Pizza from Uncle Vitos, Lower Nob Hill, SF.

I live a block away from here, pass it a few times a day and have never been. So my roommate and I decided to check it out and order a build-your-own. Let's see--we've got some pesto, artichokes, red onion, pepperoni, black olives and cheese. It was pretty darn good. :)

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4th of July Mixed-berry lemon bundt cake.

Lemon cake batter with fresh strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.

Pretty, pretty bundt cake, but I didn't have time to let it cool!

So I did this.. :) Hahahahahha..

And this is how I saved the cake. It was super delicious and perfect for the late night boat ride!

Happy 4th of July! The boat ride was amazing. :)

Sun-dried tomato tortellini pasta salad.

Pesto tortellini, sun-dried tomatoes, a little balsamic vin, some spices, parmesan cheese and slivered almonds.

Mixed and yum! I should get more into pasta salads.

RECIPE

Tortellini Mix:

• Cook one package refrigerated tortellini as directed.
• Drain well and add into a medium-large mixing bowl.
• Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Add 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes.
• Add 1/4 cup slivered almonds (Toasted if you would like them crunchy!).
• Toss in a small handful of shredded parmesan cheese.

Balsamic Sauce:

• Pour 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar into a small bowl.
• Add fresh ground black pepper, Italian seasoning, dried basil, and garlic salt to taste (I use shakers and do about 4 shakes.)
• Optional - Add crushed red pepper for a little kick.
• Optional - Add 1 teaspoon of Caesar dressing to make it a little creamier.
• Add Balsamic Sauce to Tortellini Mix, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired taste.

Drinks with Rob at Gitane, Financial District, SF.

Oh, Gitane, how I love thee.

My favorite bartender at Gitane. And my favorite Rob.

I ordered a South Side and got this--their spin on the South Side. :)

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Hahn's Hibachi Korean BBQ, Nob Hill, SF.

Not the best, especially for the price.

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Cinnamon apple toast.

Cinnamon swirl bread, gruyere cheese, sliced Fuji apples--baked and dusted with a little cinnamon.

Snacking at The Grove, Fillmore, SF.

After doing some shopping along Fillmore (got some great stuff at Marc by Marc Jacobs) KM and I stopped at The Grove for some refreshing smoothies. I can't remember what the one above is called, but it's strawberry based and is always delicious! At The Grove they only have one size--LARGE--but it's $5 with tax, so it's not a bad deal.

The "Green Machine" shake.

And, of course, we had to share one of their ginormous chocolate chip cookies!

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Thai cookery with KM.

Cooking some red curry with basil, tomatoes, tofu and cilantro.

Red curry. This was NOT good. The curry was from Trader Joe's and was definitely a miss.

Phad thai with shrimp and crispy tofu.

Vegan Bake Sale, Mission Dolores, SF.

KM and I were craving Ike's so we went for some sandwiches and found a great vegan bake sale just outside. I got a slice of walnut pie to eat while waiting for my sandwich. I have to be honest--it wasn't the best, but I have had some very good vegan baked goods in the past.

SF Iron Chef Grill Off Burger Challenge, Ferry Building, SF.

KM and I went out to the 2nd annual SF Iron Chef Grill Off at the Ferry Building. The Ferry Building is always busy on Saturday mornings with the street fair and the Farmer's Market, but it was particularly crowded this morning! That paired with the fact that this event wasn't very well organized made things a little annoying. I wanted to stay and try some burgers, but it was just impossible to figure anything out and you really couldn't see much either.

The chef on the left is Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake and now Orson. She was recently on Top Chef Masters, where she received the lowest ranking score for her round. I think her restaurants are just okay, but whenever I see her on the Food Network she seems a lot more impressive than I would think from her restaurants.