Still a good value

It's been a couple of years since I visited Tub Tim Thai, a little place across from the Pet Club in Corte Madera. Too long! I forgot what good things await inside. Not the least of which is a quiet and very kind man who takes care of you the moment you walk in.

The lunch specials all still start with a wonderful clear soup which has bits of freshness floating in it.

The yellow curry with shrimp was just perfect, and had potatoes and carrots in the curry sauce as well. And the spicing was just right. While enjoying lunch, Ann & Iris from a nearby table visited me noticing the photo taking. Ann has actually read my blog, and we had a nice conversation. Hi to Ann & Iris if they are reading this post.

Speaking of meeting people, this must be the week for it. I meandered into Sushi Ran in Sausalito yesterday evening before taking in War, Inc. next door and was by happy coincidence seated by an old friend I hadn't talked to in years, Toby. What a lucky woman I am!

Last reviewed:
October 13, 2006

Gourmet Vietnamese

I met Sachiko in the city the other evening for an adventure at Pot de Pho, on Geary. San Francisco has many Vietnamese food choices, and this one is one of the more upscale. It's also mostly organic.

These Vegetarian Crispy Rolls were quite delicious.

This Green Papaya Salad shocked me with thin slivers of organic pork after taking it upon the recommendation of the server as a 'vegetarian' dish with some seafood. The dish was quite delicious and well-composed, especially if you eat pork.

Sachiko heard from the manager that this Seafood Sate is a very good alternative to regular pho, and still has rice noodles as the base. This was the hit of the evening. The seafood flavors were nicely blended in with a delicious reddish sauce.

And our curiosity drove us to ordering the Chocolate Lavender Custard. It was smooth with a hint of lavender in the chocolate goodness. Put this on your list of places to try if you enjoy good Vietnamese food with extra care given to the ingredients.

Massive portions, good taste

I used to visit Mi Pueblo in San Anselmo rather often when I visited a great Network Chiropractor around the corner. But this was the first visit in quite a long time, and I was pleased to find the same prompt and friendly service, with good tasting food in massive proportion.

The first thing that happens is that freshly prepared salsas and chips are set in front of you. It puts you quite in the mood for ordering :-).

And your food arrives quickly after ordering, in this case a Vegetarian Mas Burrito. This burrito not only has the usual burrito ingredients (rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, guacamole) but also crisp and tender pieces of broccoli, cauliflower and carrot. It was delicious and quite massive.

Middle Eastern Inspired

Dad & I had brunch at Insalata's in San Anselmo. It had been too long since I'd been to this place with such inventive and delicious dishes. It was the first time to try their brunch, and although a good time for breakfast dishes, we felt more like having the lunch items.

Dad said these golden salmon and crab cakes were really tasty. They were thick and packed with sea-meat - not filler.

I had the most amazing Middle Eastern Inspired Vegetarian Platter with lemony lentils, eggplant, curried spinach, Turkish yogurt, and couscous. Every bite was flavorful and interesting. I would go there just for a repeat of this dish!

We indulged in some dessert, Dad having chocolate cake that was quite special, brushed with a little rum… mocha mascarpone, bittersweet chocolate ganache, and espresso crème anglaise. Wow!

I couldn't resist the dessert with lemon flavors - Lemon Meringue Pie. This stunning finale had creamy meyer lemon curd, and huckleberry coulis in it. I fell in love.

Last reviewed:
August 5, 2005

Golden Raspberries

For the finale of Father's Day dinner yesterday, I picked up some beautiful Driscoll's golden raspberries, some regular red raspberries and some Naturipe blueberries. These went over pound cake and topped with whipped cream. The golden raspberries were developed by Driscoll's using natural plant breeding techniques to bring out a recessive gene. These taste fabulous, and were large and juicy. What a pretty way to make a berry topping extra special!

Sonoma Lavender Festival

Today is the last day of the Sonoma Lavender Festival for a year! The lavender is blooming and there are great lavender treats to eat while relaxing at tables listening to French music! I was with my family, Atsushi, Yukako & Mao and my Dad there yesterday. We enjoyed some fabulous lavender sausage, lavender ice cream (with choice of strawberry, peach or chocolate flavor with the lavender), and lavender brownie all washed down with ice cold lavender ice tea! None of these looked out of the ordinary unless you took a very close look.

It was fun to U-Pick Lavender bunches to take home. It was in fact heavenly to walk among the bees and butterflies through rows of blooming stalks. It's a lovely way to spend a summer afternoon!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Tomato Babies!

I'm SO excited. As I was watering yesterday morning, I found that there were baby tomatoes hidden under the leaves! Oh, this is so easy and rewarding everyone should have their own tomato plant!

And look how BIG it's grown... and I'll have no salmonella worries!

Italian Restaurants in Marin

Pana cotta at Frantoio

Italian Restaurants in Marin. When in doubt, eat Italian. Who doesn't like Italian? And with such wonderful choices in Marin you don't have to venture afar for great Italian food, from old to nuovo. And take a little preview of those new to you via these reviews.

Italian Restaurants where I have eaten

Corte Madera
Benissimo
California Pizza Kitchen
Il Fornaio

Fairfax
Barefoot Cafe
Fradelizio's Ristorante Italiano
Ghiringhelli's Pizzeria

Larkspur
Café Lucano
Fabrizio
Picco

Mill Valley
Caffe Oggi
Frantoio
Gira Polli
La Ginestra
Pasta Pomodoro
Piatti
Piazza d'Angelo
Pizza Antica
Small Shed Flatbreads
Stefano's Pizzeria
Vasco

Novato
Aurora Ristorante Italiano
Grazie

San Anselmo
Cucina
LoCoco's Pizzeria
Riccardo's Restaurant & Pizza

San Rafael
Amici's East Coast Pizzeria
Arrivederci
Cinecitta
Gaspare's Pizzeria
Hanna's
Il Davide
Mezzo Mezzo
Ristorante La Toscana
San Rafael Joe's

Sausalito
Angelino Restaurant
Cafe DiVino
Cafe Trieste
Caffe Tutti
Cacciucco
Dario's Pizza & Pasta
Giovanni's Pizza
Poggio
Pomodoro Pizza Cafe
Rustico
Scoma's
Spinnaker
Winship

Tiburon
Milano Ristorante

Italian Restaurants I have yet to discover

Corte Madera
Marin Joe's

Larkspur
Emporio Rulli

San Anselmo
Fork

San Rafael
Mulberry Street Pizzeria
Panama Hotel & Restaurant
Vin Antico

Worth Finding

Any number of times I've been tempted and attempted to find Rickey's without a map. It seems so close to Hwy 101, it must be easy. Well, only if you know the way! So after years of failed attempts, I made it the other night, and was glad I did. There is also some history to this place which made it interesting.

I started with a creamy ragout in a puff pastry shell that was smooth and full of taste. Great start as an alternative to the usual soup or salad.

When I asked about the vegetarian entrees, my friendly waitress flipped over to a FULL page - wow - vegetarian items usually don't get such stellar treatment! She highly recommended the grilled vegetable Napoleon. It was such a pretty stack of grilled eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, red onion and sweet red pepper with a polenta bottom and portabello top! The only thing that could have been improved was the eggplant, which was a little bitter. It needed a little salt soak and rinse before grilling to take the bitter bite out. The red sauce on the plate was smooth without being too sweet and was a lovely sauce for the veggies. This dish is highly recommendable.

What would be a fitting finale, well a chocolate covered raspberry gelato heart! This one certainly tasted as good as it looks here. Great service, amazingly comfortable chairs and a warm ambiance in addition to the inventive and good tasting food makes this one worth repeat visits and the effort to find.

One Letter Change

CJ's became DJ's in the not too distant past, and this was the first time I went since the ownership change. I remember doing a double-take and questioning my sanity the first time I passed the new sign. I also sat on their back patio for the first time, lovely!

I had a lunch special, which included hot and sour soup. Seemed good for hot and sour.

And the Mongolian scallops were to die for! Crisp on the outside and moist on the inside with some spice! Green onions and a crisp noodle bed added to the taste adventure. It came with a pretty fried won ton skin, rice, and a refreshing cabbage salad underneath the won ton. All this, and a very friendly owner. Good lunch and recommendable.

Previously reviewed:
May 5, 2007 (as CJ Chinese Cuisine)

B Star gets A Star

Last week my friend Sachiko and I decided to go to Burma Superstar, only to find that it is closed on Tuesdays. However, just a block or so away is its little sister - B Star, and it was open. Both are on Clement Street in San Francisco.

And now I'm going to tell you what a nut I am. The photos turned out horribly. It was a bit too dim, and the shots were dark and blurry :-(. So what did I do? I took Dad the very next day for dinner there, and ordered EXACTLY the same menu. Those photos turned out much better, and we were in a better lighted area of the restaurant. So we had cooling honey iced teas, and started with Kabocha Croquettes. You can guess that all the food was great, or I wouldn't have ordered the exact same thing the next day!

The Tea Leaf Salad is over the top. The tea leaves are from a green tea imported from China, and the salad also includes romaine lettuce, ginger, garlic, peanuts, sunflower and sesame seeds and tomatoes. And I could have swore that there were some crunchy deep fried yellow peas in it too.

Thai Salmon Green Curry Pot Pie was up next, which consisted of strips of salmon and veggie green curry with a scallion and sesame puff pastry. We had jasmine rice as a side instead of the salad since we had the Tea Leaf Salad. It was not only visually appealing, but delicious.

And for a refreshing finale, we had ginger ice cream covered with fresh berries. A very smooth yet spicy finish, and a perfect end. I could come here often without tiring I'm sure.

Family Style Pizza and Pasta House

This place often gets overlooked, but Dario's Pizza and Pasta has some good values hidden away inside. And the woman who served us was a real gem -- hope she's appreciated.

Every day they have a special, and we happened to show up on a Tuesday, when it's all you can eat spaghetti. The specials all have a choice of soup or garden salad included. But first, a large loaf of freshly baked bread is served with butter. It is hot and delicious!

Dad ordered his spaghetti with the garden salad with Blue Cheese dressing on the side. It was so large, he took more than half of it home.

I ordered the minestrone, forgetting that I don't particularly like their rendition of it. It tastes rather green, like green olives. Not only that but it was COLD. I was not sure I wanted to say anything since I hardly wanted a warm bowl of it once I remembered its style. But I thought it would be kinder to mention it so they could turn up the heat for the next guest. So I told the waitress about the temperature and said I didn't want it replaced. She was so apologetic and insisted on bringing me a to-go box of a lovely salad matching Dad's.

Dad couldn't believe the heaping portion of spaghetti that came his way, in fact eventually made three meals of it. He said it was great.

I received a football sized calzone of mozzarella, mushrooms, black olives, and spinach (subbing for the meatballs.) It was piping hot and tasted great... and I could've made three meals of it as well, but tossed the remainder after meal two. If you are looking for gargantuan goodness, or have a football team to feed, this is the spot!

Previously reviewed:
March 8, 2007

Happy Spirit

I have to say I found Maya Azul Mariscos on Bellam Road in San Rafael just brimming with happiness and good spirit from the time I walked in the door. The menu offerings were fairly standard, but the cheerful service was over the top.

The interior was brightly colored, and you felt as though you entered a permanent festival. And there was a fish tank build into the center wall no less! And these were happy fish, not fish-that-are-about-to-be-eaten fish.

Dad tried the chicken enchilada plate, which he said was good, but too much volume to eat with refried beans, salad and rice accompanying the enchiladas.

I had a veggie burrito plate that included black beans, rice and salad as well. It was a generous portion of food at a reasonable price point. We just took doggie bags home. This is a great place near the Canal District for a casual and happy bite.

Wood burning oven crackles the crust

It's been a long time since I visited Vasco so it was time for an update. The comfortable interior is still the same, and the service this time around was fabulous. There was a comfortable buzz rather than loud echoes this time around, which works better for my father with his hearing aids.

Dad and I started with some colorful vegetables which had been cornmeal battered and flash fried, accompanied by some smooth aoli. The crunch of the cornmeal was a welcome texture contrasted with the usual wheat based types, and I don't think it absorbs as much oil. It's a nice choice for an appetizer.

With the wonderful summer weather, we thought salads would be a refreshing next course, so Dad enjoyed a mixed green salad.

While I enjoyed the asparagus salad which had tender grilled asparagus with roasted red peppers and a thin shaving of Parmesan. This was colorful and delicious too.

And we can't say enough good things about this rustic vegetarian pizza, cooked in the wood burning oven. The crackly crust was fabulous paired with thickly sliced eggplant, red onion, mushrooms, sweet red peppers and juicy tomatoes. It had just a smattering of mozzarella to set it off. We had a great meal and a great time at Vasco's!

Previously reviewed:
June 30, 2005