It's open!

I attempted three times to go to the new Dish in Mill Valley, the last being Tuesday night. I was informed that there was a 'soft' opening over the Memorial Day weekend, however Dish would be open for good starting tonight, Wednesday. Unfortunately I already had conflicting plans for this evening, so the taste of Dish will have to happen sometime later, but hopefully soon as it looks great! Read more about Dish in Bread and Butter.

Best Momos in the Bay area?

I have become quite a fan of Himalayan food whether the Tibetan or Nepalese variety. And momos are the first reason why. I first fell in love with the momos at Cafe Tibet. And later I also enjoyed the momos pictured above at Taste of the Himalayas in Sonoma. I heard that the very best momos in the bay area are served once a year at the Himalayan Fair in Berkeley over Memorial Day Weekend. Alas! I am going to be at a long awaited reunion with the group of students I lived in Paris with this coming Memorial Day Weekend. If one of you happens to make it and try the momos, let me know if the rumor is true!

What's up

photo credit: iStockphoto.com

The weeks are flying by and Bread and Butter has popped up for May 5, 2010, and May 12, 2010. Now writing for a newspaper, I am full of appreciation of how much care and effort goes into bringing you the most accurate and relevant news. I am also appreciating now many interesting things are happening and available for us here in Marin. Take a look at the Marin IJ's Food Calendar just as a start. And I am loving the interest that people are taking in keeping an eye out and letting me know new things to check out. Thank you all!

Japanese Fast Food

Earlier this year I spied a new sidewalk sign outside Amy's Cafe in Sausalito noting that it has Japanese cuisine. It took me awhile to check this out, but I did get there. I found that Amy's had been transformed again with a new concept. Japanese food was indeed the main feature, with udon, yakisoba and donburi dishes galore. A couple favorite Korean dishes sneaked on to the menu somehow as well such as bibimbop,

I tried the Seafood Yakisoba. Wow! It is SO colorful. Purple cabbage, red and yellow bell peppers, green broccoli and light white mung bean shoots, and cocoa colored shiitake mushrooms. All sauteed with scallops, shrimp and mussels. It was a fresh palate pleasing dish, and generous portion for less than $11. The other half of the colorful menu above the counter lists Smoothies with such names as Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and Sausalito. I had the Golden Gate Bridge which was made of strawberries and banana with a soy base. It was quite cold, thick, and tasty. Quick, tasty and inexpensive, it is a cool find for a casual lunch. Amy's Cafe no longer serves breakfast.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 3
Noncritical: 4
Last inspected: March 22, 2o1o

Previously reviewed:
April 29, 2009

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

What's new

photo credit: iStockphoto.com

I saw my host family off yesterday afternoon after a lot of fun and travel. We spent a couple days in Mendocino - that was gorgeous. We caught the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden at just the right time for rhododendron blooms. I'll post some up another day. Another Bread and Butter column published while I was out and about last week.

Bread and Butter
April 28, 2010

And in just a couple days the next one is publishing already!

You know how it goes when one thing that is a major pin supporting your work has trouble (computer), it's been really slow going and I'm still not back to normal. Look for more posts this week however.

I hope those of you in Marin are able to stop and enjoy this lovely weather. I've been keeping my windows open now 24/7 (at least for the last couple days). Dare we believe that the good weather is here to stay?

Right now at Ghirardelli Square

Well this is up to the minute writing, I took this photo just a minute ago with my cell camera. Did you know that Ghirardelli Square has public WiFi throughout? And that there is a sign behind me announcing that Gary Danko is opening "An American Brasserie" here soon?

I am musing as I wait for my former host sister, Mika and her family to join me here. I dropped them off on Leavenworth, just below the famous crooked hill which they wanted to walk UP (oh my) and take a cable car to Fisherman's Wharf, join me here at Ghirardelli to see how chocolate is made (10 year old Shohei will love this), then on to City View for some dim sum. Later we're meeting up with friends at Marin's Wipeout Bar and Grill, voted 2nd best restaurant for kids in Marin. What do you like to do with guests that have children?

Practicing

My Dad is such a good sport. He'll let me get away with anything for breakfast, as long as it is accompanied by a slice of hot buttered toast. That's what defines breakfast for him. I learned the "anything goes" for breakfast in Japan, and since my host sister Mika, husband Satoshi and quickly growing son, Shohei are arriving from Hokkaido tomorrow, I thought I'd best get my Japanese breakfast skills up to snuff.

So we had a very crisp and cool Persian cucumber salad (dressed with E.V.O.O., rice vinegar and a sprinkle of red Hawaiian salt), and Pears and Plums dressed in Greek strained yogurt, freshly squeezed Myer lemon juice, some raw agave nectar and a garnish of a Capay Farms organic strawberry. My father's requisite sourdough wheat toast is not pictured.

I've been thinking about my now dual roles in writing Anna's Cool Finds, and now for the Marin IJ, Bread and Butter on Wednesdays. I thought I'd try this - since Bread and Butter is primarily about food news in Marin, I'll concentrate my writing about openings, closings and such in Bread and Butter, and provide a link here each week so if you are interested, you can check out those happenings. There is a lot going on in Marin! At Anna's Cool Finds I will continue posting the photos and descriptions of meanderings through the restaurants of Marin and sometimes beyond, and personal notes. We'll see how it goes.

Bread and Butter
April 21, 2010 (I got the scoop on Pandoro!)
April 14, 2010 (The first)

You are always welcome to post comments on the various restaurants reviewed at Anna's Cool Finds. If you know of some hot news about opening, closings and what our chefs are up to, you are welcome to email me at annahaight AT gmail DOT com. (Or if you just want to drop me a personal note). Twitterings are at annahaight.

High standards still prevail

I dropped in after a long absence at Sushi 69 in San Anselmo. Hiro (Hiroyuki Makino), the Executive Chef and owner was smiling behind the sushi bar as always. He informed me that the other long time Chef at Sushi 69, Takeshi, is returning to Japan today, his last day behind the sushi bar being last Thursday, so I just missed him. And miss him I will. Takeshi, like Hiro, has a fine hand at slicing up the sushi so that it melts on your tongue and he sometimes made little variations that he thought would suit my taste.

I ordered one old favorite straight away, the Tuna Lily. The combination of the crisp shrimp chip shell filled with soft pieces of tuna mixed with onions and caviar and a tart sauce just dances on your palate in a pleasing way.

In honor of Takeshi, I ordered the Takeshi roll which I had not tried before. A wonderful pairing of tastes, expertly executed by Hiro, included tempura shrimp, spicy scallops and cool, crisp cucumber on the inside, topped with maguro tuna and slices of shiso leaf on the outside. This is worthy of a repeat in the future.

I finished with another favorite, tamago nigiri, noticing that Hiro's fine sense of style has been refined since my last visit to include a decorative brand on the ends of the egg. It is served on a fresh leaf on the granite counter in front of you (if at the sushi bar). Sitting at the counter, watching the careful preparation and plating of food I noticed the care and attention that Hiro puts into the beautiful food that comes to his customers has been maintained at the high standard that he has kept from the beginning .

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: February 26, 2010

Previously reviewed:

February 7, 2008
January 18, 2007


Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

What's cooking now

photo credit: iStockphoto

I have tremendously enjoyed blogging about the delicious meals and variety of dining venues available in Marin County. Writing this blog brings a little joy and passion into my day as I sit, contemplate and write, not to mention when I'm out on the town dining. Who would know that this sharing of joy would lead me to writing a new column for our local Marin Independent Journal? Yes, the debut of "Bread and butter" is today!

I'm continuing Anna's Cool Finds with its emphasis on describing the experience of dining at local restaurants in snapshot fashion. One of the things that excites me about "Bread and butter" is that I will have a great excuse to answer those questions that I have had in my mind as I have meandered through various local restaurants. I'll be finding out about the chefs making the food, and the people making the restaurants happen. And I will have my ear to the ground for events and other interesting food news in Marin. So the experience will broaden and deepen my relationship with all things food in Marin. I hope you will enjoy both of these expressions of my love of the food, land and people of Marin. And if you have any Marin food news tips, please let me know at AnnaHaight@gmail.com.

Maria Maria closes

Oh well... and Maria Maria was right in my Mill Valley back yard. It happened rather abruptly and the scan I made of internet sources did not have any reasons why.

I'm still working away on my crashed computer.. have to save as much as possible (slow work) and wipe it clean :-(.

Zululand "Queen" Pineapple

I spied this mini-pineapple called a "Queen" Pineapple at Molly Stone's the other day. The cashier was kind enough to inquire if I really wanted to buy this $5 small fruit. Well yes... I thought it was cute, although I realized I could get more pineapple for the $. It smells aromatic in my kitchen, and I'm going to have to cut it open soon. Key limes are appearing around as well, and those make such a lovely tart dressing for a fruit salad mixed with some raw agave nectar.

I've been in computer struggles -- the computer where all my recent photos are stored is freezing up within minutes of starting. So I've been in a very S-L-O-W process of moving them before I attempt a windows reinstall or repair. My father has also been sick -- a coldish kind of thing with a dry cough. He has and is needing some extra care. Between all of this, I've not been creating new posts. And meanwhile I see that there has been some progress in Sausalito on the two new restaurants I mentioned awhile back... always something to look forward to!

Chipper

These organic Falafel Chips caught my eye, so I thought I'd try. They tasted slightly falafel-like and had the near crunch of a corn chip, but with slightly more body. I liked them, but didn't love them. It would be a unique thing to serve with hummus dip. I do like that they are high in protein and fiber, not to mention 5% of the daily value for calcium and even more impressive 16% of the daily value for iron at about 11 calories a chip. I got mine at Molly Stone's in Sausalito.

The fragrance alone...

Jo-Ann and I were in San Francisco's Japantown a bit back, and had to decide where to have lunch. We went for one of the places Jo-Ann had not yet visited, and I had had previous good experiences with, Miyako Restaurant. It's located just across the street from the Peace Plaza, in a downstairs location.

The Miyako Ramen Combo was a very nice set. Shoyu (soy sauce) ramen, gyoza (pork), California Roll and assorted tempura was a grand meal and it all tasted like the chef was attentive to the flavor and arrangement.

Miso Ramen we knew our meals were coming as the scent of this bowl wafted out of the kitchen as it was brought out and we wondered who was getting something that smelled so good that we exclaimed in unison about it. Jo-Ann loved this ramen meal and we vowed to come back sometime in the near future. The service was attentive and the place was clean and modern. Definitely a place to return to often.

Previously reviewed:

July 11, 2008

Kitsch and Kool

'in the Central Valley where the motto is "Eat fresh, feel fresh" Where am I?' I sent this little message a few weeks ago from my Twitter account (annahaight) right from this restaurant. I was drawn to stop at a Taste of India in the town of Buttonwillow as I was hurtling as fast as I dared home on I5 from Long Beach. A few miles out I noticed a very rustic sign indicating that there was vegan food ahead. Vegan this far out?? I had to check it out. There was another one or two signs after that that I believe also included their tag line, Eat Fresh and Feel Fresh, which I liked.

Yes, the interior cannot be describes as other than kitsch. There was an attempt to lighten up the space by painting walls a saffron color, and also filling the space with colorful silk flowers. I asked to be seated near window, so the waiter allowed me to sit in an unused section (so I overlooked the white board that was sitting in front of me since I was not expected to be there).

I started with a soothing and delicious lassi which set the meal off in a positive direction. It seems that Taste of India must be stop for buses as every table had a number, and there are quite few tables in the large place.

I was astonished at the size of the bowl of Malai Kofta which arrived. I was very impressed. The soft balls in the sauce were obviously made freshly, and these were extraordinary.

Here are some of the malai kofta balls with the rice dish I ordered.

The rice dish is Egg and Onion Biryani. This was tasty with bits of fried egg and soft onions in the rice, and made a perfect foil for the Malai Kofta. I enjoyed my meal and the portions were quite generous especially for the reasonable prices. Luckily, I had a cooler with ice in it so I took the leftovers home to enjoy at a later time. If you can get over the ambiance, the food is good, particularly considering the fast food alternatives nearby.

And Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Luckily, not found in Marin...

see more Engrish

And I'm still alive... a new post coming soon.

One rainy night

Cold and dark was the night I skipped through the puddles on the parking lot to get to the warm interior of Panchitos in San Rafael. I remember this place as the first restaurant that I tried taking photos of the actual meal that I ate for posting.

Of course the crisp chips with very red salsa comes out.

I tried the Vegetarian Burrito this trip. It was pleasing to the eye. I loved the whole pinto beans, and the rice was flavorful too.

The inside of the burrito was stuffed with fresh sauteed vegetables. It was slightly heavy on zucchini for my taste, but overall it was really good. I ordered it with guac and sour cream which melded the Mexican flavors. This is a nice neighborhood place with good service and solidly good food.


Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: December 11, 2009

Previously reviewed:

July 7, 2006

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Cheerful chomping

I wandered into the Blue Skies Cafe in San Rafael early one morning to sample their breakfast fare. The Blue Skies Cafe is tucked away in the Marin County Health and Wellness Connection Center complex near "The Loop". The Blue Skies Cafe is a Buckelew Program, which only makes it even more of a positive place to visit. Buckelew a non-profit organization which assists older youth and adults with mental illness, into homes, jobs and recovery services.

The staff were so cheery and worked with me to find a breakfast of my choosing from their array. The food and drink are all mostly on the politically correct list, and good for the planet!

I found a beautifully sunny table and enjoyed my meal. The blackberry scone was WOW, and the hard boiled eggs and mocha were great too. You won't find cooked items like omelets or pancakes here, it is mostly boxed for take out and to eat-with-coffee kind of fare. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by for good items within their repertoire, and enjoy the sun!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1
Noncritical: 0
Last Inspected: March 9, 2009

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Seafood in North Beach

I met my friend Lori for an Italian seafood dinner one evening in December at Sotto Mare in San Francisco's North Beach. It was one of those cold, inky-black nights. The interior was warm, cozy, and well-loved.

We started with the clam chowder, which being hot and creamy was especially satisfying coming in from the cold.

I continued the clam theme with Linguine with Clams. It was perfect. The linguine was perfectly al dente, and the clam sauce was classically good.

Lori chose Prawn Saute which she enjoyed, including the fresh steamed vegetables which were a colorful and delicious accompaniment. I would certainly revisit this restaurant again for it's solidly good food and friendly ambiance.

Inventive and delightful

Weezy's Grass Fed Shed has been on my mind for some time since its opening (and before). Located near Scotty's Market in San Rafael's Terra Linda district, it was just enough out of the way that my visit was delayed. I was happy to find a slice of time to get there and try this wonderful well thought out concept - grass fed beef and veggie burgers served in and with compostable containers, napkins, etc.

I was greeted warmly, and ordered a couple burgers. The sizes are small so you can try a variety of toppings. These are just the perfect size for kids. I got a budget-wise combo that included either regular or sweet potato fries, or a mix. I chose the mix, and got a free sample of their dip for the sweet potato fries too. The dip was really great - creamy (cream cheese based?) with a hint of seasonings. No less so the burgers. The vegetarian moo-less burgers were very good. These don't have the texture of a hamburger, and the good taste made that aspect very forgettable. There is a small bar of condiments to top your burger, and I loved that the tomatoes were the Roma type, just the right size to top these 1/8 lb. beauties. I also convinced (it was not very hard) the staff to use a garden patty in a Contiki style burger that has Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce and a piece of pineapple adorning it. I enjoyed them both, and am looking forward to going back.

I was also lucky enough to be there at the same time as Weezy's brother. He enlightened me about Weezy and her hope as a mother to create a great community place where kids and the rest can enjoy healthy food quickly in a earth friendly way. She also lives nearby.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 2
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: December 22, 2009

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Something new in Corte Madera!

SEA Thai Bistro has opened in Corte Madera where the old "Simmer" was located. I've heard the sister restaurant in Petaluma is awesome, so I hope to visit soon and confirm the same of this new and exciting venue.

Large portions, good food

Dad and I stopped in at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse the other day in San Rafael's Northgate Mall. We had been searching for men's slippers, a daunting task indeed after the holiday season is over. Having exhausted ourselves finding a pair, we saw the big BJ's sign as a beacon of welcome. We were greeted and seated promptly.

We had some Calamari to start off with while we perused the rest of the menu. It was tender and crisp and had a delicious pair of sauces, spicy marinara and lemon garlic aioli.

I could not resist the Garden Vegetable Potato, a HUGE potato stuffed with fresh vegetables and an alfredo sauce. There was also both jack and cheddar cheese melted on top. It was nearly as big as a pee wee football! It tasted good, however, there needed to be a bit more stuffing to really have enough sauce for that sized potato. And most would not be able to finish it anyway.

Dad had the Old Fashioned Pot Roast, slow-roasted Angus beef pot roast that is served with white cheddar mashed potatoes, mushroom brown gravy and over roasted vegetables. He loved every drop of it! The only thing that didn't work about this place for my father (and perhaps others) is that the noise level is HIGH. It's hard to carry on a conversation with someone who has good hearing, and is rather miserable for those wearing hearing aids.

All in all, it's a recommendable place if you want good food in generous portions in an upbeat, noisy atmosphere.

And Happy Valentine's Day! I'm in Seattle right now and am looking forward to sharing some finds on this trip too!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0
Noncritial: 0

Last inspected: November 13, 2009

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Very sweet

I enjoy trying new drinks so couldn't resist this new product "First Blush" which was offered as a BOGO (buy one get one) at Safeway. There are several varieties of wine grapes represented in the product line up, and this one is from Cabernet grapes. How thick and luxe! It reminded me of homemade grape juice from my Aunt Dorothy & Uncle Jim's ranch. There are also 1.4 servings in this plastic bottle (it easily turns over so be careful with this bright red juice!), and 154 calories per serving... oooh, I consumed over 200 calories by drinking this? Grapes are definitely sweet! There is no added sugar, and with this calorie load, antioxidants or not, this has to be an occasional treat I'm afraid.

Speaking of Aunt Dorothy, there have been a few things keeping me away from blogging, as much as I enjoy it. I got one of those calls you never want to get, and found that after a full and happy life, Aunt Dorothy passed at age 94. So I've been trying to put things in order and make travel arrangements to attend her funeral in Yakima, WA this Friday. Unfortunately, the care of my father has become much more involved recently as well. I am too tired to write coherently these days after getting him tucked in, so Anna's Cool Finds has not been having those daily posts that I so enjoy writing. I'm not giving up on this, however, I'm not sure how frequently I'll be able to post for a while.

Wowed in Petaluma

Linda and I went to see The Young Victoria in Petaluma this evening. I don't like period pieces generally, however, this one was really good. What a love story! Afterwards little Olivia joined us and we went to Hiro's Japanese Restaurant just a couple blocks away. What a gem! It is so beautifully appointed and has such attention to detail. The sushi plates that floated past looked like they were stills in a museum.

My photos do not do the food justice, and give a pale echo of each dish. The miso soup was piping hot and tasted just right!

Linda chose the Tempura Dinner and Olivia dittoed the choice except in appetizer portion, fitting for an 8 year old. They both reported that it was delicious, and I tried a couple pieces at the end of this generous portion, and would have to agree. Linda remembered the amazing tempura we had with my host family about three years ago in Tokyo. In Japan the best restaurants use fresh oil each day, and the old oil gets sent down the line to a second tier tempura restaurant. Fresh oil really makes a difference. Hiro's oil tasted quite fresh, and it was all exquisite!

Hiro's has two choice of chirashi on their menu. Hiro's Special Chirashi sounded quite inventive, but I decided to stick with the Traditional Japanese Chirashi Zushi. I was so excited to see this glistening, fresh and artistic bowl be put in front of me. Again, the photo just doesn't do it justice. I very much enjoyed the choices and variety in this pretty lacquer bowl.

The staff and owners were so friendly and welcoming too. Our waiter struck the perfect balance of attention and sharing of knowledge of the menu. I would definitely come here again in a heartbeat!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0
Noncritical: 1
Last Inspected: January 28, 2010

No more moussaka

My friend Andi Bird came visiting from Vancouver, BC and I thought it would be fun to let her know when Rain Tree Cafe would be having their fabulous moussaka as a daily special this week. I was so shocked to find that it had slipped away...no signage, no tables and chair, just one of the cleanest spaces I've ever seen for a move-out. I didn't let it spoil my fun with Andi today however, we had a great time talking at Taste of Rome this morning!