Enjoying the waning light over Sausalito harbor

Inspired by a comment asking for my advice on where to have a bachelorette party within walking distance of the Sausalito Ferry Terminal, I decided to take Dad to Horizons last night when he wanted to have dinner 'by the water'. I also had visited earlier but with such spotty quality photos that it wasn't enough to make a good post. So I'm combining last night's visit with Dad with some prior unpublished photos for a mega-review of the food and views of Horizons. And Lynda can take a look (if this post is still in time!) to see for herself which dishes look the best!

There is a very nice view from the deck, and Dad & I enjoyed watching the parade of boats and ferries passing by from just inside the window.

Dad could see the San Francisco skyline behind me, and I had to turn around every once in awhile to enjoy it too. Especially when the lights started coming on and the city started shining like a string of jewels in a jeweler's case.

A Wednesday night before tourist season starts surely is a good time to get a nice seat in the dining room accented with warm wood seating.

Dad (87) was as happy as a clam since I took the stance of being delighted each and every time he told me the same story about meeting my mother last evening. Same goes for his fishing off the dock after work, sewing up sacks of feed grain and working with his water dog by his side on the farm stories. I guess it's much better to forever remember joy at meeting your true love than being able to recall what day it is, or what you had for lunch!

Now I'm going to just let the pictures speak for the food as everyone who ordered these dishes has reported that they were good! So the first is a big plate of oysters on the half shell.

Next up, fried calamari in a cone with aioli and cocktail sauces.

The clam chowder is excellent!

The Caesar salad is dressed just right!

The fish & chips made of tilapia are as delicious as pretty. (Dad & I split this order).

The seafood paella looks fabulous!

The day boat scallops with ravioli are art for the eyes as well as the tongue.

And the "Fishbowl Sundae" is surely big enough for a crowd, and it's Dad's favorite dessert here. Gas prices may be wild, the stock market wilder, the exchange rate surreal, but in the city called Sausalito meaning 'little willow grove' in Spanish (incidentally it was named so by a British Seaman, William Richardson), life goes on with happy moments strung like pearls on a silken thread.

Previously reviewed:
June 13, 2007
December 16, 2006

Convenient, Fast Mexican

I'm not a fan of to-go, so when a restaurant is ONLY to-go, it takes me a long time to get around to trying it. Any number of people said that I should try Lucinda's Mexican Food To Go, which is very close to my home, and so I made it a point when I needed a quick lunch last week to try it. It's very close to Strawberry Village in Mill Valley.

I was pleasantly surprised at the menu which offered brown rice as an option and touted a number of healthy improvements over standard Mexican fare. It is obviously a local favorite as there was a line out the door from when I arrived, and still when I left. I thought I'd try a couple things although sure I'd not finish (correct). First up was the bean and cheese tostada for which I chose black beans. Tasted great and I loved the finely sliced romaine. The person who made it thoughtfully put some waxed paper over the sour cream so it didnt' stick to the lid. The one thing I would do otherwise is replate this salad before eating. The ecological paper plate had a tendency to sog and I ended up cutting and eating pieces of it, thinking it was part of the tortilla!

Next up for sampling was the spinach quesadilla filled with spinach, tomatoes and sundried tomatoes, red onions and cheese. It wasn't my cup of tea, but all the ingredient were quite fresh and the sundried tomatoes were a nice flavorful touch (even though I don't like sundried tomatoes!). Fresh and quick, Lucinda's is nice to have in the neighborhood.

A dinner that makes me want to dance!

It was a beautiful evening yesterday, and after being reminded again of the precious moments of life by the death of a good friend's mother this weekend, I thought I should take Dad out somewhere special. A lot of times going out for somewhere special equates with heavy and indulgent, but I wanted the indulgent without the heavy, so we headed towards Greens in San Francisco.

Lingering for the view while the cool breezes blew was the first indulgence.

After we were seated comfortably inside, we started with a cup of the lentil soup with a roasted mustard seed garnish, which warmed us up and was heavenly. Lentil soup usually isn't thought of as 'light', but this was light and full of fresh flavors, including a touch of tamarind. It had some mild red peppers and what looked like quinoa in it among other things.

Dad kept commenting how the enchiladas were 'just right'! And he loved all the bright vegetables enclosed. Stuffed into the corn tortillas were butternut squash, sweet potatoes, grilled onions, poblano chilies, cheddar and salsa roja. On the side was tomatillo salsa, creme fraiche, Rancho Gordo beans and rainbow chard. No wonder he felt so good after finishing every last speck on his plate.

And I could hardly resist indulging in what was described as Mascarpone and Spring Onion Risotto Cake with griled asparagus, roasted carrots, turnips, meyer lemon cream and grana padano. This was beautiful to look at, and absolutely divine on the tongue. Tender vegetables gently immersed in the cream sauce almost had me begging for a spoon to enjoy every last drop (but I did resist that).

We continued on reading through the dessert menu with our sparkling fresh mint iced tea, and Dad chose an Apple Tarte Tatin with Buttermilk Ice Cream. I just had to try a bite of the ice cream since it seemed so novel. It was smooth and did have a slightly sour sweetness which would have contrasted nicely with the sweet apple tarte.

I chose the Walnut and Honey Torte with Lavender Ice Cream. I was afraid the nut and honey combination may be too sweet, like some pecan pies are, but it was perfectly balanced and the hint of lavender in the ice cream went very well. And after all this, I still felt so light I could have gone dancing! This place is highly recommendable if you would like to have a special dinner that includes a rainbow of colors and flavors.

English by the Sea

I went with family (while ago now, time flies!) to have some lunch one weekend at the Pelican Inn, near Muir Beach. It was a gorgeous day, and we were all primed for some English pub fare, which is what this place excels at, besides beautiful surroundings of course.

I enjoyed their Fish & Chips, and always love the peas they serve with it.

And one of the men enjoyed Bangers & Mash, and offered up bits of bangers to others who all agreed it was great.

Another person hankered after the Shepherd's Pie and enjoyed it as well.

And the report on the Chicken Salad came back that the chicken was tender yet well grilled and the greens fabulous! And the locals among us decided we'd definitely come back for their weekend brunch soon. A lovely place to get some sea air and country relaxation.

Previously Reviewed:
September 19, 2007
July 29, 2005

Persian Resources

There have been some changes in the Marin Persian restaurant scene in the last year as we've seen Hatam change hands, and Papillon cease operations. Hatam and Jasmine Market both have grocery sections for making your own Persian delights.

The Persian Restaurants in Marin are:

San Rafael
Apadana Restaurant
Hatam

If you are in Sausalito, and hungry for kabobs, the Bridgeway Cafe makes a kabob sandwich and some superb Perisan appetizers, although 99% of their fare is American. If you know of any Perisan delights I've missed in Marin, please leave a comment!

Great neigborhood Italian Place

I used to come to Milano Ristorante quite often before I began my roving and sampling of all Marin has to offer. I missed it. So Dad and I decided to have dinner here one evening.

And as I recalled the server promptly served us some of their customary garlic and cheese bread - yum!

I thoroughly enjoyed the well dressed and fresh Caesar salad.

Dad's salad came with the meatball sandwich he ordered. He was shocked at the size of the sandwich, as was I. It made two meals, and heated up nicely. The sandwich that is, he enjoyed the salad at the restaurant. The photo doesn't do justice to the size, probably 6" each side.

I tried a special which has gone from the old blackboard method to a printed page (now you know how long it's been since I was last here). I ordered the smoked salmon and fettucini, which was delicious. A little heavy on the cream as it left some soupiness in my bowl, but the flavor was spectacular and the noodles perfectly al dente. If you want an old fashioned good neighborhood Italian place with standard items in generous portion, you can't go wrong here.

Previously mentioned:
November 15, 2006

Succulent Kabobs

Hatam's changed hands last year and although I've been there to pick up Persian goodies from the grocery section, I'd yet to try their new dining experience in the front of the store. Although I loved the cobwebbed and authentic peek at much loved things under the old ownership, the new owner has brightened it up and moved the groceries to the back and a fresh breeze has encircled the place.

I decided to stay for dinner this time, and I was served a lovely fresh appetizer of lavash bread and fresh greens (green onions and copious amounts of fresh mint leaves), butter and feta. I must have been Perisan in a past life as I so take to rolling up fresh mint leaves in the soft lavash and eating it.

I ventured to a new drink choice, sour cherry juice and found it quite sweet/tart and refreshing.

Being venturesome, I next tried the Ashe Anar, a 'rich' soup of rice, herbs and pomegranate paste. The name literally is Pomegranate Soup. In the Iranian tradition, many special occasions are marked by different kinds of soups, and the bonds of friendship are thought to be forged by sharing a bowl. According to my favorite Persian cookbook "New Food of Life" Ashe Anar contains an amazing array of herbs and seasonings. It MUST be healthful with all of the following represented: onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, turmeric, parsley, coriander, mint, beet, chives, pomegranate paste, and angelica seeds. The richness came from this thick mix of ingredients (with the others like lentils, rice and beef stock), as there was no cream involved. Honestly it was a little too exotic for me, but I very much appreciate the authenticity and clarity of flavor of this ancient soup. Apparently this soup has been served since antiquity.

Next up was the Joojeh Kabob, or chicken kabobs with rice and saffron rice and grilled tomato. Fabulous! Especially with a liberal sprinkle of the fresh, fragrant sumac in the shaker on the table. And it has liberal anti-oxidant properties.

So then I ventured on by Bastanee, enticed by the rosewater flavor. A very smooth and refreshing end to a delightful meal served by a most friendly hostess.

Presses its own olive oil!

Although I've been to Frantoio many a time, I have not blogged about it for one reason or another. Since it's between where I live and where I work it's too easy to think 'it's too easy', and then the visit gets put off. But I did make it there one evening - it's only open for dinner - and then it took me a bit to go back for a photo in the daytime as the ones I took of the outside that night didn't turn out. The most unique feature of this restaurant is that it has a operating olive press behind glass walls you can view from the inside. In fact, it is the only restaurant in the U.S. with an in-house state of the art Certified Organic olive oil production facility. Of course, pressing season is long since over, but the bottled olive oil is used in the restaurant, and it is flavorful!

I had a Caesar Salad to start which was fresh and good. I loved the Parmesan slices on top.

I had a lovely Grilled Shrimp and freshly wilted Spinach Leaves Risotto. This was flavorful with a creamy Parmesan flavor and the shrimp were perfectly grilled with their heads still intact.

And the Panna Cotta with fresh berries was over the top. What a splurge! It was quiet, the service was impeccable and it had a lovely modern decor that is great for special occasions.

Splitting allowed

Dad and I went to Toast the other morning, ok late morning for a meal. I say a meal since I was in the mood for breakfast, and Dad for lunch. Luckily, Toast is easily able to allow for such meal splitting!

Of course we checked the signboard for specials before entering. And lucky for us, since this is a very popular Mill Valley place, we were cheerfully seated right away.

I stuck with breakfast plans and ordered an asparagus, wild mushroom and havarti omelet. It was fabulous, and I think that the mushrooms were cremini. This tasted as good as it looked, and smelled.

Dad wanted lunch, so he opted for the turkey burger with salad. He said it was great, but the portion was too much to eat at one sitting!

Previously reviewed:
March 4, 2007

Relaxing deck

A favorite spot in Tiburon has been Guaymas, especially their deck, once the weather makes it not-too-hot and not-too-cold/windy. Last week there was such a day, and I was excited to get reacquainted with the deck.

Once you've placed your order, a fat stack of housemade corn tortillas arrive with three tasty sauces.

After tasting a couple, I settled in to enjoy the view.

Wanting a more creative option than the vegetarian tostada, I decided to try the Plato Vegetariano. This I would recommend sharing with friends rather than having as an entree meal. The positives were the plantain (wow!), the grilled corn and the spinach sauteed in garlic. Less appealing were the zucchini (cut too thick and barely warm), green onions (just not appetizing grilled), and chayote (cool, crisp and too bland). The cold black beans and corn salad was ok, and the tomato slice was nice and ripe. I've had many a nice meal at Guaymas, plan to enjoy their deck in the future as well, and probably will go for seafood next time.

In search of good couscous

So my experience with the not quite right couscous the other day had the effect of making me crave the real thing. So I tried looking around the bay area, and came up with Tajine on Polk Street in San Francisco as a place to try not so far from Marin. (Chowhounders also recommended Aziza which I will have to try too). I wasted no time getting there.

First up was a large pot of mint tea. The server poured it with a flourish, which was the first good sign. Then I sipped it, and I KNEW I was in good hands. Slightly sweet with deep mint flavor, this took me back to another place and time.

Next came our appetizer, the vegetarian bastilla. The description read that it is made of baked fillo dough stuffed with sweet vegetables, raisins, and topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. This was delicious and very satisfying. I'm wondering what the actual vegetables were as I had a hard time identifying them all. I do know that one was yam.

Then on to the focus of my attention, the vegetarian couscous. It looked right, large chunks of vegetables (these are simmered a long time so larger pieces hold their shape better) floating atop very fluffy couscous! Brilliant! The vegetables had obviously simmered long enough to have an intense deliciousness. It contained garbanzo beans, turnips, carrots, squash, zucchini and tomatoes. I never imagined myself waxing enthusiastic about turnips, but the chunk of turnip in this was so well flavored it provides a new and improved relationship with that healthy vegetable.

The server also brought us some fresh bread.

Dad tried the grilled chicken kebab sandwich. He was thrilled with it. Not only did it taste good, but it was wrapped up such that it made it easier for him to eat. And I have to say the mint tea was a hit with him as well, I've never seen him drink so much tea before! Another staff person (or owner?) came in part way through our meal with a cheery "Bon Jour" to all. There were also three travel posters about Morocco in French (one in Spanish) on the wall. So it looks like there is some French influence although this is a Moroccan place rather than Algerian. This is definitely a good place to enjoy very genuine and delicious food in comfortable surroundings.