i like to eat.

We went to Terzo on Steiner x Union for Ray and Aki's rehearsal dinner. I've never been to the restaurant, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The ambiance was spot on - low key, casual yet intimate, with delicious tapas-style food.

Our party of 14 had pretty much everything on the menu. From hummus with house made pita, braised pork meatballs with polenta to their famous chicken spiedini (skewered chicken with bread, marinated in cilantro, chile and onions) to grilled Niman Ranch skirt steak. Everything was tasty.

I didn't take any pictures because I hate to make people wait (lighting was also horrible), but I did take a picture of my dessert - warm apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. It was the perfect way to end a meal.

Thank you Ray and Aki. Congratulations! :)

It was Jason's dad's birthday last month (yes, I'm that behind) and he wanted to go to Taheri's in Walnut Creek to celebrate.

I've never been to this restaurant, but his dad was raving about the crab salad, so I was excited to try it. The four of us started with a Dungeness crab bruchetta with marinated tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Taheri's didn't skimp on the crab, it was a big pile of meat and worth several bites.

Jason and I split a plate of the famous crab salad. It came with huge lumps of fresh crab meat, tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and feta on a bed of mixed greens with a balsamic vinaigrette. The crab salad was worth its hype, light and delicious. I want to try to make this at home.

I was already full from the salad, but I still had an entrée coming. Jason and I again, split a plate of Mediterranean prawns in curry with spinach, garlic, basil and tomatoes. It was served on top of crispy Basmati rice. The curry sauce was slightly spicy, but still light and not too thick. It was another great dish.

I really enjoyed Taheri's and can't imagine getting full orders of everything. You'd have to roll me out! It was a delicious meal with Jason's sweet parents. Happy birthday!

     

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Seafood_Dinner_tag_food_greek_.zip (765 KB)

Oakland's highly anticipated Eat Real Festival was in full swing. I arrived with Kate around 2 and we were ready to roam and try some food trucks.

Except, it was ridiculously hot.

So hot that we felt lazy and became indecisive about what to eat.

But, one thing we did know for sure was to get into the building with AC. The building was filled with a ton of different vendors that sold fresh produce, garden kits, yogurt, flowers, baked goods and other foodie related stuff.

After we cooled down a bit, we were ready to eat. There was so much to choose from - bbq, tacos, Mexican, cupcakes, pizza, Korean, chowder, Southern, baked goods, desserts..the food trucks were endless!

Our first stop was Tapas To Go, a truck from Whole Foods. We ordered garlic chili shrimp that was hot, but not super spicy, garlicky and delicious. The shrimp were large and fresh. The best part? Only $5. All the food at the festival was $5 or less!

It was still really hot and I didn't feel like waiting forever in a line (I know, I know, the good trucks have the longest lines, but still, it was way too hot!) I saw Pizza Politana had a short line and I was intrigued that they had their own little brick oven - definitely fresh! I ordered a slice of Market that had cheese, greens, onion and bacon. My favorite part was how amazingly thin the crust was. It was sooooo good. I love thin pizza and this was one of the thinnest I've ever had. The crust was crispy and held the toppings well, no soggy crusts here! So good.

Kate ordered a hot link from Phat Matt's BBQ that came with some sort of cheese dip and saltine crackers - interesting combination. Not bad.

I saw some ladies making fresh pupusas at Los Angeles de Pueblas Frutas, so I had to give it a try. Yummy and filled with beans and cheese.

Seoul on Wheels had a long line, but I was determined to try their version of the Korean taco. They unfortunately were sold out of the rib eye taco, so we got chicken and spicy pork. LAME. Tacos were cold, meat was chewy and there was nothing special to it. No special sauce or toppings. I can make this at home! I don't get their hype.

As soon as the boys came, we had to leave, but we tried some of their food before we left - falafals from Liba (not bad and not dry) and also pork ramen from Poleng (decent, you can see the hair on the pork!).

The festival was a lot of fun and exciting to try all the different trucks. I wonder if this truck craze will last... Either way, I'm enjoying it and so happy that I was able to try so many in one place.

EDIT: The hot link was actually from Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q. Sorry for the mixup. Thanks to Charlotte for the catch! :)

                                                   

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082909_eatReal.zip (7004 KB)

My BF and I went over to Emeryville to run some errands, but before we could do that, we wanted to eat something.

Since Emeryville is "his hood (he works there)," I wanted him to take me to THE place to go. He took me to a place I've heard him talk about a few times called Wally's. It's a Mediterranean restaurant and located in the back of a bar. Being in the back of a bar already intrigued me because it doesn't sound like the most welcoming place, but I can deal with ghetto ambiance, as long as the food is delicious.

First impression, not so great, but I wasn't going to give it a cold shoulder so quickly. :) There was a huge dumpster right next to the entrance, releasing a smelly stench. :P We walked through the outdoor seating to get inside - a really small 12 seat counter with an open kitchen.

I was advised to get the gyro wrap - a mixture of beef and lamb with tomato, lettuce, onions and yogurt wrapped in a pita. I'm sensitive to lamb because I often think it's too "gamey." But, I was determined to get whatever my BF suggested.

After ordering, we were served a bowl of lentil soup that was topped with parsley and a sprinkling of paprika. Free soup with your meal! Nice! :D It was full of lentils in a warm peppery broth. I've never had lentil soup before because it seems boring, but this one was definitely not.

While waiting for our meal to arrive, my BF mentioned that their fries are really good and it was only $2, so we ordered some. They came soon after we ordered - piping hot and tossed in a salt and pepper mixture. They were your regular crinkly fries but the fresh, hot oil gave it a nice, crisp taste. How a French fry should taste. :)

My gyro came and I instantly knew I couldn't finish it. Hahaha. But, it was soooo good. The pita bread slightly toasted, warmed to perfection. The beef and lamb mixture full of flavor with no "gamey-ness" at all. The vegetables and yogurt gave the gyro a tangy, refreshing compliment. Oh wow. It was soooooo good. By far, the best gyro I've had. Even though, I don't eat Gyros that much, let alone Mediterranean....so I don't know if that statement means much. :P But, from now on, I'm in love! It's so delicious!

The super friendly owner and chef, Wally, kept asking us if everything was alright and making sure we were satisfied. To top it off, he gave us a free piece of baklava. I've had several and they're usually way too sweet. So sweet that you can only take one single bite. Not at Wally's! :) It was crisp, flaky and perfectly sweet. Sigh. So good.

I'm in love with Wally's and can't wait to go back. It's been awhile since I've been this excited about a place. :) It's a huge plus that my gyro was ONLY $6 and it came with a soup and dessert. :) I obviously didn't finish my gyro, two meals in one - affordable! :) I know my BF and I aren't the only ones who loves this place. 4.5 stars on Yelp - the highest rated restaurant in Emeryville. Go Wally's! :D

         

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I_3_Wallys.zip (1337 KB)