The Pasta Shop: A Tasty Backup Plan

Apologies again for the late posting! It's been a hectic week, and it promises to be a pretty hectic month as well, and sadly, I don't have as much time as I would like to dedicate to this blog!


For now, however, I want to share one of my favorite places to eat when I need a quick meal that is sure to be delicious: The Pasta Shop! Both their Rockridge Market Hall and 4th Street locations have a wonderful deli with delicious prepared foods, perfect for when you are having a busy day, are hungry and need something tasty fast! 

The Pasta Shop's Prepared Food. A Lifesaver.
Photo Credit: http://rockridgemarkethall.com/pasta-shop

Sure enough, a few days ago, that very situation arose. I had been shooting my friend Estherina (with a camera––don't worry, I'm not going to jail and she is fine!) for her blog, Estherina's World and for her lookbook. I had just finished a long day of classes and was pretty hungry, but I couldn't pass up the chance to spend a few hours with Estherina before she jetted off to London. So after a fun couple of hours of fashion and photogeeking together, I was delirious with hunger and had my heart set on the Pasta Shop! 


I drove us, god knows how, to Market Hall (my favorite place in the world), and we entered the Pasta Shop. This store is a veritable foodie's dream, it has all sorts of cheeses and fancy olive oil bottles and lots of treats to satisfy even the sweetest sweet tooth. But one of the best things about them is their prepared foods and deli section. Whenever I've been so tired and hungry that I can't even think, this is the place that saves me. And this is the place that saved me that very night.


I ordered their Phat Thai, which I had had before and knew was delicious, as well as a Summer Fruit Galette for dessert, something I had been wanting to try all summer and now, I finally allowed myself t.  Estherina, like me, has a strong sweet-tooth and, after ordering herself a slice of Pesto Lasagna for dinner, also got herself a slice of Chocolate Cream Pie and a packet of homemade Italian Butterhorns. After eating a bites of my Phat Thai in the car to ensure that I had the energy I needed to drive us home safely, we made our way back to my place to enjoy our meals together. 

Phat Thai in the Car. Keeping it Classy.

The Phat Thai was delicious, as I knew it would be. Unlike most other Phat Thai I've tried, this is refreshingly tangy and the peanut flavor is complementary rather than overpowering. For me, this is what makes this Phat Thai stand above the rest. I had a few bites of Estherina's Pesto Lasagna, which was good and filling, but probably not the best thing that I've had from Market Hall. (A word of advice: get their pasta salads, they aren't called the Pasta Shop for nothing). I also had a couple of her Italian Butterhorns, which were so sugary, cinnamony, and buttery that I knew they were bad for me, but they tasted sooooo good. I decided to save my Galette for breakfast in the morning, and at the end of our meal, Estherina headed home and, later, off to Londontown to begin her studying abroad adventures. I was glad I got to spend a few hours with her doing the things we loved to do the most: eating, taking photos, and being all around goofy. 

Photo of Estherina taking a photo of lasagna. This is one of the many reasons we're friends. 

The next morning, my Summer Fruit Galette awaited me, and I was so glad I had saved it. It made the perfect breakfast pastry, it was simultaneously sweet and tangy, which if you know me well, these are the flavors that drive me wild! (And the reason why I love orange juice so much.) 

Summer Fruit Galette Morning Wonderfulness.

So what did I learn from this culinary adventure? First, the importance, for me at least, of eating on time. When I don't, I get delirious and dysfunctional and all around unpleasant. Second, the importance of having a backup plan when you can't eat on time. For me, the Pasta Shop provides one of the tastiest backup plans you will ever encounter.

In the Kitchen: Santa Barbara Breakfast Blurb

This breakfast brought the sunny-side to a foggy morning in Santa Barbara

Stunning view from our place, a little later in the day.

There isn’t much to say about this little breakfast that I cooked up for myself, other than it felt like the right thing to eat whilst on a family vacation in a beautiful house with a stunning view in Santa Barbara. Though that morning was a rather foggy one, our beach-front house still offered a gorgeous view that inspired me to shake up my usual cereal-and-milk breakfast routine. I saw that my mom had made herself sunny-side up eggs and, since that meal happened to fall within my very limited cooking ability, I decided to do the same, but with a slight twist. After making the eggs, I sprinkled some balsamic vinegar on top, toasted a few slices of sourdough bread, washed myself a nectarine and poured a glass of my favorite caffeinated beverage, Tejava iced tea. It was a wonderful way to wake myself up, and I enjoyed it all the more beside the beautiful environment that surrounded me in stunning Santa Barbara. 

Café Fanny/Acme Bread Company: Simple Bay Area Pleasures

Outside Cafe Fanny and Acme Bread Co.
Credit: amorimur. http://www.flickr.com/photos/amorimur/2412911226/

Few meals have been able to compare to my recent epic Tolani experience. Living in the SF Bay Area, however, gives me ample opportunity to try to discover a meal that compares. And, though I haven’t quite met Tolani’s equal yet, I have been eating some pretty delicious food along the way. Two examples: Café Fanny and Acme Bread Company. As next-door neighbors, these North Berkeley eateries pack a mighty one-two culinary punch, so to speak. Café Fanny serves breakfast and lunch, with freshly baked baguettes and bread from Acme next door. They also serve wine from their (other) next-door neighbors, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants. Their lovely outdoor area is the perfect place to enjoy good food in the sunshine, and observe people in the long line coming from Acme next door. Acme itself is a wonderful place, filled with all the enchantment that fresh-baked goods are supposed to instill in eaters.

Acme Bread Co.'s Adorable Poster. Credit: http://www.acmebread.com/

I first discovered these two gems when I met up with of my relatives for breakfast and at my uncle’s suggestion, we checked out Café Fanny. I ordered Poached Eggs with vinegar and oregano on levain toast, which was pretty delicious in and of itself; although, being the curious eater that I am, I couldn’t help but try some of the other dishes that were ordered. By far, my favorite had to be the baguette with organic butter and honey. It was so simple and so delicious. In other words, it was the best kind of food: the kind where the ingredients speak for themselves. I also enjoyed the fruit and organic yogurt along with the baguette, also a very simple, but very delicious and healthy addition to breakfast. Afterwards, we got a few baguettes from next door and, at the recommendation of the woman in front of me, I got an apple turnover. One bite in and I was in love. It was so flaky and buttery, but not too buttery, and its filling was sweet, but not too sweet. Someone put a lot of care into making that turnover and it showed, that much I could taste.

So, so good.
Credit: ParlaFood. http://www.flickr.com/photos/7205884@N07/4904429972/

I went back to Café Fanny a few days ago, this time for lunch and it was just as good as breakfast. I ordered the Baked Goat Cheese with garden lettuces and levain toast with a peach iced tea to drink. It was a refreshing lunch, to say the least. The lettuce was only seasoned with a little bit of salt, taking a back seat to the baked goat cheese, which was the true star of the meal. I would never have thought of baking goat cheese, but it was so delicious, I wondered why I hadn’t heard of it sooner. While, overall, the meal blew me away, being nitpicky, I could have done with a little less goat cheese and/or a little more lettuce. The goat cheese was delicious but powerful…it needed a stronger supporting cast, in my humble opinion. Besides that nearly negligible complaint, the meal was fabulous. My boyfriend, Ben, also had a good meal from the tastes I got of it anyways. He ordered the Chicken sandwich, with savory yogurt dressing, fennel and greens and Café au Lait to drink. While not as good as mine, his meal was pretty delicious. The Café au Lait was to die for (and, coming from a person who generally steers clear of coffee, that is something).

Baked Goat Cheese with garden lettuces and levain toast. Peach iced tea. 

After the meal, I couldn’t resist getting another apple turnover and Ben got a chocolate croissant and a baguette from good ol’ Acme. We also got the chance to check out Kermit Lynch’s shop a little more this time, although I still haven’t tried anything from there yet. Next time, for sure…as I plan to return to this little culinary corner as often as possible.