Last month, the Boyfriend and I dined out at Credo, a new restaurant in San Francisco’s Financial District.  He’ll be the first one to tell you that I love checking in on Foursquare just about everywhere I go.  And while I knew about local businesses offering specials via Foursquare (and other local-based applications), this was the first check-in that offered ME a special – a free glass of red wine (score!).

That put us in a good mood and we got excited for the rest of the meal.  We started by sharing an appetizer, a trio of crostini with mushrooms and gruyere (left, if I recall correctly), burrata and kale (center), and hummus (right).

These crostini were larger than life so we tried to cut them into thirds to share (which also proved to be a messy task).  My favorite was the kale, followed by the hummus.  Although it could have been better if it weren’t cold hummus right out of the fridge.

For our entrees, I had the roasted chicken.  Perhaps I might have had that episode of Top Chef Season 5 where Fabio made that amazing roasted chicken for Lidia Bastianich’s faux last supper in my head, giving me high expectations for the dish.  I liked the chicken.. but it didn’t blow me away.  I know it’s a simple dish, but those simple dishes can still be so yummy you just have to have more.  I didn’t have to have more.

The Boyfriend had saffron risotto (if I remember correctly) with scallops and peas.  Again, it was filling and tasted just fine, but nothing to really write home about – or to you about!

With our meal being a little mundane, we both opted to skip dessert, which made me a little sad.  But we both agreed that if the main event didn’t hit it out of the park, dessert probably wouldn’t either.

I personally won’t come back to visit Credo, but if you’re a Foursquare junkie looking for a special, you can find one here.  And maybe stay for appetizers.  But I’d definitely recommend going elsewhere to satisfy you the foodie in you.

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Gloss in a tube is the ultimate beach or pool bag beauty accessory.  They’re small, compact, and best of all, the plastic tube makes them practical against sand and water.

When I think about what colors to throw in, I always choose the ones that are subtle, yet shimmering, and most importantly, one that will enhance my summer increasingly sun-kissed complexion (I plan to be laying out at that pool all Memorial Day weekend, folks!).

FACE Stockholm Nektar gloss ($20 US) in Nyponros is my perfect color for the occasion.

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I’m getting ready to head out to the hot deserts of Las Vegas for the long holiday this weekend.  I’ve got a couple sassy new outfits and sultry makeup planned for those hot pre-summer nights (hello 90 degrees!).  The only thing I’m missing: a hot nail hue to complete the look.

One look at Urban Decay’s new Rollergirl Nail Kit for summer ($28 US) and I knew I had the perfect accessory for the weekend’s festivities.  With six shades to choose from, I can switch up my nail color from bright poolside pink to sparkling gold or purple to suit the glitterati within us all.

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Right after stumbling through the Boyfriend’s wedding proposal at Aquatic Park (where I eventually said yes), we walked through Ghirardelli Square to Gary Danko, a restaurant that we had been wanting to try for a while but never had the chance to until we planned ahead for our reservation – two months in advance to be exact.

I don’t know if it was the food or the combination of just getting engaged, but the experience absolutely exceeded our expectations.  The restaurant was intimate, albeit a little noisy (probably due to the small space), and the food was delicious.

At Gary Danko, you can choose your own prix fixe meal and the nice thing about it, they don’t require you and your dining partner to get the same number of dishes and you don’t have to get dessert if you don’t want to.  We both decided on the 4-course menus – I couldn’t wait!

For me, Dungeness Crab Salad with Grapefruit, Couscous, Fennel, Mint and Yuzu.  One word: YUM.  The whole pieces of crab combined with a light citrus made this dish absolutely refreshing and tantalizing – a great starter.

For him, a no brainer because he loves risotto – Risotto with Lobster, Rock Shrimp, Shimeji Mushrooms and Peas.  I’m sure he tried to pick out the peas but ended up eating everything.  I only got one bite of the creamy concoction because he didn’t want to share

For our fish dishes, I went with the crispy Branzini with Tarragon Gnocchi, Artichokes, Asparagus and Shimeji Mushrooms.  At first I thought the gnocchi were a little dense, but I think I must have just been insane because with every following bite, they seemed to just get lighter and fluffier.  Is that even possible?  The Boyfriend also enjoyed them and he doesn’t even like gnocchi.  Another winner that my palate appreciated.

This Horseradish Crusted Salmon Medallion with Dilled Cucumbers and Mustard Sauce was subtle in flavor and just melted in my mouth.  It was the best thing I ate all night.  ‘Nuff said.

Since the Boyfriend didn’t want to finish with a dessert, and couldn’t decide between two dishes, he ended up getting both lamb and beef for his 3rd and 4th courses.

I don’t recall what his Herb Crusted Loin of Lamb with Moroccan Lamb Sausage, Hummus, Spiced Eggplant Stew and Mint Yogurt tasted like, although I must have had some because I had to wait in between courses so that my dessert wouldn’t be served with his final dish.  I guess that’s the side effect when your head is still in a haze from the evening’s events.  In any case, it looks divine!

We always say, you can never go wrong with beef.  The Fiance finished his portion of dinner with Seared Filet of Beef with Potatoes Panadera, Swiss Chard, Cassis Glazed Shallots and Bordelaise Butter.  This standard meat and dainty potatoes dish wasn’t the best thing we ate all night, but still pretty darn good.

One of my favorite things to order for our dinner dates is duck.  Lemon Pepper Duck Breast with Duck Hash, Green Garlic Purée and Vanilla Poached Rhubarb, to be exact.  I couldn’t taste the vanilla, and I didn’t care for the hash at all.  But the pieces of duck breast were absolutely divine, I could eat another whole plate full.

Dessert is supposed to be a high note, and would have been a perfect end to a really great evening.  But this Warm Louisiana Butter Cake with Apples, Huckleberry Compote and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream left a lot to be desired.  I’ve never had butter cake before, but even so, I knew this was a miss the second I took a bite.

The cake itself was chewy, not moist, and the apples.. what can I say?  Are they supposed to be fresh or dried?  The texture seemed somewhere in between which was a little strange, but I wasn’t going to let that bring me down.

Apparently, the Fiance knew we were going to be celebrating and told the restaurant it was our anniversary.  It wasn’t really, but I suppose it’s now a new anniversary for us to commerate each year.  I’m a little glad he didn’t tell anyone that we had just gotten engaged, it was nice to soak in the moment, just us two

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