Marga's Old Foodblog: Restaurants Archives

July 21, 2007

Reviews of our trip's restaurants

As you know, I recently took a trip to the wine country and the mendocino area. Here are the restaurant reviews from that trip.

Mendo Bistro is a bistro in Fort Bragg, Ca, which lets you chose what you want to eat and how you want it cooked.

Timber Cove Inn Restaurant is the restaurant of the hotel of the same name located about 15 miles north of Jenner, California. There is nothing else in the area so the restaurant gets away with charging ridiculously overpriced but still good food.

Solbar in Calistoga offers high-end interpretations of American Cuisine and mostly gets it right.

La Hacienda is your typical Mexican Restaurant in Cloverdale

We had a great lunch at the Mendocino Hotel Garden Room in a beautiful bee-filled garden.

And a disappointing lunch at the the Station House Cafe in Point Reyes Station, with extremely underseasoned food (but in another beautiful garden).

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July 20, 2007

Lunching in the wine country

As you can discern from my postings below, Mike and I spent three days traveling through the Napa Valley, tasting wine and relaxing. We had a few really nice dinners, and more conventional lunches. But as I swore to review everything about the trip (to make it even more fun for me), here are my notes on our Wine Country Lunches.

Sunday we were in Napa and had lunch at Giugni's Deli in St. Helena. This is our favorite sandwich shop in the whole world. *Every* time we come to Napa, we go eat there. Napa may be filled with culinary delights from north to south, but we will never know them because I will never have lunch at a place other than Giugni's. It *is* that good.

The way it works (nothing extraordinary here) is that you chose your meat(s), you chose your cheese(s), you chose your bread, you chose your condiments and accouterments and they prepare the sandwich for you. I'm not sure if it's in the quality of the meats and cheeses they use, the condiments or what, but their sandwiches are simply delicious - and very filling as well.
This time I had a roast beef with muenster cheese, tomatoes & avocado, and Mike had black forest ham with smoked Gouda, lettuce, bean sprouts and other stuff. We also got two dessert bars which were very disappointing. I got a coke. The whole thing came up to a little over $20. But hearken me, go to Giugni if you ever go to St. Helena, you won't be disappointed.

Giugni's
1227 Main St.
St. Helena
707-963-3421

The next day we had breakfast at the Calistoga Roastery, a very cool cafe in downtown Calistoga. They serve gourmet coffee, smoothies, teas, some pastries and a few breakfast items. I had a pineapple and cream cheese scone, which was good though crumbly. I also had the bananza smoothie ($4 for 16 oz) a mixture of banana with berries, which was unremarkably good. Mike liked his English Muffin with a sausage patty, eggs and cheese.

The cafe is pretty large and they have a communal table, as well as table and bar seating. There is a computer for internet access (free), and while they say in their website that they have wi-fi, Mike couldn't connect. It was very busy on a Monday morning, and if I lived in Calistoga I'd probably hang out there.

Calistoga Roastery
1426 Lincoln Ave
Calistoga, CA 94515
(707) 942-5757
http://www.calistogaroastery.com

That day we went to the Russian River Valley and we decided to stop in Guerneville for lunch. We went to the River Inn Grill for lunch, the first place we came across. It was a coffeeshop sort of place, with booth and table seating. It was comfy but nothing special. They have a limited menu mostly of coffeeshop items, burgers and sandwiches.

We shared some onion rings ($6) which came with blue cheese dressing. The were crispy but not burnt, good but not great and we felt the portion was small for the price.

I had the Ancho BBQ Pork Sandwich ($9) which had a good, smokey flavor. Mike had the fish and chips ($13 for 3 pieces), which he didn't like. The fish was tasteless and chewy, and the batter came off it.

On the plus side, the portions were large. I think next time we'd probably look for a different place for lunch.

River Inn Grill
16141 Main St.
Guerneville, CA
(707) 869-0481
http://www.riverinngrill.com/

On our final day in the wine country, we found ourselves in Boomville - a town that looks like anything but a boom town. The first place we found where they had food was the Anderson Valley Market & Deli so that's where we headed for lunch. They have a deli operation in the back where they make sandwiches, there are a couple of tables outside by the door where you can eat them. I thought my roast beef sandwich was OK, it definitely had a lot of meat and I couldn't finish it all. Mike really liked his black forest ham with smoked gouda sandwich, but mostly because of the sweet Mendocino mustard. "Lord knows it overpowered everything. I had smoked gouda, I couldn't taste it at all".

Our sandwiches were between $5-7. They were slow to come by, however, they only have one person working the counter and she needs to cut the meat and cheeses herself in addition to assembling the sandwiches.

Anderson Valley Market & Deli
Boonville
707 895-3019

And that was it

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July 6, 2007

Take out from New Hong Kong Restaurant

Last night we got take out from New Hong Kong. I always order the same things, orange chicken, szechuan beef, sesame chicken, orange chicken, and then I'm a bit disgusted by the gooiness of it all. This time I decided to try something different and got the crispy chicken ($6 for half a chicken) and the ginger beef ($6.50). I also got the pork buns, chicken chow mein for the kids, and an order of free fried wontons.

The pork buns were good, as usual. They are steamed and they have a pretty high ratio of bread to stuffing, but they are good none the less. The friend wontons are crisp and very good with the sweet-n-sour sauce they came with. Pure fat and a guilty pleasure. Can't comment on the chow mein 'cause I didn't try it. But both the crispy chicken and the ginger beef were very good. The chicken was moist and had been nicely spiced (but it wasn't spicy), and it's skin was almost crispy enough. As it was, you could skip it and all that fat. The ginger beef had a light ginger flavor, and was nicely complimented by the green onions. The one problem is that there were just too many scallions and too little beef. Still, I'd order both dishes again.

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Andy & Joe's closes down

According to Mike, there is a sign at Andy & Joe's Restaurant saying that the restaurant is for sale or rent. I'm not surprised, as every time I walked by (and as it's on my way downtown I walked by it a lot) it was empty or semi-empty. Alas, if they didn't improve on their food, I'm not surprised. The restaurant business is hard and you need to offer a superior product to make it. If you do, like Le Soleil, staying alive shouldn't be a problem.

I think there were a couple of other things that andy & joe's did wrong (apart from offering mediocre food). One was to offer the same type of food that you can get at other established restaurants downtown. And it wasn't a destination sort of food, like Vietnamese, Thai or Indian may be. The other was to not advertise widely at first. That's when they need to get the word of mouth going. Putting flyers in area businesses and homes would have helped them. And finally, they priced their offerings too high.

The location may be a problem, too. This is the third restaurant in a row that fails there. The first one (since we've lived in San Leandro), Casa María #2 was closed down by the health department, briefly reopened afterwards, and then moved to a different (and one hopes cleaner) location. I haven't been there again.

The second one started as Kolbeh, offered mediocre Mediterranean fair. Though I wished the owners well, their food just did not convince me. Apparently it didn't convince others' either, as they closed it and revamped it as a Mexican restaurant, Taqueria. They had a strange scheme, they served burritos and you paid $1 for each ingredient you wanted. That made a meat and guacamole burrito a bargain, but an "everything" burrito quite expensive. Alas, the pre-cooked meat wasn't that great either. I was sorry to see them go, I liked the owners, but it was also inevitable.

And now Andy & Joe's.

But alas, I don't think the problem is the location. I think the problem is the mediocre food that all these restaurants are serving. And the lack of imagination. Do we need a burger place downtown? Ummm, no. Do we need another taqueria? Los Pericos practically has the whole San Leandro market. What we do need, if anyone is listening, is an INDIAN restaurant. There is one in Hayward, Favorite India, which delivers to San Leandro - but it's not the same as having one here. Plus an Indian buffet would do well with the downtown business crowd.

And here is a radical idea, how about an Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurant? As judged by who attends the library story time, San Leandro has a large Ethiopian and Eritrean population. That provides a built-in market for a restaurant. Add to that all the Berkeley-transplants who live here, and you have a winner. An Ethiopian restaurant could offer a killer lunch buffet as well.

A Persian restaurant could be a great addition, as well, though I'm less sure there is enough of a market for it.

But anyway, restaurant entrepeneurs take notice, here is a space you could turn into a good and much needed restaurant with some vision.

On a different note, I've learned there is a new Jamaican place in town, but when I went looking for it I didn't find it (not surprising, given how I am). Friends ate there, though, and they liked it. I'm hoping to visit it soon and give you a report.

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July 3, 2007

Rocky's Charcoal's Grill

I'm disappointed to say that I was not impressed by Rocky's Charcoal's Grill, the latest restaurant to take the space on West Estudillo and Haste, next to the San Leandro History Museum. The burgers we had there were OK, but pedestrian - and the chose your own condiments and toppings (sans tomatoes, which you have to ask for separately) was not a winner in my book. If I knew how to properly dress a burger, I'd make it myself :) The patties themselves were on the dry side, and they had only a slight charcoal flavor, though they are cooked on a charcoal grill.

On the plus side, Rocky's only uses fresh beef not treated with artificial hormones and given an all-vegetarian diet. I'd like to see more restaurants do that. The prices are quite affordable, with 1/3 lb burgers starting at $4.25.

I'm sad to not be able to give Rocky's a good review. The people working there were very nice, and I do hope the business to succeed. I should also note, that other people have raved about the place, so I'd recommend you go and judge for yourself.

Rocky's Charcoal's Grill
300 West Estudillo Ave.
San Leandro, CA
510-351-6228

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May 7, 2007

Afghan near Fishermans Wharf

I just heard that a new Afghan restaurant has opened near Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. I don't know anything about it, so if you'd been there and have an opinion, please comment here. Still, for me any new Afghan place is good news. here are the details:

Kabul City Restaurant
380 Beach St
San Francisco, Ca 94113
415-359-1400

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May 4, 2007

Birthday Meals

Yesterday was my birthday (yeaaaay!), and while I'm having the main celebration Saturday (and I'll write more about the food for that in my next posting), Mike was nice enough to take me out for lunch and dinner yesterday. We did, however, go to San Leandro favorites (sort of) rather than all the way out of the city.

For lunch we went to Paradiso and for dinner to Horatio's

Lunch was very disappointing, all the more so because Paradiso is supposed to be the best restaurant in town and because I've had a couple of good lunches there lately (if you go, order the filetes mignonettes, those are very good). I ordered a dish of penne with mushrooms and filet mignon slices in a Marsala creme sauce (doesn't that sound good?). Alas, it wasn't that great. The flavor of the sauce was just too mild, and the beef needed some salt to bring its own flavor forward. It wasn't bad, but not $15-good. Mike had the scallops, and he thought they were fine, but the portion was too small to fill him up. The OK fries didn't help much. He ended up eating some of my lunch. I don't think either of us were inordinately hungry. Service was blah, even though there seemed to be a dozen people working that day. Our waiter never came to check on us after our food was served, and the bill was just brought after we were done with our entrees, without asking if we wanted something else. Lunch came up to somewhere over $40 before tip, definitely not worth it. Still, Paradiso does a brisk lunch business, though choices for nice lunch places in town are very limited.

Dinner was something different. Once again, we had Horaio's delicious foccacia bread with garlic butter (I think that's what they serve, at least), followed by the warm brie with macademia nut crust ($11). We've had this before and it's delicious, in particular with the apple and the balsamic vinegar. I only wish they served more than 3 small slices of apple and a drizzle of vinegar. Still, it's something I'll keep ordering.

As our entrees, I had the Hawaiian baby back ribs ($19), which were quite nice though nothing special as far as baby back ribs go. The meat did fall completely off the bone, though, which Mike particularly liked. It came with sweet potato fries, I think I'd have liked regular fries better, these ones had a very mild taste.

Mike thought his crab stuffed sole was delicious, albeit a tiny bit in the salty side. He couldn't taste the crab, however, though that didn't seem to deter from the dish. He'd order it again.

For dessert I had the chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, which is pretty much what I always order, and I liked it a lot.

Service was very good, I got a window table just as I requested on my reservation - though we had to wait a little bit for it. Our waitress was jovial and cordial, and kept an eye on our needs. All in all we had a great time - made better by the fact that I got a $20 off coupon, as it was my birthday. It really pays to join their club.

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April 8, 2007

Complain about Apple Peddler in Sutherlin

I received the following complaint about the Apple Peddler in Sutherlin. I'm posting it at the request of the sender

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My kids were here on vacation-they wanted pie. We went to the Apple Peddlere in Sutherlin. We bought two cream pies, cheese cake and a piece of peach pie.

The cream pies were very good. The cheese cake was enjoyed by my daughter-the peach pie was mine.

I opened the to go container and found two slices of peach that looked like they had been sitting in a dehydrater for 7 days. The filling had jelled-I had moved past the dried peach slices and put my fork into the slice-how on earth did the server send this old, stale slice of pie out of the store? I immediately called and spoke with the server that knowingly pass this on to me. I would return the next day for a refund. She politely acknowledged my request.

My kids were here on vacation-we went with my mother early to the Wild Life Safari. When we retuned I sent my son to Apple Peddler to get the money-$3.75. He came home with the same dried out pie-really upset me. So I called again. I started with " I want to leave a message with the manager." I was told to quit yelling-I was using an angry voice but far from yelling, although I did volunteer to yell, then I was told "The manager does not have time to take out of his busy day and return my call." Yes, I was then very pissed off. I explained that I had spent $26 on pie and that I wanted to have my complaint satisfied. I finally hung up the phone. I am making the third trip to the restaurant today to take care of the dried up pie situation.

I will never eat here again. The customer service leaves much to be desired.

Chris Dockstader
Sutherlin, OR

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Restaurants in Bellevue/Seattle

Mike and I just took a trip to Bellevue, Washington (he had work there), so we went out to dinner in the area. I wrote several reviews, which you can now read online:

Chutneys is an upscale Indian restaurant, with an amazing lamb dish.

Andiamo is an Italian restaurant with a really annoying singer.

McCormick & Schmicks Seafood Restaurant is a chain with pretty good fish

On our last day, we visited Seattle and had a very good meal at Pike Place Bar & Grill

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March 28, 2007

Sonoma's Restaurant

A few weeks ago my friend Lola came to visit me and we were looking for a place to have lunch. I decided it was time to give Cafe Encore another chance, I'd been there years before but it had since changed ownership. We were surprised to find out that it had also changed names and concept, it now serves wine country cuisine and it's called Sonoma's Restaurant.

The place hasn't changed much in looks, it has a pleasant bistro-like atmosphere, perfect for a nice lunch. Its lunch menu - I haven't been there for dinner yet - concentrates on fancy sandwiches, mostly $9-10. I went for the Napa Valley Burger which added prosciutto, blue cheese, mushrooms and greens to some fancy ground beef. It was quite good but pretty unmanageable. The burger kept falling off the bread, and the whole thing was too thick to fit in my admittedly small mouth. It wasn't too easy to eat with knife and fork either. I liked the taste of the blue cheese, though it did overwhelm the prosciutto which I couldn't taste at all. Still, I liked the whole thing and I'd order it again.

Lola was very pleased with the sandwich that was the special of the day. It had salame, provolone cheese, bacon and avocado. She found it very tasty, though also hard to eat. In addition, he bread had been toasted in olive oil and made her fingers oily. She also liked the mixed green salads dressed with balsamic vinegar. We both really liked the piquant salsa served on the side.

Service, by David, the new owner, was very good. He was attentive but kept his distance from out very intimate conversation.

In all, we had a very nice lunch experience, and I'd definitely go again. Now it's time to try them for dinner.

Sonoma's
1027 MacArthur Blvd
San Leandro
510.636.1143

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March 1, 2007

Oriental Tea House Redux

Last night we went to the Oriental Tea House with a bunch of our friends (for memory's sake, they were Donovan & Parker with Luther and baby Will, Regina and Boris, and Eddie and Arthur with Laurel, Bailey and Dee). We ordered a bunch of dishes: fried calamari, friend wontons, chicken chow mein, vegetable chow mein, lemon chicken, kun pao chicken, half a roasted chicken, beef with some sort of green beans and a couple of shrimp dishes. I was amazed at how good everything was. It was great to be able to savor so much variety - and to be with so many friends - but the actual food was all very good. And the bill was terribly cheap at $86 - which fed an army of 8 adults and 6 children.

We were all able to fit at one, very crowded, table - larger parties or those with more adults, would have to split in two.

We are now planning on getting together for dim sum some Sunday morning. If any of my friends are reading this, and want to come along, just e-mail me.

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February 24, 2007

di bartolo

Last night my friends Eddie, Katrina, Parker and I had a well-deserved Mom's Night Out. We decided to go to Spettro's for dinner - and a review of that restaurant will follow soon - but we didn't want to get there too early. lest the place be full of children. If we're out without our children, we definitely want to avoid other people's as well.

So we decided to go to a bar instead. Katrina had one in mind, blocks and blocks away from Spettro's, but right before we got there we went by di bartolo and it seemed like a really nice place to stop. We were concerned that it was too much of a restaurant, but they have a bar area in the back which was just perfect for us. It's small, dark, and while it was crowded, it was quite comfortable. The front dining room is also small and dark, and I think it could be a pleasant place for a romantic evening.

di bartolo offers ten interesting mix drink concoctions ($10), products of a very creative bartender. Eddie and I went for El Rojo Obispo: Absolut ruby red, patron citronge, fresh mint, pomegrante juice and lime. It was very good, though a little bit too sweet for me - as the ice melted and the drink diluted that was less of a problem. Both Eddie and I would definitely order it again. Katrina had the grand: vanilla vodka, mission fig puree and fresh lemon, served up. It was delicious, it had a warm fussiness to it, and a caramelish taste. I'd definitely order it. The loser of the evening was Parker's Madagascar sazerac: Maker's mark, vanilla sugar, thyme sprig, served on the rocks. The problem was that it tasted very alcoholic, if you are the type of person who drinks your alcohol straight you might like it, but if you are a mixed-drinks type of person, you may want to stay away from it. In any case, Parker couldn't finish it. Finally, Eddie and Parker shared a mojito. I didn't try it but they both said they liked it.

In the middle of our drinks we figured it'd be good if we had something to eat (though we'd munched on crackers with goat cheese, nicely provided by Eddie, in the car) so we ordered their garlic fries ($5) and their mushroom pizza with caramelized onions and chevre ($14). The fries were good, though not nearly as good as the fries from A Cote, or even our neighborhood's Joplin's (though they were definitely more refined, thinner, than the latter). For $5 I would have expected them to be somewhat better. The same thing can be said about the pizza, it was very good with a very thin crust and a good balance of toppings (though the mushrooms were particularly good), but it was definitely too small for the prize - or too pricey for the size and lack of "awe" element. But you know me, I'm pretty jaded by food and it was a good pizza.

In all we very much enjoyed our time at di bartolo and we are planning to go there for dinner at our next mom's night out.

di bartolo
3306 Grand Ave
Oakland, CA
510-451-0576

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Cactus Taqueria

Last weekend we went to Tilden with our kids, but neglected to pack a lunch to bring along (that neglect can be put squarely at Mike's shoulders, as I would never pack a lunch to begin with). So once there, we had to go into Berkeley in search both for gas (as Desiree had been running on empty for a couple of days by then) and food. We managed to get a place to park near Cactus Taqueria and so there we went.

The long lines did not foreshadow particularly good food. We all found the burritos (~$6) - and we got carne asada, carnitas and chicken burritos - to be just OK. In my particularly case, the cold ingredients (salsa, cheese, lettuce, cream & guacamole) completely overwhelmed the meat. There were bites - about 50% of them - that came with no meat at all. The lack of meat was also noticed by my companions. Even the rice and beans were not particularly noteworthy, though the kids ate some of them.

All of this said, the food wasn't terrible, though I'll look for some other place next time we're in the area.

Cactus Taqueria
1881 Solano Ave.
Berkeley, CA
510-528-1881

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February 18, 2007

New & Updated Restaurants

Frequent visitors to my website will probably have noticed that I haven't updated my restaurant reviews in a while. Part of the issue is that I don't eat out as much as I used to - it's a pain in the butt to go to restaurants with Camila, and the kids are going to sleep pretty early lately -, but a bigger part of it is that Mike has been singularly busy for the last few months and he has not edited my restaurant reviews. Moreover, he doesn't think my writing should appear anywhere without editing (that's very flattering), so he kept telling me that he'd have them ready and to wait just a couple of days more. Finally, when I threatened and threatened to post them unedited, he relented and did them all. So here they are:

In San Leandro

Horatio's. An update on our local steak & fish house. Read about how we managed to have a three-course meal for $25.

Makiyaki. This Japanese restaurant in Pelton Center has good sushi but terrible teriyaki.

Chang's. This new restaurant at the new MacArthur development offers scaled-up Chinese food with fresh ingredients.

Vila Cereja update. This strange restaurant has no windows, but some cool design motifs - as well as very good food. Now, if only the service could match it.

Further afield

Pappo, in Alameda, offers solid food that needs a little bit more pizzazz. Still a good choice for a Californian meal.

La Note in Berkeley has a lovely room and did a good job with a ratatouille but completely failed with a simple burger.

Also in Berkeley, Viceroy Indian Cuisine proved that serving good food is no requirement for staying in business in Berkeley.

In Oakland, Tanjia serves tasty Moroccan food, in a tent-like atmosphere, as well as bellydancing. But the service is stiff and the tea could be tastier.

And talking about tea, the Leland Tea Company in San Francisco serves an impossibly cheap tea service which includes a very weak cup of tea. Some of the food was good, however.

A better choice is Secret Garden, which is frilly and delicate but has good tea and good food.

Finally, there is a November update from a visit to the Buenos Aires Grill in the San Fernando Valley.

I'm off to two new restaurants this week, and I still have to write a review of Angelina's, so keep your eyes open for more reviews coming soon.

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February 16, 2007

Hoagy Steak

The other night, before a City Council meeting (in which our friend Jim Prola was appointed to City Council to my endless happiness), we decided to drop by Hoagy Steak for a bite. The place is very close to City Hall and I imagine it gets quite a bit of business from there. Both Mike and I got the plain Philly Cheese steak - though we probably should have gotten one with more stuff on it. I thought the cheese steaks were pretty good, if a bit salty. Mike didn't like them, probably because they were made with the foulest of all cheeses, American cheese. In any case they were fresh. The fries, also made right then, were steaming hot and pretty good. I can see going back there if I have a hankering for a Philly steak or a hoagy, or I'm just around City Hall.

Hoagy Steak
691 East 14th St.
San Leandro, Ca
510.635.3631

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February 12, 2007

Andy & Joe's

Andy & Joe's is the latest restaurant to open in the space once occupied by Taqueria and Casa María #2 on East 14th in San Leandro. It serves coffeeshop-type food, breakfast, burgers, sandwiches and breakfast all day. For dinner it has some standard American dishes such as pastas ($10-13), chicken parmigiana ($12) and pork chops ($13). My friend Aamani and I went for lunch there today, and we weren't impressed. Though the space looks nice, the walls have been painted with murals of villas (don't ask me why), the food was mediocre at best.

To be fair to the restaurant, today was its opening day so some mistakes are understandable: a waiter who did not ask how I liked my burger, or who bothered to bring butter and jam to go with my companion's toast. But others depend on the kitchen, and a good cook is a good cook.

I ordered a cheeseburger and fries ($7.15). I forgot to specify that I wanted the burger medium rare, so it came medium to well done. The burger was on the dry side, not very juicy, and wasn't particularly flavorful, even though it tasted like it had been seasoned and perhaps even had fillers. The cheese wasn't melted, and the tomatoes that came with it were pretty pale. In all, it was a mediocre burger at best. The fries also left much to be desired. I don't understand how this can be, being opening day and all, but they tasted like they'd been fried in old oil - they had that slightly rancid flavor. They were thick wedges and served very hot.

Aamani's Southwest scramble (bell peppers, chicken apple sausage, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes & cheddar cheese - $6.75) wasn't very good either. Aamani didn't like that the potatoes were scrambled with everything else - they'd have been nicer as a side. The scramble wasn't very flavorful and needed more spice. It came with one (!) slice of toast, with no butter or jam.

Service was friendly, and I feel bad slamming the restaurant on its opening day, but the food really disappointed us - in particular, when I compare it to Joplin's, another new recently-opened restaurant with a similar menu. The burgers there (and I've had them three times now) are much better and cheaper too.

All this said, I will probably give andy & joe's another try in a couple of months. Perhaps by then they'll get a more competent cook.

andy & joe's
1652 E. 14th St.
San Leandro, Ca
510.667.9807
M-F 7 AM - 3 PM, 5 PM - 8:30 PM
Sa 8 AM - 3 PM, 5 PM - 8:30 PM
Su 8 AM - 3 PM

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Barceluna

It's been too long since our visit to be able to write a proper review of Barceluna - but we went during the holiday season when my life was pretty crazy. Still, I figure I should write a couple about it.

First of all, it's not really a restaurant. It's a lounge where they serve food. We went early a weekday night, before the music started (at 8PM, I think) and there was nobody there. They didn't even have waitstuff, instead we were served by the cocktail waitress from the adjoining bar. She was nice and the service was good, but didn't know anything about the menu. It was pretty weird dining in the restaurant alone - if you want to go, I'd recommend you do it when they're playing the music.

The menu consists mostly of tapas, though they have larger dishes as well. We like tapas and we went for them. Unfortunately, I can't recall all of what we ordered. I know we enjoyed the garlic french fries, we ordered a small size but I think they must have served us the larger one - the plate was huge. We didn't, however, liked the pork back-ribs, which had a strong and bitter glace, which made it very difficult to taste the actual ribs. The tri-tip strips with blue cheese suffered from a similar affliction, the blue cheese was too strong and made it impossible to taste the meat. Alas, I don't remember what else we had, but our whole impression was that the dishes were off. We really wanted to like the place, as we were out in a rare date, but ultimately we couldn't and I don't think we'd go again.

Barceluna at Kelly's
1313 Park Street
Alameda, CA 94501
510-522-7425
510-769-1011
http://barceluna.org/

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Mo's Gourmet Hamburger

Yesterday we spent the afternoon in San Francisco, or in Yerba Buena Gardens to be more exact. The kids played at the Metreon, hunted for worms in a little structure outside, run behind the fountain, enjoyed the merry-go-round and had the greatest time at the playground - those are some fast slides they have. We did have a moment of terror when Mika decided to play hide-n-seek with us without telling us, but in all, we had a very good time.

By the middle of it, however, we were starving, and Mo's, located right next to the playground, seemed like the ideal place to eat. It was pretty good.

As its name implies, Mo's concentrates on burgers and while none of the choices are particularly original, they are made from 100% Angus meat. The burgers are pretty expensive, at $7-8 without fries. They also serve breakfast items and have a short kid-menu, with a burger, a hot dog, chicken nuggets and a grilled cheese sandwich - all pretty expensive at $6.
But portions are pretty large. Mike and I shared a burger and some onion rights, plus had some of the pancakes Mika didn't eat and we were pretty full.

Our blue cheese burger was quite good, it had both a meaty and blue cheesy taste, and we enjoyed it. However, it had been overcooked. We'd asked for our burger medium rare, and you could barely discern any pink inside. Oh well, next time we'll be more adamant about how it's cooked. The onion rings were also very good, the batter held well together, and it wasn't overly greasy. I'd liked if they'd been accompanied by ranch dressing, but they were quite good by themselves. We also liked the pancakes that Mika got. They were nice and light, and had none of that chemical taste that comes from making them from a mix. Mika and Camila were quite pleased.

In all we had a pretty good meal, and next time I'm at Yerba Buena I'd eat there again.

Mo's Gourmet Burgers
772 Folsom Street
Yerba Buena Gardens
San Francisco, CA
(415) 957-3779

Posted by marga at 8:43 AM | TrackBack

February 3, 2007

On City Tavern in Philadelphia

A few years ago we had lunch at City Tavern in Philadelphia, a "theme restaurant" that features revolutionary period cuisine served by people dressed on period clothing. We had a pretty good experience. However, the person who sent us the following note, did not.

----
Dear Sirs:

Last Sunday, Nov. 26, 2006, three friend and I ate at your restaurant after seeing a show at the Society HIll Playhouse. We had made reservations, but didn't really need them as it didn't seem too busy.

ON one friends suggestion, we all ordered the special of the day. It was steak and shrimp.
We all had soup also. 3 Gumbo and 1 Pepper Pot.

The soups were very good, although expensive.. When our dinners came we were disappointed, but didn't make a fuss as we didn't want to embarrass our friend who suggested the restaurant and also made the reservation. Her last name is Yokim.

The steak was tough and the shrimp very over cooked. Needles to say most of our steak went back. I had the feeling that the meals were already cooked and then warmed up just before serving us.

Needless to say we were very disappointed. I am always recommending places to out of town guests, but your restaurant won't be on my list.

Just thought you might like to know, so maybe some improvements can be made.

Sincerely

Phyllis Reighter

Posted by marga at 9:58 AM | TrackBack

Suggestions from another San Leandran

Hello,
I enjoy eating out here in San Leandro. I have a
comment and some suggestions--
Nick's Family Restaurant is the only restaurant in
town that serves home fries similar to what I have
eaten at Full House Cafe or Mama's Royal Cafe. They
also have really good fresh fruit. I would suggest a
revisit to try those two items. The others places in
town serve hash brown potatoes (no thanks).

Suggestions: my favorite place to eat is Ernies
Seafood on E. 14th St. where it crosses San Leandro
Blvd. near the hospital. It is the pink building.
Lots of great fish and seafood items. I especially
like the half crab sandwich special with coles slaw
and shrimp salad. Lots of variations. They also
serve steak. You can eat in the front area in booths,
the backroom where there is a televison which you can
ignore or sit out on their deck which faces a side
street.
I also like the Imperial Garden on MacArthur
Blvd. I can request no salt, no soy sauce, no MSG, no
sugar, no cornstarch and cooked in a dry wok and I get
it that way.
There is also a Vietnamese restaurant at the end
of Merced St. in a shopping center that serves very
nice fresh spring rolls and a fish soup. I request
certain things be left out of the soup and they serve
it that way. I have to go back again to get the name
of the place. Enjoy

Posted by marga at 9:51 AM | TrackBack

January 28, 2007

Joplins

You heard it here first, Joplins has the best burgers in San Leandro, and I've eaten at enough places in San Leandro to know. If you like your burgers big and juicy - so big you won't be able to finish them, so juicy you better have a napkin ready - this is definitely the place to go. And you should hurry, both times I went there, there were only a few customers for lunch, which concerns me as I definitely don't want the place to close.

On both my visits I ordered their cheeseburger ($5), which comes with the usual ingredients (tomato, lettuce, onions) and is made to order. I already described it as being very good, so good that now every time I want a burger, I want a Joplin's burger (a Val's may be better, but they're too far away). I want one right now as I type this, btw :)

Fries come with some of their dishes, but not with the burgers. An order of regular fries will cost you $1.50, but I'd advise you to go for the garlic fries ($3.50) instead. They are made with real garlic, not garlic powder, and they are out of this world. I should say, however, that I liked them better on my first visit, when they were skinny fries, rather than in my second, when they were the thicker wedge-type. I should have said something to the waiter; next time.

I went with my sister Kathy on my first visit, and she ordered the fried chicken wings ($5). These were quite good as well, nicely seasoned but not too spicy, and came served with sauce on the side (so this might be a good dish for little kids too). Our only complaint was that chicken wings are a pain to eat, we would much have preferred fried chicken legs. One more thing to tell them. On my second visit I went with my friend Aamani who also had - and enjoyed - the burger.

Both times service was very good, attentive and friendly.

My one qualm with Joplin's is their menu. They have an amazing breakfast menu with things such as blueberry sour cream pancakes and bananasplit belgian waffles as well as several types of omelettes and combos - but their lunch menu is quite limited. They have some salads, a few sandwiches, a couple of burgers, friend chicken wings and shrimp, and, out of nowhere, some Mediterranean messe offerings (felafel, hummus, dolmas and salad). As much as I like their burger, I'd like to see more choices. On the plus side, all lunch offerings are extremely well priced, with nothing over $7.50.

Joplins opened a couple of months ago in the space vacated by The Blue Dish, on Victoria Circle in the Broadmoor. It's name after a relative of the owner who used to be a famous Jazz musician. They have jazz for brunch on Sundays and I definitely want to try that - and then I'll report back (on the food, not the music, as I'm tone deaf).

Joplin's
585 Victoria Court
San Leandro, CA
510.568.5100

Posted by marga at 9:44 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

January 7, 2007

Ohana Hawaiian BBQ

San Leandro has more Hawaiian restaurants that I can count, and I'm not sure that Ohana was actually needed (and judging by the lack of patrons last Thursday evening, I may not be alone in that assessment), but it's not entirely unwelcomed. If you are at that shopping mall (you know, the one that has Home Depot, Walmart and the Pet food store - which was why we were there) and you are hungry, your choices are limited to Togos and whatever fast food place there is in Walmart. So Ohana at least presents another choice for food. And while it's a chain, it's well located in chain heaven.

Ohana presents a menu very similar to those in other Hawaiian restaurants. It includes BBQ meats, alone or in combination, chicken katzu, curry and a couple of chicken dishes with "special" sauces. They also have burgers and spam.

We weren't too adventurous that evening and decided to go with the Seafood BBQ Combo ($8), Chicken Katzu ($6) and BBQ Chicken Saimin ($4). The seafood combo was good, but it only contained one piece of fish!!!! There wasn't even enough to share. The chicken katzu was heavily breaded - as it usually is - but tasted fine, though I think I prefer Ono's version. I'd ordered the saimin for the kids and they weren't thrilled by it. It basically tasted like chicken noodle soup, so clearly the problem wasn't in the dish.

In all, Mike thought the meal was fine, and probably better than at Ono's (where we go from time to time as it's close to our house), while I think I rather go back to Ono, though the portions there have gotten smaller and smaller.

Ohana Hawaiian BBQ
Westgate Mall Shopping Center
1933 Davis St. #135A
SL, CA
510-383.9898
http://www.hawaiianislandbbq.com/

Posted by marga at 4:49 PM | TrackBack

November 8, 2006

Favorite India buffet

Today we went to Favorite India for lunch and had their buffet. At $7 each it was quite a bargain. The buffet had various vegetarian entrees, as well as tandori chicken, chicken masala and a chinese-style dish with noodles and very spicy chicken. The latter was good, but the chicken masala was so delicious - velvety with just the right amount of citric - that that's all I wanted to eat. The chicken tandoori was good as well, moist and not too fatty.

Though the non-vegetarian choices were fewer than at other places, we had one of the best buffet experiences. I'll certainly go back for lunch when I have the opportunity.

Posted by marga at 7:05 PM | TrackBack

October 30, 2006

Comment on Tsuru Sushi

Reader Michaele Maurer wrote me about her own experience at Tsuru Sushi, a small Japanese restaurant in downtown restaurant that I wasn't particularly thrilled with. I'm always happy to publish other people's experiences, specially well written ones.

We dined at Tsuru Sushi this evening. The atmosphere was quiet and pleasant,
the service swift and deft. Although the television over the bar could be
clearly seen, the staff had turned the sound OFF - bless them forever! I
found the chicken teriyaki satisfactory - I enjoyed the smoky grilled
flavor - but my tonkatsu was dry, though pretty to look at. Tonight I
discovered that I don't like tonkatsu sauce. I brought home a *huge* order
of tempura for my daughter, who gave me a slice of the eggplant; good flavor
but somewhat over-greasy. The miso soup was light and savory, not oversalted.

I will definitely go back for a sushi dinner. On an impulse, I ordered a
pair of yellowtail sushi - at $3.50, why not? It was delicious. I'm not a
connoisseur of sushi, but this was sufficiently well-made to arouse my
interest in trying again. The fish was beautiful, tender, and the entire
dish had a wonderfully clean, fresh flavor. The pickled ginger was a nice
touch; I wish they had served some more with the tonkatsu.

Unlike you, I *am* a fan of vegetables and sorely missed their presence at
Tsuri Sushi; three baby carrots and a broccoli sprig just aren't enough for
me. Next time we'll just add a vegetable dish to our order.

Michaele Maurer

Posted by marga at 5:31 PM | TrackBack

October 23, 2006

Fiestas Pizza

A couple of days ago I got a flyer from a new pizza joint called "Fiestas". It's located in Oakland but it serves San Leandro (and other parts of the East Bay)Its menu is pretty standard, basically pizza, salads and chicken wings, and I thought I'd give it a try. I went for their 3 2-topping medium pizzas for $15 deal, which seemed a pretty good deal.

The pizza was fine, one notch above Dominoes. There was a good amount of cheese and toppings. It wasn't anything special, but I'd order it again. I wouldn't say the 2-topping pizzas we ordered were "gourmet," though we didn't try their specialties.

Fiestas Pizza
6432 International Boulevard
Oakland, CA
510.777.0012
http://www.fiestaspizza.com/

Posted by marga at 8:34 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

October 19, 2006

Big Apple Pizza

I don't know if it was the name or the big apple in the flyer but I've been ordering food from Big Apple Pizza thinking that it was Red Apple Pizza. Big Apple Pizza is a small chain located on MacArthur Blvd. (not that you would know that from their flyer) that has only recently started sending me flyers.

The first time I ordered I got their fish and chips ($17 for a 10 piece meal). The fish was not coated on a traditional beer batter, but instead had some sort of gritty coating that was neither flavorful or good to eat. The very thin stripes tasted stale and it was clear that the fish had been bought frozen and then dumped into the deep fryer (or it might have been the microwave). It had a dark brown appearance and did not look at all like the picture in the flyer.

The meal came with fries, soda and bread. The fries were also soggy and soft, the type of fries you get at a school cafeteria. Frozen, no doubt, and maybe even microwaved. We probably could have made a better meal out of Safeway's freezer. The bread was standard sliced bread from a bag.

The mini cheese pizza we got for Mika, however, was pretty good.

Our second time we ordered their pepperoni & cheese pizza, which has a 4 cheese blend ($15 for their "x-large", probable a 16" pizza). We liked it. The pizza was on the thin side with a good amount of cheese and pepperoni. We'd order again.

You get your choice of wings, salad or a 2 liter soda with each combo pizza. We had the wings, they were fatty and came in a hot sauce that did not taste good to me. Next time I'll go for the soda.

Big Apple Pizza
360 MacArthur Blvd
San Leandro, CA
Daily 11 AM - 12 AM
(510) 638-1996

Posted by marga at 10:01 AM | TrackBack

October 14, 2006

Guest opinion of Reno's Black Bear Diner

I received the following message about a disappointing experience at the Black Bear Diner in Reno. While I clearly cannot verify what happened, I'm happy to provide a forum for people to tell about their dining experiences - good or bad.

At about 8:00 p.m., Sunday, October 1, my wife and I supped at the Black Bear Diner on S. Virginia in Reno, one of the cities that never sleeps. We were informed by the waitress that there was no more soup and no more salad, two items that are offered with any dinner. There was no mention of a substitute (dessert, for instance) or price adjustment. Too weary from our long day's drive to seek another place, we ordered: grilled cheese sandwich and hot tea for my wife, and a chicken-fried steak for myself.

Well, right off, my wife had to send back a dirty cup. When the food arrived, my wife's grilled cheese sandwich was extremely greasy. My chicken-fried steak consisted of a microscopically thin slice of meat encased in a hard and greasy batter, all swathed in a colorless but salty "gravy". There was also a side dish of lkewarm green beans immersed in a murky sea of pot liquid. Normally not a fussy eater, I left most of my dinner untouched on the plate, as did my wife with hers, eliciting no response from the waitress.

Our dinner choices in no way justify Black Bear Diner's claim of providing wholesome, healthy, family-like food. Altogether, the place seemed to be run by a staff of very young people with little experience and more interest in each other than in customer service. I would not grade this place, even with an F, but would simply not go there.

Hank Slangal

Posted by marga at 7:32 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

October 11, 2006

Pelton Cafe

Sunday morning we went to brunch at the Pelton Cafe. This used to be a favorite of Mike's (God knows why), but I've always felt the food to be a cut below sub-par. We hadn't been there in a while, though, and I think in the mean time the place changed owners, though the quality of the food stayed the same. Mike had his usual sunrise combo, or something of the sort, pancakes, eggs, sausage, you know, the usual. It was fine. Mika had themost pathetic happy face pancake ($4!). It was one large panckage with a happy face drawn with whipped topping. It didn't come out very well, however, and the face looked more frowny than anything.

I made the mistake (yes, memory can be short) of ordering a burger (comes with potato chips, not fries). It was horrible, McDonalds produces higher quality burgers. The burger was dried, fatty and I wouldn't be surprised if it included an additive of some sort. It wasn't very large, either, and while it was cheap given its low quality I felt ripped off. In short, don't order a burger here.

The Pelton Cafe served dinners for a little while, but I think they are back to serving lunch and breakfast only. Good thing.

(San Leandro Restaurant Reviews)

Posted by marga at 8:03 AM | TrackBack

September 28, 2006

Mountain Mike's Pizza

A few weeks ago I got a flyer from Mountain Mike's Pizza advertising their "all you can eat" buffet Wednesday nights ($6.50, 5-8 PM), and a couple of weeks later it came to mind when I was trying to figure out what to do for dinner. Eda, our friend Arthur's mom, was in town so we quickly arranged to meet her and the kids there. It was a good plan.

Mountain Mike is a chain, but doesn't really look like one. It could really be your neighborhood pizzeria, and I think that's what it strives to be for the Marina district. It has recently undergone a renovation, so the place looks clean and now there is a separate dining area towards the back. There are still a couple of video game machines to keep the kids occupied.

But the pizza is what matters and the pizza was good. All of their specialty pizzas were available - albeit not at the same time -, cut into slivers so that you can taste many of them, and all the ones we tried were very good. The all-meat was too salty for me, but I equally enjoyed the vegetarian, the pineapple chicke luau and the other types. The crust was on the thin side, the cheese was cheesy and the topings were generous without being overwhelming. Everything tasted like good qualities (relatively speaking, of course) ingredients.

Their "dessert pizza", a cinnamon-toast tasting pizza, was out of this world, specially as it was served very hot.

The buffet also included a salad bar. There were no fancy lettuces here (too bad, 'cause that'st he only type of salad I eat) but they had pasta salad and potato salad, as well as the fixings for your run of the mill salads. Other people seemed to enjoy them.

At $6.50 for all of this it's a great deal - and the pizza is good enough that we will order from Mike's next time we want pizza. Note that they don't have free delivery, however.

Mountain Mike's
2150 Marina Blvd.
San Leandro, Ca.
510.352.5954

Posted by marga at 7:09 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

September 9, 2006

Chilli's Tortilla Chips

A new Chilli's opened in San Leandro a few months ago, and today they were at the farmer's market handing out tortilla chips & salsa (and coupons for 1 free kids meal). I haven't been to Chilli's yet - but I mean to go, in this town even chain restaurants deserve a review - so I figured I should give the chips a try. They weren't bad. The chips themselves were very thin and pretty greasy, very similar to those at Chevy's, though not quite as good. The salsa tasted like the jarred stuff, it was pretty watery, not at all chunky, with a bitter afterstate and an all-around Pace-like flavor. Chevys' is much better.

Posted by marga at 6:16 PM | TrackBack

September 5, 2006

Fire at Pee Wee's

There was a fire at Pee Wee's Pizza this morning. The fire - which we, as normal sleeping people, didn't see nor hear - had flames shooting through the roof and heavy heat on the inside. They still don't know what caused it. I daresay that Pee Wee's will be closed for a while :)

Update: Apparently the fire was set intentionally. There were prying marks next to the door and the door was wide open when the fire crews came. The restaurant is now just an empty shell, everything inside burned. So alas, no more Pee Wee's :( We hadn't gone for a while, but it's a real shame given how long the place has been in building. They have no insurance but they're planning on rebuilding. Apparently they've gotten a lot of support from their customers over the years and may get a lot of volunteer labor. If nothing else, the place will look better. So all I have to say is "Go Pee Wee's"

Posted by marga at 6:24 PM | TrackBack

September 3, 2006

Los Pericos @ The Market

Not long ago, one of my blog visitors commented that her favorite Los Pericos (apparently there are 5 of them) is the one at the Los Pericos Market on East 14th & Stoaks. Of course that meant we had to try it.

The restaurant is located right inside the small supermarket by the cake section. The people are very friendly and the clientele is almost exclusively Latino. It's nice to go to a place where English is the second language. Both Mike and I had chicken special quesadillas (~$5), which resemble large burritos sans the beans and rice. Instead they have cheese, meat, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and lettuce (I always order mine without the latter). We found these to be good, but not particularly better than those at the other Los Pericos. The chicken super quesadilla (a small quesadilla with cheese, sour cream, salsa & chicken) we ordered with Mika, however, was very good. The chicken was in large chunks and it was very nicely grilled. We don't understand how come that wasn't the case in our quesadillas (the chicken pieces were smaller and less tasty).

In all, we thought it wasn't better than our regular Los Pericos and we wouldn't make a point of going there again.

Posted by marga at 2:54 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Taqueria closes down

It will come as no surprise to anyone - certainly not me - that Taqueria, the recently opened, well, taqueria, in downtown San Leandro, just couldn't make it. Though their pricing scheme (charging per item) was innovative, nothing else about it was, and it was competing against a very succesful, authentic, long-time operation (Los Pericos), which, frankly, has better food. So no, I'm not surprised they're closed.

According to a sign they're now doing catering only. I wish them well, but I can't help feeling sad about the possibilities the place had. There is certainly a need in San Leandro for a standard Mediterranean restaurant serving things like quality kebabs, kofta, pilafs, Mediterranean salads/platters and tons of little things in pastries. True, there is Luke's grill, but their quality is less than stellar, and they're expensive. And even then they're often packed. But I think Kolbeh-Taqueria owners just didn't have the resources to dedicate to a restaurant serving quality foods and they tried to concentrate on gimmicks rather than quality.

I'm still hoping someone will open a new restaurant in downtown San Leandro - we surely need it.

Posted by marga at 2:39 PM | TrackBack

August 22, 2006

A pre-reception at Paradiso

Last week, I threw a reception for Brian Copeland at Zocalo. The reception itself doesn't deserve bear much writing about in a food blog, other than to say that we served delicious Zocalo coffee, cookies and a very nice lemon cake donated by Marita's Sweet Potato Pie Co.

Before the reception, however, Mike Weisner, the owner of Paradiso, threw a pre-reception for Brian and some of his friends. They served fried calamari and a variety of their oven fired pizzas which were delicious. I'd certainly recommend it as a place to have a casual-elegant reception :)

Posted by marga at 8:13 AM | TrackBack

July 23, 2006

Ratto's International Market & Deli

My friend Desiree, who loves food more than anyone I know (with the possible exception of my friend Charlotte, Lotty's tastes are broader), loves Ratto's, so when we found ourselves in downtown Oakland a couple of weeks ago, we of course headed there.

Ratto's has been around for a century in an old, high-ceiling building that gives the deli tons of atmosphere. Still, this is a very informal sort of place - the main function of the deli is as a take-out place, though tables and utensils are provided for those who want to eat there.

Their main fare are sandwiches, and you can either get one of their predetermined choices or make your own. I decided to make my own and it wasn't that good a decision. I started with their Jam�n Serrano sandwich and added ciabatta bread, cilantro pesto and avocado. Yeah, a weird combination and one that did not work well. The main problem was how salty the jam�n serrano was, but also how umbalanced the sandwich was. My fault, though.
Each particular ingredient was quite good on its own.

Whatever sandwich Desiree had was very good. The kids had fruit salad, it was heavy on melons and papaya, and had very few berries.

There aren't many sides available to go with the sandwiches, or other food for children who don't eat gourmet sandwiches.

Still, I do like Ratto's and I'll probably go back next time we visit Mocha.

Ratto's International Market
821 Washington St
Oakland, CA
(510) 832-6503

Posted by marga at 10:17 AM | TrackBack

July 18, 2006

Theo's

This fast food pizzeria is probably the kind of place I shouldn't even bother bloging about, much less putting it on my restaurant review page. It's basically a place serving slices of re-heated pizza or pasta with a generic tomato sauce, for nearby office workers in a hurry. It's definitely not the sort of place you'd make a point of heading towards, but if you, like us, are in the way to Children's Fairyland on Lake Merrit, and wait to the last moment to commit to a place to go eat, you may very well end up there.

Mika and I both got cheese slices ($3 each). They were thick and large, a little bland but nothing that couldn't be helped with some parmessan cheese. They reminded me of Blondie's or Fatslice's pizza. And at $1.60 ($2.25 for pepperoni, $2.50 for combos) it was a steal. The spaghetti at $4.25 was less of one, and I thought it was too generic (but what else can you expect?) but the kids ate it (not up, though).

The restaurant has a bathroom in a nearby building, which can be a hassle if you are alone with two kids.

In all, it's a good place to stop for a quick/cheap bite.

Theo's
1956 Webster St.
Oakland, CA
510.834.4902

Posted by marga at 11:13 PM | TrackBack

July 12, 2006

Restaurant Reviews Updates

Once again I'm putting a bunch of restaurant reviews up:

C'era una Volta has pleasant, friendly service, but an unexciting brunch in Alameda.

In San Leandro:

El Torito offers mediocre chain restaurant food and a less than spectacular views at its Marina location.

Tito's offers competent Tex-Mex food in an interesting atmosphere.

Taqueria is the fourth taqueria to open within walking distance of my house (and the sixth Mexican restaurant!). We didn't need it and it doesn't do a particularly good job at it - but as it's always empty, it's a good place to go with the kids.

And after many visits during this world cup, I updated my review of The Englander

and in San Francisco:

The Garden Court at the Palace Hotel has the most beautiful and impressive room in town and a delicious tea service - too bad that the service is rushed and dedicated to getting you out of there fast.

BTW, I've now made a special page for all the tea rooms I review: http://www.marga.org/food/rest/tea.html

Posted by marga at 12:22 AM | TrackBack

July 9, 2006

Taqueria Los Pericos #5

When we first moved to San Leandro, Pedro's was our taqueria of choice. We liked their burritos, the small surroundings and leather backed chairs by the window. Alas, they got our orders wrong too many times, so we stopped going there and started going to Taqueria Los Pericos instead. Los Pericos offers a special quesadilla, which is just like a burrito but with cheese instead of rice and beans, just how I like them.

Apparently other people preferred Los Pericos too, as Pedro's has now become Taqueria Los Pericos #5. Their menu is the same than at Los Pericos, including burritos ($2.50 for a bean & cheese to $7.25 for a "shrimp super"), tacos, nachos and quesadillas in addition to Tex-Mex dinner plates ($7-11). The food is all taqueria style, however, don't come here for regional specialties. Meat selections, however, are wide and they include beef tongue, chitlins and intestines, in addition to more common meats.

As we discovered in our visit to Los Pericos #5, the quality of the food and the service are also like those of its parent restaurant. We ordered a small grilled chicken super quesadilla for Mika ($3.50). This consisted of a tortilla covered with melted cheese, grilled chicken and sour cream (guacamole also available, but Mika doesn't like it) and topped by another tortilla. The whole thing was very good, but the grilled chicken is particularly tasty and a favorite of mine.

Mike and I both ordered the giant special quesadillas ($5), which are rolled like a large burrito and include melted cheese, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, salsa and the meat of your choice (Mike went for the carne asada and I for the pastor -a saucy BBQ pork). Once again they were both quite good, the carne asada, cut into very small slices, is flavorful and juicy, though it can be fatty at times. The pastor was somewhat spicy, but tamed by the sour cream and guacamole. I'd order it again if I didn't like the grilled chicken so much. The special quesadillas are large enough that you can easily take half home for later.

Los Pericos is known for its fast and friendly service, this tradition continues at Los Pericos #5. Indeed, we recognized some of the workers from the parent restaurant. As in the other restaurant, you order your food, you are given a number that you then put at your table. The waiter then delivers the food to you. You can find complimentary chips under a heat lamp at the counter, and a tray table offers different kinds of salsas, pico de gallo, beets (don't ask me why), pickles and lime wedges. The chips are crispy, thick and not too oily, good though a bit tasteless by themselves.

The restaurant itself has not changed much since its Pedro's days. The Mexican murals are still there, as are the dark wood chairs and tables (the leather back chairs had disappeared years before). There are TVs at two corners and a jukebox, but the music and sound weren't as loud as in the parent restaurant. In all, it's a more "elegant" atmosphere than that at the super-casual parent restaurant. It's also considerably smaller. I think that if I was going to eat there with another adult, I'd chose the #5 location, while I'd go for the main location if I had the kids alone. The space and the video games gives them stuff to do while we eat.

Note that its hours are briefer than the main location.

Taqueria Los Pericos #5
1389 E 14th St.
San Leandro, CA
510-895-0660
Daily 8AM - 10 PM

Posted by marga at 6:51 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

July 6, 2006

Oakland Museum Restaurant

There is a new trend at Bay Area Museums (at leas

Marga's Old Foodblog - Restaurants

July 21, 2007

Reviews of our trip's restaurants

July 20, 2007

Lunching in the wine country

July 6, 2007

Take out from New Hong Kong Restaurant

Andy & Joe's closes down

July 3, 2007

Rocky's Charcoal's Grill

May 7, 2007

Afghan near Fishermans Wharf

May 4, 2007

Birthday Meals

April 8, 2007

Complain about Apple Peddler in Sutherlin

Restaurants in Bellevue/Seattle

March 28, 2007

Sonoma's Restaurant

March 1, 2007

Oriental Tea House Redux

February 24, 2007

di bartolo

Cactus Taqueria

February 18, 2007

New & Updated Restaurants

February 16, 2007

Hoagy Steak

February 12, 2007

Andy & Joe's

Barceluna

Mo's Gourmet Hamburger

February 3, 2007

On City Tavern in Philadelphia

Suggestions from another San Leandran

January 28, 2007

Joplins

January 7, 2007

Ohana Hawaiian BBQ

November 8, 2006

Favorite India buffet

October 30, 2006

Comment on Tsuru Sushi

October 23, 2006

Fiestas Pizza

October 19, 2006

Big Apple Pizza

October 14, 2006

Guest opinion of Reno's Black Bear Diner

October 11, 2006

Pelton Cafe

September 28, 2006

Mountain Mike's Pizza

September 9, 2006

Chilli's Tortilla Chips

September 5, 2006

Fire at Pee Wee's

September 3, 2006

Los Pericos @ The Market

Taqueria closes down

August 22, 2006

A pre-reception at Paradiso

July 23, 2006

Ratto's International Market & Deli

July 18, 2006

Theo's

July 12, 2006

Restaurant Reviews Updates

July 9, 2006

Taqueria Los Pericos #5

July 6, 2006

Oakland Museum Restaurant