A resolution completed at Grill on the Alley

Over the last few weeks, I finished Resolution No. 13 without really thinking about it. Though I like to cook at home - and I do often cook on weekends with my boyfriend - there are plenty of times when we find ourselves going out to eat spur of the moment. Since I found myself wanting to share with him lots of my favorite restaurants - like My Pizza, in Morgan Hill, or the 19th Hole, in Tres Pinos, it turns out it wasn't so hard after all. But it turns out we eat out enough that there has been a good mix of old and new.

A few weeks ago, after running a few miles at the track and running some errands, my boyfriend and I decided to check out the Campbell farmers market. I was on a hunt for Jerusalem artichokes (one of the new ingredients I cooked with for Resolution No. 12.) It was close to 2 p.m. and many of the vendors were closing down for the afternoon. We used the time to check out what types of vendors were there and I actually found the Jerusalem artichokes.

We had just a light breakfast so the smells of some of the food vendors, who were selling crepes, tacos and more, made my stomach growl. Since the vendors were in the process of shutting down, we decided to grab a bite at one of the restaurants. Downtown Campbell has a lot from which to choose. We decided to try out Sonoma Chicken Coop, since I'd never eaten there before. The restaurant is set up so that guests order off a menu at a cashier, choose a table and then pick up the meals. It has the atmosphere of a sit-down restaurant, but without the waiters or waitresses.

The restaurant shares a space with the Campbell Brewery and that side of the restaurant feels a lot like a sports bar. When we arrived at the restaurant on Sunday, the brunch menu was still in effect. It was great because I was able to order a waffle with strawberries and whipped cream while my boyfriend got a pesto chicken sandwich, mixing up the breakfast and lunch flavors. The chicken sandwich was my second choice, so I got to have a few bites of his sandwich, too. The waffle was good, but the whipped cream didn't taste like real whipped cream to me. The sandwich and french fries were tasty, however. If I went back, I would go for lunch or dinner.

Another Sunday afternoon, before I had to head home for the evening, my boyfriend and I decided to grab a quick bite to eat a little Taqueria near his house. I never even paid attention to the name of the place, but I drive passed it every time I visit him in Santa Clara. It is within walking distance of his house so it required only throwing on a pair of flip flops and we were ready for dinner out. The restaurant offers the typical taqueria offerings of burritos, tacos and quesadillas, but it also has dinner plates. He was able to get two tacos - one with carne asada and one of al pastor - and I was able to get a enchilada combination plate.

We sat outside on the patio since the weather was warm and snacked on the help-yourself-chips-and-salsa bar that is in the center of the restaurant. There are only a few seats inside, but while we were there a few people were eating inside and out. The rice was tasty as were the refried beans. The corn tortillas of the enchiladas were soft and I had enough left over to take home for lunch the next day. It was a nice two-for-one meal.

From a low-budget taqueria, I finished off my resolution at an upscale restaurant in downtown San Jose. When I signed up for memberships at the Tech Museum a few months ago, one of the perks was a coupon from the Convention and Visitor's Bureau to save $10 at each of 18 downtown restaurants. The coupon expires in August, so my boyfriend and I had plans to hit as many of these restaurants as we can - although I'd be happy if we skipped Scott's Seafood since I don't eat any fish.

So when I had a free Thursday evening this week, I decided to drive up to San Jose to meet the boyfriend for dinner. I suggested Grill on the Alley since it is one of the coupon restaurants and it has great happy hour specials. Grill on the Alley is an upscale bar and steakhouse. Most of the people in the restaurant looked like well-off young professionals. But even if they weren't the happy hour specials are set at a price to let people play the part.

While regular mixed drinks - like the blue and black mojito I had - are $13, during happy hour there are a few martinis set at $6 and well drinks are $5. A handful of beers are available on tap for $5. The best thing, however, is that they have food specials that beat the bar food I've had at any restaurant. The food specials range from $3, $5 or $6 for small plates such as onion rings, spinach and artichoke dip, or loaded mac and cheese, which we chose. There are also some meat and fish offerings for $10 and burgers for $8-9. I ordered a filet medallion that was served with a roquefort sauce and mushrooms. He ordered a lamb chop with a mint sauce and mint mashed potatoes. The amount of food turned out to be just right. We split the mac and cheese, and the filet was just the right size for me. I even tried a bit of his lamb chop, a food I've never eaten before. The loaded mac and cheese came with bacon and mushrooms mixed into the creamy sauce. The top had a bread crumb and Parmesan crust that gave it the perfect crunch.

I would definitely be back at Grill on the Alley - probably for Happy Hour, since the regular dinner menu prices are upwards of $30-40 per entree. Plus the drinks are great, if I have a designated driver with me.

This probably won't be the end of my eating out at new restaurants for this year, so I'll be sure to continue with the updates.

Photos by Melissa Flores

A filet medallion is served with roquefort sauce and mushrooms.

A lamb chop is served with mint mashed potatoes.

Loaded mac and cheese has bacon and mushrooms mixed into it.