Tile Floors & Countertops

So I know I haven't done a real update in a while, but tonight that's going to change! After taking off a week, the guys are finally back and doing more work. This for me is the most fun stage of the remodel because it's when it really begins to look like our brand new kitchen.

 The new floors have been put in.

Picture of the guys putting in the tile. 

Final picture of the tile all done, grout included! I wasn't too sure about the floor at first, but now I'm really enjoying it because I think it warms up the space with it's brown tones.

So the floor happened about a week ago. Today was the first day the guys came back after a week holiday, and they started it off great by putting in the countertops.

Here's a picture of the new countertop with a plastic wrap on top so all the glue dries correctly. You can't see it very well but also there is our new stainless steel sink. Our new faucet was also put in.

Another picture of the new countertop from a different angle.

Here's a picture of the bar countertop and the stainless steel sink.

I really like the color of the countertops, I think it's warm, and is a good contrast to the dark color of the kitchen cabinets. So that was today, and tomorrow they are supposed to be doing the backsplash. Today they also put in the bathroom sinks and quartz countertop, which looks absolutely gorgeous!

Now on to the food.

Sometimes, I just want pizza. It's not healthy, it's not upscale, it's greasy, and calorie-laden, but sometimes it just fits the bill. 

I am especially a big fan of Pizza Hut's thin crust pizza. It's not too doughy, and not too saucy, it's mostly justttt right.

I'm usually a fan of just plain old pepperoni (except at CPK) but my friend had just tried sausage and red peppers and really liked it, so we decided to get that. I'm pretty open to trying new things, so it was no big deal. Though I will admit after a couple of bites I was missing my good old pepperoni. It's not that this pizza was bad, it just wasn't good. It wasn't the pizza that I love to eat on a cold day while watching television and drinking a good beverage.

Luckily, we bought enough food to feed an army, and also got wings. These wings are from the Wing Street Pizza Hut. They are the Garlic Parmesan wings. They are decent. They weren't like traditional wings, but still pretty good. Very buttery/greasy, as you can see a little pool of the stuff at the bottom of the box.

 

My favorite thing alllll night! It's kind of sad, but it's true! I love Wing Street's tater tots. They're just greasy and crunchy and super delicious when you've got a craving.

Overall, 2.5, maybe a 3.

That's all for now, see you soon foodies!

Sea Salt plus New Doors

Hellooo! So today is a fun post for me to write because I am talking about one of my favorite restaurants I have ever eaten at. As I wrote last time, I recently went to San Jose. The first night I was there, my friend and I drove down to Berkeley and ate at "Sea Salt". 

A picture of the outside of Sea Salt. It is located on a fairly busy street with hardly any parking, but still very worth it. On the inside, it's very cute and quaint. 

A picture of the table settings. We were sitting in a really nice corner booth tucked away from everyone else. 

Sea Salt's menu. The one thing I do have to say about Sea Salt is that it's not for the meat lover. While they do have a couple of things for the non seafood lover, almost everything on their menu IS or has something to do with seafood. While I love it, I know many that don't, so there's a heads up.

Bread and butter. The bread was good, though it is very floury and powdery.

I started with a bowl of clam chowder. For a cold night in Berkeley, this really fit the bill. It was warm, and the easiest way I find to describe it is "soulful". It had beautiful chunks of potatoes, clams, and garnished with bacon and parsley. The bacon really gave it a smoky flavor that was a really nice touch.

My main course was a BLT: Bacon, Lettuce, and Trout Sandwich. I love this sandwich. It's on a roll with sun-dried tomatoes, mizuna and tartar sauce. The trout is juicy, and delicious, I just love it. On the side is what I would describe as a coleslaw, I guess, though it is more vinegary. The greens are bitter, but a strikingly good contrast to the smooth flavors of the sandwich. The pickles add a nice little bite of sweet, salty, and sour.

Here is a picture of the sandwich without the top.

Overall, this meal gets a four point five. If you are in the Bay area and like good seafood, I seriously recommend trying this place out!

Now onto kitchen updates:

Last time I updated they had framed out the cabinets and added the new paneling. This time it looks basically the same, though they have added the doors to all the cabinets.

Doors on some cupboards where the future dishwasher will be.

The bar cabinet, and where the future bar sink will go.

Inside one of the new drawers.

A cabinet under the counter. Very nice because now it's easier to get into the back of the cabinet.

The new light panels and outliner - it matches the cupboards which is nice.

A picture of all the cupboards. 

A microwave we are using to eat some semi-normal food. Yes, it is on top of the stereo system. Gotta do what you gotta do.

Besides all the cabinets being done, they've mostly been doing interior work, which is nowhere near as fun as the exterior work! It's all necessary though. They hooked up some gas today, did some plumbing, that kind of thing. They've also been working on the bathrooms a lot; doing the floors, putting in cabinets, etc.

Tomorrow they are supposed to be putting the tile flooring down, so we'll see how that goes! Until next time, best wishes and dishes!

The Bay and Day Eight

Hello everyone! This past weekend I was in San Jose for an ice hockey tournament, which is why I haven't updated about food or the remodel. In the span of Friday - Tuesday, the amount the kitchen has changed is amazing!

Basically what's happened is that all of the cabinets now have the panels on them, and are their new color. They are really gorgeous.

Here is the framing of the cabinets under the sink.

Another framed cabinet.

The new panels on the back of some cabinets, and the wood that will go under the granite.

More cabinets and the space where the fridge will go.

The drawers that will go in the cabinets. No more shelf paper!

A picture of all of the cabinets framed, and ready for some doors! 

Tomorrow they will be putting up some doors, as well as making a template for the countertops.

Also, on Tuesday I got to go to the granite store and check out the slabs of granite that will soon be our countertops! The color is absolutely beautiful. I would describe it as very warm.

Now onto food!

Breakfast eaten at the Holiday Inn in San Jose, California.

Orange Juice, and water. Good start, though the orange juice was much too pulpy for me.

Sourdough bread! No butter, thanks.

Bacon, scrambled eggs, and potatoes. It was really just a down home breakfast. Tasted good. I have no idea what the lettuce and orange were doing on the plate, as I would never have eaten either. 

Overall, decent, it was breakfast. It hit the spot after a hockey game. Two stars.

In my next post I will be reviewing one of my favorite little places called Sea Salt in Berkeley, California. Until then, best wishes, and best dishes!

Cheesecake Factory/Remodel Day Two and Three

Hey, everyone. So today was day three of the Kitchen remodel, and it's been going pretty well. Overall day one was the most exciting and busy, but days two and three were pretty good too. 

Day Two:

Day Two was alllllll about flooring. They ripped up the old floor in the Kitchen, and in all three bathrooms (we are getting them re-done too!). I am very excited to see the yucky plain white tile going adios! 

The first strip of tile coming up. Cute little machine. 

After a little more of the tile is coming up.

After all of the floor is up. Goodbye, nasty!

Day Three:

Pictures in all the spots where the appliances go. Here is the picture of our future refrigerator. They even had a picture for the faucet on the sink! Super cute.

Pictured above is the new frame work for the cabinets. It's so nice that it's real sturdy wood. 

That is all that's been happening these last two days. Until Monday all that is going to be done is frame work and some shelf-fixing in the kitchen and bathrooms. 

One thing about remodeling a kitchen is that it is not easy to cook anything. We do still have our refrigerator which is good, and soon we also plan on making a little "kitchen" with a mini griddle, our fridge, and a pizza maker. Until that's done though, we have been eating out a lot.

Cheesecake Factory - Riverside, California

The meal starts off with a sourdough bread roll, plus a delicious brown roll with oats that is not shown because it was eaten so fast!

I ordered the "Santa Fe Salad". It has grilled lime chicken, cheese, corn, black beans, tomatoes, and cilantro. I really like it. It's not a sissy salad, it is hearty and filled with delicious tastes, and textures. 

On the side, the dressing for the salad. The brown is peanut, and the green is cilantro. Delicious mixed together!

I also got the chips on the side so that they wouldn't get soggy when I brought some of the salad home. 

My mom and I also shared a plate of Chicken Potstickers which were really delicious, though the chicken fell out after only one bite!

Overall, 3 stars. I think I'll go eat my left over salad now!

Until next time folks, best wishes and dishes.

Kayla

Kitchen Remodeling: Day One

Hello, all.

Today and for the next couple of weeks, in addition to my posts and reviews on the food I eat, I will also be posting pictures and updates of the remodeling that is currently taking place in our kitchen. 

Though it is only the first day of the remodel, so much has already been done and I can't wait for everything else that is in store for our little kitchen. 

Here are some pictures:

Pictured above is our old cabinets, our old fridge, old dishwasher, and countertop/backsplash.

Our microwave that I accidently burnt a hole in (that little fireball like thing), plus something my Aunt Robyn painted on the wall.

Our old plain white countertops with the nasty grout lines.

Picture of the entire kitchen, with it's out of date oven, to it's dinosaur time period cabinets.

The hardest part about getting the kitchen remodeled, besides the fact that you can't cook in it, is that you have to find a place for everything that was in your cabinets. Pictured is just some of what filled our cabinets. It's not exactly glamorous living. 

Pictures from day one of the remodel:

They took out the stove and microwave, and ripped up the countertops and backsplash, plus they took the sink and the garbage disposal out. 

Here they are taking out the old light frame, going to be replaced with a nicer one. Also, the bar countertop is now gone, as well as the sink. 

I will really be keeping up to date with all the new stuff that is happening in the kitchen, because as a lover of cooking, I find this to be an exciting time in life! 

Tomorrow: new flooring!