Category: Restaurants (Page 29 of 53)

The downtown San Leandro farmers’ market is back again for the summer season. It opened yesterday with some band playing that fortunately wasn’t as loud as bands last year. We found most of the same food stands from last year, in addition to a new prepared foods stand: Casbah Exotic Food. They serve a short, but eclectic, list of dishes – if I well remember Moroccan chicken, curry chicken, gyros (I think beef) and a steak sandwich. I’m pretty sure they had another item as well. I think all the plate were $5.
I had the Moroccan chicken plate, which really was a chicken gyro. It consisted of a pita bread covered with lettuce & some tomato, and some pieces of pretty bland chicken. I ate it but did not enjoy it, and I was hungry afterwards. Mike had a slightly better experience with his gyro. He liked the marinated beef, but thought that the portion was also too small. $5 is not much, but I rather pay a dollar or two more and be satisfied.
Fortunately Meyers BBQ is back with their chicken teriyaki and huge hot dogs.

Ana Rosa’s occupies the space previously occupied by El Novillo, also a Mexican restaurant. It’s only a few yards away from my house, so I was hoping it’d be great – or at least good. Alas, I’d qualify it as simply “OK”.
I went last night, with Mika and Camila, to “celebrate” Cinco de Mayo. I was too lazy to walk all the way to Los Pericos, my favorite taquería in town and too unprepared to make something at home either. So Ana Rosa’s it was.
I ordered a beef quesadilla ($7), while Mika had a regular chicken burrito ($5) and Camila had a small plain cheese quesadilla ($5). The menu did list the plain quesadilla at $5 – but when the waitress asked me if I wanted a large or small quesadilla, I assumed that the small one would be less. My bad, I paid $5 for a tiny tortilla filled with a little bit of cheese. Outrageous.
My beef quesadilla was larger – it consisted of an oversize flour tortilla, filled with cheese and diced beef, folded in half and toasted. It was served with a scoop of guacamole (the thin, runny type), sour cream, lettuce and a slice of tomato. Personally, I don’t really like toasted tortillas. I much prefer the method used at Los Pericos in which a large flour tortilla is steamed, filled with the beef, cheese, salsa, guacamole and sour cream (and lettuce, if you want), and then rolled as a burrito – but that’s why Los Pericos is my favorite taqueria. This quesadilla tasted just fine, the flavor of the meat was overwhelmed by the toastiness of the tortilla, but there wasn’t anything disagreeable – or particularly agreeable – about it. I just didn’t dig it.
Finally, Mika’s burrito was quite large, filled mostly with rice. Mika didn’t like it, or at least didn’t eat it, so Mike had it for dinner later on. He found it to be completely bland, he says that he’s liked every other burrito he’s had more – there was just nothing to this one.
As for the restaurant, Ana Rosa’s has a very small dining room – but it was full when we went on a Tuesday around 5:30 PM. They have sit-down service, and the lone waitress amazingly managed to serve the whole dining room and calculate the checks by herself. She was very pleasant and the service was good. As for the place, there is no atmosphere to it – just a place to go and have a quick bite to eat, not to linger.
All in all, I’m sad to repeat that Ana Rosa’s fails as a taqueria that I would frequent. I can imagine I’ll go again, but just because it’s so close to my house. But even then, I can’t imagine it’ll be anytime soon. I’ll get off my butt and go to Los Perico’s.
Ana Rosa’s Mexican Restaurant
2089 E 14th St # C @ Estabrook
San Leandro, CA
(510) 357-3022
San Leandro Restaurant Reviews

Saigon 2, a Vietnamese restaurant, has opened in San Leandro. I haven’t been there yet, so I can’t report on it, but it’s getting mostly postive reviews at Yelp.
That said, do we really need a new Vietnamese restaurant in San Leandro. As far as I know, we already have 5: Vo’s, Le Soleil (my favorite), Pho Anh Ha, Tu Tai (where I haven’t been) and Halan (is that the one near K-Mart?). There might be others (if so, let me know). Now, in a town with just one Thai Restaurant, with no Indian, no Ethiopian, no French, no South American and no Middle Eastern restaurants – do we need six Vietnamese restaurants? How about some variety!!!!
Anyway, I may or may not give it a try. If you do – please let me know what you think of it. It’s located at 2113 Marina Blvd (between Menlo St & Doolittle Dr) and there is a 10% off coupon in last week’s San Leandro Times.

I also saw in the San Leandro Times an add asking for waiters/staff for a new restaurant in Manor Square. The restaurant is called Double B Bar & Grill and I know absolutely nothing about it. They don’t have a phone number in the ad, so I can’t even call and ask. Again, if you know something about it, comment here or e-mail me.

My friend Penelope and I went to Makiyaki for lunch a few days ago. This time I had a bento box with ton-katsu and chicken teriyaki. It was fine. The teriyaki seemed tastier than the time before, while the ton katsu was sort of bland and had the texture of chicken instead of pork, but at least was tender. I thought the dish was a bit expensive for what it was, but I don’t have any major complaints. I’d probably go there again, but really, this is a place to go for sushi, not teriyaki.
Makiyaki
134 Pelton Center
San Leandro, Ca
510-895-0488
San Leandro Restaurant Reviews

Last night I had my monthly dinner with my friends Katrina & Parker (the rest couldn’t come), and we went to Ghazal Indian Cuisine in Oakland, California. As usual when I’m with the girls, we had great restaurant karma – not only did we find free parking very close to the restaurant, but we all enjoyed our meal.
Ghazal is a relatively new restaurant in the Jack London area. It’s front room is sort of generic, but its dining room is pretty nice – not in the least tacky. There is a wall with square recess shelves, decorated with nice ceramics. The room itself is too square and brightly lit for my taste – the light is too white. With a little more care it could have a very nice ambiance.
We were there on a Wednesday evening, and unfortunately (for them) the restaurant was almost empty – there was only one other party. I think the major reason is that the Jack London. Sq. area is a major dud, a complete failure of a project. It’s a nice place, but for some reason nobody seems to go there. If that was true during good economic times, it’ll be even truer with our current recession-depression.
In any case, Ghazal is a relatively nice place to go for dinner. It features a pretty much standard North Indian menu, thought there are more choices than at most similar restaurants. It’s also pricier than most Indian restaurants. That said, I still ordered what I always order: chicken pakora ($7), lamb korma ($12), kabuli naan (here it’s called kashmiri naan – $3) and two sweet lassis ($2.50 each).
The chicken pakora was quite nice, the chicken was quite moist, though the breading wasn’t very crispy. The portion was a good size. I also liked the lamb korma – the lamb was amazingly tender – but I thought the korma was lacking something. Perhaps some salt? The white rice that I ordered with it was yellow, but otherwise fine. Both dishes were pretty spicy, even though I’d ordered the lamb “mild”. The naan had a good amount of filling, and it was yummy and soft. The lassis, meanwhile, were delicious – perhaps a tad too sweet, but very refreshing and just nice.
Katrina and Parker shared several vegetarian dishes – I didn’t try them, but they said they were very good. In all, we were all happy to have dined there. As I said, we have good restaurant karma.
Ghazal Indian Cuisine
131 Broadway
Oakland, CA
510-268-9950

–Cocina Poblana in Jack London Sq. showed me once and for all that I don’t like moles.
–Messob, an Ethiopian restaurant on Piedmont Ave. was OK, not worth a second visit.
– Misty’s Grille / Character’s Lounge: The restaurant at the Red Lion hotel in Medford, Oregon. We went there because we were staying at the hotel (the cheapest place to stay in Medford, bid $50 in priceline) and we were too tired to go anywhere else. It sucked.
–Applebees in Salmon Creek, Washington, is among the worst restaurants I’ve ever been in my life. It was definitely the worst burger I’ve eaten in many years.
–Black Angus in San Lorenzo provided me with a decent steak and a disappointing dessert – and a long wait for the kids’ mac&cheese.
More soon.

I first went to Elmer’s in 2007 when we went to visit my in-laws in Washington state. We liked it, so we stopped there last November when we went to visit them again. What follows are my updated reviews. You can find the original review here.

Elmer’s has become our favorite family restaurant chain while in the Pacific Northwest and we went there twice during our latest trip to visit my in-laws (November 2009). Here are my reviews:
Elmer’s – Springfield – 11/09
The kids had their usual chocolate-chip pancakes ($4 for 4 small
pancakes). This time we had them share one portion and they barely
finished even that. We also knew better than to order two full
breakfast entrees (they are quite big) so instead we ordered the
Hazelnut pancake combo ($9.50, comes with your choice of meat and eggs)
and a side of potato pancake ($3.30), this was enough for Mike and I to
be satisfied but not stuffed. The potato pancake was once again good,
though it needed a bit more seasoning. The bacon was great but I was
somewhat disappointed with the pancakes. I was hoping that they were
stuffed with ricotta, but either the cheese was completely absorbed into
the batter or the batter was made with it, as there was no ricotta to
taste. Without the cheese, the pancakes were rather dry; they were
nice in those bites that had hazelnuts in it, but too plain in the
others. I would not order them again.
Service was good, the restaurant was nice and clean and I’d stop there
again ­ just order something different.
Elmer’s Restaurant
3350 Gateway St
Springfield, OR
(541) 726-1261
Elmer’s Grant Pass – 11/09
We stopped here for lunch and, once again, we had a pleasant experience. I was unhappy to find out that in Oregon it’s against the law to serve burgers cooked less than well-done. Well done burgers are dry and tasteless, so I opted not to have one that day. Instead I went for the NW Cheese Steak Sandwich ($10), which I had with the optional onion rings ($1 extra). It was a good choice. The pot-roast sandwich was very good, the pot roast actually had a grilled flavor to it (probably the peppers) and the cheese was neither skimpy nor overwhelming. I was very happy. The portion, in particularly when coupled with the onion rings, was also large enough that I could save half for later. The onion rings, on the other hand, were somewhat of a disappointment. They were cut very, very thick and the gritty batter needed more flavor. They were also too oily. On the plus side, there were plenty of them.
Mike had the BBQ chicken sandwich ($10). He was happy that the chicken breast was an actual breast, not some reconstituted heresy. He liked the BBQ sauce and was all in all pleased. He also had the onion rings and was not impressed.
Camila had a cheese sandwich ($4) which she liked. I tasted it and it was plain (and therefore dry) but tasty enough. Mika had the cheeseburger ($4) and she was very pleased with it, she thought it tasted great (but she’s no gourmet, she likes the ones at her school cafeteria quite a bit). The burger was served plain (as it should be, kids are picky!) and it was large enough that she could not finish it by herself.
For dessert we had the sundaes and we were disappointed in them. Mika’s sundae had the triple berry topping and she found it quite sour. Camila’s had plain chocolate syrup (rather than fudge) and it was just OK. I wouldn’t order them again.
Elmer’s
175 Agness
Grants Pass, OR
(541) 474-0740

Elmer’s Medford – 11/08
Our one dinner at Elmer’s was perfectly fine. I had the flat iron
steak, which I think came with a perfectly acceptable clam chowder.
It was perfectly cooked medium rare (which means towards the rare side
of medium rare), and quite tasty. It wasn’t particularly large (for
once!), but still a good deal at $14. My only complaint is that it
did not have the consistency of a flat iron steak, it was more like a
sirloin (but a well cooked sirloin).
Mike had the small chicken salad ($10) and was happy with it. The
veggies were fresh and he liked the dressing. The kids shared a mac &
cheese ($4), which was definitely large enough for both of them.
Our two breakfasts at Elmer’s were just as good. The kids loved the
chocolate chip pancakes, which they’d had the previous year. Each
portion includes 4 medium-size pancakes, so be smart and order one for
two kids. I liked the pancakes quite a bit as well. My first time I
had the caramel banana french toast, which was delicious. There is
just so much sugar I can take, however, so I wasn’t close to finishing
it, even with some help from Mike and Mika. My second time I went for
the potato pancakes with bacon & scallions. I can’t say these are
delicious, but they are satisfying. I’d definitely order them again,
and I wish it wasn’t such a pain for me to peel and shred potatoes,
otherwise I’d make them myself. My only complaint here is that there
wasn’t enough sour cream. I had the pancakes with a side of bacon,
and the bacon was very nice and meaty. Once again, however, I
couldn’t finish the whole plate. Both times Mike had some sort of
skillet, which he declared to be fine. He’s never very excited about
these breakfast dishes, however.
So I suspect that we’ll be going back to Elmer’s on our next drive
through Oregon.
Elmer’s
2000 Biddle Rd.
Medford, OR
(541) 772-2000
Original Review
Road Restaurant Reviews
Chain Restaurant Reviews
Restaurants Beyond the Bay Area

Last night Mike and I went to Watercourse Way, our favorite spa in the Bay Area. Before we stopped for dinner at Siam Royal Authentic Thai Cuisine on University Avenue in Palo Alto, which is pretty close by. I had been there many years before with my friend Lola, but couldn’t remember whether I’d like it or not. My conclusion this time was that it’s a pretty average Thai restaurant, there is no compelling reason to go there or to avoid it.
We started the meal with Angel Wings (“Deep-fried stuffed chicken wings with ground chicken and vegetable, served with sweet and sour sauce” – $8). The wings themselves were pretty tasteless, the stuffing was in great need of some spicing. The sweet and sour sauce was pretty good, on the spicy side, though the wings were too big for the sauce to coat every bite. We wouldn’t order them again.
My entree was Gai Yang (“Char-broiled marinated chicken with Thai herbs; served with sweet and sour sauce.” – $8). It was also OK. The skin was nice and crispy, but the chicken itself was a bit dry. As with the wings, the sauce helped quite a bit – but I also wouldn’t order it again.
Mike was happier with his Panang Salmon (“Simmered salmon in coconut milk, peanut curry sauce and string beans.” – $12), which also came with broccoli. The salmon was perfectly cooked and the sauce was very tasty, with just the right amount of spice. The portion seemed generous enough, though he still ate some of my chicken, but then again, salmon is not that filling. I think he’d order it again.
We skipped dessert because we were in a hurry to get to our spa appointment – they have the obligatory bananas cooked in a number different ways.
Service was fine, though we had to ask for the bill – they brought it quickly once we did so. The dinner, with one drink and one side of rice, came to $37 after tax and tip. Not precisely cheap, but not too bad. I’m not sure I’d go there again, there are many other choices on University Ave., but it was OK for what it was.
Siam Royal Authentic Thai
338 University Ave
Palo Alto, CA
(650) 329-8129
http://www.siamroyalthai.com/
Bay Area Restaurant Reviews

It’d been quite a while since I’d gone to Bella Italia for lunch, and I thought it was time to give the restaurant a try. So last Wednesday, when Lola came to visit me, I decided we should go there and see how the restaurant is faring. Alas, the answer seems to be “not very well”. In the hour or so that we were there, no other party came to have lunch. Granted, it was New Year’s Eve, so a reduced crowed is expected, but nobody?
For some reason, the owners have greatly expanded the restaurant from the size it was in its Prings days. I guess that makes sense if they are renting the place out for parties (and if you are looking for a banquet room in San Leandro, this may be a good choice for you), but it does it seem even lonelier when you are the only party at the restaurant. The place does look as nice as it can, given the architecture of the building (which was built as a coffee shop). There are cloth tablecloth and napkins, nicely made up tables and a new wooden bar that seems very well stocked up. Still, it doesn’t have much of a “date” or “nice dinner out” atmosphere.
It’s perfect for lunch, however, specially given the very low prices. The lunch menu offers salads, sandwiches, pizzas and pastas, dishes are mostly in the $6-8 range and they come with warm bread rolls and (unsalted) butter – there is also olive oil and balsamic vinegar at the table.
I had the lasagna bolognese ($6 lunch, $11 dinner) and I thought it was pretty good. It had a good combination of cheese to meat to pasta. The sauce wasn’t my favorite, and it was nowhere as good to the lasagna I made myself a few weeks ago, but it’s a safe dish to order.
Lola had one of their pizzas, I forgot its name but it was the one that came with ground beef. She didn’t feel it tasted particularly Italian (she’s spent a fair amount of time in Italy), but she thought it was OK. I’m usually not a thin-pizza sort of person, but I liked it. It thought there was a good balance of toppings to bread, and the sauce was not overwhelming. Lola didn’t seem to like it that much, but Mike thought the leftovers we brought home were very tasty. I think I’d order it myself.
Service was good and attentive, and I can’t believe how cheap lunch entrees are. I’d definitely go again for lunch.
La Bella Italian Inn
15015 E. 14th St.
San Leandro, CA
510-895-2792
Original Review