Michelle and I decided to check out Pacific Diner for the first time.

Diner truly is an appropriate description. When you enter the front there are a couple booths and a counter, but they have a nice outdoor patio too, where you can enjoy your food in the warm California weather.

I love their biscuits and gravy. I’d be a fat(ter) kid so fast if I had these available every day.

This is the machaca omelet. They brought out two types of fresh salsa to go with the omelet. The texture combination of the fried potatoes and the egg and meat is pretty darn good. The portions are big too, so you should have something to take home for a delicious snack.

They have a huge selection of omelets on their menu in addition to a long list of specials that changes on their white board. It’s definitely a place to check out. Perhaps we can go together sometime after you’ve spent the night on my couch from drinking too much.

Here is the reason we went up to San Jose for Thanksgiving. This is my niece, Myla, who just turned one not too long ago. Her upper teeth are probably due out soon so she likes to chew on her tongue.

Myla with her mom and the bunny we got for her.

Here Michelle is telling her the importance of online web presence.

Kids like me, and I think it’s because I look like a cartoon.

We made her play with the bunny every chance we got so it would become her favorite, and then we would become her favorite. Muahahahha!

Myla plays like a little boy. She doesn’t like to sit still and only has one speed, extreme. I was fascinated by the fact that she can mimic just about any sound you make. She can pop her lips, click her tongue, and do whatever that thing is called in the video.

Now that we’re done looking at my adorable niece, let’s talk about family and food.

People ask whether spending time with my niece makes me want to have kids any sooner. Playing with kids is pretty fun, but part of the fun is being able to say, “She pooped. Playtime timeout. Someone take care of this.” What you don’t see in all these pictures is all the hard work the parents put into raising Myla. You also don’t see the loads of stuff they have just to accomplish that task. Hard work is hard. As I am having a difficult time taking care of myself most of the time, I don’t think pushing up kids is a great idea.

Tofu cheese and honey with bread and crackers.

Pork belly.

Beef Tenderloin.

They even bring out the charcoal grill to you so you can cook yourself.

Musha Fried Chicken.

Udon  with clams and mushrooms.

Ebi Mayo.

Cheese Risotto, getting to the bottom of the cheese block.

The risotto doesn’t look like much but it is one of the things we always order.

I had never seen this on the menu before. La Bomba. Three kinds of ice cream, cover in chocolate. Chocolate, vanilla, and peach. This was really good, especially the peach ice cream section.

We did a pretty good job eating, but you can see the hands are still moving to clean up the rest of the scraps.

This is the reason why like to tell Musha that it’s always someone’s birthday. They turn out the lights and play Happy Birthday, followed by a flaming finish in the kitchen.

The first thing we noticed were drink specials, on sake martinis or pop drinks.

Green Tea Pop Drink and Green Apple Sake Martini.

Chicken Karage, done in chicken wing fashion.

Gyoza. The best part is the fried skin, so they give you a whole pan full of it.

Tonkotsu Ramen.

Shio Ramen.

I did get to try a new beer at the place. Unfortunately their fridge is so cold that the beer was a slushy in the bottle. I had to wait for it to thaw a little bit before drinking it. Even so, it was a pretty tasty beer.

Zenya was overall a disappointment. The chicken and the gyoza were decent, but the broth on both ramen bowls was pretty bland. We still need to check out Hakata Yamada, but if the place is booked again, I will just wait for the open table.

Banana Nut Waffles. These are the American kinda, not the Belgian style pancakes that you’re used to seeing at all the fancy brunch places. It is a nice change, because it allows the nuts to be cooked into the batter, a nice texture contrast.

Sausage, potatoes, and eggs. Compliment the sweet with a little bit of salty.

King’s Hawaiian French Toast.

Omelette & Waffle Shop is pretty busy, but they serve at a pretty fast pace. Don’t be turned away by the line. It’ll move quickly. I definitely need to head back here at some point, because we saw some great looking omelettes and a giant, wet burrito that comes with chorizo. I can’t wait to try some other things here.

Everyone feels great, still buzzing after our visit to the Sam Adams Brewery.

XLB.

Neef Noodle Soup. The broth tasted atypical, with a sweet and spicy flavoring.

We had more restaurants planned for some marathon eating, but after beer and our first meal, we needed a nap. The rest of Boston’s Chinatown will have to wait for another time.

Rapscallion Honey Wheat.

Caipirinha.

Fried frog legs.

Seafood stew.

They have this hot sauce on the side that is fantastic.

Plantains.

The place is the creation of Joanne Chang, an honors graduate of Harvard College with a degree in Applied Mathematics and Economics. Damn over achievers.

roast chicken, avocado & jicama

smoked turkey, vermont cheddar & cranberry chutney

The place is small like most places on the North End, so there’s a wait. A line forms outside the restaurant and people are willing to stand for up to a couple hours just to get into this restaurant. I wonder what happens when it starts to snow.

caprese salad-bufala mozarella,fresh tomato,basil and virgin oil

fried calamari

shrimp and lobster pasta.

half lobster & mussels pasta.

Giacomo’s is worth waiting for, because the wait isn’t about just standing around. You can have someone in your party walk half a block to Mike’s Pastry to pick up some treats.

They bake quite a few different treats in their shop.

This, however, is what they are known for, cannolis.

Delicious, cream-filled treats.

Here Michelle enjoys a cannoli with the line to Giacomo’s in the background.

While Mike’s Pastry makes a great pre dinner snack, just up the street past Mike’s is Modern Pastry. They are famous for their sfogliatelle. It’s a flaky, light pastry with filled witha  creamy filling. Unfortunately with as full as we were, these were readily handled before we could get any photos.

So if you’re ever in Boston, make this Italian meal tour on the North End. You won’t regret it.