Why did you make this site?
Multiple reasons! I love food and drink, first and foremost. I tend to share information about places I visit, recipes I make, etc., whether they ask or not. LOL. I enjoy sharing with people who are genuinely interested in my opinions. I figured this would be a fun way to not only keep track of everywhere I eat, drink, and all of the things I try to cook but also to have a place to send people when they ask me, “Where should I go eat in______” or have you tried “______.” This site seems more manageable than all the emails with a billion links to places, etc. I wanted an easy place to refer back to to remember what I liked and why about recipes, places, products, and things.
Why don’t you review meats? Will you ever?
Easy! I stopped eating beef, pork, and lamb in 1995. A Doctor I was seeing for some “issues” recommended I try to stop eating meat to see if I’d feel better. I laughed because, hello, I was raised eating ALL meat. We had a meat market for pug’s sake. I felt better and was so sad to say goodbye to some of my favorites like corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes, but I felt 1000% better. I then focused on poultry and fish. At some point, I was getting so sick of poultry; frankly, it was grossing me out. So, I stopped eating poultry at Thanksgiving 2013 (or 2012?). Voila! I was a “pescatarian,” or so I was told. Then, many thoughts and things changed for me, and as of December 2017, I stopped eating fish and have been about 98% Plant-Based ever since!! I LOVE IT!!! I would NEVER go back.
Can I request that you review a restaurant, cafe, bar, recipe, or product?
YES!!! I would love to! Just go to Contact Us and choose from the drop-down menu. I enjoy trying new places and things and will try almost anything. I am happy to review establishments and test recipes for food and alcoholic beverages, products, gadgets, Pug/dog-related items, and more. If I try something and don’t have anything nice to say about it, you will not find it here on my site. I will email you privately and explain my findings. I frequent several cities in Northern and Southern California, Seattle (and surrounding cities and islands), Oregon, and many more.
What makes YOU an expert on food and stuff?!?!
I am not an expert! I am very particular; some say picky. Whatever. All content on this site is 100% my opinion based on my tastes, what I like, and what I expect. This site will be handy and fun if your ideas align with mine. I like simple and also complicated dishes. I love particular gadgets and detest others. It’s all just my opinion. I like common sense, but I do overthink things (sometimes.. ok all the time). I worked in the restaurant industry for years, and I have certain expectations regarding service and cleanliness. I love variety and enjoy learning about cooking and techniques via CIA in St. Helena, other cooking schools, friends, and the Internet.
** Alcohol note: I do love the drink. I’m not fond of sweet drinks, but I will try anything once, or twice.
Where do you find recipes to try?
EVERYWHERE! I use numerous cookbooks, magazines, many food websites, blogs, and requests from friends or anyone else. If it sounds and looks good, I try it.
Are you professionally trained in cooking?
Nope, it’s just a hobby and necessity. I enjoy taking cooking classes, boot camps, and learning online. I am in a constant state of learning!
How do you choose which restaurants/bars to go to or review?
It’s all about my mood. It’s that simple, really. Unless my friends disagree with my food mood (barely ever LOL). I over-research everything, especially food and drink. I know exactly what I am getting into before I go. Also, if I see that someone went to a particular place and enjoyed it, I put it on my long list of “places I need to check out.”
Will you review a place or recipe more than once? What if it wasn’t a good review?
Yes! Of course, I have many favorite places that I frequent. I will update those places as I visit and try new items off the menu. I could revisit an establishment if the experience were sub-par, but I feel it has potential. The exception would be if the place had an overall negative vibe, lousy food and service, or was unclean. At that point, I would have to be convinced. I won’t ever badmouth an establishment but instead, try to be informative and helpful. I believe a lot of places don’t even realize some of the mistakes they are making, or they are totally unaware of issues. I have no problem speaking up and will talk to management if there are any issues and will share the resolution if there is one. I am not shy about sharing my thoughts and experiences with owners and management. I want to see people succeed, and if I don’t speak up, how would they know?