Best Kept Lil Secret

Did you know the Best Lil' Pork House in Corte Madera now has brunch on weekends? One day running morning errands I saw a big sign announcing brunch from the freeway and thought that "I've got to try this!". Turning around swiftly at the next exit, I headed back. 

I popped in the entrance and the friendly staff seated me right away and noticed that even in the morning there are trays of popcorn and peanuts waiting on all the tables. There are new pool tables in the bar area.

I chose the ham and eggs that day which is basically scrambled eggs with chopped ham and cheddar cheese accompanied by potatoes, fruit and well-buttered thick Texas toast ($11.95). The eggs tasted real (as opposed to hotel free breakfast eggs I've been having lately) and I was satisfied with this weekend morning comfort food. The service was prompt, the place was clean and the staff checked in with me at appropriate intervals. All in all it was a great start to my day.

There are now three locations, the original San Rafael, the Corte Madera, and later this month Alameda. The Corte Madera location is the only one serving brunch at this time.

Best Lil' Pork House
60 Madera Blvd.
Corte Madera, CA 94925
(415)927-RIBS

2042 4th Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 457-7675

523 S Shore Center West
Alameda, CA 94501

www.bestlilporkhouse.com

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Summer cooking camp with The Culinary Dudes

Graphic Courtesy of Scott Davis

Chef Scott Davis started his cooking career early, at age seven to earn a merit badge while in Cub Scouts. From there he continued cooking while earning a degree in Early Childhood Education AND a degree from Le Cordon Bleu Program at the California Culinary Academy.

Sounds like the perfect background for creating and running summer cooking camps for kids.

This summer The Culinary Dudes are offering the following camps:

Summer Cooking Camp-June 16-19-All Ages-Gross Foods You Can Eat
Summer Cooking Camp-June 23-26-All Ages-International Cuisine
Summer Cooking Camp-July 7-10-TEENS-International Cuisine
Summer Cooking Camp-July 14-17-All Ages-Healthy Meals and Snacks
Summer Cooking Camp-July 21-24-TEENS-Healthy Meals and Snacks
Summer Cooking Camp-July 28-31-All Ages-The Americas
Summer Cooking Camp-August 4-7-TEENS-The Americas
Summer Cooking Camp-August 11-14-All Ages-Seasonal Cooking 2

Not only that, but there is a Single Parent Family scholarship rate of $200, that's $100 off the regular rate of $300.  There is also the possibility of a scholarship as the "Dudes" are offering two free scholarships for each of the sessions that are running.  See the website for more detail.

The Culinary Dudes offer classes in San Rafael, Napa and Sacramento.

The Culinary Dudes
www.culinarydudeontour.com

info@theculinarydude.com or 971-30-DUDES(38337) for specifics

Pho Viet

We're lucky to have this authentic Vietnamese family run restaurant in Marin.  Owners Hoa and KimSa Lam have opened Pho Viet with  Cang Nguyen, Hoa's brother, managing daily operations with the former chef of Le Cheval in Oakland,  Tan Le in the kitchen.  Guests are always greeted warmly here and there always seems to be a stream of hungry fans coming in and out of the restaurant.

I was greeted warmly and urged to try the barbecued quail.  I've had quail before and usually don't choose them because of their small-boned nature.  I succumbed thinking that these must be something special to have them so enthusiastically offered.  And that was the right choice.  These temperature-hot pieces were so succulent and the tasty fresh lemon-pepper sauce did little to cool these, however it added a pleasant tang to the dish.  I would order these again without prompting.

What I had my mind on when driving to lunch was the vermicelli bowl, this one was barbecue chicken with egg roll.  Light and satisfying I was  happy with my 'bun'.  I actually had not planned to blog the visit, but thought that it was worth sharing and snapped these with my trusty phone camera without flash.

The staff also encouraged me to try their avocado shake, which was smooth and the little tapioca balls added fun and contrast to the drink.

The latest restaurant inspection results for Pho Viet are here.

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Uncle Wing is promising

Tsing Tao in San Rafael changed hands and names and now is Uncle Wing. Seeing the bright yellow Grand Opening sign I just had to stop since it was lunchtime. A friendly staff seated me immediately and brought both water and tea, and of course a menu. Lunch specials all run under $7 for soup, appetizer, entree and rice.

The egg flower soup was hot and flavorful. Simple and satisfying, I enjoyed it.

I was delighted to see a number of vegetarian and faux meat choices, and promptly chose the meatless lemon chicken entree. It came with a spring roll and fried rice. The faux meat was moist, flavorful and had a pleasant texture. It was a hit with me. I had this meal a couple weeks ago, and liked it well enough to have the same thing today. The only difference was that today, the spring roll appetizer had been morphed into fried wonton skins with some sauce. That was disappointing, but the main dish was still quite delicious.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0
Noncritical: 0
Last Inspected: April 15, 2010

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

One rainy night

Cold and dark was the night I skipped through the puddles on the parking lot to get to the warm interior of Panchitos in San Rafael. I remember this place as the first restaurant that I tried taking photos of the actual meal that I ate for posting.

Of course the crisp chips with very red salsa comes out.

I tried the Vegetarian Burrito this trip. It was pleasing to the eye. I loved the whole pinto beans, and the rice was flavorful too.

The inside of the burrito was stuffed with fresh sauteed vegetables. It was slightly heavy on zucchini for my taste, but overall it was really good. I ordered it with guac and sour cream which melded the Mexican flavors. This is a nice neighborhood place with good service and solidly good food.


Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: December 11, 2009

Previously reviewed:

July 7, 2006

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Cheerful chomping

I wandered into the Blue Skies Cafe in San Rafael early one morning to sample their breakfast fare. The Blue Skies Cafe is tucked away in the Marin County Health and Wellness Connection Center complex near "The Loop". The Blue Skies Cafe is a Buckelew Program, which only makes it even more of a positive place to visit. Buckelew a non-profit organization which assists older youth and adults with mental illness, into homes, jobs and recovery services.

The staff were so cheery and worked with me to find a breakfast of my choosing from their array. The food and drink are all mostly on the politically correct list, and good for the planet!

I found a beautifully sunny table and enjoyed my meal. The blackberry scone was WOW, and the hard boiled eggs and mocha were great too. You won't find cooked items like omelets or pancakes here, it is mostly boxed for take out and to eat-with-coffee kind of fare. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by for good items within their repertoire, and enjoy the sun!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1
Noncritical: 0
Last Inspected: March 9, 2009

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Inventive and delightful

Weezy's Grass Fed Shed has been on my mind for some time since its opening (and before). Located near Scotty's Market in San Rafael's Terra Linda district, it was just enough out of the way that my visit was delayed. I was happy to find a slice of time to get there and try this wonderful well thought out concept - grass fed beef and veggie burgers served in and with compostable containers, napkins, etc.

I was greeted warmly, and ordered a couple burgers. The sizes are small so you can try a variety of toppings. These are just the perfect size for kids. I got a budget-wise combo that included either regular or sweet potato fries, or a mix. I chose the mix, and got a free sample of their dip for the sweet potato fries too. The dip was really great - creamy (cream cheese based?) with a hint of seasonings. No less so the burgers. The vegetarian moo-less burgers were very good. These don't have the texture of a hamburger, and the good taste made that aspect very forgettable. There is a small bar of condiments to top your burger, and I loved that the tomatoes were the Roma type, just the right size to top these 1/8 lb. beauties. I also convinced (it was not very hard) the staff to use a garden patty in a Contiki style burger that has Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce and a piece of pineapple adorning it. I enjoyed them both, and am looking forward to going back.

I was also lucky enough to be there at the same time as Weezy's brother. He enlightened me about Weezy and her hope as a mother to create a great community place where kids and the rest can enjoy healthy food quickly in a earth friendly way. She also lives nearby.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 2
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: December 22, 2009

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Large portions, good food

Dad and I stopped in at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse the other day in San Rafael's Northgate Mall. We had been searching for men's slippers, a daunting task indeed after the holiday season is over. Having exhausted ourselves finding a pair, we saw the big BJ's sign as a beacon of welcome. We were greeted and seated promptly.

We had some Calamari to start off with while we perused the rest of the menu. It was tender and crisp and had a delicious pair of sauces, spicy marinara and lemon garlic aioli.

I could not resist the Garden Vegetable Potato, a HUGE potato stuffed with fresh vegetables and an alfredo sauce. There was also both jack and cheddar cheese melted on top. It was nearly as big as a pee wee football! It tasted good, however, there needed to be a bit more stuffing to really have enough sauce for that sized potato. And most would not be able to finish it anyway.

Dad had the Old Fashioned Pot Roast, slow-roasted Angus beef pot roast that is served with white cheddar mashed potatoes, mushroom brown gravy and over roasted vegetables. He loved every drop of it! The only thing that didn't work about this place for my father (and perhaps others) is that the noise level is HIGH. It's hard to carry on a conversation with someone who has good hearing, and is rather miserable for those wearing hearing aids.

All in all, it's a recommendable place if you want good food in generous portions in an upbeat, noisy atmosphere.

And Happy Valentine's Day! I'm in Seattle right now and am looking forward to sharing some finds on this trip too!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0
Noncritial: 0

Last inspected: November 13, 2009

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Crepe choices

One fine weekend day, Dad and I made our way over to Crepevine in San Rafael. We were on the early side, so there were plenty of tables both inside and sidewalk style.

Dad wanted the Denver Omelet. He liked the omelet and thick slices of toast, however, he invented a new culinary term for the potatoes -- Baaaa! Yes, he did not enjoy these, and with his memory problem, kept forgetting and trying them again, finally throwing his fork down violently, and yelling 'Baaaa!'. The problem was that they were cooked VERY unevenly. Some were crispy critters, so hard they were painful, and some had one side nearly burnt, and the other raw and crispy. Mine were the same, but I could remember not to eat the questionable ones.

I tried a unique-sounding vegetarian savory crepe, the Kyoto. It was filled with marinated grilled tofu sauteed with spinach bell peppers, shitake mushrooms and peanut sauce. The crepe itself was too crisp and hard on the outer third, occurring more as a dosa crepe than a French-style one. The interior ingredients were a good combination and tasted great. I liked that there as both a little salad, and potatoes, if only the potatoes were better cooked.

I've had better experiences at the Crepevine, and I hope this one was just bad luck and not a trend.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: 3/27/2009

Previously reviewed:
December 2, 2006

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Totally hidden in plain sight

Here's one I was amazed to find. California Bakery & Restaurant is located in San Rafael on an industrial street tucked away not far from Bellam Rd. With its $4 specials and generally well-worn interior it would not be off to call it a 'dive'. Upon entering I immediately noticed two square tables surrounded nearly 2 men deep where card games were played and Spanish was being spoken. I was the lone female in the place besides the woman who took my order at the counter and served me. She gave wonderful service and exuded peace and grace.

I found the drink selection of large sizes and unusual flavors interesting, deciding to try the Watermelon Fruit Juice Cocktail by Arizona.

The hot and flavorful Egg Flower soup was served nearly simultaneously with my meal.

There was no problem substituting prawns for beef in a delicious stir fry which then consisted of prawns, fried tofu and vegetables over rice. It was hot, had fresh ingredients and was a very satisfying lunch. If you don't mind the 'dive-yness' of this place, the limited menu of Chinese rice plates are healthy, tasty and the price is sure right.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1
Noncritical: 2
Last Inspected: 3/11/2009

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Hospitable

One cool evening last month I paid a visit to Tenkyu in San Rafael. It's so dark in December! And the staff at Tenkyu are so welcoming that it makes you forget the cool outdoors, and settle in to enjoy leafing through the extensive menu with a surprising amount of vegetarian choices to find your dinner.

Most dinners include miso soup, which sure tasted hot and soothing that night.

And they were nice enough to let me flex around the combination dinners to come up with a combo that suited my taste that evening, vegetable tempura and salmon teriyaki plus their regular sides - salad - gyoza - rice. (The gyoza was vegetarian). It all was fresh, hot and tasty. It was typical home-style food prepared well. I intend to come back more often, and try out some of the interesting vegetarian selections.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: 2/10/2009

Previously reviewed:
December 30, 2006

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

What's in a name?

According to The SF Chronicle, Fondue Fusion has become Ray's Hot Pot. This would have been a great place to go during the past cold spell!

I've been in the area, just in a bit of overwhelm between big projects at work, and the holiday season. I will be back as I can.

Fun find

Dad and I were together in San Rafael, and thought Foodles would be fun to try. The first thing we noticed is that it has a very reasonably priced breakfast menu! However, it was lunchtime, so we chose options from their daily specials. Foodles is a casual breakfast and lunch place, and it has a sign in the window about using fresh and wholesome ingredients.

Dad opted for the chicken teriyaki which came with rice and a green salad. The portion was generous, and Dad liked it enough to finish the plate!

I chose the salmon teriyaki, which was amazing! There was a generous portion of perfectly grilled and sauced salmon and the salad was so very fresh. It's been a few days, and I forgot to right it down, but I believe this plate was $8-9. It is a casual, order-at-the-counter type place that has a bit tied interior, and the food and service was great. The burgers the couple had next to us looked awesome too.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1

Noncritical: 0

Last inspected: 6/15/2009

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

New Japanese place in San Rafael

Dad and I went out for lunch to check out the new I Love Sushi in San Rafael. The owners of the previous place there, Jason's Burger Joint, decided to recreate the spot into a sushi oasis. They've nicely redone the interior with Japanese theme.

The miso soup that accompanied each of our lunches was great. These days some restaurants leave out the wakame (seaweed) that is traditional to this soup, however this had a full complement of it.

We started with a California Roll, it was fine, but nothing special. It was made with the imitation crab sticks so common these days.

I chose a two item bento box for my main course. The fry cook needs a bit of training on how to make tempura. The vegetable tempura that was one of the item choices was so limp as to be floppy! There were browned edges and spots where the batter didn't cover. However, whoever created the items knew their Japanese food. There was the grated daikon radish for the tempura sauce. This is missing in many US Japanese restaurants these days, and it is an important piece as it helps cut the grease. The teriyaki salmon that came was perfect. It was grilled nicely and the teriyaki sauce was good. The green salad section was overflowing with lovely fresh spring greens. That was a definite plus. The rice was slightly skimpy, but good nonetheless. The edamame pieces in the middle was also a nice touch.

Dad's salad came separately, and he said it was better than the usual.

Dad's main course was the Chicken Satsu Donburi. It was basically a deep fried Chicken Cutlet sliced and placed over a simmered egg and onion base, all topping rice. He said that he liked the green onion tops that not only added a bit of flavor, but put some color in the otherwise brown/yellow dish. He liked the flavor and insisted on taking the small bit he couldn't finish home. I Love Sushi has not been open long, and I anticipate that as they keep going things will gel in the kitchen for more consistency.

Restaurant Inspection Results

I Love Sushi has not yet been inspected.

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

New kid on the block

In the space that I believe last housed Mezzo Mezzo in San Rafael, a new place has opened, Savory Orient. I enjoyed lunch there a few days ago. The waiter told me that Savory Orient aims to bring us good tastes from many countries in Asia. The menu had things from Thailand, Japan, China and Malaysia that I could see immediately.

The lunch items come first with a salad. It was cool and fresh and served elegantly. In fact the whole space was quite elegant, and there was a big buddha sitting in the restaurant with us.

I loved the Fresh Spring Wraps which were indeed fresh and served artfully in a glass. There was a good amount of iceburg lettuce inside which gave it some extra snap.

I ordered off the specials menu for my entree, which was Drunken Noodles. The drunken noodles consisted of hokkien noodles with prawns, scallops, bok choy, red bell peppers, mushrooms, basil (tomatoes) in a spicy Thai basil sauce. I put tomatoes in () since these were listed on the menu, but not in the dish. This was a fusion dish with a very Thai flavored treatment of Chinese noodles. These egg noodles orginated in the Fujian Province of China and are popular in Singapore and Malaysia. These were served beautifully and spiced just right.

This is a place that emphasizes presentation and taste rather than family-sized large portions. The service was prompt and friendly.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1

Noncritical: 0

Last inspected: 8/12/2009

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Great pasta!

Jo-Ann and I got together for a girls night out at Vin Antico in San Rafael. We came early and were the first diners to arrive that evening. The staff was very welcoming. The ambiance of the restaurant itself is very warm and inviting.

I felt like some greens, so started with their classic Caesar Salad. It is a large portion with a generous amount of shaved Parmasean. I enjoyed it!

For the main course, I chose the "Strangled Priest". It won out over other selections because of the intriguing name. The Strozzapretti pasta consisted of sauteed mushrooms, spinach, shaved ricotta salata, garlic, and toasted pine nuts. The name comes from the open tubes that are said to resemble priest's collars. The pasta was tender, the other ingredients fresh, and the whole dish melded together deliciously!

Jo-Ann chose the Peposo Delicato which is a kind of lasagne with green peppercorn braised pork shoulder layered between fresh pasta in garlic broth. She enjoyed the dish although she thought the pasta in mine was slightly sweeter and better. She also thought that the pork preparation was a bit more 'sour' than she is used to having. Not in a bad way, but a different taste sensation.

The whiteness of the cup made it difficult to get a well focused photograph of this awesome Affogato. It was artfully served, and the dish consisting of espresso poured over mascarpone gelato, with house made biscotti cookie was really a wonderful contrast in tastes.

I was intrigued by the description of the Tramezzino Gelato: "Hazelnut gelato sandwiched between chocolate drizzled piselli cookies, topped with honey and crushed hazelnuts." It sounded delicate and delicious, so I was prepared for the deliciousness, but not for the large size of the dessert. Jo-Ann and I both approved of this one. It was a 10! The piselli cookies are a crisp lightly sweet waffle type cookie, and the hazelnut gelato was smooth, creamy and everything you dream of in a gelato. Vin Antico is a wonderful place to have a special evening!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0

Noncritical: 0

Last inspected: 4/29/2009

Previously reviewed:
July 19, 2008

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.