Friday, June 24, 2005

I've been trying new restaurants as usual! Here are my latest reviews!

Tabla Cafe (Larkspur): Found this on a blog site, and was as good as described. Light airy dosai (and I've been a dosa fan for years), mostly organic, light flavorful soups and salads. Don't miss the Scharffenberger brownies -- rich enough to share! The ice cream is made fresh too. The last one I had was mint chocolate chip -- and the mint was fresh! Also offered is a daily changing take out item, they reheat well. I'm an addicted return customer. The latest scoop is that a big New York outfit has challenged their use of the name Tabla, so look for same place, different name, but tastes the same.

Cafe Trieste (Sausalito): Nice Bridgeway Scramble and richly flavored mocha coffee, but the service was poor and tables dirty past the usual rush... Did I hit an off day or are they sliding?

Small Shed Flatbreads (Mill Valley): Sometimes you have to wait to try something new until a parking space magically shows up.... the other night my father and I were hungry for je ne sais quoi, but when we saw the small parking space on the hillside just above the restaurant, I knew the time was right! This place is full of character, very casual, but lively! Flatbreads were great, and the fact that most ingredients are locally sustainably farmed and organic was a major plus. The flatbread is crispy as desired and nicely balanced with the fresh ingredients. We tried a clam and garlic infused one, as well as a "Mad River" that had organic nitrate and hormone-free ground pork sausage, very finely ground over a fresh tomato base.

Bridgeway Cafe (Sausalito): Not only was the perfect breakfast served by a very petite sweet blonde student, but the day was perfect for a gorgeous view. Seems a local woman has bought a historic tall sail ship, and anchored it in the bay, framed beautifully in the foreground while the SF skyline floats in the background from the sunny seat behind the window. She's selling working passages to the Caribbean for $900 a person! When it's complete and seaworthy of course. Oh to have the time...

Cafe Maritime (San Francisco): This is a fresh find on Lombard... one would think that there are abundant good seafood restaurants in a city by the bay, but I've found San Francisco to be pretty lacking, numerically speaking, in really excellent, innovative seafood restaurants. I was pleased to find this one that's been around for about 14 months. The proprietor, Mark, is as pleasant as can be, and it really is Mark's Mom who lent the recipe for "Mark's Mom's Coconut Cream Pie" - yum! She has been there (she hails from Chicago) and has put her stamp of approval on this rendition of her recipe. The New England Seafood Chowder is very inventive and delish also.

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