La Bodeguita del Medio

I really feel the Bay Area and especially Silicon Valley is top notch when it comes to restaurants and variety. I'm not a fan of chain restaurants and I feel so fortunate to live so close to many small, unique places to eat. And I feel the competition is so fierce here, you have to be good to survive. Since we know our time in Palo Alto is somewhat limited, Marc and I have made a deal that whenever we go out to eat, we will try someplace new. The sad part is, since we don't get to go out often, when there is a place we really like, I know we probably wont be going there again. A small thing to complain about: too many good places to eat.


This past week we went out for our 10-year anniversary! Whoop whoop! Thanks to Taylor for stepping in last minute to watch our sweet new baby and two sleeping children. We went to a Cuban restaurant on California Ave, La Bodeguita del Medio. I didn't take any pictures, but I found a pic of what I got on the internet. It's not the best picture but probably better than I could take.

I ordered the Tierra Y Mar which was skirt steak and cocunut crusted shrimp drizzled with a cilantro/avocado pesto. Oh boy! Was this yummy. Disclaimer: I'm in love with cilantro so that could bias my opinion, because I generally devour anything with cilantro involved. But the steak was cooked perfectly and was so yummy tender. The shrimp was not overly battered but had that subtle sweet cocunut taste. And the pesto (the part that had cilantro in it), well, if I was not in public, I seriously would have licked the plate clean.

Marc ordered the Ropa Vieja, a traditional Cuban dish of shredded skirt steak, peppers and tomatoes served over rice and fried plantains. His was good. But, we both agreed, mine was better. I always feel guilty when I order the better dish, but I also was a little happy inside. Is that bad?

Enough said? Try it out. I don't think you will be dissapointed. We weren't. But, we also hadn't been out to eat in two months and were starving for some time away from the kids. You are an angel Taylor.