Mill Valley Neighbor. Tucked away near the square in Mill Valley, is a friendly family-style Japanese restaurant, Ino Restaurant. The woman who greets you is an old-style Japanese who has impeccable manners and hospitality. We were SO looked after for our meal here.

The miso was good.

Dad enjoyed beef shogayaki, beef sauteed with ginger.

I tried their beef sukiyaki, neither of us in the mood for sushi. Mine was good as well, with vegetables cut uniformly so that they cooked evenly in the sauce. A good cool-weather dish. The only thing amiss was that the menus in the sheet holders were rather sticky. There was quite an artist here too, as there was a beautiful hand drawing of a Japanese woman in a kimono in moonlight on the specials white board, and on the menus were illustrated explanations of what "kappa" means (not cucumber) as well as the story of tengu!

New in the neighborhood. The old Bell markets have been sold to DeLano/IGA, and have started changing over, more rapidly in the past month. The signs are starting to pop out. I visited this Mill Valley one as the first experience of the new stores on my way back from Stinson Beach, so I also happened to have my camera ready. Always looking to practice on pretty colorful food! Besides, Dad needed a sandwich for lunch since I was to be out the rest of the day. I have to admit curiosity about this new entity and how it would approach the Marin food crowd.

The Novato Advance states that the new DeLano IGA will have an "emphasis on natural, organic, and whole foods'. I was impressed to see a salad bar near the front of the store that glistened with freshly prepared produce at the ready for making a beautiful salad to go.

Being a produce lover, as Dad was waiting for his smoked turkey sandwich with all the fixin's to be made by the friendly staff at the deli counter, I wandered about looking for organic fresh fruits and produce. I was immediately impressed by their row of fresh organic fruit and photographed it end

to end.

I also loved their informative signage.

I started to look around for the organic produce section, and couldn't really identify it. Then I noticed leafy greens like colorful chard sitting right next to their conventional counterparts. Kudos to DeLano/IGA for not making us get our daily aerobic workout chasing back and forth between a 'special' organic section and traditional offerings to figure out if the pricing works right on any particular item for our budget.

As I was doing this, I ran into whom I supposed was the produce manager who was friendly and wondered what the flash was when I was capturing that beautiful fruit. I told him I was practicing and asked him about the localness of the produce. I know some of you are very committed to the 100-mile concept, so wanted to get the scoop. I was reminded that local in its essence also includes the concept of seasonal, when he said that the produce got more and more local as it comes in season closer to Marin. Sounded like most things were still coming at least from California. I understand that this new local chain has been founded by a father/son team who are somewhat more local to us being from California. So far I have hope that this new ownership will turn out to be a big benefit for those of us foodies who enjoy seasonal, fresh and local organic/natural ingredients for our family tables. The store nearest/most convenient to me is actually the Tiburon store, so I plan to fan the flames of local innovation by frequenting it as it looks off to a good start.

A Beach Kind of Morning. Since Dad will be cooped up recuperating from a routine surgery (checking on cancer remission) next week, and we were both up early, we decided to head to Stinson Beach for a little adventure, as well as try a new breakfast place. It was a stellar morning, and as we wound up the hill from Mill Valley we passed a long row of Eucalyptus trees, which were giving off their characteristic fresh scent very strongly. We stopped at a look out point just as we started climbing Panoramic Drive over Mt. Tamalpais. Once I hopped out of the car with my camera, you could hear so many birds singing sweetly from the trees - it was so happy and tranquil, and the view was great! You can see our progress to the town, and then our trip to the beach for a walk in the slide show above (I took a total of 90 photos, but tried to limit myself here!) I believe you can click on a photo to go through to a bigger version. We truly went over the river, and through the woods (green and lush), and down the coast just a little to the beach.

Parkside Cafe. The destination breakfast place was quite easy to find, and we were glad that we wanted to take the route over Mt. Tam since we found out that Rt. 1 is closed along the coast until March 28th. Mud slides routinely take out pieces of the road in winter, and I guess this winter must have been bad for it. I was hoping to take the coastal route back, but that was no longer an option. The staff at the Parkside Cafe were very friendly, and took care of us delightfully.

We enjoyed looking at the paintings (and patrons) around the restaurant while we waited for our breakfast.

We also enjoyed gazing outside the rather dirty window pane to a sliver of the beach, the round metal thing you can see in the photo in the middle of the path, is the vantage point from where I took the photos at the beach proper in the slideshow first above.

Dad ordered what he called a "lumberjack's" breakfast, blueberry pancakes and a scrambled egg. He enjoyed every last bite, and was glad for a beach walk afterwards!

I went Norwegian, and had a toasted bagel with lox. A variety of tastes, smooth salmon, salty capers, crisp red onion, cool and ripe red tomatoes with cream cheese that melted on your tongue contrasted with the chewy toasted bagel. A sensual delight. And what a great way to start the day! I made it back in time for my meditation class, and I already felt quite in the zone!

Japanese Fast-Food. I guess I'm like Bob who commented on one of my Japanese restaurant reviews that he could eat Japanese every day. So here we go again. When I arrived a Matsuyama's I realized that I'd never been here before although I thought I had earlier. Very bright interior, with cheery and prompt staff. I ordered a bento box from their lunch specials - $6.95 for two items, $8.95 for three.

First to come out was miso soup and salad. The miso was rather thin and lacking in ingredients, but the taste was acceptable.

Then came the box. Tempura, katsudon and california roll. It reminded me much of Yoshinoya's bento box in the Financial District (since departed), ok for what it is, but definitely a fast food quality. Decent quantity for the price. I wonder about their dinner service, will have to try it then sometime, and post a new report.

Inventive lunch. I stopped by Sushi to Dai For in San Rafael, and tried a daily special I couldn't refuse.

First came a flavorful and hot bowl of miso soup.

Then came the California Don, sushi rice with tempura salmon, asparagus, avocado, with some lemon slices, ginger and wasabi. It was as good as it looks. Not having enough Japanese this week, I had a Japanese meal again last evening at Osakaya in San Francisco's Japantown. No photos, but it was a good homey meal of sansai ramen.

Good values, typical pizza & pasta place. I stopped in at Dario's Pizza & Pasta for lunch on a sunny day. I apologize for the above evening blur, just as I was trying to get a photo at lunchtime, the staff decided to take a smoking break, and I didn't want to be conspicuously photographing. So this was taken on my way home from my client's in the evening, under decidedly low light conditions. The interior is rustic with lots of warm wood and kitschy country decorations.

Brandy, my waitress, was bright, peppy and prompt. She brought out my iced tea, a pitcher of it on my table plus some freshly baked bread. I ordered the special of the day "All You Can Eat Spaghetti" since it came with a salad and was an all inclusive $7.49. Very reasonable. I have to say I was tempted to order a Schnitzelizza Pizza - with cheese, sweet and sour sauce, sauerkraut, beef, sausage and onions. Just sounds too unusual! But I really wanted a salad too, so went for the pasta special.

Next came the Garden Salad, very nicely done, crisp and delightful.

On to the main entree, the Spaghetti with meat sauce. I'm pleased to report that it was much improved over the last time I reviewed Dario's, the spaghetti noodles were closer to al dente and acceptable. But you can see, if I'm not crazy about the food, it may be awhile until I visit again. My last review of Dario's was in 2003. They also give you a cute round yellow magnet at the end - collect eight and get a free pizza!

Pleasant Lunch. Dad and I stopped in at the Raintree Cafe on a sunny day for lunch. Rain Tree had obviously been rediscovered as it was hopping!

Dad enjoyed a Smoked Turkey Sandwich with French Fries, which looked fresh and tasty, and generously portioned.

I enjoyed a basic Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwich with Potato Salad made freshly. It was good, and I always have been fond of the potato salad here - fresh and not over mayo'd. We'll come again!

Pan Asian in San Anselmo. Dad and I stopped at May Lee's Asian Bistro for dinner one evening. We were entice by the "Asian Bistro" part of the sign, and wondered what surprises it may bring. Brightly colored, with friendly prompt service it brought the following dishes.

The Canton Ha Gow Dumplings were hot, fresh and delicious. You can see the steam rising! I tried to order sushi as an appetizer, but was told that 'no one eats sushi in the cold, we only have sushi during the summer'!

Next up was their Combo Fried Rice, this was great.

The Sizzling Salmon and Asparagus was exceptional!

The only misstep was the Singapore Curry Rice Vermacelli. It was, well, awful. It tasted like someone dropped the curry powder bottle in it and didn't stir it up. Dusty powder grains were distinguishable, clinging to the noodles and the dish tasted rather of concentrated curry powder, strong and grainy even though powder-like.

In general this was bright, cheery and the menu was pan-Asian with Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai dishes represented on the menu. The proprietor said that his customers usually order Chinese despite the variety. It was good, other than the noodles just mentioned. There are two other locations in Marin, which only serve a Chinese/Japanese menu, in Mill Valley and Novato called simply "May Lee's".

Caledonia Street Thai. Stopped for a quick lunch at Arawan, a nice Thai place in Sausalito. It was bright and cheerful, as were the staff. I was promptly greeted and seated.

I tried their chicken and fried rice luncheon special. I didn't realize that the chicken was deep-fried or I probably wouldn't have chosen it on that day, but it was quite tasty! It was battered with an egg and breadcrumb treatment and the chicken inside was moist and tender. The stylized rice on the plate with the sweet/sour dip made for a pretty picture. I've been here before with a similarly pleasant experience, and will doubtless visit again.

Back to Breakfast. It's been awhile since making a breakfast post, and equally as long since a morning out on the town. So Dad and I decided it was good timing on Friday. We went to Toast in Mill Valley, which has been there quite awhile now. Since it was called something like Sunnyside the last time I was there you'll know just how long.

Dad ordered a short stack of Blueberry Flapjacks and an egg over easy. He was happy with his meal and said it was cooked just right.

I decided I'd best be adventurous as I would definitely be blogging this first visit, so I had the Norwegian hash, which was divine. Fresh grilled salmon and a mix of vegetables - potatoes, spinach, onions covered with a scrambled egg. It came with my choice of toast, and the wheat toast had some bite and flavor so I was a happy camper. This Friday morning breakfast MUST have given me a lot of energy as I signed up for a PhD program that evening!

Korean in Marin. Searching the usual sources, no answers come up for a Korean Restaurant in Marin. But there is a small chain originating in San Francisco called Hahn's Hibachi, which is definitely concentrates on Korean cuisine that has a branch in San Rafael.

I'll have to admit, on that rainy day last week I was trying to dash in a place closer to the parking lot -- so I first tried Sushi Lin, thinking it had a few months now to hit its stride. But alas, although the lunch hours clearly indicated that it should be open for another hour when I arrived, the door was firmly locked and the man behind the counter just scowled. Not a way to encourage customers... I had visions of an obento box in my head, so then I braved the rain to head around the corner to Akira, only to discover that they have stopped weekday lunch service except on Fridays. Awk! Across the street beaconed Hahn's Hibachi, so that is how I ended up there.

By that time I was soaked, and ready for something warm. I was greeted warmly (hurrah!) and I reviewed their extensive menu, deciding upon something a little unusual, a Dolsot Bibimbop. Very generously portioned, you have in a dangerously hot clay pot toasty rice topped with fresh steamed vegetables and barbecued chicken, then an fried egg! It stays almost too hot to eat for a long time due to the clay pot retaining the heat, but patience is rewarded with a fresh and inventive one-pot meal. The vegetables underneath were spinach, carrots, zucchini, turnips and sauteed bean sprouts. A veritable garden!

I was trying to find other Korean restaurants in Marin, and remembered a fast food one called Sorbol (I think), and found that the Village Food Court in Corte Madera where it lived has been swallowed up by Anthropologie. A little birdie told me that Java Hut Cafe in San Anselmo serves great Korean food, although it's a coffee shop. I'll have to put it on my list to check. If any of you know of other Korean restaurants in Marin, let me know! But at any rate, Hahn's Hibatchi was friendly and fresh and I'll be back again!

Staying close to home... there is still a lot of something going on closing down the E. Blythedale/Tiburon exit near my house, and it backs up all the traffic on the side roads unbearably. So although Dad and I intended to go further afield, one look at the road, and we decided to visit a tried-and-true good Italian restaurant in our backyard, Piatti Locali. Greeted promptly and with good cheer, we settled in a table across from the window.

Dad decided in this spitting rain, coldish weather he'd start with the lentil and mushroom soup. He enjoyed it very much, and being a bread connoisseur, he also commented on the nice texture of the Italian bread we were served with some spiced up olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

I started with a well-made Caesar, including a real anchovy draped artistically across the shaved Parmesan pieces. It was crisp and dressed perfectly. My Japanese host family in Hokkaido adore the Caesar at Piatti's and request we visit this restaurant when they are in town. I think of them every time I enjoy it myself.

Dad decided to continue on his mushroom theme, and went with the Funghi Pizza -- it featured spokes of portabello mushroom. He said he'd have to take some home, but ended up enjoying every crumb of it!

I decided to try some Cannelloni. It was filled with beef and porcini mushroom and covered with besciamella sauce. It looked rustic and handmade and was divine! (Our server later confirmed that it was made by hand in their kitchen.)

Dad was all prepared for dessert, and ordered a chocolate mousse cake with a nice Italian name I can't remember. He said he didn't care what it was called as long as it stayed on the menu in the same place order so he could have it next time too!

I had an almond cake with cherries and whipped cream. The cake was plain and dense, and a bit dry. It was a perfect foil for the cherries and their liqueur and a fabulously dense and rich whipped cream. If you know me well, you know I don't like whipped cream and generally leave it behind. However this was so good I enjoyed every bit I could get off the plate and onto my fork. Piatti's is predictably good with a kitchen that works together well. The restaurant also makes it a priority to get as much of its food as locally as possible which includes our farmer's market and directly buying from local farms, including meat purchases. It also takes into consideration sustainability in its menu choices. Next time I'll have to save some greenhouse emissions and walk there!

California Senate hearings related to food safety. If you thought the discussion between John Mackey and Michael Pollan was interesting, you may be interested enough to follow the details of what's happening in your food chain even further. There is a great deal of public interested in food safety and/or the recent E. coli outbreak in packaged spinach. If you are one of those who are following this topic, you'll want to catch this California Senate Committee Informational hearing on E. coli on February 27th, and the follow up on the 28th of further proceedings, or at least parts of it.

Some particularly interesting parts:

Judy Redmond Community Alliance of Family Farms, President & Co-Owner, Fully Belly Farm gave very articulate and compelling testimony. (watch from 2:35:19 ) She made the point well that organic farmers are prohibited from using manure in the fields, and conventional farmers are not under that obligation. USDA certified organic farmers use compost, and it is tested for pathogens before it is used. She said the proposed marketing agreement raises the level of conventional farming methods in this regard to the level of existing organic standards.

The first hearing had a cross-section of interests and is well-worth the time to watch if you are interested in the future of our fresh food supply. The second hearing is more dominated by the state science and agriculture department experts.

During the second hearing, regarding the Marketing Order approach to improving the safety of fresh leafy greens, John Dyer, California Department of Food and Agriculture stated "Roughly 80% of America's product [leafy greens] goes through California and we're looking at 90% of the volume of that..." which would be covered. So, what is happening in California's exploration of putting forth more regulations for food safety will affect the entire U.S. and beyond. (watch from 37:40)

Although not as entertaining as John Mackey and Michael Pollan, it's very important to how our fresh produce will be treated in the future.

Hidden charm in Tiburon. I passed by a little green house on Ark Row and vowed to stop in sometime. The name is Poncho's Casa Manana, and I did make it back on one of the horribly rainy days of late. I found that it is related to the Casa Manana in San Rafael (there is one in Bolinas too), but the ambiance is so different you would not imagine it to be related.

The service was prompt and friendly, and the person who helped me had a soft, sweet mom-like energy which actually reminded me of my mother. Some chips and a couple varieties of salsa were brought out immediately.

There were a number of tempting and unusual specialties, as well as an eggplant burrito special on the whiteboard. I decided to try "Yuca Salad". It was a warm salad, which had slightly sauteed cabbage (red and green), carrots, chicken as a topping to some romaine, all topped by tender slices of yuca and a mild white cheese. It had a mild potato taste and texture. It came with generous amounts of black beans (very well flavored) and rice. Definitely a recommendable place for a casual and tasty lunch. And it's veggie friendly - the Yuca salad had a veggie option, the eggplant burrito was veggie friendly and I also noted a vegetarian tamale on the menu.