Greetings from Palm Springs

Greetings from Palm Springs!

There was fog very early this morning, a rarity in the desert but the weather turned coldish overnight and I guess the contrast between the cold and the warmth of the morning sun brought in fog.

But, by 8 a.m., it was burning off as I headed out to the gym. Our condo backs up to Mount San Jacinto and is always a glorious sight, especially early in the morning.

After my workout, I headed downtown to see what's new, changed, and the same.



I didn't get very far because I discovered Lush Couture, a very attractive boutique for women where everything is priced at $16...that is EVERYTHING, except one rack of clothing where everything was marked down to $6!!! And the clothing is nice! While I was purchasing a sweater I chatted with the sales person who told me the owner goes to Los Angeles every week and knows people from whom she buys. I still don't quite get it, but their dresses, tops, skirts, jeans, jackets, shoes...you name it..seem to be good quality and I can't believe the prices. The clothing is junior sizes so some bigger women might not find sizes that fit, but there are always shoes and accessories! The store is crowded but the clothing is displayed by color themes...very appealing.

Oooh La La, one of my favorite shops, albeit much more expensive than Lush Couture, is still thriving. Their pink poodle greets customers decked out in a green boa for St. Patrick's Day next week.



Jim and I were in the mood for BBQ. With a little research I discovered Tootie's in Cathedral City, very near the Pickford Theatre where we were going to see The Blindside, one of the few Oscar-winning films we haven't seen. So after the show, we stopped at Tootie's which is on a back street where there are a lot of car dealerships.

It was Pork Ribs for me



and Brisket for Jim.



You order at the counter and your food is brought to you in a paper carton.



Tootie's serves Texas BBQ and our food was good. My sides were Cowboy Beans (Ranch style) and Cole Slaw; Jim had Baked Beans (sweeter beans) and Cole Slaw.

After dinner we chatted a bit with owner Larry Babitz who bought the place a year ago. He's kept it pretty much as it was for the last 8 years, adding a spicy Kick Ass BBQ sauce to complement the sweet one that is always served. I like the hot sauce and even added it to my beans to spice them up. Larry's life has included being a Navy Seal, working on the set of Titanic, and doing food service for several sitcoms in L.A. And now he is dishing up BBQ in the desert. Hope to come back here again next year!!

Greek Quick Food in California, Arizona, & Colorado

One of my favorite Christmas 2009 presents was a gift card from Daphne's Greek Cafe. It is one of my favorite places for in informal quick lunch or dinner. I like them so much, I plan to have them cater a party I will be hosting.

I am fortunate enough to have three Daphne's close to my home and office. When I am out and about and hungry for lunch, I usually stop at Daphne's. The food is fresh and tasty and the prices are modest.

Just last week, there were some Daphne's coupons in our newspaper. My morning appointment had run late and by the time I got out of it, I was famished. I stopped at Daphne's in Walnut Creek and ordered the Grilled Chicken Salad...it was a warm day and I took advantage of their outdoor seating.

At Daphne's, you order and pay at the counter and your food is brought to your table.

With my coupon, my salad cost under $5, but even at the full price of about $7, it is a great value...lots of grilled chicken, warm pita bread, and, of course, Tzatziki sauce. Yum!

My other favorites include the freshly carved Gyros; I usually order the Gyros Plate, which comes with Pita, Tzataziki sauce, Greek Salad and Rice Pilaf. I also recommend the Vegetarian Plate which features Spanakopita, Hummus, Falafel, and Dolmas along with the warm Pita, Greek Salad, Rice Pilaf, and Tzatziki Sauce.

Recently, Daphne's has added Burgers to their menu...your choice of a Beef burger, Chicken burger, or Veggie burger. The burgers are served in a pita bread. Frankly, I don't see the need for burgers on a Greek menu, but as restaurants, even moderately priced ones like Daphne's, struggle for customers, I understand the appeal of a burger to some. Daphne's now also offers French Fries in place of Greek Salad and Rice Pilaf on its plates.


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Dim Sum in Contra Costa: The Search May Be Over

Since Tin's in Walnut Creek closed last year, I've been searching for a restaurant in Contra Costa County that serves authentic Dim Sum every day of the week. While I've checked out a few leads, none have been of the quality of Tin's.

Today, I think I've found my place! It's Imperial in Concord, right across from the Park n Shop shopping center, almost directly across from Fry's. Imperial occupies the building that previously housed a Baker's Square restaurant. I must thank another friend, Rick, for telling me about Imperial.

When my friend Ray and I arrived there at noon, the place was packed. There are two big dining rooms. The customers were mostly Chinese. We were seated in the smaller back dining room where there still were a few open tables. As we walked to our table, we took in the yummy smells from the parade of Dim Sum carts that were circling the dining room.

Just about everything that was offered to us was tempting. Before long, our small table was packed with plates of Dim Sum.

A waiter immediately came to ask what kind of tea we wanted. Jasmine was our choice, always a good accompaniment to Chinese food.

Some of the dishes we enjoyed were Steamed Bean Curd in Oyster Sauce



Pan-Fried Bell Pepper stuffed with Shrimp



Pork Dumplings with a Ginger dipping sauce (it is the Ginger sauce that makes this dish special)




Rice Balls stuffed with Shrimp and topped with a piece of Sausage



Fried Calamari




Steamed BBQ Pork Buns



Singapore Style Chow Fun



We chose so many dishes, we wound up taking leftovers home with us...and, we never got to any of the sweet dim sum, not that I wasn't tempted by the Mango Pudding, Sesame Balls, Egg Custard Tarts, and Coconut Cake that kept passing our table.

Ray and I enjoyed everything we tasted. While some dim sum, the Shrimp Rice Balls in particular, required more seasonings for our taste, this was just our preference and no reflection on the food; added a bit of sesame sauce and some soy sauce and were content. The noodles and noodle wrapping were just right for the dishes in which they were a part.

I was impressed with the excellent service and that, despite the majority of the clientele being Asian, most of the servers spoke enough English to describe the dishes to us. When we asked for specific dishes, such as the Calamari and the Ginger Pork Dumplings, they took our order and made them specially for us. All our dishes were hot and tasted fresh. We so enjoyed the entire experience that, even after we paid our bill, we lingered over tea a bit longer. Even on this busy day, the second day of Chinese New Year and President's Day, we were not rushed to vacate our table.

Most dim sum servings consist of three or four pieces. Price per serving ranges from $2.45 to $5.75, depending on how the item is categorized. A la carte dishes are also served; our Chow Fun was one such dish. And, there were specials including a Lobster dish priced today at $16.95...not that we weren't tempted...

Imperial features Cantonese & Szechuan Cuisine.

Since they do not have a web site, here is their essential information:

Imperial Chinese Restaurant
1680-G Willow Pass Rd.
Concord CA 94520
925-825-1318

There is plenty of free parking in the large parking lot that Imperial shares with a few other businesses.

DINNER BEFORE SF SYMPHONY

Jim and I no longer have a Season Subscription to the SF Symphony. We now pick and choose our concerts, making it more pleasant to Jim, in particular, to assure not hearing "new" musical pieces, most of which he considers not musical.

At any rate, last night's concert featured Charles Dutoit as guest conductor. The featured piece was Holst's The Planets. The other piece was Walton's Violin Concerto with SF Symphony Concertmaster Alexander Branantschik as the violin soloist.

It was a wonderful concert and a great evening which we started with dinner at one of our favorites for pre-Symphony dining, Paul K.

The food at Paul K is Mediterranean with California influences. Owner Paul Kavouksosrian is Armenian.

The restaurant is small and crowded, with most tables in the front dining room which shares space with the bar. A smaller back area has a few more tables and maybe has a bit more space between tables. I am happy where ever I am seated. It's a lively friendly place.

Meals start with fresh warm pita bread and hummus and glass of cucumber water.



The menu features about a dozen Small Plates and half a dozen or so Entrées. Two Mezza (Mediterranean appetizer) platters are always featured; one is vegetarian.

Sometimes I make a meal of the Mezza. Other times, I have a few small plates.

Last night, we each ordered an Entrée and shared the Butter Lettuce Salad with blue cheese, dates, and hazelnuts to start.



Jim had the Grilled Half Chicken on a bed of White Beans, Clamshell Mushrooms, and Green Garlic.



My choice was the Atlantic Skate Wing with a mixture of Roasted Artichokes and Sunchokes. I have a "thing" for Skate Wing and always order it if it is on a menu. The vegetables that look like roasted potatoes in the photo are the sunchokes.



I've never eaten sunchokes and they were delicious...so delicious that I bought some today at my local Farmers' Market and am going to try roasting them myself.

For dessert, we shared the Chestnut Fritters which were served with homemade Maple Ice Cream.




A heavenly meal that sent us off happily to a lovely concert.