As you may know, Mark and I aren't eating out for the month of March, and it's been a little bit of a roller coaster. For the most part it's been fine and I haven't given it a lot of thought, but since we got Louie I've been longing for someone else to prepare my food. The first weekend with him was exhausting and cooking was the last thing I wanted to do. We stayed strong, though! Anyways, this Friday is April first, so I'm already thinking about where I want to go out for date night. Which got me thinking that I wanted to share some of my favorite Bay Area places for eats and drinks. Enjoy!
Drinks
Sausalito: Barrel House, pictured above. This is a really beautiful restaurant right on the Bay in Sausalito with amazing views of San Francisco. They even have a bar that hangs out over the water - that's where this picture was taken! My recommendation: make a day of it and bike across the Golden Gate bridge then reward yourself with a Gin and Tonic and this amazing view.
Santa Cruz: Regale Winery, pictured below. I went here twice within three weeks, that's how good it is. Unbeknownst to me (until a month ago!), there are several wineries up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which is great for us South Bay folks who don't want to make the trek up to wine country. Regale has gorgeous views of the mountains, and it's a great place to pack a picnic and enjoy your day with some vino!
San Francisco: The View. Perched atop the Marriott in the heart of SF, this lounge has ah-mazing views of the city and the Bay. We went at night, which was busy busy busy. This place gets crowded, so go for happy hour to beat the rush.
San Jose: Hedley Club Lounge. If you're wanting to hear live jazz in a sleepy hotel, then this place is for you. I stumbled upon this place when I was in the mood for live music, so we went to check it out. The music doesn't start until later, but you can hang out and have a drink and apps beforehand. It wasn't very busy when we went on a Saturday, so I think this one may be a little hidden gem!
San Jose: Cielo Rooftop Terrance. Is there any better way to have drinks than on a rooftop? I didn't think so. This one is another hidden gem on the roof of the Hotel Valencia in Santana Row, which is always a busy area, but not many people seem to know about this bar. There are lot of couches for lounging, and mountains for viewing here!
Brunch
San Jose: The Village Bistro. This is one of our most frequented brunch locales. It's part of Santana Row, which is a trendy shopping area in San Jose. There are several restaurants to try, tons of shopping, usually there's live music, and the people watching is top notch.
San Jose: The Table. I found this via Yelp, and we decided to give it a try one Saturday morning last fall. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint! The serve monkey bread as an appetizer, if that tells you anything. Go early, or you'll end up in a line out the door.
Dinner
San Francisco: A 16, pictured above. If you couldn't tell from the picture, this place is adorable. It's nestled in on Chestnut street, and it may look tiny, but it extends back pretty far. I've been a couple times, but the first time I went with Mark I couldn't stop saying the word cute the whole time we were there. It was so quaint, and I loved every minute from the delicious cocktails, to the pizza and pasta. I mean, #carbs.
Los Gatos: Willow Street Pizza. Speaking of pizza, this place is a thumbs way up. It's a chain (boo), but don't let that ruin it for you. The first thing its got going for it is that it's on the main street in Los Gatos, which is the cutest town. And the second thing is well, the pizza. It's really good. I never would have guessed that it was a chain either, because it had a great atmosphere! Plus, there's a huge patio. Yas!
Lost Gatos: I Gatti. Another Los Gatos gem, this place has scrumptious Italian food. Are you sensing a theme here? I'll give you a hint: I love carbs. I had lunch at I Gatti on my birthday last year, so it holds a special place in my heart. It's really tiny, which makes it all the more charming, and it has a patio out front so you can people watch!
Mountain View: Downtown. I won't pick any one restaurant because there are a ton and they're all good. I will give a shoutout to La Fontaine, and Blue Line Pizza though ;) Castro street in MTV is adorable. At night there are twinkle lights, and everyone sits outside. It's really lovely! If you're in the South Bay 'burbs, be sure to check it out!
Other Places You Can't Miss
San Francisco: Smitten pictured below. Okay, so it may seem ludicrous to spend $6 on a single scoop of ice cream, but wait, this is not just any single scoop of ice cream. This ice cream is frozen right in front of you with liquid nitrogen! Okay, so maybe it is a little bit ludicrous, but it's actually delicious. I got mine with cookie dough as a topping, and there were pretzels in the cookie dough. What the what? So good. Definitely worth the hype.
San Francisco: 21st Amendment Brewery. This is the only place in the city that has cheese curds! I repeat, this is the only place in the city that has cheese curds! And not just any old cheese curds, actual, delicious, Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds. If you ask anyone from the midwest about this place, they'll all know about it because of said cheese curds. If you're from California and have never had the delicious battered delicacy that is cheese curds, then run, don't walk over to 21st Amendment. I'm not a beer drinker, but all of my friends have loved the micro-brews here too. Also, they have really great tater tots. Just saying.
I really wish that I could have a Donuts section here, because you're probably aware of my love affair with the king of pastries. However, I haven't found any places that I love. Womp, womp. Would love recommendations if you have any!
Well, I'm sure I've forgotten something since basically everywhere I've tried since moving here has been new and exciting. I'll make sure to update if I find somewhere else I want to share!
Have you been to the Bay Area? If so, where did you eat??
xo Catherine
Post a Comment