Tartine

Tartine has been known for a while as the best bakery in San Franscisco. A while ago I was in San Franscisco and my mum insisted we go to Tartine. When I went there it was packed! We had to wait in a line that went outside the door until we finally made it into the bakery to see the variety of ccakes, cookies, gingerbreads, tarts, and more. We ended up buying quite alot because ther were so many things we wanted to buy. I picked out a choclate eclair and so did my little sister Evie. My mum bought a banana cream pie, and a cocnut cream pie. My dad had a lemon tart. We didn't bother with any drinks because it would take too long to wait. Once we got home we had a little bit of each others treats and they were delicious! The banana cream pie's name was just like how it tasted: creamy! I didn't try the cocnut cream pie but I bet it was great. My chocolate eclair was exploding with creamy custard like my sisters so I think it was great! the lemon tart was amazing with the perfect amount of cream and a coupel of pamogranet seeds on the top. I would definetly give it a 4 1/2 forks! I would recomend it to somone who likes to treat themselves every once in a while or somone who has a big sweet tooth!
http://www.tartinebakery.com/

600 Guerrero St. (@18th Street)San Francisco, CA 94110
415.487.2600
CAFE HOURS 8am - 7pm Monday7:30am - 7pm Tuesday, Wednesday7:30am - 8pm Thursday, Friday8am - 8pm Saturday9am - 8pm Sunday

New Morning Cafe

In Tiburon there is a place that has great food but very slow service. It takes about ten minutes to order and then twenty more for them to make it. A family sitting next to us got their food 5 minutes after us and they ordered ten minutes before us. Their hamburgers are juicy, and soft. The food is just the right size not so big that you feel like your going to explode, but not so small that your still hungry afterwards. I would give the New Morning Cafe three forks up because of the great food, but take away one because of the bad service. So it gets two forks up in all. I think you should go there for the great food but be prepared to wait.

Thep Lela

Do you like Thai food? well, I sure do.

There is a place in the Strawberry village called Thep Lela and they sell Thai food. And it's really good Thai food.
I would suggest the chicken sewers, yellow chicken curry, tom ka (coconut soap), Thai ice tea, and for desert the fried banana with coconut ice cream or black rice pudding. yum, even thinking about it makes my mouth water. If your a vegetarian then I would have the green salad, tom ka (vegetarian kind), fired tofu, then for desert have anything! Really, just try anything. I'm almost positive that you will like all there food, unless your a person that doesn't like Thai food.
Here is the link to their website. So go and check it out!http://www.theplela.com/menu_appetizer.html

Indian Palace

Indian Palace is a great place to go if you want something spicy or something from India. India is in Asia. My favorite food there are samosas. They are as big as your dinner but are only appetizers. They are full of potatoes and peas. They are about a pound and are about three inches wide and two inches high. It is sometimes empty and sometimes full to the brim. You can make it really spicy or not spicy at all. It doesn't have a very good view because it is right next to the highway but it still has the best food around. I would rate this a three forks up for it's good food.

Tommy's Wok

A few words to start it off are I love Tommy's Wok. It is a restaurant that serves authentic Chinese food. You can find it in Sausalito, California and the food is fantastic. As soon as you walk into the door two things hit you, one your eyes feast on the colorful exotic fish tank that is right along the door. And two, the sweet, tangy, aroma that fills the air. Then you hear the crackeling and sizzling of the kitchen you can see into. That is three of your five senses and you can't wait to fulfill the other two, feel and taste. Those are some of the reasons why I love Tommy's Wok but we haven't even gotten to the menu yet. On the menu there are a lot of assorted things that all seem good. Underneath the name it tells you what it is like in lemon chicken (oh yum that sounds good!) it says deep fried chicken in sweet, tangy lemon sauce. You see them make it and it looks so fantastic! Then a few minutes later they bring it to you and you see it and you just stare, at the mouth watering goodness. Then you take a bite into it and you feel the breaded outside in your mouth and then you taste the warm chicken along with the sweet and tangy lemon sauce. Tommy's Wok has fulfilled your five senses and if you go there I hope it fulfilled your senses and I hope you enjoy!

Lemon Bars

These are my brother's favorite dessert.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice
1/4 all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
sifted powdered sugar

Directions:
Beat butter until soft. Add 1/2 powdered sugar and beat until combined. Mix in 2 cups of flour until crumbly. Press mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 13"x9"x2" baking pan. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown.

Beat together eggs, granulated sugar and lemon juice. Combine 1/4 cup flour and the baking powder, stir into egg mixture. Pour over baked crust.

Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until lightly browned around edges and center appears set. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar. Cut into squares or diamonds.

Makes approximately 24 bars.

I like the tangy lemony taste and the way there is a lot of the lemon part. The way it melts in your mouth is delicious too.

Spectacular Banana Bread!!

This recipe is delish. Its a must try. Its...its...SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!

BANANA BREAD 

Mix Together: 

2/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup butter

2 eggs

Stir In: 

3 table spoons buttermilk or milk 

1 cup mashed bananas  

Sift Together & add: 

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tea spoon baking powder

1/2 tea spoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend In: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts(optional)

1/2 cup chocolate chips(optional)

Bake at 350 degrees in a loaf pan for 60 min.

Enjoy!! 

Tommy's Wok

Tommy's Wok is in Sausalito, it is a Chinese restaurant and it has fantastic food. I like the lemon chicken but I like everything there because it is all so tasty. I like eating there more then taking it home but it is good either way. When you go to Tommy's Wok I like all of the delicious (warm) food because it just makes your mouth water. And when you go there and smell all the different things you just stand there in a sort of trans type of thing that you love. I just can't wait to go there again and you want to eat a lot of the food because it tastes so good so you eat a lot and you just love it. I would give this restaurant three forks up. I like eating here because the food is always hot and always tasty I love the authentic chinese taste that just makes my tongue tickle (the good feeling) and I can't say anything more than I love it! It is so tasty and I hope if you go there you like it too!

Avatar's Punjab Burritos

Want to try something really different? Then how about a curried lamb...burrito? This is the kind of food you will find at Avatar's Punjab Burritos, which serves Indian food, Mexican style.

Here, instead of refried beans, spanish rice, salsa, guacamole and sour cream, burritos are filled with curried garbanzo beans, basmati rice, seasonal fruit chutney, homemade tamarind sauce and yogurt.

Varieties include curry chicken, jamaican drunk chicken, blackened rock shrimp or salmon and several vegetarian choices such as smoked egg plant and curried pumpkin.

All burrito fillings are also available as rice plates and they sell several salads as well.

Everything I've tried here is quite good. If you've never had Indian food, this is a good place to start. The ingredients seem very fresh and homemade. My vegetarian friends really enjoy coming here because of the large variety of choices available to them.

The Mill Valley Avatar's is a take out version of a larger, and very popular, full service restaurant, named Avatar's, in Sausalito. The Mill Valley place is the owner's (named Avatar, in case you haven't guessed) way of providing customers with a fast, portable, healthy meal.

Three forks.

Avatar's Punjab Burritos, 15 Madrona St., a couple of blocks away from downtown Mill Valley.

Happy Bakery

Happy Bakery I'd have to say I'd give four forks because there is refreshing foods, and there is greasey foods :). These chinese foods are so tasty that I don't know how your alive with out it. They have cusards, chicken (very good), spring rolls, egg rolls, chowmain, and, chowfun.There are other things, but these are the best. But there is one bad thing, and one another good thing. The bad thing is that the foods aren't the healthiest foods, but the good thing is that it is in San Fransisco so you probebly won't get fat because it's far away so you probebly won't go that often.

The custards (down) is a verry yummy choice. They are a jello-y creamy, yummy tart with bread around it. The chicken is wonderfly yummy, and would be discribed: scrumcias-tasty-yummy. The spring rolls and egg rolls are delishish, tasty and the spring roll is also refrshing (sometimes). The chow mian and fun are supream. I hope you will agree with me if you go some time.

Yummy!

My Favorite Pizza

My favorite pizza is from a resturaunt called Tony Tutto's. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. I also like Amicis for its pizza. Those are my two favorite pizza resturaunts by far. Stefano's is pretty good to. Sometimes it's too greasy though. I like Tony Tutto's the most because their cheese pizza has different types of cheese on it, and doesn't have tomato sauce. It might sound kind of weird, but it's actually really good. They have two types of cheese pizza. One is called a whiter shade of pale which is the one that has different types of cheese on it, and is tomato sauce free. The other type is called a love supreme, and has tomato sauce and basil leaves. They are both extremely delicious. I like Amicis pizza because the pieces are small and easy to eat. I especially like the peperoni pizza because the peperonies are shaped like bowls, and I like them that way. Overall, if I could describe the pizza from Tony Tutto's and Amicis with two words, I'd say it was extrordinarilly delicious. For more information;

Tony Tutto Pizza
www.tonytuttopizza.com

246 E Blithedale Ave
Mill Valley, CA 94941
(415) 383-8646

Ambrosia Pizza and Pasta

This restaurant is great. It is a bit fancy but you can dress it up or down. I like this restaurant because there is a variety of  Italian foods. For instance, pizza, design your own pizza, salads, pasta, and many, many more. It is on 1159 Magnolia in Larkspur. I would give it tree forks up. The owner is always there and sits down and talks or if he doesn't know you he does quickly. They also have excellent desserts. I would know because I LOVE DESSERT! What my parents would say they like about the place is the wine. They have many rare wines and lots to taste. There is even a wine that a guy my dad knows made. Anyway, this is a great restaurant and I hope you try it. Enjoy!!

Samurai

My favorite restaurant that I have been to is Samurai the Japanese place across the street from Whole Foods. When I go there I love to order, the special soda. It is like a 7up but it is in a cool shaped bottle with a marble that sometimes clogs up up the drinking hole. When we go there we order A LOT. My favorite dishes here are the vegetable tempura, terriyaki chicken and sticky rice, though I like a lot of food here. After you eat your amazing dinner you can have a dessert there or you can go to the conveniently located Lollipop, the candy, ice cream and cupcake shop. This is such a good restaurant if you like seafood, vegetables, or chicken. I recommend sitting at the "bar," which is not even really a bar at all. You can watch the workers make the food. It is really cool!!!
When you're there you see many people, and every time we go we see a couple that my parents call "buddies." Sometimes I even see friends of mine there including Courtney.
I give this restaurant 3 forks for its really yummy food.

MMM Pizza

One of my favorite restaurants is Pizza Hut. Okay, maybe the closest one is in San Francisco, but it's worth the drive.

If you like cheese pizza, like me, I would recommend the cheese lovers with extra (double) cheese and stuffed crust, I can't resist it. That's what I normally order.  If you would like something else, you could order the Pizza Hut P'zone it's like a pizza sandwich with meat and melted cheese, it weighs over one pound. Or you could order the great breadsticks.

I would recommend Pizza Hut to anybody who likes pizza, breadsticks, or of course, dessert. I would definitely give Pizza Hut a three forks, and if you're deciding where to go for dinner or lunch choose Pizza Hut

The San Francisco Yacht Club

My favorite restaurant that I have ever been to is The San Fransisco Yacht Club. It is a great place to hang out, and you meet lots of people there. It also has a great view of the San Fransisco bay, with lots of boats in it. It is a club for sailing.

As for my favorite dish there, well, that's very hard to choose from. Since they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there are a lot of choices. But out of them all, I would have to say that my favorite dish there is their macaroni and cheese casseraole. It's the best macaroni and cheese that I've ever tasted. I have tasted a lot of macaroni and cheese, but theirs is creamy, hearty, cheesy, and just all around delicios! I would give their restaurant a whole three forks! They also make a mean Shirley Temple........

The Cheesecake Factory (this is my assignment)

I'm not saying that this is a bad restaurant but it would probably win the award for the restaurant that has the most waste! You see this restaurant gives huge portions, I mean really big! Most people cannot eat this amount of food so its all get thrown away. I can't eat this much food but I love the cheesecake factory, because even though there is a lot of it its all delicious to me! The favorite things I like in the cheesecake factory are: the nachos, the tamale cakes, the 30th anniversary cheesecake, the chicken sliders, the Godiva cheesecake, the birthday Sunday ( you can have it when its not your birthday though), which is quite small, but good for when you don't want much, and of course their bread is amazing! Its warm and they have two kinds that I really do like. I would recommend all these things if you went and a couple others. This is a great reastaurant and I hope you go!

McDonald's

I really like one of the restaurants near my house in Mill Valley, Strawberry. I pick McDonald's and I think it is the best restaurant in my life. The hamburgers are juicy, tasty and makes your mouth water. This restaurant has always been and will stay my favorite restaurant, until I grow out of it. My favorite food there are cheeseburgers and don't forget the fries and ketchup. You should go to McDonald's if you like hamburgers and desserts they even sell salad you don't see that every day at McDonald's. You can just get your size of hamburger, pay and then eat in peace with friends or family and enjoy. And if the kids don't want a hamburger then McDonald's has extra for the kids chicken nuggets in a kids meal. You should taste the food and when you go in to the place, you can smell the sweet smell of good food and it is delicious, that's one of the things I like about McDonald's.

I would give it a three forks up. Go there it is so good!

Chevy's

Chevy's is one of my favorite restaurants. It not the absolute best restaurant in the world, but it's one of the best places I've gone since the beginning of the school year. They serve Mexican food, and I am pretty sure they have salad also. My favorite thing to get there are their burritos, and to help that go down, I like to get a coke. There are burritos that are so hot when you get them, that they sizzle, burritos with anything you want in them(okay, maybe not anything), and there are more kinds of burritos too. 

Chevy's has a very excellent selection of taco's too. In my opinion. They make the tacos taste yummy in my tummy by having different kinds of meats, cheeses, spices, and vegetables. Some people will put hot sauce on their taco, but I prefer not to have any hot sauce. Hot sauce is way too spicy for me! Even pepper will be a bit to spicy for me every once in a while.

My favorite Chevy's is located in San Ramon, because there is a good place to play outside, right next to the Chevy's, there is a hotel, and there is a huge minimart, Whole Foods, and Jamba Juice not too far away.

 The first time I went to the Chevy's in San Ramon, I was with my soccer team, and after we ate there, we played really well in our soccer championship and got second place. Now my whole entire soccer team including me, thinks that Chevy's is our good luck charm. I think we should eat at Chevy's more often before a game. I would give Chevy's three forks up!

Chili's

Chili's is a fabulous restaurant with great food, desserts, and more. I didn't know about Chili's until Daisy Colburn took me to it before we watched Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Daisy's family had already gone to Chili's a bunch but this was my very first time. When we walked into Chili's I could just feel the cool air conditioning on my skin. Brr. Daisy's mom, Jacqueline, asked the waitress for a booth for four. (Daisy's brother, Franklin, was also there). When the waitress sat us down at a smooth table with three lights hanging down low, she handed the three children, Daisy, Franklin, and me, a cool coloring book. The ones that come with little crayons in a box that has the restaurant's logo on it.

After me and Daisy colored, we started choosing what we wanted. I chose a grilled cheese sandwich.  She did to. I had to wait such a long time for our food-but it made since, it was crowded.

When our food finally came I gobbled it up. The grilled cheese was fantastic! After the delicious meal, we had desert. The desert was so good! Then, because it was my birthday, they sang:

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday from Chili's!

Happy Birthday to you! 

It was so much fun! I think I give Chili's two forks because it was good and all, but the side potatoes were cold, mushy, and didn't taste that great. Also, it took a really long time to make our food. But other than that, it was delicious! 

Ocean

My all time 5 star restaurant is called Ocean, in San Francisco it's seafood kind of restaurant.

I'm always crazy for the dumplings, they are called ha gow, it has shrimp in the middle and a rice

coding. to tell the truth they had closed up a few weeks ago I'm still very devastated but, on the other hand there is much more then one place that will serve the dim sum in the city, so when me Courtney my mom Diane my sister Trisha and finally my dad Gary, we go to my mom's mom AKA grandma and grandpa's House also to be in the city, so we all go to their house for brunch. Since your supposed to have a restaurant that hasn't closed there is another place that is just as good ( it's take out) It's called Wing Lee on Clement Street in San Francisco easy enough for me because Clement Street is the same street as Ocean.

Outback Steak House

Is a chain restaurant. There is a Outback Steak House in Marin City it has a selection of American food it says it is Australian but tons of the food is American. It has tons of options like for younger children the Mac and Cheese . For your Dad you would want Ribs the barbecue sauce on the steak. They have Cesar Salad and if you like normal Salad your going to like this one the dressing is creamy and pale. For a appetisers there are the onion ring ball it is a lot of Small onion rings in a pit in the middle there is sauce of any choice. Now the Dessert there are allot of Cheesecakes like strawberry's and Cinnamon topped. There is also a cake as in Chocolate and the thunder from down under it is a big brownie with Ice Cream, Wiped Cream and hot sauce.
This is Two forks up.

AMBER JACK sushi

        Amber Jack Sushi is my all time favorite restaurant. It only has four tables, but that doesn't matter. It's the food that counts. Amber Jack Sushi is this hole in the wall sushi store that also sells rice, fish, seaweed salad, and tons of other Japanese food. It is in Mill Valley Here is a picture of it:

     One of the best things about Amber Jack is that it's so warm in there. All of the tables are snug and cozy. It is also very nicely decorated in there. It seems more like a kitchen than a restaurant. As soon as you walk through the door your nose gets flooded with these great smells of sushi and miso soup. Another great thing about Amber Jack is that they have really great waiter service. If it's because they only have four tables I'm not sure, but all in all you get your food in about eight minuets instead of fifteen.

There is still one thing I haven't talked about, and it's the most important thing. THE FOOD! Amber Jack has some of the best food I have ever tasted.They have all the classics in the sushi department, and then plus some. My two favorite kinds of sushi there are called the California roll, and the cherry blossom roll. The California is a normal roll filled with shrimp, avocado, and cucumber. The cherry blossom roll has two kinds of raw fish on the outside, and has avocado, carrot and cucumber in the inside. If you're not in the mood for sushi they have tons of other stuff. Like vegetable tempura which is grilled vegetables. You could also get a teriyaki dinner which is fried chicken cut into strips with sauce on the side. It also comes with rice, salad, and soup. There is another kind of salad I like called seaweed salad it is basically a bowl of seaweed. My favorite thing at Amber Jack is called Beef Negi Magi. It is thin strips of beef wrapped around green onion, and boy is it good.

Amber Jack Sushi is one of the best sushi places I have ever been to, and I hope you will like it too.   

Molasses Sugar Cookies

This is the irresistible recipe of my mom's mouthwatering molasses sugar cookies:

Molasses Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:

3/4 c. shortening or butter 2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sugar 2 c. sifted flour
1/4 c. molasses 1/2 tsp. ginger
1 egg 1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Melt shortening/butter in saucepan. Remove and cool. Add sugar,molasses and egg. Beat well. Add combined flour, spices and salt. Mix well. Chill dough. Form into 1 inch balls. Roll in sugar. Bake @ 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. For extra chewy cookies, remove from oven when almost done and let set on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes.


If you decide to make these cookies I hope you enjoy them and I hope they appeal to your liking. I heard a lot of people liked them and I hope you do too!

The November Restaurant Assignment -- Due 11-10

Write about your favorite restaurant that you have visited since the beginning of 5th grade.  Tell what you like about eating there what your favorite dish is, and where the restaurant is located. Be sure to use the rating scale found on the blog to rate it.  The restaurant does not need to be in Mill Valley, but it needs to be in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Proofread your work before posting it.  If there is already a first post for the restaurant, please make a major comment.  It would be great to have many different restaurants reviewed, instead of only a few.

If you haven't gone to a restaurant since the beginning of the school year, please see the blog editors for an alternative assignment.

About A Boy

Will, played by Hugh Grant, is a self-centered, immature man in his 30's who lives off money his dad made for writing a famous song. He is a bachelor with no intention of getting married, yet his sole goal in life is to meet single women. During one of these quests, he meets an eccentric, lonely 12 year old boy named Marcus, played by Nicholas Hoult.

Beautifully acted with a great soundtrack, this film explores the relationship between Will, who wants relationships without strings attached, and Marcus, who just wants a friend. The relationships are all believably handled and the movie manages to be touching without being cloying. It is also very, very funny.

As you might expect, Will is very reluctant to get involved with Marcus, but slowly warms up. It is the way the film gradually unfolds this relationship, with its comic, sometimes cringe inducing turns that makes it so enjoyable. It's a story about how inspiration takes many forms and how a young person can make an older person take a long, hard look at himself.

Two thumbs up

note: This film is rated PG-13 for language and adult situations

Miss Potter

I recently learned that two of Park School's students are a distant relatives of Beatrix Potter, the author "The Tale of Peter Rabbit".

Reminded me of a very good movie I saw a couple of years ago called "Miss Potter" which is based on the author's life.

Potter was a headstrong independent woman who grew up in a time when such women were not looked upon very favorably. In fact, when an uncle tried to enroll her as a student in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, she was rejected simply because she was female. Not dissuaded, Potter became an amateur mycologist (the study of fungi and lichens) and was soon regarded as an expert in the field. She was rarely able to present her work, however, because she was a woman.

In her spare time, Potter wrote "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" for the son of her governess. She was encouraged to publish it, but had difficulty finding someone willing to do so. Finally, a small publishing company decided to publish 8000 copies of the book. That was in 1902. By year's end the book sold 28,000 copies, and was the company's best seller. It has sold millions and millions of copies since.

This is a good film about a person following her heart's desire despite many many obstacles, including her own mother, in her path.

The film is well acted, with Rene Zellwegger as Potter and Ewan MacGregor (young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the second Star Wars trilogy) as her publisher. The film does a nice job of showing the creative process, too.

The dvd version includes a biography of Potter that covers her life after the events in the movie, her legacy in today's world and photos of her and the people in her life.

Two thumbs up.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

Beverly Hills Chihuahua is a great, but sad, movie.  It's about a white chihuahua, Chloe, that is pampered by her famous owner, Aunt Viv. But then Chloe's Aunt Viv, has to leave. She put her friend in charge.  Chloe's "substitute" owner decides to go on a trip to Mexico with her friends.  During the trip Chloe doesn't get treated very well and while she is tyring to find her watcher she gets taken to a "dog fighting" place.  A "dog fighting" place is were these mean men collect stray dogs and take them to fight other dogs.  But then she gets saved by a police dog that got stolen.  Chloe goes on a lot of adventures with her used-to-be police dog partner.  You see, Chloe's partner, the police dog, USED to be a police dog but there's a miserable story behind it of how he lost his police (human) partner and, sadly, his sense of smell.  And while this is happening, Chloe's watcher is looking for her miserably with Aunt Viv's gardener and his dog, Pappi.  In the end of this movie Chloe [ending deleted by administrator]. 

We -- Audrey and Kate -- think this movie is a "two thumbs up" type of movie because it has really cool adventures and it has a lot of humor.  If you're not afraid of dogs, then we highly recommend this movie to you.

p.s. this post was posted by Audrey and Kate Wagner      

City of Ember

Now, I haven't read the book but, after seeing this movie, I really want to read it.  I love movies where a whole new world and way of thinking and living are created, and the City of Ember fills the bill.  While there are some very talented, famous actors in this film (Bill Murray, Tim Robbins), it is the two child actors, Saoirse Ronan and Harry Treadaway that make this film. This movie offers mystery, action, hope, fear, and complicated relationships all wrapped up in an underground world. 

Two thumbs way up for the City of Ember!

My Hunt for the Perfect Chicken Taco

Okay, this isn't really a restaurant review, but I need your help locating the perfect chicken taco.  I've had them at Joe's Taco Lounge, Grilly's, High Tech Burrito, and Sonoma Taco.  Theirs were all pretty good, but I'm looking for the most fantastic chicken taco on the planet.  Now, I'm not talking about one of those Americanized crispy chicken tacos; I'm looking for the real deal: soft corn tortillas, scrumptious chicken, pico de gallo, cilantro...

So, give me some extra homework: recommendations for the best chicken tacos.  I'll give them a try.  [Okay, I have to be able to get them here in the Bay Area.  Going to Mexico isn't in my plans, at the moment.]

Vascos

This restaurant has lots of Italian food and yummy deserts I go there a lot and its a really nice place to just have some food it has a bar- which of course i don't go to, lots of tables, two kitchens one where the main meals are made and one up front opposite of the bar where you can see the pizzas being made. My family goes to Vascos a lot and we enjoy it every time! What is my rating do you ask?  I would probably give it 2 and a half forks, so go to Vascos!

The Devil Wears Prada

This is advertised a a fish out of water comedy in which an innocent young woman with no fashion sense gets a job at the most famous fashion magazine in the country.

I am in no way a fashionista, but I liked this movie because it is more than a comedy. It is a good movie about how the woman, Andi, played by Anne Hathaway, is able to overcome disrespectful and snobby treatment to develop meaningful relationships with the very people who mistreat her.

In the movie, Andi applies for a job at a magazine run by a ruthless, insensitive and very powerful woman named Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep.

The first time Miranda meets Andi, at Andi's job interview, Miranda immediately decides that Andi isn't right for the job simply because of the way Andi is dressed. Most job applicants, after being dismissed in this offhanded, arbitrary way, would have been embarrassed or angry, but Andi isn't. Instead, she insistently but respectfully details to Miranda why she would be a good person for the job.

Miranda hires her.

Once on the job, Andi runs into resistance from many of her co-workers, who don't believe she deserves the position she got. The core of the movie is about how Andi slowly, tactfully, and respectfully breaks down all of these barriers and wins her co-workers over. At one point, Andi gets to see another side of Miranda, and understands why she is so mean. Instead of hating her for it, she begins to feel compassion for Miranda.

All in all, this movie shows how treating others with respect, while treating yourself with respect, along with strong doses of honestly and compassion, can break down the most difficult interpersonal barriers and result in meaningful relationships.

Two thumbs up.

Remember the Titans

As mentioned in PE, this is a great movie about how putting aside personal differences can result in a group which achieves great things. It is about respect, responsibility, friendship and loyalty. It is also a whale of a true story.

In this movie, two Virginia high schools combine into one, after one school, whose students are all African-American, closes. These displaced students move to another school where every student is Caucasian-American. Before this merger, each school had its own football team with its own popular and famous coach. After the merger, there would be only one team. In a surprise decision, the school board announces that the African-American coach, played by Denzel Washington, would be the head coach instead of the more experienced and successful white coach, played by Will Patton.

This, of course, creates an immediate conflict between the two coaches. One of the subplots in the movie is how these two men go from being rivals to friends. It isn't an easy transition, and is handled in a realistic way.

There are also many conflicts between the players; about who should start, music, girls and of course, race. And, just as the players start to get along, the get a new player; a long-haired "surfer" from California.

The variety of reasons over which these boys clash and the way they resolve them through their common desire to become a good football team makes this a must see film.

Two big thumbs up.

Kung Fu Panda (rated PG)

When I sat down in the theater, I had no idea what this movie was about.  I didn't even know that it was animated!  But, for the next hour and a half, I was in heaven.  I clapped, laughed out loud, and almost cried!  This is one of the best animated movies I've ever seen, and I highly recommend seeing it!  Two thumbs up!

--Maggie

27 Dresses

The movie 27 dresses is about a lady named Jane and her sister. Her sister comes and she likes Jane's boss that Jane likes. And Jane is always the Brides maid for her friends weddings, but then at the end she finally got married. I really liked this movie because it has really good actors and actresses. It is good because it teaches people a lesson on just tell your feelings and people can help.

I would give this movie a 2 thumbs up for the fabulous film.

The Black Stallion

"From the moment he first saw the stallion, he knew it would either destroy him, or carry him where no one had ever been before ..."

This movie, made in 1979, is about a boy and a horse, and is based on a book by the same name. It is one of my favorite movies of all time and one that I consider to be a minor masterpiece.

What makes this movie special is the way the director chooses to tell the story primarily with images and sounds. There is very little dialogue throughout the movie. In fact, the second act, in which the boy befriends the horse, contains no dialogue at long. This is a wonderful section and my favorite part of the movie, especially the scene where the boy rides the horse for the first time.

The movie is beautiful to look at with lush colors and great natural lighting. It is very quiet overall but uses sound in a really creative way. Great editing, too. All of the actors offer low key way performances which really work well, though the boy seems a little self-conscious at times.

The story is very simple, but I won't tell you any of it, so that, if you choose to see this, you can experience it and enjoy it to the fullest extent possible. It's well worth a look. Two thumbs, way up.

Waitress

Today I was really stumped on what to write about until finally I hit myself on my head when I figured out, "Waitress!" This is one of my favorite movies ever. It is about a woman who works at a diner and she is really good at making pies but her husband is abusive. She one day gets pregnant and falls in love with her obstetrician (whew long word). I would give this a 2 thumbs up because the whole time I was entertained while I was watching the movie and it has a great plot.

La Cocos

La coco's is a place in San Anselmo. It is another italian resturant. It is delicious! The apitizer is an astonding chessy galic bread basil pizza. Next comes the first course of mouth-watering pizza toppings are all your choice. I entertain myself by watching them make it. After pizza in the main course. The carbonara pasta is the best of all. I'll eat it by the plateful! (snarl, snarl, drool, drool) It's on 638 San Anselmo Ave. Three forks by far!

La Ginestra

La ginesrta is an Italian restaurant in the town square. It has soup, pasta, pizza, some sea food, and any other Italian foods. My favorite food is the pastina soup. It is a simple soup with pasta balls and chicken broth. The pizza is slightly stringy and has a unique zing. For a beverage you could get a nice Shirley temple to quench your thirst (and your horrible need for sweet things). Again it is located near the square partially if you were on your way to the public library. I would give it two forks because it is great but not jump out of your seat ppppplllllahahaheehee amazing.

Amber Jack Sushi

Amber Jack Sushi is amazingly good. It is also very convienient, it's right down town. The food that they serve is unbelievable. It's japenese food and probably the best japenese food ever. The sushi is great, but I alsp recommend the Chicken Terriyaki. And my brother is a big fan of the Yaki Nasu, thats egg plant. I give Amber Jack 3 forks! Oh, and the are open for lunch and dinner.

The Slanted Door

The Slanted Door is an exsquisite vietnamese resturant with a mouthwateringly oriental menu. Me and my family onley go twice a year; when my grandparents visit and at my Dad's birthday. For apptizers we usually get spring roles, pho bo noodle soup, and a salad with hiccima, candied nuts and grapefruit. But thats just the appetizers, for the main course I suggest ordering the Shaiking beef, the celifain noodles with crab and the tamirin chicken.
The good service is another attribute. Every time we go we meet another nice woman or man. They also prepare the food very quickly, that always suprises me!

Fools Gold

Fools Gold is about this guy who is broke and tries to find a treasure of this very historical person. But he is going to be divorced with his wife which wants to get divorced to the lady. This movie is PG-13 but is really good. There is one other person who wants the treasure his name is Big Bunny. When he's out in the ocean is where he gets into trouble because the ship goes up in flames. I think that the guys name is Big Bunny is a freaky name. I really was very focussed on the history part of the movie, but I also liked the action. I really think that they showed some stereo types which were that they made the rich and spoiled girl an idiot. I would give this movie a one and a half cause it has some X in it. SEE THIS MOVIE!

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

I thought this would be a simple, regular movie. I have to tell you I was  wrong! My point is that it was a great and unique movie. You would never think of what had happened to Mr.Magorium at the end. It was so interesting. I'm not going to tell because you will have to see it your self.

I rate this movie a 2 thumbs up for the most unique movie ever.

I See Sushi

I see sushi is a sushi place in San Francisco. It is right down the the street from S.C.F Hospital. It is a great place to eat lunch. My favorite kind of sushi there is the california roll. There are many other good sushi there too. There is green tea that can make you so relaxed you feel like going to sleep. I see sushi s a cosy little place, it is quiet place with nice people. If you are ever looking for a relaxing place to eat then I see sushi is the place to eat. I would give I see sushi 4 forks.

Stardust

I don't Know if any one posted on this so, I am sorry if some one all ready posted one this.

Stardust is like a fairy tail adventure. It had a lot of "unexpected" twists and turns, but I knew most all of the twist in the plot because they were the kind of twists that the movie makers use all the time. But the bass of the movie seemed very original, I mean the story it self was good but I guessed the ending in the the beginning. I would give this movie between a 2 thumbs up, or a one thumb up, because it was good but very obvious at parts but shocking at others.

Humuhumunukunukuapuae

Crazy as it sounds this restaurant is really, really good. Do you like tropical places? Do you like the ocean roar? What about the many coral reef fish? If you answered yes to any of the above questions you will simply adore the Humuhumu ( it's name for short). Though let me warn you it is well, slightly oh who am I kidding it's pretty darn pricey. I would not recommend it for the causal dinner. Its in Maui. But that can't keep it from being great. This restaurant that quite frankly towers above the others in Wailelea. It has views of the ocean but thats not why. With it's thatched roof this place gets business. Its basically just a plain old platform, but it's a platform over salt water. If you think about it all the tables are seaside. It is the place to go if you want to snorkel and not get wet. You can get fresh lobster right out from under your feet. Oh, you also get to see the scramble to get them. Trust me, its quite a sight. I would rate this a giant total of three forks. However, there is always the question, but what if the fish don't come to me? Well, don't worry they will. Here's how I know, these fish are crazy for a type of bread made with plants from the island. ( Oh and I can't blame them, they taste delicious!) Toss one into the water and pretty soon it's a feeding frenzy. If you get lucky you will get to see the very touchy Moby Dick. Ok so its not really. Moby Dick is an extremely touchy blowfish that will inflate if your shadow crosses over him. Or you might get to see a shark fight. Like when my sister tossed a whole roll into the water. Two sharks had the one piece in their mouth and were fighting. Now you're probably thinking that I'm making this all up. Well I'm not, actually the most of the visitors to your table will be the bottomless pit sand sharks. Well if you ever happen to be taking a stroll on the beach, and you happen to be in Maui, you might just want to consider this restaurant. Its a real treat!

Defenitly, Maybe

About a week ago me my mom and my sister Dylan saw Definitly, Maybe. I would realy recamened this movie because it is a really good movie and it is also a little bit ssad but the kid finds out who her mom is. I really like the characaters because they are really funny and they are really focased on the movie. The movie has a messege in it. I think the messege is realy good feeling. If you have seen the movie then you would now what the messege is. If you are boared on the weekend then go see Definitly, Maybe.

I THINK YOU SHOULD GO SEE IT RIGHT NOW!

Night at the Museum

This movie is about a guy who needs to get a job and so the people at the museum hire him as night guard. Then he figures out that everything it the museum comes to life! This movie is a great movie. It's really funny! You know how in muesums they have little displays with little people? Well when the little people come to life in the movie those were my favorite parts. At first in the movie when the dinosaur comes to life you get really freaked out thinking that the T-Rex is going to eat the guy who is the star of the movie but he ends up playing fetch with the dinosaur. Some other parts I liked were when he firsts starts talking to the giant statue. I would give this movie two thumbs up!

The Game Plan

The Game Plan is about a football player who doesn't know that he has a daughter. The movie is good because he learns how much he loves his daughter and after he knew he had a daughter his life changed. He use to be a pretty selfish person but after his not selfish at all at the end. I would rate it a 1 dump up because I thought it could of been better. In some ways it was bad and in some ways it was really good.

Sushi Ran

Sushi Ran is an amazing seafood restaurant! It is located in Sausalito and it's adress is 107 Caledonia St. They have a really great salmon and I really recommend thier soft shell crab roll. They are in the top five Bay Area restaurants and if you are a seafood or sushi fan, you wouldn't be disapointed with the food at all. I have to warn you though that they are a 3 and 1/2 star restaurant so they are a bit spendy. They have two buildings and are almost always full. So you'd either have to get lucky or make a reservation. I would give Sushi Ran 4 forks.

Dynasty

Dynasty is a Chinese restaurant that is really good! I really like the restaurant because they have really good corn soup, sesames chicken, sweet and sour chicken. And last but not least my FAVORITE, Beef and broccoli. It is in Tiboron by where the ferry is. I would give this restaurant a 3 thumbs up because of there great service, food and view.

I recommend this restaurant if you like Chinese food. I really like it because after dinner We my mom my dad and my 2 sisters get to go and walk around and sometimes go in the candy store.

The Pajama Game

The Pajama Game is a musical. It is about a pajama factory going on strike.

I found this a very good movie because... wait. I saw the Pajama Game as a play. The Novato High School's Art class put on The Pajama Game as a play. They will be doing the play on March 14, 15, and 16.

The Pajama Game is is also a movie. It was on Broadway from 1952-1954. It became a movie in 1957. My Grandma saw the Broadway version. She liked it a lot.

I really liked The Pajama Game because the music was great. I only saw The Pajama Game once and I remembered half the songs the next day. The songs are catchy and there are a variety of genres.

I enjoyed the play and I hope I will enjoy the movie too. I would rate the play two thumbs up. I will tell you how I think the movie is when I watch it.

Holes

Holes is a movie made from the book. I read Holes in a book club with Darian and Katie. Now that I have seen the movie I think I like the book better but the movie is great. I think they made the characters a lot like I pictured them as in the book. My favorite character is probably Hector Zeronie ( Zero). I thought all the characters acted well. I also thought it was kind off like A Series of Unfortunate Events (the books) because of how at the end all the mysteries start to come together. I really liked the movie, and recommend it. I would give the movie a eight.

Cactus Cafe

Cactus Cafe is on 393 Miller Ave. (in the area of Silverscreen and Whole Foods) . They serve Mexican food. I usually get a quesadilla with or without shrimp. They have these great small ceasar salads. We have a friend there who's the owner, Gorden, so it's always fun to go to a place where everyone knows you. Me and my family go every Friday, so the people actually expect us to come! Every Friday night, we walk to Cactus Cafe (A.K.A, Cacti) after dinner, we go to silver screen and I never get bored of this routine. This place isn't fancy, booths, the kitchen is in view, so it isn't expensive.

I'd give this place 3 forks for the reasons of all of the above!

Ino

Ino is a great place to enjoy some fresh sushi! When I went there, I got a great seat at a booth, where I could watch them making the sushi. they make it so quickly and it is all fresh fish. I really recommend the eel. It may sound bad, but it is really delicious! I also liked the cucumber roll, one of the classics. I would give Ino 4 forks for its yummy food. Ino is located near Baskin Robins, at the corner of the road. I really hope you consider this place, it is great!

Across the Universe

Across the Universe is a beautiful love story about a man named Jude, and a girl named Lucy. They fall in love and have a great relationship. It has nudity, swearing, and violence. Other than those factors its a wonderful movie. In the movie it has the best beatles songs made in history. I think this movie is great. For any one who likes artistic movies than this will change your life. It changed my life. Its just great. I don't know how much more I can say. 2 thumbs up! SEE THIS MOVIE!

Indiana Jones

I really liked the Indiana Jones  movies. I am so intifrantaslantooradiamoblaphicly exited for Indiana Jones and the  Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I bet that Indiana Jones will be old and retired or about to retire, and then he'll get a call from some weirdo in Yugoslavia. Then he goes on a miraculous adventure but some kid will want to go with him, he'll say it's too dangerous but the kid will sneak on to his plane and Indiana will have to cope with him. Then Indiana Jones will get in trouble of some kind and the kid will have to save him, then Indiana will think: Hey, this kid isn't that bad and say "Hey lets be partners, you can keep the Crystal Skull too, if you want it, you deserved it. (He'll through in a really funny punch line at the end too).

300

This movie is one of my favorites other than Juno! This movie was really good. It is PG-13 but i would recommend this movie but it is a little gory because it is when the Romans fight the other countries and they fight with 300 men and then, well i can not tell you what happens next but if you want to watch this movie i would recommend this movie! This movie is very, very related to Meet The Spartans except that movie is a a lot different but is set like 300 with the Romans but Meet The Spartans is a lot funnier than 300 but 300 is a lot more intense and it has a little bit of history in it. I would rate this movie a 2 thumbs up, hands down because it is really well acted and it is just really great and i think it should of been nominated for best movie, but hey, it is not my decision!

Fuddruckers - a good place for a party or team meal

First, I want to thank you 5th graders for your generous gift. I've been thinking of where to spend it with my team. Fuddruckers is a place my team went to early in the season.

Fuddrucker's, despite the vaguely obscene sounding name, is a good place for kids and teenagers. It's mostly a hamburger joint, but they also sell steak, chicken, salad, shakes and desserts.

The main food attraction is the burgers. A few of the many kinds of burgers they sell include bacon and cheddar, mushroom & swiss and jalapeno. All burgers are made from fresh ground beef. Customers choose what size burger they want and how they want it cooked. Burgers range in size from 1/3 lb to 1 lb. I chose a 1/3 lb mushroom swiss burger, while two of my players, who'd just finished playing a game, went for the 1 pounders. They were huge. Pretty funny to watch a teenaged girl scarf down a burger as big as a plate.

After the customer recieves her/his burger, s/he dresses it at a huge condiment bar (the whole place is self serve). The condiment bar contains every imaginable burger dressing from tomatos and onions to jalapenos, pickles, relish and so forth.

The food is is good if you like burgers (one of the players said hers was the best burger she'd ever had), but the real attraction for kids and teens is the game room.

There you'll find video games, of course, but also air hockey and big versions of Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution (DDR). My players had an impromptu DDR contest between themselves and other customers. Pretty funny to watch - some of my players worked harder playing DDR than they did playing the basketball game!

Anyway, if you're looking for a place to go with a group of kids, consider Fuddruckers. You can't find one in Marin, but there is one in Daly City and several in the East Bay.

Food: 2 forks
Ambience (if you're in a partying kind of mood): 3 forks

for more info go to www.fuddruckers.com

My Favorite Films of 2007

So tonight is Oscar night.

Haven't seen all the movies nominated for Best Picture (I usually wait until they come out on DVD) and you are probably too young to see most of the nominees. But, what the heck, in the spirit of the evening:

Some films I really enjoyed in 2007 were: American Gangster, The Bourne Ultimatum, Rescue Dawn and Ratatouille. But, my favorite film of 2007 was: Once

How about you?

Pearl's Phat Burger

This restaurant sells the best bugers in town. It is down town near the church. The have hambugers and hot dogs and all those other things that you would axpect at a buger joint. I go here all the time because it is right across the street from Stefano's. My brother and sister love put I pizza but I don't. I would give this place 2 thumbs up.

Just like heaven.

First of all this movie is really good, but no one I know has seen it besides Brett. (but that's because we saw it together) You might think that makes it a bad movie but not at all! I just don't think they advertised it enough. One of the reasons I liked it is because Reese Witherspoon is in it and she is my favorite actress. It is about a woman who works in a hospital and still doesn't have a boyfriend, so her sister Abby sets her up on a blind date. On the way to Abby's house she get's in a car crash and goes into a coma. Then the man who rents her apartment starts seeing her because she turns into a ghost. There is also a song called Just like heaven and they play it in the movie, the song is also really beautiful! I really think you should see it. I give it a 2 thumbs up.

Riding Giants

This is a great documentary that is all about surfing! It shows great surfers surfing some legendary moments. Its so cool! It has very sad moments, very funny moments, and just plain cool moments. It is totally 2 thumbs up! Its pg-13 but that shouldn't stop you from watching it.

Hairspray

Hairspray is my favorite musical. It is really good film because it has a meaning to the plot and some really fun songs.

Hairspray is about a girl who is named Tracy Turnblad. She is over weight but that doesn't stop her from working her way to fame on the Corny Collin's show in Baltimore.

This was in the 60's, when segragation was still around so that makes it even harder for Tracy's best friend Penny to stay in touch with Seaweed. An African American who was segragated in the negro Corny Collin's show.

Velma the woman in charge of the show doesn't want Tracy to win the teenage Hairspray pagent; she want's her daughter, Amber to. Amber is a hot head and her mom is a control freak.

Will Amber win the Hairspray pagent? Will Tracy? Or will it be someone totally different? This is an amazing work of art that will keep you on your feet.

I'd give this movie 2 thumbs up because of it's flashy colors and of a hiden love story.

National Treasure

Over break me and Maddy went to go see National Treasure. I really liked the movie because it had a lot of adventure and a lot of people explored for the Treasure. I would give this movie a 9 1/2 because the movie is a great movie but not one of my favorite. I also like this movie because it is informational. If you like adventure then you should go see it.

Juno

This movie is very funny, it is so funny that some of the people in the audience were laughing out loud. This movie is manly about a girl named Juno, she then gets pregnant after doing "BLAH". Juno is really funny and the girl Juno is really funny she sometimes swears in the movie but it is very good. This movie is good for young adults and adults but if you are my age than it will make sence but not a hole lot of it will not make sence but like i have said a million times it is SO FUNNY!
I would give this movie a 2 thumbs up! This movie is PG 13.