Sac Foodies

Favorite food: Oysters (raw or rockefeller), BBQ baby back ribs and anything with sour cream or avocado, or both!

Favorite local restaurants: (formal dining, ethnic, neighborhood bistro): I’m new to the area and so don’t feel qualified to list my local favorites just yet, but here are my favorite restaurants from other places that I’ve lived over the years. If you are ever in the neighborhood, these local eateries won’t let you down:

• Sonoma Valley – The Swiss Hotel, Deuce, Basque Boulangerie
• San Francisco – Cha Cha Cha, Jeanty at Jacks
• San Diego – Marine Room, Sushi Deli
• Rockridge/Berkeley – Looney’s Smokehouse BBQ
• Lodi - School Street Bistro

Favorite dining experience of all time: My aunt and uncle live on the North Shore of Oahu. A few years ago, together with their Hawaiian neighbors, they threw a traditional family luau – much different than the ones the Honolulu Outrigger puts on. I got to help prepare the imu, stripped taro leaves, and clean lobsters and sea snails. I won’t lie, it was hard work, but in the end it was the most memorable dining experience I’ve ever had. The food and culture were amazing.

Earliest food-related memory from childhood: When I was about five or six years old I went over to my grandparents’ (a.k.a. Oma and Opa) house for dinner where they were preparing and serving homemade sushi. Let’s just say that they didn’t have a “kids option” planned and so my sister and I were forced to eat the raw fish and test the spicy wasabi sauces. It turned out that I LOVED it. Now I couldn’t tell you if it was for the taste or the “gross factor” of the uncooked fish, but I would guess it was the latter. However, growing up sushi has been one of my favorite foods.

Most impressive dish you’ve whipped up using only ingredients on hand: I was planning on making Caramel Nut Bars and I as I was creating my shopping list I realized that I had everything in my kitchen, including baking powder which is amazing. I felt like a real grown up.

Favorite family recipe: Oma’s pan fried abalone.