Tartine

In the heart of San Francisco's Mission District is a tiny, un-marked space known as Tartine. This busy little cafe and bakery has become one of our favorite places. In fact, we make it a point to take most of our out-of-town guests here to experience first-hand, the tastiness of the freshly-baked goods from this place.

Tartine is located on the corner of 18th & Guerrero.

This tiny sign and the smell of fresh baked goods is the only indication that you are in the right place-it is an unmarked building.

This bakery is known for their morning bun which can only be obtained by the early birds! Depending on how large the crowds are that day, they usually sell out by noon. It definitely is waking up early for!

Even little children are fans of this well-established bakery. The chocolate croissants are reminiscent of what you'd find in a Paris bakery, no joke!

The place is quite small and fills up rather quickly. You'll either need to get your goodies to-go or sit outside on one of the few tables.

Banana Creme Tart-the flaky, chocolate-lined crust compliments the indulgent pastry creme with bananas, a hint of caramel and chocolate shavings. If you're feeling coconut, the coconut creme tart is just as heavenly!

Don't have a sweet tooth? Tartine also carries a few savory treats such as this Croque Monsieur with Turkey. They have a vegetarian option as well which contains a variety of fresh mushrooms.

In the mornings, Tartine specializes in breakfast breads and assorted pastries. Full or half loaves of bread, straight out of the oven, are available for purchase after 5pm on Wednesday-Sunday.

Tartine Bakery

600 Guerrero St.

San Francisco, CA 94110

(415) 487-2600

http://www.tartinebakery.com/index.html

Morocco's

Last month, we celebrated Alli's birthday at Morocco's in downtown San Jose. This cozy restaurant tucked away near a corner of the busy Market Street was the perfect place to indulge in good drinks and flavorful ethnic cuisine. Their family style dinners allowed us to sample an unlimited amount of selected dishes-all of which were very pleasing to the tastebuds! We'll allow the pictures do the talking! : )

The warm and cozy interior of the restaurant welcome both groups and couples alike.

Chicken Briwatts-ground chicken with cinnamon wrapped in phyllo dough, topped with cinnamon & powdered sugar.

Signature Lentil Salad-red onions, cilantro, and chilled green lentils with cumin balsamic vinaigrette.

Spicy Chilled Cucumber Salad-cucumber & red onions in a balsamic chili vinaigrette.

The group, in between courses.

Beef kebabs-sweet and tender kebabs marinated in a sweet/salty sauce.

Beeft Tagine-a true Moroccan specialty.

Imperial Couscous-caramelized onions, garbanzo beans, & ginger white pepper garlic chicken.

Green tea ice cream topped with whipped cream and lavender-caramel.

Briwatts stuffed with almond & honey.

If you ever find yourself in downtown San Jose, Morocco's is a place you will not want to miss. The excellent service and the warm and friendly atmosphere make you feel like you are dining in a restaurant on the rooftop of a five-star hotel. Make sure to call ahead for reservations, especially during peak dinner times and on the weekends! Don't let the hookah bar and sketchy shop next door deter you from experiencing a one-of-a-kind dining adventure at Morocco's! :)

Morocco's

86 N. Market St.

San Jose, CA 95113

(408) 998-1509

http://www.moroccosrestaurant.com/

Summer may be gone but the sun is still shining!

Photo taken at the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco

Courtesy of: Magnolia Photo Booth

Fear not, dear readers. We are indeed still around. Saying goodbye to summer was tough for the both of us but we'll update soon!

-Alli & Missy

Calling all lovers of fro yo!

To us, frozen yogurt is one of the best things ever to grace this planet. In fact, we've designated Yogurtland as our "happy place." What's not to love about sweet frozen treats, especially in the dead heat of the summer? We may be living in the Bay Area but there's no escaping the heat in the South Bay during this time of the year. The temperature has made it to the triple digits a few times. We've discovered one of the best remedies to a hot summer day and we'd like to share it with you.

Introducing: Vanilla frozen yogurt from Lunardi's.

Manufactured by the local Treat Ice Cream Company in San Jose, this sought-after gallon of joy can be likened to your local fro yo station's plain tart flavor.

Top it off with your favorite fruit and you'll end up loving summer forever!

Anything goes with it, fruit, candy, granola....you name it!

Will you be making this a staple in your home? It sure has become on in ours! Stock up and you'll find yourself going back and forth to the freezer instead of driving around to find the nearest fro yo place. : )

SF Street Food Festival

This morning, the husband and I headed for the city via the BART to have lunch and people-watch. Our plans immediately changed as soon as we stumbled upon the SF Street Food Festival. It was centered on promoting mobile food vending as the city is currently leaning towards prohibiting them. The festival took place in San Francisco'sMission District-one of the city's most eclectic and cultural neighborhoods. Several streets were blocked off to allow for rows and rows of food vendors. The representation of vendors ranged from popular SF "food carts" to well-known restaurants. The variety was quite overwhelming and so was the crowd. Every single station had a line that stretched more than the length of the street, curving into the corners of the sidewalk. If you ask me, it was quite the fire hazard as it was difficult to decipher a pathway vs. a line. Despite the madness, it was a fun and unique event.

Most vendors offered a "little bite" for $1-$3 (small snack/appetizer), "bigger bite"$6-$10 (entree-sized), and a "refresher" (drink). We tried to indulge in as much "little bites" as we can to get a fair sampling of what the festival had to offer. Is it sad to say that even with this strategy, food coma came early leaving us absolutely NO room for dessert. I know, very sad, especially since the famous Creme Brulee Cart was present. Oh well, next time, right?

Our planned lunch outing turned into an enjoyable mid-day gastronomic delight. There were plenty of other dishes I wanted to try but the wallet and the stomach have limitations. :) It was great to be exposed to the various local businesses which I plan to support as I make many more trips to the city!

See what I mean, when I say crowd? Oh yes, and Pepto Bismol was one of the event's sponsors. How appropriate. : )

First "little bite" of Korean Tacos from Namu.

Yelp Score: 3.5 stars

Comments: Not enough of the "spicy factor" as it is a Korean dish.

We didn't get to try Curry Up Now as it was difficult to get from the sidewalk to the street around this part since all the food trucks gathered 'round this part.

Did you really leave your cart in San Francisco? So clever! :)

Chicken and mushroom Piroshki from Anda Piroshki.

Yelp Score: 3 stars

Comments: I've had better. The flavor was there but the whole-grain dough wasn't cutting it.

A passerby eats on the go-story of the festival as there was hardly any standing space to enjoy your bites.

Can you tell where the lines are? I sure can't but I'll just say that these two had some of the longest lines.

Vegetarian empanada from Sabores del Sur.

Yelp Score: 3 stars

Comments: In order to make it to 4 or 5 stars, it's got to be at least at par with my favorite empanada place in Costa Mesa. : ) It's the rule. This empanada was pretty huge for a "little bite" and it was definitely filled but didn't have enough flavor for my taste.

For all your Filipinos and Filipinos-at-heart, the Adobo Hobo is one of the most talked-about carts in the city. We made sure we had a taste from this popular Bay Area food cart.

Calamansi with thyme and mint refresher.

Yelp Score: 2 stars

Comments: Seriously, where was the calamansi in this drink?

Here I am with my adobo!

Yelp Score: 3 stars

Comments: Not enough rice. The dish was definitely americanized-it needed more suka (translation: vinegar) for it to be real adobo. I would definitely have more of it again though. Like I said, more rice, please!

Bean and cheese pupusa from Estrellita's Snacks.

Yelp Score: 5 stars

Comments: We definitely saved the best for last, can't you tell? By this time, we were extremely full but were still able to thoroughly enjoy this fantastic pupusa. Not a fan of the pickled veggies but after pouring the sauce on this baby and taking a bite, I was all smiles!

After witnessing how many people came out to this event, there is no doubt that food trucks and food carts are supported by the Bay Area citizens. Many individuals make their livelihood from the unique dishes and drinks they sell from their respective mobile means. In order to support these vendors, please visit this website and sign the "Street Food Declaration." Together, we can do our part in helping keep our favorite food on the streets where they belong!

Hope you all are having a delightful weekend!

-Alli

Nice to Meet you =)

Intro from Little Crumbs on Vimeo.

Hi Loves!

Hope you enjoyed our little video. We're looking forward to sharing our adventures with you =)

xoxo,

Alli & Missy

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