Let's hear it for Moms.  

My Grandma, Mom, Sisters, Aunties, Cousins, friends' Moms,  Nieces, Mother-in-Law, gal-pals--Be grateful to them all. For they have nourished/nurtured/advised/supported/encouraged and just-plain-loved you, physically and emotionally.

In honor of the amazing women in my life--heart-and-soul food

Grandma's Meat and Macaroni--my dear Japanese-speaking grandma, who never drove a car, and loved sumo and Las Vegas, made this thoroughly down-home American one-dish pasta meal.

Sanny's Hamburgers and Gravy--my sister is the master of "throw-stuff-in-and-I-think-it-will-work" cooking. Slightly crunchy on the outside but moist and full of complex flavor on inside. Add a sunny-side up egg and voila-ici, perfect loco-moco.

Mayonnaise Chicken--my mom's alternative to fried chicken. My Sister must have have learned a 'mayonnaise' secret from my Mom because the mayo in both my mom's chicken and my sister's hamburgers is what keeps each from drying out, but yet not greasy.

Grandma Nancy's Brownies--my mother-in-law's light, chocolate-y, just-sweet-enough brownies. It was her 'secret' recipe...but it's too good not to share :)

Anna's Broccoli Salad--from our very much beloved Anna, who was my daughter's day care provider. Everyone who has the good fortune of meeting Anna and her family became her family. Anna is the embodiment of ohana.

Karen's Mom's 7-Layer Bars & Jane's Napoleons--from the moms of two of my best friends in college. Thanks to them, I was never an 'orphan' during the Easter, Thanksgiving or the Jewish holidays.


Eat Well. Be Well. | Celebrate All Those Who Have Mothered You!

We were driving to Davis with a brunch stop along the way. Based on my friend Jeff's Yelp-help, our parameters are places higher than 4 stars, and ideally more than 100 reviewers. Babs Diner in Suisun City and Grandma's Place in Fairfield fit the bill.

Stop #1 was Babs Diner in Suisun City. A bustling homey place right on the water. Friendly people, hash and eggs looked fab, and clean bathrooms. However, with a wait more than 30 minutes and hungry kids and a hungry Grandma, it was time for option #2 and fast.

Stop #2 was aptly named Grandma's Place in Fairfield. But the kicker is that it was formerly called Sandy's, my sister's name. Cosmic Propinquity!! Traveling w/Grandma to a place that used to have the same name as my sister, it was fate to eat there. And it was great.

This ain't no spa cuisine. The "Country Benedict" (see above) is Eggs Benedict with sausage patties, gravy and includes a side of fried rice (or potatoes or hash browns). It was about $9 and as much as I loved it, I could only eat half of it. The make your own omelettes have a good variety of ingredients and are generously stuffed--Portuguese sausage, artichoke and tomatoes was yum. 

They also offer smaller sized and priced options for kids and seniors (An eggs/bacon/pancake combo was a hit). Highly recommended and nice people too.