The Mallya Collection (Sausalito, CA)

Fancy Make-a-Wish Foundation cocktail hour hosted by this guy who had an amazing car collection.
Salmon sashimi lollipops
More fancy hors d'oeuvres...
He apparently made his fortune selling scotch.
Fancy Jag, right?

Minamoto Kitchoan (NY, NY)

Best surprise ever! Jen pouched me these adorable little bunny-shaped moon festival cakes. Just what I needed to cheer me up this morning. :) Thanks, Jen!!

The Cheeseboard (Berkeley, CA)

The Cheeseboard pizza cooperative run by Berkeley hippies
Scones
Pizza with roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, mozzarella and Gruyere cheese, garlic olive oil, and fresh herbs. Bonus slice on top!

Heart x 2 (SF, CA)

Little Gem Salad with beets
Old School Eggs Benedict - housemade english muffins, fatted calf ham, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce
"El Luchador" - austin-style scrambled egg tacos with fatted calf chorizo, avocado salsa, onions, peppers, cheese jalapenos escabeche

Toast (SF, CA)

Belgian waffle with blueberries
Egg scramble with toast

Nathan's Birthday Cake (San Mateo, CA)

Crazy Lego cake made by this lady. We ate the top layer and brought the leftovers to SuperHappyDevHouse.

Bi-Rite (SF, CA)

Vegan, gluten-free lunch from Bi-Rite:
Heirloom tomato, cucumbers, and chickpea salad
Baby beets
Broccolini & roasted red peppers

Minako (SF, CA)

Eataly (NY, NY)

Pasta, pasta, and more pasta!

Yum Yum Sushi (SF, CA)

Sushi platter
Sashimi platter
Avocado rolls

Alinea (Chicago, IL)

These are bite-sized "cocktails."
English pea medley
Heirloom tomato salad served on a pillow filled with fresh-cut grass aromas
Signature Alinea dish: Hot Potato/Cold Potato (eaten by removing pin so hot potato falls into cold potato soup and tossing the whole thing like an oyster)
Wagu beef
Nutella-flavored astronaut ice cream
Parfait in a test tube, with bubble gum-flavored tapioca
You can't tell from the photo, but there was no plate for this dessert of warm chocolate pudding, coconut scoops, and frozen chocolate mousse. It was made on a gigantic silicone tablecloth.

Noodles & Company (Chicago, IL)

Bangkok curry noodles with shrimp
Pad Thai

Rosa Mexicano x 2 (Washington DC)

Mushroom enchiladas
Pastel de queso (cheesecake with baked apple cajeta sauce and pecans)

AOC Wine Bar and Restaurant (Los Angeles, CA)

We visited Chef Suzanne Goin's restaurant on our layover from Sydney to New York (we saw her at Otto after the James Beard awards earlier this year).  Delicious food in an intimate setting!

Curried cauliflower roasted in a woodburning oven; softshell po'boy, cabbage slaw, paprika; arroz negro with squid and saffron aioli

14K (Washington DC)

Molten chocolate cake
Creme brulee
Apple bites

Rockpool (Sydney, Australia)

Green lip abalone, red brained thirlmere goose, chicken crisp and fine noodles with xo dressing; chirashi zushi of tuna, prawn, bonito and squid; Redgate farm's partridge pie with melted leeks and borscht sauce; Chinese roast pigeon with prawn stuffed eggplant and black vinegar sauce; baked Alaska, pear sorbet and spiced mousse centre