Rose International Market

A spot where one of my long time friends and I like to go to is Rose International Market. There are two locations. One in Downtown Mt. View, CA off Castro, and the other in Downtown Saratoga, CA off of Big Basin Way. Their menu consists of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. I like to order a variety of things from here, but my favorite is pictured below. I get some chicken and "koobieh" ground beef kabobs along with some grilled vegetables. This is all served on top of some fresh pieces of lavash bread to tear off and pick at your meal with. Even though both restaurants have been around for a while, I tend to like the Mt. View location a little better.

"Eat More Kale"

In effort to balance my not so good eating habits, I have been trying to eat things that are nutritionally better for me more often. Kale is one of those magical things that when you eat it by itself, it takes more calories to burn it off  than it actually has in itself. Kale has been getting a lot of hype lately for some reason. Lately, being in the news for the "Eat More Kale" logo printed on shirts going against the Chick-fil-A Corporation trying to take down a small time shirt seller. Anyways.. this in all I guess is a good thing, except for the T-shirt man. I have been only eating kale now for the past 7 years. More and more each year. I have been finding new ways to enjoy kale by talking about it with friends, and sharing ideas. So I guess the slogan is right... Everyone should eat more kale. It is one of the best things you can eat. Having the most nutrients per calorie than anything else. Kale is very rich in calcium, vitamin c, vitamin k, and is known to have anti- cancer fighting properties in it.

Although eating it raw is the best way to consume kale. It can be tough for some peoples pallets. I believe consuming as much as possible in any form can't hurt. If you have never had kale before, try stripping it from it's stock and rinsing it. Then chop it up to smaller pieces and throw it into a hot soup when it is finished. It almost replicates spinach in a way.

I also enjoy eating kale chips. They are dehydrated kale leaves, with a sauce pasted on them before they are dried crispy. The only problem is these things are on the expensive side, and I only get them once in a while. I hope to one day make my own!

Kale inA Krunch - Habanero Ranch Kale Chips

Roli Roti

With all the food truck craze sweeping the nation, I decided to showcase my favorite food truck. ROLI ROTI! What does that stand for you ask? Rolling Rotisserie. YES! It is a rotisserie only food truck serving up succulent slow cooked meats. Roli Roti is considered the "Grandfather of Gourmet Street Food". Owner Thomas Odermatt is son to a Swiss master butcher that learned the importance of choice cut meats and poultry. Blended with his mothers cooking techniques and a masters degree in organic farming make him a master foodie in my eyes. Making his journey to America and witnessing all the speedy dry cooking techniques of meat probably made him go crazy. So the idea of showcasing his slow cooked succulent rotisserie meats on a food truck, spread out amongst one of the most diverse food cultures in the world couldn't possibly ever fail, right? I will let you be the judge.

If you ever have the pleasure of wrapping your mouth around a Roli Roti Porchetta Sandwich, you will then only know how I say it is one of the best sandwiches I have ever had. It all starts off with the fresh localy baked Acme roll. They then add slices of the slow rotisserie herbed pork loin that was wrapped in a skin on pork belly. They top this all off with onion marmalade, arugula micro greens and a pinch of rosemary salt. This sandwich is the total package.  A soft roll stuffed with sweet, savory, salty, peppery, and surprise crunchy morsels. One bite and you will be hooked!

Roli Roti Truck/ Rotisserie Pork Knuckles and Porchetta

Porchetta Sandwich

 Pictures Courtesy of Richard Park Photography

You can learn more about Roli Roti by visiting their website - http://www.roliroti.com/

Squeeze Inn

Another hamburger posting! Hmmm... Maybe the all American burger is one of my many needed cravings. Well this burger is one of the most ridiculous cravings around. What sets this burger apart from others is the bubbling cheese skirt. They pretty much put as much cheese as bun. The handful of shredded cheese is piled on top of  a 1/3 pound beef patty then covered and steamed with chunks of ice on the flat top. The result is a crispy cheese skirt that completely overtakes everything called a "Squeeze With Cheese".  Squeeze Inn has four locations surrounding the greater Sacramento area, and has been growing steadily over the past few years since their appearance on Diners Drive-ins and Dives. The name Squeeze Inn comes from the original restaurant that was so small and popular, everyone had to squeeze in to fit. Please try with caution!!

Squeeze with Cheese

Cheese Skirt

Squeeze Inn website