Jason’s bday last month + my birthday this weekend = birthday dinner with J’s parents. We agreed on El Paseo (Mill Valley, CA) – Tyler Florence’s newest restaurant. Who is he? If you don’t know – he’s had fantastic shows on Food Network as long as I’ve been watching – and his recipes are by far and away my #1 most used of all the food network stars. If he’s got a recipe for it – odds are I’ll love it. Pot roast to peach cobbler… anyhow! So we went…
First off – you walk up and it’s beautiful. Such a lovely setting. I insisted on getting some snapshots with the brick behind us. Jason was way irritated – as he was hungry and wanted to get inside. Too bad!
Then we sat down to rolls just out of the oven with a garlic butter + sea salt…
and I got daring and ordered a real caesar salad…
and for my entree I got the halibut I’d seen Tyler post a pic of a few weeks back on twitter and that I’d wanted ever since…
Then dessert time – and I had donut holes (stuffed with meyer lemon) and yes that’s a birthday candle. Entire meal + service was excellent! Will totally go back.
Oh, but there is icing to go atop this culinary delight… and that is:
to the left there, that’s THE Tyler Florence supervising all the meals leaving the kitchen. I knew he was there (Jason and I had spotted him going in/out of the kitchen) but I didn’t realize we were going to walk right past him! The orders were going out swiftly, and he was super intense into his work so I didn’t dare try and interrupt… it was just cool that he was there. His voice is what made me stop and turn and look again (he was just another guy in white shirt…) and we stopped to watch the action for a few minutes.
In my mind? Watching a creative person at work beats Hollywood celeb ANY DAY. Super cool – and a dinner out with J and his parents I won’t soon forget…
So thanks to Tyler for the great food + experience I won’t soon forget. I wasn’t so thankful today when I had to eat very little + exercise extra… but it was worth it. Great food always is.
You know May, that would NEVER happen in Michigan. Nobody famous here to casually spot out and out in everyday life. What a great place to celebrate! Yummy. Tyler Florence – yep I’m a Food Network junkie too
Love Tyler Florence! He is my fav on FN. How cool that he was there working and know dialing it in like some. The food looks amazing. That salad rings my bell.
Oh Wow what a awsum place to celebrate! I’ve always considered cooking a art form, not a talent I have. Yep totally worth a few extra workouts to experience such beautiful food. Have a great B-day this weekend!!!!
I just knew it was your birthday…because it’s mine also..and I kept saying to myself, ‘Isn’t it May’s birthday?…I’ll check in and see’. So Happy Birthday! and take some time to smell the flowers!
No- not my birthday yet. 🙂
Sounds like a great place to hit during our next visit …. and just wondering if you’ll be offering any classes in July?
How fun. The meals look great
In-person classes?
I have one scheduled in Elk Grove on July 30th. I haven’t scheduled a class in Berkeley in July (yet)… but I might…
yep in person … of course the 30th is also the family reunion … i would love to be in your class tho … oh such fun … keep me posted on your other class dates, just maybe the timing would fit the travel schedule, hmm. what time is the class on the 30th?