A San Francisco Treat

Published on November 20, 2014November 19, 2014 by T.W.O.1 Comment

T.W.O. spent a weekend in San Francisco with family this past weekend to celebrate the arrival of BP3. We arrived on Friday and enjoyed a lovely meal at our favorite French restaurant, Gamine, located on Union Street in the Marina. We were greeted by the owner, Stefan and sat at our favorite table. The bistro style restaurant is the perfect cozy atmosphere for a cold SF Fall night. The chicken and lamb stew are amazing dishes and make sure to start with the French Onion Soup. Warning – do not ask for ketchup…you will offend Stefan!

Saturday was a beautiful day spent outside running around the city. It wasn;t a complete day without a bridge run and a trip to Le Marais Bakery on Chestnut. Later that evening we enjoyed a wonderful dinner later that night with family and ended the weekend with a baby shower in Tiberon. It was one weekend that goes in the books – simply the best!

Happy Travels Ahead,

California Pizza Road-trip

Published on February 28, 2014February 25, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

In honor of Friday Night Pizza, T.W.O. will be featuring our favorite pizza places in California. Each places has a unique touch that keeps us coming back. Not only is the pizza good, the ambiance and the people you are worth make the experience that much better. Enjoy reading about our favorites.

ZeroZero, San Francisco

ZeroZero is obviously named after the flour that is used to make the pizza dough. That being said, by using 00 Flour and a stone oven, it’s safe to safe the pizza has a light, airy and fluffy crust. Not to mention the dough is sweet. Combining the dough with fungi or vegetables and even their seasonal special that incorporates fresh produce to make a delectable masterpiece. ZeroZero does it write! Start the meal with a beet salad and a side of fresh pasta. The lamb rague is awesome. Can’t forget about the wine on tap too! The rose is great!! The final course – an afrigato. Yes, ice cream covered in a an expression shot. Make your reservation early, this is a popular place!! Don’t forget to send you post card to T.W.O. To tell us about your meal!

Una Pizza Napolentana, San Francisco

Minimalist. Tradition. Perfection. It’s a one guy show at this restaurant. Immediately you walk into this place thinking that you are going to be impressed. It’s a white wall, concrete floor filled space that is commonly covered in flour. Yes, one guy. His kitchen is set up in the middle of the restaurant or should I call it an art exhibit. That’s the feel you get. Now for the pizzas-there isn’t many, but that’s okay because you don’t need much. Margarita, Bianca, traditional-take your pick. Each person orders a pizza for them self. And you will be disappointed when you fits his it yourself. Don’t expect salads or anything else on the menu. It’s all about the pizza. Pair it with wine or a beer and finish the meal off with coffee. That it. You will be coming back for more! There are no reservations for this place, so be sure to get there early. Once the pizza dough runs out, that’s it. Closed for business’s. Enjoy!

Pizza Port, Solana Beach

A day after the Del Mar horse races calls for a meal at Pizza Port. Located near the train station, this traditional pizza parlor has the best pizza in San Diego County. Grab your friends, a booth and a pitcher of beer and enjoy the big slices of Pizza Port.

Pizzeria Mozza, Newport Beach

Tucked in a corner of Newport Beach along Pacific Coast Highway, this gem is a great dinner spot for friends, couples or company events. (They have a great private room) Pizzeria Mozza specializes in wordfire pizzas along with salads, pastas and one of our favorite desserts in Orange County….Butterscotch Budino. Grab some friends and make this a stop on your drive up PCH. You won’t be disappointed!

Happy Friday Night Pizza Night!

Goodbye San Francisco, Hello Southern California

Published on January 6, 2014January 5, 2014 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

After nine and a half years, it was time for T.W.O. to be back in the same city. We went to college in different cities – San Diego and Santa Barbara- and then we began our careers in different cities – San Diego and San Francisco. Five and a half years of living in San Francisco, K will be now moving back to the sunny, sandal wearing, coastal part of California. San Francisco was a great chapter and this post will be dedicated to some of the best moments K had in San Francisco. Along the way friends were made, goals completed, became Vice President of the Walk to Work Club, volunteered, experienced city living, shared many laughs, captured many moments with the camera and most importantly learned more about myself. I am truly going to miss my family and my friends that still live back in SF, but I know that I will be visiting. You can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t keep her from visiting! Cheers to memories that will stay with me forever!

The Views Bay to Breakers

Fleet Week

Union Street + North Beach Festival

Bay Area Sporting Events

Friends + Family

Ciao Ciao San Francisco!

Pesto, Potato and Garlic Pizza

Published on December 20, 2013December 19, 2013 by T.W.O.1 Comment

Friday Night Pizza Night with T.W.O.! This week we are featuring a hearty pizza that includes pesto, potatoes and garlic. We adapted the recipe from one of our favorite pizza parlors in San Francisco – ZA Pizza! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Ingredients

– Pizza dough*
– Cornmeal
– Flour
– Pesto**
– 2 red potatoes, thinly sliced
– 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
– 2-3 cups mozzarella

*T.W.O. used pizza dough from VJB Deli.
** T.W.O. used Bolani Basil Pesto (all natural, low fat)

Preheat oven to 425ᴼF.

Season the thinly, sliced potatoes with salt, pepper and oregano. Place the potatoes on a greased cookie sheet and cook for 20 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, roll out the pizza dough on a floured/ cornmeal surface. Once the dough is evenly rolled out, transfer the dough to a greased cookie sheet. Next, take the pesto and spread it on the dough, making sure you reach all the edges. Then add the mozzarella to the pizza. Take the garlic and sprinkle it evenly on top of cheese.

Once the potatoes are done (they should be soft, but not mushy), add the slices of potatoes to the top of the pizza.

Let the pizza rise for about 15 minutes. Note – you don’t want to put the pizza in a cold oven, so make sure your oven reaches 425ᴼF.Once the oven is ready, place the pizza in the oven and watch closely. Do not open the oven door, as you want to keep the heat in. The pizza will take 15-20 minutes. Once done, take the pizza out of the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes prior to cutting.

That’s amore!

A San Francisco Weekend

Published on November 5, 2013November 4, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

T.W.O. reunited in San Francisco this past weekend and had a great time with friends and family! Below are some highlights of the fabulous three days.

Ferry Building

A marketplace, office space, meeting spot and event space – this building has it all. Not only is the architecture of the building spectacular with its high ceilings and natural light, it is also an iconic building to the city with its 245-foot tall clock tower that was designed after the 12th-century Giralda bell tower in Sevilla, Spain. In the 1930’s, the Ferry Building was the second busiest transit terminal in the world, but with the construction of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge, it has become less of a transit terminal and more of a marketplace.

Chili Night Dinner Party

Being the first day of November, T.W.O. deiced to cook chili and cornbread for their small dinner party. In addition to the Fall menu, T.W.O. created a tablescape that gave the small city apartment a cozy feel. It was a wonderful night of good food, views and people. The cornbread recipe can be found HERE and we will be featuring the chili recipe on Thursday.

Golden Gate Bridge Runs

On the weekends, T.W.O. likes to start off the day with a great exercise. It helps that there is a spectacular view along the way! (Well sometimes…if it’s a typical San Francisco morning, you might not see the bridge, yet alone the water.)

Sonoma County Afternoon Drive

Forty-five minutes across the Golden Gate Bridge and you are in wine country! T.W.O. + family took a day trip to get out of the city and enjoy the beautiful scenery, food and wineries. They went to three wineries – VJB Cellars, Imagery and Ram’s Gate. In the next couple of weeks we will be highlighting each winery individually. Stay tuned!

A 25 Mile Bike Tour Over The Golden Gate Bridge

Published on October 30, 2013October 28, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

This past weekend T.W.O.’s family was in town to visit San Francisco. And like most visits, we try to accomplish a new activity. This time, T.W.O. & family decided to rent bikes and ride across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and back. Our 25 mile journey was filled with steep hills, long inclines, great views, perfect weather and wonderful people.

Since some of us didn’t have road bikes, we had to rent hybrid bikes from the local shop on Lombard Street – Bike & View. Book online before going to the shop to pick up your bike…you save $10! T.W.O. highly recommends using Bike & View. The store was located in a convenient location, service was spectacular and the bikes were durable. Each rental comes with a bike lock and helmet. Safety first!

Golden Gate Bridge Crossing

Crossing the GG Bridge on a bike is exhilarating. Being that high up on a bridge with water beneath you while pedestrians and cars are near, gets your heart rate pumping. On the way back, the fog horn was going off which meant that a portion of the bridge was fogged in. Yep, that’s right- we had to ride through a fog bank to get to the other side. Once we crossed, the sun was shining again and it was 10 degrees colder in SF than it was in Marin.

Cavallo Point

Once we dropped down into Sausalito we rode to Cavallo Point to see the hotel and great views this resort has to offer. It’s a great spot to grab brunch or a sunset drink on a clear day.

Sausalito

After leaving Cavallo Point, we rode through the town. The streets were bustling and the restaurants were crowded with people enjoying the beautiful Saturday afternoon.

Fish

Just north of the town center is one of T.W.O.’s favorite lunch spots, Fish. This was a great spot to stop for the halfway point on the ride. Known for their views and seafood, Fish offers a variety of food for everyone’s taste buds. Fish sandwiches, salads, oysters, soups, and hamburgers – you can’t go wrong at Fish. Note – they only take cash, so make sure you hit up the ATM prior to going unless you want to pay the ATM fee onsite.

T.W.O. & family had a great time riding and exploring on Saturday. After 25 miles of some challenging hills (the hill coming out of Sausalito towards the GG Bridge), a great meal and adventures, we all can’t wait to do it again soon! Hopefully with the entire family!

Happy trails ahead!

Flour + Water (San Francisco)

Published on September 19, 2013September 19, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Flour + Water is a Italian restaurant located in the Mission District of San Francisco. All their pasta is homemade, just like they do in Italy. The Neapolitan style pizza is a fan-favorite as well as the whole animal utilization in their dishes. The menu is constantly changing to capture the season’s best vegetables. T.W.O. had a chance to eat here in August and enjoy their tasting menu. Note – please do not read this while you are hungry….you will be starving after!

Summer Tasting Menu

crispy trotter with eggplant, almond, confit shallot & pickled mustard seed

2012 Bisson, Glera, Marca Trevigian, Veneto

teleme scarpinocc with aceto balsamico

2011 St. Michael-Eppan, Pinot Bianco, Schulthauser, Alto Adige DOC

fennel tortelli with whey, bufala & pollen

2010 Vigneti Massa, Timorasso, Derthona, Colli Tortonesi DOC, Piemonte

salmon tortellini with tomato, crème fraîche & preserved lemon

2011 Poggio dei Gorleri, Ormeasco di Pornassio DOC, Peinetti, Liguria

carrot farfalle with braised hen, charred scallion & carrot top gremolata

2011 Montalbera, Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato DOC, Piemonte

bomboloni with tarragon crema & strawberry

2012 De Forville, Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Piemonte

The atmosphere of the restaurant is rustic, artistic and inviting. T.W.O. enjoyed sitting at the community farm-fresh table at the front of the restaurant. There are private tables near the back, along with a bar that looks like a great place to enjoy a glass of wine as you wait for your table. The atmosphere is great for a group, a date or even friends catching up, especially with the great playlist they have on!

Flour + Water does takes reservations, but if you forget and just walk in, there is usually a wait time of over an hour. The foodies will line-up at 5 o’clock waiting for the gastronomical experience….consider T.W.O. one of those people!

San Francisco’s Off the Grid Presidio Picnic

Published on August 28, 2013August 22, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Every Sunday, dozens of gourmet food trucks, bakeries, and fresh produce stands gather in San Francisco’s Presidio for one of the largest public picnics T.W.O. has ever seen. There is live music, vendors walking around with wagons selling Bloody Mary kits, wine, beer and champagne and the best free entertainment-people watching! T.W.O. brought along a picnic basket, blanket and of course, a bottle of Rosé for a lovely afternoon sitting in the sun, while enjoying great company with family and 300 of their closest friends! Below are some photos of T.W.O.’s Presidio Picnic adventure!

(Click the mosaic to see a slideshow of the photos)

Friday Night Pizza

Published on August 23, 2013August 21, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Friday Night Pizza has been a tradition in T.W.O.’s family for decades. It’s one night of the week that everyone partakes in the preparation of dinner by creating his or her own pizza. It’s all about the dough, the ingredients and the cooking style that makes every week a unique experiment. We aren’t afraid of trying new recipes and of course making it our own….T.W.O.!

T.W.O.’s first featured Friday Night Pizza was taken place in San Francisco with family. Around 6pm, everyone was in the kitchen chopping, shredding and dicing their favorite ingredients.

The chefs made a total of 4 pizzas:

1. Peach & Ricotta Pizza with Arugula
2. BBQ Chicken Pizza
3. Deep Dish Pizza
4. Chicken & Pesto Pizza

PHOTOS BELOW:

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T.W.O. will be featuring the Peach & Ricotta Pizza with Arugula

Ingredients:

1 – pizza dough (T.W.O. suggests using SF’s Molinari’s pizza dough or Whole Food’s brand)
1 – yellow peach, ripe
1 – cup ricotta cheese
2 – tablespoons honey
½ – cup balsamic vinegar
1- tablespoon olive oil
¼ – cup lemon juice
8-10- fresh basil leaves
1 ½- cups arugula
¼ – cup cornmeal
Flour
Pizza Stone

The key to having a perfectly rolled out pizza is to make sure the dough is at room temperature. Roll out the dough on a floured surface that is lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Once rolled out evenly in a circular shape, place the dough on a pizza stone. T.W.O. decided to bake their pizza on a stone so that the crust would be thinner and the peaches would not be buried inside the dough.

In a separate bowl, mix the arugula, olive oil, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. Place aside for later.

Now it’s ricotta time! First, add the honey to the ricotta and mix well. Spread the ricotta/ honey mixture evenly on the dough. Make sure your spread it all the way to the edges. Thinly slice the peaches and remove the stems from the basil. Next, place the peaches and basil on the ricotta. Once the pizza is “dressed,” start the BBQ. It is important to make sure the BBQ is pre-heated so that it cooks at the set temperature. (The temperature should be around 414° – 450° depending on your BBQ)

BBQ the pizza for about 15 minutes, depending on how you like your crust. T.W.O. highly suggests that you take your glass of wine out to the BBQ and watch the pizza, so you achieve the perfect crust and not a charbroiled crisp!

Once the pizza is done, drizzle ¼ cup of the remaining balsamic vinegar on the peach, ricotta and basil topping. To finish, add the arugula salad to the top of the pizza. Now you are ready to serve! Bon Appetit!

Wine Pairing Suggestions: Kaz, Winemakers Red Blend (of course, signed by the winemaker himself!)

The Silk Headband

Published on August 21, 2013August 21, 2013 by T.W.O.Leave a comment

Many of our favorite designers featured silk, twisted headbands in their summer line this year. T.W.O. was in search of the perfect one for their trip to España. After a couple shopping trips, T.W.O. decided that there wasn’t a print out there that was worth the money, so T.W.O.’s mom stepped in and offered her sewing services. Technology these days helped T.W.O. select the material in a matter of minutes since they were unable to accompany their mom to the fabric store. Thank you Apple!