Tag: cocktails

flowers saratoga

even with me being a bit of a scrooge, many of my friends love the holidays. because of our scheduling, it is hard to get together in december to be merry. my dear friend nick insisted on taking melissa and i to this restaurant at the end of january as a way to spread a little holiday cheer. nick first discovered this gem through a work event some months prior and had not stopped raving about it since. after going, i certainly see why. if you find yourself in the bay area, dining at flowers saratoga is a must.

flowers saratoga

one of the best things about dining with nick and melissa is that we have pretty similar palettes. we ordered many things to share and then each had a single item to ourselves. to say we indulged would be a gross understatement. first up – cocktails!

hummingbird – truly a work of art and just as delicious as it is beautiful
cantarito – who doesn’t love mezcal with a little passionfruit?
snow storm – i’m a vodka girl and with strawberry and a little yuzu foam? sign me up.
blanco franco – blanco tequila with campari balanced with strawberry, bell pepper and lemon? more than one of these was ordered for our table

the cocktails were truly one of a kind. the added bonus was the glass of sparkling rosé our amazing server poured for each us while we waited for our first round of drinks. instead of actual dessert, we opted for espresso martinis and they did not disappoint. you could easily go to flowers and just sit at the bar and have an absolute blast. however on this particular night, we were there to enjoy the full experience for dinner and we did not hold back.

the beet garden
two bite tuna taco trio
lobster slider trio – tomato burrata – tuna tacos (making their second appearance)
prawn cigars
flowers wagyu mini slider trio + truffle parmesan fries
slow braised short rib with a truffle parsnip purée
diver scallops with a mascarpone polenta

the initial plan was to sample a bit of everything and each get a different entree to dive into. melissa and nick understood the assignment – melissa ordered the short rib and nick committed to the scallops. they both loved their choices. i had a bite of each and was in heaven. i was having ordering anxiety because i loved so many of the starters. i ended up ordering the wagyu sliders again as my entree so i could enjoy more than just one of them. i ended up taking a slider or two home because i had overcommitted during our two hour long appetizer/cocktail hour. clearly, this is not a bad problem to have.

while this place would be phenomenal for a date (not just because of the delightful food, unique cocktails and extraordinary service) because of its romantic feel, i’d recommend going with a group so you can truly try a bit of everything. i cannot wait to go back. special thanks to nick for treating melissa and i to a stellar dinner. if you call to make a reservation before visiting, be sure to ask if caitlyn is working – she truly provided the most outstanding service i’ve had at any restaurant in the bay area.

if you’ve been to flowers, what was your favorite thing on the menu?

xoxo,

k. tap

thought of the week: thank you for loving each version of me

last week, my very first college roommate turned best friend, turned 35. marilena was someone i immediately clicked with and i felt so grateful to be randomly paired with someone perfectly suited for me. to be honest, when i think back to our hall freshman year, it was filled to the brim with people i feel so blessed to know and love. now that marilena is back in the bay, we did a weekend of celebrating and it was the best.

on friday, marilena, makensy, jackie and i circled back to glow to make candles and it was so much fun.

makensy’s tile setup

after glow, we went to dinner at zazil on santana row. the drink that we had to have more than one of was the pintado de rosa. there is something about the balance of the fresh strawberry puree with the citrus and tequila that is just next level.

pintado de rosa

on saturday, marilena’s family hosted a dinner party for about 15 of us with the most delicious traditional mexican food and great cocktails. while we ended up at a bar after dinner and makensy and i kept marilena and jared up for hours once returning to their home, my favorite part of the night was when all of the women were gathered in one room after dinner. sonya (marilena’s cousin) spoke about what marilena meant to her and how wonderful it is to go from having marilena be her flower girl to them being friends as adults. sonya opened up the floor for many of us to share. a theme i couldn’t help but notice as women across generations spoke about marilena is how she has encouraged growth in each of us – we are all better for knowing her. there were many points where i glanced across the room at marilena, makensy and jackie and was in disbelief that this september will mark SEVENTEEN years of us knowing and loving one another. when i think of who we each were when walking into santa clara’s campus as 17 and 18 year olds, it is truly wild. in taking time to think of the plethora of versions of each of us that have existed between then and now, it is heartwarming to know that the love and connection has just grown deeper. while it isn’t a guarantee, it is true for us and made me think of this quote i stumbled across back in january:

there is something so beautiful about having long-term friends that have witnessed multiple versions of you and loved you unconditionally through each version.

man. nothing compares to being loved unconditionally by people who have seen you at your highest of highs and lowest of lows. marilena has truly seen me through it all and has taught me how to not only show up for others, but how to show up for myself. that isn’t something i take for granted.

marilena + me at mumm napa

on sunday, marilena, makensy and i did a day trip to napa. we started at domaine carneros, swung over to madonna estate, all toasted to marilena and our 17 year anniversary at mumm and wrapped with dinner at rh yountville.

sparkling flight – domaine carneros
pinot noir flight – domaine carneros

the weekend was jam packed and i wouldn’t change a thing. i was reminded all weekend why these women are part of my chosen family.

tell me about someone who has loved you unconditionally through many versions of you!

xoxo,

k. tap

34.

each year, i select a word as my theme for my personal new year. after much reflection, going into 34, i chose my word: calm.

with every curveball thrown my way during 33, i focused on “controlling the controllables” (as my coach from grit and gratitude fitness frequently reminds me to do) and something i realized now more than ever is the importance of remaining calm no matter the intensity of the storm. it has served me incredibly well.

during 33, my word of the year was reciprocity. while i could only fit 10 photos on instagram (i was certain to include more here), everyone that helped me celebrate (whether it was in bottle service, at a boozy brunch, over a spectacular dinner or in napa) reiterated the importance of reciprocal relationships and aid in me being my calmest self.

on friday, the 9th, i was determined to dip back into bay area night life. dancing all night at nova in san jose followed by late night nachos at la vic’s brought me back to my early 20s. 10 out of 10 would recommend.

saturday, the 10th, was so life giving. we did a bottomless mimosa brunch at straits followed by espresso martinis at el jardin. for any of you that are new to my love languages, words of affirmation is pretty low on the list. i used to cringe when receiving them and have worked extensively on being better at just being open to being loved out loud. i wasn’t ready for when theo had each person go around and say their favorite thing about me. it definitely got emotional for many – i wouldn’t change a fucking thing.

sunday, the 11th, was so damn sweet. i did a solo coffee date with my twin, anj. next, we did a girly brunch in livermore followed by wine tasting at concannon. i wrapped the day with anj at her bff’s house (blythe is the best host!) and got to spend some time with my nephew.

monday, one of my oldest friends booked a reservation at my family’s favorite steakhouse without even knowing that info ahead of time. if you haven’t been to mastro’s, run – don’t walk. anthony knocked it out of the park.

i kicked off my actual birthday on tuesday, the 13th, with coffee with my fellow therapist and soul sister, jaclyn and her youngest son. it was the perfect start to the day. i ended with a late night happy hour at yard house with a coworker turned friend, wilson.

i wrapped up the celebrations on presidents’ day in napa with my fellow aquarian queen and a couple of our girls. we started off with brunch at rh yountville followed by wine tasting at mumm, madonna estate and domaine carneros. we wrapped the day at celadon for dinner. it was truly the perfect day.

few things compare to entering my big diesel year (for my fellow lakers fans) surrounded by being loved in my love languages (quality time and acts of service) and feeling more grounded than i ever have in my adult life.

what is your theme word for your current year of life? or perhaps, your next year of life?

thank you for all of the wonderful birthday wishes – i truly love you all.

xoxo,

k. tap

christmas cocktails with kristin

my favorite part of this holiday season was hosting some amazing women for a little holiday get together i called “christmas cocktails with kristin” – it was a blast! while typically not a christmas girlie, i wanted to create some festive spirit since i knew i’d be helping to care for my dad over thanksgiving week. it was the best decision i could have made. there is absolutely nothing wrong with creating your own joy.

my little tabletop tree

i found the cute little gift bags (filled with prizes for our game winners), the sign and the christmas candle at hobby lobby. while visiting anj in washington the week before, i was able to find the bulk of what i needed for the party for under $60! truly unreal.

mimosa bar with cranberry blood orange + white cranberry juice options; a holiday punch with cranberry, pineapple, vodka and club soda; red sangria with a cabernet and bourbon + white sangria with a sauvignon blanc and vodka

i love having options for beverages and know that people gravitate towards different things. i wanted the girls to be able to customize their mimosas – maybe you want a lot of juice or maybe you just want enough to change the color. with them being able to pour it themselves versus it being premixed, that was more than doable. a few of my friends get headaches from champagne/sparkling wine so i also did two sangrias and a spiked holiday punch. all were enjoyed!

hot cocoa bar with marshmallows, peppermint crunch, sprinkles, original whipped cream and peppermint whipped cream

for the girls looking for a cozy beverage or a little something sweet, the hot chocolate bar was a hit. while i prefer my hot chocolate with milk, i used this hot water dispenser instead because lactose is not everyone’s friend. the girls being able to add as little or as much cocoa as they wanted was definitely the move.

the girlies 🎄🥂

i wanted everyone to be comfortable so we all wore our favorite christmas pajamas. my little sleep shirt is from asos. while we couldn’t all fit on the photo wall at once, it definitely worked in pairs/trios. reens covered the wall in a festive wrapping paper the night before the party (along with making my place look more festive as a whole).

your therapists need to have fun, too!
bagel bar, charcuterie boards and red velvet cupcakes

i like the idea of being able to graze, especially when not having formal place settings for each person. this allowed for just that.

christmas cookie decorating

the cookie decorating contest was hilarious and made me feel like a little kid again. i bought this set at target that included all pre baked cookies along with icing pens and sprinkles. we may or may not have borrowed some toppings from the hot chocolate bar for a little extra flair.

more than anything, i just loved having so many of my favorite women in one place. the holidays can be so tough, especially for those of us who have experienced a significant amount of grief and loss. this felt like a chance to make the holiday season feel more joyous and to do it on my own terms. 10 out of 10 would recommend if you are looking to reclaim the holiday season.

what was your favorite part about the holiday season? i hope that there was at least one part that made you smile like this.

wifey + me

xoxo,

k.tap

martini mondays – vanderpump à paris

even though i am typically a huge fan of drinks that are more floral and/or fruity, i was so intrigued by one of the martinis at vanderpump à paris.

le dirty bleu

le dirty bleu is made with gin, blue cheese stuffed olives, rosemary and everything but the bagel spice. with me being the vodka girl that i am, i had them sub the gin for belvedere. it was absolutely delicious. if you are someone that loves a cocktail that is on the saltier side with a bit of a bite, le dirty bleu is for you.

“martinis. they make me feel civilized.” -ernest hemingway

cheers to martini monday!

xoxo,

k.tap