Icicles--Cupertino, CA

The four of us dropped by Icicle, where you can watch ingredients of your choice get crushed, mixed with cream and, after being spread on a cold plate to freeze, turn into a delicious dessert. The person making your dessert will make it a point that you see your chosen ingredients in its original form before mashing away, be it a strawberry, banana, Oreo, or what have you.

In theory you can get all the toppings you want, but in reality, thre's only so much room in the cup. It gets crowded at four or five toppings.

Although the ice cream is served as rolled strips, it all blends together after a short while into one big glob. While we ate, we could hardly believe how wonderful it was. However, after coming home, we were all thirsty for water and tea. I felt as though I'd eaten half a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. It was super-sweet. I'd had all I could take and that was after sharing mine with Jenny. Make no mistake, this ice cream is rich.

While we were there, we heard one boy say, "Man! Yogurtland is in so much trouble!". That could be, but I don't think it'll be because of Icicle. The desserts are different from each other. What you get from Icicle will inspire awe, something Yogurtland will never do, then afterwards leave you feeling knocked out, which Yogurlan won't do either so long as you take it easy on the gummy worms.

BLVD Kitchen and Bar--Minnetonka, MN

Every once in a long while--maybe a year or two--a meal delivers for me what borders on a religious experience. Wednesday night I had such an experience and it happened at BLVD Kitchen and Bar in Minnetonka. I love jambalaya and order it more times than not when I see it on the menu. Indeed, I had jambalaya on the first date with the woman who would eventually become my wife. No event will be quite as amazing as a date with Jenny, but when it comes to the jambalaya itself? Well, nothing compares to the dish I had at BLVD. Piping hot and loaded with seafood, there was delicious meat of some sort with every--and I mean every--forkful. The fish was tender, the shrimp succulent and the dish was spiced to perfection. Also, the prompt service (ask for Denise, who will treat you with the utmost care) was with a smile, with the dish coming out in little more than ten minutes after ordering. I've been to BLVD multiple times before and they always do everything right. But, that jambalaya. Oh, my.

Shan Xi Magic Kitchen--San Diego, CA

A recent trip to San Diego brought us to Shan Xi Magic Kitchen, which, at the time, was having a "soft opening".

We started with a stewed pork burger, which looked and tasted very ordinary. The green beans were crisp and delicious.

The big attraction: Biang Biang Noodles

The main event, though, and what was ordered at every table was the Biang Biang Noodles. The attention was certainly justified. At three inches wide, the dimensions alone made the noodles unique. What really set it apart, though, was the chewy goodness of those noodles. The peppers on this dish, though, would probably put it out of reach of most kids.


The beef noodle soup was super-salty and the noodles were really long. Nothing wrong with the latter, but be prepared for a lot of biting and splashing.

Beef noodle soup

The bottom line? If you come here, it's for the Biang Biang Noodles. Otherwise, the wait is really long (more than 30 minutes for a table for us on a weeknight) and everything else we ordered was average.

Kula--Laguna Hills

With Kula having prohibitively long lines in the Bay Area, we jumped at the chance to try one in Laguna Hills, where there was no line at 11:30 am on a weekday.

Each item on the belt is $2.25. Plates are returned in the slot at the bottom of this photo.

The novelty of having all food--even those ordered off a menu--delivered by conveyor belt was fun for all of us. However, the quality of the sushi, perhaps because it's sitting on a belt for such a long time, is below average.

You can also order food from a touch screen tablet at your table and the dish will arrive on a separate conveyor belt. There are two levels: Guests can choose standard sushi dishes from the lower belt (kind of like baggage at the airport) and the upper is dedicated to delivering ordered dishes to a specific table. This upper belt is controlled, in conjunction with sensors at each table, to assure the dish stops at the right spot. It's pretty slick. Below, my son's grabbing a dish we ordered from that upper belt.

What really motivates the kids, though, are the cartoons and prizes. Every five dishes gets you a silly animated short on the monitor and, for every fifteenth, a ball rolls down from a dispenser to your table. Inside the red ball is a knick-knack (like a tiny Post-It note pad you'll lose in a day or two).

Did we have a great time? Are we glad we went? Yes and yes. However, the quality of the sushi was the lowest of the half dozen or so restaurants we tried during our recent trip to southern California. Some restaurant try to get you to buy more sushi by selling you good food at a value. Some use gimicks. Kula is in the category of the latter.

Safeway Thanksgiving dinner-in-a-box

For Thanksgiving yesterday we got Safeway's boxed Thanksgiving meal. For $49.95 we got what you see in the picture above. The turkey was about ten pounds. Between two adults and two twelve-year-olds we ate about half of everything, including the bird.

What we received from Safeway was a good value, especially considering how much work it saved us. But, a similar offering from Lucky this year also included a green bean casserole and rolls. We tried Safeway this year, though, partly because it's closer and partly because we hadn't tried their packaged Thanksgiving dinner before.

The turkey, precooked, was tender and the aroma filled our home as if we made it from scratch ourselves. I would get this package again, but am more likely to go with Lucky next time because of the value. Whether you get a Safeway or Lucky turkey, though, be sure to pick it up about three days in advance to let it thaw in the fridge in time for Thanksgiving.

Gen--San Jose, CA

Hawaiian beef on the left, shrimp in the middle, Beef Bulgogi on the right and garlic chicken at 12 o'clock. 

We took the boys to Gen for Korean barbecue for their birthday two days ago. This place is worth all the internet hype. We had a delightful time and the service was top notch. I almost always tip more than 15% but never 20%; that is, until Monday. The grill was replaced five times or so and the server constantly took the initiative to ask if we wanted more food.

We got there at about 11:00 and could have ordered off the dinner menu, which offers about half a dozen more items than the lunch menu. However, the all-you-can-eat lunch offered plenty of offerings including small intestine, steak and shrimp. The best of all, we thought, was the pork chop--it's a must have.

Get there after noon and you'll probably need to wait.

The story of our lives--at least two hours of it. In all, 24 dishes.

CreaTEAve by Hello Desserts--San Jose

I had my best-ever cup of boba tea yesterday and I made it myself! The CreaTEAve model is for the customer to add his own ingredients. This includes ice, creamer and unlimited toppings. You then present your cup of goodies to the cashier, who will top it off with a plastic film and shake it for you.

Not a quick thinker on my feet, I was a little confused at first. But, the teenager behind me guided me through it. There are enough signs and recommendations along the way so you won't mess it up, but the best piece of advice is to go for low sweetness when adding the sweetener.

If this were next door or within biking distance of home, I'd be a regular here. But, alas, the parking in this mall, Pacific Rim Plaza, is positively hopeless so it'll be forever and a day before I can make it back.