Pedro's Brazilian Cafe

On a recent weekend drive to Berkeley California, I was in search of good meal when I drove past a very funky and brightly colored restaurant or what looked more like a shack. The next thing I noticed was the loud Brazilian music playing outside and a man clapping and dancing to the beat. This man is Pedro of Pedro's Cafe and what a salesman; I think he could sell ice in Alaska if he wanted to. The one and only thing to order is anything with beef tri tip, it's the most popular meat on the menu and the cilantro garlic sauce that goes with it is amazing!  Oh, and don't forget to order a fresh mango smoothie. This small restaurant is a block away from the University and is very popular with the students. If it's cold and you don't want to sit outside there is a second location very close with indoor dining available.

Pedro at his Cafe

Fresh Mango Smoothie

Pedro's Brazil Cafe
2161 University Ave 510 845 8011
1983 Shattuck Ave 510 845 1056
Berkeley, Ca 94704

The Pelican Inn Pub in Marin County, California

There is a somewhat out-of-the-way destination in Marin County, California called the Pelican Inn. It's a old English pub and inn on Highway 1 at Muir Beach and open year 'round. Its a great place to get warm by the fire on a cold day, grab a pint to go with your fish and chips and maybe play a dart game.




Pelican Inn
10 Pacific Way
Muir Beach, CA
415 383 6000

Prawn Ceviche

In the dead of a cold Winter night I wanted to brighten my mood with some warm weather food, and making fresh prawn ceviche on a home made tortilla was just what I needed.
A ceviche is a classic preparation of fish or seafood that is flavored and cooked using the acid of citrus fruit. A simple rule of thumb when making ceviche is to start with very fresh seafood, and the bigger the piece of fish the longer it will take to cook. The acid transforms it from raw to ready to eat. Maybe a few hours for small cuts or overnight for large. Lime is the common citrus juice and a touch of orange juice can be added for its sweetness. Always use fresh and never that bottled stuff. In this recipe I used the juice of fresh limes from my garden, small diced red onions and Thai green chilis. To serve, I placed the ceviche on a home made warm flour tortilla with sliced avocado and chopped cilantro. To boost the heat I used a few drops of my super hot Habanero sauce.