2010 Jul 25 - Koby at Market Club

2010 Jul 25 - Ken at the Market Club
Sacramento, CA

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Sunday breakfast at the Market Club with two first-timers, Ken and Wally.

Of course the Market Club occupies Dock 16 in the Sacramento Wholesale Produce Market on 5th Street about 3 blocks south of Broadway.
From the parking lot. The Market Club has a brick facade.


Ken and Wally heading for the entrance


Since I told the owner that Ken was visiting from Australia he gave us an appetizer of Hamburger Royale. {hamburger, onions and eggs}




My breakfast the Sunday Special, one egg and fried rice


Ken has the Corned Beef Hash and Eggs with Fried Rice


Wally has the Hamburger Steak with onions and Eggs with Fried Rice


This is what the plates looked like after we finished eating. :-)

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2010 Jul 21 - Harry's Cafe {Sacramento}

2010 Jul 21 - Harry's Cafe {Sacramento}

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Today four of the Lunch Bunch are headed to Sacramento and Harry's Cafe to try their Oxtail Stew which they only serve on Wednesdays and Thursdays until it runs out. Notice that they have recently raised the price a dollar.

Ken taking a photo, Elsa and Patti along with me are today's four.
On 16th Street just north of U Street


Elsa and Patti at our table for four


Elsa's oxtail stew


Ken decides on a daily special, a beef and vegetable spicy dish


This is my plate of oxtail stew


It really is a tiny place





After lunch which was very tasty but not at a bargain price. We drove over to Osakaya and bought a few manju. But I have photographed them in a number of previous Blogs.


From there we drive through parts of Land Park and to the newer Mahoroba Bakery.
Ken, Elsa and Patti heading to the bakery


These are some of their specialty pans {pan = Japanese for bread}


I bought and ate one of the Hazel Nut Choco Cream and Peanut pan


It was very, very good


From the bakery we walked across the parking lot to Oto's Market.
Everyone else put their stuff in Patti's basket


No one bought any octopus today


But some of us bought a Bento for dinner {Bento is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japan. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container}


More Bento choices


Mochi ice cream is a Japanese confection made from mochi (pounded sticky rice) with an ice cream filling.


A large selection of Japanese soft drinks


Heading back to the car


Patti's only hobby is shopping. So we go back to the Tamakichi.


While the others are inside shopping I head across the street to Vic's Ice Cream.
Established in 1947 Vic's has been a Land Park Institution


My kiddie scoop of fresh peach ice cream


One last stop in Sacramento before heading home is the ABC Bakery.
Entering the bakery


A lot of Chinese pastries

But we are not quite done yet. In a couple of months we are having an exotic foods dinner at my home so we stop in Lodi at the Rancho San Miguel market to see which specialty meats that they carry.
They have fresh specialty meats on an everyday basis since this market is aimed at a Mexican clientele. Fresh not previously frozen oxtails.


Fresh goat


Fresh tripe and tongue


Fresh chicken feet


Elsa picked up some stew meat that included oxtails and beef shanks


Back at Elsa's and then we head home after a pretty long day.
Ken will give Patti a ride home while I get into my little Corolla

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2010 Jul 18 - Basque Cultural Center

2010 Jul 18 - Basque Cultural Center

Again this was not a Lunch Bunch function. But it is a food Blog. So since I own this Blog I will place it here. :-)

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Today one of my childhood friends and old college roommate, Ken is flying in to SFO from Adelaide, South Australia. He has lived and worked there for 29 years now. His brother, Wally and Wally's wife, Susan and I are going to pick him up at the airport. Then we are meeting another college roommate at our friend's home in San Bruno.
Parked in the Cell Phone lot where we will receive a call from a pay phone inside SFO saying that he has cleared Customs

The Cell Phone lot is free limited time, unattended parking way at the north end of SFO


It is a short drive from SFO to San Bruno and Gary's home.
Ken and Wally's wife Susan


Gary meets us at the door


Gary's wife Kathy saying hello to Ken


Nori from San Jose is a bit late he is the other roommate


Ken takes a shower after his long flight in from Auckland. He had taken a commuter from Adelaide to Auckland, NZ.

Then after visiting and such for a couple of hours it is time to go to dinner. Since I had emailed Ken and Gary about the Basque Cultural Center and Kathy had seen an episode about it on KQED's {S.F.'s PBS station} "Check Please Bay Area". Plus it was a little less than three miles from Gary's home. That is where we decided to go. Plus I had never eaten at this Basque restaurant.
Basque Cultural Center in South San Francisco

The Main Entrance

A model chuck wagon used by Basque shepherds

One of many displays inside the Center

Besides the other rooms in the Center a portion of the building is a white table cloth restaurant.
Not realizing that we really should have had a reservation, my sorrowful expression got us a table for eight. Also we arrived a little before their official opening time of 5:00 PM.
Susan, Wally, Gary and Kathy


Nori's wife Peggy, Ken, my empty seat and Nori


Gary took this of Ken and me. I think we looked a lot younger in 1967 and 1966 which were the years we respectively graduated from San Francisco State.

The dinner menu which you will need to click on to be able to read


We were too busy reminiscing that I took few food photos and most were unusable.
This is the duck's breast in a green peppercorn sauce which was delicious, but a poor quality photo. Magré de Canard au Poivre Vert


Grilled Prawns with Basil and Garlic Sauce


Cassoulet

"Cassoulet started life hundreds of years ago as a simple French peasant bean dish perhaps intended to stretch leftover scraps of meat or poultry into another meal. Mutton, duck, goose and or pork were a few of choices for constructing the dish, and of course some garlicky sausage (like Toulouse sausage) was also a welcome addition."


Ice cream for dessert


Wally had passed around the Creme Brulee for everyone to taste, but kept his Raspberry Sherbet for himself.

Nori and Peggy picked up the check for the entire party which was really not expected.
Thanks.

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