$5 Pizza!

I discovered last week that Wipeout Bar & Grill in Greenbrae has a 'Wild Wednesday' special - all pizzas, all day for $5. These are 9" large and you can create your own if you don't see the right combination on the menu.

I decided on a modified "Veg Head", substituting fresh tomatoes for zucchini. 9" is quite large for a 'personal' pizza. It was hot, fresh and great! I hear there is a 'Tiny Tuesday' special where kids eat free, 1 child per adult, 12 and under. I checked out the kids menu while I was there, and there were healthy options! Steamed broccoli or fruit can be substituted for french fries, and there was an interesting sounding Teriyaki Bowl with either salmon or chicken with coconut rice and broccoli. The kids meals include a drink. There are big screens with surfing movies playing and appropriately happy music in the background. Wipeout Bar & Grill is a well-done theme restaurant that all might enjoy for a casual dinner.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0

Noncritical: 1

Last inspected: 5/6/2008

Previously reviewed:
December 16, 2007

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Great taste, good bargain

Dad and I were near Scotty's Market in San Rafael at lunchtime, and noticed that the nearby Sonora Market was also a Taqueria (or vice versa). Being in the mood for a casual lunch, we stopped in Sonora Taqueria.

Once we ordered, we were promptly served some fresh chips with some red salsa with a kick, as well as a milder green salsa. The salsas were great, and tasted like these were just made.

I thought that Shrimp Fajitas for $9.99 was quite the deal, so decided to try these. It was a great choice! Lots of fresh shrimp with saucy vegetables, and the rice and beans were good too. There is choice of flour or corn tortillas to go with these, I chose the flour tortillas and was quite happy with the hot wrappers.

Dad wanted to try a small plate of a Chicken Tamale with Rice and Beans for $6.49. He said he liked it, and proceeded to eat everything on the plate as confirmation. Sonora Taqueria is very casual, but the price is right, the food is better, and the service was prompt and friendly.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0

Noncritical: 1

Last inspected: 4/22/2009

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Grass fed beef!

I was near the "coming soon" Weezy's Burgers the other day and noted a menu has gone up. Grass fed Beef Burgers $2?! Gardenburger! It's a simple menu, but if those grass fed burgers taste good, this place will have quite the following. I'm excited! I might even have to try one of these ecologically better burgers.

In the same shopping center I did a double take when I saw a camouflaged limo sitting in the parking lot. I've never seen anything like this in Marin before!

Tomales

I can't believe it's already been a week since I took a slow drive with my father up the coast of West Marin, all the way to Petaluma. And no, the above photo is not of Tomales, but it was taken by the road just south of Marshall.

So was this one. It was a glorious day, wasn't it?

I thought I would post some store fronts in Tomales as it is a bit remote, and I don' t know how quickly I'll be getting by there to review the eating places in this location. When we arrived in Tomales, we just weren't hungry because we'd had a BIG breakfast, which I'll tell you about another day. I was standing downhill from the William Tell House, where 'Italian Dinners' are advertised. William Tell House serves dinner only.

Across the street, and apparently popular with bikers, is the Tomales Bakery. It opens at 7 a.m. and closes - 'when we run out'. Looks like a good place for a wake up pastry!

Next to it is the Tomales Deli + Cafe. There is a full breakfast menu here! This place seems popular with pedalers and motorbikers alike. The day was beautiful, and we continued up the coast until we found ourselves in rural Petaluma, at which point we headed back home. It was a wonderfully relaxing day, just following the coast and the waves.

A ticket to Paradise

Tiburon, with its views and enjoyable shops might be considered by some to be Paradise. And there's a cute cafe on the main drag called Paradise Cafe. I've attempted visiting before, however, I seem to forget that it closes at 7 p.m. on weekdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays & Saturdays. The proprietor (owner?) is as pleasant as can be and the place shines with care and cheer.

I ordered the Fish & Chips (cod) from the menu behind the counter. These looked a little dark, but it had a pleasant crispness to it offset by the tartar sauce with a 'secret' ingredient. The special ingredient gives the sauce a smoothness and thickness that has a pleasant mouth-feel. The secret is that cooked potato is included in the sauce! The fries were hot and pleasantly crisp too. I also appreciated the color and function of the romaine leaves lining the plate. No greasy dish at the bottom! The deli case had some enticing salads in it as well. I'll have to not wait so long to visit the casual eatery again!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0

Noncritical: 0

Last inspected: 8/6/2009

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Now this is good!

Jo-Ann and I finally managed to get together for breakfast, choosing to try a new place to us, Easy Street Cafe in San Anselmo.This location is easy to find in the Red Hill Shopping Center. We chose it in part because Jo-Ann was in the mood for sweet crepes.

Jo-Ann's Fruit Crepe was HUGE. It occurred as a gigantic fruit burrito, although clearly it was a crepe. The interesting thing about it is that the fruit crepe is not listed under 'crepes' on the menu, but its with the pancake and waffle section. Go figure. Although absolutely delicious, it was impossible to finish, so Jo-Ann took half home.

I had to try the Ahi Tuna Benedict. The large, thick pieces of thoroughly cooked ahi tuna was placed on top of caramelized onions, which were on top of the traditional English Muffin half. This was unlike any other benedict I've ever tried, and was a lovely medley of savory flavors. I would go back just for this dish. The service was friendly and prompt.

Here's a close up of my dish. The ahi was thickly sliced and well done. I have to say, if you are watching fat calories, this meal was pretty over the top with not only the hollandaise sauce over the benedict, but full-bodied sour cream adorning the potatoes. I skipped lunch and had a light dinner after eating this for breakfast. I hear that Kids Eat Free on Mondays here.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0

Noncritical: 1

Last inspected: 5/6/2008

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Chinese in Marin - the complete list

Chinese restaurants in Marin - Yipee! I've checked off having eaten at EVERY Chinese restaurant in Marin that I'm aware of, so it is time to revise and repost the complete list.

Please let me know what I've missed.

Chinese restaurants I've tried

Corte Madera
P.F. Chang's

Fairfax
China Village
Szechuan Chef

Greenbrae
Hunan First

Kentfield
Kin Wah Restaurant

Larkspur
DJ Chinese Cuisine

Mill Valley
Chinese Deli
Harmony
Lily Kai
May Lee's
Peking Wok
Young Can Wok

Novato
China Express
China House
China Palace
China Village
Dragon Cafe
FuZhou Super Buffet
Garden Court
Happy Garden
Ming Yen
Jenny Low's
Shanghai Garden

San Anselmo
Hot Wok
China Villa
Chinese Kitchen

San Rafael
Bamboo Garden
Chrysanthemum
Combo King Restaurant
Confucius Restaurant
House of Lee
King of the Roll II
Little Mandarin
Peking Wok
Ping's Mandarin Restaurant
Szechwan 7 Chinese Restaurant
Tsing Tao
Yet Wah
Yu Shang

Sausalito
Feng Nian
Panda Express
Tommy's Wok

Tiburon
Dynasty
Ming's Restaurant


Other Bay Area Chinese

Richmond
168 Restaurant

San Francisco
Golden Gate Dim Sum
New Hong Kong
Shangri-La (Vegetarian)
Superior Palace
Ton Kiang

Palo Alto
Taipan

Great way to start the day

Saturday morning, friends Karen & Michael were dropping off a car for maintenance and invited me to meet them from brunch somewhere. I suggested Pier 15 as an enjoyable place to brunch on a sunny Saturday.

Karen and I both gravitated to the Dungeness Crab Benedict special. It was great! The crab was plentiful and very fresh!

Michael decided to try a signature dish, the Apple Pan Doré. It consists of thinly sliced French bread coated with egg batter and a fresh apple topping. The deck overlooking the inlet to the marina area was as bright and pleasant as previous experiences. The service was just right, and we enjoyed lingering and catching up with each others lives.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1

Noncritical: 1

Last inspected: 9/30/2009

Previously reviewed:
July 5, 2007

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Friendly and efficient

One of my friends, Stephanie, and I enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Saigon Village the other day. Stephanie had not experienced Saigon Village yet. It was fun to introduce her to a place that is not only friendly and efficient, but that has a great selection of dishes for carnivores and vegivores alike.

I decided to try the Vegetarian Beef with Broccoli & Mushrooms. It was so delicious and so real that I wondered if there was a mix up in the kitchen!

Stephanie found her favorite dish on the menu, BBQ Chicken & Egg Roll Vermicelli. She loved it, and took some of the generous portion home. She was also impressed by flavor of the simple broth that accompanies the dish.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0

Noncritical: 1

Last inspected: 9/25/2009

Previously reviewed:
July 18, 2007

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Unintentional blog subject

I cooked a quick dinner last night for a friend (Daniel) without the intention of blogging any part of it. However, he was so enthused about the myriad of color in the dish that he asked me to photograph it and email it to him to use as his computer wallpaper. So here it is. It was good, and thanks to Kalyn who first introduced me to Dreamfield pasta, the healthy variety that I used for this dish! When plated we grated fresh Parmesan over the top as well.

Exotic Garden

I have to admit that I'm a fan of Indian food. So many healthy dishes with good taste! It was time for a visit to San Rafael's Bombay Garden. The buffet is not an afterthought here, but has a prominent place in the restaurant, including a row of beautiful copper pots for some of the specialties. In sheer number, I think it has the most dishes of any Indian buffet in Marin.

There are plenty (more than the choices shown) of vegetarian choices. It is hard to show a nice photo of buffet selections that you slap on the plate as you go through a line. The actual buffet tables are kept immaculately, and the colors and fragrances as you start choosing are enticing.

I made up a carnivore plate for my Dad. There is no skimping on the number of meat and seafood dishes either. Those are mostly in the copper pots. Fresh naan is also brought to your table to go with your meal. There is entertainment with Bollywood musicals playing on a large flat screen TV. If you like Indian food, you can't go wrong at the Bombay Garden.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1

Noncritical: 1

Last inspected: 10/27/2008

Previously reviewed:
October 12, 2007

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Tucked away and good

I was in the mood for Thai food one evening while gallivanting around San Rafael, and remembered Signature Thai was a tasty place I hadn't visited in awhile. And it's tucked away on a rather quiet street.

The specials menu had an intriguing dish "Curry Puffs" described as crispy sticky rice with curry. I was imagining something like a pastry filled with crispy rice mixed with curry - NOT! These were more like Thai empanadas. Vegetarians - beware. There was nothing about meat listed in the description, however from the best that I can tell, there were potatoes, and finely ground pork and minced chicken with curry inside. Very different than what I imagined. The wrappers were more crisp than would be expected of regular wheat pastry, or even rice leaves. I am thinking that the wrappers were made of sticky rice, and the curry referred to the filling mixture. The sauce was peanut with some spice! It went very well with the Curry Puffs. This appetizer was VERY good, but far from vegetarian. I asked the waiter what was in them, and he replied that he didn't know as his mother makes them. I also noticed a young man sitting and studying, and he popped up to serve customers when it started getting busier. Obviously a family run restaurant.

I decided to try something that looked a little different, Massaman Curry as the main course. It was described as "Our different style of brown curry sauce, this reflects the Southern Thailand influence with cashew nuts, potatoes, pineapple chunks, carrots and onions." Wow, another peanut based and spicy sauce. It was great! The service was prompt and friendly and it is a recommendable place to dine.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0

Noncritical: 0

Last inspected: 10/27/2008

Previously reviewed:
December 27, 2006

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