Bistro Jeanty, Yountville, CA

Last catch-up post of this batch, departing from the vegetarian respite of the past couple of posts: Lunch at Bistro Jeanty in Yountville was delish.

Marrow, generous, with toast...

Lentils, a little al dente, which is good — infused with pork belly and floated with a little foie. Some of the last foie in CA for awhile I hear.

A trip to the Cheeseboard in Berkeley, CA

All this cheese, and a cooperative, too!

Field trip to new Hitchcock Deli on Bainbridge Island

The Hitchcock Deli is now open, and it's amazing. I love both the working environment and the food. I've had two lovely sandwiches, and ca't wait to start buying dry-aged meat and fresh fish from the case. And some bread-and-butter pickles, they have those too from local cucumbers. I'm not alone in loving it in a simple, satisfied way. The top picture is of a house-made braunschweiger sandwich with butter, gruyere, and a little mustard on rye.

Bun!

Picky Lunch went for Vietnamese takeout today, little knowing there was a pan-office plan to dine together. The day was all meetings, so it was just as well I grabbed lunch on my own before I heard about the plan. Plus, I had to leave early to avoid the predictable SeaFair traffic melée.

I went to a place I hadn't tried before, Pho Tai. I thought it was a little pricey for the strip-mall location, but look what wonders I got for $7.50!

Urbanspoon reviews of the place are pretty bad, and it wasn't the pinnacle, but it was a hearty and happy lunch with nice sparkly veg & cilantro alongside the "variety-pack" of meats and noodle base.

3 cheers for @qualityrye

Loved this so much:

the $80 brunch | DailyCandy

DailyCandy is selling a $40 brunch deal ($80 for a couple) at the Kimberly Hotel in Midtown East. That includes an entree, dessert and two cocktails. It represents a “35 percent” discount. To explain why this is BAD DEAL, let’s listen to a conversation between Renee and Charlee, a young (and fictional) Williamsburg couple with lovably androgynous names, and who always get into fights over deals. Observe: 

CHARLEE: Hey babe. Wanna have brunch in Midtown Manhattan?  

RENEE: Not really, who goes to Midtown on the weekends? 

CHARLEE: But I bought us this great offer: two courses and two cocktails.

RENEE: $40 bucks? A cocktail each? Sure That’s enough to share. 

CHARLEE: Wait, sweetie, there’s no sharing allowed with this deal. So I had to buy two vouchers. So technically that’s $80 bucks. 

RENEE: Hold on, I thought we were saving money? 

CHARLEE: Yes, we’re saving 35 percent! Of course, we’re supposed to tip on the original price of $63 per person, so after tax and 18% tip that comes to $109. 

RENEE: We’re spending $109 on brunch? Listen, we could have gone to Balthazar, ordered two Bloody Marys, half a dozen oysters, foie gras terrine and apple pancakes for $79 bucks — and we’d tipping on $79, not some fictional $123 that we’d never have spent anyway!  Can we at least get some oysters and foie gras at the Kimberly?  

CHARLEE: No sweetie. We can get lobster benedict or whatever then we have to get dessert at The Kimberly. The second course is dessert.  

RENEE: Two dessert courses? What is this a fanny-pack convention at TGI Friday’s? No one orders dessert at brunch! And now we’re stuck with two. Listen, just return the offer and let’s go to Balthazar. 

CHARLEE: The DailyCandy deal is non-refundable.

RENEE: Why didn’t you ask me before buying? 

CHARLEE: I thought the deal was going to sell out. 

RENEE: Sell out? SELL OUT? Did you think they were gonna sell out of brunch? Is this brunch endangered like bluefin tuna or Iranian caviar? 

CHARLEE: Well its DailyCandy you know, I trusted them.

RENEE: I know you did honey. I know you did. Don’t hate yourself. Hate the people who sold you this crummy deal. 

CHARLEE: Okay, let’s go get some tattoos. 

RENEE: Cool.