Monday, April 22, 2013

Pineapple Grill--Los Altos, CA




Taking advantage of a parent's night out, Jenny and I had dinner at the Pineapple Grill in Los Altos. Taking the "when in Rome" attitude, I had the sirloin pineapple. It's relationship to the fruit, though, wasn't very clear other than the pineapple slice on my dish. It was a little overdone even though I ordered it medium rare. Also, the quantity was small, especially compared to Jenny's lamb chops. The chops, by the way, were underdone. Still, they were delicious. 



The sweet potato fries were the best of all of our sides. Entrees normally come with one side but another can be added for a dollar--a bargain.

Jenny felt the crab cakes were a little salty. I thought it was done just right. They were big, meaty and I enjoyed the creamy dipping sauce.



We got a free dessert (apple pie with cherry sauce) because the waitress forgot what we ordered and wanted to make amends. My wife thought the sauce a little tart for an apple pie and told me she could have done without it. Still, the crumb crust was terrific.



It was about 25 years ago, give or take, that I noticed wait staff started taking our orders without writing them down. Unfortunately, the practice has been alive ever since. Though I understand the intent, executing orders from memory always makes me nervous. I would say at least half the time, the staff doesn't get it quite right. Such was the case last Friday. My plea with anyone taking my order: Please write it down. I know you still care about us.



All said, though, I'd love to come back. I'm usually not a patio guy, but it was very pleasant eating outside on a warm evening. The restaurant is a lot bigger than it looks and you'll have plenty of room, even on a Friday night. So, drop on by.



Pineapple Grill Bar and Restaurant
4926 El Camino Real
Los Altos, CA 94022
(650) 938-8100

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Moveable Feast



We went to the movable feast in San Jose last month. We loved the idea of it--trucks, which as a collection, serving a great variety of tasty food. However, as I explain below, it wasn't cheap.

SoulNese
Overall a disappointment because of the greasiness and that it was a mix of items that didn't really match well. The sampler for $10 is a bit expensive. We got a beef taco, hot wings and pork fries, which was literally pork mixed with fries. The taco was the best of the three.



Grandma Catherine's Homemade Foods
Not quite Roscoe's. We all thought the chicken was overdone. I wanted the waffle to be a bit more crisp. The chicken, waffle and syrup should all be eaten together. It's kind of funny how once you pour the syrup on the chicken and waffles, you start pouring it on the potatoes.



The Rib Whip
Of the four food trucks we tried, this offered the best dish and the best value. For $7 we got a dish of delicious rib tips that amounted to a full meal. The sauce wasn't anything otherworldly, but certainly the dish was better with than without it. To my family's amazement, I ate the cartilage, which was good and crunchy with just the right amount of give.




Treatbot
The ice cream was rich. The boys couldn't get enough of it (but then, what boy ever got his fill of ice cream?). A single scoop was $3, but if you get two scoops in the same dish, it's $5, so we had the boys share a dish.


You can find the Moveable Feast in four different locations throughout the week just check out their website. On Sundays you'll find it in San Jose:

Moveable Feast

350 Saratoga Ave
San JoseCA 95129
(408) 800-6825