Trains, Bowling Shoes, and Pie

Last night was just as great as I thought it would be.  Sometimes there is nothing better than spending time with great friends and great family and that is just what I did.  I have been looking forward to trying the restaurant we went to last night and it did not disappoint!  We went to

Maria Maria and it was a really fun experience.  Here is the description from the website:

Maria Maria La Cantina is a creative collaboration between music legend Carlos Santana and Chef Roberto Santibañez. Named for Santana’s GRAMMY winning song “Maria Maria,” the restaurants’ look, sound and feel are inspired by the passion and spirit of the music of Santana. Carlos’ contributions also include selecting artwork and memorabilia to enhance the décor. The menu has been created so every guest will savor contemporary, freshly prepared Mexican cuisine as it was meant to be enjoyed. Carlos Santana and Maria Maria’s dedication extends to the commitment to provide its family of employees with a respectful and healthy work environment. Carlos is also honored to work with Maria Maria on efforts serving his non-profit organization, The Milagro Foundation, which supports children in the areas of health, education and the arts.

I'm a huge fan of Carlos Santana from way back in the day and I love his many humanitarian efforts, particularly all that he has done to help kids in the Bay Area, where he has lived for many years.  The restaurant really does Mexican food in a new way- both in presentation and taste.

When we got to the restaurant, our hosts had already ordered some delicious appetizers:

Guacamole- 'nuff said

Baked Cheese- House cheese blend baked with a roasted tomato-habanero-chipolte sauce, topped with mushrooms

Coconut Ceviche- Citrus marinated snapper tossed with diced bell peppers, scallions, cilantro and coconut habanero sauce

Crispy Chicken Flautas- Crispy corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken topped with crema and cotija cheese served with fresh tomatillo and roasted tomatillo salsas

I didn't get any photos of the apps, but they were all great, especially the ceviche!  I did get some coloring time in with one of my dates for the evening

My other date ordered a delicious margarita- I promptly licked off all the salt, took a sip, and stole his lime.  It was my Spring Break-style shot of the night.

For the main entree, Mike and I shared the chicken fajitas:

Grilled marinated chicken with red onions, roasted poblanos, topped with cotija cheese and cilantro. Served with chipotle cream sauce and warm flour tortillas.

I loved the presentation in the hot pan and the taste was really unique and almost tangy.  While we ate, I also took pictures of my mom and dad:

And Ben and I made a french fry choo choo train.  It was really complicated and involved a lot of engineering, but we figured it out.  The little one wouldn't share any with me, but did give the hubby the smallest, burnt one.  Consider that a true act of kindness.

When it was time to order dessert, I passed, but only because I knew there was something I could taste and scrounge for and my sister-in-law kindly offered me some.

This lime pie was exceptional.  Amazing, really.  I don't know what the pink sauce was, but it was good!

Traditional Mexican lime pie topped with vanilla whipped cream and candied pecans

After completing the exercise portion of our meal (running around with Ben) we headed off to bowling!

The birthday girl was excited about her bowling shoes and cupcakes and the presents we got her.

My husband was equally excited.

We had a great time disco bowling.  I don't do any sports because I have no coordination and it showed.  Thank goodness we weren't really serious about the score because only one other person did worse than me.  I guess I'll stick to individual sports (i.e. the gym).

I just got some work-work done and a little bit of school work in.  We are headed to the gym, Costco, Macy's and the sports store. 

What do you have going on this weekend?