first. We tested over 100 different chicken preparations before we found this perfect crispy chicken recipe.”

Distinct menu elements include local Petaluma Farms chicken that is hand-cut, hand-battered, and small-batch fried; freshly cracked organic and cage free eggs; and rolls baked in house. Starbird also offers Equator coffee that is ground and brewed to order. The wholesome menu also features bold and modern flavors with items including:

Breakfast (Served until 10:30 a.m.):

Chicken & the Egg Sandwich with crispy chicken, egg, organic American cheese, and bacon on a house baked roll ($4.50)

Maple Bacon Breakfast Taco with crispy chicken, egg, bacon, and maple aioli in a corn tortilla ($3.75)

Lunch/Dinner (Served 10:30 a.m. until 10 p.m.):

Free Range Ranch Sandwich with crispy chicken, tangy slaw, bacon, pimento cheese, and Greek yogurt ranch on a house baked roll ($6.95)

Chicken Chop Salad with crispy chicken, tomatoes, roasted corn, avocado, pepitas, crispy tortillas, cotija, cilantro, and chipotle lime dressing ($8.95)

Buffalo, Red, White & Bleu Taco with crispy chicken, bleu cheese slaw, green onions, and buffalo sauce in a corn tortilla ($3.50)

Beverages:

Housemade Seasonal Lemonade and Seasonal Fruit Iced Tea ($2.25-$3.50)

Ground and Brewed to Order Equator Coffee ($2.75-$3.50)

Dessert:

Starbird Drumstick with a housemade chocolate-dipped cone, Three Twins vanilla ice cream, rolled in a choice of crushed toffee or almonds ($3.75)

Starbird is also taking mentorship and career development seriously with personal one-on-one training for employees in addition to more comprehensive programs available for those looking to kick-start a long-term career with the company. “We’re creating a world where opportunities in the restaurant industry are the path to a better future, where our restaurants empower the communities they serve and where our version of ‘fast food’ breeds positivity and joy,” says Noveshen.

Located at 1241 El Camino Real, Starbird is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.with breakfast served until 10:30am. Orders are accepted in-store and from the mobile app. For more information and news on Starbird, visit www.starbirdchicken.com and follow along on Facebook and Instagram.

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GLASSHOUSE POP UP RESTAURANT

June 16 at 7PM

Photo from Glasshouse Pop Up

Photo from Glasshouse Pop Up

Chef Matt Close brings his culinary expertise to meet the tongue tingling pleasures of Lagunitas finest brews. Serving 8 courses in a relaxed atmosphere, inside and outside the delightful GlassHouse in downtown San Jose. A portion of the proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society

Tickets are $75 which include 8 succulent entrees, 2 desserts, and 4 @Lagunitsbeer pairings. All additional Beer Sales Proceeds will go to The American Cancer Society, and there will be a full (cash) bar. We have a guest DJ to announce soon, and would like your help to share and come out for a really fun evening.

GlassHouse Popup Facebook

GlassHousePopUp.Com

National Cheese Day at Sofitel San Francisco Bay - June 4, 2016

Did you know there's such a thing as National Cheese Day and that it's this weekend? Me neither but that sounds fun! Sofitel San Francisco Bay Hotel understands the concept of cheesey goodness. They are hosting a complimentary cheese tasting in their hotel lobby. Here's the press release for more details, including how you can purchase a wine pairing to go with the cheese.

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Photo from Sofitel Hotel

JOIN SOFITEL SAN FRANCISCO BAY HOTEL AND BAY 223 RESTAURANT

FOR NATIONAL CHEESE DAY

Sofitel San Francisco Bay and Bay 223 invite Bay Area cheese-lovers to experience National Cheese Day with pallet-pleasing pairings and fondue festivities San Francisco, CA, May 20, 2016 – Indulge in your favorite unofficial food group for National Cheese Day at Bay 223 Restaurant at Sofitel San Francisco Bay Hotel on Saturday, June 4th. From 4 PM to 6 PM, Executive Chef David Clawson will host a complementary cheese tasting in the hotel lobby that will feature a variety of local and imported cheeses. Special wine and cheese pairings will be available for purchase in the bar and lounge. Additionally, Bay 223 Restaurant invites dinner guests to feast on cheese fondue as the Chef’s special for that evening. 

Built on the Southern peninsula in Silicon Valley, Bay 223 at Sofitel San Francisco Bay offers a stunning panoramic view of the Redwood Shores Lagoon. Not only is it the choice hang out spot for tech giants, but it has undoubtedly become one of the hottest dining spots in Silicon Valley with over 700 people in attendance at the recent Easter Brunch in April and Mother’s Day in May. Bay 223 will offer three different options of cheesy pleasure to indulge in for the evening’s special wine and cheese experiences. 

The Taste of Europe offering will include two imported cheeses and Delirium Belgian Ale for $23. The imported cheeses are Raclette and Epoisses de Bourgogne, a soft cow’s milk cheese produced in a village named Époisses, France. This particular dairy creation takes six weeks to fully mature, emitting a soft red-orange color. It delivers a powerful mixture of sweet, salty, and creamy flavors. Raclette is a semi-hard cheese with a creamy texture and distinctive pleasant aroma. The flavor can be described as nutty and milky. Lastly, the Taste of California package contains California Toma PT. Reyes cheese, Marinated Laura Chanel Goat cheese, and a glass of Arrowhead Cabernet Sauvignon for $25. California Toma PT. Reyes is made in California and has a buttery flavor with a grassy tang at the end. Hand-crafted in Sonoma County, Marinated Laura Chanel Goat cheese is marinated with parsley, thyme, and rosemary. These unique flavors are sure to expose individuals to a new appreciation for both domestic and imported cheeses. In addition, for those that choose to have dinner with us, Chef Clawson will be offering a special of Raclette Cheese Fondue for the evening for $16. Bay 223 is proud to deliver all of these delectable pairings in a convenient and affordable way exclusively available on National Cheese Day. For a complete menu or to make reservations, please call (650) 508-7126 or visit www.opentable.com/bay223.

Tava Kitchen Launches New Menu + Giveaway - Palo Alto

Mango Lassi and Cardamon Iced Chai drinks

Tava Kitchen in Palo Alto is rebranding and changing up their menu. Formerly Tava Indian Kitchen, the new name and menu aims to reflect a less Indian-centric cuisune with the introduction of some Southeast Asian influenced items. We were invited to a tasting event and I'm excited to share with you their revamped items. Stay until the end for details on a giveaway!

Garlic Naan is a must have with Indian food. ($2 extra when added to the meal)

One of the changes implemented for the new menu is the steamer trays have been replaced with Le Creuset Balti Dish (*Affiliate link). They are a very colorful and home-style way to serve food. 

Plenty of sides available to go with the entrees

Here's how the menu works:
Choose an entree with rice or in a wrap (different prices for each). Add one side. Or add 2 sides for a higher price.

The first meal we tasted consisted of Chicken Tikka, Crunchy Kale & Quinoa, Chilled Brussel Sprouts & Grapes

Soft B Sprouts with crunchy carrots and sweet grapes in a mint chutney. Very well balanced.

Crunchy Kale with red quinoa in a turmeric dressing was a flavor and texture bomb.

Left: South Asian Mac and Cheese was just a regular mac and cheese with an Asian influence seasoned bread crumb. Can't go wrong with mac and cheese though.

Middle: Braised Beef which was tender served on brown rice

Right: Glazed Sweet Potatoes with a sprinkle of Himalayan Pink Salt

Left: Roasted Heirloom Carrot with cumin and coriander. Is there anything better than an heirloom produce? This is the perfect preparation for a roasted carrot. I highly recommend getting this as a side, plus it's very filling.

Middle: Pineapple Glazed Salmon over brown rice

Right: Asian Noodle Slaw with bean thread, edamame, bell peppers. I was actually a big fan of this. The bean thread was thicker than usual and the ginger dressing was mellow but tasty.

Left: Candied Beet Salad with yellow beets and yogurt dressing with spices. I love yellow beets!

Middle: Lamb Meatballs in a curry-ish sauce on rice. This was good.

Right: Baked New Potatoes. Other than the nice and soft purple one, I thought the potatoes were pretty bland. Maybe halved and roasted would make it crispier? Maybe a sprinkle of salt and pepper would do it?

This is what all the dishes look like when plated. If you ordered from them, your food would come out like this. 

You can also choose your items in a wrap.

Grab a healthy kids meal for the kiddos like the mac and cheese or the quesadilla. Comes with grapes and organic milk.

You must get anything with the candied pistachios. They're made in house and it's fantastic. Tava Kitchen should really package this up and sell it as an add on along with their Tava spice.

The kind folks at Tava Kitchen are so excited to share this new menu with you, they sponsored the giveaway below. Please follow their Instagram account @TavaKitchen and fill in this widget. There will be 3 winners. The coupons are only valid at the Palo Alto location.

Two winners will each receive a pair of $10 coupons

One winner will receive a pair of Free Entree coupons

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Boudin SF Launches 4 New Salads for Spring - Cupertino

Boudin Bakery is launching three new salads this week for the Spring season and they invited local bloggers to sample the new items. Kendall Jackson also provided tastings of their Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.

As usual, Boudin goes all out for the bloggers with a private dining area decorated in St. Patrick's Day decor.

The mango and red quinoa salad was my favorite. Fresh mango pieces with chiffonade cut romaine lettuce and tender baby arugula. Other elements incuded red quinoa, halved grapes, thinly sliced onions and almond slivers in a vinaigrette dressing. This salad was fresh and light, perfect for Spring.

The Bacon, Blue, and Beets salad with chicken was hardy and filling. While all the salads come in full entree portions, I could really see this salad keeping me full until the next meal.

Forbidden rice, chicken, and sesame salad was a perfect balance of fresh and filling. The chicken slices were bigger in this one and forbidden rice is usually a filling grain. I also really enjoyed the pickled red onions.

In the background, my tasty Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio

Their very popular salad with lemony couscous and olives remains a crowd favorite on the menu.

Here are the four salads in their full portion sizes. Every salad is made to order and can have chicken added or items removed as requested. They are all under 550 calories and about $10 each. The salads are launching this week so make sure to check out your nearest Boudin SF location.