Devon's Dish: [[THE BUCHER'S SON.]] restaurant review

As soon as I turned the corner, I saw the line. It was good sized, but I wasn't about to turn back. I watched a few videos and then checked out the menu. After finding "The Butcher's {vegan} Son" on Instagram, I decided to check them out a couple Saturdays ago. 

They had so many dishes to offer, some of my favorites were; the fried mozzarella meatball and the Chili garlic chicken B.L.A.T. I decided on one savory and one sweet. I wanted to get a better opinion and more importantly.. I was starving. It was definitely filled with foodies, and hipsters, but also families and large groups of friends and couples, everyone seemed stoked to be there. 

I knew it was going to be good. 

What can I say about the decor. I felt like I was in a place that was originally a flower shop, then 1950's diner and now had a mid century modern twist. The staff was super friendly, let me carry Maddie as I waited in line. The space behind the counter was microscopic but the staff moved around like a perfectly choreographed dance routine. 

The donuts were out of this world. I didn't eat one since I knew I'd already be in trouble with what I was planning to order.. They were perfect little pillow of friend dough, eclectically decorated using various toppings. 

Since I had Maddie with me, I had to sit outside.. which was fine. Like I said earlier, the day was perfect. Luckily, right after I put in my order of pancakes and Level 8 vegan sandwich and left the restaurant, I spotted a sunny table open up. 

My food was really delicious. On a scale of 1-10 I would say the sandwich was an 8 and the pancakes were a 9.5. I enjoyed the sandwich, but would skip the bacon and the cream cheese next time. The flavors were good, but combined they were too strong for my taste. The "chicken" was great, texture and flavor were on point. The bacon on it's own was good, but I was prefer it more crispy. The pancakes were perfect, The only thing that could have made them a 10, would be a side of blackberry jam. Of course I offered samples and Maddie liked the bacon most. 

Devon's Dish: [[THE TIPPING TEAPOT.]] restaurant review

 The Satori Tea Room was first introduced to me when I visited their location nestled deep in the center of downtown San Jose. Since then, that shop has moved to Saratoga, a tiny town  located at the base of the Santa Cruz mountains. I had the most wonderful time visiting this tea room, not to mention it was Superbowl Sunday.. so talk about having the place to yourself. :) 

My Aunt suggested that we come here for an afternoon and have some fun in memory of Nana. 

She was terribly British. I mean, a woman who was against getting her U.S. Citizenship because she was clearly a British woman and never converting. 

Here is my aunt, sipping her tea. I chose a Geisha green tea mix, which was light and airy but still remained true to its well-known flavor. My cup had the prettiest saucer, with dozens of flowers painted on it's surface. They have the best collection of dishes.. which, actually. it isn't a collection come to think of it.. Every cup a saucer is different and the tea pots are all different types, from classic hand painted roses, to funny shapes and colors. 

My sister had a gold elephant.  

We decided to get the "Tea for Two" but ordered two rounds so that would it would feed all four of us. I could have eaten about twelve more sandwiches, to tell you the truth ( they were so good ). Our scones were fresh from the oven, and they serve jam and clotted cream and lemon curd. The sandwiches I liked most were the pesto pumpkin seed and the pear, arugula and gorgonzola. 

Of course they have the traditional English cucumber and creme cheese, if you fancy. 

Just look at all the amazing pastries. The madeleine cookies were

 so good and I spread the jam on them, which was just divine. I could not stop with the chocolate french macarons, I think I even stole my Mom's share. They have dark chocolate and white chocolate petite fours which were decorated with tiny hearts. All the desserts were so pretty, but we managed to eat them.   

Here is a picture of my Sister, Nana and I.

The interior is a mixture of over-stuffed furniture, covered in all different fabrics. I loved the delicate vintage accessories, like the framed mirrors on the wall or the embroidery on the pillows. The colors in the shop are bright and inviting. The huge windows in front, light the gift area and show off all the tea mixtures available for purchase. The street outside, is lined with other shops, restaurants and tasting rooms. 

Rosso Corsa

I've definitely worn this red jumpsuit before. I can literally count on one hand, the number of times I've worn it, even though I think it's been owned for about five years. I feel really sassy when I get the chance to wear it. 

Kind of how a Ferrari is sassy, especially when it comes in red. 

This is part one of my day. My aunt is so adorable and suggested us ladies all go out for tea, as an honor to my Nana. The last time she and my Uncle came out, they treated Nana to lunch at a tea room. She loved it and so Aunt Randi booked us an afternoon at Satori Tea room. So more about that in the next blog post. 

I love a good brick wall. <3 

Here is a photo from after tea.

 My sister on the left, my Aunt Randi in the center and me on the right. 

ciao xx

Devon's Dish: [[ RUNNING SHOP&HOPS ]] restaurant review

Growing up in Morgan Hill, there were not a ton of things to do… but there was enough. Fast Forward 20 years later, and it’s still a tiny town to the outside eye.. But there is so much more available to the residents when it’s comes to finding fun things to do.

When Shanna was in town last week, I surprised her and took her to The Running Shopand Hops. We both had never been, and I had Maddie and knew they allowed dogs inside (win!).  I believe the owners opened originally as a running store in 2013. Then in 2016, reopened with the addition of a craft beer paradise.

I consider myself a self-proclaimed foodie and enjoy writing restaurant reviews, check out the one for this Campbell hot spot, here.

We went there for “happy hour” and ended up staying till closing. Sam was our awesome bartender for the night and he treated us to the largest beer tasting paddle known to man. But with over 90 amazing beers on tap, it was still really hard to narrow down only thirteen to try.

You have got to give this place a try, it’s a true hidden gem. The space, extensive beer selection and friendly service has enticed me to make a return trip soon. The rotating beer menu is such a great feature- you’ll never get bored of the menu. Not that you will ever be able to try everything on the list... but you could try.  Check it out here, to see if they have a few of your faves. 

ciao xx