Buttercup Cakes & Farm House Frosting

Sweet.

Buttercup Cakes & Farm House Frosting

109 Locust Street

Santa Cruz, CA

I’m not a huge fan of cupcakes, so the fact that I visited this adorable bakery twice in 24 hours should tell you something.

Let me clarify that a little: I’m not a huge fan of the CONCEPT of cupcakes.  I like food to be mobile, so walking around while peeling a fluted paper cup off of a top-heavy baked good tends to make both me and my outfit nervous.  At least it did during my visit as part of the Santa Cruz Food Tour.

Buttercup Cakes was one of the highlights of this tour.  I was offered a choice between a Blood Orange Cupcake with Earl Grey Frosting and…something else.  I pretty much ignored anything else that was said after “blood orange” since I’d never heard those words in the same sentence as “cupcake”.

I took my cupcake and trotted off down the street, but came to a screeching halt after one bite.  What the?!  This bite was infused with flavor and my taste buds exploded!  A rich orange flavor permeated the thick cake without being too sugary-sweet, and the delicate tea frosting was the perfect foil.  It was unique without being over-the-top, and a far cry from the lesser impressive cupcakes at so many shops which have popped up recently.

I planted my feet until the last crumb was finished and made sure any frosting on my fingers wasn’t wasted on my silly paper napkin.  I found myself back in the shop less than 24 hours later, stockpiling German Chocolates and other delicacies that didn’t last long on the car ride back to the valley.

Mama's Pho & Sandwiches

Who cares if it's 100 degrees outside?  I want this NOW.

Mama's Pho & Sandwiches

8014 North Lower Sacramento Road

Stockton, CA

Mama's Pho took my Banh Mi virginity.

I ordered the Grilled Pork Banh Mi, expecting to call it a day after that. However, after glancing at the $2.50 price tag, I decided on a SMALL bowl of Beef Ball Pho as backup.  I mean, I couldn't possibly be satisfied on $2.50, right?  Right?

Wrong.

The sandwich arrived, chock full of pork, jalapenos, and a bunch of other things I didn't spend long enough bothering to identify before shoving that baguette into my gullet.  Mmmmmmm....another bite....mmmmm!!  Oh, snap!  There's my bowl of soup.

Uh-oh.

$4.95 gets you a rather decent size bowl of pho and all the accoutrements you can handle.  Hearty meatballs in a rich broth, covered with bean sprouts, were calling my name.  I figured I'd work on the lake of soup, then get back to the sandwich.

You can imagine how that panned out.  Doggy bag, please!

I took most of the sandwich home, devoured it for dinner, then pondered why I waited over three decades to try Vietnamese food for the first time.  What a loser.

Grange Restaurant & Bar

Parsnippy!

Grange Restaurant & Bar

926 J Street

Sacramento

I choose Grange when I'm in the mood for unique and ever-changing menu options, a semi-upscale atmosphere, and a complimentary carb-laden basket of goodies that beg to be slathered with the provided flavored butter-du-jour.

On this particular day, it seemed everything on the menu was new to me.  I started with the Parsnip Soup with Crispy Onions and Smoked Bacon.  Did I know what a parsnip was?  Nope.  I actually had to Google it to learn it's related to the carrot.  Fair enough.  I chose appetizers for my main course, the Fritto Misto as well as Anson Mill Grit Fritters, then started poking around the bread basket.  Today's offering included Bacon Cheese Biscuits...SCORE.

Since this was my first experience with parsnips, I didn't know what to expect; but I certainly didn't expect such a creamy, mild soup with so much natural, organic flavor that the onions and bacon were an afterthought.  I wasn't particularly famished, but do remember being disappointed when that last spoonful was gone.   Who would have thought a root vegetable would make me so sad?

Luckily my thoughts turned to the fritters which arrived shortly thereafter on a hot cast-iron skillet, small nuggets all browned and crisp from their panko-like breading.  The crunchy exterior gave way to a smooth interior, which was a nice contrast when dipped into the barbecue sauce and green onions.  Deep-fried paradise!

Not wanting to offend the chef, I decided to finish off the bread basket.  I wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, after all.

Sylvester's Burgers

No false advertising here!

Sylvester's Burgers
1099 Santa Ynez Avenue

Los Osos, CA

I’ll be honest: I came for a free birthday burger.  I didn’t know that it required I take a Facebook photo in a ridiculous hat from their personal collection, but I obliged for the Hana Burger.

Sylvester’s boasts a pretty comprehensive menu of burgers, sandwiches and sides in addition to complete breakfast offerings.  A handful of burgers come dripping with their own Sylvester Sauce, which was perfectly fine in my book.

My Hana arrived, “Big Hot N’Juicy” like their outdoor sign suggested. Layers of bacon, Swiss, pineapple and teriyaki sauce mingled with the Sylvester Sauce in one awesome creation.  I had long forgotten the fact I’d just stuck my head into a red hat with tentacles as so many patrons had done before me.

I left with a Sylvester’s hoodie, part souvenir and part method to hide my post-birthday burger gut.  Class act.