Chef Ron's Gumbo Shop

After leaving the airport, we stopped at Chef Ron's Gumbo Shop to have a late lunch.

Chef Ron's is located at 2309 N. Causeway Blvd. in Metairie, 20 minutes from the airport.

The interior is decorated with signed $1 bills.

Fried Green Tomatoes in Jefferson Sauce--$11.99. The Jefferson Sauce was a creamy sauce with shrimp & crawfish. The tomatoes were good but the sauce lacked flavor. Skip next time.

Mumbo Gumbo--16 oz for $8.99. This was seafood, chicken, sausage gumbo thickened with okra. It had good flavor but it paled in comparison to the seafood gumbo at Cajun Seafood.

Fried Chicken--3 pieces for $9.99. It came with a side and we chose Cheesy Mac. The fried chicken was amazing--crispy, non-greasy skin with moist meat. This was the best fried chicken we had in New Orleans. The cheesy mac was creamy but nothing special though.

2019 10 19

United Basic Economy & MSY

Have you heard that once you fly business, you can't go back. I'm living proof that it is possible--painful but possible! On our trip to New Orleans, I flew United Basic Economy. Welcome to cattle car and being treated as a second class citizen.

• You can bring only one "personal bag"--17 x 10 x 9 inches--no weight limit though. No additional purse. 
• You get your seat assignment when you check in. From SFO to MSY, we got middle seats in a row in the back of the plane and the last row (right next to the bathroom) from MSY to SFO. Did you know the last row has absolutely NO recline? 
• You can't get your boarding pass until you get to the airport--and only after the staff verifies your bag size. 
• You are assigned Group 5--the last to board. Because I have Silver Status on Singapore, I got to board in Group 2--it gave me a little dignity back. Plus, I was allowed to bring a purse in addition to my "personal bag."
• You get credited only 50% of the miles on Mileage Plus. No miles credited if you use another Star Alliance frequent flier program.

The seats weren't as cramped as I thought they would be. I had a good 3 inches between my knees and the seat back. That's my personal bag. I was able to pack for a 4-day trip, including a laptop, in that little bag.

We were given earphones for use with the in-flight entertainment. You get live Direct TV and it included 6 movies. You can also download the United App and watch movies on the app.

I was surprised we were given a snack (Stroopwafel, Bischoff cookies or pretzels) and 2 drinks.

Flight time from SFO to MSY was 3 1/2 hours and the time passed quickly. I think this is the limit of what I can tolerate in Basic Economy. If the flight is any longer, I'll have to suck it up and pay for an Economy ticket so I can choose a more comfortable seat.

At MSY, the Car Rental location is a short walk from the main terminal. Follow the signs.

We rented from Alamo and it was quick to process the paperwork. 

Gas is so cheap in New Orleans--$2.01/gallon at Costco.

2019 10 19

Thai Orchid

Thai Orchid Cuisine is located at 1005 Vine Street in Healdsburg.

Duck Summer Rolls--$10.50. The duck was delicious and not something usually found in a spring roll.

Pad See Ew--$10.95. Wide rice noodles with egg & vegetables.

Eggplant with Basil & Veggies--$11.95. I loved this dish--the eggplant was tender and the other vegetables added a nice crunch.

Crispy Whole Trout, topped with Chili Lime Sauce, Peanuts & Toasted Coconut--$17.95.

Roti--2 for $5. This was disappointing. It was greasy and limp.

2019 12 17

Monti's

Monti's is another of my favorite Sonoma County restaurants. It's a Stark Restaurant and is located at 714 Village Court.

They have a Happy Hour Mon-Fri 3-6 pm.

Fried Calamari--$6 on the HH menu. This had a nice aioli.

Deviled Eggs with Crab--$4 on the HH menu.

Soup of the Day--Cream of Mushroom--$9. This was so good. Creamy, flavorful and with a drizzle of truffle oil.

Escarole & Radicchio Salad, Granny Smith Apples, Candied Walnuts, Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette, Point Reyes Blue Cheese--$10. Big bowl, enough for 2-3 to share.

2019 12 09

Gerard's Paella

There's rumor that Gerard's Paella in Santa Rosa will be closing. I hope not because I love their paella. It's located at 701 4th Street in downtown.

Bodega Salad--$12. Warm spinach, roasted mushrooms and spring onions, poached egg, crispy jamon, cider vinaigrette, goat cheese toast. Huge portion, easily shared with 3-4.

Sonoma--$10. Butter lettuce, apples, Pt. Reyes blue cheese, almonds and sherry vinaigrette. Again, easily shared with 3-4.

Rosa Paella--$16. Marinated chicken and chorizo, bilbao, arugula and red onion. My favorite. I love the chorizo and the socarrat crust at the bottom. So good!

Verdura Paella--$15. Sweet peppers, green beans, garbanzo beans, wilted kale, squash & sofrito. The special paella of the night had artichoke hearts and we asked for a few added to ours.

2019 12 08 & 16

Tisza

Another favorite restaurant is Tisza. It's located at 8757 Old Redwood Hwy in the Holiday Inn in Windsor.

Love the cheese biscuits brought to the table after you order.

I love the Jagerschnitzel, Wild Mushroom Sauce, Buttered Spatzle--$29. It's a huge portion and could easily be shared. 

2019 12 07

Ippinn Udon

Ippinn Udon is located at 1880 Mendocino Avenue D in Santa Rosa. It's a great little place for a nice bowl of noodles.

I always get the #2--Tonkatsu Udon with small noodles--$9.48. Pork belly chasu and coddled egg in house-made Tonkatsu broth. SOOO good!

2019 12 06

Bravas

Just missed the Happy Hour at Bravas so stayed for dinner. Bravas is a Stark Restaurant located at
420 Center Street in Healdsburg. Happy Hour is 3-6 pm Mon-Thu.

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts, Chorizo, Walnut, Idiazabal Cheese--$10. Good flavor with the chorizo.

Roasted Cauliflower, Dates, Local Blue Cheese, Bacon & Marcona Almonds--$9. Loved this dish. The dates added a nice sweet touch.

Creamy Chicken Croquetas, Ham, Gruyere Cheese--$8. I did not like these. They were a little too mushy.

Cider Braised Chorizo & Shishito Peppers--$9.50. Loved the flavor of the chorizo. Just wish they weren't so full of fat.

Fried Eggplant Chips with Truffle Honey & Rosemary--$9. These chips were too thin. I think it would have been better if they were thicker to give the eggplants a crispy outside and tender inside.

Octopus, Fingerlings, Smoked Paprika & Olives--$16. The octopus were good.

Hot Rum Balls--Spanish Fried Pastries with Rum Glaze--$9.

2019 12 05

Royal China

Tried Royal China, located at 3080 Marlow Road, #4 in Santa Rosa. In a pinch, it'll do.

Starter's Combo--$13.98. Two each of pot stickers, egg rolls, crab cheese wontons, fried prawns.

Vegetable Eggrolls--$8.98 for 4.

Sweet & Sour Pork--$13.48

Mongolian Beef--$13.48

Walnut Prawns--$15.48

Eggplant with Basil--$13.48. This was my favorite. Tender eggplant and good flavor.

Sauteed String Beans--$13.48. The string beans were a little limp.

Chicken Chow Fun--$12.98.

Vegetable Singaporean Curry Rice Noodles--$13.98. This was too wet. I prefer my curry rice noodles dry and with good curry flavor.

2019 12 04

La Pizzeria, Campbell

Had craving for Italian and went to La Pizzeria in Campbell. It's located at 373 E. Campbell Avenue.

Caprese Vegetale--$12. Grilled eggplant, zucchini & tomatoes with sundried tomatoes. The eggplant was tender.

Insalata Mista--$8. Fresh green mixed salad served with balsamic vinaigrette. This was boring.

 Caesar Salad--$9. This was the better salad.

Prosciutto Arugula Pizza with Shaved Parmesan--$21. The crust was Neopolitan style and chewy.

Spaghetti Bolognese--$19. The spaghetti was al dente and the bolognese was delicious--just the right portion of tomatoes & meat. If I get a craving for Italian again, I would head here and order this dish.

Gnocchi with bolognese sauce--$20. This isn't on the menu--you have to ask for it. This was quite good. The gnocchi was well cooked and not mushy. 

2019 11 30

Kong Tofu

I still love Kong Tofu, located at 19626 Stevens Creek Blvd, in the Merlion Mall in Cupertino.

Banchans served to everyone. If you run out, ask for more. There was one more dish than in times past. My favorites are the fish cake, chap chae and seaweed.

I always get the Clam Soft Tofu Soup--$13.49 plus $0.49 for the purple (mixed grain) rice. I just love the flavor of this soup. I get mine mild because that's spicy enough for me. 

2019 11 29

Famous Dumpling House

We tried Famous Dumpling House for their xiao long bao. It's located at 4996 Stevens Creek Blvd in San Jose. Overall, I wasn't impressed.

Chinese Style Cucumber Salad--$6.50. This had a nice crunch but it needed more flavor.

Burmese Tea Leaves Salad--$11.95. This was like no tea leaves salad I have ever had. This tasted like pesto had been added and that was not the right flavor. Definitely won't be ordering this again.

Pork Xiao Long Bao--$9.50 for 8. These were the classic soup dumplings. The skin was thin enough and the filling was flavorful but it's still not Din Tai Fung.

Pan Fried Buns--$11.95 for 6. These were actually the best thing we ordered. I liked the nice fry on the bottom and the pork filling was flavorful.

Shrimp Stir Fried Noodles--$10.95. The noodles were the right chew but this needed a little more flavor.

Stewed Beef Noodle Soup--$11.95. The noodles were homemade and the broth was good. The meat, though, was tough.

Shan Dong Bean Sauce Noodle--$9.50. The bean sauce was just okay.

2019 11 29