No signage and hidden away

It takes effort to find Le Garage in Sausalito. But a lot of people are making that effort. I took one of the last two tables open for lunch the other day. Despite the economy people flock to excellence.

And the Mussels du Mistral were the temptation of the day. It was made with aioli, shallots, saffron and white wine. It was a HUGE bowl. I've never been given such a large serving outside of France or Belgium. And the last time I tasted mussels so delicious was in Brussels some years ago. I found strings of real saffron in the broth which was perfect for soaking some bread in for eking out every last bit of flavor.

Just in case you can't find Schoonmaker Point, were Le Garage is located.

And the view from the outside seating area was very relaxing. I felt I was on vacation though only a few blocks from my normal workplace.

Last reviewed:
May 3, 2008

After while...

Crocodile was what attracted Colin to the Lemon Tree Hotel in Santa Barbara. A peppy little place indeed. We enjoyed both a light dinner, and a breakfast there.

It was quiet, perhaps the big wooden crocodile on the counter was too scary for the kids? Or maybe it was because we were on the late side for dinner.

Colin loved his Coconut Prawns.

And I thought the Roma Spaghetti quite good as well. It was fresh and light with fresh tomato bits and tender basil leaves.

Colin was quite certain of his choice in the morning, Lemon Tree Benedict. He said the ham slices were particularly good, and the artichoke topping made him happy too. He chose some fresh and perfectly ripe fruit for the side.

I was attracted by the California Omelet, with tomatoes and other tasty bits inside with a fan of avocado topping the sour cream. It was good, and the potatoes had some spiciness which promoted them to outstanding status.

Could have been...

Another stop on the road down the Coast of Central California, in San Luis Obispo for an early dinner with Colin. We spied Sushi Kokku and thought it looked promising.

In fact, we were quite impressed by the clean and cheery interior.

The first sign of trouble was when it was evident that the edamame had been cooked in saltless water, then sprinkled over the top with salt. These perfectly good ingredients could have been well integrated if the salt had just been placed in the water before boiling the edamame. (Maybe these were nuked?) These failed the taste test as the little seeds you pop into your mouth were quite bland without benefit of salt.

I ordered 'Sushi in a Bowl' which was very reasonably priced at $9.25. I thought yeah! chirashi sushi! But alas, it was sashimi over steamed rice, sushi in a bowl - NOT! The fish was fresh and delicious, the rice -- whoah! No vinegar. Do you think the person compiling this just took the rice from the wrong pot? The other strange note was that between the fish and rice was a layer of cole slaw dressed in a sesame dressing. It would have been good by itself, but not in this combination. The dish made me wonder if anyone who had any connection with Japan at all had concocted it. It was so weird, I had to call my friends on the drive away and check their reaction. Yep, universally the reaction was - 'disgusting'. I think it's all in the expectation.

Colin ordered a couple rolls, the first, a Philly Roll with the requisite cream cheese. He said it was good.

Next up for Colin was a Dragon Roll, and I tasted a bit of it. The trouble with Americanized rolls is that they are usually sauced up before hitting the table, so it was difficult to tell if the rice had vinegar in it. It tasted pretty good. To sum it up, the ambiance was there, the fresh ingredients were there, but the savior faire was missing. Just a little fine tuning and this place could be great.

Stellar Clam Chowder

On the drive back to Long Beach Colin and I made a stop at Monterey's Old Fisherman's Wharf for lunch. Colin fell in love with the clam chowder samples given out in front of the Old Fisherman's Grotto, so guess where we went for lunch?

So we each ordered a cup of the Clam Chowder, and yes, it was stellar. I'd come back for it in a heartbeat. Creamy with a good clam aroma and taste, the clams were tender and plentiful as well.

Colin ordered the Lobster Ravioli. He said it tasted of clams, but it tasted like buoyant pillows of sweet lobster meat to me!

I enjoyed the Sand Dabs with freshly sauteed vegetables. The sand dabs were artfully arranged over some creamy mashed potatoes as well. A tangy lemon cream sauce finished off the flavors. I relished the dish!

I caught Colin in a perfect photo-op in front of the Old Fisherman's Wharf sign.

Delicious Ostrich

Driving into Fresno, I spoke with a number of friends who questioned my sanity in making it a stop along the way. Seems some consider it rather dull. I was rather excited about having an evening to myself in such a charming hotel as the Picadilly Inn (Shaw). The room was spacious, clean and looked even better than the photo. I was greeted in the room with some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. It's true that I originally planned to go up the coast and stay near the sea, but San Luis Obispo, Cambria, Paso Robles and environs were completely booked save for one $289 room. The $109 room in Fresno was just perfect for a quick overnight stay and back on the road, and nice enough to linger if that had been my plan.

I checked around for dinner ideas, and heard that the teppanyaki artists at Zipangu in Fresno are friendly to all, entertaining, and even 'wild and crazy'. That sounded good after a long hot drive through rather dry country.

Meet Fel, the epitome of 'wild and crazy', friendly and entertaining. The patrons also added to the evening's enjoyment, especially the dashing Edward and his two cute-as-a-button boys who shared their teppan table with me (Edward's friend who joined later was also quite charming).

The first course was a simple beef based broth. Light and flavorful, it was unexpectedly refreshing for the hot weather.

The simple salad dressed with miso was crisp and refreshing as well.

My appetizer then arrived, a California roll with tobiko. It was very good, and quite a bargain at $3.95.

And while we were enjoying our starters, Fel was whipping up some fried rice at lightening speed!

I went on a holiday from being pescatarian - the fried rice had bits of ham as well as shrimp and vegetables. (Not to mention the soup, and what's coming later in the post).

And we had the flaming and steaming onion volcano display as he cooked the zucchini, mushrooms and onions for one of our sides.

Now this should put to rest any belief that Fresno is boring. I know of no teppan house in the bay area (or elsewhere) that has a combo choice of ostrich and alligator on its teppan menu! See that red piece of meat on the plate? It's ostrich. Tender as a filet and delicious, it's poultry! It is local as well, being sourced just one town over. I actually had the scallops and ostrich combo, that had the accompaniments listed above, plus a plump shrimp appetizer and moyashi (mung bean sprouts). The bean sprouts had a tad more black pepper than I like, but they were still tasty. Zipanzu is located in a strip mall, and is well-lived in. If you are looking for an upscale, mod appearance, keep on going. If you are looking for friends, fun and an inventive and tasty menu, be sure to include a stop here on your next trip through central California.

Pyschedelic Comfort Food

Colin wanted a different breakfast experience one morning, so I took him to Mama's Royal Cafe in Mill Valley. If the colors of this place don't wake and cheer you, nothing will.

The interior is historically colorful.

And it remains whimsical with only subtle shifts over time. With such a wild interior, I was puzzled as to how Colin could forget coming here with me and his mother and sister a few years ago. And it was nicer then to reintroduce him.

Colin had an eggs benedict which had a fanciful name that I have since forgotten. It seemed to be the standard with the addition of fresh avocados. Colin approved.

My benedict type was without meat, and included a sliced grilled tomato and sauteed mushrooms. I definitely approved. Mama's is still dependably good.

Previously reviewed:
October 24, 2006

As I write this I am staying in Fresno where I had quite an interesting dining experience. I can't wait to arrive home with photos of the fun places I've eaten on this trip.

Pan Asian Sushi in Rohnert Park

Colin and I went back to Scandia Family Fun center in Rohnert Park where he found the go carts so fun that we had to go back. We grabbed some lunch on the way at Boat House Sushi. The signage for the restaurant was on the road, and Colin was so eager to get going after lunching, that I didn't walk around the building to capture it. However, the photo above is the entrance to the restaurant.

Our meals began with a crisp salad and some unremarkable, lukewarm miso soup. We also ordered some edamame for the table, which was fine.

Colin enjoyed his 'Flava Flav' roll which had spicy tuna (or salmon) in it, and a unique dipping sauce.

Dad had a two item obento combo - chicken teriyaki and vegetable tempura. He cleaned his plate so you know it was good.

I had the three item combo, which consisted of a California Roll, Teriyaki Salmon and Scallops Frits. It was fresh and well executed. The service was prompt and friendly as well, so I would not hesitate to come again when I'm in the neighborhood. And maybe the miso will be hotter next time.

Swiss evening

My nephew Colin's eyes lit up when I gave "Swiss" as one of the dining choices one evening, thinking of The Melting Pot in the old brick kiln in Larkspur. The interior is just charming, but very dark so my 88 yo father had a hard time maneuvering in and being able to read the menu in the dim light. However, it's a perfect romantic nook!

We decided on total indulgence and ordered "The Big Night Out" with five key decisions to make. The first one was which cheese fondue. Colin was excited to try the Wisconsin Trio, which included Fontina, Butterkase and Buttermilk Bleu cheeses with white wine, scallions and a hint of sherry. It was a very nice blend with a great bleu note.

Next choice - salads. Colin enjoyed his Caesar.

Dad enjoyed a beautiful House Salad with a variety of accents, tomato, cheese, and egg for example.

I tried the California Salad. It was composed of mixed baby salad greens, Roma tomatoes, walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese with a Raspberry Black Walnut Vinaigrette Dressing. It was delicious.

Next choice up was the entree selection, followed by method of cooking. We chose the Fondue Feast, which consisted of Filet Mignon Medalion, Jerk Seasoned Sirlion, Vanilla Rum Chicken, Marinated Pork Tenderloin, Zesty Peppered Shrimp, Butternut Squast Ravioli, and fresh vegetables (Broccoli, Mushroom caps & parboiled red potatoes). The portion above was for 2.

We chose the Court Bouillon cooking style rather than the more traditional Bourguignonne to attempt (ha!) to lighten it up. Court Bouillon is a vegetable broth that the ingredients are simmered in, while the Bourguignonne is basically frying the pieces in hot oil.

The number of sauces offered to dip the meat in was so large that I could not remember which was which, nor what each was supposed to go with. And honestly either the bouillon or the marinades made the meats and seafood bites VERY SALTY. The sauces did not rescue that. Other than that, the flavors were good.

As if the three courses previously weren't enough to completely satiate one, the last choice was type of chocolate fondue for dessert. Colin wanted the Bailey's Irish Cream Dream, that was the house milk chocolate swirled with Bailey's Irish Cream. Oh wow. That combination rocks!

As if the fruit on the dipping ingredients plate made it 'healthy'. One can always dream!

Dream of a marshmallow swirled in it like this. The service was friendly, and given all the courses that you cook at the table in little pieces, this is a place for a slow, romantic evening with lots of meaningful pauses.

I'm writing this from The Lemon Tree Inn in beautiful Santa Barbara where it is Fiesta time! All the beachside hotels were sold out, and Colin chose this one from the street. I have the feeling that the "Crocodile Restaurant & Bar" caught his attention most, which is adjacent. I'm spending my last bit of time with him traveling slowly down the coast before delivering him home. There were people lining State Street last evening selling colorful eggs. We asked the front desk staff what these were, and one replied that they are shells of real eggs carefully filled with confetti and sealed up to use to throw and break during the festivities. He remembered the tradition since he was a child growing up and what fun it has brought the children (young and old!) of the city.