Hey hey!! I have one more day to catch up on posts before taking off for Ohio! I’ll be MIA till probably mid next week, but can’t wait to catch up on all your happenings then 🙂
After our hike, DJ and I blasted the heat in the car (it was freezin’ out there!) and then headed home to get ready. I was invited to Abstract Table in Oakland to try out their “Atolls” menu complimentarily. I was ecstatic and honored to try it out & really excited DJ could go with me. We made a little date night out of it!
I have never actually drove through downtown Oakland before. I was taking in all the buildings & noting restaurant names as we drove along. “Ohhh, I wanna try that place out sometime!” I probably said five times as we drove along the main drag.
Abstract Table is located in The Gastropig and has seatings on Friday and Saturday at 6:30 pm/8 pm.
We opted for the earlier time slot since we live about an hour from Oakland (and so I could get some natural lighting for pics if we’re being real 😉 ).
I love the purpose and inspiration of their menu. Their mission is to bring awareness to the fragility of the coral reefs by bringing innovative, vibrant, and piquantly beautiful flavors and plated dishes to the Bay! You can read about it in detail in the description below.
The ambiance was super relaxed. It felt rustically casual, yet was clean and bright. They pride themselves on being fine dining, without the pretense and definitely nailed it! Also the menus are cheaper than most fine dining around. It is $50 for the five course or $70 for the seven course.
First, the waiter came out and offered us wines for the evening. Since it was mostly going to be seafood, we opted to try their white wines. I loved it- so crisp, great with the dishes. They served in little mini mason jars- so cute!!
The first course was an oyster, scallop, squid, leek, citrus and starfruit.
This is probably one of the most exquisite things I have ever eaten. It was a refreshing beginning to the meal!
Second Course: Shrimp & scallop dumplings with seaweed caviar, avocado powder, and dashi. They were good, but the best was yet to come!
Third course: Sea bean, guava, pineapple, black sesame wafer, and chili-yuzu vinaigrette. This was very sweet, but delicious.
Fourth course: Ashen octopus, chicharron, passion fruit, coconut pearls, and octopus jus. This was yummy! It was incredibly unique with the flavor, but I loved the boldness of the dish.
Fifth course: Wild boar belly with mango nectar poached carrot, jackfruit kimchi, and plantain puree. I was nervous to eat this whole dish since I don’t regularly eat meat- but I definitely had a few bites to try it out. It was tremendous!!! This was our favorite of the night. I don’t like the taste of meat, but this was so savory, without any dryness at all.
Sixth Course: Braised goat, pigeon peas, baby greens, kabocha curry, and smoked chili. DJ loved this one! I didn’t care for the goat, but I loveeed the curry and pigeon pea mix.
Seventh Course: Hawaiian cinnamon buckwheat cake with white chocolate-lime mousse, finger lime, chili sesame sand. Wow oh wow oh wow this dessert was magical!!! We were blown away.
We are so thankful have tried out this phenomenally constructed and executed menu! Thank you, Abstract Table and Chef Andrew David Greene, for having us!
On the morning of April 21st (Easter), I started the day with some avocado toast with hummus and everything but the bagel seasoning from TJ’s.
Easter outfit! Deej and I had to drive separately to church because he had to work a bit after.
We attended a lovely Easter church service and then DJ headed to work for a few hours. When he came home around 1 pm, we zipped up to SF.
I made us reservations at The Saratoga– A spot I’ve had my eye on for ages!!
It had a gorgeous industrial interior!
We started with some mimosa like drinks- both deliciously light, fruity, and not too overwhelmingly sweet.
We mainly wanted to try their Jenga Tots! These were truly tots with cream cheese, smoked salmon, cucumber, capers, and red onion. They were phe-nom-en-al!!! I am obsessed!!! This is a brunch dish at its finest. The actual tots had a wonderfully done crispy exterior with a savory, heavenly potato-ey pillow on the inside. I will dream of this.
We also tried their mimosa donut. This was a donut with a blood orange glaze and pop rocks. I didn’t notice any pop rock poppin’, but it was still absolutely delicious. I would love to enjoy one of these with coffee in the morning. In most pictures I’ve seen it usually has a more bright red/pink color, so I’m wondering if they did something to change the color for Easter? hmmm. Either way – fantastic donut!
After our scrumptious brunch, we headed to Ghirardelli square. Deej was having a little itch for one of their famous sundaes. The weather was as wonderful as it comes in the city– Bright, sunny, 70s, and even with the wind, not too cold- but also not too hot.
It sure was windy though! hehe.
But where there is wind– might as well take advantage of it for that wind-blown selfie, riiight? 😉
We made it!
The line was insanely long. Probably didn’t help that it was a holiday and a weekend. We decided we’d come back on another day.
Instead, we decided to go to the Palace of Fine Arts since I have never been before & it was within walking distance. DJ has been once and said it was definitely worth visiting!
It was one aesthetically magnificent building. We also saw this little guy swimming around.
It was much bigger than I expected! I have passed it in the distance many times while driving, but actually seeing it in person was a majestic experience.
At this point my dogs were barkin’!!! After allll my trips to SF you’d think I’d know which shoes to wear to take on the hills & miles of walking. Well, I completely over-estimated the comfort of the gray booties (my “most comfortable” pair of non-athletic shoes). Fashion or pain? Hard decision, ya know. But next time, I am totally sticking to the Adidas. Learned my lesson!
Since DJ had to work Monday (and we wanted to make sure to make it back on time to see Game of Thrones) we decided to take dinner to go and then just heat it up when we were hungry later. Of course, we had to hit somewhere on the bucket list! Barzotto here we come!
This is a cute little fast casual Italian restaurant located in the Mission. I have been stalking this specific dish, the snail shells with marinara, ricotta, lemon zest and pepper, for a few months now. We put in our GrubHub order, and it was ready just in time for when we pulled up.
Even though we took it to go, I told DJ we had to try at least one bite in the car so we could give it a fair evaluation of it fresh from the kitchen. It was soo yummy & actually even better than I expected considering I’m not a huge marinara pasta fan. The lemon zest combined with the soft, creamy ricotta was the most pleasant combination. We finished the rest up that night with other leftovers from the fridge.
When we got home I realized I had a bit of time before Game of Thrones. I did a mini fill-in grocery trip of essentials.
So, little tidbit- DJ doesn’t love going into the city as much as I do (actually… he doesn’t really prefer it), so the fact that he took the whole afternoon after working on one of his only days off (and the day before) to go with me meant a ton <3 As I was driving home I passed by CREAM and decided to surprise DJ with some as a little thank you! (And because I felt bad the line was soo long at Ghirardelli).
Chocolate on Oreo on Chocolate! Not exactly a Ghirardelli Sundae, but a close second 🙂
And that wraps up our Easter!
Question for you:
- Ok, so T-Swift dropped her new song last week. Would love to hear your thoughts. I thought it was ‘aight. Very happy, upbeat- definitely a “bop”. The “Spelling is fun” part took me aback a bit (it sounded like a movie soundtrack for a kids movie IMO). The actual music video was mesmerizing! I loveeeed that she collaborated with Brendon Urie. Their voices together was pure magic.
xo <3
Ha ha I love the 2 selfies ‘how-not-to-do-a-windy-day’ vs ‘how-to-do-a-windy-day’ selfie – its’ spontaneous and fun! Glad you are making the most of out SF before moving!
xoxo
Natalie
http://nataliesdailylife.wordpress.com/
Haha- glad you liked those, Natalie! 😆 💕
Always love your comments! Xoxo
Okay I have so many thoughts on this haha.
1) The wine pour at Abstract Table looks giant and as a big wine fan, I appreciate generous pours.
2) The presentation at Abstract Table is incredible. Since it’s seafood, it wouldn’t be my cup of tea but dang it is beautiful.
3) Where did you get that Easter dress?? Gorgeous!!! And the heels you wore? Swoon haha
4) Don’t you love when your man does something because he knows you like it? Love at it’s finest right there
5) So I didn’t mind the new Taylor Swift song until the spelling part. What was that about? Maybe this is harsh but it completely ruined the song for me. I do think her voice and Brandon Urie’s voice worked well and complimented each other. The video was very well done and I was impressed when they both spoke French. But the spelling part was dumb and like you said, it was like it’s for a kids movie or tv show. It makes me nervous for the rest of the album to be honest.
So glad you enjoyed this post! 🙂 I always LOVE hearing your thoughts!!
It was definitely generous- but they were pretty tiny mason jars that absolutely look much larger in photos- lol!!! I looked back at that picture and it does look huge! Hahah. I never complain about a large pour either though- the whole meal took 2.5 hours too- so I was glad for it.. a bit too long for a meal in my opinion!
The presentation was spectacular! Each dish that came out was a literal feast for the eyes!
Ahh thank you so much! Easter dress is from Express on Sale!! I think I got it for like $15 last summer!
Aw totalllly. I mean he realllly would have preferred to just stay at home, but the fact that he went with such a great attitude and didn’t say a word about it makes it even more meaningful too! Soooo selfless.
1000000% . I could not agree with you more on the T-swift song. The spelling part is where my opinion totally took a turn- I am kinda surprised she put that in there- I mean she is a lyrical genius so it seemed sooo elementary to put that there? There has to be a reason we don’t understand right now?
Some people made a great point that her first song released is usually her worst on the album- so that gives me some hope that maybe it will be better. I hated Look What You Made Me Do too. Hateeed it, but loved Reputation as a whole! Guess we’ll seeeee! Have a great day 🙂
A 2.5 meal?! That’s so long but sometimes it’s easy to not realize how long a meal is taking. I think our last night in Germany involved a couple hour long dinner. Sometimes the conversation and drinks are just flowing!
It’s crazy how much you eat with your eyes.
That dress looks way more expensive that $15. Even with getting it on sale, it looks like it would be close to $100 normally.
Yes! It was seriously so dumb to put it in. Wait I was going to mention how I didn’t like Look What You Made Me Do at all! When we saw her in concert last year I was so blah about it even live. I’ll be interested to see how the entire album goes now. It just seems weird she would put out the worst song first.
Right?! I think when it just happens because you are enjoying your company that much it’s different, but it was probably 20 ish minutes between each course! Crazy.
Oh my gosh! Thank you soo much! Nope it was pretty darn cheap- I actually have to use a safety pin for the bust area – but whatever makes it work right?!
Oh that’s interesting that you even felt that way when you saw her live too! Sometimes that will change opinions- I have never been to a Taylor concert but definitely will have to sometime . And I agree- wouldn’t you wanna put out your best or at least one of your favorites first?!! Oh I just had a thought !!! Maybe the point is to play a more polarizing song to get people talking and more publicity ?! Lol- like she needs it. Either way- cannot wait to hear this album !!! Hope you had a great weekend- I have your posts loaded on my laptop to catch up on the plane ! 🙂
20ish minutes between courses seems like a lot to me… I guess they want you there for the experience?
I’ve been there! At Alex’s brother wedding, I wore a romper and have to safety pin the closer since it wouldn’t stay shut. When we were in his parents room getting the clip, a family friend almost walked in on me half naked after using the bathroom. Oops!
I highly recommend seeing her live! I will admit that I was excited but not counting down the days to see her if that makes sense. Alex’s twin go tickets for Christmas and invited myself and her sister in law to go with. She was great live but I still didn’t like “Look What You Made Me Do”. I totally get the point of putting a more polarizing song out there so every talk about it. At this point though I feel like she doesn’t need to do that. My friends were in Nashville this weekend and showed the line of people waiting at her mural. It was insane! We’ll have to discuss once more songs come out.
I hope you had a wonderful weekend with family and I can’t wait to hear about it all!
I think so .. but the dishes were so tiny so they only took about 2 minutes to eat then we just waited and waited haha. But I’m not complaining- it was good having that really intentional time together!!
hahah oh my gosh your stories are the best
Ahh that’s seriously nuts that there is even a line for a mural!! We will definitely have to chat about it more as she releases more of the album!
Aw thanks so much, it was a whirlwind, but a great one for sure!
Chocolate on Oreo on Chocolate!!! Yummy!!! 🙂
Can’t go wrong with that combo, right?! 😋☺️
I didn’t do much for Easter so it was nice to catch up with what you did. Everything looks yummy and I love the selfies😃
Awww thanks so much, Miriam!! I am so glad you enjoyed this 🤗 have a great day!
Beautiful pics of a lovely couple! SF looked as beautiful as ever through your camera. Loved all the food pics too! Thanks for sharing and a Happy Belated Easter!
Thanks, Kalpana 🙂 so glad you liked these pics of SF too- it was just gorgeous that day! Thanks for stopping in!
looks like you had a lot of fun time. those seafood dishes were almost too pretty to eat. So not my style, but I was very impressed with them. I miss ghirdelli (we used to go to the one at Disney Springs) they have the best sundaes, so I don’t blame your guy for wanting one, but that cookie sandwich from cream looked tasty too
I felt the same way about the dishes! And Ghirardelli sundaes are certainly hard to beat:) we will have to go one more time before we leave for sure! Hope you had a great weekend. Can’t wait to catch up on your blog posts- I have them loaded on my laptop so I can read on the plane!
hope your travels go smoothly. can’t wait to read about your adventures
thank you so much!
I chuckled about the ball jar wine glasses. I thought I was the only one who did that. LOL.
Hehe I had never seen that but it is just such a cute idea!!! 🤗
Seems like a great windy day! Hahaha I loved this post!
Veryyy windy. Always . 🤣
And thanks so much, girl!!! I so appreciate it!
That was some spread that you took us through, course by course. I have to tell you that I am game to try many new things as to food, but you are game for everything. There were certainly some interesting things on the menu and I loved their wine glasses – something different from how they were serving the food so perfectly, so this was a little twist. I am glad you are not only seeing all the sights before you go, but enjoying all the eateries as well. Your dress was beautiful Mackenzie – perfect for touring the Palace of Fine Arts.
Hi, Linda! So glad you liked these courses 🙂 I didn’t feel worthy to eat a meal that nice , but hopefully I got them some good enough pictures 🙂
I agree- the mason jars were such a fun touch! We may have to do that sometime when hosting!
Thank you so much, Linda! 💕
Oh, you are worthy – you give a fair and honest critique and will try all kinds of new items and don’t mind being adventurous – it is a pleasure for them to serve you! You’re welcome Mackenzie!
Aw thank you!! So kind of you to say!! This is really encouraging <3
Once you get to Texas, you’ll be starting a whole new group of places to frequent, maybe not as diverse as San Francisco. but you’ll make the rounds and amaze us with all the foodie favorites.
Totally!!! I hope so! I am a little sad because we probably will be even busier, but I’m sure we will still make time here and there to try places out 🙂
That’s good but at least in your favor, it is warm year around, so you don’t lose any time on weekends (when you have precious little “down time”) to snow and ice and brutal cold. I guess it will be a lot hotter though – hope you are a hot weather fan.
That’s so true! Got to count all the blessings right? I am 100% a hot weather fan! I keep my air in my apartment at 62, but that’s because I like using a million blankets– but outside – the warmer the better for me!! Humidity is what I hate the most, so that will take a tiny bit of getting used to for sure!
My feeling is that if it is hot outside, at least I am not making plans then worrying about whether ice or snow will come along and mess up those plans. I’m no fan of humidity either Mackenzie, especially when it zaps you when you step outside early in the morning.
Oh so true!! I hear ya on that.
It was bizarre when we moved to CA because there is such little humidity here. I joke that I shed a layer of skin like a snake– my skin was sooo dry for the first maybe two months before it finally adjusted. And at night the temps drop so low- it’s always interesting when I go back to OH and feel the hot humidity even later in the evening!
I knew it got cold there, but it surprised me when I read your reply, although a fellow blogger told me she worked in San Francisco and was so cold she had a space heater in her office as she was perpetually cold. And she was from the Midwest as well! I didn’t realize the humidity was so low. Yes, that humidity is what drains you in the Summer. I always walk as early as I can to beat it.
Yes!! SF is particularly weird- it’s a microclimate so it may be 80 degrees where we live in Cupertino, and then at the same time be 50 degrees in SF (only an hour north!). SF can be pretty mild/chilly- especially in the summer. Have you heard the saying “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco”? DJ and I say it all the time, lol!
No, I’ve never heard that expression, but I didn’t realize there was that much of a difference – very odd. I was there in October … the weather was very nice coming from October in Michigan.
October is actually one of my favorite months to be in SF!! It’s a bit warmer then than in the summer months surprisingly! (at least from my experience)
That’s amazing when you think of it to be warmer in Fall. I was lucky as it was beautiful when I was there. I like October for traveling as the kids are back to school so less tourists as well.
Yes exactly !!! Those are additional bonuses to that time of year. I’m already grieving our Bay Area autumns, but curious to see what it’s like in Austin- probably HOT!
I just Googled and looks like Austin is around 80 for the daytime and 60 at night. My boss is going to Austin on business for a week on June 2nd. He’s taking a few days before the conference to explore a little since he’s never been there before.
Ohhh that’s not too bad. I prefer hot weather over lukewarm any day! Hope you boss has a nice time- I’d be curious to hear his thoughts!
Yes, I’ll tell you where he goes (besides his conference which doesn’t start til Wednesday night) … it surprised me he went that many days ahead of time. I just saw his itinerary in his e-mail. He uses a travel agent for his reservations – always has, the same guy for decades.
Sounds great!!! Thats gotta be reassuring for him- know exactly what to expect when you have the same travel agent all those years!
Yes, I think he has used Filip as long as he’s been in private practice (1980). He worked for the NLRB for 7 years after law school, then took a year off to backpack around the world, then started working at a law firm downtown and Fil’s travel agency was in the building. I don’t think he’s ever made reservations, even for a car or hotel, without using Fil.
Oh wow!! He has such a life story!!! I love that he took time off to travel too- I think travel is so important for growth! We work ourselves into the ground here in the US.
Yes, he said he was really glad to do it and made lifelong friends in the process. He really liked New Zealand and spent a lot of time there and still keeps in touch with those folks, although he has not returned to visit, but one family’s daughter was in the U.S. and came to Michigan to visit. I just heard on the Bloomberg Business Report yesterday the staggering amount of people who will not take a vacation this year due to the cost and not taking time from work. I don’t get vacation as I am considered part-time (6 hours/day) and when I agreed to it back in 2011 it didn’t seem so awful since I had no commute, but since we’ve been busier this year, I’ve come to regret my agreement to those terms.
That’s awesome! I have heard such great things about NZ- DJ actually has been- one of his favorite trips ever! That’s great that your boss keeps in touch with his friends there.
Aw I’m sorry to hear about the arrangement for you 🙁 I feel like a couple weeks vacation should be mandatory no matter what ! It’s so important to take time away and recoup .
Yes it is supposed to be very beautiful Mackenzie – after the NZ shootings recently, the locals were shocked as they don’t have crime and this was unthinkable to them. I saw pictures of NZ at that time of the tragedy – very beautiful. Yes, I agree with you re: vacation – he will be in business a couple more years, three at most and then retire (at age 75), so I will retire then, so I’ll not make a “thing” about it now, but wish I had not been so quick to agree to that. He is off to Austin, but stopping in Albuquerque first for a day to check out an art gallery village that he saw there before, then driving to Austin. I will catch up on my work the first day and hopefully no other issues come up and I can stay near the computer but have a break from the routine at least. I got the Windows 10 laptop so need to familiarize myself with it later in the week. We are switching to Windows 10 in the near term.
Aw that’s sooo sad about the shootings 🙁 But yes, such a beautiful place! DJ has been before and raves about it (he went to glow worm caves which are supposed to be incredible!). My sister in law is there now so I’m anxious to hear all about it when she returns.
Ohhh I see! That’s exciting that retirement is so close for you. And how nice that you will go all the way through to retirement same time as your boss. DJ and I loved Albuquerque when we visited!! Hope he had a nice trip. Good luck with learning Windows 10 – I’m sure you’ll catch on in no time!
My boss promised to stay until I could get Social Security at 65 – he will turn 75 in three years. His father, also an attorney, was working at age 82 and had no plans to retire. Robb (my boss) had promised me he would work to a ripe old age like his father. His father got sick as a result of his diabetes and had to be hospitalized and passed away so my boss had to close down his practice. I am excited and hope to do things I’ve put off for a long time … read again, it’s been ages since I read, take an art class. I loved drawing when I was younger. Do a little traveling – have a few more places to go on my bucket list and hopefully that can happen.
I wish I could remember the art place he went – it was a long road of creative artwork, some in buildings, some outside buildings. He was there a few years ago, drove there in January and got caught in a bad snow/ice storm and delayed his flight home, but he wanted to go back, so did that Sunday and Monday. He is now in Austin, as of tonight and staying at the Hyatt Regency Austin on Barton Springs where his conference is.
Aw so sorry to hear about his Dad, but makes sense that your boss wants to really take some time for himself now.
What are some of your big bucket list items?!
Hope he has a great time in Austin!
Well I always wanted to go to Alaska on a cruise and land tour, though I must admit that the last few weeks and months, Alaska has been fraught with small plane crashes for their day trips they are famous for, and there was a cruise ship issue the other day and there are norovirus issues. When I traveled in the 70s and early 80s, I never worried about anything – it is a whole new deal now. I also wanted to go to Italy and France and I would like to go to the East Coast, preferably to view the Fall Foliage. Just those four places (I guess that is enough isn’t it?) So far he’s been in meetings all day today and through Saturday. He is the general counsel for the National Staff Organization. It is the only client we have where he represents the union – the rest of the time we are for management. He said it rained yesterday and today, but he never left the hotel so he was okay with it. So much for getting a flavor for Austin so I could relay it to you!
I have always wanted to do an Alaskan cruise too—I didn’t realize all that was happening there. Hopefully in a few years things will settle down & you won’t need to worry about all that (although things are definitely different now with travel concerns overall). And Italy and France are at the very top of my list too!! I can’t wait to hear all about your travels when they happen.
Aww that’s ok! No worries! Hope he’s having a great trip though- at least the rain will help keep him out of the heat!
I had an Italy tour booked for 1984 and then when my father up and left, I cancelled it. I do hope to get to these four sites eventually and anything more will be gravy. I wanted to make sure I told you (maybe warned you) about the heat. I forgot to ask if it was humid because that makes a big difference.
I took a Panama Canal cruise in 1982 and there were two guys at our singles table.
They were from Houston. It was pretty hot and humid at our ports of call and they said it was as bad as Houston, but they lived near the water too.
Aw I’m sorry to hear about your Father… but hope you can make it back to Italy as soon as retirement rolls around! I know it’ll be worth the wait 🙂 I am definitely bracing myself.. I grew up in serious humidity in OH so I at least I have somewhat of an idea of what to expect- although I know it will be heat on steroids!
Yes, you know the Midwest heat and humidity is no treat. Likely you’ll spend most of your time in A/C anyway, except for running … that might be a drag till you get used to it.
Yeah for sure! I’ve been studying on the treadmill these days anyways 😆
That very first menu item is incredibly beautiful!!!!!
How cute is that turtle????????????????
Heheh right ?! 🐢 the little guy was having a ball!!
Every time I look at your fabulous posts I want to change places with you!
Aww wait I could say the same for you though! 😆 hope your week is off to the best start, Diane!
Girlfriend, your meals look and sound phenomenal!! Every course sounds positively mouthwatering and exquisite. That was so sweet of Dj to spend the day with you in a part of town you enjoy! I’m with you on the cute fashion > tennis shoes. But when Matt and I were in Asheville, NC for our one year wedding anniversary, my feet were killllling me. Whoospies. I don’t listen to T. Swift. Just not my cuppa tea, so I’m not sure I understand the whole spelling thing. I do find it hard to believe she’s my age. I’m all about living fun and young! But she acts much younger than 30 in my opinion. To each his/her own!
So glad these all look appetizing to ya! I had a bit of imposters syndrome getting invited to a food shoot like this, so it’s very encouraging that you think it all looks good ☺️
Oh man, I literally feel your pain! I think us women have such high pain tolerance that we over-estimated ourselves (or our shoes) a bit 😉
I agree! I heard a conversation on a podcast recently that discussed this exactly— they were saying she is “stuck” in her youth of proving herself and being part of the “cool crowd” or something like that… so it’s interesting you mention that !!!
Hope you had a great weekend.. I’ve been MIA from blog world for far too long and am sooo stoked to catch up 🤗
SO appetizing!!
Yessss, that we absolutely do.
That’s exactly it!! She is still trying to be cutesy bubble gum, yet edgy rocker, all with a side of single cat lady living the dream. Kind of weird imo.
I did have a wonderful weekend, thank you!
HAHAHHA that is the most accurate Taylor description I have heard yet. LOL!!
😁😁😁 Hahahaha!
😆
Seafood is my weakness! This all looks soooo good! And those jenga tots – when I saw that photo at top I was like what is this and where can I get it because they look delicious. I was expecting a lot from the Taylor Swift song especially because Brendon Urie has such an awesome voice but I thought the song was just okay. She put out a lot of hype around it and I don’t think it delivered.
Haha oh my gosh, Rosie, I SOOO wish I could share with you because those tots were one of my favorite brunch dishes ever!!!
I agree- just okay is exactly how I’d describe it. I’m definitely not playing it on repeat. I thought it was overhyped as well. Thanks for stopping in and your comment, girl!
I love that you were invited to Abstract Table! You know you’re a true foodie when you get invited to stuff like you do!! Also, downtown Oakland looks so cool. I never expected it to look like that when I thought of Oakland, if that makes sense?!
I love the picture of you and DJ with the wind blowing your hair. You are beautiful, Mackenzie–inside and out! <3
Hey, Allie! Aw thank you- I was telling another blogger I felt that I had a bit of imposters syndrome with that shoot because of how nice it was, but I was soo honored and trying to push myself out of my comfort zone a bit!!
Haha TOTALLY makes sense. I felt the same way!
Awww thank you so much- you are the sweetest . And right back to you! 💕 have a great week 🙂
Mmm what a delicious Easter you had!!! I would be all about those snail shells too! Those jenga tots look amazing! I have never seen an appetizer that unique!!!!! I love it!!! Enjoy Ohio and safe travels my dear!!
Glad you enjoyed all the foodie finds, Shan!! I soooo wish I could share the Jenga tots and snail shells with ya- one of the best foodie days in the city for sure! And thank you tons 🙂 hope you had a great weekend, girl! ❤️
$50 for the five course or $70 for the seven course is such a great deal, and I so need to try those tater tots. Thanks for sharing.
It really is! Especially for around here- usually that type of course would cost at least $120! Thanks for stopping in !!
That seafood first course is so pretty! Lol
Right?! I was amazed!! 😍 thanks for stopping in, Cadie!
I am so glad you are enjoying SF before you move.
Those Jenna Tots…!!
And pretty as ever in your selfies but loved you and DJ together!
Aw thank you so much, Nancy 🤗 we are definitely trying to soak up every second !
I am so excited for you to get”home” for the shower Mackenzie!! I hear you on wanting to try out new restaurants . You might not get to them all before you leave but you can plan a trip back in a few years as I have to New York after leaving! Abstract table has some great food. I like the wine in the mason jars! I love your Easter outfit, and really like that dress on you! I feel bad for you in that top windblown photo but such a cute one after the wind died down! I love the architecture at the Palace of fine arts. That ceiling is amazing! I hear you on comfort v fashion! MMm I need to try cream sometime! I have not seen Taylor Swift’s new video, I was a bigger fan during her country career personally. Have a great time in Ohio, Terri xo.
Aww thank you! I can’t wait to share it all with you! I just got home very late last night and it was a whirlwind of a weekend but a great one !
Yes absolutely! I love your thinking about returning 🙂
Isn’t the mason jar wine so fun?! Next time I host I may need to do that!
Aw thank you so much <3! It was a fun little spring dress.
The Palace of Fine Arts was incredible.... way more beautiful than I even expected!!
I agree- I loved Taylor more during those country days too! xo
Glad it was a good time your whirlwind weekend Mackenzie! That will be fun to use mason jars when hosting. Take care, Terri xo.
You too!! 🙂
The food at the Abstract Table looks so fancy. I’ve never had anything like it. I would be too scared to try the squid though. It’s funny considering I eat shrimp and crabs, but something about squid (and octopus too) freaks me out.
girl, I was like, “Am I even eating this all right?” lol. I totalllly get you on that (about the squid)… for a long time I didn’t think I liked octopus, but I tried it prepared as spanish octopus with a lemon seasoning and just fell in love! I think those are all about how they are prepared, but they do have that chewy texture which I totally get freaks a lot of people out! Thanks so much for reading, Britney! PS. I adore your new profile photo !
Aww, thanks. <3 And yes, even though I've never eaten it, I imagined it would probably have a chewy texture to it.
definitely!! it’s prepared so many different ways, so it’s one of those foods I’d recommend trying more than once before making a final decision of whether you like it too! have a great day, girl!
Oh my goodness, how many pretty pictures in one post? I just ordered uber eats and now I’m hungry all over again 🙂 Glad to hear you’re having fun, lovely, hope you guys enjoy your break! xx
Hehe- awww. I hope you enjoyed that Uber eats 🙂 Hmmm now I’m considering ordering something… lol. Thanks for stopping in, love! XO
I hope that you are having a wonderful time in Ohio!! Your Easter dress is so pretty! And there’s so much pretty food in this post too! I hadn’t heard the new T-Swift song until reading this. The spelling thing was very strange. I’m thinking the kid’s show may have been the goal since the “one of these things is not like the other” is straight out of Sesame Street. lol.
Thank you so much, Amy!!! <3
DJ and I were saying maybe it's designed to be a tract for a kid's movie too!! I felt the exact same way- it totally took me off guard and while the song was ok that put it more in the "not so great" category during that part. Definitely odd! thanks for sharing your thoughts!! xo
That’s awesome you were invited to Abstract Table & you could bring DJ!
I love your Easter outfit & your wind selfies. You look gorgeous!
Also the pasta from Barzotto definitely looks like something I would like!
I just watched the Taylor Swift music video & it was fun to watch, but I wouldn’t say the song is one of my favorites.
Hey girl! I was so honored to go – definitely had some Imposters Syndrome though haha.
Aww thank youu! That’s so sweet of you!
Yesssss I was JUST thinking about how I am craving that pasta again!
I am with ya. It was entertaining, but certainly won’t be adding it to my playlist. Thanks for stopping in, Karalee!
Ooo, Abstract Table looks so fancy!! Their pricing really is fair for such a fine dining experience & all of their plates are gorgeous.
Your Easter heels are smokin’ hot, wow, I love them!! & I am crying over how I can’t have a piece of that Jenga Tater Tot tower!! Sounds freakin’ amazing. I also would like to try that snail pasta. I’ve only had snail once but, really liked it, hehe. That turtle is so cute, too!!
Also, boyfriend hates going into the city, too (the strip & Fremont) LOL. Our men really are quite similar!! That ice cream you got him definitely had to make up for it though! Yum!
& to answer your question… I have not heard the new TSwift song but I’m sure it won’t be long until I do. I honestly think her voice is horrendous & I hate her personality (sorry!) but some of her songs are such hits!!
Right? Usually a meal like this would be at least $100 per person, especially in the Bay Area!
Ahhhh thanks girl!!!
The Jenga Tater Tot tower is one of my ALL time favorite brunch dishes I have ever ever had. It was sooo perfectly done – I can practically taste it!
hahah they seriously are! They would get along. He was so excited about it! I promised we would go back to the city for the sundae before we leave, but I think he’d rather pass on on the ice cream in order to avoid the city hahah.
Girl, you aren’t missing anything. No need to apologize to meee- I did not like her for years (only a song here and there), but her reputation tour documentary actually won me over. I liked her more edgy persona! But it looks like she is going back to that “frill” … either way I love keeping up with celebs so I’ll follow no matter what haha.
Thanks for stopping in & sharing your thoughts, Hunida!! Hope your week is getting better <3 xo
Gosh yeah, meals like that are usually so super spendy! The jenga tater tot tower is forever in my head, I will always remember it, lol.
I love that you keep up with celebs. They are so interesting to me but it’s hard for me to stay up-to-date– I try though!! I hope I hear that new song on the radio soon 😉 lol.
<3 <3 thank you, Mackenzie!! Hope you're having a wonderful week!!
haha soon enough you probably won’t be able to escape that darn new song (Even though we probably will wish we could!).lol.
Tanks, girl! I start my next semester tomorrow so just trying to stay busy so I don’t get tangled up in my own nerves!
Aww don’t be nervous, babe! You’re gonna kick the new semester’s butt!
Thanks so much, love 🤗🤗
Ohh.. the food looks very yummy and the portion is bigger than in Europe. I would love to try it if I go to SF:)
Hehe- the portions were definitely generous especially for the price and the quality/number of courses! We were certainly satisfied! I hope you get to try sometime!
The abstract plating of the food is awesome. I love when food becomes art!
Absolutely 🙂
Omg have fun inOhio! Are you going for your sisters wedding? Is that happening already? I cant wait to read all about it and how it went lol
Whoa $50 for a five course meal and $70 for a seven course? That sounds insanely affordable to me!!
Also the presentation of each dish is phenomenal! I have no idea about what any of that would actually taste like, those dishes feel alien to me haha
That dress you’re wearing for easter is so pretty!!
Omg jenga tots!!!! Cuteee!! And my mouth is watering at that mimosa donut! Reminds me of blue star.
Note: I have added palace of fine arts to my sight seeing list lol.
How nice of DJ to go with you even though he dislikes going to the city. I think Alex is the same way. He prefers being closer to home, I usually have to convince him that it will be fun haha
That last chocolate dessert you got for him looks delish!! I’m having such a hard time with this sugar withdrawal haha
Thanks so much, Rossy! It was for her graduation and bridal shower 🙂 her wedding is in July!
That meal was one I’m sure we’ll never forget- they are coming out with a new concept next month & im super curious what it’s going to be!
Aw thank youu!
Yess! It reminds me of Blue Star too!!! Those forever are probably my favorite donuts I’ve ever had.
The nice thing about the Palace of FART (fine arts lol) is it’s a super fast stop- like maybe 15 mins just to see it all.
Yesss – maybe it’s a guy thing??
Haha I could never give up sugar 😭 but maybe them black bean brownies would help with that? 😉
Oh my gosh how fun!! She must be super excited!
OMG I’m so glad you said that! Blue Star donuts are my all time fave, I’m so glad DJ’s friends steered you guys clear from Voodoo Doughnuts haha
Honestly I am having such a hard time with this whole sugar thing. I go through serious withdrawals, after the first week it gets better but if I eat ice cream, I find myself wanting more again so I’m basically starting from square one. I should indulge in it a bit, but not all the time, and that’s essentially one of the habits I’m trying to break. Everything in moderation.
They have a Voodoo in Austin so I’m sure we’ll try it there, but from most people I have heard they like Blue Star better! They are gonna be really hard to beat.
Yeah moderation is totally key- Ice cream is the one thing I just cannot give up, even when I’m mostly eating dairy free.. I eat a cone every night lol. Granted, it’s the Light Dreyers, but still… I totalllly hear you on that !
Keep me posted on how it all goes!!
Do they really? Interesting. Since you’ve been to Portland already, I’d love to know what you think is similar or different when you move to Austin haha. I’m genuinely curious 😁
I think giving up ice cream for me is going to be the hardest most excruciating thing because its gonna be summer already! 😭 I chose a bad time to start this healthy journey lol
I’ll definitely let you know!! I am so curious too!!
Haha maybe it’s just a small scoop here and there! What’s life totally depriving yourself of the things you love?! Have you tried halo top or the lighter alternatives?! They actually aren’t too bad!
Are they like organic alternatives? If so, I have not. Alex and I were discussing what other alternatives there might be, he suggested frozen yogurt and Italian ice, turns out they have more sugar than ice cream! So I guess I’m in the clear but I’ll have to be careful to not over indulge. Specially when mother nature makes a visit 😖
I’ll look into the one you told me about though. I’ll take another screenshot (I must have about 100 from you alone lol)
I’m not sure about organic, but they are “lighter” so less sugar/fat but also higher in protein!
I have to be honest- I have never really understood the craze around frozen yogurt! I feel like if you are craving ice cream, then only ice cream will satisfy! But especially if it’s not even that much healthier- why have it?! Ohhh but yes, maybe try some halo top or Enlightened to keep the mother nature cravings away! <-- Both those brands are pretty solid! I also like Edy's light ice cream - their oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough & the light double fudge brownie are my two favorites. Haha- aw! I'm honored you put any gravity into my word! Hope it all goes so well! xo
Ah neat! I’m all for protein haha 😀 I haven’t had sugar all week, I’m having such a hard time with cravings LOL
I like frozen yogurt, it’s good, but never in large quantities. Idk.. Like you said, ice cream is the better alternative lol.
I hear that cravings usually get better after a week!! How are they now?
Much much better! I still crave it only because I want it and because it’s summer and i want a nice, cold, refreshing sugary drink. But I haven’t. It’s so much easier to say no thanks lol.
Oh yay! I know what you mean- summer awakens so many new cravings for me 😆 I would recommend trying a Zevia if you are craving a coke – it’s a great alternative (still has a slightly different flavor but is better for you and doesn’t have any sugar!)
You look so gorgeous, I love your hair, your shades and your outfit! Keep slaying 🙌🏼
Awwww thank you so much, love!! You are the sweetest! <3