heyo!
Hope y’alls Saturday is going just peachy. I worked at the Wine Center all day and ran my tail off. Glad that I ate a hearty (and red?!) lunch before heading in:
Reheated homemade baked beans that I made, then froze, last month along with millet toast, cherry tomatoes and a few strawberries. Red for the <3!
A couple of the boyfriend’s friends are in town, so we decided to hit up Underwood for dinner last night. The coolest part of Underwood is the fact that it is in Graton, California. Where is Graton, you ask? Enough said.
I tried their soup of the day, which was a sweet corn chowder with pumpkin seeds and bacon:
The flavors were great but the soup was a lot thinner than I thought. When I think of the word chowder I’m thinking soup so thick that when you turn your spoon upside down there is zero dripping. Perhaps I’m just stuck a childhood obsession with New England clam chowder with oyster crackers and need to get with the new fangled California ways….I don’t know.
I also ordered the beet salad because it was beet salad.
Meh. Not terribly impressed. There were only like three tiny beets and it just needed a little somethin’ somethin’, ya know? I mean don’t get me wrong, I cleaned my plate and liked it, but it wasn’t the best beet salad I’ve ever had in my entire life.
Now, this masterful creation on the other hand blew my socks off.
That would be a walnut, caramelized onion and blue cheese flatbread and it was clearly send down from heaven above. The flavors were perfect and it was gone in about .5 seconds.
The rest of the night entailed of Mario Cart and white russians and somehow I managed to wake up at 7:30 for work today (yes, I work Saturdays. Fail). It’s going to be a pretty crazy day (we have several really large groups coming in that I’m assigned to) but I’m fueling up on coffee and a soon-to-be very large bowl of oatmeal.
Whewwwwwww!
Robyn @ Frugal 'n' Fit!
June 19, 2010 at 8:58 amI agree, chowder is supposed to be thick! Thus, thin chowder = Fail too.
Marie
June 19, 2010 at 9:15 amI work Saturdays, too 🙁 Your job is more fun though, promise!
Cassie @ Tasteful Tales
June 19, 2010 at 9:16 amThat flatbread looks yummy! Enjoy your Saturday 🙂
Freya @ Brit Chick Runs
June 19, 2010 at 9:18 amWowzer, the flatbread looks and sounds delicious! You totally deserved that after having to work a saturday 🙁
Camille
June 19, 2010 at 9:21 amI agree about chowder!
Strange… that just looked like broth.
A Teenage Gourmet (Sami)
June 19, 2010 at 9:31 amYou’re so fortunate to be around excellent restaurants! 🙂 Where I live, the food I make at home is ALWAYS better than what I can buy.
Mary @ What's Cookin' with Mary
June 19, 2010 at 9:32 amLove those pictures! Hope you have a great weekend!
Jennu
June 19, 2010 at 9:34 amMario Kart & White Russians! That’s a combo I’ve never heard of before!
Ellie
June 19, 2010 at 9:43 amHmmm. .. those baked beans look out of this world. I’ve been wanting to make some (never tried it on my own) but I think I’ll try them Sunday. Your restaurant also looks amazing
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down)
June 19, 2010 at 10:45 amI hear you on the chowder thing! I’m a New England girl who loves a good, thick bowl of chowder now and then. Boston is the place to hit it up when the mood strikes. 😀
Helen
June 19, 2010 at 10:46 amYour homemade baked beans look so yummy. I need to make some of those! Also the flatbread looks absolutely delicious. I’m glad something was nice in the restaurant. You are so right, chowder should be thick and creamy for sure!
Katherine
June 19, 2010 at 10:57 amThose are impressive shreds on the beet salad! I love the way beets taste
eatmovelove
June 19, 2010 at 11:07 amLike the flatbread. Do you enjoy eating out often? Seems heavenly.
jassy
June 19, 2010 at 11:09 amthe bread looks like bacon…good thing it’s bread 🙂
Olivia @ Blissful Runner
June 19, 2010 at 11:44 amSeriously – I lived in CA for 26 years (northern and southern) and I’ve never heard of Graton! Looks yummy though. 🙂
Monique
June 19, 2010 at 11:49 amHey, “California ways” aren’t necessarily frou-frou chowders haha. You’ve been to SF now right??? Nothing like a hearty bowl of chowder (with crackers!!) in a SF sourdough bowl!! YUM 🙂
Whitney @ Whitinspired
June 19, 2010 at 12:06 pmI NEED that flatbread. Like now.
Nora@LiveLifeEatRight
June 19, 2010 at 12:43 pmmmmmm flat bread = <3.
Carly @ Happy Healthy Foodie
June 19, 2010 at 12:54 pmI agree, chowder should be thick. That flat bread looks like heaven! 🙂
Victoria
June 19, 2010 at 1:10 pmThat soup sounds amazing! But yeah I would imagine it to be a little thicker. I love thick soup – it’s my fave. x
Jess @ MTL Veggie
June 19, 2010 at 2:22 pmHomemade baked beans on nice crusty bread have got be one of my ultimate comfort foods- yours look plain delicious 🙂
That flat bread looks pretty incredible too! Hope you’re having a good day at the winery!
Staceyhttp://stacey-healthylife.blogspot.com/
June 19, 2010 at 2:47 pmI worked today too, so I understand. That flatbread sounds amazing.
Stacy
June 19, 2010 at 3:20 pmJust had to let you know that I bought my first bottle of Kendall Jackson Riesling today, very excited to find it in my Indiana grocery. Can’t wait to try it!
Natalie
June 19, 2010 at 4:34 pmBeets and flatbread. YUM!
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Laura (Starloz)
June 19, 2010 at 5:32 pmI never walk into a restaurant with expectations anymore since I started food blogging.
Restaurants always surprise me with they’re fabulous & unexpected concoctions!
Faith @ LovelyAsCharged
June 19, 2010 at 5:40 pmThe flavors on the flatbread sound so perfect, with just a little tang and some crunch…I’d have demolished it crazy quickly too!
Motorcycle guy
June 19, 2010 at 6:17 pmSome people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don’t have time for all that..
Sent from my iPhone 4G
Paige @Running Around Normal
June 19, 2010 at 7:59 pmWhite Russians and Mario Cart?! Heck yes! Two of my favorite things:)
Amber K @ sparkpeople
June 19, 2010 at 9:08 pmI work Sunday mornings, so I understand working weekends! But I LOVE teaching Sunday School, so it’s all right. =)
Diana @ frontyardfoodie
June 19, 2010 at 9:32 pmhaha Mario Cart and white Russians…..sounds awesome. You’re a trooper for getting up early after that for sure.
Cara
June 20, 2010 at 12:47 amHopefully you survived your day OK 🙂
Vicky
June 20, 2010 at 4:08 amSounds like you had a fun night! It’s always funny to see how different meals at a restaurant can be! The appetizer might not be all that great, and then the main dish may be fabulous! Have a good rest of the weekend!
Kelly
June 20, 2010 at 5:55 amI agree with you about the chowder. My chicken bacon corn chowder is so thick, it’s almost a stew. I’m really not into thin soups. I don’t think I’ve had a White Russian since my 21st birthday. 🙂
Rebecca
June 20, 2010 at 6:40 amThat flatbread looks incredible. I think it’s fun to work on the weekends sometimes and have weekdays off. Places like the mall are less crowded on the weekdays and I can get more done. Plus it gives me an excuse to have weekend breakfasts all week long. 🙂
Shannon @ Before Sunrise
June 20, 2010 at 7:15 amThat flatbread looks heavenly!
Jessica @ The Process of Healing
June 20, 2010 at 8:36 amHoly cow.. that flat bread!!
Kalli@fitandfortysomething
June 20, 2010 at 8:47 amGraton is such a cute little town! I was there many years ago when I raced bikes 🙂
Kaz
June 20, 2010 at 12:44 pmDitto on the chowder. It’s not chowder unless your spoon bends while you try to stir it! 😀
Adrianne
June 20, 2010 at 1:25 pmOoohhh, white russians are dangerous for me!!!!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
June 20, 2010 at 2:08 pmThat flatbread would be my dream come true!
Lisa (bakebikeblog)
June 20, 2010 at 3:00 pmoh my…that flatbread DOES look AMAZING!
amanda
June 20, 2010 at 6:50 pmNever ever thought about chowder being thin and watery. Ewww! Your main dish looked delicious however I would have goobled that all up. 🙂 BTW, white russians are one of my top favorite drinks…haven’t had one in awhile tho