foodfan's Profile
Nebraska & Iowa - close to Interstate 80
I'm doing almost the same trip and would like tips on tenderloins, loose meats or other regional specialties close to the freeway. Good breakfast recs would be great also. Thanks.
Any good business lunch restaurants in Palo Alto/Menlo Park area?
I know that it was recently sold but MacArthur Park was always nice. Menu has a good variety, beautiful room and a plus for having it's own parking lot. I used to like their Harry's Bar filet sandwich, they had a good Cobb salad and the cheese stuffed grilled pasilla peppers were good. It has been years since I was there but I can't imagine it changed that much ~
Top Chef Episode #3
This is the first season I have seen this show but I am surprised (like a lot of posters here) about what poor overall cooks they are. Also, food sense seems to be non existant. Hard to believe these guys are pleasing customers. Either they are way out of their comfort zone on the show or they have excellent staff support in their restaurants. One thing I did enjoy was seeing Chef Bayless as a real guy, not the happy host or tv personality he is on his own shows. I thought the best thing said about the main contest was when the judges said they were disappointed in a lot of the items and the team that one shouldn't have been proud, they just weren't as disappointing as the other team.
Everett and Jones - Scobies Alameda
Glad for the report ~ I assumed it was in Scobies and had replaced Bowsers burgers, which replaced Burritos on Wheels, which replaced Scobies own offerings ~ all in the space of about a year. I know different E&J family members run different stores, which branch is doing this one?
Ubuntu in Napa
At one point there was a chowdown scheduled for late 2007. Does anyone know if it is to be revived now that holidays are past?
What's the furthest you've travelled - just for a meal
I grew up in Kansas City and Strouds at 85th was always a family favorite. When we heard it was going to close, my huband and I and our 2 labradors drove from Alameda, CA (just outside of San Francisco) to Kansas City, Mo. to have a last meal. A year or 2 later, they have found an alternate site and are going to reopen in April. I am meeting my sisters there for a meal in June. I am again coming from California, 1 sister from Ithaca, New York, one from Naugatuck, CT and possibly one from Massachustus.
good raisin bread
If Il Fornaio still sells their Pane D' Uva, I always liked that, especially toasted.
where to buy bottarga?
Corti Brothers in Sacramento has it, I don't know for sure but I would think they have an online presence.
Vegetarian PA / Menlo, prefer Asian
We arrived at Shiok later than expected, about 9:10. Although their sign said they were open until 9:30 they had their closed sign up. They let us in rather reluctantly and wanted us to order right away. The food came out in about 4 minutes so I think they really wanted out of there. We both had hot honey and ginger tea which was great, unusual and spicy. We ordered a lot of things to share. We had the roti prata with a curry dipping sauce that was very good. To me it tasted like a shredded croissant with that soft butteriness and the thin crispy shreds of browned crust. A small plate of fried calamari rings looked dark and over fried but was actually very tender and lightly drizzled with a spicy but more sweet sauce. Another small plate of green beans dry fried with dried shrimp paste had good flavor but the beans were older, slightly woody with large seeds. A large plate of some prawns with a tomatoey sauce were ok but it is a personal peeve of mine when sauced shrimp are served with the tail on and the last knuckle unpeeled. A large plate of curry pot with salmon filet, okra, beans and some other vegetables was bland and uninteresting with a flabby piece of fish. A noodle dish (mee goring? I'm sorry I didn't pay more attention to the name) was bland and the noodles were very soft. Tasted like a side order of chow mein on a lunch plate at an average Chinese restaurant. Sides of brown and coconut rice were ok. Overall I thought it was pretty good, and fairly priced, although I wouldn't be in any hurry to go back and service was perfunctory at best.
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Shiok Singapore Kitchen
1137 Chestnut St, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Vegetarian PA / Menlo, prefer Asian
Thanks for the help ~ we are going to try Shiok Kitchen. Pretty good comments on Y*** (if I can say that here). You are correct, Bay Leaf is closed and I think the Palo Alto branch of Ylang Ylang is as well.
Vegetarian PA / Menlo, prefer Asian
Meeting a friend from Chicago Friday night for dinner. We have an early evening commitment in Menlo Park and want to eat close by after, about 8 or so. He is vegetarian, eats fish and eggs but no red meat or chicken. His favorite is Indonesian but I am also open to suggestions for Singapore, Malaysia, Burmese, Thai. Last time we ate at Tamarine, which was good but I would like to try something new. Is Straits any good? How about Rangoon? Is Ylang Ylang closed? I have heard of a place called Bay Leaf Cafe in Palo Alto, good? I have tried to do some sleuthing but m coming up light. Specific suggestions for favorite dishes would also be welcome. I will be driving back to the East Bay so alcohol service is not necessary, nor specific price limitations. I want the best food and something he can't easily experience at home. Thanks for any help and I'll report back!
Help with Napa burger decision
We went travelled up to the branch in Napa and although the wait was much, much shorter, the overall experience wasn't as good. While I am a fan of clean places, this branch is very sterile and plain and the burger itself seemed tougher and under seasoned. They looked as great as the other place, cheese cap and all, but...Salting at the table solved some of that but not quite the same as having the patties seasoned while they are cooked. Plus, I always feel like my doctor is going to walk in as soon as I start salting an already unhealthy meal! Maybe it is just the essence of the long used other grill. In short, while I thought the drive and wait to Sacramento worth worth it, the shorter drive to Napa was not. Sorry, I should have posted earlier.
Alameda: 3 Simple Meals
If you would like a place where you can get a good selection of beers as well, McGee's, accross the street from the Marketplace and Chin Hua, has pretty good burgers although not as good as they used to be. I like the burger with jack cheese and avacado (the Costello?) and ask for a green salad instead of average fries. They have a large menu out of a teeny cooking area but I have only ever had burgers. If you go to Jims, stick with the basics (specifically, the Benedict has an oddly colored gloppy hollandaise) Since Alameda is so flat, almost all of Park street is within walking distance. There is a new Burmese place up in the 1300 block, starts with a B and I hear the Hob Nob is good. Avoid Linguine's and Havana. Please report back.
Shawarma, beef pepperoni, fried okra and hush puppies
Nellie's okra is not fried and as I recall (only ordered it once) it is mixed with boiled white potatoes. Not bad but not the cruncy pods I prefer. I like them whole as well ~ not cut in slices. The Marin farmers market has terrific okra in season, OP may be better served frying some at home. Totally of the topic, I really like the Talk of Texas pickled okra sold in a lot of local grocery stores.
Great meal at Chopsticks in San Rafael
I used to like Tsing Tao a lot when it was run by the two brothers (one named Bobby), particularly the Hunan shrimp which had fried shrimp with a really nice spicy sweet dipping sauce and good spicy chicken wings with s&p, sliced jalapenos and some carrot. I went in for dinner after they sold it and was really disappointed, didn't even want to take the leftovers. I'm glad to see an uphill report and will give it another shot when I am next in the area.
I also liked Pier 6 long ago and like CJ's, House of Lee had lots of options, including dim sum with overall pretty good quality, disliked Yet Wah and Pings. When I worked in Sausalito, I ate lunch at Feng Nian pretty often and thought it was ok. It was more convenient than good.
best pickles EVER
I agree, Boca's pickles are first rate ~ the highlight of my one & only meal there. Another place where the free pickles are better than anything you pay for, Saul's in Berkeley. I also recently tried the fresh looking (bright green) olives at Ratto's in Oakland and really liked those as well.
Help with Napa burger decision
Has anyone tried the Squeeze Inn location in Napa? I like the original, although Sacramento is a little far to drive for a burger, and have the Napa one on my "to try" list.
Coco500's gift-certificate no-no
If you paid cash or an equivilant, that is against the law. They must either issue a certificate for the remainder or refund in cash. I believe that over $10, it is their choice. I would talk to the owner and if that doesn't get you anywhere, call the BBB. Try this link: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=73555725717+0+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve
Oakland taco truck report: Tacos Estrellas
I like this truck too. Before I gave up gout trigger foods, I really liked their lengua tacos. These days I stick to burritos (two meal tubes) but always have to remember to ask for no lettuce. I find lettuce in burritos very strange texture wise, is this common in local trucks? Adding cheese is .50 and there is a nice little spicy red sauce in separate cups for takeout. Another plus for Estrella is morning burritos, starting at about 8 and Saturday presence, but not Sunday. They have a note up about a new location in San Leandro, I forgot the exact location.
My preference lately has been the Mi Grullenese truck, one of two in the Goodwill lot on International. A little greasier but cheese is included, tortilla seems a little flakier and dryer and slightly smaller. I'm glad both are close to my house and office.
I Am Vegetable, Hear Me Roar! Ubuntu Redux (long)
Canceled, everyone crazy busy, group dropped to about 4 ~ hopefully to be rescheduled in January.
Dinner In Alameda
Maybe it was $9, (I ordered the one with 10 Cane after a fabulous drink featuring the rum at One Market) but whatever the price, it was a disappointing cocktail. I am almost positive the ownership is the same as Walnut Creek, although there is no mention on their web site. Should be any time now ~
Dinner In Alameda
I will wait on other posters to test out ~ I ate at their branch in Walnut Creek once and had just an awful meal paired with an expensive ($11) but indifferent mojito. Even the fact that I was using a Passport deal that got us a free entree didn't make it worth it. Hopefully I was there on an off night and this will be a good addition for Park Street.
Richmond - Pit Boss Carolina cue redux
I think my experience was close to yours. I tasted smoke in all the meats and did not get a boiled taste or texture from the ribs at all. Outside of some salt and pepper for the potato salad (and completely ignoring the cornbread) I would eagerly eat anything I had here again. Especially the ribs.
Bagan - Burmese in Alameda
The Burmese restaurant on Park Street (Hinn Tha) has changed owners and is now called Bagan. The owners are the same as Burma Superstar and B Star in San Francisco. I had a good lunch there the other day but 'tried out' a holdover from the last owner, coconut curry and chicken soup with noodles, hard cooked egg and bean sprouts. Very good, smooth and rich and I took home as much as I ate. My fellow diner ordered sesame chicken which was sliced very thin, very sweet and dry, served with rice and chilled broccoli. Probably not their strong point. I will go back and try some more items. Based on what I have read about Burma Super Star, the tea leaf salad sounds like a winner. More variety at night (including the Rainbow salad) and will probably return for dinner rather than lunch. Prices are pretty much the same which makes it a little pricey for lunch ($9 - $11) range, only slightly higher for dinner. Has anyone else tried it yet? No link in Places - 1345 Park Street
Gayle's Super Burger (Santa Rosa) - Report
After seeing the show on FN, I tried Squeeze Inn in Sacramento which we thought was great. In your burger quest, have you tried their second spot in Napa? We plan to visit soon and will post as a seperate thread.
Chowdown at Taco Max (Report)
I thought this was pretty hit and miss but put that down mostly to the chef being overwhelmed by finding chairs, trying to figure out who was on which course etc. I liked the soup the most, especially with the bright red sauce stirred in, the ceviche was good but I thought too cold, the flavors seemed muted. (Since we arrived at 4, we started earlier and maybe it was just pulled from the refrigerator.) What made it Peruvian? The salad and tinga totally underwhelmed us. I thought the duck would have been much improved with a lot of the skin removed before braising as it made the sauce oily. However, if the bone and skin were removed, there wouldn't be much left! I liked the squash with the steamed fish but the fish itself was blah. I liked the tamale and the chocolate. I appreciate the effort of the organizer and the chef but overall, the food disappointed me. For us, the best part was the company and luckily, the trip home was half the time of getting up there ~
Richmond - Pit Boss Carolina cue redux
We had lunch today and thought it was good to great. Two people ordered a 4 way ~ ribs, pulled pork, double brisket with greens and potato salad, mild sauce on the side. The ribs were stupendous; smoky, tender, slightly greasy and rich. No sauce needed for these. If you like to gnaw the meat off the bone, these might be too soft for you but we loved them. The brisket was good. It was unevenly cut so thin slices seemed dry, thick chunks less so. Dunked the dry bites in sauce, sweet mild and thick. The pulled pork was tender, a little dry. The greens are also great and swimming in a nice pool of likker. As RW says, potato salad is bland but a good foil. Cornbread, dry, grainy and not worth the tummy space today. Tons of meat, we could barely cram our left over meat into a standard styrofoam to go box. Without tip, 1 soda, about $29. When I recover from my meat coma, I will return.
Ad Hoc, an off night? (long post)
I recently ate at Ad Hoc and posted a less than impressed review of the experience. Like you, I didn't just like the entree (fried chicken) but most of the meal. The salad was great, one of the best I have ever had. The vegetables were over done, the potatoes could have been prepared by someone who was experiencing the vegetable for the first time and the table for two was over loaded with glasses, bottles, carafes, serving dishes, plates, condiments and bread. What really ticked me off was the insistence of the kitchen on serving the panna cotta instead of boxing it up as I requested, so much for service. Not only did I not enjoy it, would never go back but am just outraged at the bill for "value" received. (To answer Ruths question, I assume yours included the the tip and 2 espressos as well as the wine.)
potsticker sauce?
I like black vinegar or sometimes a little thinned out black bean with garlic or chile garlic paste.
New Strouds you lucky dogs
I remember an old chain (let?) called Grannys that used to be similar, don't know if it is the same. Strouds fried chicken set up with sides but in a small hushed room with photographs of white haired grannies on the wall. Not as good as I recall but since I am a long time Strouds fan, what would be? That location was at Corinth Square.
Speaking of Strouds, when I was in KC last, I finally made the trek out north of the river and was not overly impressed, dishes seemed smaller, bowls were plastic, had to ask for cinnamin rolls etc. The livers were very good, a trifle over cooked but still fabulous. Anybody else think it is not as good as 85th street or was it just me and / or an off night?
