Panera Bread and Craft

Today was our last day in Cali. I always hate when vacation comes to an end, especially since we had such a great time this trip. We kind of just took it easy today and relaxed with Stephanie and some of the kids. For lunch we went to Panera Bread and OH MY was it GOOOOD!!!

I got this super yummy chicken summer salad that had strawberries, blackberries, and pineapple and some kind of yummy vinaigrette dressing. The soup was a broccoli cheese that was to die for! Annie's nephew Ethan loves this soup so much that he kept trying to steal his sister's soup and then he kept eyeballing mine and kept asking if I was going to finish it. Yes, it was really that good. =] 

Trying to be sneaky and get video of Hunter, Ethan, and Megan singing in the back of the car. 

Before we went to California, I told Annie that I wanted to try Tom Colicchio's restaurant. For those of you who don't know who that is, he is the head judge off of the reality show Top Chef. The show is about 20 chefs that compete to be Top Chef. Each week they get a quick fire challenge, and then a regular challenge that consists of them making some kind of meal that they are then judged on. Of course she was up for it. We knew that Michael and Stephanie would be up for it too, since they love good food as much as we do. So for our last night in town we decided to head to Craft in Santa Monica. 

We started off with drinks and appetizers in the bar area since we got there an hour before out reservation. 

Veal Meatballs

These were so tender, moist, and super delicious!

Ricotta, lemon, and squash blossom flat bread

I've always wanted to try a squash blossom, and I finally did. It was surprisingly really good. 

Our Amuse bouche of lemon gelee and cucumber.

I was super excited for this, because this is something that comes up every once in the quick fire challenges. It's basically a one bite hors d'oeuvre meant to showcase the chef's artistry and to give a glimpse into their style of cooking. It was to die for and the way the lemon and cucumber complimented each other was amazing. So so good!

This was Steph's avocado, tomatillo, and beer nut salad 

I think this was one of my favorite dishes. I'm not sure what the dressing was on top, but it brought out the flavor of the avocado so well. The extra crunch from the nuts gave it a nice texture. I'm drooling right now just thinking about it again. 

Dry rubbed sirloin steak

This was what Michael and Steph ordered and it was absolutely the best sirloin I think I've ever had. So much flavor! 

Yukon gold puree

I'm sure that these potatoes are loaded with calories, but they were a little piece of heaven. So creamy and smooth and full of flavor. I could seriously take a bath in this stuff. As a matter of fact, I think that Me, Annie, and Steph talked about doing that very thing as we were chowing down on this stuff. 

Asparagus

Probably the best cooked asparagus I've ever tried. It was the perfect amount of crispness and tenderness. 

Augratin potatoes

These were Michaels and I don't think any of the rest of us tried them, cause we were too busy swimming in out potato puree. 

Salmon

This is what Annie and I shared. I can't say that it was my favorite salmon ever, but it was still really good. 

We had leftovers to take home, so they took them, boxed them up, and then gave us a number to pick them up when we were done. It was so nice to not have boxes sitting on our table while we tried to enjoy our dessert. 

Apricot sorbet

They brought this out before out dessert to cleanse our palates. 

Strawberry shortcake

The best dessert ever! I was in heaven eating this. The strawberries tasted like they had just been picked from the garden that morning and the pastry was so moist. 

Mint chocolate chip ice cream

This was Steph's dessert and again, so delicious! It tasted like there was an actual mint leaf in the ice cream. It was so refreshing. 

Beignets 

Super good, but not my favorite out of the three desserts we ordered.

S'mores and Caramel popcorn

After dessert, another surprise from the kitchen. I was stuffed to the rafts, but I managed to muscle a s'more down and try some of the popcorn.

Our bill. Yes, it was absolutely worth every penny! And I would totally do it again. Not only for the food, but for the experience. I've never had such an enjoyable time out to eat before. 

Carrot Raisin Muffin

One last surprise from the kitchen before we headed home. A muffin to enjoy for breakfast in the morning. 

The four of us getting ready to enjoy our yummy meal.