Friday Favorites: Dining, protein and goodies

Hi friends, a very happy Friday going out to you. After I hit publish on this post, I’m grabbing my suitcase and running out the door to hop in an Uber to the airport. Southwest Florida is calling my name, and I’ll be there for the weekend soaking up company from my parents, as well as the fun of my very good friend’s engagement party. Sadly, Dave is not going with me on the trip. But don’t feel bad for him, because he’s currently in Scottsdale with a big group of guys golfing and watching football. Not too shabby. Now, let’s get to some random fun in the form of “Friday Favorites.”

My favorite dining experience: House of Prime Rib

Okay, so it’s been a week since Dave and I visited House of Prime Rib, one of San Francisco’s most infamous eateries, and I’m finally ready to talk about it. We made reservations nearly two months out, because the place is in such high demand. While it’s not exactly located in the greatest part of town (it’s on the main drag on Van Ness Avenue just outside the seedy Tenderloin neighborhood), it’s fancy, traditional and a totally special-occasion experience. Most restaurants in San Francisco are small, unassuming and offer tiny little plates of food with names and ingredients you can hardly pronounce, but House of Prime Rib is all about straightforward opulence and volume. And when I say volume, I mean volume.

Shown from top left to right: Dave and I posing before dinner arrived, the salad being made at our table, the meat station that rolled up right next to our table, and a look at the prime rib after delivered. Yummy!

Even though we had a 7:30 p.m. reservation, we still had to wait about 20 minutes for our table. The restaurant is huge, kind of loud, and we sat in the back room. There is really only one thing on the menu: Prime rib. You can choose your cut of meat, and that’s it. I selected the smallest cut, while Dave went with the mid-range. We each ordered a glass of red wine and then all of a sudden the food started coming to our table. Corn bread. Sourdough bread. A delicious salad made table-side. Huge baked potatoes covered in bacon and made table-side. Creamed spinach full of bacon. And of course, prime rib, cut table-side in a station by a butcher and delivered on a big ole’ red plate that said House of Prime Rib. Even though the prime rib was possibly the most delicious meat I’ve ever eaten in my many years of life, it wasn’t even the best part. I was so pleasantly surprised and obsessed with the moist Yorkshire pudding, which was not dessert, but part of the meal. I ate mine, as well as Dave’s. Also, a little secret tip about House of Prime Rib: If you finish your plate, you can get seconds, and we both did just that. #unnecessary 

Because it was Dave’s birthday, we got a surprise chocolate sundae with a birthday candle in it, a serenade by two large strapping foreign waiters and a special photo at the end of the evening, just to top it off.

This meal was incredibly delicious, but also incredibly hilarious at the same time. We laughed and ate until our stomachs hurt. At one point during the gorge-fest, I looked at Dave and said, “I hate it here. I hurt. We are never coming back again … Hey can I try your creamed corn?” True story. House of Prime Rib is no joke. San Franciscans: I recommend it. Visitors: I recommend it. For all who plan to go: Wear your stretchies and eat up.

My favorite protein powder: Healthy Skoop

Although I had enough protein for a lifetime at House of Prime Rib, I still go through protein powder like nobody’s business. Lately, I’ve been struggling to find one that I enjoy, and I’ve tried a lot. Well, lucky for me, the lovely people at Healthy Skoop sent me a care package with a big bag of Skoop B-Strong Viva-Nilla Protein Powder, some Superfood Skoop A-Game packets and a protein shaker. True story: this is my first real protein shaker, and I am LOVING it. That metal roller ball in there? So helpful when it comes to mixing up the beverage.

Shown from top left to right: Care package from Healthy Skoop, a Sweetgreens drink, my breakfast from the week and a big bag of Skoop B-Strong protein powder. Loving the red!

The Healthy Skoop company makes some great products and is all about doing good. It was pretty neat to find out that part of the profits go to a national foundation which helps get fresh produce into schools, because that’s something I can get behind. As far as the care package goes? I’ve had all five of the Superfood A-Game packets five mornings in-a-row with my breakfast, and I really think they give me a little pep in my step. There are tons of nutrients in them, including 10 servings of fruits and vegetables and some stuff like phytonutrients, amino acids, Omega 3s and all of those things that I’m not totally sure what they are, but know I need them. They come in two flavors, Sweetgreens and Choco-fresh, and I like them both equally. And the protein powder is flavorful and even a little bit chalky when only mixed with water, which is something that I love about it. One serving of Skoop B-Strong has 160 calories and 16 grams of plant-based protein. This is also the vanilla protein powder that made it into my best-ever overnight oats with coconut recipe, which I ate for breakfast almost every day this week.

Healthy Skoop claims to help you feel better by improving your digestion as well as your mind-body resilience. While consuming both of these products each day, I’ve definitely felt awesome. Maybe it’s because I am awesome, or maybe it’s the superfoods? Whatever, I’m a fan.

My favorite little things as of late

I like little things. Little nibblies of food, little surprises, little traditions and little wins. Dave is really good about bringing sweet little things home for me, which he started early on in our relationship. Whether it’s treats from the office, an organic protein bar from Walgreen’s or a fancy coconut water, he makes my day with the littlest gift. Last weekend, he really delivered. And in addition to the stuff I received from him, I’d also like to take a minute to highlight other small pleasures in life that made me smile over the past few days.

Shown from top left to right: Some little gifts from Dave, a cheese plate from Urban Tavern, wine and Scrabble and two Golden State Warriors cookies. So good.

The greatest part of this selection you see here? The pink and white shower cap in the top left picture. Dave calls my shower cap a “bonnet.” And yes, I wear a shower cap when I’m not washing my hair. I was in major need of a new one, and I think he picked out the perfect one in his Walgreen’s run. And don’t hate on me. You know you all have some old-lady beauty habit nobody knows about too.

Wow, how about that for a strange selection of favorite little things? I hope that collage shows up in Google images with a link back to this blog. That’s a true representation of quality work right there.

My favorite posts of the week

Did you visit A Lady Goes West this week? If not, you might have missed these little gems, as well as a few other things from the interwebs:

• A new clothing service I’m trying out: LE TOTE clothing is the new Netflix of fashion.
• What I ate for breakfast all week: The BEST-EVER coconut protein overnight oats.
• A fun San Francisco fitness event: TRX class at Studiomix and ClassPass party.
• A piece I wrote for The Class-ifieds, which is funny and nothing like what I write here: “10 Things No One Told You About Working Out in San Francisco.”
• Sometimes you don’t feel like working out, and you’re not alone. Check out one of the quotable personal trainer sources in this piece from The Active Times: The Best Workouts to do When You’re too Tired to Exercise.

Well this was a long one! I guess I have a lot of favorites. But now it’s time to hit the road. See you on the flip side, friends!

More Friday Favorites 

If you’d like to see a few more “Friday Favorites,” see below or visit the the link-up hostess, Heather. 

1. A snack, a purse and a ritual
2. A delivery, a bra and a guy
3. A sweet, a wine and a read
4. A drink, a gadget and a plan 
5. A time, a bottle and a powder
6. San Francisco edition
7. Beauty edition
8. Beach vacation edition
9. Hidden meanings
10. Kicks, a book and a bowl
11. The very best sweatshirts
12. Party hosting and froyo
13. Fourth of July daytime activity
14. Beauty basics edition
15. Workplace edition
16. Shopping, sales and a show
17. The foods I always buy
18. Sushi, a game and pants
19. Fitness apps
20. Delicious and healthy products
21. Comfort, fitness and function
22. Beauty, buddha and blog events
23. Dining, the city and gift ideas
24. POPSUGAR, sweets and such
25. A bunch of fun stuff
26. e-book, food, picnic and tunes
27. A link, a superfood and a mask
28. Pants, shoes, food and links

Questions of the day

What’s the best thing that happened in your week? What’s on the agenda for your weekend? Is there a must-try special occasion restaurant in your city?