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I’m totally embarrassed to say that China Glaze’s Khrome Collection (from last fall) hasn’t been getting the love that they deserve from me.
For my nails this week, I was in the mood to wear something fall-esque but still appropriate for summer. So I reached for Robotika ($3.99 US), a neutral shade with a tinge of dusty pink, from this collection of cool metallic shades.
Don’t you just hate it when a product swatches beautifully, but ends up disappointing you as you try it on? On the flipside, how do you feel about makeup that swatches poorly but ends up being stunning once on the skin? Looks can be deceiving!
The NARS Pure Sheer SPF Lip Treatment ($25 US) for example, is a perfect case of the latter. I was surprised to see such wonderful colors swatch clear on the back of my hand, but was in for a big surprise. See what I thought below!
This year, 6ix Park Grill turns six and last Friday they threw a party to celebrate.
The birthday bash included an all-night happy hour of $5 wine, $6 appetizers, $6 custom signature cocktails including a red velvet cake concoction created for the occasion, and several birthday surprises with drawings and prizes.
We joined in on the fun and sampled a few dishes from the dozen on the menu. I had been looking forward to trying out all the food since the Boyfriend and I were thinking about dining here the next time he came into town. Unfortunately, after trying everything, I wasn’t impressed with the food.
Located inside the Hyatt hotel in Irvine, 6ix Park Grill had some small hors d’oeuvres for us to sample before our appetizer plates came out: Prosciutto-wrapped Melon and what I think was goat cheese and brie on crostini.
Our Chile Glazed Lamb Chops with serrano and mint were horribly well-done and didn’t have any spice to them at all, unless you bit into the raw slices of chile.
Our Grilled Scallops with Mango Salsa was a little misleading. The salsa portion of the dish was so spicy that I couldn’t detect any mango (if there was any) at all. Instead, we got a slice of dried mango on the skewer of totally bland scallops.
The Lemongrass Scampi lacked the lemongrass part but was a decent dish overall.
Although I didn’t get to take photos of them, we also tried some Bruschetta, Pepperoni Flatbread (a fancy way to say pizza) and some fries. I hate to say it but the best thing we ate all night were the fries followed by the red velvet cupcake (pictured above).
I probably won’t be taking the Boyfriend here for dinner but I love the outdoor patio with the huge fire pit. It’s perfect for a summer night out with friends over cocktails, which I would definitely do again; their Strawberry Lychee Martinis are yummy!
If you want to try 6ix Park Grill, now is a good time to do it. The restaurant will celebrate its birthday the entire month of August. Those who dine at the restaurant for lunch or dinner and say to their server, “We hear you’re turning six and want to celebrate with you,” will receive a complimentary piece of cake. Fun, right? 
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If you’ve ever driven down Geary Blvd. in San Francisco, you might notice the sunny yellow restaurant on the corner that is Bella Trattoria at 3rd Street. I know I have.
Last week, the Boyfriend and I decided on warm and comforting Italian for dinner and ended up at Bella on a very windy evening in the city.
Our server started us off with a taste of greasy, fried polenta.
We shared a Beef Carpaccio. Super duper thin slices of beef filet under a salad of salty, overdressed greens and shavings of parmesan cheese that were thicker than the carpaccio.
The Boyfriend opted for Risotto di Porcini, a creamy dish with mushrooms and ground sausage. Tasty but definitely a stick-to-your-ribs kind of dish by the last bite. I’d hate to imagine how many calories were in that dish.
I always look for gnocchi on Italian menus and this one seemed to fit the bill. I could have done without the cubes of cold mozzarella that didn’t melt until I stirred my gnocchi around for a few minutes, but the pillows of light gnocchi were really good. And the cherry tomatoes halves in the sauce really helped break through all that cheese.
We finished off the meal with a Panna Cotta di Marscapone, on the house! It was a nice close with a sweet treat.
Overall, a satisfying meal. But there are too many restaurants in San Francisco to probably return to this one.
Have you dined at Bella Trattoria in the city’s Richmond district yet? Tell us what you think!
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