Natural & Organic Indian Cafe

Daniel and I went out for a late dinner the other evening, and made it even later by traveling to Fairfax, a very relaxing town with lots of options for the veggie lover. We smelled the wonderful aromas coming from Cafe Lotus and made it our destination.

Daniel was quite exuberant about the smoke arising off of the Seekh Kabab, minced natural lamb kabab with crushed onions, cilantro, and roasted cumin seed. From experience, I knew that it could be difficult to capture the moment of billowing smoke well, but I think it actually photographed pretty dramatically. He was quite loquacious about the flavorful lamb.

He ordered some brown rice as a side, which also tasted great (he shared some with me too).

I had the Saag Paneer, where the cheese part of the dish was made with fresh milk and tasted SO smooth and fresh. The spicing was right in the overall dish as well. Some restaurants make this one a little bland. It wasn't spicy hot, just well seasoned and you could tell that the spinach was fresh also.

I ordered some onion naan with mine, wow! It had a great texture and had that fresh bread appeal. This is a place I'll love to come back to.

Rox Kreme

Well this fairly leapt out of the freezer case! I'm nothing if not a fan of Roxanne's. So when I saw this in Mill Valley Whole Foods it came right home with me.

Made with organic almond milk and cacao, it was smooth, sweet and soft. A delicious treat on a sunny day. Dad concurred. I hope your St. Patrick's Day yesterday held fun and laughter!

Try this alternate reality

Cafe Tibet has always been my favorite Berkeley eatery. Yes, I have been to Chez Panisse too. Cafe Tibet is literally like entering another world, from the moment you walk in and see the prayer wheel spinning on the front table, hear the Buddhist chants in the background and if you get close, feel the mist from the small fountain. You can peruse the menu page 1, and page 2 which is maintained on line by the Tibetan Association of Northern California, and see for yourself the myriad of authentic choices. I celebrated here in 2004 upon passing Ground School in pursuit of a pilot's license, which was much fun (both the food and the flying)!

Daniel was my dining companion for the evening, and we each started with a lassi, he a mango, and I a strawberry, just because.

The lighting was warm and ambient as well.

Daniel enjoyed Luk-sha She-dre, a Tibetan gourmet boneless lamb curries with mixed vegetables. He said it was great.

His accompaniment was some organic Bhutanese brown rice. It smelled nutty and rich.

With the soup I ordered, I tried the Tingmo, steamed Tibetan bread mildly seasoned with fresh garlic. It was as I remembered it, a unique soft bread with a shiny exterior and very faint taste of garlic.

With my bread, I had Then-thuk, a regional Amdo specialty, Hand pulled flat pasta simmered with tofu, daikon, onion, tomato, garlic and ginger in flavorful broth. The pasta was so fresh, it was amazing. According to the owner, the people of Amdo like this so much they do not hesitate to eat it for any meal, even breakfast! Amdo is one of the three provinces of Tibet and is renowned for its scholarship and monasteries. It was quite thick with ingredient so it held its heat, so I had to eat it slowly and savor. It's still my favorite place in Berkeley.

The call of the waves

Paul missed the ocean. Visiting from Portland this weekend, I asked him what he missed most about the bay area. One of the things was the ocean. So for brunch we took off to Stinson Beach. Once there, we found that menu at the Sand Dollar spoke to us best.

Paul liked the look of the Stinson Beach scramble, so that's what he ordered. He said that combination of organic eggs, smoked salmon, cherry tomatoes, green onions with home fries was delicious. The potatoes had some spicing that colored them dark; they were not overcooked.

I was intrigued by Miguel’s Chilaquiles, which consisted of sautéed corn tortillas, tomato-cilantro-jalepeno sauce, Parmasean cheese and topped with scrambled egg & fresh salsa. I'd never heard of such a combination and thought I should be adventurous! And it was a lovely inventive melding of ingredients, which paired well with the fruit that I requested instead of the home fries. The tomato-cilantro-jalepeno sauce wasn't overly spicy and made a nice contrast with the tortilla chips and egg. It was light and struck the perfect note for me yesterday morning.

Reviewed previously:
December 9, 2007

Extending our visit to the town, we decided to visit the Healing Arts Store just across the street and a few steps down. It's a small and focused book store with healing object and art pieces inside. If you are interested in the healing arts and metaphysical things it has a collection of unusual books. I always enjoy these independent bookstores where someone has thoughtfully put their own personal stamp on the collection contained.

There were delightful little artful nooks around the outside of the ocean weather beaten exterior.

In the rear of the store there was a table and seating with several artsy pieces about.

Near the seating, just to the right of the store's entrance, there was a most intriguing small building labeled the "Sandtray Room of Self-Discovery". A little note above the door directed you to ask the person tending the bookstore for a key.

Curiosity peaked, I just had to do so. Inside there were multiple shelves lining the room with all kinds of little figures. There was a chair and instructions on the door.

The instructions directed you to get into a relaxed state, and run your hands through the sand in the sandtray in the middle of the room a few times, until inspired to choose some figurines to place in the box, and make designs in the sand. What a relaxing, step-out-of-time thing to do! The previous person made a tableau of what appeared to be Moses fighting a dragon. Use of the room is free, and donations are gratefully accepted.

Leaving the Healing Arts Center behind (with a few books and gifts), we made our way down to the beach proper. We caught a few waves.

And I had a blast dancing in them with my Crocs. I'm becoming quite the beach girl.

Met the Filmmakers at Sam's

Last night Sam's Anchor Cafe was the meeting place of Yelpers and Filmmakers at the Tiburon International Film Festival (TIFF). The room was quite well set up, and Sam's did a great job on the food and drink. The little bits and bites that kept circulating with costumed people were quite tasty, as were the Hog Island Oysters set up in a corner. I sampled some kumamotos, just freshly cracked open and seasoned lightly - quite good! Sake2Me had a nice set up in the facing corner and were handing out bottles of quite refreshing infused sakes. I tried their Asian Pear, it was so light and the calories are only around 110 per bottle so I may just have to add this to my on-hand supply of drinks.

The Tiburon Film Festival is playing through March 21st, and has a wonderful variety of independent and thought provoking films. I spent some time talking to Zhihong Yang the Producer of Xiaolin Xiaoli which her husband, Miaoyan Zhang directed. The film is premiering in the US with this festival. The film was made on location in China, and spotlights the plight of the country's urban working class. She was so lit up about the film it is hard to think of missing it! (It plays Monday at 9:45 p.m.) The event was full of exuberance and friendliness and the film festival looks like a great opportunity to experience some fresh voices.

No Superlative Strong Enough

It is rare indeed for me to absolutely feel 'gushy' over a restaurant, but my experience last night at the Cottage Eatery in Tiburon has made me so, so be forewarned! It is evident that Chef Ed Carew loves to cook. You can really taste joy in the food, and I couldn't believe that every single dish held new and captivating surprises. Everything from choosing the best ingredients to the prep to the cooking and artful arrangement expressed focused attention to detail and melding to perfection. I asked the waitress if the Chef truly enjoyed cooking, and in response she told me how he often invites friends and family to his place just to enjoy cooking dish after dish for them. How many CPA's do you know that cheerfully invite their family and friends around the table to do their taxes as a treat with gusto? His wife, Jennifer Rebman, was also the perfect hostess, making the rounds of the tables and checking in with the diners. On to the food -

The first sign that this was going to be a great meal was the fresh bread that was brought with a fresh whipped red lentil spread. Not only good, but healthy too! I also understand that local and sustainable ingredients grace the plates of all the patrons.

Next came a surprise amuse bouche potato leek soup in a shot glass. It was a very smooth and flavorful few sips. It is nice to see little surprises come out of the kitchen and around the house.

Next up was the grilled ahi tuna belly with escarole and bean salad. The chef surely knows how to choose fish. This was a wonderful blend of flavors and textures and the ahi was rich and fresh and grilled just right.

And then out came another surprise taste, the beet ravioli, which I had eyed as a possibility instead of the ahi, and now I could taste both! Ravioli and the other pastas on the menu are made fresh in house daily. These beet ravioli were delicious and interesting with mizuna and poppy seeds among the toppings. Beets take on a whole new light in this presentation.

Potato gnocchi with asparagus and lecciho e.v.o.o. was my entree, and I've been trying to think of a gnocchi experience that topped this one and came up empty-headed. This is the best gnocchi dish I've ever experienced. When the dish was placed in front of me a fresh green scent wafted into my nostrils and I literally exclaimed "wow!" to the waitress. That was a new experience. The gnocchi fairly melted on my tongue and the sauce was perfectly emulsified and held together with integrity.

Although I hadn't planned on dessert, with a meal so perfect nothing could have stopped me from sampling the lemon-lavender pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream. I could see the softness of the pound cake as it was set before me. Pound cake doesn't usually have the appearance of soft clouds. It was just as tender and soft when I took a bite, and the hint of lavender struck an elegant note. Naturally the whipped cream and strawberries were wonderful too. And I usually neither like nor eat whipped cream. The Cottage Eatery is every bit as inventive and delicious as San Francisco's famed Aqua, with a more cozy and less hovering type service (and the prices are much more reasonable). This is a do-not-miss place which I fear will soon have a weeks long waiting list for reservations. It's that good.

Au Revoir Christophe

Well I'm certain of it now. Christophe's name has been painted over on the building, the person who ran the elist for news of Christophe hasn't replied to my query about the status of the restaurant, and yesterday a press release came round that showed that Chef Pierre Smets has joined Côté Sud in the Castro district of San Francisco. It's closed.

Neighborhood Niche

I stopped in for breakfast at the Koffee Klatch the other day after being absent for a number of years. This place has a little history for me. My first visit was a few years ago when I met a man who I originally met via Match.com here, who did some research to find a fun place to meet before enjoying an annual fair in the nearby park. Although the meeting didn't blossom into a romance, I still have fond memories of the place and the day as he was a really nice man, just not enough chemistry. This time, rather than gazing into the eyes of a red-headed Celtic type, I observed the people around me and noticed that everyone was quite comfortable, whether the women with children, or the older folk. There were no generational conflicts here! Everyone was just made to feel at home by the busy waitress with a ready smile.

I happily noticed the section on the menu called "Veggie and Egg Scrambles" and ordered "Irlando's Favorite" from it. How could I resist something that had fresh herbs with garlic, onion, basil, oregano, black olives, spinach tomato and feta in it? It was a wonderful scramble, and the potatoes and wheat toast were also good. I'd come back here anytime, wish it were closer to Mill Valley!

Established Neighborhood Italian

You'll notice I finally was able to activate my 'title' line, I'm happy! Dad and I felt like a neighborhood Italian place, so decided to try out Riccardo's in San Anselmo. It surely fit the bill with checkered tablecloths, wine bottles hanging from the ceiling and friendly, but busy staff.

Dad's Dinner Salad was unexpectedly large, but he said it was great with fresh greens and a variety of toppings.

The Minestrone I ordered tasted good, but had some unexpected cold spots in it.

Dad lapped up every bit of his Chicken Piccata saying it was tender and seasoned well with a nice blend of flavors.

Swiss Chard came as a side vegetable with Dad's chicken, and he said it was flavored nicely with a hint of garlic and olive oil. Pasta would have been the other choice of side, but Dad decided to watch his carbs.

I ordered from the specials menu which offered Paperadelle with Shrimp, Asparagus, Tomatoes and Porcini. Although this one was promising, the shrimp was overcooked into little hard balls, a lot of the asparagus was 'woody', and the paperadelle was clotted together with hard spots underneath. Not what I expected from a $17 dish. I thought I should speak up, so I mentioned the hard ball shrimp to three different staff members who said 'oh, sorry, I'll tell the chef", and that was the end of it. I'd like to try this place again because of the charming coziness, but I'm a little hesitant about the recommendability of its food at this point. I'm hoping it was just an off night.

Sunny soup. It had been quite some time since I'd dropped in at Thai Terrace, and it beckoned one sunny day. The staff was friendly and welcoming and had me seated in no time short by a sunny window.

Venturing where most do not, I took a chance on a soup that had a 'foreign' sound to it - Fish Ball Soup. It was a wonderful discovery. A light soup base with lots of rice noodles, some cilantro and some pleasantly light balls of fish. Think surimi, but moistened and enriched by a good broth. Light and nourishing, I'll seek this dish out again.

Previously reviewed:
October 10, 2006

Family by the seaside. My host sister from Hiroshima days is visiting with her husband, and our younger brother now lives in Marin, so the family got together for some local fun yesterday. After a refreshing walk breathing in the redwood scent at Muir Woods we decided to go to Stinson Beach for a drink and rest before the next round of activities.

After a quick survey of the scene, we decided to try the Stinson Beach Grill for some of the famous local BBQ oysters. Delectable! And we were seated promptly and given friendly and timely service. This is a place I'll come back to sometime to try a full meal.

We took in a little slice of the beach also. It was a glorious day yesterday!

A little French joie de vivre. My neighbor Jerrie and I took a drive to San Anselmo the other night to visit Bistro 330. It had a very bright atmosphere and busy owner?/waiter greeted us warmly and sat us.

Jerrie tried the spinach salad with goat cheese, which she said was very good.

While I stuck with the standard Caesar, which wasn't quite so standard here. The dressing wasn't a classical Caesar, but had what I think was balsamic vinegar in the mix. It was quite good.

Jerrie was enticed by the mustard chicken, however it turned out a bit bland for her taste, but was served very artfully.

I went for the grilled salmon with vegetables over wild rice. That was a perfect combo and my salmon was grilled just right, seared crisp on the outside with the center done through yet moist. All said, the server needed more help but he managed to give pretty prompt service anyway, as the restaurant filled it got a bit noisy, but there is a very fun and happy slant to the whole place. The food was slightly uneven, but basically good. It's Frenchness also showed beautifully.