Thanks for all the cherry tips. In a few weeks I'll be back from Wisconsin (where there are lots of sour cherries later in the summer) and would like to return to Stockton/Lodi before it gets too too hot. Maybe early June.

Just this week I started seeing cherries offered from trucks in the East Bay. Given year-to-year variation, around when is the cherry season in Stockton/Linden? Are they mainly Bing, pie or Rainier? I'd go out of my way for good cherries, and the season is short. Does the orchard on West Lane have a stand or u-pick? Any other recommendations?
Thanks much.

Thanks much, Melanie, for finding and adding all the contact info.
Food is key, but, it's worth saying - I loved the style. Dark woodwork, cream and distressed wood give the old Victorian hotel a spare feel, while baskets of branches, dried kelp and the odd stuffed bird add a touch of whimsy.

It was great produce and I'm sorry to hear it may soon be gone. It would be worthwhile to plan a return around those cherries.

We were able to go a few times in April, and by the last time it had become Sir and Star. The opening observations are here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/899888

Thanks. I didn't see this until afterward, but next time. Seems there are some interesting places and very good wineries without the crowds.

Thanks for all the ideas and here's my rambling report:

As it turned out, I drove spouse and colleagues to their noon meeting, so completely missed out on the farmers market. With only 4 hours to explore, I decided to check out a few wineries and to see what I could find out about how the very old Pakistani community in Lodi (predates independence) is expressed in local food. And get ripe strawberries.

I decided to head straight to 99 and Lodi, but was starving and pulled over for a wood-burning grill in front of a Mexican grocery on Alpine Ave. Grilled ribs weren't ready so I bought what appeared their local special - a jalapeno stuffed with queso fresco, wrapped in bacon and grilled (very tasty) and a grilled chicken hindquarter (a little dry but also tasty) for about $4.

Once I hit 99 I saw my mistake, as it's just a walled highway, got off at Kettelman and headed past strip malls toward downtown and the Visitor Center (aka Wine and Roses).
On Pine St. I stopped at Jeremy Wine, an attractive storefront. As they poured their wines, the young husband and wife team gave me a better map and helped me figure out a route to cover all fronts. I liked their wines and left with Albarino, Barbera and Tempranillo.
http://jeremywineco.com/
Next visit I would go to Wine and Roses, but with limited time, I decided to head straight to the wineries. M2 is another small artisan winery located in an industrial mall off Turner Rd.and the tasting room was lively. They make different blends and varietals, including a Viognier. I liked their style and left with an old vine Zinfandel.
http://www.m2wines.com/
btw - I often hear that Zinfandel is king in the Lodi area, and maybe it is, but that day I saw and tasted other fine hot weather varieties. Barbera, Tempranillo and more.
St. Amant was in another industrial park nearby, but, even after I got through the chain link gate, it wasn't easy to find. Once I got there, I had the cofounder (mother of the current winemaker) to myself and was glad I made the effort. St. Amant's has a variety of grapes from Lodi and Amador, and they are one of the few who make Verdelho - a bright Portuguese white. She is proud of their ports, and I especially liked Tawny Port. On my way out negotiated for gate space with a party in 2 cars who worried whether they were in the right place for St. Amant.
Klinker Brick has a big and busy tasting room/gift shop surrounded by vineyards and lots of people were having picnics. Their old vine Zins are excellent.
But I was ready to check out the kabob place in a strip mall off Cherokee. Not part of the long-standing Pakistani community, as it turned out, but it was good and run by an Afghan immigrant family. Spicy lamb plate with hummus, salad and flat bread for about $6.
Then I stopped by Rice & Spice - a small strip mall grocery, 1030 S Hutchins St. If I lived there I'd be a regular. Big bags of rice, halal meats, and shelf after shelf of pulses, beans, spicy snacks and a refrigerator full of pastries (made in the East Bay) and varieties of cheese. Very pleasant guy confirmed what others had been telling me - that the Pakistani community pretty much cooks at home. But he plans a deli section, and that would be worth a stop next visit.
After that it was straight down Hutchins to the Asian farm stand at West Lane and Harney for fava beans and a bargain flat of truly delicious ripe strawberries. West Lane back to Stockton and then home.
Thanks again for your contributions to a good day.

This month we went to Sir and Star at The Olema - dropped in Easter weekend and a few weeks later midweek. Margaret Grade and Daniel DeLong opened their new restaurant on the ground floor of the old Olema Hotel – the corner where Sir Francis Drake meets Star Route 1. For those who remember Manka’s, the style at Sir and Star is casual (brown paper over the tables) and modestly priced. Check menu and photos.
http://www.theolema.com/

Quality is high as ever and food still comes from within a short radius. One night the crab fishermen were having dinner at the next table. Small plates were grouped by price - $10 and $20 plates with a few $5 sides - and we tried to sample one after another.

$10 plates: Trio of Tomales Bay Oysters served in shot glasses with oyster jelly and a bright bit of acid. Pair of salads varies daily – we had lightly dressed little gems and arugula. My favorite by far was the Duck Egg broken over bubble-and-squeak: chopped cabbage, leeks, potatoes and chunks of meaty bacon. I could make a habit of just that combination of rich, meaty, earth, salt, sweet and crunch.

$20 plates: Crab with lemon aoili-style dip was fresh and sweet. Quail with kale came nestled against a mound of miner’s lettuce – great finger food. Pork Parts were braised belly with meatballs: rich, tender, delicious. Green Bouillabaisse is a happy combination of vegetables and deserves to be enjoyed by more than vegetarians.

For dessert ($10) they serve house-made ice cream with a variety of toppings. I liked virgin olive oil with salt.

They’re still figuring out some kinks with the new theme, including staffing, and it's good that they are now on OpenTable. They were about to begin Saturday night chef’s dinners, and we plan to return for those, but the small plates menu is excellent and relatively accessible. They appear to be drawing locals as well as people who popped by after a day on the trails. I hope it’s a good combination for them.

A Hobbit? Certainly not - that would be Margaret. I think of it as whimsical and part of the fun, but, if you don't like it, don't let that get in your way. This is some of the best food around, and a bargain at that.

I know what you meant.
The web site says : "Saturday night we only accept reservations for our chef’s meal in the dining room, priced at $75 per person, a lingering meal of several courses. But feel free to drop in for small plates served by the fire.'

In this setting, that means that on Saturday only the large main dining room will be set aside for prix-fixe with reservations, but there are still 3 front rooms for drop-ins who order off the a la carte menu. And that's going to be important. The times we were there on weekend nights a good proportion of people looked like they dropped by after spending the day nearby on the trails.

Yes, that is exactly the origin of the name. As well as a desire to mark that this is not a continuation of the old Olema Inn.

The Saturday prix-fixe is new. The original idea was for the Olema spot to be more of a roadhouse - an a la carte menu with lower prices than Manka's and more of a casual drop-in place, but with great food and drink. And the roadhouse is still the main idea, but after opening they found that fans of the old Manka's still want them to provide that special lingering dinner. And so they decided to offer that option (as well as the a la carte) on Saturdays only.

One night last week, having dinner at the table near the fireplace were the 2 fisherman who had brought in crab that very day, despite terrible winds. And they were still wearing their boots. That's just one of the things I always liked about Manka's.

We've been there a few times in recent weeks and will start a new thread. The restaurant is now called 'Sir and Star at The Olema' and they have just listed with OpenTable. Check out the fireplace.

http://www.theolema.com/

Thanks much to both of you. Unfortunately we won't get there early enough for the farmers market, though maybe the tail end. Thanks for the strawberry tip, and I'll see what I find in Lodi.

Any suggestions for Saturday in and around Stockton? Spouse has work to do and I'll have a car to explore most of the day. Looks like Stockton has an interesting Asian farmers market in the morning, which I hope to catch, and I've never been to any of the wineries in the surrounding Lodi area. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks to everyone. As it turned out, Mt. Everest was just right. With a dead campus, we could park at the corner, walk in to a good roomy table, linger over Mustangs and shared plates, and still arrived at Shotgun in plenty of time.
We especially liked the goat curry (Khasi Ko Mosu - Nepalese) and prawns in almond-coconut sauce (Kuauni Jhinge - monthly special). Also mint pepper naan.
And yes, everybody row. Woyzeck was wonderful. Tom Waits braided with a 19thC German opera tale hit that dark, dark sensibility - well, close enough to perfect for me.

Thanks for all over these. Simply Greek looks good and most convenient, but Mount Everest and Kiraku are strong contenders. Will submit to the gang and report back.
We're looking forward to Woyzeck.

Any suggestions for dinner near Ashby BART? We're meeting some adventurous recent college grads there about 2 hours before an 8pm play at Shotgun. Walking distance would be great, but short drive okay. We're looking for a good place to sit down and talk (though flea market stall information is always welcome.)
Any forms of Asian, Latin American, African, bistro, pizza, good sandwiches - whatever. Last time this group got together for this we went to Breads of India, which I used to really like once upon a time, and it was okay, but I'd appreciate some other ideas. In any case, isn't that BOI closed?

Getting down to the wire for July (and inspired by the Asian Fried Chicken thread) we decided to try Oriental BBQ Town. They did a good job dividing the space of whatever fast food spot the OB location once was. We settled into a cozy side table and ordered 1/2 order sweet and spicy Yang Nyum, 1/2 crispy garlic soy Gan Jang, and both were so very very good. Must have again. We also tried a platter of excellent grilled aspargus and spicy chicken feet, which came came perfectly done and bubbling in a black clay pot. The spicy rice cake we ordered never came (one guy seemed to be handling the front of the house by himself ) but by the time we noticed its absence we were satisfied. Next time.

OB was quiet when we arrived, but tables filled up quickly and loud techno music started up shortly after. That and Olympics coverage on 2 TVs would probably disqualify OB for most date nights, but this month we just wanted to try someplace new to us. We had a good time at OB and will return. With 2 beers we ate very well for less than $40. For comparison maybe Dan Sun Sa for August. For the rest of the year we'll choose among all these great suggestions, especially Ino, Jai Yun, Haven, La Ciccia, Marica, A Cote. Maybe Lazy Bear.

Sunday we went to Gaumenkitzel for June.
It's a lovely bright spot with a fresh, modern German food, and the chef knows when to stick with tradition. The rhubarb tart was flavor packed and light, but both red cabbage and spaetzle taste just like Grandma's.
That night we ordered standards off the June menu - smoked pork loin with mashed potatoes and pork schnitzel with spaetzle, carrots and a side of red cabbage. Impressive beer selection.

In some earlier discussions on this board Gaumenkitzel was recommended for gluten-free, vegetarians and even vegans. I concur with the first two but there is little on the menu for vegans. Worth noting: our waitress said that the chef is willing to put together a group of sides for vegans, and even enjoys doing that.

Thanks especially to abstractpoet and rworange for recommending Gaumenkitzel. Looks like a great breakfast, brunch and lunch spot, and I'll stop by whenever in the neighborhood.

Just continuing to report on this thread, but in May we were in Milwaukee - my old home town.

Sanford had been on my list for years. This is fine dining that honors its base: Sandy D' Amato's grandparents' and parents' grocery store in the old Italian neighborhood. Fresh, inventive, delicious yet unpretentious, seasonal with local roots.The prix fixe looked good, but we did the chef's choice, and one of our friends (not particularly adventurous) kept exclaiming, "But it's just so GOOD!" Interesting wine list, notably more German selections than you see on most Bay Area lists, and that certainly fits the place.
I think it's a must-do if you're ever close to Milwaukee. People drive up from Chicago.
sanfordrestaurant.com
1547 North Jackson Street Milwaukee 53202 (414) 276-9608
More discussion on the Great Lakes board.

My husband and I were just in Milwaukee. I grew up in the area so enjoy showing him the great old standards like Karl Ratsch's, exploring the new spots.

Sanford had been on my list for years and we had a wonderful dinner there - fresh, inventive, delicious yet unpretentious, seasonal with local roots. Just as one might hope for a restaurant based in what was once Sandy D'Amato's grandparents' grocery store. Interesting wine list and the sommelier suggested some great pairings.
sanfordrestaurant.com
1547 North Jackson Street Milwaukee 53202 (414) 276-9608

Can't get more typical Milwaukee than a Friday fish fry. We had a good time at the Lakefront Brewery's fish fry (with polka band and dance floor) after a brewery tour. Fish dinners and beer are both excellent. Get the potato pancakes - an original standard. It's actually on the river.
http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com
1872 N. Commerce Street, Milwaukee, 53212 414-372-8800

I'll second the Milwaukee Public Market as a good browsing/grazing spot. I'm a big fan of Kehr's Kandy Kitchen which has had a stand there for several years, expanded from the original place on West Lisbon. Fairy food, turtles...

Full Belly Farms grows an large heirloom variety 'Crimson Sweet' and the flavor is fantastic. In season (July-Aug) I buy them at the Tuesday Berkeley Farmers Market, and I presume they are sold at other farmers markets, maybe the Capay Valley stand at the Ferry Building.

On pairing, not CP. The other night at Donato Enoteca, we just asked for pairings (not on the menu), and the chef, sommelier and our waiter put together an excellent and interesting series of Italian wines - essentially they split several different wines-by-the-glass. Excellent. It was easy, good, and they obviously enjoyed doing it, so I'm going to make a habit of asking.

April Report:
Following a cluster of late afternoon appointments on Monday in Redwood City, we decided to bypass rush hour and give Donato Enoteca a try. We were seated in the airy front room alongside counter seating and busy open kitchen, and sat down to glasses of Drusian Proseco with house bread and tapenade. We went for the 7 course tasting menu ($68), and were glad we did. The chef devises them on the spot and accommodates preferences or aversions. We requested one weekly special item: grilled Monterrey sardines, but otherwise the chef chose among menu and special items, and added a few that were off-menu, like house-made ravioli of wild greens and Robiola cheese sauteed with brown butter and sage on a bed of mixed wild mushrooms. Just one delicious well-composed example of many. Oh, and risotto parmigiana with slow-roasted pork belly, crisped and glazed just before serving...
We asked for wine recommendations, and the chef, sommelier and our waiter devised a pairing series of interesting Italian wines - one white, 2 reds - tasty every one, and each complemented the course in front of us as well as the one that followed.
Our young waiter not only kept things moving smoothly at our pace (leisurely) but he was an enthusiastic collaborator. He described each course well, but not as though he was making a declamation, he listened, reported to the kitchen and, by request, he circled our courses that were on the menu and hand-wrote descriptions of those that were not.
The 3 course weekly prix-fixe ($34) looked good and good value, and Monday night a varied clientele spread about a range of seating options: patio, counter, private rooms, large and more formal dining rooms. We really like Donato Enoteca, enjoy the fresh-tasting combinations of ingredients in the Italian tradition, as well as the carefully selected wine list, and especially would recommend it to people who live or work on the Peninsula.

Yes, across the range of reviews words like "sterile" and "refrigerator" come up often, even "indifferent," and that was not at all our experience. Hubby loves to explore good food, but has zero interest in temples to gastronomy or pretension to such, and he had a wonderful time, thanked me for choosing Commis. And commented that he felt perfectly satisfied, and better satisfied than after meals that had left him "full." We don't often spend that much, but it may now top the Special list.

So last night we went to Commis - sat at the counter and tried their wine and beer pairings. All those wonderful bites of intense flavor with texture, chew and crunch, and each pairing was delicious. We talked comfortably without raising voices and enjoyed watching the chef, sous chef and all compose various assemblies over and over again (lots of tweezers) and the overall effect was relaxed and relaxing. In fact, we enjoyed an evening of perfectly delicious courses and in an atmosphere much warmer and more welcoming than I had expected. One surprise ingredient was oxalis: Yes, new use for the yellow flowered weed that pops up around my garden, as well as some joking that they'd already come by for some of mine.

Telling detail - that they keep Ron Zacapa on the shelf.
Sounds wonderful. Glad to see exploration of the Benecia-Martinez-Vallejo area.

I know exactly what you mean...
btw - our March destination is Commis.

February has been pretty hectic, but to keep on track with the monthly date nights, last night we went to B-Dama. Thanks, abstractpoet, for the suggestion - lively izakaya house scene and delicious food. One server in particular helped us narrow our initial choices off the specials board, as well as several yakitori (tongue, chicken cartilage, quail egg with short rib), and we kept adding more. We spent nearly 2 hours sipping, nibbling tasty bites and talking - definitely a good time, and the total bill was just over $60. It is a bit noisy, but we had no trouble conversing at a tiny corner table. Definitely a return spot, and often.

Open kitchen does have its sacrifices, but reverential is not the scene I was hoping for. I do appreciate your observation and will discuss this again before making reservations. Commis might be it for February.