Predictably tasty

There are a lot of good coupon deals floating about at the moment. Recently there was an offer by Pasta Pomodoro for a buy one entree, get one free. At lunchtime, you buy one lunch special, and the other one comes free (equal or lesser value naturally). Dad and I took advantage of this to revisit Pasta Pomodoro in Mill Valley's Strawberry Village.

The focaccia bread came out promptly, and was fresh and the pairing with the pesto olive oil mixture was great.

We both had a cup of the minestrone soup. The cup size is a normal restaurant's bowl. Pasta Pomodoro's Minestrone Soup is substantial enough to make a meal of with some of the focaccia bread.

I had Ravioli di Magro as my main course. It was spinach and ricotta ravioli with the pomodoro sauce. It was hot, filling and the taste satisfied.

Dad's eyes lit up as he glanced over the menu and saw the Steak Panini. Obviously, that's what he ordered, and it was so big, he had half at a subsequent meal at home. It looked quite good and the chef cooked it medium well, just as ordered. Pasta Pomodoro delivers consistent quality in a casual environment which can scale up to a bit dressier at the Mill Valley location. We enjoy our visits here!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: 7/2/2009

Previously reviewed:
June 19, 2007

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More than it appears

I ran across Cafe Joël in Novato's Hamilton Field while I was browsing the net the other day and was quite impressed with the offerings. I had to put it on my list to try!

It's a little bit hidden, around the corner from South Novato Library and in Hangar 6.

When you walk through the inner courtyard between buildings, you can soon recognize it with it's cheery welcome sign near the patio, and the "Cafe Joël" signage on the door.

After ordering from the friendly hostess, I sat outside on the patio and the soup I ordered came surprisingly quickly (along with the salad I ordered). I was impressed. It wasn't an over-milky under seasoned puree of leek and potatoes, but a well balanced blend of dairy, leek and potatoes. The waiter thoughtfully brought out salt & pepper with the soup 'just in case', however it didn't need a thing.

The Grilled Salmon Salad consisted of baby greens with asparagus and citrus/caper vinaigrette. Attention was paid to the presentation as well as the tasty caper-citrus vinaigrette. It was fresh, lovely and delicious. And the price was right at $9.95. This same salad would easily go for $15-$20 not so far south of here. I felt well-served and well-fed. In fact, after observing other food items coming out of this kitchen, I was convinced by the time I left that this Chef deserves a larger and more elegant venue to serve up his creations.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: 2/27/2009

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Delicious Irish

I've been in some very un-tasty Irish places. And some stellar ones, such as Johnny Foley's in San Francisco. I went to meet a couple friends for dinner there, not intending to blog the visit, but the food was so compelling, I just had to document it!

The light was a bit low, but you can still get a good sense of the food that we tried. I had the Fish and Chips. This was Fresh Cod in Lager Batter with Coleslaw, Garden Peas, and Malt Vinegar Aioli. The peas were 'smashed' and it was an interesting texture. Overall, it was great and the portion such that I couldn't finish it.

Larry had the Traditional Style Corned Beef & Cabbage. It came with Mashed & Boiled Potatoes, Buttered Carrots, and Parsley Cream Sauce. The ultimate compliment, Larry said that it compared favorably to his mother's.

Sachiko was fascinated by the Vegetarian Irish Stew. The waiter highly recommended it, and it was stellar. Sachiko gave me a bit to try. The mix of Portabello Mushrooms, Spinach, Asparagus, Barley, Mint, Mashed Potatoes, and Savory Vegetable Broth was heavenly. The service was prompt and friendly and we enjoyed our meal immensely.

Reliable Pizza

Dad, Daniel & I had lunch yesterday at Rocco's Pizza & Pasta in Mill Valley. I had clipped a coupon from a ValPak set that came in the mail the other day for $6 off an XLarge pizza and thought it an opportune time to use it. The restaurant was clean and bright and the manager greeted us enthusiastically.

We gave him a very complicated order. Half Greek and half vegetarian, with a twist. Daniel hates black olives, so we asked all the black olives be put on half of each half. He got it. So the slightly strange appearance of the above pizza was our fault entirely. And we all agreed it was delicious! The crust was wonderful. It had spring and was a perfect foil for the toppings. If the menu seems vaguely familiar, it's because Rocco's is owned by the same person who owns Stephano's. The menu also includes some salads, sandwiches and pasta.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: 4/21/2009

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Slipped away

Peking Wok in Mill Valley, although quite near to me seemed to have slipped away some time this spring without me noticing. The Peking Wok in San Rafael is still open, and it even has a website now. This was a nice go-to place for take out or a casual eat-in. I suspect most of the businesses in that mall are trying to hold on waiting for the new Whole Foods to open, when the foot traffic will exponentially increase.

Walking by there today, I notice a sign for a new place, Antigua Mexican Grill. And there were workers busily building out the interior! I'll be watching for this one to open...

Worth finding

On a trip home from Petaluma one day, Dad noticed it was lunch time and being near Novato I thought we'd try out the Garden Court. It is located inside the Days Inn, so you do pass the hotel front desk as you go into the restaurant. We found that at lunch there is a buffet, reasonably priced, with a surprisingly wide selection of items to choose from, and it includes the drink.

The buffet service is started with a soup served to your table. The soup of the day was hot and sour, and it was quite tasty.

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of vegetable and seafood items I could choose. There was a two sided buffet table with extra selections on one end, and the soda machine on the other. There was also a side table by the door of the buffet room with sauces and condiments and small dishes.

Dad was happy with all the choices he had with meat included. He even went back for seconds! And all the way home he commented what a nice meal it was. It's a family friendly place, and the staff was quite attentive to keeping the food selections fresh and in proper amounts for everyone. Although I wouldn't drive from Mill Valley just for this place, if you are nearby its a great place for a casual meal.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 2
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: 6/30/2009

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War of the food

For your viewing pleasure.

Musing on Monterey

I've been to Monterey a number of times now, not only as a visitor before ever moving to California, but many times after moving to Marin as it's a great little get away for those living in the bay area. On my last visit there, while waiting for a business appointment, I was musing on the richness of the agricultural area beyond the lovely seafood found there.

photo credit: iStockphoto
Romain lettuce in Soledad, CA

When I came home, I sifted through some statistics from the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner, and statistics compiled though the State of California. It seems that leafy greens are king there, so much so that I would venture to say, if you've bought leafy greens from a major retailer in your area of the US, you've likely eaten a leafy salad that originated in the green fields of Monterey County. Monterey County accounts for 63% of the total lettuce produced in California. Further California is the leading state in fresh vegetable production in 2007, accounting for 50% of the total US production! The same report mentioned that all types of lettuce was the leading California crop in terms of production. According to a USDA report, Americans eat 50 lbs. of leafy green vegetables a year per capita! If you are visiting and want to nab some farm-fresh produce while there, some Chowhounders have given some tips.

Green Onions, Standing Tall

Didn't I tell you that this would be the result?

These were the original green onions with the tops cut off, laying every which way. This photo was taken July 25th, I took the first photo today. It doesn't take long for these to right themselves and shoot up!

Lobster dinner

At the end of the day, I made a very casual dinner to enjoy with my friend, Daniel. Daniel took this photo with his Google Android phone, and encouraged me to post the meal. The lobsters are from Molly Stone's that has a great special on Maine lobsters this week, at $9.99 a pound cooked or $7.99 live. Freshly seeing the scene in Julie & Julie where 'lobster murder' occurs, I couldn't bear the idea of trying to boil one live, so I freshened freshly cooked ones up with a little lemon in boiling water. I made a small saute of fresh vegetables from my CSA box. The cut carrots and orange were also from the box. The cous cous and rice were heated up from a recent meal. That was what was cooking at Anna's home tonight!

Another day in Monterey

One fine day I was at the Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey at dinner time, and decided to try Crabby Jim's. In front of most restaurants on the Wharf there are staff encouraging passersby to sample their clam chowder.

And I had a beautiful view out of the window by my table.

I tried the Fish & Chips. They came a bit on the cool side, but were generally good. The waiter redeemed the visit by being so cheerful and trying so hard to please. They were unable to serve ice tea because not only had they run out, the brewer was broken and not fixable within a normal dining time frame. I've had better experiences on the Wharf.

Easy lunching

Arawan Thai in Sausalito has a lunch menu full of fun and delicious choices. Their lunch list consists of a series of two smaller version dishes in a variety of combinations, and it includes salad and a tapioca dessert as well.

The perky fresh salad was not particularly special except for the amazing peanut based dressing.

The balance of the meal is pictured above. The Spring Rolls were crunchy and the filling well seasoned. The main dish was Spicy Basil Tofu, which I was hesitant to try in the past because of the 'spicy' moniker. I've been 'burnt' before with hot Thai dishes, however, this one was spiced just right for my taste. There was a little heat, but it wasn't mouth-burning. Having such a colorful variety of vegetables and basil leaves with the braised tofu made it a dish I'd request again. The small bowl of tapioca pudding is in the right upper quadrant of the photo. It is a smooth tapioca with bits of taro included in the milky sauce. The service was prompt and friendly, and the dishes all arrived in the appropriate temperature range. It's easy to come back here repeatedly!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 2
Noncritical: 3
Last inspected: 5/26/2009

Previously reviewed:
May 14, 2008
March 5, 2007

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Dining after Julie & Julia

As I told you in yesterday's post, the first restaurant we had chosen to try after watching Julie & Julia was fully booked. We went a short block from that location to Petaluma's Central Market where the chef greeted us at the door and promised we'd have a treat in store. Yalda and Olivia joined us there too, so we had quite the party.

The bread and flowers arranged on the table portended good things to come.

Yalda and my Dad chose to start with the Creamy Clam-Corn Chowder that included smoked bacon among its ingredients. I tried a spoonful at others' urging, and it was stunningly delicious!

I have been eying recipes for watermelon salad paired with cheese all.. summer.. long! And there it was on the menu, Summer Watermelon Salad. I thought it would be a great idea to sample one first. Wow! It had Greek Feta and arugula with it, and it was lightly dressed with lavender infused honey. This was definitely a great salad.

I followed that with Linguine with Stuffed Squash Blossoms, which also had ricotta cheese, organic mushrooms, fresh corn kernels and sage. It was also fabulous. However, I was disappointed that the blossoms turned into blossom on my plate. I was expecting more than one.

My father Charles preferred enjoying an appetizer as a main, and ordered the Warm Spicy Lamb Cabbage Rolls. He liked it very much, including the preserved lemon flavor surprise.

Yalda ordered this fabulous looking dish, Seared Angus Hanger Steak which came with blue cheese potato gratin, roasted grapes and onions. She said it was great, and took a doggie bag home with some of its generous portion tucked inside.

Linda went for the Red Wine Braised Black Angus Short Ribs which came with fresh horseradish mashed potatoes and root vegetables. Linda said the rib was divine! And she had the same comment as I, her Ribs was a Rib and she could have easily eaten more of this deliciousness!

The only hiccup in our food contentedness, other than wanting more, was that the other audience members of Julie & Julia must have had the same idea as a crowd showed up right behind us. With all that sudden business, the service was a little slow. Even so, I would definitely go back to Central Market again. Slow pace aside, it was friendly, and we loved that the chef came to our table a couple of times to check on how we were enjoying our meal.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 2
Noncritical: 2
Last inspected: 2/4/2009

I saw it!

Julie & Julia that is. The first blog made into a movie - how could I not? Dad & I met our friend Linda at a theater in Petaluma. We giggled like girls and LOVED the movie. Dad said he enjoyed it, but didn't laugh as much. But he stayed awake!

Of course, we had to go to a restaurant commensurate with all that food viewing afterward, and tried Cucina Paradiso at first, which was booked until 8 p.m., so we wandered down the street to Central Market (to be a separate post which I'll back link to later). Yes, I did a little research before we went so we would not be disappointed. And I had to attempt looking up the blog "The Julie/Julia Project" on my cell phone while we were waiting for our food.

Hmmm, what's this? No photos? Well I vowed to look closer when I got home. Indeed, no photos. And a terrible interface for the history, just a calendar to keep clicking dates, one month at a time, with no post titles list. I kept clicking through and reading things randomly. Arrugh. I would have passed this blog by if it weren't for the movie. My friend Jo-Ann and I were talking the other day about the amount of foul language passing for writing on some blogs and comments. I can't stand to read writings full of expletives, it's just not pleasant.

In the movie, Julie says something about her mother perhaps not liking it that she uses the F* work a 'couple times'. That's an understatement. However the movie doesn't go overboard with the expletives, so you get a sense of what she was trying to accomplish and how she struggled to make all those complex recipes. You come to love Julie's quirkiness as well as Julia's effervescence in the face of anything. As she came to the end of her cooking lessons with Julia, she convinced me too that mayonnaise can be made by hand, and you can create new doors and new horizons for yourself. Julie's last post was the day after Julia Child died, where she shared her thoughts about Julia and how she changed her life.

I have a goal for my blog too, although more sanely, I have never given myself a deadline for completion. I do plan to visit every eating establishment in Marin and blog about it. Excepting the fast food chain type places of course. And I'm actually very close to meeting that goal. This experience, 1,294 post strong and ongoing, has enriched my life in so many ways in the last 6 years. Yes, this blog will be 6 years old on August 16th!

The casting for the film was brilliant, Meryl Streep was perfect as Julia, and take a look at this MSNBC article on Julie's book, where the real Julie is pictured and it's obvious why Amy Adams was just the one to tap to play Julie.

Thanks Nora Ephron, for exposing the stuggles and souls of two lovely women in this film! (And by the way, Nora blogs too!)

photo credit: iStockphoto.com

Tasty Traditions

One day it was just time for the Pacific Cafe in Kentfield. At first I thought that it may be closed because the front sign I remember was gone. I found out later that a car had crashed into the front of the building some months ago, and the new sign was on order. However, there is a stained glass sign in the window which identifies the location.

I started with a cup of Pacific Chowder. The waiter said it is basically a clam chowder without the cream. It was quite tasty without.

For the main course, I had the Almond Crusted Halibut. Oh my but it was good! The potatoes were a little 'whipped' and shiny, however the overall plate was great.

I indulged in a dessert, the Lemon Meringue Pie. I was especially tempted when I heard that it was one of the waitstaff's own recipes that had been a favorite for years. The proprietors were very friendly, and the whole staff seemed to have settled into a good service and guest-thoughtful routine. I loved that my server left me a quaint index card with artistic handwriting about the specials. This is a time tested solid seafood place.

Restaurant Inspection Results

This location has not been inspected yet.

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Using what's in the house

So I realized one morning that I had forgotten to buy bread. And well, I have flour, liquid and yeast, so why not make some to go with lunch. And my, why not spike it with the lovely fennel seed that Zoomie had given as a party favor at a food blogger's picnic some months ago? It's hard to give an exact recipe for this, as I have become more like my mother and have a bowl of flour and do some things quite by feel.

That being said, I took about 3 cups of flour plus later at the punch down of the dough and kneading for the final rise 1/2 to 1 cup more. I mix my flours in the bowl, so it had part organic whole wheat, amaranth, oat and unbleached wheat flours. Although I know the rapid rise yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients, I still like to start it in a little water. So I added yeast and a little raw agave nectar for food and sweetness and added hot, not boiling water to about 1/3 cup, stirred and watched it foam. Then I added enough hot water to fill the cup and then add it to the flour in the bowl. Oh, and I added the fennel, seemed about 3 tablespoons, about a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and about 2 tablespoons of dry milk powder to the flour before adding the liquid. I then mixed and punched and made it into a ball and covered it. I let it rise until about double the size.

At that point I poured some olive oil over the top maybe 2 tablespoons or a little more, and kneaded it in. I learned from my mother and brother (who was a master baker and taught baking in vocational schools) that the bread rises better if you don't put the oil in until after the first rising. I then put it on a floured board and kneaded and beat it up! When I could feel the gluten rise and a springy feeling, I knew it was ready to put on the baking stone, cover and let it rise again. When it doubled, see the photo above, I put it in a pre-heated oven at 400F for about 10 minutes, then finished it at 375F for another 20 when it looked done.

I didn't wait long enough before cutting, it cuts better when you let it cool even 5 minutes. It had a distinctive fennel taste and went well with the next item that I cooked up for lunch that day. It tasted even better knowing I was using Zoomie's homegrown fennel. Fennel is a wonderful spice, and my friend Mike Ahmadi wrote a wonderful post about home grown herbs, including information about using fennel last week.

What goes better with hot bread than hot soup? Cream of Celery soup. Yes, I had LOTS of organic celery in my refrigerator. The celery that has been delivered from my CSA has been longer, maybe by a third, than what you typically can buy in the store. So again, lots of celery had I. I pulled the strings off the ribs, chopped being sure to include the flavorful leaves. My mother told me that using the celery leaves is a chef's secret! I added some organic chicken broth (pure vegetarians will want to use some vegetable broth). Then I added a cut up potato for the thickener. Once the potato was tender, I poured the entire bubbling, delicious smelling brew into my Vita-Mix and made short work of blending. I added a bit of salt, and as I blended I poured in what goat milk I had left in the carton - 3/4 to 1 cups worth by eyeballing. I returned it to the pot to heat it after adding the cold milk.

Then I ladled it into bowls and served it with the fennel bread for lunch. Dad asked me why we even buy bread - can't you (Anna) just bake it up fresh every day? Nice thing about being older, you forget that one must actually go to work! But actually, fitting it into your schedule with a little planning isn't as difficult as it may seem.

And due to the healthy characteristics of celery, I have decided to make this a post to contribute to this week's Weekend Herb Blogging, organized by Haalo and hosted this week by Dhanggit of Dhanggit's Kitchen.

Besides being a source of vitamin C, and even a more significant source of vitamin K, celery includes a couple of other beneficial substances. These are phthalides, which may help lower cholesterol, and coumarins, that may be useful in cancer prevention. The World's Healthiest Foods has a great write up of celery's many health benefits and nutritive qualities.