The heavenly Spinach and Goat Cheese Omelet from Sarabeth’s on the Upper East Side, NYC.
Archives for May 2010
Tightwad Tuesday: Starbucks Happy Hour
Need a little afternoon caffeine boost? Craving something cold and refreshing? Well, you’re in luck because now until May 16, Starbucks is offering a Happy Hour! Head to any participating Starbucks between 3 and 5 p.m. and enjoy a half-priced Frappuccino beverage.
Starbucks is known for its large selection of Frappuccino’s with flavors like Coffee, Mocha, Strawberries & Cream, Café Vanilla, Carmel, Tazo Green Tea and more. Now they’ve added one more to the list- the “however-you-want-it” Frappuccino! With thousands of ways to customize your Frappuccino, Starbucks Happy Hour is the perfect opportunity to be adventurous and create a new icy concoction. Click here for more information.
“Smash Hunger” at Smashburger
Did you know that May is National Burger Month? To celebrate, Smashburger has partnered with our friends at the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services in an effort to “Smash Hunger!” All month long, Smashburger guests are asked to bring in non-perishable food items to donate to SFBFS. There will be a large bin inside the restaurant where diners can drop off their food contributions anytime between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.
In addition to partnering with SFBFS, Smashburger will be running a tasty special May 10th through May 13th – order a Smashburger and get a side of Smashfries for free! For those of you new to the Smashburger experience, it’s home to multiple burgers, the Smashchicken, salads, hot dogs, milkshakes and more.
Head over to Smashburger this month for good food and a good cause!
Smashburger
Sunrise Blvd & Pebble Beach Dr.
5500 Sunrise Blvd.
Citrus Heights, CA 95610
Joes: Philly-Style Water Ice, Garden Grove, CA
I recently found a love for shaved ice at Kauai’s Wishing Well (a tropical icy-creamy treat I still day dream about). So I was curious when I found Joe’s Ice in Garden Grove. Tucked in the middle of Disneyland and Anaheim Convention Center hotels is a little ice shack with a red awning and a pick-up window. Upon first glance I would have probably walked right by, but then I saw the line. If people are standing in line to get a shaved ice you know it must be something special. My curiosity grew when I read that Joe’s serves “authentic Philly style water ice.” Water ice??? Whaa?
Water ice is similar to Italian shaved ice, and is made with fresh fruit. Joe’s makes their water ice fresh daily, and flavors are fun, including blood orange, tangerine, passion fruit, granny smith apple, and the list goes on. When we walked up to the counter the friendly lady behind the window asked if we’d ever been to Joe’s before. After saying no she provided several samples of the water ice… she literally lined up 10 mini cups! It was so fun to try the different flavors and I found the water ice to be very different than a plain ice cone topped with syrup. This ice is flavorful all the way through and even includes chunks of fresh fruit.
We ordered the Joe Latti, which came recommended and includes choice of Philadelphia style water ice (I chose the Bada Bing Cherry), layered with real soft ice cream, which they ship in from Pennsylvania.
The ice was flavorful and the soft serve was dense and creamy. Just like my experience at the Wishing Well, it was all about the melt factor. Next time I’m near the happiest place on earth or the convention center (the latter being the more likely) I’m making a mandatory pit stop at Joe’s.
Joes
12302 Harbor Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92840
(714) 750-1076
Oshima Sushi, Sacramento
It might seem unusual, but yesterday I celebrated Cinco de Mayo at Oshima, a sushi restaurant in the Natomas area. I had never been to this restaurant before so I jumped at the opportunity to try something new and celebrate the holiday.
Little did I know how big the celebration would be! The whole Oshima parking lot was blocked off for an outdoor concert and multiple booths were set up selling skewers, Mexican food, margaritas, and more. Despite that, I was more interested in the food inside the restaurant.
I should make it known that I don’t like seafood of any kind and don’t normally frequent sushi restaurants, but I know most sushi places usually have one meal I do like-teriyaki chicken with rice, and that’s what I ordered. My dining partner chose the PDR, a sushi roll stuffed with shrimp tempura topped with snow crab and green onion. As we waited for our food, we were entertained by the music of a live mariachi band.
The PDR roll came out a little before my chicken. Even though I didn’t try it, I know it must have been good because my dining partner had devoured half of it by the time my food arrived. My chicken teriyaki came on a platter-sized plate to accommodate the humongous serving size! It was delicious- the chicken was tender and there was just the right amount of teriyaki sauce. The rice was cooked to perfection and I was pleasantly surprised to see a side of cut cucumbers on my plate.
After dinner we enjoyed the concert outside, and of course, had a celebratory Cinco de Mayo drink.
Oshima Sushi
2071 Natomas Crossing Dr.
Sacramento, CA 95834
916-515-1958