Won many awards

One of the first things you notice when entering Phyllis' Giant Burgers in San Rafael are all the Pacific Sun awards hanging near the ceiling above the grill. Apparently Phyllis' burgers have been Marin favorites for many a year. Dad was in the mood for an All-American burger, so this was just the place.

I knew that a 1/2 lb. giant burger would be too much for my 89 year old father, so ordered up a "Junior Burger" of a mere 1/4 lb. Remember when 1/4 lb. was big?! I asked them to not make it too high as my father would have a hard time eating it if it was. So this is what they served, and my Dad exclaimed "Now this is a GOOOD burger!"

I had the veggie burger with 'everything' but onions. Mine was quite carefully crafted (I watched), and put on a whole wheat bun. It was great as well.

Dad and I shared an order of French Fries, which were hot and good, but not extra special.

We also shared an order of the house made Onion Rings. These were quite fabulous! A crunchy exterior led to a generous slice of sweet and moist onion inside. The staff were quite friendly. It is a very casual venue, and there was a Giants game playing on a TV in the corner. There are also locations in Novato and Santa Rosa.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: 4/8/2009

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Local hot spot for Chinese and Japanese meals

Cookiecrumb recommended that I try the Chinese food at King of the Roll II in San Rafael some time ago. Unfortunately for Dad & I, the lunch menu doesn't include Chinese choices, and we didn't feel like the full dinner option. So we each tried a Japanese lunch special!

Specials start with miso soup, and include a salad which came in the box with the meal. Unfortunately, this meal got off on the wrong foot with rather watery miso soup.

Dad had the Teriyaki Chicken lunch special which came in a box, and included steamed fresh carrots and broccoli, along with the dark meat chicken teriyaki, rice and salad. The rice was more of a jasmine or basmati rather than a Japanese style medium grain. Dad enjoyed the meal, even the fresh and sweet orange slice. It looked attractive.

I ordered a combo lunch box with Tempura and Teriyaki Salmon. The salmon was rather lukewarm and sat in its box with unabsorbed teriyaki sauce sitting on top. The tempura had armor on it, very tough to bite through. The ingredients were top notch, my lunch offerings were just lacking in some technique. There was an Asian language being spoken in the back, that clearly wasn't Japanese, although the music playing was. The price was very reasonable, and the restaurant was quite busy during a weekday lunch. I believe it's a well-liked neighborhood favorite for its friendly and prompt service, and generous portions of fresh, hot food. I'll have to make a point to come in for dinner when the Chinese items are served since that was what was recommended to me. There is another King of the Roll in Larkspur.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: 4/28/2009

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A tasty reunion

My friend Paul dropped in for a quick visit from Portland, so we had to enjoy one of his favorite places for brunch on Sunday last. And that was Comforts in San Anselmo. Paul was generally dismayed at the lack of Sunday crowds everywhere we went in Marin, however Comforts was bustling. We didn't have to wait for a seat luckily.

I had to try the Gulf Shrimp Foo Young over Jasmine rice with a scone. The Gulf Shrimp Foo Young sounded so exotic! It is served frittata-style with shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, celery and a light soy-oyster sauce. It was tender and lovely taste-bud stirrer to open the day to adventure. It also had some fresh pineapple and honeydew on the side.

Paul felt like something simpler - Applewood Smoked Bacon and Eggs. He was drawn to the bacon immediately when reading the menu. He had his eggs cooked hard and also had the jasmine rice and some sourdough toast. He enjoyed his dish as well. The service was friendly and prompt and we were made to feel right at home, comfortably!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 4
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: 10/6/2008

Previously reviewed:
November 29, 2007
October 21, 2006

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Tasty Glen Ellen BBQ

I went to Bluegrass Bar & Grill in Glen Ellen's Jack London Village a couple Saturday's ago with friends Linda, Yalda & Olivia. It was a beautiful day, and we had a choice of inside or out on the deck. However, seeing a few yellow jackets, we opted for the indoor choice.

And almost as soon as you sit down a basket of corn muffins arrives. Very tasty corn muffins I might add.

I chose the Grilled Ahi Tuna sandwich, asking to substitute regular fries for the sweet potato fries. They were quite obliging. Besides the ahi tuna, the sandwich also had Asian Slaw, Wasabi Aioli all served up on a Basque Potato Bun.

Linda had the same thing, although she opted to stay with the Sweet Potato Fries. We both loved our sandwiches!

Yalda went for the Western Burger. It looked pretty delectable too. Her burger was dressed with BBQ Sauce, topped with Bacon, Pickles, Red Onion and a Bluegrass Onion Ring. She had the House Made Fire Fries, cooled off a bit with some Blue Cheese dressing. While Miss Olivia, although having Chicken Tenders of her own, managed to snag bits off her companions plates. Smart girl. It was good food.

After dining, we wandered about the Jack London Village a bit, looking at the outside of the Old Gris Mill and admiring the water wheel. The restaurants surroundings are quite pleasant too.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 0
Noncritical: 2
Last inspected: 8/18/2009

I spied a new place!

I was visiting Scotty's Market in San Rafael on Friday, and noticed construction workers and general busy-ness at a small spot near the rear exit. I stopped and snapped this photo of the signage for Weezy's Burgers that expects to open soon!

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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