How sweet it is!

I had the opportunity to taste some sweet little bites from Sweet Things in Tiburon and I knew that I had to visit the origin of such delightful mouthfuls. Luckily it was not much of a drive from my Mill Valley condo to The Cove Shopping Center in Tiburon.

Among the more usual selection of drinks on the board was Mariebelle Hot Chocolate which read that it was 60% cacao. I had to try it, and I was given a choice of whipped cream, chocolate shavings, cinnamon or combination to top it. I chose cinnamon. I enjoyed how it was sweet without being cloying.

I went over the top and ordered a Mud Puddle to go with my Mariebelle. The Mud Puddle is a cupcake with cooked meringue under the slide of fudge frosting. I won't kid you, it is very sweet, but what a treat!

Sweet Things also has some very tasty mini-bite cupcakes. It's a great idea for those who want a little something with coffee or tea and yet don't want a whole cupcake.

My box contained vanilla vanilla and fudge bites. Dad and I enjoyed some while watching Sherlock Holmes on On Demand. Dad said, "I could eat these again". High praise!

Invisible, until now

I must have passed Caffe Acri in Tiburon hundreds of times. I thought it was just a coffee and ice cream place. I recently heard that there is breakfast served, and I immediately opened my schedule for Dad and I to visit one morning. The restaurant faces Main Street with the well known Guaymas just behind.

I tied the Mushroom, Avocado and Tomato Omelet. It came with home fries and thinly sliced whole grain bread. It was all quite good, I'd have it again in a heartbeat. There were a few things that could be improved however. There were no napkins given with the meal, and none were set out with the usual coffee condiments, you had to request a napkin! Also, the toast was not only not buttered, but there was no butter on the plate, another trip to the counter to request it. Lastly, the women behind the counter seemed much more intent of flirting with the men who stood and chatted with them over the counter than noticing or acknowledging those waiting for service.

My Dad had the croissant sandwich, he said it was a winner. Bacon, eggs, cheese and tomato all pressed against croissant halves and pressed in a panini grill from the looks. I think that this place is a perfect place to wait for the ferry as the entrance is just a couple businesses away. They also serve simple lunches.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0

Noncritical: 1

Last inspected: 4/22/2009

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A ticket to Paradise

Tiburon, with its views and enjoyable shops might be considered by some to be Paradise. And there's a cute cafe on the main drag called Paradise Cafe. I've attempted visiting before, however, I seem to forget that it closes at 7 p.m. on weekdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays & Saturdays. The proprietor (owner?) is as pleasant as can be and the place shines with care and cheer.

I ordered the Fish & Chips (cod) from the menu behind the counter. These looked a little dark, but it had a pleasant crispness to it offset by the tartar sauce with a 'secret' ingredient. The special ingredient gives the sauce a smoothness and thickness that has a pleasant mouth-feel. The secret is that cooked potato is included in the sauce! The fries were hot and pleasantly crisp too. I also appreciated the color and function of the romaine leaves lining the plate. No greasy dish at the bottom! The deli case had some enticing salads in it as well. I'll have to not wait so long to visit the casual eatery again!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0

Noncritical: 0

Last inspected: 8/6/2009

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Nautical Pizza

It seemed like every time I wanted to try out Waypoint Pizza in Tiburon, it was a Tuesday. Waypoint Pizza is closed on Tuesdays. Finally, I was with Dad in Tiburon on a Wednesday and we stopped in for a pizza.

It is so whimsical inside with a coastal theme; the menu is on the bottom of a boat, in chalk and there are umbrellas over some of the tables. It is a good place for kids; a mother was with her son to the side of us, and he was quite fascinated by the wooden pepper shaker in shape of a lighthouse. Then a gaggle of giggly girls came in, about six who probably had barely come into the 'teenage' years. Pretty soon a lone boy about their age started to come into the store and was greeted by a chorus of 'Hi Al-lan' (name changed to protect the guilty), to which he did a kind of sheepish moonwalk backwards out the door, never to be seen again at that lunch hour.

In the meantime, the Grilled Vegetable Pizza that we ordered came on a wooden paddle. The ingredients were good, and obviously fresh. However the tomatoes, zucchini, red peppers, eggplant, red onion were a tad on the cold side, seemingly pre-grilled and not reheated all the way. Probably had more healthy enzymes that way. We nevertheless enjoyed the meal and the atmosphere.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 1
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: 3/30/2009

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Locals love it

Dad & I stopped by Poncho's Casa Manana in Tiburon for lunch the other day, and found it a bustling place. I saw a lot of locals, yet I heard some French and Italian being spoken, so I suspect that some tourists have discovered it nestled into Ark Row as well.

The friendly proprietor gave us some crisp chips and fresh-tasting medium spiced salsa.

I thought the Berenjena sounded like a great combo. Poncho's Casa Manana has a Salvadoran twist, so I'm not sure of the origin of this dish. It consists of slices of eggplant fried in an egg batter and topped with a ranchero-type sauce and topped with mild cheese, guacamole and sour cream.

It was divine! And it also comes with your choice of beans (refried was my choice that day), rice and a small bit of greens and tomatoes.

My father tried the vegetarian tamales which were wrapped in plantain leaves and same sides as I, except he chose the black beans. He enjoyed his choice too and said he could come back any time!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 5

Noncritical: 2

Last inspected: 11/7/2008

Previously reviewed:
March 1, 2007

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New Bistro coming to Tiburon

In Tiburon today for lunch and noticed that a sign has gone up in the old Sweden House window: Coming Soon... Bistro 35 (Patisserie). A window to keep an eye on!

So sad about three greats passing in the last couple days, Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett and now Michael Jackson.

I loved my dinner!

And it was a bargain too. At loose ends, I decided to do a spin around Tiburon last night, enjoy the view and find something for dinner. I'd heard that the Three Degrees has been replaced by the Tiburon Grill, so it seemed a logical choice. Lucky me walked in during the "Happy Hour" which lasts from 4-7 every day, and all day on Sundays. How lucky, well all the *'d items on the menu are half-price, and there is quite a variety of those items to choose from!

I had heard that the restaurant had become more comfort food/value item oriented, and the menu reflected that. In line with that theme, soon after I ordered a Mason jar with breadsticks arrived, accompanied by a delicious dip of ricotta and Parmesan cheese layered with pesto and balsamic vinegar. It was a great start!

And the Garden Burger with Sweet Potato Fries that came next had me exclaiming how beautiful it was to the waitress as soon as it arrived. It was SO colorful and had thoughtful touches such as red onion that had a special slightly pickled taste. I couldn't stuff the avocado in and still be able to get my mouth around it, so it was a side. The sweet potato fries were actually made with sweet potatoes (lighter yellow color) rather than yams (orange) which was a nice surprise as well. The contrast of the hot patty with the cool lettuce and tomato was perfect too. It was simply delicious! And for the Happy Hour $6, quite a bargain. This is also a kid friendly place with enough menu choices to please a family with divergent tastes.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Not yet rated.

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Here today, gone tomorrow

Now this is strange. Sweden House, the place I just reviewed yesterday, has already closed its doors! No wonder they had no potatoes, and the service was definitively lacking. Hopefully this cheerful space with its lovely deck will be back in action in one form or another soon as it is a gem of a location. I have 'closed' locations now cluttering my sidebar reference, so expect some pruning soon.

View lunch

Dad and I meandered to Tiburon a recent sunny day to visit Sweden House for something other than breakfast. It had been quite awhile since the last visit, and I hoped that the service had improved.

As we went in the door, I noticed the case usually brimming with pastries was fairly empty. I thought it may be because it was a weekday, and it is likely that the business gets more of a weekend crowd.

After waiting awhile without greeting, I took the initiative to find someone to help us. The wait staff indicated we could choose inside or out, so we chose the lovely deck. There was a sign warning us to watch our food, otherwise a hungry bird may abscond with it.

Dad ordered a Croque Monsieur with mixed green salad after being told that the indicated choice of potato salad was not available. The wait staff said there were no potatoes that day. Dad liked it but he thought the bread was too crunchy.

I started with the clam chowder. The menu had no warning that it contained bacon, and although it was a flavorful cup, I would not have knowingly ordered a dish with bacon in it.

I had an appetizer as my main, the crab cakes. It came with some mixed green salad, jicama straws and fresh orange bits as well. The crab cakes were so bread-filled that the taste of crab was barely distinguishable. Also the menu mentioned that it comes with remoulade sauce, and it was not there. It took a very long time to get some after I brought the discrepancy to the attention of the wait staff.

Wanting to have something positive to say after this rather disappointing visit in terms of service and food, we decided to have dessert. Dad went for the black forest cake, which he thought was the best cake he'd had in awhile.

I have always had a soft spot for their princess cake, and I got the last slice left in their case. It did not disappoint. If you want a beautiful view and a luscious pastry, and not have concern for the time, this is a lovely place to visit.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 0
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: 3/8/2009

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Previously reviewed:
October 28, 2006

"An Adult Day Care Center"

I just love Dave & Mike's slogan for their restaurant. And ever since I noticed, and enjoyed their retro setting in Tiburon, I knew I'd have to bring my Dad here. We wanted a simple lunch recently, and were in the neighborhood so we stopped by.

There's not a whole lot of vegetarian choices, but I found an egg salad sandwich which I paired with a yellow lentil soup. There's nothing like a classic recipe done well, and with a twist. This egg salad sandwich had the right amounts of the usual ingredients, plus a noticeable amount of fresh diced celery. The crunch was great, and lightened up what could have been a heavy choice. The soup was awesome, with a complexity of flavor I didn't expect.

Dad went with a classic turkey and cheese sandwich, which had fresh lettuce and tomato topping the sandwich as well. The service was friendly, everything fresh, and I just had to query about those odd prices, ending in things like .93 or .98. The clever staff has calculated the amounts so that with tax the check amount comes out even!

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 0
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: 6/5/2008

Previously reviewed:
April 4, 2007

Sunny breakfast in Tiburon

Wow, it is last weekend already that Dad & I took an notion for a sunny breakfast in Tiburon. Tiburon is a great place to go for breakfast because there are several great choices for enjoyable breakfast pleasures, so if one is too busy there are easy alternatives. The New Morning Cafe is one of those great places.

Dad started off with Hot Chocolate that came with racing stripes.

Dad ordered a combo breakfast which he realized was just much too much food. We took some home. Fluffy buttermilk pancakes, tender ham, an egg over easy and home fries were all part of the plate. He said it was all good.

I had to order something with the audacity to call itself the "Scrumptious". And well, it was. It was a mix of potatoes, onions, some spinach and fresh tomatoes scrambled up with some melted cheddar, with an egg of your desire draped on top. I asked for a scrambled egg, and also chose wheat toast. The only off note in the morning is that the wooden benches were a bit too hard for my father to sit on very for very long. And unfortunately the service was VEERRRY slow. The servers seemed to be on break. There were four of them sitting on the steps of the building across the street. Staff deserves breaks, but it's hard not to feel annoyed when you can see them and you are not getting service at any kind of acceptable pace. The food was good though.

Previously reviewed:
September 22, 2006

Guarded by Purple Lions

It was a gorgeous day to be walking around Tiburon! Dad and I were enjoying the scenery, and decided to have lunch at The Dynasty. Those purple liions guarding the front are more inviting than threatening.

But first, we enjoyed walking over the bridge and listening to the musical water splashing from the fountain. The San Francisco skyline was clearly visible with the crystal clear skies of a sunny day.

You can see the harbor activity from the front of the restaurant as well as from the interior.

We finally meandered inside, and were impressed with the large selection of luncheon items. Whatever you ordered, a special chef's choice of appetizer and soup. The appetizer we were served was a fried chicken wing in savory sauce. It was good. The egg drop with corn and chicken soup was also very flavorful.

Dad was interested in the Chicken with Mixed Vegetables and Fried Rice lunch special. He said it was really cooked perfectly and he loved how fresh the vegetables were. He said the only problem was that the portion was too big. So we took some home.

I was excited to see Salmon & Asparagus as one of the special lunch items. That's what I had! It was wok-fried in a black bean sauce which paired beautifully with the strength of the salmon flavor. What a treat. The prices were a bit more, but the quality and quantity made it a good value. I would go again in a heartbeat.

Name change but very similar

I was at The Cove shopping center in Tiburon at lunchtime the other day. I noticed that "Let's Eat" has become Foodniks. The format and offerings are quite similar, deli sandwiches with a wonderful array of inventive salads, with refrigerated cases holding take out and bake yourself type entrees. The counter space seems to have expanded, and the end caps lean toward more practical offerings than the previous business.

I tried the special on the blackboard, a simple egg salad sandwich. I paired it with a cous cous salad with fresh sweet corn and mushrooms. Both were several cuts above typical deli fare. The black current unsweeted ice tea was refreshing and I'd stop by just for it if in the neighborhood again. I suspect this would be a great place to have an office lunch catered from.

Pleasant Italian in Tiburon

Finding myself in Tiburon at mealtime one evening, I decided to give Servino a spin.

I was tempted by their clam chowder. The passing waiters were so helpful, suggesting interesting adds, like Tabasco sauce. Now, I didn't try it, but they were such upbeat people it added positively to the dining experience. The chowder also had yellow summer squash in it, which was an inventive way to lighten it up a bit.

I guess I was in a creamy mood, because I gave into temptation to try the Gnocchi Viola. The Gnocchi Viola was made with Idaho blue potato dumplings, gorgonzola and crispy pancetta with a light cream sauce. It didn't immediately look as blue as I expected.

But when I cut into one, it was obvious. These were tender and tasty in the light gorgonzola, however, I had to take more than half home as it was also rich. Servino's also has a deck with an expansive view of San Francisco, so between the view and the food, Servino's is highly recommendable for a happy dinner by the bay.