Ann's Kitchen, Crepevine, Market Hall

oh how i've missed blogging... wait... did i just say that?

well, i feel like i've been neglecting my duties as food chick. well i hope you ALL went to Ben & Jerry's today for free cone day! the line moved along pretty fast, and i waited only 20 minutes! i had the dublin mudslide, it was EXCELLENT. irish cream with chocolate/chocolate cookies/chocolate swirl.

some breakfast reviews for yall:

Ann's Kitchen: on Dwight and Telegraph. i went there for the first time with fellow food chick Lydia and some other friends for an Easter brunch. They serve breakfast there all day! I ordered the banana pancakes and one scrambled egg for the side and spent less than $5. The pancakes were cooked to perfect fluffiness and had bits of banana mashed right into the batter. You can get toast, two eggs, and a HUGE helping of homefries for less than $4 at Ann's. They also have huge omelettes that can be stuffed with anything you want- spinach, cheese, tomatoes, avocado, etc... for about $5 (also comes with a side of toast and homefries). The setting is cafeteria style- you order at the bar then look for your seat for yourself. Warning, it does get pretty crowded on weekend mornings, so if you have a large party, scope out some tables and then order. If you wake up late Saturday or anyday really, head on over to Ann's to enjoy some down-to-earth hearty breakfast choices.

Crepe Vine: on College Avenue, right after Rockridge Bart. If you're looking for a semi-yuppy and delicious breakfast, crepe vine is the place for you. You'll spend an average of $8 for your meal. The setting is quite nice: big windows, a little balcony/ outdoor patio to enjoy the yuppiness of college from. They have huge chalkboards that list their savory/dessert crepes/breakfast items/pasta/salads/drinks. They have a very extensive menu. Last time I went there (about two weeks ago) I enjoyed my two scrambled egg whites, toast, chicken apple sausage, and homefries. all i can say is aww yeeah. I love breakfast. Crepe Vine just reinforced that love. They have a huge array of omelettes/pancakes/waffles/french toast/juices/coffee. I really like crepe vine not only for the food but also for the setting. Their yellow walls and bright windows add to the nice saturday morning feeling. It's a great place to meet up with your girlfriends =)

After eating breakfast, head across the street to Market Hall bakery for the BEST almond cookies ever, and some meringues =)

That's all for now!

Cheers,
Melissa Joy

Not too many food jaunts this week, but did have a chance to enjoy some quality food with the wonderful Melissa before a SuperB comedy show this week. She's the one who makes the fliers- did you know? We got to head into Wheeler early as we munched on food from Cafe Intermezzo. Since I'm confident that y'all have been there or heard of the place, I review the sandwich that I tried for the first time, the PBHB. I'm one of those girls who always says she'll try something new on the menu but always ends up ordering the roast beef when the friendly tatooed person asks me what I'll have. So I decided to be daring and try the Peanut Butter and Banana sandwich. However, Jen's comments on the sandwich ring true: "why pay for something you can make at home?" And although it was on Intermezzo's famous honey wheat bread, the sandwich was too much PB and not enough banana. And the honey was also probably a mistake. I've decided that with something like a peanut butter and banana sandwich, you really need to customize it to your own tastes. It's not like roast beef au jus, which is the SAME every single place you go. Plus the bread needs toasting, and the PB needs to be crunchy. So moral of the story: stick to your food intuition. But NEVER, EVER ask for extra horseradish in your roast beef sandwich. That stuff will kill you.

Again, Lydia is here to mix it up, review wise. Today's food journey finds Lydia shopping for groceries for the first time since early February. For a solid, affordable selection of ecclectic food, venture over to Trader Joe's in Emeryville for salmon jerkey, mochi ice cream, and cheap wine. Trader Joe has long been popular as Whole Food's cheap younger sibling, with its wide variety of organic food and fresh flowers. Check out the wide selection of all natural dried fruit, as well as the chocolate mint truffles. If you are looking for a real meal, the frozen food section features mexican and italian dishes- from enchiladas to tamales to feta cheeze pizza.

Had a little of a existential crisis in the wine aisle though. As a 21 year old, it's high time I knew the difference between the varieties of wine available. Merlot, chardonnay, cabernet sovingioin, blah blah blah blah. White wine with red meat the red wine with white meat? Shellfish? I want to be able to pick out a hearty wine to go with my microwave pizza.