Hard to believe that my whirlwind trip to the Bay Area was a week ago. It was a perfect break to do some fun things which included baseball, wine, and food as usual. Since we are talking about food and travel, I find myself reminiscing about a great little breakfast place that I ate at on the way home. My best friend and I decided to leave San Francisco early as we wanted to have ample time to  do some wine tasting on the way home. If you follow my Instagram then you know we made plenty of time to sample some wine in Napa and Sonoma county. The hotel didn’t offer much for breakfast and we wanted to beat traffic on a Tuesday morning. So, we decided to head north out of the city a few miles before we started hunting for a suitable breakfast.

Let me say that my best friend and I aren’t well known for planning all of our stops on any trip. We typically just feel it out and go with what makes the most sense. I fully admit that sometimes that approach works out and sometimes not.  However, that is a story for another time. We began to look for the best breakfast places within 20 or 30 miles of where we were on the highway. Much to our surprise there were a number of places that stood out, but there was one place that stood out above the rest. This place had killer reviews from Google and was exactly what we had in mind. A little place to get some coffee and have some good food before making our long trek home. Not only that, but we couldn’t pass up the name of the place either, Bogie’s Cafe.

Just off of Highway 101 North in San Pedro, CA was Bogie’s Cafe. The building had a simple exterior with a little patio and it was tucked in behind a gas station. We opened the door to another world full of color and an homage to that quaint breakfast kitchen that you know only produces delicious food. Better than that is the owner/manager who doesn’t just seat you, but he wants to interact with you like you are part of the family. I don’t just mean, “Welcome to……., please follow me and have a seat.” We talked about jobs, travel, sports, our travels, social media, blogging, and I don’t know what else. He topped off our coffee with effort and ease and made sure that we had what needed. The menu was simple but had a variety of options to choose from. It wasn’t fussy breakfast in any way just simple and delicious food. After we received our plates, Michael, the owner, even indulged me while I took my plate outside to get more natural light in my photo.

Ohh….thats right, the food!!!!

2 pancakes, 2 eggs scrambled, and 2 strips of bacon.

Those pancakes took up almost the whole plate!! No joke. The pancakes were fluffy, hot, and beyond satisfying! The eggs were perfectly cooked silky and smooth. Finally, the bacon give a little texture and some much needed richness. Topped with some syrup this was a perfect breakfast trio and was exactly what the doctor ordered. Oh, my best friend ordered a waffle that was pretty close to the same size as my pancakes!! He again topped his off with some eggs, bacon, and went to work. Let me say, I left no pancakes behind as was my personal mission. My best friend and I, who are big eaters, found that we didn’t need any more food until we returned home. It sure took the worry out of wine tasting on a empty stomach.

Before we left, we had one last mission as I had professed that I would be blogging about this delectable culinary find. We were graced with the presence of a Bogie’s Cafe celebrity and had to have our photo taken to cement our visit. If you want to know more about this celebrity sighting then comment “sighting” in my comment, send me an email or let me know on my Instagram post.

So, if you find yourself on 101 North of San Francisco and headed towards San Pedro in Marin County, stop by Bogie’s Cafe. Better yet, just put it on your must do list next time you are in the area! You won’t be disappointed and I already can’t wait to go back and eat all over again!

My great thanks to Michael and his team at Bogie’s Cafe for their incredible service, hospitality, and delightful food! It was absolutely one of the highlights of our trip! Thank you so much!!

Enjoy!

As we approach Mother’s Day, I was looking back and thinking about my original post in which I shared all the food that I made for my mom a few years ago. It was a solid post, but I failed to do one thing. I didn’t really give you the recipes to make the dishes. I gave you a menu, which was cool, but I think that post fell a wee bit short of my intended goal.  Well, that is about to change right now!

I had planned a weekend full of food while she was here, which was met with some excitement and terror about how could we possibly do all that eating in such a short period of time.  Even though I had planned about five or six home cooked meals I made sure that these meals could be made with fair ease. Either I had everything I needed in my house or I needed to grab a few staple items from my local store. What’s the point of having family visit if you are stuck in the kitchen the whole time?? Not conducive for spending a proper weekend with mom that is for sure!

Below are some great meal options for your upcoming weekend with your mom or any family that may visiting soon. I know summer is right around the corner and that means an onslaught of guests and visitors. Oh, just click on any of the links to get the complete recipe!

Breakfast:

Hash with sunny-side-up eggs will never let you down. A hash full of potatoes, onions, bell peppers, steak, and topped with some sunny side eggs will always be a winner! This is totally customizable and has unlimited combinations to please any palette.

French Toast with some fresh pineapple chunks, watermelon, strawberries, and blueberries. Don’t be fooled, this is french toast with a twist! By adding a little lemon or lime zest, which provides a perfect counterpoint to the richness of french toast. Trust me, this is a game changer!

Dinner:

Lime Marinated Sea Bass is a fresh, flavorful, easy dish that you can put on the table in about 25 minutes. The addition of lime, garlic, wine, and cilantro really helps bring a lot of flavor to a meaty fish. Doesn’t hurt to throw this on the grill and get the edges charred and crispy. If you are looking to serve up something with the fish, then may I introduce mango salsa and roasted carrots to your party.

Pasta Bolognese is a classic Italian meat sauce with rich, deep meaty flavors that can bring joy to any dinner. Paired with some crusty garlic bread, a fresh salad, a glass of wine, and you are set!

I didn’t cover lunch because I feel like it is a perfect opportunity for a super light dish or maybe a chance to get out of the house and head to your favorite restaurant. It can be really nice to break up the routine with a lunch out or grabbing a coffee and a beloved pastry. If you feel neglected because I didn’t include at least one lunch option, well, here you go. Now you can’t complain that I didn’t give you anything! 🙂

I have learned that Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be about “stuff” and slaving away so Mom knows you are paying attention. It is about taking the time to always appreciate why your family is special to you. This is something that I have personally discussed with my Mom as well. There are three hundred and sixty-four other days to appreciate her as well, but do we? I know I don’t always stop to appreciate her. But I should and more importantly, I need to show that appreciation. Life is short and a gift, so why not take five seconds and express that gratitude?