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!

Weekend Herb Blogging #217 Recap

And here we are at the end of the week (already!), and time to round up the creative herb blogging done for the Weekend Herb Blogging event hosted here today. Weekend Herb Blogging is a weekly event, so if you enjoy this post, consider entering yourself! Haalo at Cook Almost Anything keeps it running in an organized fashion - the host list is here, and rules here. I'm going to organize this time by type of dish, and I say desserts first!

Desserts

Haalo of Cook Almost Anything features dessicated coconut in this dreamy Coconut and Pineapple Steamed Pudding. Haalo cooks and writes from Australia.

Katie in cold Haslett, MI writes Eat This announced in her post about these luscious Dried Fruit, Nut and Coconut Truffles that she's moving to Georgia. She also has a hint on how to more effectively chop dates.

Brii living in Valsorda, Italy is so tenacious as to not give up on finding the meaning of the main ingredient in this cookie. She writes Briiblog in English, and shares her tale of Norwegian interpretation and recipe for Hulled Oats Cookies. She also leaves me curious as to where I would find something called "Horn Salt"! in the U.S.

Soups & Stews

Cinzia has taught me new things about cabbage in her post about Neapolitan Vegetable Soup. Cinza lives in Lake Guarda, Italy and writes Cindystar. Don't miss the cabbage story as it is sure to hold new information on this ancient powerhouse vegetable.

Appetizers

The Cooking Ninja is Pamela of Clermont-Ferrand, France who brings us a unique recipe for Crispy Bacon Wrapped Prunes. Read the post for her prescription for improving service people's dispositions!

Fruits & Jams

Anna of Morsels & Musings, writes from Australia about Passionfruit Curd this week. Listen to her explain about tackling what was in the 'too hard' basket successfully!

Nate of House of Annie brings us a post about a truly unusual fruit in a large part of the world, a Buah Tarap. Nate writes us from Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Mains

Hailing from Salt Lake City, Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen brings us a healthy breakfast recipe for Eggs Fried in Olive Oil with Wilted Greens and Sumac. Now that's a way to get a head start on the day! Thanks to Kalyn for starting this Weekend Herb Blogging tradition which has been a rich source of information on unique herbs!

Mangocheeks writes Allotment 2 Kitchen from West of Scotland and brings us a dish so luscious looking I can almost smell it from the photo. Her post features leeks in a Winter Vegetable Cobbler.

Kalai out of Houston, TX writes My Recipes Diary, and brings us an interesting post about gourds and recipe for Bottle Gourd Curry.

Christine from Vancouver, Canada write Kit's Chow, and submitted an awesome post about making Beef and Onions with Thai Basil. Thai basil is unlike ordinary basil, and you'll want to find out how by reading Christine's post.

This is Yakisoba I made this week featuring nutrition-packed portabello mushrooms. The recipe is simple, and the cold-flu and cancer fighting properties are in abundance in this dish.

Sides

Wizzy of Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Punch spins a tale of adventure in pursuit of the everywhere and nowhere purslane from the Caribbean. Don't miss this tale of winks and extraordinary research efforts.

Yeoh Cheng Huann of Singapore writing Eat.Live.Recipes brings us a post about the great qualities of carrots, and a recipe for Raw Fish Salad!

Oh did my eyes bug out when I read Winnie's unusual use of Aduki beans in her Simple Seasoned Aduki Beans recipe. I'm used to adzuki beans being sugared up and paired with starch in Japanese-style desserts so was surprised by this savory dish. Winne writes Healthy Green Kitchen from New Paltz, NY and gives us no excuse for not using dried beans.

Well that's it for this week in herbs. Enjoy!

Simple and Healthy

Casting my eyes about for lunch earlier this week, I noted that I had some leftover cooked soba noodles. Ah ha! Yakisoba time! I also had a beautiful organic shallot, and organic broccoli from Capay Farms. Oh, and a fresh Portabello mushroom of medium size. A meal packed with protein, antioxidants and Vitamin D. With all this rain, a good shot of Vitamin D would be helpful.

And yes, this is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, organized by Haalo at Cook Almost Anything (with a new look on its 4th birthday too!). Historical recaps of this event can be found on this page of her site. Weekend Herb Blogging is being hosted here at Anna's Cool Finds this week, and it's not too late to enter!

So back to the Yakisoba. The protein in buckwheat, the main ingredient in soba, is nearly equivalent to egg protein, the standard for a complete protein. I use Eden's organic soba bought in 10lb boxes for a healthy buckwheat base. The friends who are around me most frequently know I'm a Dr. Oz fan, DVRing his shows so I don't miss a one. Last fall he emphasized the role of Vitamin D in preventing infections and overall good health. The Mushroom Lady has posted some more technical aspects of Vitamin D in mushrooms and some of the light enhanced versions in stores. Portabello mushrooms are also one of the best sources for L-ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant. Crimini mushrooms are baby portabellos, so this nutrititional information also applies.

Yakisoba is very easy to make. For the one featured here, I sliced one large shallot, one medium portabello mushrooms and a cut up 3-4 broccoli buds into small pieces and sauteed in a bit of toasted sesame oil. When the vegetables were a bit softened I added cooked soba noodles and tossed.

When almost done, I added the special ingredient - Bulldog Tonkatsu sauce. I just striped the pan full of the noodles and vegetables with it, tossed and heated through, then plated it for a lovely hot lunch on a cold rainy day in Northern California. Don't forget to visit again tomorrow, when there will be a round up of Weekend Herb Blogging with others magical ways with herbs!

So cheerful!

Cafe Z in Greenbrae was just as bright and cheerful as my last visit. I was just in the mood for something simple. I toyed with the idea of crepes once I'd spotted them on the menu, and then I saw some other simple things.

So I ordered a cup of French Onion Soup. It was warm and I loved that there were plenty of onions, however the stock was just a little thin for my taste, and compared to my memories of other French Onion Soups. The accompanying roll had a crust that was more chewy than crunchy.

The Grilled Cheese Sandwich wasn't completely described on the menu, so I was surprised to see that it was panini style. I was delighted to see that it had sliced tomatoes in it. It also has fontina, bleu, mozzarella and Gruyere cheeses in generous portion. If you are a cheese lover, you'll be in heaven with this one. It was a little rich for me, but I can still be appreciative.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1
Noncritical: 6
Last inspected: 12/9/2009

Previously reviewed:
December 18, 2006

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

What are you cooking up?

Weekend Herb Blogging is hosted here this week, and I'm starting to get some fun entries in the email box.... Although I've cooked a couple things, I haven't quite decided what to post forthe event yet. I was hoping to be inspired by my Capay Farms box, but although it held some great things like this broccoli (last week), nothing GRABBED me.... stay tuned, and if you want to participate, take a look at the rules.

A slice of Nepal

While in Sonoma on Saturday, I lunched at Taste of the Himalayas. I was greeted warmly by a woman who shared with me lots of interesting information about Nepal and the restaurant.

My lunch started with Dal - a yellow lentil soup which also had a hint of ginger and garlic. I mentioned that the menu seemed to list things with the same names as Indian food. She said the names and most of the ingredients would be the same as the Indian menus, particularly Northern Indian cuisine. She also said that the Nepalese cuisine was lighter than Indian, and I noticed it in this delightfully refreshing yet satisfying soup.

I ordered Veggie Momo's, a Tibetan inspired treat. These had a thick dough that was steamed around cabbage, spinach and onions. It was good as well. I liked the light tomato-curry sauce that accompanied it. It had flavor without heaviness.

I enjoyed the Alu Bhanta as my main dish. It was described as Himalayan style cubes of eggplant and potatoes in curry sauce, and that pretty much sums it up. It was Indian like, yet lighter as I heard earlier. It came with a Papad (papadam equivalent), basmati rice and naan. All were warm and fresh. We also had quite a conversation about vegetarianism in Nepal, the inhabitants being mostly Hindu, it's quite prevalent as a lifestyle choice. The most popular meat is water buffalo! She said that most Himalayan restaurants in the US substitute beef. She mentioned that it is actually against the law to eat beef in Nepal. I asked about salmon in Nepal and she giggled softly, saying it's not to be found there, but locals love it! However, river fish is eaten in Nepal. I came away please with my meal and charmed by the good conversation and service!

And she gave me a little scoop on a Taste of the Himalayas that is soon to open in Sausalito. Although the restaurants are not related, one of the partners in this restaurant is opening the one in Sausalito -- and he's a great chef that will probably feature more fusion foods in the Sausalito venue!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: November 20, 2009