sundeck sue's Profile
Jamesburg (Monroe Twp) NJ
We at a really nice meal at Taverna Ouzo. The joint was jumping' on a Sat PM. Servers friendly and attentive. Started off w/ a very good tamarasalata and hot pita--the perfect beginning. Then shared the grilled octopus starter, which was also delicious--cooked just right, tender and moist and a bit smoky from the grill. My husband had the fish special--grilled dorad (?)--not remembering the name; and it was on special, so can't find it on-line--he thought it was good, i thought it was dry (the story of our married eating life)--and i thought it was pricey ($29), but that may well have been because I didn't like my bite as well as he did--he didn't like the sauce that came w/ it, but enjoyed it un-sauced. I had the grilled lamb chops, which were perfectly cooked to medium rare and taste-y--i also didn't use the lemon-y sauce, but enjoyed them without--my only complaint: lots of fat to cut off (trade-off, I know--kept it moist while cooking). My husband enjoyed a Greek beer to start; and we both had a glass of Italian wine (name?) that was on special that night for $6.99 a glass--a deal; and we enjoyed it. All in all, a lovely meal.
Tried Mendoker's Bakery in Jamesburg the next AM--it was also packed--didn't maybe get the full effect--got Boar's Head cold-cuts and whole-grain rolls for lunch--all fine--wasn't that tempted by the pastry selection (some wild-looking Memorial Day frostings!)--and the young server seemed a tad inexperienced, unable to steer me in the direction of an esp. fabulous breakfast pastry (just recited things that sold well). Spied local honey @ the check-out counter--and got a couple unusual jars for gifts, nicely priced ($6 and $8-ish) one lots of pecans suspended in honey, the other honey from a cranberry bog (not cranberry honey--just honey, but instead of clover or wildflower, cranberry).
So thanks for the tips, all!
oliveto's--report
Just read your Oct post (link above)--wish I had done a little research and found it before we went. Not all of the pastas you enjoyed were on last night's menu. But some were. Makes me want to return, which is a good thing.
petaluma sweets
Poking around Petaluma, I have a rave and a "good but not great" in the sweets department.
Petaluma Pie, which I found on this Board, is every bit as great as others said. Lovely counter staff and a brilliant rhubarb hand pie--wonderful crust, not too sweet, delectable. Wanted to order everything! I also liked the little Sonoma/Petaluma magnets on sale at the counter. Will be back!
Lala's Ice Cream Shop across the street was less of a hit. I was excited to see two seasonal flavors--nectarine and Petaluma strawberry. I got the Petaluma strawberry--which was fine, though not as intensely strawberry-ish as I'd hoped. A small complaint: the young server asked the usual: regular, sugar, waffle cone. I said sugar. I learned when she asked for more money than I'd put handed her that a sugar cone was 40 cents extra--hardly a big deal--a bit surprising as an extra and might have been good to mention in the first place, given that most places only charge extra for waffle.
oliveto's--report
Decided to try Oliveto's after not going for some time. My husband likes it better than I do, so went to be nice.
Very friendly, helpful server--which you need from the get-go, because the menu has half a dozen listings in Italian that we didn't know (and we like Italian food/patronize Italian restaurants). The server patiently translated. Why can't they use language that reasonably sophisticated food lovers would be likely to know? OK, I'll ask in a different way: what is up w/ the mystification/affectation?
On our server's recommendation, we decided to share a frito misto and wedge salad to start. Although the server had touted the lightness of the tempura batter, I found it heavy. And they brought not the wedge salad, but a salad w/ gem lettuces, which I tasted before it registered that this was not a wedge. The gem salad was rather nice, w/ radishes and a good creamy dressing. When I called the server over to ask about the wedge salad, she whisked the gem salad away apologetically and brought the correct salad. Which I didn't love. Funny grainy texture w/ the cheese in the dressing and not much piquancy. I had wondered if they might "comp" the salad, given the mix-up. Instead the server explained she listed the gem salad rather than the wedge on the bill because it was cheaper (by $1).
My husband had a fish stew for a main course. He liked it. But it looked very small to me--and bulked up with potatoes--for a mid-$20 price. I've learned not to order pasta for a main course here--tiny portions for mid-to-upper teens. But the high-price-small-portion problem was just as true for my main as my husband's--I got an involotini (sp?) w/ farro and vegetables, also mid-$20's. One narrow, chard-wrapped roll w/ a little bit of well cooked onion on the side. And although the roll was nicely cooked, you couldn't really taste the individual vegetables (tasted more like a farro roll).
I'd really like to like this place. Tonight's experience didn't make that happen.
Jamesburg (Monroe Twp) NJ
Thanks all. Great suggestions. Promise to write back w/ a full report.
One more question. My husband just asked if I'd asked about deli's in my post. And I had not.
Any good deli's in the 'hood?
Jamesburg (Monroe Twp) NJ
We're going to be in Jamesburg (Monroe Twp) for a few days at the end of the month.
Would love tips on great, simple places--fabulous diners--wonderful ethnic spots--restaurants that do locavore without getting fussy.
Thanks!
Restaurants near Julia Morgan Theater in Berkeley
Clearly I'm in the minority, big-time, given the crazy long lines. My response to you is the classic, the food isn't great; and there's not enough of it! I think their scoops are smallish. You do get tastes before-hand, this is true. If I loved the ice cream it would be a different story. But it's often too sweet, the ingredient combos edging into preciousness, the flavors not intense enough. Don't want to veer this thread sideways. And I know this is one of those areas where people have very different ideas of what's best. But imo none of the artisanal ice cream shops in Berkeley/Oakland compare w/ Bi-Rite, my fav.
Restaurants near Julia Morgan Theater in Berkeley
Second the Elmwood. Also like Holy Land. Before a show @ the Elmwood Theatre, we've also had a bite @ the Elmwood Cafe and @ Summer Kitchen--both pleasant and quick and good. Sushi @ Manpuko not the best in the world, but fine and cheap and (again) quick. All the Ici fans--and they are legion--would probably say, then grab a cone @ Ici for your walk back to Julia Morgan, but I'm one of the few nay-sayers (a lot of $$ for a little ice cream in great-sounding flavors that always disappoints.)
Sonoma: Favorite Purveyors?
Dry Creek Peach and Produce, Healdsburg (they have a farm stand opened on weekends and also a table @ the Healdsburg Farmer's Market)
the best peaches in the world imo (not just my opinion--Chez Panisse buys their peaches--and when asked about a last wish, Alice Waters named one of their fall peaches--called Last Chance Peach--as the one thing she'd ask for)
www.drycreekpeach.com
foie gras in Berkeley / Oakland
Pretty sure Michael Wild @ Bay Wolf in Oakland got into "trouble" around all the politicization of foie gras at some point in the not too distant past (protesters @ the restaurant--memory here is a bit dim). He's a genius w duck, including duck liver, which will surely be on the menu. Dunno re whether they're still doing foie gras. CA ban starts July 1, if the latest initiative of Thomas Keller et. al. isn't successful in averting it.
www.baywolf.com
Where to buy a chocolate Kouign Amann in San Francisco on Sunday?
Starter Bakery is @ the Temescal Farmer's Market Sunday, 9 AM-1 PM, in Oakland. Not impossible, but definitely a hike (and a bridge) from Forest Hill. And don't know what flavors they'll have any particular Sunday.
carmel
what i was afraid of, reading through earlier posts.
was thinking that there must be so many people who've come to that part of california from mexico and asia, that you'd find (if not in carmel, then in communities surrounding it) some great authentic fare from those regions.
Google map of Salinas Street Food
I'll answer a question w/ questions.
Which ones that are left do YOU like best?
What are your--say--top three of those that remain?
Many thanks!
Google map of Salinas Street Food
Any updates on this amazing map, which I just stumbled upon (feel like I'm not the most efficient in this regard)?
Heading to Salinas/Carmel this weekend!
carmel
I'll be in Carmel and would love to find some down-home, loca-vore, un-fussy, authentic ethnic fare for breakfasts and lunches.
Many thanks for all suggestions--would love details not just about great local spots, but also what to order.
crixa cakes
i love (LOVE) crixa cakes. but i wish their pies were more seasonal. maybe i'm being a snob. but to have pumpkin and crabapple pies in late april seems late. and cherry seems early.
one day in la area
that's fine, price-wise. but what can you tell me about the noise level?
one day in la area
I'm worrying (what I do!).
Is Manhattan Beach Post quiet?
What I didn't' specify above was that I'm looking for a place with great food--AND quiet enough for real conversation--that's not too far from LAX.
Many thanks for any additional thoughts.
RIP Trattoria Corso [Restaurant is not closed; this is about service issues - CH Team]
We were there about six weeks ago, after theatre--as usual, had a very good meal, w/ good service. The subj. heading of this thread--"RIP Trattoria Corso"--scared me--hadn't seen it when it was first posted, worried they had closed. Happily not.
Cheapest store to buy wild caught fish in Oakland/Berkeley area?
Don't know Whole Foods fish. My favorite place to buy fish is Monterey Fish (Hopkins Ave)--and it's definitely not cheap, but maybe better fish for the $$ than Whole Foods.
Some (not all) of Verbrugge's (College Ave.) fish is wild caught--and reasonably priced.
Costco Richmond will sometimes have wild salmon et. al.--with very good prices.
re-shuffle of chefs @ chez panisse
just read about chef changes @ chez panisse
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/04/04/DDAM1NU6RI.DTL
wonder if anyone has any "inside scoop" --or speculation--re what, if anything that might mean for the fare.
ok by me, if it stays the same (i'm a fan). but could image differences, w/ kitchens under new stewardship.
Gary Danko
Thanks all for the suggestions. We had a great meal. It was our first time there. Such a lovely space. And of course terrific service. The amuse--rock shrimp in lobster broth--was light and interesting (a bit hard to spoon in the bowl in which it came). My husband had the seafood risotto, which was brilliant--great flavors, spot-on texture, indulgent--a big serving. I had seared fois gras (on the where-else-do-you-get-that theory--never mind, looking to the upcoming ban--on the same theory, fois gras again in the quail stuffing, my third course, which was very good, but less special--the stuffing over-powered the delicate bird a bit). For a second course, I had scallops on an asparagus puree--perfectly cooked and great spring flavors and colors. My husband had sea bass w/ bacon, which he found the least interesting of the evening's choices. He then had--and loved--the lamb w/ beans (I tasted and loved the lamb--the beans with the lamb, not as much). He then had the cheese, which was, as other posters describe. They brought out a lemon panna cotta gratis, w/ a b'day candle, since we didn't order a sweet. That and the little sweet treats at the close were all lovely, as was the parting gift of a pineapple upside down muffin "for breakfast tomorrow." We did wine by the glass--very nice choices, not insignificant tariffs (one glass that my husband ordered, $24). The only real complaint was the noise level--hard to hear for much of the time we were there--and we had a late res. And I'm NOT going to whine about people taking out their smart-phones all the time, because I've already made trouble on that score on this Board and am just trying to accept the fact that I'm old/old-fashioned (though less old than my celebrating spouse!)! Again, thanks--all your help contributed to a wonderful evening.
Where to find Top Notch Container Stores in San Francisco and (Northern) San Mateo Counties
I may be being overly cautious. But I've gotten wary of using plastic storage containers, given concerns re chemicals. I still use plastic in the freezer. But for non-freezer storage, I've gotten great glass storage containers @ the Crate and Barrel Outlet Store on 4th St. in Berkeley and canning jars from local hardware stores (I know you asked about SF/Norther San Mateo--assume the regular Crate&Barrel Stores there carry the same products).
Help This BC Hound fine-tune his SF culinary escapade
Part of the explanation re no res @ Flour and Water--they leave half their tables open for walk-ins (and it's not a huge restaurant, to start). If you really want to go, the best bet is early--i.e., be in line a good bit before they open. The last time we were there (using this strategy, since we also failed at snagging a res.), the pastas were brilliant, the pizzas not so much. I was going to say, I'm showing my (middle)age in a place that packs in a young crowd,when I whine about noise and sometimes overly-laid-back service--but Senator Feinstein and her family were at the table behind us!
ISO Custom Birthday Cakes
If you don't mind hiking to Berkeley, I've seen custom cakes that Masse's has done (one shaped and decorated to be an amazing pastry replica of a building that was being dedicated)--they are beyond beautiful--and unbelievably delicious.
