ricebowl's Profile
Benicia -- casual Sunday lunch?
Food Fiend, where did you end up going? I'm curious to know your feedback on First St. Cafe or anywhere else.
Benicia -- casual Sunday lunch?
I like First St. Cafe for brunch. Great sandwiches, salads, soups and dessert. They use Acme bread and most everything is made from scratch. My fave is the hot crab artichoke open face sandwich, very filling and big enough to share. The sandwich was featured in Bon Appetit magazine 2005.
Also worth mentioning on First St.-
Randy's, Issy's and Sandoval if you like Mexican.
Matsuri for Japanese
Sala Thai for Thai food
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Matsuri
920 1st St, Benicia, CA 94510
Need Restaurants near Walnut Creek
I have not eaten at Chef Jon Lee, only spoken to him and at the time before the thread was removed on Chow, I commented on the promise of the new restaurant. Since then I, too, have read all the 5-star reviews on Yelp and noticed the similar writing style and content which led me to think that something was amiss. This is highly unfortunate for food bloggers and reviewers. I hope the food websites will be left to reviews by real diners for real opinion and not to overzealous restaurant owners and investors. Thanks, rw, for your update and input.
Paladar (Cuban food), SF w/ pics
That is one great looking cubano sandwich, had me salivating.
Vallejo: Havana Sol - finding the holy grill at last ... Authentic Cubanos with house-made Cuban bread
Thank you, rw, for the good and thorough review. I knew I could count on you to provide an accurate evaluation of the food after all the confusion of "well, is it this or is it that?". LOL. My apology also in adding to the confusion by the incorrect name of the restaurant, but heck, there's only one Cuban restaurant named "Havana..." in Vallejo! So go figure it out. Anyway, it seems that some are still hung up on the guacamole + tortilla = Mexican and not authentic Cuban food. While that may be true, it does not mean that Havana is not solidly Cuban. I mean you can go to some Chinese restaurants and find teriyaki or kalbi on the menu, right? Or to a Mexican restaurant that serves the Salvadorean dish, pupusa. What's wrong with that? It's the restaurant owner and/or chef's preference to include these dishes. Anyway, I am looking forward to trying Havana very soon. I have my eye on the Cubano sandwich, oxtails, short ribs and seafood dishes! :)
Recs for Good Eats - 3rd & Mission, SF
Hey Hounds, can you help me out? Not looking for anything fancy, just good eats, can be casual, moderate pricing and any type of cuisine around 3rd and Mission in SF. Thanks!
Havana del Sol - new Cuban restaurant in Vallejo
From my read of the menu, I agree with you, rw. It is definitely Cuban with a Californian flair, and not Mexican. Cuban cuisine typically serves up meat & seafood dishes with yucca, black beans & rice, and platanos/tostones. Also the Cuban sandwich is a pressed sandwich filled with roast pork, ham, swiss cheese and pickle, and this is listed on the menu as El Cubano. I haven't tried Havana Sol yet. I hope to soon. The restaurant also has a cafe next door and music in the evening (as the former tenant, Baci did when they were around). The dishes on the menu sound enticing and the prices are quite reasonable.
Havana del Sol - new Cuban restaurant in Vallejo
You can view their full menu on www.havanasolrestaurant.com
Havana del Sol - new Cuban restaurant in Vallejo
Havana del Sol is a new Cuban restaurant that just opened up in downtown Vallejo on Virginia St. where Baci's used to be. Has anyone tried it yet?
Cherries are here !!!
Island Pacific Supermarket on Springs Road in Vallejo has a sale on bing cherries this week for $1.49/lb. The cherries are big, dark red, crisp, sweet and juicy. Yum!
Are there any places that still make a Monte Cristo Sandwich?
The San Franciscan Restaurant in Walnut Creek has it on their menu. A colleague of mine ordered it. It looked okay with all the traditional components but the sandwich bread looked like it was grilled and prepared french toast style vs. deep fried. I suppose a healthier version of it.
Vallejo: Food 4 Less - One-stop shopping for Southern, Mexican, Filipino and bargain groceries … and they even have limburger
Gosh, rw, you really did your homework. Great write-up with lots of juicy info. Thank you. What motivates you to be so thorough, and especially about anything in Vallejo?
Oakland: Unicos de Cuernavaca Tamal Shop - the best tamales in the Bay Area
I will definitely have to check them out when in Oakland. Some of the best tamales I've had are from All Star Tamales. They make them in Pittsburg and sell them at the various farmers markets in the Bay area. Great variety, fluffy masa, tasty fillings and in the right proportion.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/05/11/FDG42CLG7P1.DTL&hw=tamales+Olivia+Wu&sn=001&sc=1000
Best Greek Restaurant in Queens
The best Greek restaurants, tavernas, coffee shops and bakeries are in Astoria, Queens where there is a predominantly large Greek/Cypriot community. I like George's Restaurant, open 24 hrs. on Broadway for their lamb dishes, taramosalata, grilled fish, seafood, stews .and chicken dishes. For fast eats, there are lots of gyro joints. Check out Ditmars Blvd., 25th Ave., 30th Ave. and Broadway.
Japanese Cheesecake [Split from S.F. board thread]
Mystery solved. Here's a recipe for Japanese cheesecake! http://www.recipezaar.com/Japanese-Cheesecake-90032
Japanese Cheesecake
That is possible too. I'm sure somebody out there knows the answer and has a recipe. LOL. In the mean time, good luck in locating a Costco store in SF that sells it.
Japanese Cheesecake
I don't think it is steamed first then baked as this is not typically a technique used in making baked desserts (as far as I know). But beating egg whites to a stiffness then folding it gently into the batter to bake is a cooking technique to create lightness & airiness as in souffles. I am also guessing that the Japanese version uses less cream cheese.
Japanese Cheesecake
That is true. Not all Costcos carry the same specialty items. Costco in Vallejo carries this item and the cheesecake sells for about $11-12. It is very light in weight compared to traditional cheesecakes and has the same ingredient content. I am guessing the secret to the light-airiness of the Japanese version is in the treatment of egg whites, beating it to a meringue consistency and then adding it to the batter.
Japanese Cheesecake
Has anyone tried the Japanese cheesecake sold at Costco? Is it any good?
Thanh Long vs. Crustacean
Thanks for your feedback. I will probably go to Thanh Long then. In addition to the crab and noodles, any dishes worth trying?
Thanh Long vs. Crustacean
I know the two restaurants are both owned and operated by the same family; have similar-to-identical menus and known for their roasted garlic whole dungeness crab and garlic noodles. Are there any essential differences between the two or is one better than the other?
Red Jade review
I'd like to know what other hounds think of the food at Red Jade (245 Church St., SF). It was recently reviewed on Check Please! Bay Area and received high marks but just looking at the food shown on t.v. and reading their menu, the dishes seem ordinary and more American Chinese than authentic Chinese. What is special about their food that I should make a trip to try it?
Vallejo: SacsTasty Hot Dogs - Hot dog lover parking only. All others will be hounded
Sacs is a Vallejo institution and locals swear by it with lines going out the door on any given day. My friends tell me how good the hot dogs are, but I'm just not a big hot dog person. If, on those few occasions, I'm in the mood for a dog, I like it grilled and in a natural casing that snaps when you bite into it.
Also, several blocks from Sacs on Springs Road, there's a Red Onion hamburger place. Their burgers are good, better than Bud's or Nation's, in my opinion. Good fries, onion rings and thick milkshakes. They also serve breakfast, sandwiches, salads, & dessert. The only problem I have with the place is that a good portion of the menu items are fried and not too healthy.
Are you a Cheesecake Factory lover?
Sadly so. Some folks prefer quantity over quality, and hence, the fattening of America - 50% fat amd 30% obese. The mega portion sizes at some places are downright scary.
Are you a Cheesecake Factory lover?
I order from Morucci's regularly for my office's lunch meetings. They are the best deal in town and out. Very generous size sandwiches and quality of ingredients is top notch from the bread to the pesto. 6 1/2 is one of my faves. The pastrami is okay, not great like NY pastrami. You can't go wrong with any of their gourmet sandwiches. Also they do excellent salads; various pasta salads, broccoli salad, and their house salad is mixed greens with cranberries, walnuts, celery, feta, cherry tomatoes and apples in a vinagrette dressing. They also do hot entrees for catering including lasagna, ravioli and fettucini (red & white sauce) and great garlic bread. Speaking of which, for garlic lovers, Morucci's is heavy on garlic in a good way. There are a few tables to sit and dine but it's mostly a take out place. This place is far better than Genova Deli by a long shot.
Are you a Cheesecake Factory lover?
Thanks for the recommendation on Shanghai Gourmet. I've browsed through their menu before but haven't made the trek yet. I will definitely do so. I don't suppose PF Chang will be serving up braised pork knuckle, tendon, eel, rice cake or xlb anytime soon.
Are you a Cheesecake Factory lover?
What dishes have you had and do you recommend from Sichuan Fortune House? How are their noodle soups?
I've read a lot of mixed reviews on Tin's Teahouse in WC. I've only eaten at the one in Oakland Chinatown and that one is good. The same goes for Le Cheval (Vietnamese) in WC. It's overpriced simply because it's in the land of the high and mighty and food is not as good as I remember compared to the one in Oakland on Clay St. And R&J Noodle Place in Walnut Creek for Vietnamese food is a joke, lacking authenticity and portion size. If you're not hungry, go to R& J or eat at R&J and finish with a burger for George's next door.
Are you a Cheesecake Factory lover?
Have you tried Sichuan Fortune House at 41 Woodsworth Lane in Pleasant Hill? I haven't yet but from the read on the menu, the place sounds authentic and the reviews say it serves very good Sichuan (Szechuan) food.
What are your recommendations for good Japanese food in the Bay Area?
