Manta

April 2008
Dinner with Tristen

Manta is on the Woolloomooloo wharf, good seafood with fresh local fare and great wine. Had the pleasure to try the Leeuwin Estate "Art Series" 2006 Chardonnay. Had a great frito misto with john dorry, calamari, and prawns, and a yellow-belly flounder special.

http://www.mantarestaurant.com.au/index.htm

6 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011

02 9332 3822

Longrain

April 2008
Dinner with Tristen and Beck

Wonderful Asian restaurant in Surry Hills, Sydney. They don't take reservations so unless you get in at 6:30pm, expect to wait at least an hour at the bar. But they have incredible cocktails and you can be seated (and fed) in the waiting bar area so not a bad deal.

DELICIOUS Thai Bloody Mary, best I have ever had I think -- perfect amount of spicy and vegetable and alcohol. Yummy lychee drink also. Expensive, drinks are about $20 each, though totally worth it.

Definitely get the beetle leaf with shrimp, delicious. As are their speciality egg nets, very light and tasty. Also got a wonderful wagyu beef stir fry.

http://www.longrain.com/

85 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, NSW Australia 2010
+61 2 9280 2888

Lavender Blue Cafe/Restaurant

April 2008
Brunch with Tristen and Maggie

Cute cafe that is reminiscent of a Chestnut Street diner in San Francisco. Great brunch.

165 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point NSW 2060
02 9955 7596

Lotus

April 2008
Drinks

Total "scene" with pretty intense bartenders who make incredible cocktails
www.merivale.com

22 Challis Avenue Potts Point Sydney
9326 9000

Almond Bar

April 2008
Dinner

Cute place in Sydney neighborhood called Darlinghurst. Mezes and small plates of Mediterranean/Greek cuisine.

379 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst 2010
02 9380 5318

Cafe Sydney

April 2008
Dinner with Tristen

Cafe Sydney is a lovely place in Circular Quay with a patio that overlooks both the Harbor Bridge and Opera House. Food was wonderful, as was the flight of white Australian wines. Had "bugs", which were super oversized crustaceans, and a lamb rack.

Fifth Floor, Customs House, 31 Alfred St, Sydney, Australia
9251-8683

Pho Vi Hoa

March 2008
Dinner with Jill

Great Vietnamese pho place on corner of San Antonio and El Camino. Under $10 for a yummy and filling dish, yet light enough for after a workout
www.phovihoa.com

4546 El Camino Real Suite A12 Los Altos, CA 94022
(650) 947-1290

Hog Island Oyster Company

March 2008

Picnic with Eric, Sandy and Shane

Amazing place -- reserve a picnic table, bring wine and food, and shuck your own oysters! They provide grills for the oysters and smaller food items. Oysters are very reasonable, I think we had four dozen for $50.

Make a reservation, they fill up at least a week in advance! Information at http://www.hogislandoysters.com/

20215 Coast Hwy. 1, Marshall, CA 94940

(415) 663-9218

Delfini

Thursday, March 13, 2008
Naoto and friends

Cute Italian place in Shibuya.

http://www.delfini.jp/

Guru-navi entry

〒150-0031 東京都渋谷区桜丘町30-15 ビバリーヒルズ101
+81 03-6415-4565

The Prolific Oven

Lunch with Marie

I had been to the bakery in Palo Alto (which has wonderful rich cakes), but the one in San Jose is a nice cafe for lunch with yummy sandwiches and soup.

3938 Rivermark Plaza, Santa Clara, CA
(408) 986-8388

Brunello

Dinner with Katy, Libby, and Sean

A cute Italian place off of Santa Cruz with great food and reasonable wine.

651-H Maloney Lane, Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 328-2778

Messob Ethiopian Restaurant

Dinner with Rosabel

Low key place in Piedmont. Had never had Ethiopian food, but loved eating with my hands and the puffy bread, and they had a great combo plate for $18 that just stuffed the two of us.

4301 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611
(510) 428-1122

Totto

Saturday, February 9, 2008
Dinner with Take and dad

Best yakitori in NYC I think. Good selection of shochu also

251 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019
(212) 245-4555

Oyster Bar

Saturday, February 9, 2008
Appetizers with Take and dad

Classic NY, downstairs in Grand Central station, the Oyster Bar is our family favorite for appetizers of oysters, cherry stone clams and clam chowder (and chardonney) before going out to dinner. They have great selection of oysters from around North America. Love sitting at the bar.

89 E 42nd St (downstairs in Grand Central), New York, NY 10017
(212) 490-6650

Public

Saturday, February 9, 2008
Brunch with Scott

I love Public for brunch. So yummy with awesome bloody marys.

210 Elizabeth Street (Between Spring Street and Prince Street) New York, NY 10012
(212) 343-7011

Esperante

Friday, February 8, 2008
High school friends

A fun and yummy East Village Brazilian place with great drinks and fun atmosphere

145 Ave C (@ E 9th Street) New York, NY 10009
(212) 505-6559

Cafe au Beethovenplatz

Sunday February 4, 2008
Brunch

Great restaurant in the university district. They have a Sunday brunch with live jazz/piano, was a wonderful find.

Goethestrasse 51, Munich, Germany
(089) 54 40 43 48

Garam Masala

Friday, February 1, 2008
Lunch

We had lunch at this Indian place off of Marienplayz on our last day in Munich. SO good. We probably went overboard on the ordering, helped by one Indian colleague and another who's lived there, but delicious and filling.

Am Radlsteg 1, 80331 Munchen
(0 89) 24 24 59 07

Spatenhaus

Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Cisco dinner

Nice Bavarian place with traditional food and good beer...

Residenzstrasse 12, Munich
089/2-90-70-60

Hofbrauhaus

Monday, January 28, 2008
Cisco folks


The most famous traditional Bavarian beer house in Munich

Am Platzl 9, Munich Germany