Good Stuff Eatery DC

This is Chef Spike's (from Top Chef) newest restaurant. Located in southeast, near, the Capitol, Good Stuff Eatery offers burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Talk about feeling fat. I ordered the Asian inspired Blazin Barn burger with mint, cilantro, Thai Basil, and spicy mayo. After watching Top Chef, I discovered one of Chef Spike's specialties is Vietnamese, so I thought this would be a good choice. The burger was interesting, I give it that. I liked the unique flavors and mix of herbs. The mayo also complemented the burger very well. Perhaps if I had ordered the burger alone, I would have enjoyed my dinner, but instead my friend and I shared an order of fries and I got a root beer float. Moral of the story, too much fatty food. The fries were okay, they weren't as good as I expected them to be. Definitely felt like I was eating oil. The float was a standard float, which was really quite disappointing considering the emphasis the restaurant places on handspun cream. You could argue that because I got a float, the soda overpowered the cream, but I also tried my friend's toasted marshmellow shake, which was simply too much. Too sweet, too sickening. After a couple sips, you're done. I don't know if I would go back to Good Stuff Eatery. If I was in the area, maybe. But I won't be making that 1.5 hour trip again anytime soon.

3.75/5
http://www.goodstuffeatery.com/

Yoshida Cupertino

I think I have a perception of California now having portion sizes that are simply too large. I don't know why that would be, especially since Californians tend to be more health-conscious than the rest of the country. Perhaps I have grown accustomed to city style portions. Anyway, Yoshida is good, quality authentic Japanese, with huge portions. Wayyy too much food. Tea, soup, salad, little dishes like Korean appetizers, and large entrees. Once you get your food, the $20 doesn't seem like much at all. Again, it's recommended for those that are hungry.

4/5
No website

Tartini Cupertino

What I wouldn't give for some Tartini right now... I ended up getting Tartini twice in one day and if that's not a testament to frozen yogurt, I don't know what is. Tartini is a frozen yogurt bar with various flavors and toppings to choose from. The froyo is more icey than milky, and had a sweet, slightly tart, taste. Of all the flavors, I liked the lychee and original the most. Although I did try them ALL. That is what I accomplished in the two trips. I disliked the taro the most, but I don't like really like anything taro. All the fruit flavors are pretty decent as well. Mmm now I really want some...

The Counter Palo Alto

So I finally tried The Counter, which seems to be gathering momentum real fast. And you know what? I'm a fan. I had a turkey burger with corn and black bean salsa, grilled pineapple, and grilled onions with carmelized onion marmalade on a honey wheat bun. And mmmm tasty. The meat was horrible, honestly, totally overcooked, which is so important not to do with turkey cus it tastes like a brick. But it was forgiveable because the bread, the sauce, and the toppings were all delicious. The pineapple and corn salsa took the stage and I am going to have a hard time not choosing those same toppings the next time I'm there. The fries and sweet potato fries were also very memorable.

4/5
http://www.thecounterburger.com/

Habana Cuba San Jose

Another restaurant with huge portions for a reasonable price. I had the tamal cubano, my friend had the lechon a la cubana and together we had enough food for a family. The entrees are served with rice, plantains, and a choice of soup or salad. The soup tasted like chicken broth with stuff and the salad was as simple as can be, minus the vinegar dressing. The rice was plain white rice, don't expect any flavorful mexican rice here. The plantains were crisp and tasty. Lastly, the entrees were flavorful, but the dishes became bowls of meat, and fatty meat at that. I think there is something to be said about restaurants that give you a lot of food for your money, but this was a little ridiculous. The portions made me feel incredibly wasteful because I couldn't take it home. Anyway, if you are as hungry as can be and looking for a decent meal, hit up Habana Cuba.

3.75/5
http://www.998cuba.com/

Los Gatos Cafe Los Gatos

Huge huge portions for not a whole lot of money. I ordered the Santa Fe omlette casserole, which was massive. I finished less than half the casserole, which simply became too much egg to digest, and about a quarter of my raspberry coffee cake. The food is great, the atmosphere is cute, and it is just about the perfect place for breakfast with a friend. Highly recommended.

4/5
No website

Village California Bistro & Wine Bar San Jose

If you haven't noticed, I am backed up like woah so these September entries are going to be real short and sweet.

Village in Santana Row boasts an attractive menu of California fare, but the food is far less than attractive. I had the turkey reuben, which was dry - the meat was dry and the sandwich was dry. My friend had the grilled duck club, which was overpowered by the moutarde and left the duck unnoticed. The best part of the sandwiches were the fries, which were thin and crisp. It wasn't all bad though, my other friend had the prawn fettucini, which he liked. But for Santana Row, I was hoping for much more.

3.5/5
http://thevillagebistro.net/