New England Lobster Co

I love lobster. It is my favorite food.
And yet, I moved to the west coast of the United States which is not a natural habitat for the Atlantic Lobster. Whoa is me. Where was I to get amazing lobster that wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg? And, at a place where I can rip apart my lobster piece by piece and eat parts that most people don’t even want to look at?

Enter New England Lobster Co.

Attic

Attic is one of our favorite restaurants in San Mateo. The food is good and the atmosphere is nice. Not too hoppin to feel like you have to impress, not too loud so you can’t hear your dinner companion, but still nice enough that you feel like you’ve “gone out” for the night.

Heirloom Cafe

I went to Heirloom Cafe on Saturday.
My big takeaway: Clean Flavors
They are able to make you taste each distinct ingredient within a complex dish.
Unlike most dishes which aim to meld together the flavors of the ingredients into a new and larger flavor, at Heirloom, the goal is to taste each flavor next to and juxtaposed against the other ingredients in the dish.

What we ate:
Corn soup w/ creme fraiche and fried onions
Tuna tar tar with avocado, jicama, and matchstick crispy potatoes
Gnocchi with English peas, and fennel sausage
Asparagus risotto with pan fried mushrooms, pecorino cheese, and mint

Farmer’s Market Caprese Salad

I’ve never been a fan of tomatoes, but my husband loves them. Last week I decided to try making a dish with farmer’s market heirloom tomatoes: caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, basil, balsamic, oil, salt, and pepper.
It was delicious! None of that “tomatoey” flavor I don’t like.

Dara Does Dinner Launches!