My favorite local restaurant is, without a doubt, Orchard City Kitchen. Lucky me, my friend Bach is a manager there. It's taken me too long to write an article about this restaurant, likely because (subconsciously) I want to keep it a secret.

Orchard City Kitchen is quintessential Silicon Valley: casual, understated, and out-of-this-world. They have been awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand three years running: 2016, 2017, 2018. This honor is given to restaurants that serve high-quality cuisine at reasonable prices. For a restaurant to qualify, a 3-course meal must come in at $40 or less. Sounds like Simply Silicon Valley living to me! No wonder I keep going back to the OCK.

Put this restaurant on your list of summer destinations. They have a large outdoor patio for al fresco dining; indoor is beautiful too. Go for an anniversary, a birthday, a date night, or just because. They serve small plates meant for sharing, so fill the chairs with special people, fill your table with a variety of plates, and feast. Yesterday, they served halibut freshly caught in Capitola—that's as local as you can get.

My mom recently visited from the east coast and we took her for a special family dinner with our children. It was the kids' first time there and they couldn't get enough of the signature BBB (bacon, biscuits, and butter) and the KFC (Korean Fried Chicken).

Say hi to Bach while you're there—he's a sommelier and will make sure you have the right wine paired with your dishes. Bon Appétit!

***I wrote this yesterday and set it to publish this morning. Today I awoke to the news that Anthony Bourdain had taken his life. The timing of this article is fitting, I'm certain Bourdain would have enjoyed OCK.