Sesame Tea Eats

Papa's Taverna - Greek, Petaluma

2012-01-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

5688 Lakeville Highway, Petaluma CA 94954

(707) 769-8545

Hours: Closed Mon and Tues, Wed and Thurs 11:30am-2pm, Fri-Sun 11:30am-10pm

http://www.papastaverna.com/

Last Visited: July 9, 2011

Food: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 2 to 3 stars

Price: $ to $$

It's been more than a few years since I've been to Papa's Taverna. I had a craving for Greek food and met a friend out here for dinner one evening.

Their website says that they're under new ownership. Maybe that's part of the reason I felt the place had changed. I had come here many moons ago for a family dinner and had found the place rather charming for our table of many guests, but now it seems like it could use a renovation and remodel.

Enter the restaurant in the evening and you'll be given the option to be seated near the band or in the other dining area. I chose the area away from the band because the sun was about to set and this room offers views of the water, boats, and other scenery. The decor seems a bit dated and less than wow.

The service to start the evening right from the start could have used some improvement. The server was abrupt and trying to be both host and server with plates in her hand. I wouldn't have minded waiting for her to finish serving first before coming over to seat us. Once seated, the order process was fine, but her timing for checking on us was a bit off.

- Fried Calamari - Although the frying oil was fresh and the color on the calamari was good, the batter was too soft and it seemed like frozen calamari that had been breaded versus breading done in house. The cucumber slices and pieces of tomato addded a nice freshness, but I still found it lackluster. $10

- Mousaka - Greek vegetable, meat lasagna. Served with a half Papa's horiatiki salad. The salad is served first and comes with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and feta chunks. I really liked how this feta wasn't too salty. The presentation of the mousaka could be more pleasing - the darkened edges make the pasta look dry. The flavor was ok. The vegetables were alright, but nothing to write home about. $18

- Pork Gyro with French Fries - The gyro was tasty with the toasted pita bread and fresh vegetables with the grilled meat. The pita is grilled until warm and slightly crisp. The amount of thick cut french fries are good and they were fried to an acceptable crispness. I would have liked them to be even a little crispier. Of the dishes tried, the gyro was probably one of the better dishes of the evening. $14

While the server was pleasant, her overall demeanor could use some polishing. The atmosphere is old and outdated. Pricing on their menu is a bit high for dinner entrees. If prices were lowered $2 to $3 per dish, I would find it more palatable for my wallet considering the overall ambiance.

Papa's Taverna might be a good place to go to watch the belly dancing or hear live music, but it's a bit expensive considering the service and atmosphere. The gyro is a good choice.

Sunrise Deli - Middle Eastern, San Francisco

2012-01-24T21:07:00.000-08:00

2115 Irving St, San Francisco CA 94122
(415) 664-8210
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: September 2, 2006

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $

Located amidst many Chinese restaurants and markets, Sunrise Deli may be overlooked initially, but stand outside and smell the fresh falafel and kabobs, and you’re sure to take notice. Opened in 1984, you’ll see the meat roasting in the front window. Sunrise Deli is part store, part restaurant. The rear side of the right wall contains many canned items and the refrigerator in the rear contains cold drinks. The counter on the right sits in front of a menu on the wall and you can choose between multiple combination selections and other items. Sunrise also offers baked goods.

The young man behind the counter is knowledgeable and friendly. There seemed to be many that were regulars, but also a lot of new people like myself, and he was very amiable about explaining what items contained.

- Lamb Schwarma Sandwich - Lamb seemed to be a popular item on the menu so I selected this sandwich. A pita shell is lightly smeared with hummus on the inside and filled with warm lamb that has been cut from the roast and lightly fried. Lettuce and other goodies are added to create a melt in your mouth sandwich. Very good. It’s a great bargain and has great flavor. $5.99

- Vegetarian Combo – The vegetarian combo came with hummus, babaganoush, dolmas, two pieces of pita bread, falafel, and taboulleh (tomato, bulgar, cucumber salad). There’s also a mixture of something with a lot of parsley and garlic. It’s all piled high on a plate, but I noticed myself getting a little weary after half the plate was eaten. The falafel was warm and crisp on the outside, and just the right texture on the inside – not soggy, but just the right softness. The dolma was nicely flavored. The babaganoush had a mild flavor and so did the hummus. The taboulleh had a lot of parsley. I would recommend this plate to share. There’s too much for one person. $4.99

- Sesame Bread Ring – A bread ring is topped with sesame – it makes for a delicious bun or roll. Very soft and fresh. $1.25

- Orangina – Well, this is bottled. They only offered large bottles, and it was good. $1.75

The restroom is in the rear of the kitchen. What was interesting this day was that nothing was taking place in the kitchen, or so it seemed. It was void of any cooking. There was lots of fresh parsley on the counter, but nothing else was happening around it. It appears most of the preparation takes place earlier in the day, and the cooking is handled outside.

Sunrise is a great place to get food on the go that’s fresh and delicious. The falafel is a treat, and the lamb schwarma sandwich is delicious. They also have many dishes available not in a sandwich so you’re bound to find something you like. A great place to have reasonably priced Middle Eastern food.

Napa Valley Restaurant Month - January 2012

2012-01-21T22:03:00.000-08:00

There is still about a week left to enjoy some of the values offered by Napa Valley Restaurant Month.

Bottega is offering a short rib burger with Bottega chips for only $19.
Brix has a three course prix fixe dinner for $38.

Auberge du Soleil, Angele, Meadowood, Mustards, La Toque, and many more are also participating. Be sure to keep an eye out for the dates that each special is valid.

Hogan's Cafe - American, South San Francisco

2012-01-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

125 Terminal Ct, Suite 44, S. San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 583-2293
Parking: in parking lot
http://www.hoganscafe.com/

Last Visited: December 21, 2011

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $ to $$

Tiannah told me about Hogan's when we were talking about hole in the wall type places. She spoke highly of their French Dip, so of course, I had to get it.

Hogan's is located just off Produce Avenue on Terminal Court. The street is aptly named because there are a number of produce warehouses here, and if you didn't see the huge sign for Hogan's just before the produce kiosk that checks in the big trucks, you might wonder if you're in the right place. Just drive to the end of the terminal and Hogan's will be on your left side. It's definitely one of those places where you only know about it if a local tells you where it is.

Amidst the giant produce trucks and pallets of goods, you'll find this diner is open for breakfast and lunch. I arrived a little before noon and the place was pretty full - it looked like a lot of local senior citizens, business folks, and truck drivers, some in large groups of six or more. The menu offers lots of salads and sandwiches, and typical diner and dinner fare - plates of steak, burgers, and the like.

When we arrived, we saw lots of sports memorabilia and the place had a dive bar type of atmosphere. The waitress called us 'hun' and showed us the specials. Yes, she showed us an index card with hand-written specials.

- French Dip - The french dip is filled with tender roast beef and the bun is soft on the inside and slightly hard on the outside. Everything tasted really fresh, and I especially appreciated how the meat didn't have any tendons are gristle which I so often find when I order a french dip. The sandwich is cut a little wide because when you get to the bottom of the dipping bowl near the end of the meal, it's hard to dip. A wider bowl would have been better. The fries were crispy on the outside, but I prefer them to be cooked until they're a little more golden. Overall, the sandwich was quite good. I would definitely get it again. $8.50

My dining companion ordered a salad instead of fries with her french dip. The salad looked pretty fresh and it was nice that she had the option to order it.

If you like dive bar type atmospheres, or just want to surprise your friends, Hogan's has a wide selection and a seemingly steady clientele - otherwise it would be easy to miss if they were depending on those passing by.

Sam's For Play Cafe - American, Santa Rosa

2012-01-11T21:39:00.000-08:00

2630 Cleveland Ave, Santa Rosa CA 95403
(707) 528-2929
Parking: in parking lot
http://samsforplaycafe.com/
Last Visited: April 17, 2004

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$

Sam’s For Play Café is located in front of the Comfort Inn. It’s a little hard to find the entrance, but enter as though you’re heading for the Comfort Inn. Upon entering the restaurant, you’ll see the glass case displaying a variety of shirts and apparel proudly displaying the Sam’s logo. Also directly in front of you will be the specials board and the counter seating.

The décor of the place is homey. There are old knick knacks on shelves above the windows ranging from bottles to cans with old labels from probably 25 to 30 years back. The windows have short curtains that have a blue checkered design. There are colorful posters displayed and there is an old black wood stove in the restaurant which now serves as the napkin and utensil bar.

Service is friendly and the atmosphere is warm. I have been to Sam’s several times before, but it’s been a while since my last visit. For my tastes, I find there are better places to eat in the area. One thing I do like is that entrees come with soup or salad and toast, but aside from the bargain pricing, food quality is average, and well, keep reading.

- Clam chowder – Creamy clam chowder is served with crackers. The soup was too salty this evening.

- Salad – Green salad with a slice of cucumber served with your choice of dressing. Most of the greens were fresh, though the cucumber had probably been sitting all day. The croutons are great though.

- Prime Rib Dinner – A cut of prime rib is served with your choice of potato (baked or mashed or French fries) and seasonal vegetables. Salad or soup and toast are also included. The vegetables consisted of a mix of zucchini, onions, and bell peppers this evening. The prime rib was okay. It wasn’t the best cut of meat, but the flavor was okay. Just keep your expectations in line with the restaurant that you’re in. We had asked for medium, but it turned out to be more of a medium well. The baked potato was fine, and the vegetables were seasoned lightly. $10.95

- Chicken Strips – Four large chicken strips are fried and served with honey mustard dipping sauce. You can also ask for ranch dressing. Again, salad or soup and toast are included along with potato and vegetables. We got French fries with this dish and they tasted great. The oil was fresh, so the chicken strips and the fries were excellent. $9.95

Although service was fine, the first glass of water I asked for had a piece of bread in it. When I told the waitress, she eagerly replaced it, but my second glass of water also had bread in it, albeit this was a much smaller piece. What kind of water does this place have? Or maybe the question is what’s in the pitchers holding the water? Anyhow, this was not impressive, and made me feel uneasy. Stick to typical food and I think you’ll be fine. Keep your expectations in check, and check your water. Everything else should go fine after that.

New England Lobster - Seafood, South San Francisco

2012-01-10T22:00:00.000-08:00

170 Mitchell Ave, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 873-9000
Parking: street parking
Food Truck Hours: Weekdays 11am - 3pm
http://newenglandlobster.net/

Last Visited: January 6, 2012

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

My coworker, Audrey, had been raving about the yummy lobster roll at New England Lobster. If you live or work near the airport or South San Francisco area, this convenient spot offers a market for fresh raw and cooked lobster, crab, mussels, shrimp, and clams, but it also offers a food truck open weekdays that serves up crab sandwiches, lobster rolls, and lobster corn chowder.

The food truck is parked just outside the shop and its fire engine red exterior is hard to miss. The board shows the offerings for the day, and you place your order with the person standing outside the truck who punches it into the iPad. A few minutes later, your name is called, and voila - goodness awaits you.

- Lobster Roll - The lobster roll is buttered and toasted and is authentic in true New England style. The lobster meat is lightly dressed with mayonnaise and comes without toppings. Toppings such as diced red onion, diced celery, and jalapenos are available at a side table for you to dress your roll the way you wish. Old Bay and other seasonings are also available. Along with the roll comes a wedge of lemon, a bag of kettle style chips, and a small container of coleslaw. The coleslaw was ok - nothing profound either good or bad. The length of the roll is longer than what you find at other places in the area. I found the meat to be sweet and succulent. If you're a purist, you'll really enjoy this one. Good - I give it four stars. $15.50 (includes tax)

While I prefer my lobster to be dressed with a few scallions and a thicker dressing, this is no shabby roll. The location is convenient, and I wouldn't mind trying their other menu items next time.

If you're concerned about the wait, you can also call in your orders ahead of time and pick up at your leisure. Two large picnic tables and benches are set on the grass, but seating is fairly limited.

Also note that they'll be opening up a cafe in Burlingame that will be open on weekends, so keep an eye out for it.

Paige's Diner - American, Santa Rosa

2012-01-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

1039 West College Ave, Santa Rosa CA 95401
(707) 579-8479
Parking: in shopping center parking lot

Last Visited: November 21, 2004

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 stars
Price: $$

Paige’s Diner is located in the G&G shopping center. It’s a small place with a lot of windows. The tables are dark brown and the chairs are also dark and cushioned. It’s reminiscent of late 80s décor.

On the walls, you’ll find posters featuring rainbows and multicolored fish. The rear of the room holds the kitchen and a counter strewn with many magazines. I didn’t get a close look, but in general, it seemed disorderly. The front of the room contains a television showing some sports program, and a neon board featuring the specials for the day.

Paige’s is open for breakfast and lunch. We came late into the lunch hour and found the place to be fairly empty and except for two other tables, had the place to ourselves.

For full sandwiches, you can receive a choice of a cup of soup, side salad, fries, and cottage cheese amongst other things is available as your choice of side. They also have half sandwiches with side available for a slightly lower price.

- Clam Chowder – This clam chowder came as a side to a sandwich. I found it too thick. Although there were a lot of potatoes and some clams, and the flavor was good, the texture seemed a bit off. The soup was on the verge of becoming separated. It was rich and creamy, but barely slipped off the spoon. Not quite right for me - fair.

- Roast Beef Melt – Roast beef is placed between white bread spread with lots of mayonnaise. The good thing about this melt was the roast beef is real roast beef, not sliced deli meat. However, to keep the toasted bread from being soggy, there is also a lot of mayonnaise, so much that it will squeeze out of your sandwich. It’s got good flavor and the meat is juicy. Good. $8.25 (full sandwich with side)

- Chicken Strips – Chicken strips are located in the starters section of the menu. Available in buffalo style or crispy, we selected crispy. Five strips of chicken breast meat are served with choice of ranch or barbecue sauce. We selected ranch. The chicken strips were fine, but the ranch was too liquid. It seemed homemade, or at least home mixed, and had the wrong consistency. It barely stuck onto the chicken. Good chicken, bad dip. $6

The service was pretty bad. Although we were promptly greeted, it just didn’t feel very friendly. The cook rang the bell twice, and even after that, it seemed a good five minutes before our dishes came. We knew it was ours because we were the only people who hadn’t received food yet, and had it not been for one of the busboys asking the waitress if an order was up, we may not have ever gotten the food.

Despite the local radio stations recommendation to go to Paige’s, I wouldn’t recommend a trip. The food is okay at best, but there are so many places to try - this one would drop low on my list.

Mangiare - Cafe, Brisbane

2012-01-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

1000 Marina Blvd, Brisbane, CA 94005
(650) 872-5050
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: November 11, 2011

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

Located in the old Hitachi building at Marina Boulevard, you could easily pass this place and never even know it was there. For lunch, it's an accessible stop for folks in the nearby office buildings. Despite the small sitting area, they get quite a few patrons walking in to order the large salads and good-sized sandwiches.

My buddy Sanjay suggested the place. If you arrive before 11:30am, you're in good shape and will get fast service. Anything after that leaves a lot to the unknown - wait times varied from five minutes to more than ten minutes.

I walked up to the counter and ordered a sandwich. A few people were ahead of me and since you don't pay until the food is ready and your name is called, coupled with the fact that only two people are working during lunch, you'll find that it's not as efficient a production as you might find elsewhere.

- The Godfather II Sandwich - My sandwich ingredients (hot coppa, salami, prosciutto, and provolone on a sour roll with Italian dressing) were fresh with an adequate amount of meat for the price. I wouldn't say that they're particularly generous, but you get what you pay for. Okay. I would go again if I was in the area, but probably wouldn't make a special trip. $5.50

Service is friendly, although things do get more chaotic with more orders. Other items on the menu include hot sandwiches, sushi rolls, and soups. The fish looked fresh, but I tend to stay away from sushi at places that don't have an official sushi chef. The salads were good sized and it's easy to get out with lunch for about $7 and be full.

Not bad for a drop in lunch. Probably not the best place to meet a friend since the space is small, but good if the weather is nice since outdoor seating is available.

Note that the website printed on their menu is inactive, so don't bother looking for it.

Pupusa Salvadorena - El Salvadoran, Santa Rosa

2011-12-25T13:41:00.000-08:00

1403 Maple Ave, Santa Rosa CA
(707) 544-3141
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: December 28, 2006

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

I had never heard of a pupusa until recently. Working in a company with a lot of folks with Hispanic origin has allowed me to enjoy a number or new feasts for the eyes when it comes to the cafeteria and watching what everyone eats for lunch. It’s especially fun watching what everyone brings for potluck days. As you drive on Highway 12 from Farmers Lane towards Sebastopol, you’ll see the business off to the right side next to 7-Eleven. I knew I needed to stop in there one of these days, and having my coworker tell me what a pupusa is really made it that much more appealing.

A pupusa is often described as two corn tortillas sandwiched together and stuffed with pork, cheese, squash, beans, or the like. It has a comfort food feeling about it with the warm dough reminding me a lot of Chinese green onion pancakes, though less fried and not as glutinous.

When I arrived, I seated myself and was quickly brought a menu. The place is painted a bright blue with three booths with red benches on both sides of the restaurant. Tables fill in the center. Around the room, you see pictures of El Salvador. It’s a casual place, and from what I’ve heard, the owner used to make the same pupusas for her friends to eat and decided to start her own business. It’s great to know you’re supporting small business owners.

The waitress was friendly and asked me if I was ready to order and wanted anything to drink. Since I was waiting for friends, I told her I would have some water and wait to order. She was very kind, checking in on me until friends got there, and when we had questions about how we should order, she made recommendations about how many pupusas to get and that we should consider our empanada as dessert rather than a main dish.

Each item is plated separately, and she announced the food upon arrival. We were given salsa (in a container that you would normally see containing maple syrup) and a bowl of curtido to share. The curtido is pickled cabbage, carrots, and some chili flakes. It’s fairly mild in flavor. I started to think about how the curtido seems like a less spicy version of kim chee, though for the curtido, the cabbage is sliced thin.

- Pupusa Revuelta – Pork – This pupusa is filled with ground pork. It’s juicy on the inside, though not bursting, and is lightly grilled on the outside. Very good. $1.75

- Pupusas de Ayote con Queso – My coworker suggested I try this one out. It contains squash (zucchini perhaps?) which provides a nice texture contrast compared to the cheese with which it is paired. It’s got a slightly more al dente mouth feel than the pupusa revuelta. $1.75

I had originally ordered a pupusa containing rice and beans, but when I made the switch to the squash and cheese pupusa, the waitress smiled told me that this one was a better choice.

- Empanada Plantanos con Leche – This is a fried plantain with cream inside. It’s an interesting texture since the outside is crispy, then it’s softer, and the center is even softer. The cream was different than what I expected, but it wasn’t too sweet. Good. $1.50

The salsa helps flavor the pupusa and the curtido gives it a nice balance so that the grilled food is balanced with something vinegar in flavor. This is common in Asian cooking as well, not to mention German with their sauerkraut.

Prices at Pupusa Salvadorena are outrageously low. You can hear the making of the pupusas in the back from the sound of the dough being slapped between someone’s hands as it is formed. It’s home style cooking in a low key environment, and it’s comfort food. The simple menu provides some great treats. Check this place out.

Bottega - Italian, Yountville

2011-12-24T18:30:00.000-08:00

Best: Creamy Polenta Under Glass

6525 Washington Street, Yountville CA 94599
(707) 945-1050
Parking: in parking lot
Lunch: Tues - Sun 11:30am-2:30pm, Dinner: Sun-Thurs 5pm-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-10pm
http://www.botteganapavalley.com/

Last Visited: December 17, 2011

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 4 to 5 stars
Price: $$ to $$$$

After recent experiences at Food Network chef restaurants (Morimoto Napa and Tyler Florence's Rotisserie and Wine), I was starting to think that I should stop going to these pricy restaurants because I just wasn't happy with what I was getting. When I shared these experiences with friends, my coworker Brent said that Michael Chiarellos' was different because Chiarello is actually there and able to maintain the quality of his restaurant's food while the others tend to leave their name on the restaurant, but are rarely seen. Since Brent's a fellow foodie, I trusted his suggestion and decided to make the trip to Bottega. While I enjoy watching all three programs that feature these chefs, I have a weak spot for Italian food, so it was a fairly easy decision to make.

When you enter the shopping complex, you can visit Chiarello's shop, Napa Style, featuring some of his own products as well as some of his fellow Food Network chef's products too. Located across from Bottega, you can easily stock up on gray salt, a prominently featured item on his show, or marinated olives. If you arrive early, you might even consider picking up some bread from the Bouchon Bakery, located across the street.

We arrived a little early for our reservation and were quickly seated. The hostess staff could be a little warmer, but they were efficient. We were seated in the room immediately behind the hostess station. The bench seat on one side is lined with tables for two that are a bit too close together. One can hear your neighbor's conversation without even straining, but aside from this, the brick walls, and warm earth tones of the decor are inviting and not at all stuffy. The copper water cups are unique and add a uniqueness to the place setting.

When we had completed our order, we were given hot bread and a parmesan olive oil dipping sauce. The parmesan chunks are plentiful and acts more like a spread for the crusty bread. While we were waiting for the food to arrive, I even saw Chiarello bustling around, but he soon left the building for another engagement.

Our server, James, was very impressive. Watching his demeanor with not only our table, but those around us, showed he was incredibly seasoned as a server, completely aware of the wine list and its offerings, as well as providing guidance for food selection to those whom asked. It's been a long time since I've been served by someone as good as James. He noticed I was taking pictures and even thanked me for enjoying my dishes both visually and taking our time to savor every bite. Love that!

- Pesce Crudo - The fish special changes daily. Three squares of yellowfin tuna are topped with a little marinated garnish and microgreens. These are then placed on a brushed sauce of black trumpet mushrooms. A drizzle of olive oil tops the entire plate. Each piece of tuna were incredibly fresh and had a really delicate flavor. While the black trumpet sauce had a very strong mushroom flavor when eaten on its own, I found the overall flavor to be missing when eaten with the fish. While visually appealing, I think the tuna would have been just perfect even without the black trumpet sauce. Very good. $15

- Monterey Calamari - Calamari is lightly coated with arborio rice flour and served with a grilled lemon half and an aioli nero. While the calamari was tender and lightly crisped and the black aioli was an interesting twist on the typical aiolis you see served with this dish, I found the quantity of calamari to be too small for the price. Another 50% more would have seemed more reasonable for the price. This is the right amount for one person, but not quite enough to share. $10

- Polenta Under Glass - A mason jar arrives on a plate along with a small earthenware pitcher containing balsamic game sauce. Inside the mason jar is creamy polenta topped with a cheese topping that has been crisped/baked. Caramelized mushrooms top the cheese. We followed the chef's suggestion to mix all of the ingredients together and serve the mixture on the plate, then pour the balsamic game sauce on top. The server shared that pouring all of the sauce into the glass would result in the sauce overpowering the polenta. I've eaten quite a bit of polenta, and usually, I walk away from it disappointed. However, this time, I found it amazingly exceptional. The polenta is so fine-grained that you can barely taste the grains anymore. The polenta has a pudding-like texture and the pieces of broken cheese crisp and mushrooms add a great textural element to each bite. The mushrooms are full-flavored, and each bite is really delicious. This is a must try dish. $12

- Pan Roasted Gnocchi - The gnocchi is browned on its side and cooked with autumn root vegetables. It's placed next to a sauce of beautiful orange heirloom squash pesto and topped with grated Valley Ford Montasio. A light coating of creamy sauce brings them all together. The pan roasting really changes the texture of the gnocchi from puffy to slightly crisp on one side of the gnocchi. The pan roasting adds a depth of flavor that I didn't know gnocchi could have. While the first impression of the plate is colorful, but small in quantity, the richness of the dish reveals that the quantity is just right after all. The root vegetables are petite and sweet, complementing the gnocchi well. The pesto of butternut squash is also sweet, but not overpowering. I played with eating the gnocchi in its light cream sauce as well as with combining the gnocchi with the squash sauce. This was a fun to eat dish that I enjoyed a lot. $17

- Smoked & Braised Natural Short Ribs whole grain mustard spaetzle, Sicilian pickles, quince paste & smokey horseradish jus - One good-sized short rib has meat that is super tender and really does fall off the bone. Each bite is delectable and juicy. The Sicilian pickles were alright, but I didn't care for the spaetzle. If you like crunchy spaetzle, you will enjoy it a lot, but I found that the crunch made it sort of dry. The short rib is delicious. $28

I had a great overall impression of Bottega. The food is well done, though the portions tend to be on the smaller side. The short rib should come with a vegetable and the calamari quantity could be increased at least by 50% more at these prices. The pesce crudo, though wonderful, reads more Japanese than Italian in preparation and presentation. The truffle parmesan fries, ordered by the table next to us, looked extremely inviting and is on my list to get the next time I come. Service is really exceptional and you never feel rushed. Most of the wait times between courses were short, but the wait time for the main entree was a bit longer than I would have liked. Indeed, Bottega is worth a visit, and I hope to be back soon.

Pizzeria Capri - Sonoma

2011-12-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

1266 Broadway, Sonoma CA 95476
(707) 935-6085
Parking: in shopping center parking lot

Last Visited: November 1, 2006

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

I haven’t been to Pizzeria Capri for more than ten years. The last time I went, they had just opened in Sonoma. We had brought a coupon – yes, those things really do get you in the door – and the staff’s reaction was so poor that we never went back despite its convenient location just a few miles from downtown.

Upon walking in the door, we were immediately directed to a seat. There isn’t a host, so it’s bit of a frantic hustle and bustle, but the lead waitress seems to have things under control. The rest of the staff is a bit flighty in comparison. More about this below.

The décor is simple. Older wooden tables, some with the finish rubbed off, simple chairs, and two televisions – the larger television is in the rear room and a smaller televisions is above the counter. A wall with openings separates the rooms. The large windows make the restaurant feel slightly bigger, and the yellow walls with brown trim gives the place a fresher look. However, the floor and the tables show the wear of the establishment, and the overall look is a bit dated. Pizzeria Capri is a great candidate for Restaurant Makeover, but it has its charm. Posters of past local events line the walls. After ordering the pizza, we saw the calamari and were tempted to try it.

- Fried Calamari – A plate comprised primarily of fried calamari rings and few tentacles is placed on top of a larger plate and served with two ramekins. One ramekin contains marinara sauce. The other contains ranch with a dollop of pesto sauce. The calamari is deep fried until the light batter is just golden and placed on a plate that has been lightly covered in chunky marinara sauce. Coarsely chopped parsley tops the dish. The calamari was tender and the coating was light and flaky. The sauces were more than ample, and we appreciated that since many places tend to skimp on dipping sauce. The pesto adds color and flavor to the ranch dressing. Very good. $8

- Pizza: Capri Special – There are a number of choices in pizza topping combinations. The Capri special didn’t list the specific toppings, but I figured it would be a combination of meat and vegetables. Our medium crust pizza (not thick, not thin) was topped with red sauce, cheese, bell peppers, green onions, mushrooms, sausage, pepperoni, salami, and olives. Great. The crust was crispy on bottom and the pizza had a nice flavor. It wasn’t too soggy nor too dry. It had just the right texture and dipping the crust in the ranch sauce from the calamari made it even better. $18 for medium

- Milk $2

As for the service, the young bus boy was a bit inexperienced. Although he took our individual plates when we had finished with our calamari, he didn’t take the main dish despite it being empty. He’s polite in asking if he may take your plate, but not quite experienced enough. Also, when he answered the phone when I initially called, he could have been more professional.

If you’re a local, look for coupons in the advertising mailer. There were many locals there, and the food is pretty good. Other entrees include standard pasta fare which is available a la carte or with choice of salad or soup.

The Red Grape - Pizza, Californian, Sonoma

2011-12-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

529 First Street West, Sonoma CA 95476

(707) 996-4103

http://www.theredgrape.com/

Parking: small parking lot adjacent to the building complex and street parking

Hours: Open daily for lunch and dinner at 11:30am

Last Visited: November 13, 2011

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 3 stars

Price: $$ to $$$

It's been a while since I've been to The Red Grape. Touting itself as New Haven Pizza, I remember going there when it first opened about a decade ago and thinking what a different type of pizza it was offering compared to what you normally find in Sonoma.

While the first visit was good, my second and third visits revealed a lot of pizzas with a burnt bottom or more burnt dough than I enjoy. After not going for a number of years, we decided to see what new things they might have to offer.

It's minimalistic with painted ceiling ducts, bare floor, and wood tables and chairs. There is lots of natural lighting as two sides of the restaurant are comprised of a wall of windows.

The menu offers red pizzas and white pizzas as well as monthly specials. You'll also find sandwiches and appetizers such as arancini and polenta sticks. While there are a number of Italian items, the menu seems very Californian offering items such as Southwestern chicken salad, pears and gorgonzola pizza, and the beach club, esssentially a BLT with turkey. For today's lunch visit, we opted to try a pizza and sandwich.

- Red Pizza: Sonoma - Pepperoni, sausage, sautéed mushrooms, red onion, and jalapeno jack cheese top a thin crust pizza. The pizza was good - not overpowered by the toppings themselves or the weight of the toppings. The crust was done nicely without the burnt areas that I had encountered during past experiences. I would give the pizza three to four stars. $14.75

- Cheesesteak Sandwich - Slow roasted thinly sliced steak, cheddar cheese, and red and yellow peppers, are placed on a traditional toasted sub roll with a horseradish aioli. I appreciated the juiciness of the meat, but this isn't exactly a traditional cheesesteak. The combination of the peppers with the meat make each bite a bit sweet. The horseradish aioli gives moisture, but the spiciness of the horseradish is lost because the peppers overpower the flavor. The salad was fresh with cherry tomatoes, but I found the balsamic dressing to be too sweet. Okay. If it was given a different name, I wouldn't have had the same expectation as that of a cheesesteak and probably would have rated it higher. The other weird thing was that there was chicken on this plate, and chicken isn't part of the sandwich. $11.95

Service is attentive, but not exactly warm. The staff came back to check on you during the middle and end of the meal. Finding chicken on the plate was not significant, but if someone had a food allergy, it could be a problem and indicates that the kitchen has an opportunity for improvement. Since the floors are bare and there isn't much insulation, the noise level increases significantly as more people enter the restaurant.

I also noticed that the floor, particularly the hallway to the restroom, had water on the floor, a danger to guests. Overall, I would recommend the pizzas over the sandwiches, unless you know going in that you're having a Californian interpretation of the sandwiches.

Mosaic - California Cuisine, Forestville

2011-12-02T21:16:00.000-08:00

6675 Front St, Forestville CA 95436
(707) 887-7503
Parking: in the front
http://www.mosaiceats.com/

Last Visited: March 9, 2007

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 stars
Price: $$$ to $$$$

Both Jim and Jeff gave Mosaic high praise when we talked about outstanding restaurants in the North Bay, so when I was driving through Forestville, I decided to stop on by. I had heard through the grapevine that the food quality was excellent and it would be a worthwhile place to check out. I walked in with little expectation, but hoped for fantastic food.

It was a little after 5pm on the Friday evening I visited, and I was surprised at the very cool reception we received. Most hostesses are ready to greet you with a friendly smile and perhaps engage in some small talk about your day. Although I don’t expect this at your local chain locations, for these higher end restaurants, it’s expected. This was definitely lacking. There was not even a ‘how are you?’ but we gave the hostess the benefit of the doubt figuring it was a bad day or that she needed some time to warm up. She brought us to our table and asked if we wanted Fiji still water, sparkling, or regular water flavored with cucumber slices. When we answered that we wanted regular water, she said okay. My dining companion then proceeded to the restroom, and upon returning, she told me that our hostess told the busser to bring us regular water in a not too happy tone. When I received the water, it had a refreshing cucumber flavor.

Few customers came into the facility during my time there. One was a regular so the hostess greeted him with a smile, but the other couple that arrived near the end of our meal was greeted with extremely friendly tones by the same hostess. She not only made small talk, but she spent some time at their table and chatted for a while. This all made me wonder – what was going on when we arrived? Why didn’t she do the same for us? Don’t get me wrong. With the number of restaurants I have visited, this was not the only point of service that dropped their rating, but it was certainly one that made me feel uneasy. I would say she spent a good 15 minutes with these strangers, and though I personally didn’t want to spend that much time on small talk this evening, a few of the same questions about the weather and general conversation would have been fine.

Mosaic is a pleasant orange peach color on the outside, and the planter boxes are studded with colorful flowers. Walking inside is like taking a vacation from Forestville’s small town feel and entering a warm room filled with earth tones. From the dark copper floors, the wood tables, and the muted colorful plates, the room seems to silently exclaim the warmth of fall etched by the onset of winter. Smooth lyrics in a soothing jazz plays on the sound system. From the main dining room, you can see a little into the kitchen, but the faces of the chefs are hidden by the opaque glass.

At each table, the planked table tops were topped with one tealight candle in a small container. Each place setting contained one large colored plate along with a black cloth napkin folded into a rectangle. The knife was placed between the tines of the fork laid in the middle of the napkin. A butter knife sits on top of the small square black plate to the left of each of these.

When our server arrived at our table, she greeted us with a friendly, “How are you guys tonight?” Although this was fine at first, she proceeded to ask if “us guys” needed anything. The continued use of this phrase was exhausted, considering there were no guys at the table at all. When paying a higher price at a nicer establishment, the use of “guys” really isn’t appropriate anymore, since we’re not at a local burger joint or the like. Her demeanor was also just fair, lacking the excellent qualities of a great server.

After ordering, we were given warm French bread. I love that. Warm bread is always good. The bread arrived covered in a napkin and a small black ceramic container held the soft butter. As we conversed, we found the table was wobbly and asked one of the staff members to fix it. This gentleman was probably the kindest during our whole visit. After almost half an hour, we had eaten all the bread and our meal had still not arrived. So that’s where another point of lacking service was noted. When there aren’t any starters ordered and there is a long wait for food (which was inexplicable considering we were the only people in the restaurant), then the server should check to see if the diners would like more bread. Unfortunately, during our wait, we could hear the loud conversation from the kitchen, studded with cuss words here and there. What is talked about in the kitchen should stay there. You should never hear an expletive from the kitchen while seated across the room. Mind you, it wasn’t a situation where they dropped a plate or another disaster occurred. The expletives wandered around the general kitchen conversation.

As our food arrived, we noticed the beautiful presentation. It’s bordering being over the top though.

- Beef Short Ribs – Slow braised short ribs are served over saffron-parmesan risotto and grilled asparagus on a square green plate. The short ribs were cooked in a red wine reduction and had a lot of flavor. The meat was tender and fell off the bone. This was placed on top of grilled baby asparagus and part of the saffron-parmesan risotto which had been placed vertically on the plate (parallel to the short ribs). On top of the items was a single chive that was diagonally placed over everything. The spears of the asparagus were aimed toward the corner of the plate and fanned out. Although presentation was elegant, and the flavor of each item was nice, the combination of the flavors was a bit overwhelming, and I found that with each bite, everything seemed to get saltier. It’s unfortunate that the asparagus and risotto weren’t seasoned less heavily because that would have accented the short ribs even further. $29

- Halibut with raspberry sauce, gratin, baked baby yams, were plated on a round yellow plate. I’m not sure if it was a gratin, but the potato side item had good flavor and was not overwhelming. Of all the items on this plate, I enjoyed it the best. The three baby yams were placed on the side, with one opened up to reveal the gorgeous orange flesh. The halibut had been seared until golden brown on both sides and drizzled with raspberry sauce. Edible decoration was placed on top to add height. Although the fish was beautifully golden, the inside was a bit dry, especially as the meal continued. Even the raspberry sauce was not enough to counteract the gradual lack of moisture. Okay. $26

Unfortunately, I didn’t know until after my visit, that Mosaic’s signature dish is the Coffee Encrusted Filet Mignon. However, after my experience, I don’t think I’ll be going back to try it.

Mosaic’s motto is “Everything generously seasoned with passion and pride!” and certainly, I would agree that everything is generously seasoned – a little too much so for my palate. Individually, the items tasted good, but together, it became overwhelming rather than harmonious. The atmosphere was pleasant, but the service lacked friendliness and as we exited, though two people stood near the hostess station, nobody thanked us or greeted us as we left. An A for presentation, but only a fair experience overall.

Sift - Bakery, Cupcakes, Santa Rosa

2011-11-30T20:48:00.000-08:00

404-A Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa Ca 95401
(707) 703-4228
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mo-Th 10am-8pm, Fr-Sa 10am-9pm, Su 12pm-6pm
http://www.siftcupcakes.com/

Last Visited: July 17, 2011

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars

Price: $

Walk into Sift and smell the sweet scent of sugar throughout the shop. The case displaying sweet treats is very inviting and calls you to peruse it. Cupcakes at Sift Cupcake and Dessert Bar go for $3 each or $30 per dozen. They also offer cupcake chocolates for $2 and frosting shots (the thought of that just scares me) for $1.50 a piece. French macaroons, ice cream sammys, whoopie cookies, and profiteroles are available too.

I opted to try one of their Sonoma County famous cupcakes - Peach Me I'm Dreaming - It's a vanilla cake with a graham cracker crust, filled with peach jam, and topped with peach mousse and white chocolate shavings. I found the cupcake to be good. I would have liked the cake to have a lighter texture and not to fall apart quite so much, but that's just my preference for cake. I appreciated how the filling and frosting weren't overly sweet, but a nice balance of quantities as well as the attention to detail.

It's hard to judge a place by one cupcake alone, so I'm definitely willing to go back, but would look to trying one of the chocolate or red velvet versions.

Chinese food to-go boxes make this an easy treat to pick up and share with a friend.

There are also now locations in Cotati, Napa, and there's even a cupcake truck.

Lo Coco - Italian, Berkeley

2011-11-28T22:01:00.000-08:00

1400 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley CA 94709
(510) 843-3745
Parking: street parking
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 5pm to 10pm
http://www.lococospizzeria.com/index1.htm

Last Visited: July 15, 2007

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 stars
Price: $$$ to $$$$

We entered Lo Coco and found that the restaurant temperature was extremely warm this summer evening. They must not have air conditioning, and there is little ventilation despite the door being open. This evening, the restaurant was fairly crowded and in general, the tables are spaced fairly close together. The distance is such that if you reach your arm out, you’ll hit another table.

The room is painted a warm light yellow and the small halogen lights above only add to the temperature. One wall has a large advertisement showing a photo of a hotel against an ocean background with lettering showing contact information for the hotel located in Palermo. The windows line the other side of the restaurant. The kitchen is located in the rear, and each table is covered with a tablecloth as well as a large sheet of white paper. Columns and part of one wall have mirrors to create the illusion of a larger room.

Each place was set with a fork and knife wrapped in a cloth napkin placed on top of a dish. Parmesan in a glass container and olive oil are also placed on the table. The wait staff is dressed in black shirts or tank tops with an apron around their waist.

Upon entering the restaurant, it took a while for anyone to pay attention to us. After the waitress had come back to the hostess station to retrieve items for setting up the table several times, she finally told me she would be back in a moment (this occurred after about three trips to the station before I was acknowledged). Most of the wait staff members are in their twenties, and though they seemed to know what they were doing, they weren’t very good at hosting or greeting. Hardly a smile could be found except when the check was brought to a table. The menu consists of a variety of pizza, a list of pasta dishes, specials, appetizers, salads, and a few seafood plates.

Once seated, we were given menus and asked what we wanted to drink. Once she had finished taking our order, we were given our drinks and she returned a few moments later with the flatbread that came with the meal. As she brought our four pieces of flatbread, she dropped one onto the table and then used her hand to pick it up. First, what are you doing? Why not use a bigger plate? Second, a bunch of crumbs landed in my drink. Considering I was drinking water, she should have offered me another glass. Third, using your hand? What? This is gross. Who knows what you have touched? Pens, menus, dishes? Tongs would have been more appropriate, or a paper napkin. She did apologize, but it shouldn’t have happened in the first place and was hardly handled appropriately for a food establishment.

The bread was hot out of the oven, but that leaves no excuse. Shaped like a large stick, also known as pizza dough, the bread is browned and has a crusty taste. I would have loved to have some marinara sauce with it.

- Linguine with Clams – Served in a lemon butter white wine sauce, al dente linguine is mixed with manila clams for a rich tasting pasta dish. The quantity was good and there is tons of garlic slices to add to the flavor. Good. $12.95

Overall, I found the service to be fair. It took a while before anyone came to refill the water. After serving the food, they did come to check on us, but the overall demeanor was not friendly. The one good thing is that you aren’t rushed to complete your meal quickly and vacate the table, but there is a lot of room for improvement on how to treat the customer. When the check was brought, the dish used to hold the bill was colorful, but chipped. Small items like this are not huge cause for concern, but it leaves the customer with just one more ding on their list for Lo Coco. When we left the restaurant, two of the wait staff was standing near the door, but they continued to chat and did not thank us for coming in. The lack of attention to detail keeps their service rating at two stars. Although the food is good, I think there are better places with a complete package elsewhere and I would likely try those first before returning. Not to mention, considering the amount of garlic in the sauces, mints or candy would have been a nice touch – another missing item.

Tim Ho Wan - Chinese/Dim Sum, Hong Kong

2011-11-27T20:49:00.000-08:00

Best: Dim Sum, Hong Kong

2, 2-20 Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok, Ph: 2332 2896
G/F, 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, Ph: 2788 1226
Shop 12A, Hong Kong Station (Podium Level 1, IFC Mall), Central, Ph: 2332 3078

Last Visited: November 26, 2010

Food: 4 to 5 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 4 stars

Price: $

When I was in Hong Kong a year ago, there were only two Tim Ho Wan's. The fact that a third location has now opened up shows you that business continues to grow as more people find out about the great tasting food that Tim Ho Wan has to offer. Although I was only in Hong Kong for a short trip, I managed to get to the Mong Kok location twice, and one of those times was even on a weekend.

Our first visit was an hour and a half wait. Our second visit was over a two hour wait, but one should take into account that I arrived before opening time. With only about 32 seats available in this location, our second visit waited through an entire round of people (completely packed full house) before we were able to be seated. And there were a ton of people in line after us too.

You'll find the crowd is fairly international. Known as the least expensive restaurant in the world with a Michelin star, Tim Ho Wan has been featured in a number of guide books and listed as a must-try in many restaurant guides as well. While I knew I was in for a treat, I had no idea that dim sum could be this fresh and this good. The owner and chef, Mak Pui Gor, was the former chef of the three star restaurant at the Four Seasons in Hong Kong. Impressive credentials and I think it's awesome he decided to open a place that is accessible to those on a budget.

The atmosphere is one of hustle and bustle - you get a piece of paper to indicate your order quantity for each item, and your order is plugged into the computer. Then little dishes and baskets arrive at your table in no particular order. Unlike other restaurants in Hong Kong, there is something really unique here. When the food arrives, the restaurant goes almost completely quiet. Everyone is eating, savoring, taking photos, and just enjoying. It was one of the quietest restaurants I have ever visited in Hong Kong.

Another unusual thing is that it's very social. The interest in food between patrons, both strangers, and those at your table, generates conversation about where you come from and how you learned about the restaurant. While other restaurants and cafes have similarly close seating arrangements and shared tables, at other places, people tend to focus on their phones and don't talk. I heard that the chef formerly worked at a very large restaurant and decided to open his own place, much to our delight.

Prices for most items range from $1.25 to $5 USD, extremely reasonable for such a delightful variety of food that is high quality too. Most of the dishes could be model dim sum - the way it should be.

- Rice Roll with Shrimp - Perfect texture and consistency with soy sauce that is not too salty. It's hard to find rice rolls that are made so thin.

- Deep Fried Puff with Pork - Another light and delicious item. The filling quantity is just right, but what is so hard to find is an outer shell that isn't too thick. As one might expect, they do it just right, and not too greasy either. Just about all of their fried stuff fits this description - not greasy, wonderfully fresh.

- Braised Chicken Feet - The flavors of the chicken feet are great. A larger number of restaurants are good at this dish, so it was not quite as outstanding, but still very good.

- Har Gao - These shrimp dumplings are the size of authentic har gao. In the US, they often super size the shrimp dumplings which inevitably reduces quality in most of those versions. This one is a single bite of loveliness. Thin skinned, you can really taste the shrimp.

- Sweet Pumpkin Dessert - Sweet soups are very popular as a dessert in Asian cuisine. We enjoyed this smooth pumpkin pureed soup with hints of coconut milk. So delicious and unique to Tim Ho Wan.

- Steamed Pork Spareribs - I liked how the spareribs had a hint of heat from the red chili pepper to balance the richness of the fermented black beans. I appreciated that the meat was tender without having a starchy sauce around it.

- Osmanthus Flower Jello (Kuei Fa Gao) - While you won't find it written in English as Osmanthus flower, you'll see a number of patrons eating this dish - you can ask for it by the Chinese name. This was probably my favorite item because I was delighted by its super refreshing flavor. It's so light and sweet with a light, flowery flavor. It's the perfect way to end a meal. You can actually see the flower petals in it still. The light consistency of the jello is offset by sweet goji berries, to give it a little chew. You've absolutely got to try it!

- Pineapple BBQ Pork Bun - Yes, you read that right. BBQ pork buns are topped with what makes a pineapple bun a pineapple bun. The thin sweet topping is super light. Some people around me ordered this dish once and had to order another two servings because they loved them so much. While I enjoyed them for their light texture, they were good for me, but not worth another order. This may be just your thing though.

- Steamed Beef Ball - These are tender and flavored with a little cilantro. Fairly standard and many places do get this one right, so not that much to say.

- Pan Fried Turnip Cake - These were good and had more grated turnip than you find at other restaurants. You can actually see the grated pieces when you bite into it and of course, the outside texture was just a touch crispy. Good stuff.

- Egg Rolls - These are a must try! The super crunchy egg roll wrapper is fried to perfection. The shrimp and sweet fruit inside makes this a scrumptious bite. Loved it! If only everyone made an egg roll as good as this.

- Siu Mai (pork dumpling) - Good in its texture and how it stayed together. At some places, the filling is too dense or too loose - here, it's just right. The flavor was good too.

- Lotus Leaf Wrapped Chicken and Rice - Super flavorful, the lotus leaf fragrance has infused the rice and the center contains juicy meat with rice.
- Sweet cloud fungus with herbs - This sweet dessert is really light and very good for soothing your throat because of its sweet rock sugar soup which is almost like a syrup, but not overly sweet. The cloud fungus has been cooked until tender. This is great to have as an offset to your fried dishes. This is another specialty that you won't find at other dim sum houses.

- Brown Sugar Cake - The literal translation from Chinese to English is something along the lines of fluffy cake or light cake. It's made with real Chinese brown sugar (which is actually translated literally as yellow sugar). Unlike places in the U.S., the cake has a really strong brown sugar taste - this is a must try if you want to see what authentic cake should taste like. This steamed cake is super light and fluffy. Again, you won't find it anywhere else - and even the dim sum houses in Hong Kong don't seem to make it as good as this version right here. Even the color seems to be a richer brown.

- Chinese Sausage and Spareribs with Rice - While this isn't a real dim sum dish, local tea houses in Hong Kong have turned it into one, so now I think it's just made available because people expect it. A little soy sauce is served with this to moisten the steamed pot of meat and rice. All the meat is tender and good.

- Pan Fried Shrimp Stuffed Tofu Wrapper - Another must try, the combination of a little cilantro and celery with the shrimp and the just crispy tofu skin make this a really delectable treat. Love this one too.

- Steamed Buns - A few choices of steamed buns are available - meat and vegetable, BBQ pork, and others. I thought they were good - though you can find them as good as this elsewhere.

While you'll have an advantage if you can read and speak Chinese, if you can't, don't let that deter you. There is plenty of other diners whom can help you out, or you can just point. Just be brave and eat what you can. It's unlikely you'll be disappointed. For those that are familiar with dim sum menus, Tim Ho Wan offers all of the standards at least as good as what is offered at the best dim sum places. They have an amazing way of standing out in many of their dishes. You will definitely leave satisfied and you won't feel like you left a huge dent in your wallet when you're done.

The atmosphere isn't fancy. You get paper placemats, plastic plates, and somewhat crowded conditions, but it's well worth it. To avoid the lines, try to go during afternoon tea time (3 to 5pm). Otherwise, get there early. Lines can be a bit deceiving as sometimes a person is waiting in line for a party of 20 (someone in front of me did that), but the fact that I returned again during such a short stay should tell you something. If only they had a place like this in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tim Ho Wan deserves their Michelin star. I am definitely going to try to go back during my next Hong Kong visit!

El Gallo Taqueria - Mexican, Petaluma

2011-11-13T15:56:00.000-08:00

1367 North McDowell, Suite 140, Petaluma CA 95954
(707) 763-7111
Parking: in shopping center

Last Visited: June 3, 2006

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$$

El Gallo Taqueria just opened up in the new Kohl’s shopping center in Petaluma. It’s bright orange and sunny décor is inviting. The large panes of glass in the front of the shop stream in lots of light. In the rear is a large flat screen tv. This evening and during my second visit, it was showing the soccer game. There are rooster figures on the wall and a large glass rooster containing garlic and other decorative foods. The open kitchen allows the aroma to come to your nose. There’s a salsa bar in the middle of the restaurant with lime pieces, various salsas, and vegetables.

The local radio station was raving about El Gallo Taqueria, so I thought I would give it a try. Upon our arrival, we received warm chips and were told to help ourselves to the salsa bar. Service was friendly.

- Super Burrito – I selected chicken, but other meats are available. A good sized burrito comes in a soft flour tortilla. Inside were sour cream, guacamole, rice, beans, and salsa. The overall flavor was good. The chicken strips inside my burrito were freshly grilled. Good. I wouldn’t expect anymore for the price. $5.95

- Fajitas – Shrimp – The fajitas are available with shrimp, chicken, or steak. They’re served with pico de gallo, guacamole, rice, refried beans, and three tortillas. The shrimp is grilled with green peppers and onion strips. It’s grilled after ordering and comes out steaming hot. The rice is perfectly moist, and the refried beans have a fine consistency. All was very good. There were only seven shrimp, which was a bit disappointing that there weren’t more, but overall, the flavor was terrific. The only point of improvement is being a little more generous with the shrimp. $10.95

Most items range from $4.50 to $11.95 in price. The typical item menus are included – enchiladas, burritos, tortas, tacos, and even burgers. They also have kid’s plates available. I will probably try one of their combination plates in the future (prices for those range from $5.95 to $6.95).

During my second experience, the service was not quite as friendly, though close. The place is somewhat empty for a Saturday evening, so the location may not be so good for drumming up clientele. The lack of signage from a side view is likely hurting them, but the food is still good. This time, there wasn’t any pico de gallo in the salsa bar which was a little disappointing, but some came with my dish.

- Enchilada and taco combination plate – Choice of meat for both items is available. The shredded beef enchilada came in a very soft tortilla topped with sauce and cheese. Great sauce. The taco is available with a crispy shell or soft. The crispy shell is drizzled with a little enchilada sauce and lightly sprinkled with cheese over the center. The taco comes with lettuce and pico de gallo. Since breast meat is used, it can be a little dry. This combo plate also came with rice and refried beans. Since the items are not made to order, it’s more like hot plate, warm food, but still good flavor. $6.96

- Taco Salad – With a choice of meat, you receive a tostada shell (very light and flaky) containing refried beans, rice, lettuce, meat (I selected shredded beef), pico de gallo, two dollops of sour cream, and two dollops of guacamole. There’s a light sprinkling of cheese on top (dried, not fresh). The meat is fresh and warm and the salad is good. The only thing I would improve is adding more lettuce and using fresh cheese. Great flavor though. $6.95

The chef was very sanitary – he took our order, and visibly washed his hands before beginning to cook. Not every place does this. The only thing I would change is the air circulation. Since the kitchen is open, it’s hard for the fresh air to be circulated. They try to accomplish this by keeping the door open, but I don’t know what they do on a cold or rainy day. Nevertheless, it’s a great place to try out. The ingredients were fresh, the service, friendly, and the chips warm. If you’re interested, they have tamales that are Central American style that are wrapped in banana leaves instead of corn husks. So far, all of the dishes I’ve tried have been fresh and good. Need I say more?

Broadway Bistro - Chinese Cafe, Millbrae

2011-11-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

349 Broadway, Millbrae, CA 94030

(650) 692-3378

http://www.broadwaybistro.com/

Parking: street parking, parking lot in rear

Last Visited: September 4, 2011

Food: 2 to 3 stars

Atmosphere: 2 stars

Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

A family friend had recommended Broadway Bistro as a decent place for breakfast. While I didn't know what to expect, I was somewhat surprised that it came so highly recommended when I stepped in the door and saw it was like a Hong Kong style cafe. The decor is a bit cheesy with the fake plants and bright pink and overall, it's a little worn around the edges, but they seemed to have steady clientele coming in for breakfast. It's no comparison to what you find in real Hong Kong cafes, but maybe because it's in Millbrae without competition that it thrives.

The menu offered several sets such as those we ordered. Other options included macaroni in soup with ham, a typical breakfast dish in Hong Kong. All of these sets were available for $5 to $6 each.

- Green Onion Pancake and Soy Milk - At first glance, the dish seemed very disappointing. The pancake was thin, limp, and greasy. The soy milk, available sweet or savory, came with dried shrimp, small pieces of preserved mustard green, and an abundance of green onions, since I had ordered the savory version. In Hong Kong, you find that the soy milk consistency is really thick, and this very diluted version lacked the desired texture. The flavor of the soy milk was ok. Surprisingly, the green onion pancake had a really good flavor and consistency. Less oil would have helped it quite a bit though. Okay.

- Rice Congee with Fried Donut - The rice congee consistency was good and it came with fried peanuts and fried donut pieces. While the fried donut was just okay, the congee was decent.

Service was fair during this visit. The staff was friendly when they were with us, but it was about midway through the meal before we received tea. We overheard another waiter telling our waiter to bring us tea. The lack of service was a bit disappointing, even though these places are not known for service.

There is no comparison with real Hong Kong style cafes, but if you're in Millbrae with a craving, I suppose it will do. Lunch and dinner menus offer a variety of Cantonese style dishes. At least parking is accessible.

Lotus - Indian, San Rafael

2011-11-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

704 Fourth St, San Rafael CA 94901
(415) 465-5808
Parking: street parking
Hours: Buffet Lunch – Mon to Sat 11:30am to 2:30 pm, Dinner – Mon to Sat 5pm to 9:30pm, Sun 5pm to 9pm
http://www.lotusrestaurant.com/

Last Visited: June 11, 2006

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 4 to 5 stars
Service: 4 to 5 stars
Price: $$$

Lotus is located in the heart of downtown San Rafael. After coming off the freeway and onto Fourth Street, it’s one of the first restaurants you’ll see. The beautiful decorative door is eye catching as you walk up to the restaurant. You might also pass by the Lotus home furnishings store just a few doors down. Gautum recommended this place, so it’s officially Indian approved for authenticity and flavor.

Walk into Lotus through the waiting area and you’ll see the bar. We were promptly greeted and brought to our table which was alongside the bench seating against one wall. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with colorful and brilliant Indian wall hangings and statues including gold elephants, gold vases, and large statues of women in a prayer position. On the right side of the restaurant is the buffet table (which is not in use during dinner). The tables are spaciously placed and covered with pink tablecloths. The dishes are all printed with a pink and green flower pattern. The light yellow columns softly stand out amidst the white and pink in the room. A peek at their very professional website will show you what they’re all about. The best part of the atmosphere was the skylight, which they opened up so that the blue sky could be seen and if you desired, you could watch the clouds float by. It was perfect for our summer evening visit.

As we were seated, we were brought menus and our tealight candle was lit using a match. Our server promptly filled our glasses with ice water.

- Vegetable Samosas – Two samosas, triangular shaped pastry, are stuffed with spiced potatoes and peas and served with two sauces – one tamarind and one mint. The pastry is deep fried until golden brown and crispy. This is a healthy serving. One person per samosa is perfect for an appetizer, or one person can eat both samosas for a hearty meal. The spices are strong, but can be tempered with the sweet red tamarind sauce or by the cool mint sauce. Very good. $4.50

- Chicken Biriyani – The chicken biriyani is comprised of Basmati rice cooked with zucchini, carrots, green beans, green peas, cashews, golden raisins, and spices. The menu states that cauliflower is in the mix, but today, it was broccoli. The ingredients are combined for a strongly flavored combination of spices and vegetables. All of the meat is dark meat, which is perfect for me. It was served with raita, a homemade yogurt with spices and fresh cucumber shreds. The raita cools down the spices for a nice balance. I would liken it to chicken fried rice, but in a smaller portion and more intense flavors. Good. $13.95

- Rogan Josh – I wanted to select a lamb dish and asked the waiter for a suggestion. Rogan Josh is lamb cooked until tender in a spicy curry sauce. The dish itself is small, but it’s packed with flavor. The lamb was perfectly done until fork tender and infused with the flavor of the curry packed into each bite. Very good. $13.45

- Naan – This flatbread is available stuffed, but we selected it plain. Warm and served in a bread basket, it’s a nice accompaniment to the dishes above or any full flavored dish. $2.50

The environment is nice and the level of service and professionalism is superb. The only area of improvement for service is to have the general waitstaff smile – in general, they all looked very serious. When we left, the staff thanked us – a nice touch, as the farewell greeting at restaurant seems to have disappeared with so many other things. Lotus is a great place for authentic and delicious cuisine, and even better when you can watch the sky as you dine under the stars.

Boca Pizzeria - Novato

2011-11-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

454 Ignacio Blvd, Novato CA 94949
(415) 883-2302
Parking: in shopping center
http://bocapizzeria.com/

Last Visited: September 22, 2010

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Boca Pizzeria is opened up by the same owners as Boca (the steakhouse) in Novato. While their pizzas are done Neapolitan style and certified by “Verace Pizza Napolitana, ” I found the pizza to be just okay. According to their webiste, each pizza is cooked for no more than two minutes in a 900 degree Italian wood burning oven. Also, the flour is double milled 00 Caputo flour; the sauce is made from San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy, and the mozzarella cheese is house made daily.

Maybe I didn't order something simple enough, but since I've been going to a number of pizzerias in San Francisco and around the Bay Area, in comparison to those, I found Boca's to be good, but not wow enough that I've started taking people there. That's probably my best gage on food at a restaurant - if I start telling my friends and coworkers and inviting them to go with me, that's how you know they're spectactular places.

The dining area is open with lots of light from the large windows. The kitchen is open too and you can watch the hustle and bustle, or on a nice day, you can enjoy outdoor seating on the patio.

So far, I've been to Boca Pizzeria twice. While I don't avoid going there, I haven't found it stellar enough to make more visits. The open kitchen and high ceilings create a comfortable and open atmosphere. Outside seating also provides options for those whom enjoy the sun.

- Anson Mills Soft Organic Polenta - Mushroom, Thyme, Balsamic Reduction - The polenta was okay with a creamy texture and nice balsamic reduction. Since it's presented on a plate without anything to really eat it with, it's kind of like sharing a pudding. It's difficult to share and would be better as a side dish rather than starter - interestingly, the location on the menu actually seemed to make a difference in this case. I also thought it was a little pricier than it should have been considering the portion. $7.95

- Prosciutto de Parma Pizza - Prosciutto, arugula, San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella top a thin crust pizza. The flavors were fresh and very Californian in flavor, but not your authentic Italian style pizza. While that wasn't a bad thing, the combination of ingredients didn't have a wow factor. Just okay. $14.50

- Farmers Pizza - Pancetta, Yukon gold potatoes, burrata cheese, and egg top a pizza. I expected the egg to be cooked on the pizza, but instead, it appeared to be an egg that was fried and placed on top of a pizza. It didn't seem incorporated until I broke the yolk. The pizza seemed slightly overcooked as some of the cheese had dried a bit or had been sliced too thin. Another just okay pizza. $13.95

I found service to be just alright as well. During my first visit, while she was polite, the server paid more attention to my dining companion and pretty much spoke with him throughout the meal. During my second visit, the server was more even in speaking with each of us, but I didn't have a particularly memorable experience either way, so I've given them three stars for now.

Boca Pizzeria serves up decent pizza and is good for a change of pace compared to local Novato fare, offering California style pizza creations. They're also opening a new location in Corte Madera at The Village.

Thai House - Santa Rosa

2011-10-27T22:14:00.000-07:00

525 Fourth St, Santa Rosa CA 95401
(707) 526-3939
Parking: street parking or nearby parking lots
Last Visited: February 1, 2007

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Thai House is located on the second floor, so when you are walking on the street, look for a staircase and a sign – both are a bit obstructed from view by the other nearby restaurants, but be on the lookout and you’ll see it.

Thai House has been in downtown Santa Rosa for quite some time. They’re especially known for their seating and regulars also receive special treatment. The seats are interesting. The main dining area has regular tables and chairs. In the rear, there is a raised area with short tables, creating floor seating. They provide thick cushions, both flat (for you to sit on) and triangular ones (for leaning) that are covered in gold fabric. It definitely creates an authentic feel. The area with the raised seating is decorated with dark walls, dark carpet, and outlines of Thai figures. Guests are required to take off their shoes before entering this section. The tables are situated such that two long tables are on the sides of the room and smaller tables are located at the very rear just behind the small set of stairs.

It’s been about six or seven years since my last visit. Having visited many of the Thai restaurants in Sonoma County, when I compare Thai House with the rest, I found the ambience at Thai House nice, but better food can be found in the area. This recent visit confirmed my previous observations.

This evening, we had a large party of over ten people. The Christmas decorations were still present with Christmas lights on the railing along with a garland of green synthetic material. Upon my arrival, the staff pointed out where to go (my view of the table was blocked by the wall dividing the room with regular tables and chairs and the room with the raised floor. It would have been better service for the waitstaff to actually walk us to the location considering it wasn’t very far away and would have added a personal touch. When we ordered, the waitress stayed at the corner of the table and looked at us as we each stated what we wanted. Surprisingly, the acoustics aren’t bad when everyone is quiet. The wait staff typically wear authentic Thai clothing too.

- Satay – Five skewers of grilled chicken (beef also an available choice) are served with a small cucumber salad and a small dish of peanut sauce. The chicken had noticeable grill marks and were placed on a bed of lettuce. Presentation was nice. The cucumber salad had a nice flavor and there were small pieces of red onion. The peanut sauce was thick and had good flavor also. The chicken was dense and lacked flavor. It took a bit of effort to remove the chicken from the skewer which seemed to indicate that the meat was overcooked. Fair. $6.95

- Yellow Curry – You can select chicken, beef, or tofu curry. I selected chicken. The curry made with coconut milk is smooth and creamy. Chicken breast is cut in pieces and cooked with potatoes, red and green bell peppers, and the curry sauce. All is served in a shallow oval dish. Good flavor, though the portions are small. The curry is served medium, so if you like spicy, be sure to ask for increased heat. I liked how there weren’t too many vegetables stuffed in as filler, but it wasn’t outstanding. $9.95

- Pad Thai – Rice noodles are cooked with your choice of chicken or tofu. I selected tofu. The tofu comes in small cubes and along with the rice noodles, there are bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, and on the side, you’ll see shredded lettuce topped with a wedge of tomato. These side vegetables aren’t particularly traditional, but you often see it as decoration. I found this dish to be okay. The noodles were a little too al dente for me – not quite the way rice noodles should be, so just okay as a dish overall. Flavor was good, although there was also an excess of chopped peanuts. $7.95

- Rice – The quantity of rice was good since the bowl tended to be bigger, but not perfect rice quality and texture. Okay. $1

- Thai Iced Tea – This was a large tea and the flavor was good, but the complaint I have is that at bottom of my cup, there was a small pile of tea leaves, and unfortunately, it wasn’t leaves, but very fine powder which basically ruined the overall drink when I was finishing it off. Good tea, but presentation with fine tea at the bottom isn’t acceptable for a sweet drink. $2

When our fellow dining companion asked for peanut sauce, he was not told he would be charged extra for it, which seems like something you should inform the customer of or just provide it for free. They also add 18% gratuity for large parties.

I felt most dishes could have been served hotter in temperature, and the curry could be hotter in flavor, but considering the large group, it may have cooled down during transport. The food was placed on carts and brought into the room. The seats are not comfortable, especially if you sit on the railing side (as opposed to the wall side) since there is no place to lean. Sitting across from someone at the table also ends up in either very uncomfortable Indian style seating with legs asleep at the end of the meal or a friendly get to know the person across from you all out footsie war. Worse yet, it could be feet in your lap for dinner. Check out the Thai House for atmosphere, but food and service are fair to okay.

Sushi Sam's Edomata - Japanese, San Mateo

2011-10-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

218 E. Third Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401

(650) 344-0888

Parking: street parking, nearby parking lot

Hours: Tues-Sat 11:30 am - 2 pm, 5 pm - 10 pm

http://www.sushisams.com/

Last Visited: July 21, 2011

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$$

We received several recommendations about Sushi Sam's from friends, so perhaps my expectations were a little higher going in. There are three main areas for dining - the bar, the area next to the kitchen, and a raised area on the side.

Upon our arrival, the service was very fast and friendly. Multiple people were checking on us frequently and filling our tea throughout the meal. However, the atmosphere is a little worn - a fresh coat of paint along the divider of the room would do wonders. The laminate tables seem more like they belong in a cafe. I also found it odd that they were selling canvas bags and other items with their logo by posting them on the wall. It seemed to reduce the ambiance of the restaurant.

- Geso Tempura - Deep Fried Calamari legs - While I expected for the size of the calamari to be like that served in an Italian restaurant, I never expected them to be like this. They're more like octopus in size - huge! Just when you're hoping for some delicate tempura batter to coat small calamari, you get these gigantic pieces that are still tender, but not quite so delicate, however, I've never ordered geso tempura before, so I didn't know what to expect. The tempura batter quickly became soggy, so it wasn't the best that I've had either. Just okay. $5.95

- Shrimp Tempura with Vegetables - This dish was fairly typcial of what you find at other Japanese restaurants when ordering tempura. It wasn't spectacular, but it was alright. I have mentioned this before in other reviews, but I really dislike being served tempura broccoli - it just doesn't seem fitting, and here, they had broccoli. Two shrimp also seems skimpy to me - at $9 and the reasonable cost of shrimp, another piece would make this a great value. $8.95 a la carte

- Sushi Set B - Tuna, Hamachi, Unagi, Salmon,Kani, Ebi, Tako, California Roll and Tekka - Presentation on a plastic raised plate made this dish seem less elegant than it could have been. Why not use ceramic plates? With two pieces of each item and a full tekka and full California roll, the price was reasonable, but it just didn't seem special because of the way it was served. The fish was fresh and the cuts tended to be larger than many places. Just okay though. $37

Perhaps I should have ordered the omakase which I've heard people rave about. Or perhaps Sushi Set B wasn't enjoyable because I don't care for some of the items included. Whichever the case, I was a bit disappointed by my visit. The sushi is okay and the portions are fairly generous, but the soggy calamari and the plain presentation left fair impressions.

Ristorante La Toscana - Italian, San Rafael

2011-10-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

3751 Redwood Hwy, San Rafael CA 94903
(415) 492-9100
Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Mon-Sat 11:30am to 10pm, Sun 11am to 9:30pm
http://www.ristorantelatoscana.com/

Last Visited: August 13, 2006

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$$

Enter Ristorante La Toscana and you’ll find the bar to your immediate left and the dining room to your right. It’s a bit dark inside the foyer, but it reminds me of classic Italian restaurants. The restaurant is known for its classic Tuscan style dinners and has been around since 1985. For many years, I heard that they serve good food, but I hadn’t actually had the chance to try it until now.

The main dining area is separated by a wood wait station. The walls are sponged in light orange and cream and the floors are carpeted with a dark flowered carpet. The ceiling is high and there is a skylight. The chandeliers are rather old in style, but I suppose it adds to the feeling of classic Italian dining – you could say it takes you back about a decade or two ago. The tables are covered with white tablecloths and large white paper sits under each place setting. You can tell that the place is a bit on the older side. There are large plants placed around the edges of the room. The chairs are somewhat old looking with the rose colored plastic seat and wood back. However, it still has a charm about it.

The staff primarily consisted of the owner who hosted this evening, a middle aged male server, and many young women, all appropriately dressed in black with the exception of the young lady hostess.

The menu consists of very classic Italian dishes – pasta, veal, prime rib, rack of lamb. The dishes are fairly priced, and quite a bargain when you see the portions. Looking around, I noticed that during this dinner service, most of the patrons were fairly senior. There were few tables of younger people – whether adults or children.

- Minestrone Soup – The minestrone contained vegetables in a tomato based soup, but the soup had an almost creamy color. There were pieces of zucchini, kidney beans, bacon, and much more. It was a hearty and rich bowl of soup that is sure to fill your stomach. Very good. Cup $4, Bowl $5.50

- Gnocchi della Casa with choice of sauce – These house made gnocchi were delicious. Fluffy pillows indeed. I selected Bolognese sauce - the meat was tender and the tomatoes had cooked down until thick. They use lots of herbs in this sauce, so I did find myself picking some larger pieces of herbs out, but overall, it was delicious. The portion is quite generous, or perhaps it’s just very filling. Other sauces available include tomato and basil, pesto, and panna. Parmesan cheese was served on the side and available for me to add. See additional comments below. $12

- Rack of Lamb – Four bones worth of lamb are served in a creamy brown sauce with Swiss chard on the side and also a side of potato wedges that were baked. The potato wedges, skin still on them, were delicious – crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Very yummy. The Swiss chard was cooked until tender and lightly seasoned. The cream sauce for the lamb was flavored just right, and the lamb was truly cooked to medium – pink in the middle. I was quite impressed. Very good. They also offer this dish for two at double the price. I don’t know why that’s offered, but maybe that would be a good question to ask next time. $22

The only thing about my food that was surprising was the gnocchi leftovers. Although they made for a terrific meal the following day, I was disappointed to find a piece of metal from the scrubber used to clean pans and pots. Fortunately, I had detected it in my mouth since I was on alert detecting those large herb pieces. I called Ristorante La Toscana and told them of my finding, and they assured me they would change out all of the scrubbers. He mentioned that I could tell the maitre d’ the next time I came in and they would treat me to dinner. However, he didn’t take down my name or anything like that.
Overall, I had a good dining experience. I would say the service was a little odd though. With the results of my calling to alert them of the scrubber, as well as the actual service received, I dropped the four star service rating down to three. During my actual visit, the service was good right until we had finished the meal. Then it seemed as though we waited for ten minutes before the bus person came to clear our table. Another ten minutes floated by as we waited for our server to come back with the check. This pretty much put a damper to the service part of the experience, but by watching what was happening at the tables around me, I leave their service at three stars. One table was unhappy about something and was given a free cup of soup. Another table had received their check when one of the guests decided to have coffee, and the server was kind enough to take the check back and redo it. Both of these responses led to holding their service rating to three stars. Unfortunately, the thing that also dropped the rating was the lack of being genuine when it comes to sincerity. l just didn’t feel that our server was being real. The falseness behind her general style of service was so high that you could feel it – and that just isn’t good.

Try out La Toscana for good classic Italian food. Keep an eye on the food itself and look forward to large quantities.

Gi Kee Seafood Restaurant - Chinese, Hong Kong

2011-10-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

2F, CFS4, UC Wong Nai Chung Complex, 2 Yuk Yau St, Happy Valley, Hong Kong

Ph: 2574 9937

Hours: 5.30pm-12.30am

Last Visited: November 2010

Food: 4 stars

Atmosphere: 2 stars

Service: 3 to 4 stars

Price: $ to $$$$

Unless you are told about this place, it's super easy to miss it. Gi Kee is located in a food court in a giant food shopping center. The lower floors contain grocery stalls for fresh fish, fresh meats, and vegetables. It's a bit reminiscent of a farmer's market, but more permanent.

From the sign advertising the restaurant near the elevator below, one might think that you're going to a large restaurant, but then you arrive and see the signs on the wall and the common dining area. It's noisier than a food court you would find at a mall, but picture that and you will have an accurate picture. Be wary of where you sit because certain tables are designated for certain restaurants. If you don't tell them which restaurant you're looking for, you'll be directed to another restaurant's table.

Our first visit was for lunch and we came during rush hour without knowing it. The place was completely packed with a number of local construction workers. Each day, Gi Kee offers a limited number of terrific values including fresh fish for under $10US. It even comes with rice. For that price, you know a lot of people are excited to go there. There are other specials available, but I was pretty much set on trying their crab which came highly recommended by a family friend.

Our style of dress and the fact that we don't dress like locals do really made us stand out from the other diners, but that didn't deter us. We ordered a much more expensive meal than what many order during lunch, so all of these cues informed the wait staff know that we weren't regulars. The gals were really nice - you kind of feel like mom is there to help you through the process of ordering, suggesting dishes, and making sure that nobody shares your table. Most of the time, there just isn't enough space, so tables are shared by all patrons. They were super friendly and I really appreciated their looking out for us. Don't worry if you're not Chinese. The menu has English available and there are other tourists there, though not many.

Since we weren't sure we would have time to return for another visit, the two of us ordered three dishes.

- Deep Fried Garlic Crab - The flavor was incredible. If you like fried garlic with red peppers and spices, this is something you'll love. The crab meat that has touched the batter is slightly crispy and the flavor packs a punch. It was amazingly fresh tasting since it was still alive and they showed it to us for approval before cooking it. The only thing I didn't like is that if you're accustomed to dungeness crab which is often served in the US, you'll find the meat in the Hong Kong crab to be too hard to get at since the crab is more the size of blue crab.

- Braised Tofu with Vegetables - Fairly standard in flavor, I appreciated the hot temperature of the tofu and the tender mushrooms that it was served with. The greens were also really fresh.

- Sauteed Clams with Garlic Sauce - While I didn't notice any particular difference with other clams that I've had, I did note that these were very fresh. There was an abundance of clams too and thus the slightly higher cost was very acceptable.

The three dishes together were about $100USD. The tofu and clams were fairly reasonably priced, but the live crab was priced by weight, so that was our most expensive dish.

Our second visit was for dinner and we brought family to enjoy the meal with us. Our mission this evening was to try some of their regular seafood dishes and also to sample more of their flavors. Dinner service is much less hectic. We arrived early, around 5:30pm, and found that there were many places to sit.

Gi Kee's atmosphere definitely fits with Hong Kong family style service - They put plastic around the table and instead of placing shells and bones on a plate, you just place it on the plastic. It's certainly not fancy, but the food is good. -

- Braised Fish Fillet with Broccoli - Fresh fish fillets are braised with yellow chives and carrots and served over broccoli florets. It tastes like home, but has the wok air of a restaurant. Super delicious and flaky, the fish is succulent and good.

- Minced Pork with Preserved Vegetable and String Beans - Another great homestyle dish, this has a lot of flavor. There's a bit of sweetness from the preserved vegetables and you can tell their access to the farmer's market downstairs pays off when you taste these crunchy green beans.

- Preserved Red Bean Curd Roasted Chicken - Similar to deep-fried Chinese style chicken, this dish is seasoned with preserved red bean curd which almost makes the skin a little crispier and more flavorful than usual. To get the skin crispy, the chicken is air-dried, and then deep-fried. The meat is juicy too.

- Braised Eggplant in a Clay Pot - The temperature of the braised bean curd is so hot that it makes the eggplant super tender while keeping each piece intact. Sauteed bell peppers, onions, and carrots accompany the eggplant.

- Steamed Scallops and Tofu with Black Bean Sauce - Super succulent scallops and fresh preserved black beans are placed on top of tofu and steamed until the scallops are just cooked.

Gi Kee has the full range of offerings from simple homestyle dishes with fresh seafood to more decadent dishes like their crab which would be much more challenging to make at home even if you have a deep fryer. The flavors range from simple to rich.

If you don't mind the setting, you can really enjoy some fabulous food that matches up with the best restaurants in Hong Kong. I really enjoyed the experiences for both lunch and dinner - lunch is amusing, especially if you like people watching and can handle the hustle and bustle.

Another good thing is that if someone can't eat shellfish or seafood in general, they do offer other options as well.

Now if only I could find some place in the San Francisco Bay Area that can cook up a dungeness crab this way....

Mary's Pizza Shack - Sonoma, Novato, Santa Rosa

2011-09-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

18636 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma CA 95476, (707) 938-3600
535 Summerfield Road, Santa Rosa CA 95405, (707) 538-1888
121 San Marin Dr, Novato, CA 94945, (415) 897-6266
Parking: in parking lot
http://www.maryspizzashack.com/

Last Visited: June 16, 2011

Food: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Mary’s has been around for a long time. I remember them being in Sonoma for more than 20 years and their history goes back even further to 1959. Mary Fazio leaves the legacy of fine homemade food, and now has 15 locations in Sonoma County and nearby areas. The Boyes Springs restaurant is large with two dining areas inside and outside dining is also available. The kitchen is open and you can watch the pizzas being tossed. The excess crust is used to make breadsticks that anyone can enjoy. The atmosphere of the restaurant is casual.

The food at Mary’s is good, but it used to be even better. The salad quality can vary, but most of the time, its fresh - sometimes I think that is the best thing. The next best thing is of course the pizzas, though they do offer a variety of pasta dishes. All of the entrees are served with soup or salad and iced tea, coffee, or hot tea. In Sonoma, Mary’s serves warm sourdough bread from the local Basque Café with each meal (at least in Sonoma).

- Mary’s Salad – Iceberg lettuce is dressed and topped with one slice of salami, shredded carrots, sliced mushrooms, three bean salad, a slice of egg, and mozzarella. When its fresh, it’s great. Simple and good. House $3.95, Large $7.10

- Spaghetti and Meatball – Spaghetti in tomato sauce is topped with a gigantic meatball. Sometimes the pasta is not al dente, but the flavors are always consistent. The meatball is always large and hearty. Good. $10.65

- Mary’s Combination Pizza – This is my favorite pizza of all the combinations available. It’s topped with cheese, salami, pepperoni, cotto salami, sausage, and mushrooms. It’s a great combination of flavors and a sure flavor parade.

- Meat Lasagna – Another one of my favorites. A good portion - the lasagna noodles are layered with ricotta and meat sauce. Always hearty, it’s topped with more mozzarella, and it’s always good. $11.95

Sandwiches are also available for those who prefer them over pizza and pasta dishes.

The service is sometimes inconsistent at Mary’s. Depending on your server, your dining experience can vary widely. Sometimes, it’s excellent and up to 5 stars, and other times, it can be as low as 2 stars. The pizza quality is probably the most consistent thing of all. While the food quality may vary, I still think Mary's offers a good value to larger crowds - I've had a few larger group lunches with people from work at the various Mary's. Hopefully, they can step up the quality of both food and service, but in general, it's still got reliably good options.

Morimoto Napa - Japanese

2011-09-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

610 Main St, Napa CA 94559

(707) 252-1600

Parking: parking lot across the street

Hours: Lunch Wed-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, Dinner Sun-Thurs 5pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm

http://morimotonapa.com/

Last Visited: September 24, 2011

Food: 3 stars (was 4 to 5 stars)

Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars

Service: 1 star (was 3 stars)

Price: $$$ to $$$$$

After hearing about a few friends' experiences at Morimoto Napa, I thought it would be the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion. First, a brief explanation about the multiple ratings. Those in paratheses indicate what the rating should have been, but after finding a hair in my toro nigiri sushi, and seeing how they handled the issue, the ratings were downgraded accordingly.

Enter Morimoto Napa and you're greeted by high ceilings and an almost cafe-like atmosphere. The blackboard shown in the picture features sushi combos and salads to raw meat offerings. We arrived a few minutes before 5pm and after checking in, we heard the rumble of the staff meeting that was going on. The staff gathers in a circle near the kitchen, and at the end of their staff meeting, they shout loudly in unison. While I don't know what they said, it definitely reminded me of the operating style of a Japanese manufacturing plant.

Table by table, we were steadly seated by the hostesses, although it was past the actual reservation and opening time. The group waiting to be seated didn't seem perturbed by this though. The decor is minimalist with lots of clean lines. It's modern, but I wouldn't describe it as warm. I did however appreciate the pillows placed along the bench seating against the wall.

If you've ever watched American Idol, you know how the judges tell the contestant to put their unique twist on a classic song and 'make it their own.' This is exactly what Chef Masaharu Morimoto has done to various ethnic dishes - he put his spin on cultural classics. If you've ever watched Iron Chef (the original or the American version), you've seen Morimoto's amazing skill and precision. Too bad that it's not quite so evident here - once one deviates from the norm, you can start to see the flaws.

The menu boasts a number of appetizers - hot and cold, in addition to nigiri sushi, and a number of interesting entrees. Since I was hoping for a delightful and memorable occasion, we opted to order the omakase and really see what Morimoto was capable of doing. As the evening wore on, we learned that some of the omakase items are not available a la carte, which seemed to only add to the mystique of it all.

Omakase $120 per person

As each dish arrived, the person serving, which is not necessarily the server assigned to your table, gives a detailed description of the item and how to eat it. It's a great foodie experience, but a bit of sensory overload if you want to try to remember it all.

- Toro Tartare - If you've watched the Iron Chef series, you'll know that Morimoto had these trays especially made for him for toro tartare. The tender toro is served with a dashi soy on the side, and the instructions are to take the paddle and scoop some of the toro. Then dip the toro into the dashi soy and if desired, enjoy it with one of six condiments - nori paste (slightly bitter aftertaste), grated wasabi (very strong, but refreshing), sour cream, chives, Morimoto guacamole (like an avocado mousse), and fried rice balls (super crunchy). I enjoyed the lovely presentation in this ice cold bowl, with a leaf behind it. These were personal sized as opposed to the basically the same sized tray filled with toro and a separate side dish tray. It's a fun experience to eat this, and of all of the dishes, this was probably the best of the bunch for me. My favorite was the fried rice balls which have a roasted rice flavor. When your palate is clean, you can really taste the roasted part of it and the contrast in textures between the tender toro and crunch of the rice ball is really nice. The red ball is a peach with a pit, grown in a specific region of Japan. We were instructed to enjoy that if we liked as a palate cleanser when we were finished. While the flavor the little peach was okay (it wasn't very sweet), the texture was soggy.

- Kampachi Carpaccio - The second dish was three pieces of kampachi. This white fish sashimi is actually cooked Chinese style. Hot oil and soy are poured over the fish to cook it. and microgreens top the fish. In Hong Kong, you would find pieces of fish that were raw placed in hot congee to cook it and leave it with a tender texture, just barely cooked through. The portion of this was mighty small, and while it was fresh tasting, I wouldn't necessarily order it on its own.

At this point, we were waiting for our third course for some time. A nearby table had also ordered the omakase, and the server, a different one than that whom took our order and that whom brought the kampachi, came with another kampachi. The waiter of the table next to us caught her eye, and the gal left without a word. This was the first flaw in service. While minor, we thought she should have apologized at this point, but we decided to just consider her point of view - perhaps she was too stunned that the error occured. As the next plate was brought to us by the gal whom just erred, she promptly apologized and launched into the explanation of the bagna cauda. Things were righted again, and we felt it was just a small slip in service.

- Bagna Cauda (Italian for Warm Bath) - Morimoto's interpretation of fondue with vegetables is beautifully presented. The spices on the left accent the plate. The center container is much prettier when further away and it looks like a tealight candle in a candleholder. The warm olive oil on top contains a garlic and anchovy paste. While friends said they noticed a difference in flavor as it was heated, I couldn't tell any difference. The skewered item is chicken tempura. Toasted bread sticks and a variety of blanched vegetables (including purple cauliflower, radishes, baby turnips, asparagus, and half of a baby orange bell pepper) make this a fun dish to eat. The garlic paste is mild and doesn't overwhelm your palate.

- Foie Gras Chuwan Mushi - Chuwan Mushi literally translates into "tea cup steam", or "steamed in a tea bowl." Egg Custard is topped with a miso-based gravy and two small slices of duck breast. Of all of the dishes, this was the richest, but also my least favorite. To taste the egg in the custard, you need to push away the sauce and scoop a big piece out. The dish is extremely rich, and while I'm not sure if the original Japanese dish is this rich, I felt this one to be lacking in texture contrasts. A small dot of wasabi (you can sort of see it on the plate) is served with this to help cut the richness.

- Intermezzo - Watermelon Wasabi Sorbet - This was a delicious and refreshing palate cleanser. The quinelle of sorbet is topped with pickled watermelon rind and another microgreen. I could eat a full scoop of this without any issue. We later learned, after recommending it to a neighboring table, that it's not available on the regular menu, but if you ask for it specifically, you can still get it.

- Nigiri Sushi - Tako (Octopus), Sake (Salmon), Shimaaji (Striped Jack), Toro (Fatty Tuna), Hamaichi (Yellowtail) Belly - I love fresh sushi, and started eating this dish from left to right. The octopus was okay, but not the best that I've had. The salmon was delicious and ranks high on the list for some of the best sushi I've had. It had been lightly sprinkled with seasoning. The compressed grapefruit on the striped jack, eaten as one bite with the sushi gave a really nice aftertaste and flavor contrast to the fish. Then things went south from here. As I pulled the toro out of the lineup, I noticed a black hair sandwiched in between the fish and the rice. This is the reason for the downgraded food rating.

While finding hair in my food is becoming more common as I eat out, mostly because the number of times I eat out is just really high, it becomes less about the hair (although you never want to find hair) and more about the way that the issue is handled. I had a hard time flagging someone down, but finally caught the busboy's attention. He immediately took the remaining fish and my plate away and told me he would notify my server. After five minutes, perhaps longer, the server came back into the room and spotted me looking for him. He came over to apologize and then said that the kitchen was preparing another plate for me. Fortunately, my dining companion's plate was fine. When the new dish arrived, the presentation was not the same. I'm not sure if it was intentional to give me seared toro and seared hamaichi to demonstrate that the pieces of fish were not the same, but I felt like it was a bit odd that they would change it from what was being served in the omakase. At this point, my countenance had changed from delight to disappointment. It didn't seem to get any better as the evening continued. I thought the manager might come over to acknowledge the problem and apologize, but that was the end of the apologies for the evening. No discounts, no comping, nothing.

As soon as my replacement nigiri arrived, the entree was served. I'm not sure how this happened. Why hadn't our server asked the kitchen to hold on firing the next dish? What was going on behind the scenes? Why pay over $100 per person and feel like service isn't perfection?

- Entree Trio - Unagi Toro Wellington contains unagi, toro, and tofu, wrapped in rice paper. Then, it's deep fried. Then the roll is cut to show the colorful cross section of the roll. Wagyu Beef Steak that is served medium was in the center of the plate. It seemed rather boring and didn't have any distinct flavors or textures. It could have been a Sizzler steak, and I wouldn't have known the difference. Veal Cheek Tempura is more like a braised short rib in texture. Beautifully moist and succulent with a slight crust, this was my favorite of the three items on the plate.

At this point, the waiter came and told us everything was going well - he asked, but never waited for an answer, which basically is just telling us. I suspect he didn't want to know the answer.

- Peach and Soymilk Sorbet with Five Spice Churros - The sorbet is served over pureed peach and topped with a peach slice. A piece of sugar is placed on the sorbet to add crunch. The sorbet seemed a bit too mild and the peach flavor wasn't really coming out. On a clean palate, it might have been fine, but it could have been stronger. The churros were hot and fresh, but one of my two churros was still a little soft inside and could have been fried just a touch longer.

After removing this plate, our server came by to tell us he had one last thing for us and I thought he would offer to discount a portion of our meal or somehow address the hair issue, but that wasn't the case. He told us about the petit fours.

- Chocolate Petit Fours - Sesame Caramel and Green Tea Rice Puff - Two squares were given to us, each with their own intense and unique flavors. Both were enjoyable.

The bill arrived at full price, and that was the end of our meal.

Notice that the prices shown the menu featured on their website are no longer valid. Prices have increased by 10 to 15% for most items.

Since those serving plates are rarely the actual server, there is a lack of cohesiveness about the way the food is presented. Sure, they all say the same words, but it feels robotic and lacks warmth. The failure to hold the final entree until after the new nigiri had been eaten seems to offset the suggestion for the entire table to order the omakase. The lack of effort to invite your customer back and address the issue by apologizing once shows an opportunity to change Morimoto's restaurant policy. This explains the downgraded service rating.

After paying, I requested to speak with the manager and met Ms.Cristine Merrigan. While she apologized for the mishap and gave me a card with her name and contact info, as well as invited me to come again and contact her when I did so, I've seen how issues like hair in your food addressed better by other restaurants and let her know that. It's unclear whether or not she has the authority to comp or discount, but if she does, neither was offered. Sadly, despite the creativity and beautiful presentation of the food, I won't be returning.

The Villa - Italian, Santa Rosa

2011-09-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

3901 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95405
(707) 525-7755
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: December 26, 2005

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

The Villa has been around for a long time. It’s known for its excellent views of Santa Rosa, the multiple dining areas, and the reasonably priced food. Set atop a hill, the restaurant offers a view of the city lights which are particularly nice on clear evenings. Parking is ample.

The dining areas are spacious and work well for small tables and groups. There is a separate dining room that is ideal for larger parties. The setting is pleasant and in winter, there’s a cozy feeling about the place. Most of the rooms have large windows bringing in lots of natural light during the day. In the evening, the mirrors placed along the large columns create a nice effect while making the room brighter by reflecting light from the lamps above. The high ceilings give the restaurant a nice elegance.

There is also a bar featuring sports programming. Multiple dining areas are available.

White tablecloths adorn the tables. Upon arrival, you’ll receive bread and butter. All entrees include choice of salad or soup which seems less common these days, so that’s certainly part of the appeal.

The dishes at The Villa vary. The fish of the day is usually a safe bet. It’s typically salmon or a mild fish and served with a lemon butter sauce. The pasta is not as good. It’s usually gone past the al dente stage and is too soft. The sauce also gets watered down by the pasta water and the pasta dishes I have tried are typically disappointing. The cuts of meat are average, but I think the fish is their specialty.

The Villa is great for those seeking a bargain, but food quality can vary. Atmosphere is nice, and service is good, but not outstanding. Also if you plan to eat here and are on a budget, the local newspaper offers a 2 for 1 deal every week.

After my most recent visit, I revised the comment about the meat. Both the prime rib and lamb were very nicely done. See comments below.

I selected the salad today, and the salad was very fresh. Fresh romaine, a cherry tomato (although one of the salads didn’t have any tomato), and cucumber slices were part of the salad. Great. The only down side was that as our salads were presented, some waiters offered freshly ground pepper, but ours did not (and I like fresh cracked pepper on my salad).

- Prime Rib – A prime rib is cooked to your taste and served with a small cup of au jus. A baked potato and vegetables accompany the meat. The potato and prime rib were just about perfect. I asked for medium and got between medium and medium well. The vegetables weren’t very good though, at least not to my taste. The broccoli was overcooked. The portion was quite satisfactory, and great for the price. ~$14

- Roasted Rack of Lamb – Three lamb chops are served with penne pasta and vegetables. See vegetables comments above. The lamb was very nicely done, not overcooked, but juicy. Mint jelly accompanies the lamb. The penne would be better on its own rather than accompanying the dish (in fact, I ate it the next day and preferred it this way since it didn’t detract from the lamb). I would have preferred a baked potato over the penne. Another great bargain. ~ $15

Both of the dishes I tried this evening were good value and the meats were good quality. I’m not sure of the pizzas and pastas, but I would still recommend the fish since multiple visits have proven that safe. Service this evening was fair. There was a narrow walking area behind one of our seats, and the staff continued to use it despite other routes being available. This was distracting as you could feel them brushing against the seat each time they passed by. I observed the bussing staff having good rapport with one another and working well together in general, but the waiters were fair in their service. See salad comment above. Also, my steak knife was not clean, and it took a while to grab the attention of the staff to get a replacement. Our water glasses were not checked frequently and the check took a long time to come to the table. Service was downgraded from three stars to the two to three star range. The food this evening was better than past experiences, and the specials menu is a great value since they come with soup or salad. Fortunately, the setting is nice in the evening. The Villa has a lot of room for improvement, but it’s a good bargain overall.

Foreign Objects in My Food - Yikes!

2011-09-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

No matter how many times I go out to eat, I am still shocked when I find foreign objects in my food. Hair and bugs are commonly found, but a live worm and even a clothespin - those are not so normal.

However, it's not the discovery of foreign material that is so bad, although it's definitely not a good thing. It's how the restaurant handles it upon notification that shows you the quality of the restaurant and it's service. So far, I've seen staff be defensive, like the time I was told that the salad that I found the worm in had been washed three times (apparently, that's not enough). At other times, they just remove the item and move on, like the time the waiter removed the dirty clothespin from the soup and acted like nothing happened (gross!).

An apology and an offer to replace the food is a must. Comping the dish is certainly great and comping the meal, at least for the person whom had the contaminated food, if not for the whole table is even better. However, the best response I've experienced came from Kyoto in Rohnert Park. To be honest, I can't remember if the snafu was related to food or service. The owner came and apologized, and then gave me a gift certificate towards my next purchase. While nothing was comped this meal, I felt this gesture went a long way to keeping me a customer and getting me to come back. Since I don't even recall what happened, I think her response worked. If only more restaurants would consider a policy like this. Hair tangled within the dish or bugs dressed in salad dressing are obviously not the customer's fault.

Simply Vietnam - Pho, Vietnamese, Santa Rosa

2011-09-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

966 North Dutton Ave, Santa Rosa CA 95401
(707) 566-8910
Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Mon to Sat 10am to 9pm, Sun 11am to 5pm

Last Visited: June 21, 2007

Food: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

Formerly the home of Cam Ranh Bay, Simply Vietnam has added some finishing touches to the restaurant along with a fresh coat of paint. Although the fare remains the same, the fresh earthy colors, new furniture, and unique décor has made Simply Vietnam stand out from its predecessors. The rooms are painted with a color brighter than terra cotta, but not orange. There is a tree and other leafy metal sculptures decorating the facility that are unique and interesting to look at. The ceiling fan looks like large leaves.

During the three times I have visited, twice for lunch and once for dinner, the restaurant has been fairly busy. Twice there have been only two younger women on the wait staff, and once it appeared to be two brothers.

On each table is a black basket containing the usual pho seasonings (sricha chili sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, regular chili sauce, and more) and a chrome container holding fork and knives as well as chopsticks. A napkin holder is also set on each table.

During the first visit, the place was bustling. Everything moved at a fast pace. During my second visit, the floors were rather dirty, and the table we were seated at was wet. I downgraded the rating for atmosphere from three stars to two to three stars. The third visit was a little slower in pace, and it seemed like they had finally found the groove in which they fit. Things ran smoothly without a rushed feeling and I upgraded them back to three stars for atmosphere.

- Egg rolls (3) – The egg rolls contain minced pork, prawns, and mixed vegetables. They were plated and cut before served. The egg rolls were served with a sweet vinaigrette sauce. I found them to be a little darker than I prefer, okay in flavor, but also lacking the juiciness I like. Okay. $4.25

- Combination Beef Noodle Soup – This noodle soup contains rare sliced steak, well done brisket, meatballs, and tripe. Each pho comes with a side dish of bean sprouts, Thai basil, jalapeno, and lime. The menu says mint comes with it also, but mine came with cilantro instead. During my first two visits, I found the pho to be very good. During my most recent visit, the well done brisket had some soft bones on them, and I found them difficult to eat. Overall, good, but the last time left a bad impression because of the brisket alone. Flavor was still good. Small $5.25, Large $5.75, Extra Large $6.75

- Coconut Juice – Refreshing, coconut juice is a standard. $2

Overall, I found that Simply Vietnam is a good stop for lunch or dinner, reasonably priced, and friendly. The presentation is nicer than some of the other Vietnamese restaurants, and the tables themselves are spaciously placed, offering more personal space. They offer typical Vietnamese dishes such as bun, pho, or rice dishes with grilled meat. The new décor has added sparkle to the place, and I would certainly return.

Eat Real 2011

2011-09-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

It's that time again - food trucks galore!
Many favorites will be there including: Blue Bottle Coffee, Chairman Bao, Curry Up Now and lots of newbies too.

Eat Real is taking place at Jack London Square in Oakland September 23 to September 25. More details available here: http://eatrealfest.com/event/Oakland/California/2011/festival-details

Old Chicago - Pizza/Italian, Petaluma

2011-09-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

41 Petaluma Blvd North, Petaluma, CA 94952
(707) 763-3897
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: January 4, 2004

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Old Chicago Pizza is known for its deep dish Chicago style pizza, just as the name says. It is located upstairs and the aromas from the kitchen are absolutely inviting. Just follow your nose. Upon entering, you face the bar and see the brick walls and lots of dark wood chairs and tables.

The staff is attentive and ready for any questions you may have. It’s a casual and informal atmosphere, and on a cold evening, the heater is on inside, so you’ll feel comfortable and at home.

The menu is simple – multiple sizes available and deep dish or thin crust are your options. They have basic toppings – pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, olives, and tomatoes, but you won’t find salami. They also have the “gourmet” toppings available such are artichokes.

Our dinner was basic, but very filling.

- Dinner salad – A basic green salad with a few types of lettuce and greens and red onions. Your choice of dressing is available. Simple and a decent portion – enough for one person without the quantity being too dainty or overwhelming. $3.75

Deep dish pizza with pepperoni and chopped olives – Basic cheese pizza is available, but we went for two toppings. Flavorful pizza and thick crust with crispy outer crust. It was great. I wasn’t expecting the olives to be chopped, and I typically like the olives on pizza to be sliced, so it would be nice for that to be clarified on the menu. Other than that, a very satisfying deep dish pizza.

Double crust pizza is also available, but note that it will take around 30 minutes for preparation and cooking. It’s a nice place to go if you’re looking for some deep dish pizza in the area, but don't compare it to real deep dish or Zachary's in Berkeley - it just isn't the same. Thin crust is also available for sizes small and up.

Modern China Restaurant - Chinese, Hong Kong

2011-09-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

Best: Tan-Tan Noodles

1 Matheson Street, Shop 1002, 10/F, Food Forum, Times Square,Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
2506 2525

Last Visited: November 21, 2010

Food: 4 stars

Atmosphere: 4 to 5 stars

Service: 2 to 3 stars

Price: $$ to $$$$

There are three Modern China Restaurant locations in Hong Kong. One in Causeway Bay (the one I tried), one in Tai Kwok Tsui, and one in Ma On Shan. Modern China is known for good food, nice settings, and high prices. The best time to go is during tea time when they offer two special set meals with smaller portions for a reduced price, but still present a variety of dishes in these set menus. Menus are also available in English, so if you're a tourist, or can't read Chinese, it's great.

One of Modern China's main features is their tea selection. Today, they offered two set menus, each at a different price with different choices available on each menu. Both menus feature a pot of tea and two courses each. The first course is usually an appetizer such as spareribs and drunken chicken, while the second course includes choices like Shanghai noodles, dumplings, and fried rice.

As we sat down, we appreciated the nice atmosphere, but our impression of service was tainted from an experience earlier in the day. With their doors wide open, we entered the restaurant before lunch, and even though staff was in the rear, they never came out to tell us that they weren't open yet. We sat around for twenty minutes, and finally learned they weren't open for another hour. We decided to have a lighter lunch so we could come back and try the tan-tan noodles which my aunt had raved about after returning from her most recent visit to Hong Kong.

We ordered two variations from the same set menu.
- Seasoned Noodles with Chicken - Also known as 'fun pei,' you're basically getting fun (think crepe, but rice flour is the base of the batter) that has been cut into thin strips. Served with the fun is shredded chicken that squash, bean sprouts, and sesame seeds, all with a peanut sauce. The different strips of ingredients create an interesting mouth feel - both soft and slightly crunchy. Good. It's a small plate, so you definitely will have room for more.

- Tan Tan Noodles - My aunt raved about these noodles. The noodles are rolled very nicely and served just a little softer than al dente. The bowl is topped with fresh peanuts, ground pork, preserved greens, and fresh scallions. While it's a completely different style than the other tan-tan noodles I tried at another famous local spot, it was still really good. I enjoyed it quite a bit, especially with the addition of the peanuts.

From the second menu, we ordered the following:

- Deep Fried Chicken Wings - Three chicken wings are marinated in a salt and pepper batter, fried until golden brown, and served with five spice salt and a sweet sauce. These came out very hot in temperature and had a lot of good flavor - very delicious and worth getting again. I wouldn't have minded a double portion.

- Dumplings in Soup - While the presentation of the egg omelette strips made the five dumplings in soup look quite lovely - those beautiful yellow ribbons floating in the soup were pretty much the highlight of the dish. The dumpling wrapper leaned on the thick side and the meat filling was pretty standard. The broth was nicely flavored and light. Considering what's available at other Hong Kong establishments, you could do better elsewhere.

The tea was nicely brewed and well-labeled. The pots are fairly small which equates to calling on the server more frequently if they're not paying attention.

When I visited, the two menus were $42HKD and $52HKD which equates to about $6 to $8 depending on the exchange rate.

Modern China offers an enjoyable experience for trying different types of tea in a westernized setting. The table arrangements are fairly spacious and the English menu makes it easier to make selections if you're unfamiliar with the food and language. The service is pretty slow and could us some improvement; we had to flag down the server several times, but if you're going to try the tan-tan noodles, doing so during the afternoon tea time offers you the best value.

Thang Long - Vietnamese, Petaluma

2011-09-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

175 N McDowell Blvd, Petaluma, CA 94954
(707) 778-8851
Parking: in shopping center
Closed for lunch on Sundays

Last Visited: November 12, 2005

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

When you enter Thang Long, you are immediately drawn to look at the aqua blue walls which have a mural of fine detail. You might be able to get lost in the wall mural. It’s different than what you would typically expect. The water is beautiful and there’s a little row boat in the water as well as a gazebo on one of the walls. The main façade has three new large panel windows which bring in a lot of light.

Thang Long is typical in that the chopsticks, spoons, and typical pho condiments are all on the table self serve style. They have the usual offerings of pho, vermicelli, and the like. Tables are spaciously placed.

On our most recent visit, we had the following items, but most visits consist of some form of beef pho.

- Cha gao - There are three fried spring rolls per orderwith pork inside the Vietnamese rice wrapper. Served with fish sauce dipping sauce. I found the minced pork inside to be a bit dry, but it was a crispy wrapper and fried to a nice golden brown. $4.25

- Combination Beef Pho – available in many sizes. This time we tried the extra large to see how large it really was. There is definitely enough to serve two in an extra large bowl. Soup seasoned with lots of flavor – garlic salt, beef broth base etc containing the well done beef brisket, rare eye round steak, and beef balls. I would have liked more tendons and tripe. As always, it was filling, and had good flavor. The pho deserves three to four stars. Small $4.95 Large $5.95 XL $6.95

- Shrimp Fried Rice – The flavor behind the shrimp fried rice is good, and there is an abundance of small shrimp, but I found the texture to be a little on the dry side. The rice kernels are intact and separated, so the consistency was good, but a little dry for me. $5.95

- Grilled Marinated Pork served with steamed rice – Pork slices are grilled and topped with chopped peanuts and chopped green onions. All of the meat is placed on a large lettuce leaf. Chopped lettuce, carrots, cucumber slices, and daikon accompany the meat. Steamed rice is served on the side. A small bowl of fish vinaigrette (fish sauce mixture) is served on the side. I enjoyed this dish a lot – the flavors were good and the meat was very tender. $6.50

- Coconut Juice – You can start to see a pattern that I enjoy young coconut juice.The price of the juice went up by 25% since my last visit, which seemed a bit of a high increase to me. $1.95

Overall, it’s a good place to go, especially if you want Pho in the Sonoma County area. It’s not as crowded as the Pho place on Sebastopol Road in Santa Rosa, and it offers almost as good flavor (it’s almost as good, but you won’t walk out of this place as thirsty which equals less MSG). I wasn’t as pleased with the non-pho dishes, but there pho is their specialty, and with that, they do excel. Note that prices have increased by about ten percent this year.

It was a while since my last visit in late 2003. This time, I had the large size combination beef pho and was quite satisfied with the food. Service was a whole other matter. It appeared to be the dinner time of the servers because they disappeared. For fifteen minutes or more at a time, it seemed you couldn’t find anyone for anything.

The additional item tried this evening –

- Sugarcane Shrimpstick – Three pieces of fresh sugarcane are wrapped with shrimp paste and grilled. The shrimp sticks are accompanied with vermicelli noodles, lettuce leaves, cilantro, cucumber slices, and dipping sauce. The sweet flavor of the sugarcane infuses into the shrimp paste, and the shrimp was grilled nicely. The dipping sauce works well with the shrimp. One method of eating this dish is to remove the shrimp paste from the sugarcane and wrap it with vermicelli, cilantro, and cucumber in the lettuce leaves. However, the lettuce leaves we were served weren’t fresh - they were wilted and starting to discolor. The sugarcane is very fresh, and that was the redeeming factor in this dish. The shrimpsticks with the sugarcane is good, but the length of time it took to receive this dish and the lack of freshness of the accompanying vegetables were disappointing. $8.95

I stand by my earlier statement – stick to the pho and you’ll be satisfied.

Kani Kosen Japanese Restaurant - Sushi/Japanese, Pacifica

2011-09-07T22:06:00.000-07:00

Best: Sushi

580 Crespi Dr, Pacifica CA 94044

(650) 355-1281

Parking: in strip mall parking lot
Hours: Tues - Sun 5pm-10pm

http://www.kanikosen.com/

Last Visited: September 3, 2011

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$$

So I first heard about Kani Kosen while checking out one of Wilma's food photos. The fact that there was a fish head in the photo of sashimi caught my eye, and ever since, it's been on my list of places to try.

When we drove to Pacifica and saw the location of Kani Kosen in a strip mall, we were surprised at how many people would come to a place in this seemingly remote location. While we were early for dinner on this Saturday night, the restaurant soon filled up and there was only one large table left. As we entered, we were promptly greeted by Keiko with a warm welcome. A husband and wife team, Kazuo works in the kitchen while his wife Keiko and another person manage the front of the house.

Articles talking about how Keiko and Kazuo have been residents of Pacifica since the late 1960s are framed on the wall and other Japanese style decorations including a large banner marking their tenth anniversary celebration line the wall too. The restaurant has been open for many years and awards for best sushi in the area are also hung on the walls. These decorations make what would seem to be a rather bland decor a little more comfortable and inviting.

Menu items include sukiyaki, made fresh at your table, a large variety of rolls, and lots of sushi. Entrees such as tonkatsu, rib eye, and chicken teriyaki are also available. Prices tend to be higher than some Japanese restaurants for entrees, but very reasonable for sushi considering quantity and value.

Tonight, we had a very long wait, and while service is quite slow, they are still very friendly. I give them three stars because of their demeanor and apologetic response for the wait due to the take out order that took them much longer than anticipated. One table decided to order a rather large take out order, and that left all of us waiting - from the time we got into the restaurant to the time we received our main dish was probably about forty to fifty minutes.

- Sushi Moriawase Deluxe - This chef's special came with miso soup. The soup was fairly standard in presentation and flavor, but I appreciated how it wasn't watered down. The plate of sushi came beautifully presented with nine pieces of sushi and two rolls. As you can see from the photo, we enjoyed unagi that was super rich in flavor and texture, ebi, hamaichi, salmon, tuna, and other fish too. The rolls were California roll and a combination of tuna and something crunchy roll. Very filling and each piece of fish was cut thicker than what you find at many other places. The ratio of rice to fish was also good. Terrific. I would definitely order this again. $23.95

While I'm not sure if edamame is part of the meal or not, we were served edamame while we waited and along with the apology for the additional wait. This came between the miso soup and main dish.

Overall, I felt that Kani Kosen serves top quality sushi with generous quantities, high authenticity, and high value. The service is slow, and exceptionally so this evening, but very friendly and warm. I think I've found my new place to go for sushi dinners. Go to Kani Kosen for great sushi, but make sure to leave plenty of time for dining.

Pepe's - Mexican, Santa Rosa

2011-09-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

1510 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa CA 95407
(707) 545-7425
Parking: in parking lot
http://pepesmexrestaurant.com/

Last Visited: December 22, 2005

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$$

This visit was to the Fourth Street location (the corner of Fourth Street and college) – which has since closed, but the review may or may not apply to the other location. The parking is a bit awkward, since it meets at this intersection in an unusual space. The parking lot and restaurant are both shaped like a L – very angular.

Enter the restaurant and see the counter immediately with a sign above the counter showing the menu. The counter extends for stool seating, and ceramic vegetables hang from the ceiling. There are red and white vinyl booths located on both sides of the restaurant. Some of the spaces are a bit cramped, so be prepared to get cozy. Above the booths on the side near the wall are small pieces of fabric shaped like a Mexican blanket with ceramic vegetables glued to the fabric. There are also various pieces of art. On each table is a colorful painted napkin holder containing the good kind of napkins (the type where you’ll probably only need one). There are a number of windows that bring in lots of light.

On each side of the restaurant, there is a salsa bar with tomatillo salsa – red and green. There is also fresh salsa available mild and hot. At one of the bars, you’ll also find some vegetables – carrots and potatoes. When you have completed ordering at the counter, you are given a tray with a number, a bowl of chips, and two plastic cups for salsa.

- Burrito – A regular burrito contains your choice of meat, rice, beans, and fresh salsa. The menu specifically states that that the salsa is not hot. The tortilla is fresh and comes warm. The meat selection is fairly extensive – including grilled steak, grilled chicken, chile verde, chicken, chorizo, carnitas, and chile Colorado. I selected carnitas. The meat was well flavored and came in large chunks, but the burrito seemed dry. In my mind, a burrito should taste good without making it super (additional ingredients), and when the super toppings are added, it just gets better. I didn’t have time to read the menu thoroughly upon ordering and was disappointed to find that I needed to order a super to have lettuce in the burrito. Although it’s my error for not reading thoroughly, it was still disappointing, and left me with a dry burrito. Although I supplemented with fresh salsa (which was pretty good, but not the best I’ve had), my burrito still didn’t seem moist enough for my tastes. The portion was quite healthy though. $5.75

- Super burrito - A super burrito contains the same thing as a regular burrito with the additions of lettuce, guacamole, cheese, and sour cream for a dollar more. For my second visit, I ordered a grilled steak super burrito. The steak was plentiful, but despite the additional ingredients, I still found my burrito a bit dry. It was much better than my initial experience with the regular burrito, but much drier than I prefer. $6.75

My fellow dining companions ordered soft tacos and enchiladas. Both contained an abundance of meat, but from the looks of it, the meat was still on the dry side. The enchiladas come with a lot of enchilada sauce, so perhaps that would be a good thing to try next time. The portions of the quesadillas are also large.

The restaurant is clean, and the food arrived very quickly. Just after getting seated and getting my salsa, the food came. The chips vary in freshness – some are better than others, but overall, they’re still good. Other menu items include seafood, and on weekends, they offer menudo.

Pepe’s is voted one of the best burritos in town by readers of the local newspaper (and this is also stated on the menu), but you’ll have to decide for yourself.

Cookies Quartet - Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

2011-09-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

Shop 1B G/F, Central Mansion, 8-14 Cannon Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, 2382-2827

G/F Fuk Lo Tsun Road, Kowloon City, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 2382-2817

Shop 1A, G/F, Shing Ping House, 62 Sing Woo Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong, 2575-2282

Hours: 11am - 8pm
http://www.cookiesquartet.com/

Last Visited: November 2010

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Eating is for Energy, Health, Beauty, and Pleasure. That's the motto at Cookies Quartet.

Cookies Quartet was opened up by a Chinese actress. Her palmiers (aka butterfly cookies) are known to be some of the best around. We received a box of these from a friend and really enjoyed their buttery flakiness.

The packaging is fancy which makes for a great gift and certainly, their presentation such as smiley faces on the almond butter crisp and devil chocolate cookies are adorable. Fancy glass jars house golden cookies and samples are also available in the store. Their prices match in fanciness as well.

Their offerings show their creativity - hazelnut pepper cookies, five grain cookes, and coffee & walnut are just a few of their more unique offerings. I would love to try their macadia cookies - yum!

This is worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood!

Volpi's Ristorante & Bar - Italian, Petaluma

2011-08-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

124 Washington St, Petaluma CA 94952
(707) 765-0695
Parking: ample street parking

Last Visited: 2002

Food: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Price: $$$

Volpi’s has been an institution in Petaluma for quite a long time. Its atmosphere is family style with a large waiting area and a fish tank holding today’s catch. This dining room extends back to hold more tables, in addition to an old fashioned speakeasy, with a separate adjacent unit for additional seating. The location was originally an old grocery store.

Volpi’s certainly has character. The tables are adorned with a bottle that holds a candle and the drippings of various colored candles before it.

Entrees are available a la carte or as a meal which includes soup and salad.

- Minestrone soup – Fresh carrots, potatoes, and beans can be found in the soup. It’s hearty.

- Clam chowder – I remember enjoying their clam chowder, rich and creamy.

- Spaghetti and meatballs – The spaghetti and meatballs came highly recommended. It’s quite authentic with al dente noodles and a hearty tomato sauce. $10.95

I tried a few other dishes, but have gone back for the spaghetti and meatballs several times.

Note that if you’re on a budget, it’s always good to ask about the prices on the seasonal items. The price of shrimp scampi was quite surprising the time we invited guests.

Since it’s been such a long time since my last visit, I don't know how it is right now, but it was just fair the last time I was there. The salad dressing can sometimes be on the slightly sour side, but aside from that, Volpi’s is pretty consistent. The atmosphere is unique and the service varies, but the food is good.

My last visit was a little less stellar and prices were higher than previously, so the value wasn't as good, but Volpi's is good for old world Italian.

Happy Corner Cafe - Chinese, Sacramento

2011-08-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

4940 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento CA 95822
(916) 736-3131
Parking: in shopping center parking lot

Last Visited: August 21, 2011

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $

We arrived for lunch at Happy Corner to meet some friends, so our table was already set and ready when I came in. Happy Corner is brightly lit with lighter color furniture. The large windows on two sides of the restaurant bring in a lot of natural light, but was not blinding.

Happy Corner offers a lot of very reasonably priced menu items. One example is the three dishes for $21.99 menu which includes soup and steamed rice. Another example is their $5.95 menu which comes with a milk tea or lemon tea and is offered only during lunch. Most items on the regular menu are under $10.

Today, they were somewhat busy, so it took a while for us to get our order taken - probably at least ten minutes of waiting after we were ready, so this is definitely an area of improvement. We ordered two of the $5.95 dishes and learned that they were out of milk tea. Since it was about noon, we were a bit surprised - this menu would be available for at least another couple of hours - how do you run out of milk tea during your peak time so quickly?

Since milk tea wasn't available, we got lemon tea. The tea was pretty weak, but the lemon flavor was present from the fresh lemons in the drink. Fair.

- Beef Chow Fun - Of the dishes we tried, this was probably the best because it was the most close to authentic. This was very standard in flavor and presentation - just what you would expect when you order it. The beef, chow fun, and vegetables were all good. $5.95

- Pork Chow Mein - Crunchy pan fried noodles are served topped with a pork and bean sprout stir fry mixture in gravy. The portion was okay and while the ingredients were fresh, the topping was too heavy on bean sprouts and could be more balanced with some shitake mushrooms or just less bean sprouts. Okay. $5.95

- Steamed Fish - Since our table brought our own fresh salmon, I can't tell you the actual price. The fish came out very nicely, not overcooked, and we paid a nominal fee.

The three dishes for $21.99 menu has a lot of choices - probably more than twenty.

- Hot and Sour Soup - More sweet than hot and sour, I wouldn't order this on its own. It's also served with a disposable plastic spoon which seemed odd. It's not clear why this saves effort from their end since it has an effect of seemingly reducing quality of service and decor.

- Braised Tofu with Vegetables - This was probably the second best dish of the day. Everything about it is what you would typically expect - fresh vegetables served under braised tofu. I'm not sure if I just didn't get to it fast enough, but the tofu temperature could be a tad hotter. The texture of everything was good.

- Bittermelon with Chicken - Black bean sauce is cooked with tender dark meat and slices of bittermelon. This dish had too much sauce and that seemed to dilute the flavor of it a bit too.

- Salted Pork Spareribs - The flavor of the spareribs were fine, but the individual pieces were pretty small and more bone than meat. Typically, the pieces are larger, so the bones are just a fraction of each piece, but here the bones are more than half or three quarters of each piece. There is definitely room for improvement for this dish.

Happy Corner Cafe offers lots of value and decent to good food for the price, but the quality of each dish should be carefully examined. If everything was up to par compared to what is considered standard by most restaurants, I would heartily recommend Happy Corner, but for now, you need to pick and choose so it's a lot of trial and error taste testing. Stocking up on milk tea would also be a good idea.

We were treated to mango pudding, made from a mix, for dessert, so the staff was generous with us. Happy Corner has potential to be really good, but for now, they're just okay.

Old Mexico - Santa Rosa

2011-08-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

4501 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95409
(707) 539-2599
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: 2003

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$

Old Mexico is located at the corner of Montgomery Drive and Mission Drive. It’s in a building painted green, so you won’t miss it. Driving past Old Mexico, the outside area looks like a mini garden paradise. There are multiple palm trees and bright flowers - you’ll have to see it to know what I mean.

Inside Old Mexico are the high back chairs and lots of color dangling from the ceiling. The chairs add to the atmosphere, but they aren’t the most comfortable chairs in the world.

When you arrive at your table, glasses of water, hot tortilla chips, salsa, and hot bean dip arrive at your table. The bean dip is great, but it’s especially good while it’s still hot. If you wait until it cools, the flavor of the bean dip changes, so try to enjoy a little it as your pour over their menu.

Old Mexico is great about keeping the chips coming. They have good experience with both small and big parties, but it can be a wait for the food to arrive to all guests at your table when there are large parties.

Since it’s been a while since my last visit, I’ll have to share my general impression on Old Mexico. Food portions are good, but food quality is average. It meets the standard, but there is nothing bringing it above the norm. I typically order the chimichanga or the taco salad here.

Service is good, and I would go back to Old Mexico, but there is nothing distinct to share about, except their bean dip.

Banhwich - Vietnamese, San Francisco

2011-08-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

1105 Taraval St, San Francisco CA 94116
(415) 665-2233
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: July 13, 2011

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $

I was trying to avoid traffic on the way home one night and decided to stop into Bahnwich, mostly because it's located near Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream and I figured I would be close to dessert. While I had read some reviews about it being a small shop that is frequented by youth from the nearby school and that the cashier looks like she's twelve, I wasn't deterred. I used to work at my parent's family business and I too was often mistaken for much younger than I was.

In any case, I came with an open mind and a hungry stomach. I walked in and saw a very cluttered setup. The menu was displayed on a sign above the main counter and there were stools next to the counter by the window. Behind the main counter and in the rear of the store, there was stacks of stuff piled up on top of each other. While I can appreciate that it's a family business, there were a few things that were offputting. The clutter could have been hidden behind a curtain. The young girl behind the counter was watching television and never even said hello. Her father was very fast at preparing my order which is why I even gave them a two to three star rating for service, but there is a lot of opportunity for improving customer service as a whole.

- Barbecue Pork Banh Mi - The meat was microwaved and put into a toasted roll along with the pickled carrots and fresh cilantro. The pork was well flavored and juicy, but had a few tendons in it. At these prices, it's a great value and the food is satisfying. $3.80

I wouldn't mind paying even a dollar more for this if the service were better. As is, I would consider stopping back if I were in the area, but it's not a place I would go out of my way to patronize. Service like this is barely tolerable when the food is good. Hopefully they recognize this soon.

Taqueria Santa Rosa - Mexican, Santa Rosa

2011-08-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

791 Montecito Center, Santa Rosa CA
(707) 538-2642
Parking: in shopping center
1950 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa CA 95401
(707) 528-7956
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: August 3, 2009

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

Deanna first brought me here. Some might consider this a hole in the wall, but after you’ve been to hole in the wall places in Chinatown, this is more like walking into a little store. The tables are against the wall and the menu is posted on a wall adjacent to the counter. The kitchen is right behind the counter. It’s not a big shop, but they serve up great carnitas tacos. I’ve only tried two dishes here so far, but the carnitas are hard to beat. Order at the front counter, pay for your meal, and have a seat. Salsa and warm chips come to the table. Food is also available for take out.

SoftTacos – Carnitas tacos are soft, hot, and very good. The pork is shredded nicely and a little salsa like sauce tops the meat. I also tried the Carne Asada taco, but it doesn’t compare to the Carnitas. The carnitas deserves four stars. The carne asada is three stars. $1.99 each, also available in a combination dinner with refried beans and rice for $5.50.

Enchiladas – I tried the chicken enchilada. It was good, but I like the sauce and texture of the enchilada more at other restaurants I have tried. It’s an average enchilada.

Taqueria Santa Rosa on Mendocino Avenue appears to have a bigger menu, but it could just be the pictures of certain dishes displayed on the menu itself which is located on the wall. It’s not as well lit as the branch on Montecito, and they fry the carnitas until it’s more crispy than the Montecito branch. The chips at the Mendocino restaurant also seem a little bit on the thicker side than the Montecito location.

Stick to the carnitas, and I know you’ll be happy. Their chips are also quite good.

Fremont Diner - American, Sonoma

2011-08-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

2698 Fremont Drive, Sonoma CA 95476
(707) 938-7370
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: April 2, 2011

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$

Back in high school, the jocks used to go to Babe's burgers for a quick lunch as soon as we were given off campus privileges. Somewhere along the way, Babe's went away, and in its place is the Fremont Diner. A number of college friends started checking in at Fremont Diner, and as a local gal, I was surprised that none of my local friends had even mentioned it at all, let alone how good it was.

My interest was piqued, and I made the trek out to Fremont Drive. As a Sonoman, this is the section of road that is easy to avoid. Going out to the city, you take this road, but skip this section, and the same is true for heading out to Napa, but in the opposite direction. The Fremont Diner lies right in between these sections of roads.

Admittedly, with so many college friends talking about how good it was, my expectations were a bit on the higher side, and when we arrived on this Saturday to find the line to order food out the door, well, expectations ran even higher.

One thing to get straight first is that it's a bit of a dive. It's got a lot of character with both indoor and outdoor seating and old school toys (e.g. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head) available to keep the kids occupied, but despite its gourmet twists on some homestyle dishes, you get the sense that it's more of a local place. However, on the weekends, it's mostly tourists visiting. Service is comprised pretty much the gal at the front that takes your order. When your name is called, you pick up your own food. So while I've given the service rating 3 to 4 stars, that is pretty much entirely based on how the ordering process went.

The menu is shown on the blackboard above in addition to a paper menu available. Griddle items including burgers, grilled cheese, and a hot dog sit alongside smoker selections including pork and brisket. There is definitely a bit of a southern feel when you see listings like fried chicken, chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, collard greens, milkshakes, onion rings, french fries, and mac & cheese. However, when we see reuben sandwiches on the menu, that becomes one of our default items. Other reviews mentioned the oyster po'boy, so of course, we had to try it.

- Cracklin - Deep fried pig skins with hog spice - Hog spice is their own blend of spices. While I had hoped the cracklin would stay crisp throughout our meal, I was disappointed to find it getting soggy in just minutes. I would skip this item in the future. $3

- Hush Puppies - Julie's favorite with River Dog Spring onions and remoulade - An abundant plate of probably eleven or twelve hush puppies are served with a tasty remoulade. Extremely filling, these slightly more than golden brown bites are moist and delicious. This is a great plate to share. $4.99

- Fremont Reuben- House cured and smoked pastrami, chow chow, Estero Gold swiss on Mike the Bakers rye bread with a side of potato salad with buttermilk and tarragon dressing - This was probably my favorite of the items we tried here today. The bread is grilled until crisp and the layers of pastrami were moist and flavorful. It's not the best reuben we've ever had, but it's good. The potato salad was pretty average - better than many we've tried, but not stand out on its own. This reuben is worth getting again although the price is a little on the high side. $11.99

- Oyster Po'Boy - Drakes Bay oysters, Fremont bacon, remoulade, and little gems with side salad - Five small oysters were deep fried and served on a roll toasted on a grill with shreds of iceberg lettuce and remoulade. It seemed lacking something in flavor while eating it, although the oil for deep frying and oysters were certainly fresh. It wasn't until I got home and took a better look at the menu when I realized that there was supposed to be bacon on the sandwich, but it was nowhere be found. Sadly, it was too late to let them know of their error. The lemon and olive oil dressing on the greens were delightful and the salad was fresh. $10.99

With my oyster po'boy and cracklin experience being fair, and the price of the reuben being higher than what I think it's valued, the Fremont Diner gets a good review, but has yet to prove it's a place that I should go to every week. While I wouldn't say I won't be back, I hope to see some extra steps taken to improve the overall food experience before I try it again.

Sakura - Japanese, Santa Rosa

2011-08-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

300 Coddingtown Center, Santa Rosa CA 95401
(707) 523-1916
Parking: in shopping center parking lot

Last Visited: September 15, 2005

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Enter Sakura and depending on the time, you may hear anything from soft music playing, sounds of the television over the bar, sushi bar that is, or even the sound of monkeys. As you enter Sakura, on your left is a large tree and dangling from that tree are stuffed monkeys that make noise depending on what is going on. The restaurant has a very home like feel to it with the many knickknacks on display.

The restaurant has windows bringing in natural light, and there are the typical bamboo decorations, maple framing and the like. The sushi bar has many pieces of fresh sashimi on display and there is a theme of pink throughout the restaurant. The other bar area is littered with a line of large Lucky Cat figurines. Japanese lanterns hang from the ceiling, sumo wrestlers are depicted on curtains hanging from the ceiling, and many pictures of beautifully drawn Japanese ladies are on display. There is a mixture of wine country decorations amongst everything with bunches of green and red grapes on display with bottles of Japanese sake right next to it.

Our visit was concurrent with Boys' Day, a celebration in Japan, in which colorful kites, many shaped like fish, are placed on display. In celebration, Sakura also hung these flags above the bar area.

The restaurant has wood tables, with flowers in tall vases adorning the table. A silver metal teapot with a red and black lid along with glasses of water come to the table after you sit down.

- Sushi Lunch Special – Six pieces of nigiri sushi and a California roll are served with miso soup. A bowl of miso soup containing small pieces of tofu, seaweed pieces, and a few chopped green onions is served for starters. This miso soup is a bit sweeter than the type I’m accustomed to, so the flavor was fine, but not what I was expecting. It was steaming hot, so that’s always good. The nigiri sushi are served on a plate shaped like a boat. On the side was wasabi, red pickled ginger, and very thinly shredded daikon radish. The sushi included imitation crab, tuna, halibut, and salmon. I don’t know for sure what the other two pieces were. The rice in the sushi was room temperature, but a little too tightly put together for my tastes. The fish was fresh, but since I’m not a fan of imitation crab, I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t something else in place of it. Good. $12.95

At the end of our meal, the check came with fortune cookies (not quite Japanese, but still enjoyable) and pieces of individually wrapped coffee candy.

During my second visit, I had a very similar experience. The staff was still quite nice, but I found the tempura to be only fair. See below.

- Sashimi and Shrimp Tempura Special Lunch Box – Again, the miso soup was much the same. The sashimi offered today were three pieces of yellow tail and three pieces of maguro. These were nicely presented in one section of the box atop some shredded daikon and lettuce. The fish was fresh, so that’s a plus. The tempura came with two shrimp, a piece of yam, a piece of eggplant, and a few other vegetables. The tempura batter on the vegetables was about regular thickness. The batter on the shrimp was too much making the shrimp seem to be only about 20% of the entire piece with the rest being batter. If you peel the cooked batter off of the shrimp, it stays intact by itself, so that’s an indicator that there’s too much batter. The sashimi part was good, and the tempura vegetables are okay, but the tempura shrimp is not recommended. The box came with a lot of rice and also a salad comprised of shredded lettuce and a wedge of tomato. Okay overall with large portions as noticed before, but I would stay away from tempura shrimp in the future. $12.95

Overall, service is friendly, although as the lunch hour became busier, it was increasingly more difficult to get the staff’s attention. Portions of the dishes are large making them good value. The tempura was also a little different style than anticipated, but the deep fried goodies still looked very fresh. My fellow diners also had some large meat dishes where the helping of all the accompaniments and the meat were quite hearty.

Sakura isn’t quite authentic, or at least, not quite matching my tastes, but the portions are hearty. The place has a unique charm – some might call it clutter, others might refer to it as more knick knacks to look at. Good value for Sonoma County Japanese food.

Technique at Le Cordon Bleu - French, San Francisco

2011-07-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

350 Rhode Island St, San Francisco CA 94103

(415) 216-4415
Hours: Tues-Fri Lunch 11:30am-1pm, Dinner 6pm-8pm
Parking: ample street parking
http://www.techniquerestaurant.com/

Last Visited: June 10, 2011

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars

Service: 2 to 3 stars

Price: $ to $$

Technique allows students of Le Cordon Bleu culinary school to show off their culinary and customer service skills in a real restaurant environment. Since working in the restaurant is actually a course at the school, Technique is only open during the school year. Friends Braden and Kelly recommended that I try it and noted that if possible, I should wait until the end of the semester for a better experience.

It's an awesome bargain too - only $15 per person for a five course dinner. Lunch is also a great deal. However, while the food tastes pretty good, the consistency of portion sizes and service could use some refinement.

The dining room is fairly minimalistic. They've done a nice job dressing up the room so that it's elegant without being too fancy. Chairs line the walls and there is a divider between the foyer area and the dining room. You can see the open kitchen in the rear and a table on the side holds self-serve coffee and tea. Midway through our meal, they turned on the stereo and the music was a little too loud, but otherwise, it was a pleasant dining space with lots of natural light from the windows.

First, it's important that I address portion size so one can understand how they can serve food at this price. It's best to go as a party of two because anything more than that essentially suffers from smaller portions. Each course is shared by the entire table, so what you see in the photos are portions for two, however, we noticed that a table of four or six people get the same-sized dishes with maybe one or two more pieces of the least expensive ingredients. For example, the appetizer comes about the same with additional quarters of the pita bread. The risotto dish comes with a few more asparagus spears, but is still about the same. Each diner gets their own intermezzo and main dish.

Upon our arrival, the hostess seemed confused after asking about our reservation. At first, I thought she wasn't the official hostess, but she stayed at that post the entire night. Also, after ordering, the server forgot to remove the menus. Initially, I thought it was to allow us to know what was coming next, but then I saw that some of the other servers removed the menus after ordering. There are a lot of inconsistencies in service, but I guess that's part of the culinary school experience.

- Buckwheat Flatbread and Fried Potatoes with sauce romesco, aioli, and olives - The flatbread was light in texture, but definitely tasted very fresh. It was super thin, but held up to the sauces. Romesco is a red pepper based sauce and it was just a touch sweet. The aioli seemed a bit unnecessary with the other two sauces available. The potatoes were fairly standard in taste and texture. The plate was pretty and you could taste a lot of fresh garlic in the sauces.

- Not So Classic Cobb Salad - The cobb salad was considered not so classic because it had been deconstructed. Also, duck confit was used instead of chicken breast. Blue cheese, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and bacon were served on top of romaine. The salad was fresh tasting and the dressing was good, with just a little bit of tanginess.
- Shrimp and Lobster Bisque Risotto with Grilled Asparagus - This was more like a soup surrounding a risotto. While the shrimp and lobster were a bit indistinguishable from one another, you could definitely see the small pieces of both cooked within the rice. The green sauce from the appetizer plate looked like it got drizzled on top of the risotto. The risotto had a good texture and the sauce/soup was flavorful from a lot of spices. It was a nice combination.

- Intermezzo: Raspberry Lemon Sorbetto - A small scoop of sorbet with a fresh raspberry was served between courses. I wouldn't have minded eating a larger portion of this for dessert.

Main Courses

- Sauteed - Fig wood smoked salmon with grilled escarale, currant reduction, and potato gratin. While the smoked flavor was less detectable, this was absolutely one of the best sauteed fish dishes I have ever had. The browning on top doesn't show just how incredibly crispy this was. The half of a baby bok choy wasn't terribly exciting. The currant reduction was sweet and complemented the flaky perfectly cooked fish well. It was memorable in a good way.

- Grilled - Korean beef short rib and assorted pan chan. When I think of a short rib, I think of tender meat that can be pulled apart with a fork. While I recognize that making pan chan and Korean short ribs isn't an easy task, this was definitely not up to expectations. The pan chan was fine and could pass for that found at a Korean restaurant. However, the beef short rib was chewy and not cooked through. While the flavor was good, I kept chewing and chewing. It just hadn't been cooked enough to break down the fibers. The pan chan might appear more authentic if each item was in an individual ramekin. This dish dropped the food rating down from four stars to a three to four star range.

The other option for an entree was Roasted Chicken with porcini sauce, parmesan rosemary gnocchi, and baby carrots.

- Chocolate Hazelnut Frangipane Tartlet, Caramel Ice Cream, and Cherries - Frangipane is an almond flavored filling. With this dish, the chocolate really is the star. If you like ganache, it has a flavor like ganache with a texture that is just a touch more dense. It's a little like the center of a gooey fudge brownie. Although the description refers to cherries, those are definitely in the background. I liked the ice cream with the buttery crust of the tart.

The head server came around to some of the tables to chat and announce the ingredients of the dish as it was served, but he didn't do that for every table. He only came to our table once. Getting served fresh cracked pepper is also inconsistent - some tables get it and others don't.

The other issue I saw with entrees had to do with portion size. At a nearby table of eight people, there were at least five or six people that ordered fish. The size of the portions varied greatly - enough that I noticed even though I was sitting a table away. On one plate, a piece of fish was half the size of that on another plate. Also, not every piece was sauteed as beautifully as the one that I tried.

It's good to go to Technique for great food at a great value, but be reminded that you are at a school and that this is a training ground versus the final destination. Some of the dishes are better than what you would find at many restaurants while others are less memorable or memorable for the wrong reasons. It's a great place to go for fine dining at a great price.

My Ha - Vietnamese, Santa Rosa

2011-07-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

385 Aviation Boulevard #B, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 527-8882
Parking: in shopping center

Last Visited: October 23, 2004

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $ to $$

This establishment has by far been the cleanest Vietnamese restaurant I have visited in Sonoma County. In a new building next to the Airport Cinemas, it has a fresh coat of paint, clean carpet, and new everything – from tables, to chairs, to dishware. It’s a refreshing change from the dingy dusty pho places in the county. The walls are bright, the windows bring in a lot of light, and it’s competition is Quizno’s subs, right next door (totally different sector of the market). Prices here are a little higher than the other places, but My Ha’s menu is clean – limited selection, but good choices and quality food. They even had a lunch buffet which looked appetizing – I just couldn’t eat that much for lunch. My Ha is going for a more upscale look. They still use paper napkins, but there were four servers for a lunch hour on a weekday which is pretty impressive.

- Pho – Well Done Beef Brisket, Eye Round Steak - This dish came in a big bowl. Did that come across clearly? The bowl is big. Unlike other pho restaurants, their pho was one size fits all. Each person received their own accompaniments – lime, jalapenos, bean sprouts, and thai basil. I would have liked more noodles and one of my dining companions felt the meat wasn’t lean enough. Her eye round steak was very rare; mine was well done. The soup is hot, but could be just a touch hotter in temperature. Also, although they give you a lot of jalapenos, I dropped most of them in my soup and didn’t taste their presence at all. They didn’t look dried out, but they were missing their fire. Overall, it was still good. $5.75

- Bun Cha Gio,Thit Nuong – Imperial Rolls and barbecued pork – A large bowl is layered with a salad (made of shredded lettuce, beansprouts, cilantro, mint leaves, and shredded cucumber) and topped with room temperature rice vermicelli. An imperial roll is cut into pieces and placed on top of the vermicelli. Thin slices of barbecued pork are seasoned with lemongrass are also placed on top of the vermicelli. Crushed peanuts garnish the dish. Dressing with a fish sauce base is served on the side and poured on top of the noodle mixture. The barbecued pork is very nicely done, not overcooked. The salad mixture gives the dish a light crunch, and the dressing accompanies all of the ingredients well. The thing I liked most about My Ha’s bun is that the vermicelli is room temperature. At many places, you’ll find that the vermicelli is cold like it just came out of the refrigerator. Although this is refreshing in summer, in the winter, it is less pleasant. Very good. $6.50

- Coconut Juice - More ice than juice, but still refreshing with fresh pieces of coconut meat $2

- Banh Kem Flan – The flan is served on a dish and topped with a maraschino cherry. The top of the flan is golden brown and slightly bitter. The bitterness doesn’t make the dish taste bad, but rather adds complexity to the flavorings. The texture is smooth and a bit more solid than other flan I have tried, but still good. $2.25

The nice thing about getting the Pho is that you get your own dish of thai basil, bean sprouts, and lime. They aren’t stingy about giving you these ‘condiments’ for your Pho. Unlike other places, each of us at the table received our own plate. As for what could be done better, if they were going for the truly high class crowd, the bean sprouts would no longer have the bean or the thread at the bottom of the sprout.

On my second and third visits, I had another version of pho with meatballs. One thing My Ha is excellent at is explaining what the dish is made with. For example, they’ll let you know the meatballs are made with pork or that the seafood noodles will have two kinds of noodles. If you’re hesitant about trying Vietnamese food, this place is perfect for you since they’re patient enough to answer any questions and they anticipate the concerns one has. My previous conclusion remains the same - Definitely worth another trip back to My Ha.

Fifth Avenue Corner Cafe - American, Seattle

2011-07-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

1900 5th Ave, Seattle WA 98101
(206) 728-1000
Parking: street and hotel parking
Hours: Daily 6am - 2pm

Last Visited: March 31, 2011

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere:3 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Located at the Westin Hotel, the Fifth Avenue Corner Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch. The staff is cheery and friendly even during early morning hours. I was looking for something fairly substantial and settled on a waffle. They have oatmeal, cereal, omelettes, fresh fruit, bagels, and other choices available too.

- Belgian Waffle - While the menu above the counter never mentioned it, the waffle came with fresh berries - blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. They also served it with warm maple syrup. Yum! The texture of the waffle was good - slightly crisp on the outside and cooked through, but soft on the inside. Great. $8.50

- Odwalla $4.50

If you're staying at the Westin, this is a convenient stop for breakfast. Much of the food is made to order and done well. Prices are a little higher than other cafes, otherwise, fresh and good.

Ohana Hawaiian BBQ - Santa Rosa

2011-07-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

2150 Santa Rosa Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
(707) 571-8882
Parking: in shopping center parking lot

Last Visited: June 3, 2006

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

Although Ohana Hawaiian BBQ is a chain restaurant, it’s unique for the area – at least until the Petaluma branch opens up. Think fast food style with a little longer wait.

When you enter Ohana, the friendly staff greet you with a loud ALOHA. The restaurant colors are warm and sunny with wall murals depicting Hawaiian settings and of course, a woman with a lei and a grass skirt. Hawaiian music fills the room.

The menu is displayed behind the counter and offers BBQ selections including authentic Plate Lunch (though they call it Lunch Plate to accommodate the mainland style of jargon) to burgers and fries. It appears that everything is made fresh considering the wait time. Our wait time for two dishes was about ten minutes – not so fast for fast food, but it tasted good. And, being an authentic Hawaiian fast food place, they offer Loco Moco and Spam Loco Moco too. Yes, SPAM.

- Grilled Short Ribs Combination Plate – Three short rib steaks are marinated and grilled and placed over raw shredded cabbage. It’s served with a scoop of macaroni salad and two scoops of steamed rice. The rice is a bit loose, and I prefer mine a touch stickier. Two of the short rib steaks were just right, while one had more tendons. The flavor was very good with a sweet tang to the meat. The macaroni salad is good when accompanying the other items on the plate but a bit too much mayonnaise if eaten on its own – accompanying the shredded cabbage balances it out. Good. A healthy portion for a good price. $6.75

- Grilled Spam Saimin – A hot bowl of soup containing ramen noodles and grilled spam rectangles. It really is fresh with piping hot soup. Good. $3.75

- Hawaiian Drink – choice of several Hawaiian Sun canned drinks from the refrigerator $1.25

The only room for improvement I would make is more environmentally friendly packaging – Whether dining in or out, everything comes in Styrofoam.

Ohana offers catering of many dishes too – perfect for a party. And there are also party packs available too. There are multiple locations in California, mostly through the East bay and LA area. Check it out for a flavor of Hawaii in Sonoma County.

House of Prime Rib - San Francisco

2011-07-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

1906 Van Ness Street, San Francisco CA 94109
(415) 885-4605
Parking: street and valet parking
Hours: Mon - Thurs 5:30pm - 10pm, Fri 5pm - 10pm, Sat-Sun 4pm - 10pm

Last Visited: June 30, 2011

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 4 to 5 stars
Price: $$$

The House of Prime Rib is legendary in San Francisco. Located on Van Ness Street, I've passed by it for years. They're about serving well-marbled prime rib in the English tradition, carved at your table. Even the dining area is decorated in English style - very cozy, classy, and very traditional with large elegant paintings and decorations, lots of dark wood, and candles. Established in the 1940s, it's an institution.

Getting reservations to this place can be quite tricky, so book early. It's a little more flexible if you're able to visit during a weekday. I managed to get a reservation within 48 hours since I took the earliest time available. When I arrived, food service hadn't started yet, so they seated us in the bar area and we were given Japanese rice crackers in a little carafe and asked if we would like a drink. While it was nice to be given a snack to start, I do wonder how Japanese rice crackers fit into the English tradition. Either way, you won't be thinking about that for very long because once you start your meal, you feel like you've entered into another world and experience.

Before getting started, it's important to know that unless you're a kid, dinner is going to run around $50 per person or more if you choose to order drinks or dessert. With that in mind, the expectations are high, but House of Prime Rib really is a cut above the rest.

A server took us to our seat and asked how my name was pronounced. What a nice personal touch! He was very pleasant and after learning that it was our first visit, he told us to be sure to let the waiter know. Once we were seated, a round of hot bread on its own cutting board arrived with a knife standing straight up in the middle of the bread. The waiter arrived and asked us if we had been before. When we told him that we had not, he gave us the full explanation about the various cuts and that every cut except for the City Cut came with an additional helping that had to be enjoyed at the restaurant. Everything else was simple - a choice of creamed corn or creamed spinach and a choice of baked or mashed potato. Salad comes with all meals.

Here is what is on the menu:

- City Cut - A smaller cut for the lighter appetite - $35.45
- House of Prime Rib Cut - $37.85
- English Cut - Thinly sliced prime rib - $37.85
- King Henry VIII Cut - Extra generous thick cut of prime beef - $39.85
- Children's Prime Rib Dinner - $11.45
- Fresh fish is also available

The salad comes layered in a stainless bowl over ice and the waiter may do a little show for you. While some servers are fairly low key about it, our server enjoyed spinning the bowl and adding the seasoning salt at the table and taking the tureen of cherry wine vinaigrette dressing high up in the air and drizzling it into the bowl. The salad contains chopped egg, chopped beets, pimentoes, and romaine lettuce. After drizzling the dressing, he tossed the salad and divided it between the cold salad plates and warned us to leave room for the main dish. If you enjoy a slightly sweeter salad, this is really good and refreshing. For those with a small appetite, you may be overwhelmed by the quantity of the salad.

While we were enjoying the salad, a server came and brought us hot corn bread that had been cooked in a pan with molds shaped like corn. The bread was delicious.

We both ordered the House of Prime Rib Cut. The picture above shows what it looks like. The picture below shows the same cut with mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and Yorkshire pudding.

The prime rib comes on a large metal cart with a round cover. When they unveil the prime rib, you see several large mounds of meat standing before you. A separate area within the cart holds the creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, and gravy. The chef slices your prime rib, pours on the au jus, and serves you this wonderful cut of meat. The meat was super tender and I loved how the edge was extremely juicy.

The mashed potatoes and gravy seem fairly standard. The creamed spinach is very flavorful from lots of timy pieces of bacon - probably what doesn't get used from the baked potato toppings. We preferred the creamed spinach over the creamed corn. As we started in on the prime rib, the skillet containing the fluffy Yorkshire pudding arrived and each skillet holds two to three servings depending on how many are at your table. The server divided the Yorkshire pudding and placed it on top of the meat. The creamed corn was creamy and served on the side, but not the best that I've had. Just okay. It's a little hard to tell from the photo, but the baked potato is pretty massive. They load it with bacon and offer you butter, sour cream, and chives. Of course, I had to have them all. The potato is enough to be a meal in itself, especially for those with smaller appetites. Those pieces at the bottom of the plate are all real chopped bacon bits. Delicious! It's so full of flavor.

Throughout our meal, our server checked on us at least once and the owners of the place came by to see how we were enjoying our dinner. While some may think these older gentlemen are due for retirement, you'll find they seem to enjoy wandering and checking on their clientele.

If you still have room for dessert, that's available on a separate menu, but I ended up taking a portion of my prime rib and potato home for the next day. The prime rib leftovers made an awesome sandwich and the rest of the potato left me stuffed.

House of Prime Rib is a great stop for delicious prime rib. Nobody should ever go away from this place hungry. Service was impeccable, leaning heavlily on the formal side at the host's desk and bar, and along the lines of what you get on five star cruiseships. Our server, Manolo, was professional and friendly. While it's not a place I can afford to go to everyday, House of Prime Rib is worthy of a stop if you're in town, celebrating a special occasion, or just love a good prime rib.

Negri's Italian Dinners - Occidental

2011-07-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

3700 Bohemian Hwy, Occidental CA 95465
(707) 823-5301
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: August 7, 2004

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$$

Negri’s has been run by three successive family generations. It’s classic Italian dining. As you walk up the steps, you can see the large windows facing the town of Occidental. On the door are a gigantic fork and spoon which are also the door handles. Upon entering, the bar is to your left and the dining room is to your right. When entering the dining room, you’ll find the natural light from the large windows complements the surroundings nicely.

The painted walls are yellow with a green awning above the cash register area and the area near the kitchen. The walls are dark wood, and the thickness of the ceiling beams reminds you of the quality building construction of the old days. There are strings of lights as well as lamps with a white ball for a lamp cover. The ball has been painted with a red and green stripe each which make the Italian theme all the more prevalent.

The floor is light in color, and the tables are spaciously placed. The rear dining area was closed, so this evening, there were seven tables lining the large windows, and a moveable planter dividing the room. The tablecloths are red and white checkered, and a bottle of chianti as well as a pitcher of water sit on the table. On the walls, you’ll also find various paintings containing chianti bottles as well.

Upon arriving, a basket of crusty bread with a soft center arrives at the table along with a plate of olive oil containing drops of balsamic vinegar. You’ll also receive a bowl of freshly grated parmesan cheese and a container of individually wrapped butter.

All pasta and non-pasta dishes are accompanied with minestrone soup and mixed green salad. In addition, non-pasta dishes will also receive an antipasti (tonight’s antipasti was four slices of salami), zucchini pancake, and raviolis (six pieces).

- Minestrone soup – A large stainless steel pot holding hot minestrone arrives at the table with a large ladle to allow you to serve yourself. This homemade minestrone is incredible. A pot given to serve two people easily contains enough for four servings. The minestrone soup contains all the typical ingredients - cabbage, greens, beans, carrots, wide thick noodles, and so much more. The flavors marry together to create a taste extravaganza. Excellent. Five stars.

- Mixed green salad – The salad is comprised of iceberg lettuce, grated carrots, red cabbage, grated zucchini, and dressing. The vegetables are fresh, but there was too much dressing for me. In the future, I will know to ask for dressing on the side. I had enough dressing that by the time I completed my salad, there was enough remaining to dress another serving. One thing that is unique about Negri’s is that they still serve additional dishes during the salad course. Along with the mixed greens came a plate of old style cottage cheese, a plate of marinated vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, peppers, and more) that were quite tart from the marinade, and finally a mixed bean salad (garbanzos and kidney beans dressed with small diced onions and dressing). It was refreshing to see Negri’s continue this old tradition.

- Zucchini Pancake – Although the menu says that zucchini pancakes are served with non-pasta dishes, you only receive one pancake. It’s a small yellow round slightly smaller than the palm of one’s hand. It’s golden yellow with some green from the zucchini peaking through. Nicely done, and just a little crisp on the outside.

- Lasagna – Lasagna noodles are layered with meat sauce. Although the red sauce was hearty and thick, by the time I got to the lasagna, I was pretty stuffed. In comparison to the raviolis, the lasagna noodles are thick and don’t have the same homemade flavor. The portion is large, but just not as appetizing after fabulous minestrone. Average.

- Raviolis – Incredible. Their raviolis are homemade and filled with meat and spinach. Excellent. Probably some of the best raviolis I have ever had. They are served in a tomato sauce with parmesan cheese, and of course, you can sprinkle on as much parmesan as you wish. On my next visit, I’ll probably order the raviolis as an entrée and enjoy the splendid taste and texture. A must try! Five stars.

- Grilled Calamari Steak – Calamari steak is lightly breaded and grilled. Served with French fries (other options available). The calamari steak was a nice thickness, and the texture was good, but I found it to be a little oily. The breading was light and only grilled until faintly yellow. Nothing outstanding, but not bad. Average. The French fries were a bit oily – not to the point of being soggy, but also average.

At Negri’s, it’s worth just getting a bowl of soup if you choose to get nothing else. Raviolis are also a must try. They’re spectacular. The place is neat and clean, overlooking Occidental. It’s quaint and just an enjoyable place. The entrée itself (at least the two I tried) is not as outstanding as the soup and raviolis, so be prepared to bring them home since portions are huge, or maybe just order the good stuff alone. Beware if you order the hamburger because you’ll likely receive comments about ordering a hamburger in an Italian restaurant. No matter what, just come hungry.

Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream - San Francisco

2011-07-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

1447 Taraval St, San Francisco CA 94116
(415) 731-2833
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: July 13, 2011

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 4 stars
Price: $ to $$

I had heard about Marco Polo some time back when I was looking for ice cream places in San Francisco, and one weekend recently, it was one of those 90 degree days where the weather was gorgeous. It was the perfect setting for an ice cream treat, and our friends, the Tams, said we absolutely had to go try it. With their high praise, we just had to go.

Marco Polo is a small shop and despite the word Italian on the front, it offers a ton of gelato in Asian flavors. Their menu includes lychee, mango, soursop, durian, jackfruit, sesame, chestnut, taro, cantaloupe, red bean, coconut, and more typical fare like vanilla bean, fresh strawberry, double chocolate, and mocha chip too.

Small - 1 to 2 flavors $3.3.5

Medium - 1 to 3 flavors $5.25
Large - 1 to 4 flavors $5.85
Pints - starting at $9

The gelato is rich and creamy, but know that you're getting gelato and not ice cream. During my first visit, I tried cantaloupe and lychee, and for my second visit, I tried pistachio and sesame. The cantaloupe is an absolute delight - so refreshing and full of cantaloupe flavor - I didn't know it was going to be so incredible. The lychee and sesame are just as you expect them to be - also very good. I've made sesame ice cream at home and this flavor was just as wonderful. The pistachio was my least favorite - maybe I just prefer this flavor in ice cream more than in gelato form.

The options of plain, sugar, and waffle cone are also available. I really enjoyed the fresh flavors and unique offerings of Marco Polo. Service is friendly and they're very patient with kids. The music can be interesting - Chinese pop, but it does seem fitting with the Asian flavors. This is a great stop on any day.

Pho Saigon II - Vietnamese, Richmond

2011-07-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

3288 Pierce St, Ste A116, Richmond, CA 94804
(510) 528-6388
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
Hours: Mon-Thu, Sun 10 am - 9 pm, Fri-Sat 10 am - 10 pm

Last Visited: June 4, 2011

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

Located in the Ranch 99 shopping center, Pho Saigon is very casual and super fast. We met some friends there for a pho dinner and found it to be okay overall. While we used to visit Pho Saigon more frequently about a decade ago when the shopping center first opened, it's been a while since we've been back.

Like many other pho restaurants, the atmosphere is simple with chopsticks, spoons, napkins, and condiments already set at a station at the table. The windows that separate the restaurant from the main hallway are left undecorated and the restaurant as a whole is fairly bare when it comes to decorations.

After sitting down, we were promptly brought plastic cups of water and given a bit of time to peruse the menu. After placing our order, it seemed like onlhy minutes before the meal arrived.

- Combination Pho - As is typical, you'll find that the noodles are soaking in hot soup and covered with the meat of your choice depending on the pho dish that you ordered. Also, accompanying the hot soup is a dish of bean sprouts, jalapenos, lime wedges, and Thai Basil. These items were fresh, but according to one of my dining companions, the beef meatballs in her soup was not so fresh today - while not spoiled, they were completely flavorless which seems to indicate that they have been in the freezer for quite some time.

Nobody else had any issues with their meal, so I left the food rating at 2 to 3 stars. With this quick service, this is a great place to go for a fast meal and the price is great for those on a budget. It seemed that a lot of the tables around us were getting fried chicken wings, so I might consider trying that the next time I come back. While it's not a destination restaurant, it's good when you're looking for a hot bowl of noodle soup.

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant - Chinese, San Francisco

2011-07-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

3132 Vicente St, San Francisco CA 94166
(415) 564-3481
Parking: street parking
Hours: 11:30am to 9:30am, Tues/Thurs: 5:30 pm to 9:30pm

Last Visited: May 14, 2006

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 stars
Price: $ to $$$$

Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant is located in the Sunset district. It’s a small store front with a sign that stands out, but otherwise, might be passed by without a second look. Enter the restaurant and notice the many many decorations all around the room. The top half of the walls is painted light blue, and the bottom half is painted golden. From the ceiling hang glass chandeliers and colorful, shiny paper decorations. The wall displays include both paper and wood decorations.

The top half of the left wall has multiple mirrors to enlarge the room. The left side of the restaurant houses three large round tables while the right side contains typical rectangular tables for parties of four or less. It’s a small family owned restaurant with three people working in the dining room and at least three or four more working in the kitchen in the rear.

Old Mandarin was recently featured on a local public television show discussing restaurants in the area, as well as the local newspaper. Their specialties include Mandarin cuisine and hot pot. Hot pot is available with a per person charge for the broth, and a per plate charge for items including raw meat and vegetables that are cooked in the hot pot. Since we visited for lunch, we tried the regular dishes.

- Stirred Flour Ball with Beef – Dough (flour ball) is cut into dice and stir fried with beef and vegetables. This dish contained a lot of vegetables including diced carrots, zucchini, celery, water chestnuts, peas, young corn, straw mushrooms, beans, bean sprouts, peanuts, and garlic. It’s all stir fried with soy sauce and takes on a brown color. This was my first time trying flour ball, so I didn’t quite know what to expect. It’s basically dough that has been cut into small squares, so the consistency of each bite is that of meat and diced dough and vegetables. The meat is cut into thin slices and cooked just the right amount of time leaving it juicy and tender. Overall, I would say that flour ball is just okay for me. I prefer the texture of noodles or Chinese rice cake which contains larger pieces of dough. Perhaps that’s just what I’m accustomed to. Most of the items in this dish take a lot of preparation to cut to such a small size, and they do a great job of keeping the dough pieces from sticking together. It also had great wok-air. However, this dish is just okay for me because of the mixture of textures and flavors. $7.50

- Three Flavor Dumpling (12) – Twelve dumplings are served on a white oval dish. The three flavors are chicken, beef, and shrimp. There are also some chives mixed in with the meat. The dumpling filling is a little on the dense side, but the overall flavor is okay. Not the best dumplings I’ve tried, but unique for the three flavor mix. $6.95

- Onion Pancake (1) – A large pancake is cut into wedges. The pancake is cooked until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Inside, the dough is evenly layered into multiple thin layers with green onion scattered about. Very good. A dash more of salt into the dough would have made it perfect. Excellent color and texture. $5.95

- Lamb Noodle Soup – Noodles are cooked with tender chunks of lamb in a rich broth. The hot and steaming bowl of noodles is topped with spinach and the temperature of the broth is hot enough to cook the spinach through. This broth has a wonderful flavor. It’s dark brown in color, and the lamb is cooked until very tender – the meat fibers break away from each other with ease and it melts in your mouth, without the flavor of game often associated with lamb. Excellent. The portion is also large and great for the price. $6.95

The first two dishes fall into the three star range and the last two dishes put Old Mandarin Islamic closer to the four star range. Other specials include beef tongue, braised eel, fish, and other three flavor dishes. The lamb, in any form, is a must try. A new place to check out for some dishes with excellent wok-air and lamb cooked to perfection. Great.

Noodle Palace - Vietnamese, Thai, Santa Rosa

2011-07-11T19:18:00.000-07:00

1310 Petaluma Hill Road, Santa Rosa CA 95404

(707) 528-1548

Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Mon - Sat 10:30am - 9:30pm, Sun 10:30am - 8:30pm

Last Visited: July 2, 2011

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 3 stars

Price: $ to $$

My aunt and uncle recommended we try out Noodle Palace. If ever the phrase 'looks can be deceiving' were appropriate to talk about a restaurant, Noodle Palace is certainly the place where if you were looking only at the outside, you might run in the opposite direction fast. However, I've now been there twice, and both times, I was pleased with the food. If you can look past the white building with red roof and homemade white sign with red letters, you might enjoy what Noodle Palace has to offer.

My guess is that location once housed a Mexican restaurant. With a white brick wall and metal fencing above the wall surrounding their own parking lot and more metal bars covering up the windows of the restaurant, the outside decor doesn't seem to fit Southeast Asian or Vietnamese food. When you see the arches inside the restaurant, you might also be surprised, but inside, you'll find a simple and clean environment with large wall murals depicting Thai or Laotian women dancing and of course, the giant flat screen television (very common for restaurants of this style in the Bay Area). A white board at the front shows that Noodle Palace has added a number of specials to its Vietnamese menu and the specials are typically Thai curries and other Thai dishes. The restaurant has morphed into offering Southeast Asian food. I talked to the owner and found out that they're of Cambodian descent, so they pretty much feel comfortable cooking everything from that region. In the cooler up front, you'll see the selection of beer available and get a look at the tri-colored drinks/desserts (rainbow drink) unique to Southeast Asian cuisine.

During our first visit for dinner, we had bowls of pho.

- Pho - The hot soup came with with well done flank, brisket, tendon, and tripe. As is typical with these bowls, the noodles are formed into a ball at the bottom with hot broth poured on top along with the selection of meat you have chosen. Accompanying the soup is a plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil, jalapenos, and a wedge of lime. I liked how the broth was lighter than some of the other places in town, but still very flavorful and delicious. Good. Four stars. XLarge $7.95, Large $6.95, Small $5.95

- Pad Thai - The pad thai came with a choice of meat. When we asked the server about the chicken and whether it was breast or dark meat, she responded breast meat. One of my fellow diners ordered this dish with chicken and the other with pork. The chicken turned out to be dark meat. The pork tasted like it had been boiled and then stir fried, so it wasn't very flavorful and a little dry. The noodles were good - softer than some other preparations we had tried, but not falling apart yet. The flavors also weren't as sweet which we appreciated. Bean sprouts, shredded carrots, and lime wedges accompanied the noodles. Presentation looks a little messier than some others that I've seen, but the taste was good. The carrots were a bit on the dry side - however they're storing it, it should be covered with saran wrap to maintain moisture better. Aside from that, I found it alright. Three stars. $8.95

- Rice Plate with BBQ Pork, prawns, and egg rolls - The BBQ Pork is marinated and sliced thin, then grilled. After it comes off the grill, it's sliced into small squares. The meat is served with a skewer containing three grilled shrimp, an egg roll, pickled vegetables, white rice, dipping sauce, and a bowl of clear broth. There is a lot of food on this plate! The BBQ pork tasted super fresh and with the dipping sauce, it's a great balance of sweet, salty, and grill flavoring. The shrimp was cooked just right - tender and succulent. The egg roll was crispy and very fresh. The pickled cabbage and carrots added texture and balance to the dish. I was delighted with the plate that came and enjoyed it thoroughly. Four stars! I would definitely get this again. $7.95

Service is friendly and when it comes to pho, it's fast. For stir-fried dishes, the wait time is longer. I was disappointed that our server didn't know that the chicken meat for the pad thai was actually dark meat. Also, when you're waiting for your check, you might want to flag down the server because they don't normally bring it until you ask. Payment is made at the front counter.

Overall, the food is reasonably priced and the value is great. From what I've tried so far, I would stick to the Vietnamese dishes for more authentic flavors, but I would be willing to try a Thai curry dish or two to see how it goes.

If I were to give Noodle Palace some advice, I would suggest they work on their servers' knowledge of the food more and also consider upgrading the exterior. A little paint in bright Southeast Asian colors (maybe chartreuse or orange) or at the least, a change of their signage, would guarantee attracting more customers, and once inside, the food will keep them coming back.

Traverso's - Italian/Deli, Santa Rosa

2011-07-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

Fountaingrove Village, 2097 Stagecoach Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 542-2530
Closed for lunch on Sundays
http://www.traversos.com/

Last Visited: December 2, 2006

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 4 stars
Price: $ to $$

Normally, I wouldn’t write about a deli, but I have had terrific sandwiches at their old location on Fourth Street. I'm confident that their move hasn't affected their quality.

- Mild Coppa Deli Sandwich with Avocado – Choice of bread, choice of meat, and choice of what you want on your sandwich. They have a great gourmet selection, and the price of the sandwich varies by the type of meat you select. Some were about $5.99 while others would be about $9.99. I selected mild coppa on a soft sour roll with lettuce, pickles, onions, tomatoes, and mayo. Avocado was $0.55 extra. Delicious. The bread was crusty on the outside, soft on the inside and just amazing. What a treat. $7.54

- Hot Coppa Deli Sandwich – So you can tell that I like coppa. I don’t get it elsewhere, so that’s why I get it at Traversos. This time, I tried Dutch crunch, jack cheese, and the usual lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayo – absolutely delicious. And, they even gave me a slice of the coppa while they were cutting it for me. You can’t beat Traverso’s for friendly people behind the counter and excellent meat. $6.99

Check out the gourmet goods at Traverso’s deli and and market. Excellent cheeses and all sorts of goodies. They even offer cheese samples – the gouda is delicious. If you want an excellent, fresh, deli sandwich – this is the place to go. Yum!

Lily Kai - Chinese, Petaluma

2011-07-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

3100 Lakeville Hwy, Petaluma CA

(707) 782-1132

Parking: in shopping center parking lot

Hours: Mon - Thurs 11am - 9pm, Fri - Sat 11am - 9:30pm, Sun 4pm - 9pm

http://www.lilykaipetaluma.com/

Last Visited: June 25, 2011

Food: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$$

Voted Best Chinese Restaurant in Petaluma for the People's Choice awards in 2008, 2009, and 2010, you start to have slightly higher expectations for Lily Kai than you would for a regular Chinese restaurant in Sonoma County. Located in the Adobe Creek Center, you'll find it to have an elegant decor in this newer shopping center with lots of natural light streaming from the windows.

Lily Kai has had a reputation for higher quality service and food compared to other Chinese restaurants in Sonoma County. I first tried it when it opened, but it's been a couple of years since my last visit. We had a good impression of it from past experiences, but it's still not to the caliber of San Francisco Cantonese restaurants in flavor, although the atmosphere is pleasant and good for bringing guests.

Today, we came by for lunch to see if it has maintained its quality. All of the lunch specials are served with hot and sour soup. Most of the dishes, with the exception of noodle dishes, come with a choice of brown or white rice and an egg roll.

A photo of the hot and sour soup is shown above. While the flavor is okay, it's not authentic. There are a couple of missing ingredients, that may not be there on purpose because they don't suit the American palate, and fresh mushrooms are also not common.

- Mongolian Beef Lunch Special - First, I'll start with the egg roll. The wrapper was underdone - the wrapper was kept whole and should have been cut down to size since the additional layers didn't get fried through leaving it soggy in the center. The filling was primarily cabbage and carrot shreds and seemed skimpy. While the price is low, I would prefer they not give an egg roll if its quality is poor. The mongolian beef itself was spicy and the meat was tender and plentiful. Two broccoli crown pieces blanched until its color changed was fine, but probably a little too crunchy for some folks. The rice noodles that had been fried and used to garnish the beef were not fresh and you could tell it had been fried some time ago. It would have been better for them to fry the rice noodles at the time of the order or just leave it off. Fair. $6.95

- Singapore Style Noodles - The broccoli crowns described above accompanied the noodles. Flavored with a little yellow curry, this noodle dish was also plentiful. BBQ pork, chicken, three shrimp, onion strips, bean sprouts, and green onion accompanied the noodles. One thing I appreciated was that there were three shrimp - in Thai places, you have to pay way more than this price to get a few whole shrimp. $6.95

Service today was fair. While the hostess took us to the table, she used the menus to slap the butt of one of the servers. While I maintain a sense of humor about stuff like this when it's your own family or friends hanging out during non-business hours, it's completely unprofessional when you're at work and the customer can see you doing this. For that reason, I dropped the service down to a 2 to 3 star range. I kept the food rating at three stars because of the generosity with the shrimp at the low price of the dish. One thing I wanted to acknowledge - they've held their pricing for their lunch specials since they first opened in 2006 - that definitely deserves some recognition. High on value, Lily Kai's still needs to work on overall food quality.

Mamma Pig's - BBQ, Windsor - Just open!

2011-07-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

News about Mamma Pig's is spreading fast. Located in Windsor at 275 Windsor River Road, replacing Mirepoix (which earned a Michelin star) and opened by the same owners, Mamma Pig's is getting plenty of attention in news and social media. Local radio stations, newspapers, and Facebook fans are buzzing about Mamma Pig's barbecue and casual environment. Their motto is "Experience Sonoma on a Plate." Featuring BBQ, Burgers, Bacon, Beer with ingredients sourced from local farms, Mamma Pig's is expected to be a great local hangout.

Sapporo - Japanese, Santa Rosa

2011-07-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

518 7th St (located in Brickyard Center), Santa Rosa, CA 95401
(707) 575-0631
Parking: street parking and parking lot across the street

Last Visited: September 3, 2004

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

When you enter the restaurant, you’ll notice the different locations available to sit – there are several dining areas. In the rear, there’s a good sized banquet room available. There is also a sushi bar with the white curtains behind it. There is a lot of wood decoration.

The food at Sapporo is satisfactory. The hottest temperature dish we had was the miso soup. The tea is cold (or perhaps I should say not hot enough). Sushi is average in taste and standard in presentation. For the price, you could get a lot more in San Francisco.

The best thing I found there was the seaweed salad. Crunchy and crisp with a nice sesame oil flavoring.

The tonkatsu is standard in every way. Crispy panko bread crumbs on the outside, but not a particularly tender cut of meat on the inside. The food is okay/average, but not spectacular. Service is good – they check on your fairly frequently. Not much more to be said.

Pam's Kitchen - Trinidad/Carribean, Seattle

2011-07-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

5000 University Way N, Seattle CA 98105

(206) 696-7010

Parking: street parking
http://pams-kitchen.com/
Hours: Closed Mondays, Sun and Tues - Thurs 5:30pm - 10pm, Fri - Sat Noon -3pm, 5:30pm - 11pm

Last Visited: April 1, 2011

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars

Service: 3 to 4 stars

Price: $$ to $$$

I had heard about Pam's Kitchen through an episode of Guy Fieri's show on the Food Network, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. While on an overnight trip to Seattle, my cousin, his girlfriend, and I decided to check out Pam's to see what it was all about. From the outside, Pam's is located at the corner of the university district with lots of eateries available to choose from. University students lovingly refer to the street as The Ave. Further down the street, more businesses are close together, and the action is even more lively. We were fortunate to find a back-into parking space (something you rarely ever see in California) about a block away.

Whenever I think of Carribean food, I think of jerk chicken - not because of personal experiences in the Carribean, but more because of stereotypes about Trinidad and the nearby area. After trying the food at Pam's, I think of Carribean food as having Indian influences - the garbanzo beans and curry were reminiscent of the type of food I would have in Berkeley Indian joints, but with slightly different spices. A friend of mine told me during a conversation a few weeks later that many Indian people immigrated to the region, so their ingredients and spices have influenced those of the natives.

Enter Pam's and it's a little surprising to see patrons facing the front door as you walk in. The high tables have stools behind the table so you see rows of people facing you. There are also high stools lined up on one side of the restaurant too. We sat at one of the few regular tables. The music was a little louder than I would have preferred, and the table top was strangely sticky and I still don't know why that is.

The menu is fairly simple with a listing of roti entree choices, four which are curried curried with meat and the remainder are vegetarian. A listing of sides and drinks are also shown. Drinks like peanut punch, rum punch, and mauby, made of boiled tree bark, are sure to be inviting and interesting conversation starters. Our server was really nice and offered to answer any questions we had about the food. She was genuinely friendly and ready to share about her native culture.

After ordering, the three of us each received a small side salad containing lettuce, carrots, and apple strips. Crisp and refreshing, it was a nice way to start the meal.

- Curried Chicken Roti - Each roti comes with a choice of roti. We selected the parantha since the server told us that was her favorite. The parantha, shown in the picture above, looks like it might come in smaller pieces, but it's one piece folded to fit into the basket. The menu describes it as thin and fluffy with a flakey croissant-like texture. While the description makes me think of the outside of the croissant, it's more appropriate to think of it more like the layers inside of the croissant. The chicken was tender and flavorful and served with a cumin-spiced garbanzo bean and potato mixture. According to our server, you tear pieces of the roti apart and while holding the roti with your hands, you use the roti to scoop up pieces of chicken. It's a lot like eating Ethiopian style with the injera bread. The curry is flavorful and fairly mild. Good. My cousin liked this dish the best between the two main dishes we tried. $13

- Pelau - Boneless chicken is cooked with chopped carrots, celery, and white rice browned by pigeon peas or red beans. It's a lot like jambalaya. Accompanying this dish is the refreshing side salad we had earlier. This was a nice mixture that was well-spiced and flavorful. Good. $14

- Callaloo - This vegan dish is made with fresh spinach simmered in coconut milk and okra. I was expecting it to taste like creamed spinach because of the description, and although it's not pictured here, it looked a lot like creamed spinach, but because of the okra, the texture was more glue-like. It was flavorful, but if you're not accustomed to the okra, it may seem too glue-like. $5

Dessert offerings include homemade coconut ice cream, Guiness stout ice cream, cassava-pone cake, and more if you have saved room for it.

While it's not entirely clear why the pelau came with another salad, considering we all got salad, I found the meal to be filling and satisfying overall. Two main dishes and a side easily fed three people who were not starving, but hungry. It's a nice change of pace and the folks are friendly. If I had to the chance to visit again, I would love to try the other roti that they make as well as some of their eclectic drink offerings. Dining is fairly leisurely in terms of the pace of food being served, so make sure you come here with plenty of time to enjoy the experience.

Puerto Vallarta - Mexican, Santa Rosa

2011-07-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

3333 Cleveland Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 575-4374
Parking: in parking lot
http://www.puertovallartasantarosa.com/

Last Visited: June 24, 2005

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 to 4stars
Price: $ to $$$

The funny thing about Puerto Vallarta is that I asked a coworker whether he had been there before, and his initial reaction was, “I HATE THAT PLACE.” This came from a person who I had never heard use the word ‘hate.’ Well, after some explanation, it wasn’t the food, service, atmosphere, or price that he hated, but the mariachi band. Apparently, when the mariachi band is playing, they can drown out your conversation.

So, with that, things were okay again since I was heading there for lunch, and the mariachi band only comes after 7pm daily. Enter Puerto Vallarta and on the wall are tons of photos of people. I don’t know who these people are, but there are many many photos of people sitting in the restaurant.

The place is decorated with lots of colorful blankets bunched in the middle and fanned out on the sides. There is also a painting of the mariachi band, and on the bottom of the painting is the phone number for how they can be reached – artful advertisement. There is a television in one room on a high shelf. There are four dining areas: one near the kitchen separated from the main room by waist high walls, the main room, another section on the side, and a small atrium facing the road. The atrium has a lot of windows which brings in a lot of sunlight. There is a lot of wood – fairly light in color, but somewhat old style.

Large tables are covered with white plastic tablecloths while small tables are not covered. We had reserved our table for a large group, and when we arrived, there were pitches of water, overturned water glasses, stacks of napkins sitting upright in glasses, and silverware rolled in napkins already on the table. There was also a basket of chips located between each group of four seats and salsa and bean dip adjacent to the chips. I was impressed at how everything was well prepared for us. Puerto Vallarta seems accustomed to handling large groups. They are also available for catering.

The bean dip was very good. The salsa was a little tangy and spicy and they give you plenty, but the chips were just so-so. I’m not sure if the chips were homemade, but they didn’t seem to have the freshest crunch. Maybe I’m just used to very crunchy chips. On my second visit, I found out that the chips from my first visit were stale, or at least on their way to being stale. During my second visit, the chips were great. I wouldn’t have even questioned their freshness because they were obviously fresh. Unfortunately, this just makes my first impression even worse than I thought.

The lunch menu features the regular dishes as well as a number of lunch dishes for around $5 to $6. Some come in around $5. All the lunch dishes are served with rice and beans, and the only thing that seemed to differ about these compared to regular dishes is the size. Lunch dishes are slightly smaller.

Most entrees are available with chicken, pork, or ground beef. Shredded beef is available at an additional cost.

- Deluxe Taco Salad – I selected chicken with my deluxe taco salad. It was a rather large portion with my tostada shell standing up from the dish holding the seasoned chicken, lettuce, cheese, guacamole, and sour cream. All of this was topped with a slice of tomato. The cheese had been placed on top of the meat, so it had a melty (but not completely melted) texture. The tostada shell was held in place by refried beans. There didn’t seem to be any refried beans on top of the shell, so that was a little disappointing because I didn’t get to enjoy the beans. The shell was crispy and the ingredients of the food were very fresh and certainly filling. $7.95

- Burrito Lunch – The burritos at Puerto Vallarta are very basic. They’re actually quite like the enchiladas, minus the cheese. I selected shredded beef and a combination of shredded beef and green bell peppers were cooked and wrapped inside a flour tortilla. That was it. I was expecting some lettuce or salsa, but there wasn’t anything else in it. Rice and beans accompanied my burrito. The flavor of the shredded beef was good, and it comes with plenty of sauce. The tortilla is soft. The beans are much like the dip – refried. It’s a great value, but not quite what I expected. ~$5 (I don’t remember the exact price)

The service was very good. Our servers cleared all of our plates very politely and promptly. At the end of our meal, they also gave us a plateful of cinnamon and sugar deep fried chips. These chips were large and topped with a large dollop of whipped cream. Strawberry syrup was drizzled across the chips. That was a nice way to end the meal. During my second visit, service remained good, and they were great with getting us in and out within an hour. They were not rushing us mind you, but we told them we were in a rush, and they accommodated us very well. The dessert was great getting to eliminate any aftertaste from the previous dishes.

I would be willing to return to Puerto Vallarta for their large portions and friendly service. It’s hard to determine the true quality of their food since I only tried one dish. They have been around Santa Rosa for quite some time, so they certainly appeal to the locals. They don’t seem to be the best place in town for Mexican food, but certainly good in terms of service, atmosphere, and style.

Icon Grill - American, Seattle

2011-07-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

1933 Fifth Ave, Seattle WA 98101
(206) 441-6330
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon - Thurs 11am - 11pm, Fri 11am - Midnight, Sat 10am - Midnight, Sun 10am - 11pm

Last Visited: March 30, 2011

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$$

I was in Seattle for a short stay at a hotel across the street from Icon. Since I got in somewhat late, I decided to order takeout and relax back at the hotel. When I got inside Icon, I was surprised at how much blown glasswork was displayed. The ceiling is a feast for the eyes with lamps and lots of bowl shaped wonders. The stairwell in the middle of the dining room creates these great lines that lead your eyes towards the ceiling. If you like your environments clutter free, this is pretty much the opposite of that where no matter where you look, the decor is filled with color and lights.

Service would have gotten a better rating if it hadn't been for the hostess. I found her tone and demeanor to be very stuffy and not particularly welcoming. When I told her I wanted to order takeout, she didn't seem too happy about it, but directed me to the bar to look at the menu. The bartender was very professional and did a great job managing the couple of us ordering takeout, fielding drink orders for the dining room, and serving those at the bar.

The portions are good, but there were a few surprises.

- Caesar Salad - Romaine lettuce is dressed in caesar dressing and with it, comes parmesan, garlic croutons, and Asiago cheese doodles. The cheese doodles aren't small like you might expect. Instead, they are gigantic cracker like things - notice how they take up almost half of the salad. The salad is fairly standard. It's these doodles that were way too cheesy for me - a quarter of the doodle that was given would hav ebeen plenty. I found the quantity to be overwhelming and only managed to take a few bites of the doodle. Okay. $5.99

- Warm Granny Smith Apple Pie - The menu describes it as having a brown sugar and streusel crust and topped with a scoop of Olympic Mountain vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce. That's accurate for the most part. The apples are sliced thin and stacked layers upon layers. The outer crust was flaky and good. It was quite delicious until I got to the surprise. There is cheddar cheese in the bottom crust, and a lot of it too. Had it been mentioned, I would have been okay with it, but it's a bizarre surprise if you don't know it's coming. The cheddar made the dish incredibly rich and while the quantity is enough for two, the cheese became overwhelming. $7.99

The food was okay, and the decor was nice, but the cheese in these two dishes were a little too strong. I would have preferred that they at least mention the cheddar in the pie in the menu description. It also took a while for the food to be available, probably 20 minutes, which seems a bit long for salad and a pie. Also, maybe it's because I'm from California, but I found the reception of the servers to be a bit on the cold side.

Max of the Philippines - Vallejo

2011-06-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

3555 Sonoma Blvd, Vallejo CA 94590
(707) 643-9600
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
http://www.maxssf.com/locations.shtml

Last Visited: September 20, 2007

Food: 2 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$$

I had watched a Bay Area news program that had introduced Max’s in the South Bay for good food. I vaguely remember the emphasis being on dessert, but they did mention that other items were worthy of trying as well. When I saw Max’s in Vallejo, I was pretty excited to check out some new dishes.

Service was fair for the most part. When we walked in, we stood waiting at the front counter for a while even though there was a server available. Although she was occupied, there was no “I’ll be with you in a second” and not even a smile. Upon arriving at our seats, it took a long time before anyone came to take our order. I think it was at least 20 minutes from sitting down before our water arrived, and the restaurant wasn’t particularly busy. The delay for service seemed to be present for all patrons.

- Max’s Teaser - The teaser includes fried calamari and fried lumpia. It’s accompanied with a sweet and sour sauce as well as white vinegar served in plastic cups. The calamari was fine with both tentacles and rings. The lumpia was crispy. This dish would receive 3 stars. $7.95

- Pancit Palabok – After having homemade palabok, it’s hard to compare homestyle against anybody’s, but this palabok was extremely disappointing. By the time it reached our table, it was lukewarm. There were few ingredients on it – a few slices of egg, very little pork, and worst of all, since the temperature was so cold, the lard used to make the sauce had begun to coagulate. Very disappointing. 1 star. $7.95

I found my experience to be extremely disappointing. The only reason I would go back would be for their rather large looking desserts or drinks, but I wouldn’t order food here again. Sadly, Max of the Philippines left a poor in poor impression on my mind, from food to service, leaving my cravings for good Filipino food unsatisfied.

Tony's Pizza Napoletana - San Francisco

2011-06-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

Best: Calamari

1570 Stockton St, San Francisco CA
(415) 835-9888
Parking: limited street parking
http://www.tonyspizzanapoletana.com/

Last Visited: June 19, 2011

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

I went to Tony's after seeing the restaurant featured in Sunset Magazine's top 10 pizzeria's in the Bay Area. Plus, I've watched Tony Gemignani on Food Network enough to know his name and that he's won a lot of awards - 9 times in fact as World Pizza Champion.

It turned out that I had timed my visit with the North Beach Festival, and that brought in a huge crowd to Tony's. Fortunately, I avoided the hour long wait by finding a coveted seat at the bar. The menu can seem a bit overwhelming initially - pastas, pizza, and calzones. There are several different types of pizza available - and mostly, they differ by cooking style - Classic American is a 550 degree gas oven. Pizza Romana is a long thin pizza cooked in a 700 degree electric oven. Sicilian Style is cooked in a 550 Degree gas oven and Coal Fired is cooked at 1000 degree. Tony's is known for the 73 margherita pizzas that he makes daily - no more, no less. Sadly, they had run out of those about an hour before our arrival, but the bartender recommended another margherita pizza to us which he said tastes the same and even he couldn't tell the difference between the two.

We started with bread and dipping oil. The bread was crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. I really enjoyed that perfect texture and moist quality of the bread - not oily, not soggy, just moist. Extra virgin olive oil, EVOO with sweet picante peppers, and EVOO with minced garlic - these three were great accompaniments to the delicious bread.

- Calamari Fritti - Available traditional or calabrese (spicy) style, this calamari is beautiful. I would give it five stars. Served with two lemon wedges and aioli, the batter is so light and yet, it's flavorful and crunchy. Over the years, I've had a lot of calamari, and this was by far, one of the best. Beautifully golden, the calamari was cooked just perfectly - still tender. The amount is plentiful and can easily serve three to four people. Delicious! $11

- Pizza Margherita - The pizza crust is just a firm on the outside and super soft on the inside. Rolled thin, it still held up to the toppings without getting moist on the bottom, but if you held a piece in the air, it won't stand by itself. The San Marzano tomato sauce is sweet and balanced with sea salt, fresh basil, fresh mozarella chunks, and extra virgin olive oil. The combination is so fresh and light, that I managed to eat three slices even after the calamari. Slightly burnt in random areas on the bottom, you have to like a smoky flavor. Otherwise, you might find it overwhelms the pizza. If you like your pizza to be more on the saucy side, you'll enjoy this a lot. I give it four stars for the sauce, cheese, and complex flavors from simple ingredients. $16 ($19 if you purchase one of the 73 made daily)

The bartender was super friendly and kept refilling our glasses. The atmosphere is really classic with darker wood. It's an elegant setting, but during a festival day, it was a lot louder than I would expect it to be on another day. I also really like the Ed Hardy design made special for Tony on their pizza boxes.

While parking can be a bit troublesome here, I would gladly come to Tony's to try out some of their other pizzas and calzones, which they offer both baked or deep fried. Had it not been for the slight burnt crust of the pizza, I would have given them a solid five stars. Tony's left a very good impression on me. I look forward to trying them again some time. Yummy!

Pamposh - Indian, Santa Rosa

2011-06-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

52 Mission Circle, Suite 110, Santa Rosa CA 95409
(707) 538-3367
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
http://www.pamposhrestaurant.com/index1.html

Last Visited: May 16, 2005

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Enter Pamposh and find that the color scheme is rich. Pamposh calls itself fine and certainly caters to a wide crowd in its classic atmosphere that isn't stuffy. The layout is simple with booths on the left side of the restaurant and tables in the center and on the right.

The colors are a dark burgundy and golden yellow. The wood chairs match the surrounding atmosphere and the burgundy cushions in the booths have gold patterns in the design. Above the booths are large lamps in classic styles. The tables are covered with white tablecloths and white paper. Folded burgundy cloth napkins are placed on the square white plates. The wood floors accent the furniture. Indian music plays from the stereo system, but as the evening wore on, the music was drowned out by the noise of the patrons. Even the menu cover is rich in color and decorated with people. Pamposh means lotus, and the art displayed depicted many.

Upon our arrival we were served water along with folded papadam accompanied by mango salsa containing cucumbers, onions, mint, and mango of course. The papadam is crispy, and had a classic flavor. According to my Indian friends, it’s not typically served this way, but it made for a good starter.

Our server was very patient and made sure we didn’t have any questions. She happily explained dishes to multiple tables. It’s apparent that Pamposh is catering specifically to the Sonoma County crowd which is less familiar with Indian cuisine. They offer each dish with a choice of being cooked mild, medium, or hot – few places in the Bay Area seem to do that.

- Vegetable Samosa – Two triangular pastries are stuffed with spiced potatoes and peas. The samosas are accompanied by a light salad of shredded cabbage. A mint chutney and another chutney accompanied the two samosas. Although the samosas are flavorful, I found they could contain more spice for my taste. Also, they were a bit more petite than I anticipated. Being that I had tried two much larger samosas for about the same price, I was of course, slightly disappointed. $4.25

- Plain Nan – Pamposh has four types of nan available. We chose plain to test out the texture of the nan. A large round piece of nan arrived in a basket. Nan is made in a tandoori oven and the center becomes crispy and the edges get puffed up. It’s lightly brushed with oil, and has an al dente sort of texture. Good. $2.50

- Chicken Curry – Chicken in a traditional curry is served in a metal bowl. There is a combination of white meat and dark meat in the dish. The chicken is flavorful and comes in a sauce that has a thick consistency. Although the breast meat seemed a little on the dry side for my tastes, the flavor of the curry was still good. $12.95

- Lamb Boti Kebab – Cubes of boneless lamb are cooked on an iron platter along with onions, peppers, and two lemon wedges. The lamb has a nice spiciness to it, flavorful, and it didn’t have that gamey taste that is so often undesired. Since it remains sitting on the hot platter, this dish tends to lose its juices faster, and can be dry at the end of the meal. $14.95

In general, food quality is good. The presentation is very nice, but all dishes are only available a la carte. Raita, rice, and salad are served separate. Pamposh is an excellent place to go for a person trying Indian food for the first time. The staff is very patient and willing to accommodate. The atmosphere is comfortable, and the food is good. It’s not the best in terms of value compared to authentic Indian cuisine in the Bay Area, but the setting will make up for it. Also, think of it as going to a more upscale restaurant, and it all balances out.

Pho Vietnam - Santa Rosa

2011-06-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

711 Stony Point Road #8, Santa Rosa CA 95407
(707) 571-SOUP (7687)
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am to 8:45pm, Sun 10am to 7:45pm

Last Visited: December 28, 2010

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$ (prices shown are from 2006, so they may be higher)

Pho Vietnam is a crowded and popular place, for lunch or dinner. Now that it's taken over the unit next door, it's not quite as difficult to get in as it once was when it would be have people waiting outside. With the expansion, it seems more spacious and the pace over service is less frantic. The great tasting pho is so flavorful and delicious that it’s one of the best in Sonoma County if you enjoy full flavored broth.

On each table is a holder containing chopsticks, soy sauce, fish sauce, hot sauce, and a squeeze bottle of chili sauce. Bowls of pho (beef noodle soup) come in small, large, and extra large – these are displayed above the counter to help customers get a better sense of what they’re in for. To go orders are an extra 25 cents.
The recent remodel and expansion has done wonders for the place with a lot more space in the rear for larger parties. The colors are brighter and lighter, probably to keep up with the increasing competition and since it was due for a makeover anyway. The chairs are new, but the same great food is there. I increased the atmosphere rating from 2 stars to 3 stars.

- Cha Gio – Egg Rolls – The egg rolls I tried during the last few visits have only been fair. The color of the rolls have been a little too dark, indicating prolonged frying time, or not so fresh oil. Just okay. They still taste good though. $3.50

- Combination Rolls - Traditional rice paper rolls are filled with shrimp, mint, lettuce, pork, and rice noodles Peanut sauce accompanies the dish. They do a nice roll - fairly standard in its offering.

- Pho Bac Biet – Combo Noodle soup – As always, my multiple visits have found the broth consistently flavorful, and the temperature is always boiling hot (to cook the rare eye round steak). The noodles do come in a clump, but can be easily broken apart. The meat topping the rice noodles include eye round steak, well-done brisket, flank steak, tendon, and tripe. A dish containing lemon or lime, bean sprouts, and Thai basil accompany the soup. The majority of the time, these vegetables are fresh due to the constant flow of customers coming into the restaurant. Very good. Small $4.50, Large $4.95, Extra Large $5.95

- Nuoc Dua - Coconut Juice – Always refreshing. $1.95

Service can use some improvement. Less experienced servers often run multiple rounds for items and seem inefficient - this was the case with a recent large group dinner that I attended. However, the waitress was very friendly and that made up for her lack of experience quite a bit.

Pho Vietnam is a great place to fill up, especially on cold winter nights, for a very reasonable price. You’ll find excellent, rich tasting beef broth and fresh food. A great value, and a local favorite casual dining spot.

Chloe's French Cafe - Santa Rosa

2011-06-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

3853 Airway Drive, Suite 145, Santa Rosa CA 95403
(707) 528-3095
Parking: In parking lot
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
http://www.chloesco.com/

Last Visited: May 15, 2009

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$

Chloe’s has become a hidden treasure in Santa Rosa and word is starting to get out. Holly recommended it to me as a must try. Located behind the Sutter clinic, the small café offers outdoor and indoor seating. The menu is located behind the counter and you can see offerings including breakfast, salads, soups and cold and grilled sandwiches offered along with various coffee drinks and baked goods in the glass case.

Between Wednesday and Friday, there are also plates of the day featuring French regional specialties. About once a month, Chloe’s is open for dinner by reservation only where folks can sit family style and enjoy a prix fixe menu with three courses and share wine with one another.

It’s a family affair with Marc, Alain, and Renee Pisan. Alain and Renee, a husband and wife team, do a great job keeping the quality high and the food fresh. All of the dishes that I saw looked quite appetizing and the vegetables were super fresh. Upon arriving, one orders at the counter and pays for food. You are then given a number which you take to the table and there is a beverage station where you can stop and get your iced tea, sodas, etc. Fresh slices of orange and lemon are available and are mentioned here because it seems rare to see orange slices around a beverage stand. I didn’t even ask for water and was given a glass – this anticipation of needs is greatly appreciated and seems hard to find these days.

Today, I tried one of the grilled sandwiches.

- Saucisson – French salami, mezzo secco cheese, ham, and swiss are served on a grilled French baguette with a touch of grain mustard and a side of balsamic dipping sauce. Also on the side is a small serving of sweet pickles. A bit dry near the end, it’s fitting to have the dipping sauce to provide a balance against the salt in the meat. The bread is crusty and good. Next time, I will order a side salad to accompany the sandwich. $8.50

I enjoyed my sandwich outside under the umbrellas sheltering us from the heat and it was a great way to enjoy some time with friends. A great stop on a weekday. I look forward to trying one of their special evening dinners.

Battle: Puerto Rican, North Bay

2011-06-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

Sol Food, San Rafael vs. El Coqui, Santa Rosa

While there is no affiliation and no known rivalry between the two restaurants, those of us in the North Bay have noticed that the patrons are the ones that have started to compare these two Puerto Rican restaurants and size them up against one another. Here's the rub.


Address	732 4th St, San Rafael	400 Mendocino Street, Santa Rosa
Phone	(415) 451-4765	(707) 542-8868
Website	http://www.solfoodrestaurant.com/	http://www.elcoqui2eat.com/
Food	Puerto Rican	Puerto Rican
Atmosphere	Brightly colored walls and menus, communal tables, Puerto Rican music, order as you enter the restaurant and place your order number on the table. Great for take-out	Bar with televisions, Puerto Rican music, table service, spacious, good for bringing guests and leisurely meals. Also good for soccer games.
Service	Good. Friendly. Efficient.	Good. Friendly. Table-side. Relaxed.
Price	$ to $$$	$$ - $$$ (slightly higher than the competition)

Both places offer really authentic and fun Puerto Rican food. Staff are friendly. If I could combine the best of both restaurants, I would take the bread and salad from Sol Food and incorporate it with the juicy bisteca (steak) and salsa from El Coqui.