Sometimes I think my life is just one search for a good slice of pizza.  It’s a bit of a challenge now that I’m away from the Northeast.  Southerners seem quite content with Papa John’s, Domino’s and Pizza Hut.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

But when an acquaintance told me about a gourmet pizzeria called Grimaldi’s in The Woodlands, Texas, I found my curiosity piqued.  First off, what constituted “gourmet” in Texas?  I mean, the possibilities are endless there.  And could I find a good slice at such a place?  There was only way to find out.

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The fried egg sandwich and crispy potatoes at Plow in San Francisco.

It’s easy to pack on the pounds in San Francisco. It’s especially easy in the Potrero Hill/Dogpatch neighborhood these days. Three new eateries have opened in the past few months, including organic Mexican restaurant Papito, the uber-delicious ice cream joint Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous and the brunch and lunch restaurant Plow, which just opened its doors last week.

The newly opened Plow comes from the great minds behind the local wine shop Ruby Wine, Joel Bleskacek and his wife, Maxine Siu, who met 16 years ago while working in Oliveto in Oakland.

My husband David and I live in the neighborhood, so – like everyone else in the hood – we had to try the new kid in town immediately. In its bright and airy corner location that seats maybe 35-40 people, Plow was packing in diners during its first week.

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Spicy chicken, General Tso. All the same thing

Because I’ve laughed at this blog for almost two years, my wife challenged me to write up one of my food experiences and see how hard it is to say something about your food. I think she just wants to make this job more difficult because she feels guilty for getting paid to do something as simple as eat.

So today is the big day, and I’m writing about the Chow Bar in Bloomington, Indiana. I was near campus for a Toastmaster conference, and I called our friend, who is a senior in marketing at Indiana University. I remember when I was a student, I was always hoping an adult would drop in and pay for a meal. I asked him where he wanted to go, and he said Chow Bar, but to warn me: He took his parents there and they refused to go back. Thought the buffet was cold and picked over.

Since his parents and I rarely like the same restaurant, I figured this was an endorsement.

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Chez Hammadi Restaurant in Tangier

On a vacation to Spain, we took advantage of our location in Marbella on the Costa del Sol to book a day trip to Tangier, Morocco. We had a great time getting to and from Morocco with our Spanish tour guide, and then touring the city with our Moroccan tour guide.

The cost included our speedy 45 minute catamaran ferry across the Mediterranean Sea, as well as a wonderful lunch at Chez Hammadi.

Chez Hammadi is a restaurant that is fully committed to serving tourists visiting Tangier. They offer a set price meal that includes live entertainment as well. Our lunch was a group affair in that most tables were set close, regardless of which tour group you might be with.

It was a fun atmosphere for us because we could spot the tour members who were completely out of their element. We had never been to Morocco but we had definitely tasted some of the dishes before at restaurants here in San Francisco, like Medjool Restaurant Lounge in the Mission district. Read More »