I've never been happier in my whole life. My family is so important to me. Last night we had a get-together at a local restaurant and my son Mark with his wife Shela and my granddaughter Samantha showed up to join us in a small gathering. My son, Bernard who was exercising at that time left the gym to join us. My daughter Christina (who flew to New York earlier) was constantly in touch.
It was just a small restaurant that specializes in Shanghai cuisine located on Broadway in Millbrae, California. It's my second time to eat at this restaurant, the first was when my daughter treated me there before she left for NYC.
Minus the photos, I can vouch that their specialties are worth your time; 1) Shao Long Bao (mini dumpling with ground pork) ~ This mini steamed dumpling is so juicy and will whet your hungry appettite. 2) Braised Shanghai Noodles ~ This noodle is thick (about 1/3") and cooked with a certain flavor and in dark sauce, so different from the Cantonese noodles. You must try it to find out the difference. I've seen diners ordering just this dish. 3) Braised Pork Ham Leg ~ This is another Shanghai specialty. Pork Ham Leg was braised in soy sauce and other herbs and it was cooked until meat was so tender. They added some greens and that made the dish more attractive. 4) Lions Head ~ Humongous pork meatballs are about 4 to 5 inches wide and cooked in crab powder sauce. Very different yet so appetizing. 5) Crispy Fried Eels ~ I was surprised that my tastebuds were tickled with the crispy sweet and salty taste of the eels.
They have other dishes that's worth trying and next time I go there again I will definitely order the ones I haven't tried yet. By the way, try their Sweet Bean Pancake. It's sweet bean enclosed in a cake sheet and fried in minimal oil. I have tried this dessert or snack food in Hongkong many years ago and I suggest you get a bite of this sweet treat.
Last May, I was invited to a wedding of my son's best friend, Nick P. and his then fiancee, Amy D. which was held in Healdsburg, California. The wedding ceremony was held in Asti, California, in a small catholic church in the middle of the vineyards and the reception was at the Simoncini Vineyards, a vineyard owned by the uncle of Nick P., the only living brother of his mom, Linda Simoncini Peruzzaro. 
Samantha's 3rd Lesson in baking was making Chocolate Chip Cookies. She was so excited helping me gather all the ingredients and the baking tools we needed. We prepared everything on the table and she set the oven to 375degrees F. We also decided to use the portable mixer so she could get used to handling a mixer.
