hobee's

palo alto, ca

website

hobee's is a chain of restaurants in the bay area. looks like a shari's-type family restaurant and we thought it would be a good place for brunch. clearly they are famous for their blueberry coffee cake - we saw everyone order the blueberry coffee cake and they even sell it at the front desk. breaking one of our cardinal rules (order what everyone else is ordering), we got the peach walnut coffee cake (pictured). it was okay - a little dry, very light, but could have used more peaches.

for our entrees, we each ordered the hash browns with various toppings. mine was topped with cheese, mushrooms, and onions. derek's was topped with chicken apple sausage, green peppers, tomato-basil sauce, and cheese. we were really hoping for the shredded-style hash browns like the ones they serve at joanie's. no such luck, they ended up being small wedges of potatoes. not a fan. it seemed like a popular spot, but derek and i really should know better than to stray from our favorite brunch spot, joanie's.

buck's of woodside

woodside, ca

website

we were hoping to finally try the famous burger at the village pub, which has been highly recommended by rajesh, but unfortunately it was closed on saturday. instead we went to an upscale strip mall nearby and found buck's. from the outside, it looks like a standard diner. from the inside, it looks like ye olde curiosity shop. there's all sorts of strange things hanging on the walls - like a narwhale tusk and a model ship. there's a lot to look at while you wait for your food.

derek ordered a burger, per usual, which was solid. i really enjoyed my club sandwich (although the waitress was baffled when i asked to leave out the avocado). the coleslaw on the side wasn't very good, but skipping the sides allowed me to save room for dessert. the highlight was definitely the dessert - a delicious and massive strawberry shortcake. homemade whipped cream, perfectly sweet strawberries, all sandwiched in a delicious crumbly biscuit. amazing.

crepevine

palo alto, ca

website

the crepevine is popular with stanford kids, or who i assume are stanford kids. they look young and unemployed. my guess is its because the prices are reasonable, the portions are large, there are plenty of seats, and they let you sit wherever you want for however long you want. derek and i have been here a few times. i don't like sitting inside because during the summer, there's usually flies. outside, for some reason, the flies don't bother me that much. however, i much prefer ordering takeout and eating my food in the comfort of my own insectless living room.

crepevine generally serves diner food - for brunch that means pancakes, waffles, eggs, etc. obviously, they also have crepes which are premade, then heated and filled when you order. on our first visit, i ordered blueberry pancakes, which were good, but nothing compared to the magical blueberry pancakes at clinton st. baking co. in manhattan. derek's corned beef hash, however, was excellent - cheesy and meaty with crunchy bits of fried potatoes. solid brunch fare.

big daddy's

park (19/20)

website

i can't believe i haven't blogged this place yet. derek and i come here a lot. in fact, last saturday, we went to big daddy's twice. first for lunch around 1 pm, then for a late night snack at 2 am with jenny after a night out on the town. it's a strange restaurant - a mix between a diner and an 80s theme restaurant. the food is standard diner food but better quality (although not gourmet gastropub quality).

i usually get the same thing - the healthy scramble (tofu, egg whites, spinach, green onions, tomato with tamari sauce) with a side of tater tots. derek usually gets one of their burgers - this time he got the daddy-o burger (topped with pepper jack, bacon, and onion rings). great food, good prices - my only complaint is that sometimes it can take a while for the food to come out. for our 2 am visit, jenny and i shared a buffet of fried food: tater tots, fried zucchini, and piggies in a blanket. a perfect way to end the night.

nations diner

new york, ny

website

finally made it out to CR's famous diner! she's talked about the fries from this place for a few weeks now and i was looking forward to joining her for some classic diner food. nations diner, near the united nations, is a cozy diner on the edge of the city. we sat down in a comfy booth, ordered a coffee and a latte (the diner makes lattes!), and perused the very large menu. typical diner cuisine - sandwiches, omelettes, blue plate specials, etc.

i ordered the sicilian omelette - with mozzarella, kielbasa sausage, and marinara sauce. don't ask me why the sicilian omelette has kielbasa in it, but it was tasty. CR got her california omelette and fries and i ordered waffle fries for the table. excellent food and excellent company.