Val Kill

Back to our New York adventure...

From Poughkeepsie, it was a quick 10 minute drive to Hyde Park, home of Val Kill, FDR Home & Library and the Vanderbilt Mansion.

Our first stop was Val Kill, Eleanor Roosevelt's home, now a National Historic Site and the only First Lady's home in the US National Park Service. It opened at 9 am and we arrived around 8:30 am. It was so peaceful to be there before the tourists arrived.

We were able to walk in the woods and enjoy some of the 180 acres on the property.

Walkway leading to Eleanor's cottage. This was the only property that Eleanor Roosevelt personally owned and she would come here to escape from FDR's mom. It was also the site of Val-Kill Industries, a furniture factory which provided jobs for rural workers and women.

Her home is simple and unpretentious and remains as it was when she lived there. The required tour lasts roughly an hour. Admission is $10.

2014 10 14

Kettles Vietnamese Bistro

Kettles is located at 1202 W. Steele Lane in Santa Rosa.

Shaken Beef--Tender USDA Choice filet mignon cubes wok-tossed with red & green onion, in special spices served with mixed greens & Jasmine rice--$16. The filet mignon is very tender.

Clay Pot Chicken--Free range chicken & quail egg cooked in a clay pot with ginger & caramelized pepper sauce served with Jasmine rice--$12. This was very tasty--nice ginger flavor with caramelized sauce but I could have used more rice for the dish.

2014 12 10

Sift Dessert Bar

I went to Sifts to pick up some cupcakes for a birthday.

I chose the Pink Champagne--raspberry cupcake with a champagne frosting. The cake was very moist and flavorful but I thought there was too much frosting on the cupcake. At $3.50 each, they were pricey but I guess for a special occasion, they're worth it.

2014 12 09

Vignette

Vignette is a pizzeria located at the Barlow in Sebastopol. Address is 6750 McKinley Street. No reservations.

Kale Cacio e Pepe--$10. Chopped kale salad, peppadew peppers, smoked mozzarella, toasted walnuts & greek yogurt. I loved this salad. The yogurt dressing provided just the right tang and the peppers gave it a little kick.

"Today's Vegetable"--$10. The vegetable of the night was fire roasted brussel sprouts with chopped dates. This was also delicious!

Margherita Pizza-$16. San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, grana padano, basil & olive oil.

The pizzas are neapolitan style. The crust was thin, chewy and delicious. The tomatoes on this pizza were so flavorful. Reminded me of our trip to Naples.

Meatball Parm--$19. Corbari tomatoes, housemade meatballs, parmigiano reggiano, mozzarella & garlic. Loved the meatballs! This was my second favorite after the Margherita pizza.

Bianco--$17. Fresh mozzarella, truffled pecorino, fontina, parmesan, treviso and local honey. I thought this was okay.

Affogatto--$7. Chocolate gelato, espresso, toasted hazelnuts. This had great espresso flavor.

The Big Cookie--$5. Wood fired chocolate chip cookie, served warm. Way too expensive for an oversized cookie.

2014 12 02

Tous les Jours

Orenchi is so busy that lingering after you finish eating is not possible. Luckily, we found Tous le Jours in the strip mall across the street. It's located at 3535 Homestead Road in Santa Clara. It's a franchise and has locations all over the country.

Custard Bun--$1.50. It was just the perfect treat after lunch.

2014 11 30

Orenchi

I can't resist going to Orenchi whenever I'm in the south bay. It's located at 3540 Homestead Road in Santa Clara.

We decided to try something new--Agedashi Tofu--$5.20. This was nothing special.

We were glad we ordered our usual karate--6 pieces of fried chicken for $7.50. Love it!

Orenchi Ramen--$9.80. Tonkatsu broth with soft-boiled egg, pork, bamboo shoot, mushroom, sesame, nori seaweed. I get mine without the green onion. I've eaten lots of ramen and this is still my favorite.

2014 11 30

DishDash

Back to my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant for dinner--DishDash, located at 190 S. Murphy in Sunnyvale. Apparently, the owners changed. I thought the food tasted the same but my sister thought it wasn't as good.

Pita bread with dipping sauce--olive oil, sesame seeds, ground sumac/oregano/thyme.

Kibbeh--bulghur shell, lamb, onions, parsley, pine nuts, yogurt. This was tasty but expensive at $7.95.

My usual order--M’shakaleh--layers of mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, eggplant, cauliflower, yogurt tomato sauce for $14.95. Delicious! My sister usually adds a chicken kabob and shared a piece with me.

2014 11 29