Icing On The Cake - Los Gatos

Icing On The Cake 50 W. Main Street, Los Gatos, CA 95030. I have recently discovered this wonderful bakery. I was looking for a bakery that has fresh scones and shortbread for my friend's upcoming baby shower. Not only does this special bakery have breakfast treats, yummy cakes, cookies etc... they also have cute and kitchy bakery serving item such as retro style bowls and cake stands. Between the yummy treats and cute decor I fell in love with this place. It's a great place to pop in after shopping on the exciting Santa Cruz Ave.

I tried two different cupcakes and both were amazing. The first one was a chocolate lovers dream called the ”Swirly Cake". This is a gourmet version of a Hostess cupcake. When you bite into this yummy cake you will find a layer of decadent chocolate butter cream frosting on top while underneath is a yummy devils food chocolate cake with vanilla butter cream frosting in between. If you like mint chip ice cream the "Mint Chip Cake" will be right up your alley. It is a perfect bite of thick mint butter cream frosting and chocolate devils food cake, mmm so good. I can't wait to try more flavors. They have so many to choose from. I recommend checking this place out if you are ever in Los Gatos. You won't be disappointed. http://icingonthecakebakery.com/index.htm

Sundance Steakhouse Mud Pie

Sundance Steakhouse 1921 El Camino Real Palo Alto, CA 94306

This is a traditional steak house with a dark setting that my husband and I have been going to since we were dating. We always come back here for not only the yummy food but one of the best desserts ever, their Mud pie. This is probably the best Mud pie I have ever had. I guess a close second would be at Rusty Pelican in Newport Beach. When it's first brought to the table we think we are never going to finish this. But we always devour it all still wanting more. It comes as a dense, thick piece topped with whipped cream, nuts and surrounded by hot fudge sauce all supported with a thick chocolate cookie crust. We have really enjoyed our dinners there as well. I usually get the Seared Ahi Tuna Sashimi for my entree and start off with their homemade Lobster Bisque. Then we always end our meal with the Mud pie no matter how full we are.

Lately we have been trying some new places in Palo Alto for dinner but still going to Sundance for dessert. You can be seated right away in the bar area for dinner or dessert. The last time we did this was the night I went into labor. We planned the afternoon and evening for our last date night before baby. After going to a movie that afternoon we had dinner at Bistro Elan in Palo Alto which I also recommend. Following our meal we headed over to Sundance for our favorite dessert. I had already been having contractions since the movie that afternoon. By the time we were ready for desert I was pretty much ready to head to the hospital. But we stayed just so I could finish my Mud pie before going to give birth. It's that worth it! : )

Shokolaat Palo Alto

Shokolaat 516 University Ave Palo Alto, CA 94301.

Last week my husband 

wanted to try a new

restaurant in Palo Alto. 

The name Shokolaat 

caught my attention 

since Chocolate is one 

of my favorite foods. They serve California /European 

Cuisine along with a chocolate patisserie menu.

The atmosphere had a modern vibe and the decor was 

pristine. We both ordered the carmelized Scallops with 

sauteed Gnocchi, wilted butter lettuce, preserved lemon, 

and Tarragon butter. All of the elements of the dish 

complemented each other. The Gnocchi were a special 

touch, they melted in your mouth along with the scallops. 

We also ordered something from the patisserie for dessert. 

It's called the Mochassippi and it was to die for. 

The blend of coffee soaked lady finger sponge cake with 

Chocolate Mousse and bittersweet chocolate was a 

perfect mix. It wasn't too rich, just the right amount to finish off a perfect evening. I definitely recommend trying out this new gem http://www.shokolaat.com/

Mora Iced Creamery

Mora Iced Creamery 

139 Madrone Lane Bainbridge Island, WA

moraicedcreamery.com

This creamery on Bainbridge Island across from Seattle is a little gem. My husband and I recently took a romantic trip to Seattle. We spent an afternoon on the quaint Bainbridge Island. We had a great lunch at Cafe Nola at 101 Winslow Way. Afterwards we walked around an enjoyed the island a bit. We both were in the mood for a sweet treat and noticed off of Winslow Way down a little lane was an ice cream place. We expected it to be just a regular place with your typical flavors but to our surprise it was much more. All of there ice creams and sorbets are homemade. There were so many choices we didn't know where to begin. I had the mint with shaved chocolate. My husband had a strawberry smoothie made with there homemade strawberry sorbet. The mint chocolate was to die for so refreshing as the chocolate melted in my mouth. It was even better in a waffle cone.  The interior of the creamery was very pristine with a nice streamlined design. The ice cream and atmosphere made it a memorable experience. It was a little pricey for dairy but well worth it. I highly recommend it if you ever get over to Bainbridge Island from Seattle. 

San Jose Museum of Art Warhol exhibit

The San Jose Museum of Art 110 South Market Street San Jose, CA 95113. After living in San Francisco it has been difficult to find many cultural things to do in San Jose. The San Jose Museum of art has become one of my favorite places to visit. The museum has a collection of West Cost artists of the 20th and 21st Century. It is located downtown next to the Fairmont Hotel. This area of downtown is the most charming section next to the Circle of Palms and Plaza de César Chavez Park. The museum cafe "Café Too!" is a great place for lunch after strolling around the museum. 

Today I went to the museum to check out the Prints of Andy Warhol exhibit. Having majored in Commercial Art and designing artwork for screen-printing, I was very inspired. All of his work consists of lithographs and screen prints on paper. The print I have included was my favorite piece "Flower" 1964. This print is an offset lithograph on paper. I love the bright colors and composition. I can see now how influential Warhol is to the Graphic design world. I highly recommend checking out the exhibit.  

E Angelo Restaurant San Francisco

E Angelo's Restaurant 

2234 Chestnut St San Francisco

This little Italian Gem in the Marina is one of husband and my favorite places to go for a cheap date night. They don't take reservations but it's worth the wait. They also only take cash so come prepared. When you arrive you are greeted buy a friendly Italian staff. The restaurant only seats about 30 so don't expect to have a romantic intimate dinner. This is a great place to make some new friends. We always start are meal off with the very unhealthy spinach salad it's to die for. It is topped with a tangy dressing, crumbled blue cheese, walnuts, and yummy pancetta. My favorite main dish is the Veal Piccata one of the best I've every had. The sauce and thin slices of veal just melt in your mouth. After you finish the veal dip the table bread in the extra sauce it's well worth it. The veal is served with a side of grilled vegetables and roasted potatoes. They also have many excellent homemade pasta dishes and thin crust pizzas that are worth trying. Our favorite dessert to end our meal is their Tiramisu, which is presented in glass dish topped with strawberries and cream. 

Best Napoleon in San Francisco

One of the best bakeries in San Francisco is Stella Pastry & Cafe. This bakery is in North Beach at 446 Columbus Ave. When I first moved to the city I discovered this little gem in North Beach. It is my favorite place for dessert after having dinner in Russian Hill. You can just hop on the 45 bus off of Union and take it all the way to Columbus. I recommend ordering the classic Napoleon pastry. 

It is the best I have ever had. My second favorite choice is the cannoli. It almost compares to one in the North End of Boston at Mikes Pastry. This is still the best cannoli if you are ever in Boston.