Sunday, September 27, 2009

Aperitif 2004

December 14, 2004

I had a mild taste of adventure this past weekend. I went to dinner and though the food was familiar, I had no idea what was being ordered. I started to lose track of all that arrived, and I couldn't recognize some of the ingredients. It's all a blur. Yet fear not, I was in trusted hands. What I ate was good. The unusual thing about this experience which seems to be a new trend is that the restaurant started getting pushy. Fifteen minutes after our arrival, they promptly told us that our table would be needed and that we had about an hour left to order and eat. When did this trend begin? I don't remember this being acceptable before. Where has good service gone? What if I kept eating during the entire time I was there and had intended to be there for several hours? Alas, corporate eating has now come down to limits imposed on our time. Will future experiences involve placing a timer at the table so that we'll know how much time is left? I protest.

November 12, 2004

It's interesting how certain regions only have certain ethnic foods available. In Sonoma County, you can find Chinese food, but it's not authentic Chinese food. In Malaysia, you can't find Mexican food. What's even more intriguing is that you can actually find decent Asian food in Sonoma County - in recent years, there has immerged several Vietnamese and several Thai restaurants, and they're actually pretty good. So why isn't there good Chinese food? Why is Japanese food in Sonoma County so high priced? How many Mexican/Spanish people live in Malaysia? Someday, we can hope to find authentic food all over the world, showing the true melting pot and migration of peoples.

October 19, 2004

I just saw the film Supersize Me. What an interesting film. I was especially fascinated with how children who eat freshly prepared foods in school behaved so differently from those that were eating reconstituted or frozen food. Psychologically, it's also interesting to think of the effects of knowing food is frozen versus freshly and lovingly prepared by another human being rather than a machine. Think about it - would your brain react differently to a meal you knew was made by a loved one versus something stamped out by a machine? An interesting topic to ponder.

August 14, 2004

Food nutrition. Food is just amazing. That the combination of lemon and honey can soothe a sore throat, or that a salsa made of tomatoes taste so much different with cilantro than without. And that cilantro can also soothe a sore throat if boiled with the correct ingredients. The scent of lavender and vanilla calms our minds. Food: natural medicine that affects mood, energy, and so much more. I am in awe of God's design. August 1, 2004 Why worry about it? If allergies is not a concern, the question is why worry about it? There seem to be a lot of folks who want to know the ingredients of a dish. Not because they don't recognize it, but there's just something about knowing. The worst experience I had happened long ago. After giving a friend some coconut custard to try out, she ate it and said it was terrific. After finding out it was made from coconut, she spit it out mid-bite - after chewing mind you. What a scene! I can understand the question when you have allergies or want to figure out what that mysterious or somewhat memorable flavor is, even if it's just curiosity, but sometimes it's just ridiculous. Why ask what? Just enjoy. Don't fret. Who knows. It could become your favorite food.

July 9, 2004

Service. It's amazing how the same restaurant can produce such different experiences depending on your server. A good server maximizes your dining experience. In both situations of excellent or poor service, you may have unforgettable memories. Excellent servers are to be greatly rewarded - just like the acronymn says - TIPS - to insure prompt service. I'm reminded of that Third Rock from the Sun episode where Dick, the head of the alien household, goes out on a date and puts money on the table. With each good thing the server does, he adds a dollar. With each point of dissatisfaction, he deducts a dollar. It's a hilarious episode, but it's actually pretty true...after the meal, we review the service and adjust accordingly. How television so often reflects our lives in a humorous manner.

June 12, 2004

Food balance is essential. If you have too much deep fried food, your body cries for balance - you start to cough, feel a sore throat coming on, or maybe feel indigestion. Food balance isn't just about health. It's about each individual dish. Flavors need to be paired such that they complement one another. Sometimes, it's about a seasoning bringing out the natural flavor of an ingredient (salt seems to be the simplest example - salt makes everything taste better), sometimes, it's helping to make a dish balanced on its own (an example is bok choy being cooked with a slice of ginger - the yin-yang theory), and other times it's just food pairing (lemon juice on any type of fish). Food balance and flavor balance - the foundation for excellent food.

May 15, 2004

If you haven't noticed, I try to stay away from writing about restaurant chains unless it's a local chain. The thing I do like about restaurant chains is that they provide that familiarity when you're far from home. You know you will see the same menu and virtually the same setup no matter where you go. The thing I don't like about chains - the food quality is standard, the variety is minimal with limited specials and changing food with seasons, and it deters people from trying local fare. That can be the biggest problem since you miss out on so much when you don't allow yourself to take that risk and be a little adventuresome. So the next time you're in an unfamiliar area, ask a local where you should go. Then maybe you'll discover something new and wonderful and maybe even local to the area.

May 2, 2004

You can be good at some things, but you can't be good at everything. Most restaurants fit in this category. A great example is top restaurants. They like to stay in a realm of cooking, and when they fuse it with something else, it turns out interesting, but reach too far outside the realm and the magic can be lost. A great example is cruise food - as in food on cruise ships. Large cruiselines typically have excellent European food, but when they attempt to do a sushi buffet, well, presentation can be lovely, but they just don't have the right touch. A gentle reminder to keep at what you do best, don't be afraid to stray outside of your normal arena, but if you reach outside and it doesn't work, don't use your customers as guinea pigs. Perfect it on your own time.

April 8, 2004

Family gatherings and events with friends typically are surrounded by food (at least that's the case in my life). It's interesting how across cultures, you can see family photos and general gatherings involve some sort of food. Examples include the Last Supper, Passover, Thanksgiving in America, Cinco de Mayo, and who can forget the feasts we see in movies like Soul Food, Martha, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Eat Drink Man Woman, and many other movies. Food is a common bond that we have. Live to Eat.April 2, 2004Food Television is amazing. Remember the days when food tv was limited to PBS? It's a wonderful food revolution that we can have television shows talking about such a wide array of topics from food history to new creations. It's a welcome sight to see.

March 15, 2004

The news has been talking about potential lawsuits aimed at companies who sell food in portions that are particularly large. I shudder to think...when will people take responsibility for the food that they eat and the choices they make? Will this mean the end to ice cream parlors as we know them today? It's a scary thought for sure. Eat wisely.

March 9, 2004

Well, it was only a matter of time before this section appeared. The first topic of ranting is listing the grade of a restaurant in the window. What grade you may be asking? It's the health inspection grade. Los Angeles already has it. And it's being proposed in the San Francisco Bay Area. Imagine what a C rating would do to business. Or the fear of closure if your rating is worse than that. Certainly effective. I like it. What you don't know can hurt you, and at least this way, you would know. :)

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Vancouver Eats

Rob recommended the following sites if you're looking for food in Vancouver:
http://www.chowtimes.com
http://urbandiner.ca

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Zanze's Cheesecake - San Francisco

Best Cheesecake

2405 Ocean Ave, San Francisco CA 94127
(415) 334-2264
Parking: street parking
Hours: Open Wed – Fri 11-6, Sat 11-4, Closed Sunday through Tuesday and July through the second week of August

Last Visited: March 26, 2010

Food: 5 star cheesecakes
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$

Zanze’s is a small family-owned shop. This quaint couple cook and sell all the different styles of cheesecake available. The front counter has a glass display showing the various sizes of cheesecake available and a sign on the wall shows the pricing and flavors.

The cheesecake comes in small, medium, or large sizes. A small cheesecake can be cut into six generous slices or eight regular slices. The traditional plain flavor sells for slightly less than the flavored varieties which include mocha, chocolate, raspberry, and when in season, pumpkin. Small - $12 Traditional, $13 Flavored. Price varies by size and flavor.

Zanze’s cheesecake is extremely light and fluffy. The amount of graham cracker crust used is minimal. The traditional plain cheesecake is topped with powdered sugar on top of its golden brown crust. The mocha cheesecake is topped with chocolate shavings and then a touch of powdered sugar. Oh so good.

If it’s your first visit, they will kindly teach you how to use the fishing wire to cut your cheesecake for the best results. I love how they take the time to explain this - it gives you an understanding of how much care goes into each cheesecake.

These cheesecakes are great for eating yourself, serving to guests, or as a gift. Calling ahead to order is recommended. If it’s your first visit, Zanze’s suggests you try a traditional cheesecake.

Excellent! Must try!

Mayflower - Chinese, San Francisco

Best Dim Sum - SF

6255 Geary Blvd, San Francisco CA 94121
(415) 387-8338
428 Barber Lane, Milpitas CA 95035
(408) 922-2700
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Fri: 11am to 2:30pm, 5 to 9pm; Sat/Sun/Holidays: 10am to 2:30pm, 5pm to 9:30pm
http://www.mayflower-seafood.com/

Last Visited: January 9, 2011 in San Francisco, May 21, 2005 in Milpitas

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$$

First, let me explain the Best rating. While it's not the best ever, Mayflower in San Francisco provides consistent food quality - fresh, hot, authentic. It's my go-to place for recommendations to friends and where I go when I have a dim sum craving. Service, that's another matter...

Note 2011 pricing seems to be more competitive from as low as $2.10 a dish to $4.85 for most chef specials.

It’s easy to find Mayflower in San Francisco by the jade green awning outside. Enter the glass doors, and you’ll be greeted by the many tanks of seafood featuring live shrimp, geoduck, crab, fish, and whatever else is in season.

The dining room is a bit crowded. Since the restaurant is located on the corner, there are two walls with a lot of windows that bring in natural light and brighten up the room. Short curtains decorate the windows. There is a bar area with mirrors behind it and bottles of liquor on display. It’s less used as a bar and more used as a work area. There is a room to the side that is tucked away and can be used as a private room when dividers are utilized. More seafood tanks display fresh seafood in the main dining area.

A Chinese character in large gold print on a red background decorates the room. White tablecloths adorn the tables and the plates are white with blue trim.

Today, we had a dim sum lunch. Dinner here usually involves many plates of seafood. They have set menus for ten people ranging from around $200 for the entire set meal to over $600. Of course, you can also order directly from the menu and create your own set.

Some of the photos have a bit of weird coloring because I was sitting by the window and the combination of natural and artificial light seems to have tinted the dishes a weird blue.

- Siu Mai (pork dumplings) (4) - Topped with shrimp and shrimp roe, these pork dumplings are filled with flavor.

- Deep fried Mango seafood roll (3) – Seafood and mango is battered in panko crumbs and deep fried until golden brown. The mango gives the roll a sweetness and adds brightness. It’s an unusual combination, but it tasted good. Another bonus was the hot temperature and the sweetness.

- Eggplant stuffed with shrimp paste (3) - One of my favorite dishes, the stuffed eggplant is deep fried and then topped with black bean sauce. The deep frying of the eggplant makes it super hot in temperature and the texture becomes so soft that it almost melts in your mouth. The shrimp paste develops a slight crispiness which contrasts the eggplant well.

- Spareribs with black bean sauce – Spareribs are steamed in black bean sauce. This dish was okay. I prefer mine to have a little more heat to it, both in temperature and spice. If you can sit near the kitchen and get them right away, you'll enjoy the product more. Also, sometimes the flavor is similar, but you'll see steamed spareribs without the black beans.

- Spicy turnip cake – This was a unique dish. Turnip cake is cut into large cubes, dipped in egg, and pan fried with some red pepper flakes. The turnip cake was hot in temperature and flavor. It’s a welcome twist to the regular style of turnip cake. Very good.

- Deep fried Taro dumpling (3) – The taro dumplings had recently come out of the deep fryer and were fresh and the outside was crispy. When these dumplings are hot, they’re very good.

- Shanghai dumpling (3) – These Shanghai dumplings are served with red vinegar and thin slices of ginger. Of all the dim sum, this was the most disappointing, but remember that Mayflower’s specialty isn’t Shanghai dumplings. The dumplings were so tiny in size that they were filled with very little meat. I wouldn’t order these again.

- Seafood donut rice noodle roll – Rice noodle is rolled around a Chinese donut, but what is unusual is that this donut contains seafood – most recognizably shrimp. Three sauces – peanut sauce, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce – accompany the rice noodle roll. Although the presentation is interesting and the many sauces add a different twist to this dish, it was still fairly standard. The majority of the flavor comes from the sauce, and it can be a bit overwhelming if too much is added. Okay.

- Steamed rice and chicken wrapped in lotus leaf (2) – Chicken, Chinese sausage, and rice, are wrapped inside a lotus leaf and steamed. Although the flavor tastes as it should, with light soy sauce on the chicken, and the mixture being infused by the lotus leaf, the overall size of the wrap is small. There are places that serve this in twice or three times the size. These are cute and petite, but if you’re hungry, they won’t be particularly satisfying. Okay.

- Deep fried Tofu in soya sauce – Bricks of tofu are thinly sliced but kept intact. They have a light brown skin and have had light soy sauce poured over them. It makes for a slightly crispy outside layer on the tofu, and soft silky tofu on the inside. This dish would be even better served warm, but it came just slightly above room temperature. Good.

- Gai lan – Young gai lan is cooked until tender and served with oyster sauce. Good.

- Green pan fried seafood dumpling (3) – Seafood is wrapped in a green wrapper and the dumpling is pan fried. I found the wrapper to be a too thick, and though the seafood was still tender, the dumpling as a whole was only fair.

- Shrimp dumpling – Shrimp and bamboo shoots are wrapped in a rice flour wrapper and steamed. Good. Make sure you get these hot, otherwise the flavor seems to become limp.

- Deep fried milk – A milk based custard is wrapped in a phyllo dough-like wrapper, however, instead of flaky crispy, you have flaky thin layers that are pan fried and white in color. The custard is smooth and delicate. Good.

- Braised chicken feet – Very nice texture and large pieces of chicken feet. Excellent flavor.

- Deep fried tofu skin wrapped shrimp – Shrimp is wrapped inside tofu skins and fried until golden brown. This is served with Worcestershire sauce. Delicious. This is one of our favorite dishes to order at dim sum restaurants. Four stars.

- Steamed Lotus Buns (3) - I love getting these here. While other restaurants stuff the buns with lotus paste only, these come with a quarter of an egg yolk from a thousand year old egg. This creates a contrast of sweet and savory that is really pleasing, but the texture of the egg may take some getting used to. It's a great way to end a meal.

- Noodle with Clam Meat and Crab Paste - This is one of the newest items at Mayflower. I never saw it before 2010. A small container is filled with a noodle dish cooked with clams and crab paste for a very aromatic dish. Heating this pot directly over the fire allows the dish to come to you sizzling and steaming. It's a great way to get warmed up in cold weather. The flavors were noticeably like the sea, but I would prefer a touch more salt. $5.95

- Sweet Sesame Balls - Deep fried and filled with lotus paste, the sesame balls here are okay. If you get them hot, the outer surface will be light and crispy. If they have cooled, the inner layer of glutinous rice flour tends to solidify more and seem too thick. Here the thickness varies - sometimes you get a good one and other times, they are just okay.

Mayflower is considered one of the more upscale Chinese restaurants in San Francisco. Overall, the dim sum is above average and the service is okay. One thing that was much appreciated was their approach to the customer’s time. They never hurried us and even though we had to wait for other people at the table to arrive, unlike many other places, they never shot us any dirty looks or even hinted at any sign of disrespectfulness. The downside of the service was that after refilling the tea several times, it became bland. Good places know to add more tea leaves without being asked by seeing how weak the tea is after a quick review of the teacups at the table. During my most recent visit, they were not as busy it seemed and we had a smaller table. The food quality seemed to be better than competition in the area and although service was only fair in that they neglected our tea pot very often, when we requested the deep fried tofu skin wrapped shrimp, they were more than happy to fill our order – which sometimes does not happen at dim sum restaurants.

My visit to Mayflower in Milpitas proved to be a similar experience. This Mayflower had a larger setting including larger seafood tanks, but I found that the staff here was not quite as detail oriented. They were however very good with refilling our tea. Like the other locations, they offer some unique dim sum that is rarely found elsewhere like their excellent mango pudding made from scratch (definitely made from scratch as I found an egg shell in mine) and mango shrimp wrapped in rice paper. What was most disappointing here was that after we requested a specific dim sum dish, they came back and told us that it was in the process of being made. More than half an hour later, we found that they hadn’t made the dish at all. Also, when they brought the news, they didn’t offer to make the dish for us either. That seems to me to be poor customer service. For that reason, I downgraded their service rating from the 3 to 4 range to a mere 3 stars.



Give Mayflower a try. They’re patient in explaining dishes, but be prepared to wait for a table since it is a popular place for dim sum. Also note that service varies.

Fat Wong's Kitchen - Chinese comfort food, San Bruno

1780 El Camino Real, San Bruno CA 94066
(650) 872-6682
Parking: street parking and parking lot
Hours: Daily 11:30 am to 11:30pm

Last Visited: August 11, 2011

Food: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

Fat Wong’s Kitchen is reminiscent of a former Taco Bell. Think of the brick façade, the window arches, and the large counter. They’ve done a good job converting the place though. The room is painted a cream color, and the brick around the window arches are white. On the walls are fun framed drawings of cartoon chefs and Chinese characters. The tables are a dark cherry, and the matching chairs have a black cushioned seat. The front counter is now walled in with a granite face. There is a window to allow you to see what is happening in the kitchen. The floors are brown tile. Recessed lights bring light to the room along with the large windows.

There is a lot of hustle and bustle at this restaurant. It’s not a good place if you’re looking for a quiet atmosphere with a lot of atmosphere. It’s a great place to go for inexpensive eats that are high quality. They also have an interesting clientele – mostly all Asian, but still fun for people watching.

Rumor has it that the chef formerly came from Flower Lounge to open up this restaurant.
The table has a drink and dessert menu. Drinks are extremely inexpensive ranging at or a little over a dollar. There are also a lot of homemade desserts available. As you walk in, it will be immediately clear what their specialties are – congee (aka porridge) and wonton noodles of various types. The other specials are steamed rice wrapped in lotus leaves (jong) and rice noodle rolls.

- Rice Noodle Roll with Fish Paste – Fish paste is wrapped in a rice noodle roll and steamed. This is a unique dish because most restaurants stick to the basics of shrimp, beef, barbecued pork, or fried donut (which they also have available except for the donut version. The portion is good, but I found the rice noodle roll to be a little bit too moist, meaning that the roll itself is a bit on the soft almost soggy side, though still intact. The fish paste was good though. Okay. $3.00 in 2007

- Sampan Porridge – Rice is cooked to a porridge – thick, but not overly so. The sampan version comes with peanuts, fish meatballs, and pork skins. You also receive a small plate of chopped green onions and fried crispy twists. The porridge is nicely flavored and rich and creamy in texture. The meatballs are soft and also have the right texture. You know it’s good because you don’t have to add salt to the porridge. Very Good. $5.25 in 2007

- Pork and Preserved Egg Porridge – The same porridge base for the sampan porridge is used. Slices of pork and pieces of preserved egg are added to this porridge. Another very good porridge. It’s served with a side dish of green onion and crispy twists that can be added to the porridge for extra texture and flavor. $4.80 in 2007

- Pan Fried Noodle with Beef and Seasonal Vegetables – This is an incredible deal for the price. Noodles are pan fried until crispy and topped with slices of beef and bok choy cooked in a light brown sauce. The crispiness of the noodles gives extra texture this dish. Very good. It’s often hard to find a place where the crispy noodles aren’t burnt. It might be something different for you to have noodles this crispy, but it tastes great with of course a good crunch. $6.25 in 2007

- Braised Fish Ball, Pork Skin, and Turnip – Fish balls are braised and tender pork skins and turnip in the same sauce are placed in a soup bowl. The pork skins are so soft they melt in your mouth and the turnip chunks maintain their form. All have been infused with great flavor. The sauce has a slight hint of five spice powder. Good. $4.25 in 2007

- Fried Rice with Minced Beef – Beef is cooked with lettuce, fried rice, and egg to create a great fried rice dish. The individual grains of rice are separated, and the color is a light golden brown. The rice isn’t too oily, and they actually have minced beef, not ground beef. The flavor is light and delicate, but certainly flavorful. Good. $5.95 in 2007

- Steamed Rice with Meat Wrapped Lotus Leaf - Rice, dried shrimp, lotus nuts, duck, a preserved egg, yellow peas, and dried black mushrooms are wrapped in a lotus leaf. The whole thing is then steamed or boiled for many hours and served with a small dish of soy sauce and a small dish of sugar. The flavor of the lotus leaf becomes infused into the rice. There were a lot of ingredients stuffed into the block of rice, but I found the texture of the rice a little mushy. In general, similar dishes I have tried are cooked so that the individual grains of rice can still be seen. This one had been cooked until it all has melted together. It was good, but not quite to my taste because of the texture. However, the amount of duck (the duck is still on the bone) and the general quantity of ingredients was very good. You’ll have to try it out and decide for yourself. $7.25 dine in/$8 take out in 2007

- Chow Fun with Beef & Soy Sauce – Beef is sautéed with chow fun, green onions, and bean sprouts. The slices of beef are tender, and the chow fun is nicely separated and browned by the soy sauce. What is difficult about this dish is that the chow fun usually gets burned, and the flavor becomes tainted. This is not a problem at Fat Wong’s. Very good. $5.95 in 2007

- Tofu with Five Spice Seasoning – A full block of tofu is cut in half and deep fried. Then the tofu is sliced and placed in five spice seasoned sauce. The sauce is like water in consistency and has a light light brown coloring. It’s flavor is light but marries well with the fried tofu skin. Very good. $3.80 in 2007

- Gai Lan - Fresh gai lan vegetables (Chinese broccoli) are boiled and drizzled with sesame oil and oyster sauce. Although the stalks are large, they are very tender. Very good. I don’t remember the specific price, but it was around $5.50

- Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup – Five large wontons are served with noodles in broth. The wontons contain shrimp and an abundance of pork. The broth has a delicate flavor. The Hong Kong style noodles are al dente and nicely separated (no clumps). The wontons are jumbo. While this was formerly one of their best dishes, the wontons now use a different kind of meat and are just okay. $5.50

- Hong Kong Milk Tea – A good sized milk tea that is available hot or cold. Excellent price. $1.50 ($2 when ordered to go)

- Hong Kong Coffee Milk Tea – This cup of HK Coffee Milk Tea is a combination of coffee with milk tea (aka yin-yang). The hot version doesn’t come with sugar, so you’ll need to add it yourself. $1.50 ($2 when ordered to go)

Service is a little touch and go, but it’s still worth a visit for noodles. Since I added my milk tea and an additional dish during the middle of the meal, that may have been part of reason for the slower service. I didn’t receive these two items until asking for them at least one or two times more. The food is still too good to miss. The last time I visited, I ordered milk tea with the rest of the order, and it came very fast, almost immediately after ordering.

During lunches on weekdays, the restaurant has a lot less people, so you won’t feel as rushed eating. When they aren’t as busy, the servers tend to watch the crowd, which can get a little uncomfortable so there is room for improvement, but overall, the staff is quick to turnaround tables and efficient.

I once heartily recommended Fat Wong’s Kitchen. However, in 2011, I pulled them from Sesame Tea Favorites because they're just not cutting it anymore.  The wonton meat is not the same as it used to be - the quality has deteriorated.  I waited for more than 15 minutes for my bowl of noodles after the first bowl at our table was received.  At lesat the noodles are still good.  There is still a lot of variety available and certainly, some items still taste like home cooking, but I long for the olden days when they were more authentic in textures and flavors.

Ad Hoc - American Homestyle, Yountville

Best Inexpensive Prix Fixe

6476 Washington St, Yountville CA 94599
(707) 944-2487
Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Dinner Thursdays through Saturday, Supper Sunday starting at 3pm
http://www.adhocrestaurant.com/

Last Visited: November 26, 2006

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$$$

The words ‘ad hoc’ mean ‘for this purpose’ and indeed, Thomas Keller has created a restaurant to showcase family style dinners for this purpose alone. The changing daily menu features four courses prix fixe $45. The first plate is salad, followed by the main dish, then a cheese plate – typically featuring a cheese from a Wisconsin coop, and finally dessert. It’s a lovely homestyle menu with simple local flavors. In some cases, you’ll find that the main course changes during the evening. If you have dietary restrictions or are vegetarian, I have heard that they will kindly accommodate. The menu varies – you can find anything from fried chicken to prime rib. Call the day of your visit to find out what is being served.

The décor is simple. According to the locals, they have kept much of it the same as it was when it was a café. Brushed chrome tables, a long bench with a cushion, dark colored wood, white walls, and large vases can be found in the restaurant. It’s for the most part an open space and the room is divided into two main sections – the side of the restaurant that faces the street has large windows that bring in the light. The bench seating along the wall in the middle of the restaurant separates it from the bar and reception area. The table with the pig figure acts as the serving station. I thought the pig might be displayed to represent tonight’s menu, but our server explained that the pig always remains on display despite the featured meat.

The servers wear white shirts with the words Ad Hoc on them in light blue, Converse style shoes, and jeans. It’s a casual atmosphere, but their demeanor is still very polite, and they are certainly friendly. The water and wine glasses are the same, regular tumblers, and some in the restaurant during my visit found this irking. They requested stems and proclaimed the instant improvement in flavor of the wine. I can’t confirm that there was a drastic improvement, so that part is strictly hearsay. When we were seated, the server greeted us, introduced himself, and asked if we had been there before. He explained that the menu was fixed and asked if we had any dietary restrictions. He then asked us what type of water we would like – still, bottled, or sparkling. When we said still, he said ‘Yountville’ with a smile. Then we were brought a carafe of chilled water.

We were brought bread in a basket along with a ramekin of butter. Too bad the bread wasn’t hot, but it was still good bread.

All items are presented family style unless otherwise indicated.
- Grilled Maine Diver Scallops and Winter Greens Salad – A scallop is split in half and skewered, then grilled. The skewers are placed on top of winter greens including gem lettuce, frisee, watermelon radishes, three types of mushrooms – oyster, shiitake, and one other. The dressing is made with sherry vinegar and oil. The scallops are warm, fresh, and tender, just lightly grilled on both sides. The dressing is perfect – not too sour, not too salty, but just right – a refreshing blend. Great.

- Snake River Farms Braised Kurobata Pork Short Ribs – The Kurobata pork is braised until tender and served with tondini beans mixed with bits of bacon and haricot verts. The beans weren’t as soft as I like them, but the flavor of bacon had infused the beans and tasted great. The haricot verts looked like they had been added at the last minute since the color was still a nice green, but the beans were tender. The short ribs were cut such that the meat was placed on top of a bed of ribs. The ribs were fork tender; each piece of meat melted in my mouth and was so juicy. The ribs were presented in a large ramekin with the beans and haricot verts underneath. Melt in your mouth wonderful.

- Carrots РCarrots are cut on the diagonal and saut̩ed in butter. They are then seasoned with salt, pepper, and have been sprinkled with fresh parsley. These carrots were so tender and sweet Рstraight from the garden. They were served on a plain white rectangular dish. Delicious.

- Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Coop Dante Cheese – A cutting board arrived with four cippolini onions, a ramekin of arbequina olives, and a sample of Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Co-op Dante cheese. The onions had been roasted until sweet. The server warned us that the olives may contain pits, and indeed, most did. These tiny olives gave balance against the cheese and the onions. Good. For me, the serving of cheese was a bit much, especially after the ribs, but the presentation was simple.

After the cheese course, the bread was removed from the table.

- Sweet Cornmeal Financier – Unlike the rest of the menu, the dessert is served individually. The warm cornmeal cake is served with sweet dried fruit compote comprised of raisins, cherries, and the like. The cake was golden brown on top, light, soft, springy, and almost crumbly. A small container of fresh vanilla whipped cream loaded with vanilla beans was given to us to share. Every bite was absolutely scrumptious and if you could fit more in your stomach, you would want to have another piece. It’s so comforting and wonderful with hints of butter in each bite. Magnificent.

The servers are kind, though the busboy could smile more and greet you as you’re leaving, but the host and the server acknowledged us as we left the restaurant.

There have been lots of rumors floating around that Ad Hoc will be transformed into Thomas Keller’s dream burger joint, but our server confirmed that plans are still in works, and to his knowledge, he’s employed for more than a few more months, so it’s likely that Ad Hoc could stick around longer than the original six months. Ad Hoc is a great way to try out the renowned Thomas Keller quality in a more relaxed setting. Excellent treats.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Places to Go - Los Angeles

Last Updated: September 6, 2009

Sushi Nozawa, 11288 Ventura Blvd #C, Studio City CA 94604, (818) 508-7017

Places to Go - New Mexico

Last Updated: September 6, 2009

Maria's New Mexican Kitchen, 555 West Cordova Road, Santa Fe NM 87505, (505) 983-7929
Tomasita's Restaurant, 500 South Guadalupe, Santa Fe NM 87501, (505) 983-5721

Places to Go - Sacramento and Davis

Last Updated: August 12, 2011

Ernesto's Mexican Food, 1901 16th St, Sacramento CA 95814, (916) 441-5850
Little Prague, 330 G St, Davis CA 95616, (530) 756-1107
Jamie's Broadway Grille, 427 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95818, (916) 442-4044
Mikuni, 1530 J St, Sacramento CA 95814, (916) 447-2111
New Canton, 2523 Broadway, Sacramento CA 95818, (916) 739-8888
Royal Hong King Lum, 419 J St, Sacramento CA 95814, (916) 443-1584
Squeeze Inn, 5301 PowerInn Rd, Sacramento, CA, 916-386-8599
Tower Cafe, 1518 Broadway, Sacramento CA 95818, (916) 441-0222

Places to Go - Peninsula and South Bay

Last Updated: October 4, 2011

Armadillo Willie's, 994 Acacia Ave, Los Altos CA 94022, (650) 948-4659
Joy Luck Place, 88 E 4th St, San Mateo CA 94401, (650) 343-6988
Naglee Park Garage, 505 East San Carlos, San Jose CA 95112, (408) 286-1100
Naomi Sushi, 1328 El Camino Real, Menlo Park CA 94025, (650) 321-6902
Santa Japanese, 805 S. B St, San Mateo CA 94401, (650) 344-5918 :)
Spiedo Ristorante, 151 W. Santa Clara St, San Jose CA 95113, (408) 971-6096
Sonoma Chicken Coop, 31 N Market St, San Jose CA 95113, (408) 287-4098
Sushi Factory Japanese Restaurant, 4632 Meridian Ave, San Jose CA 95124, (408) 723-2598
Wakuriya, 115 De Anza Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402, (650) 286-0410

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Places to Go - East Bay

Last Updated: January 2011

Ajanta, 1888 Solano Ave, Berkeley CA 94707, (510) 523-4373 :)
Angelfish Japanese Restaurant, 883 Island Dr #C-2, Alameda CA 94502, (510) 749-0460
Bombay Garden, 5995 Mowry Ave, Newark CA 94560, (510) 744-6945
Boot and Shoe Service, 3308 Grand Ave, Oakland CA 94610, (510) 763-2668
Brown Sugar Kitchen, 2534 Mandela Pkwy, Oakland CA, (510) 839-7685
Chez Panisse, 1517 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley CA 94709, (510) 548-5525
Dead Fish, 20050 San Pablo Ave, Crockett CA 94525, (510) 787-3323
East Village Seafood Restaurant, 14736 E. 14th St, San Leandro CA 94578, (510) 667-9888
Hibiscus, 1745 San Pablo Ave, Oakland CA 94612 (510) 444-2626
La Mediterranee, 2936 College Ave, Berkeley CA 94705, (510) 540-7773
Naked Fish Japanese Cuisine, 24703 Amador St, Hayward CA 94544, (510) 887-4569
Nex, 2442 Webster St, Oakland CA (510) 238-8224
Ohgane Korean BBQ, 3915 Broadway, Oakland CA 94611, (510) 594-8300
Ole's Waffle Shop, 1507 Park St, Alameda CA 94501, (510) 522-8108
Pican, 2295 Broadway, Oakland CA (510) 834-1000
Pizzaiolo, 5008 Telegraph Ave, Oakland CA 94609, (510) 652-4888

Places to Go - North of the Golden Gate

Last Updated: October 29, 2010

Bombay Garden, 909 4th St, San Rafael CA 94901, (415) 459-9555
Buckeye Roadhouse, 15 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley CA 94941, (415) 331-2600
Cacti, 1200 Grant Ave, Novato CA 94945, (415) 898-2234
Emporio Rulli, 464 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur CA 94939, (415) 927-7478
Fabrizio Ristorante, 455 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur CA 94939, (415) 924-3332
Harmony Restaurant, 800 Redwood Hwy #401, Mill Valley CA (415) 381-5300
India Village, 555 Francisco Blvd E # 22, San Rafael, CA 94901, (415) 456-2411
La Ginestra, 127 Throckmorton Ave Mill Valley, CA 94941-1909, (415) 388-0224
Tommy's Wok Chinese Cuisine, 3001 Bridgeway Sausalito , CA 94965, (415) 332-5818
Yankee Pier, 286 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur CA 94939, (415) 924-7676

Places to Go - Wine Country

Last Updated: March 9, 2010

Angele, 540 Main St, Napa CA 94559, (707) 252-8115
Auberge du Soleil, 180 Rutherford Hill Road, Rutherford CA 94573, (707) 963-1211
The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, 2555 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574, (707) 967-1010
Dry Creek Kitchen, 317 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg CA 95448, (415) 431-0330
Foothill Cafe, 2766 Old Sonoma Rd, Napa CA 94558, (707) 252-6178
Fume Bistro, 4050 Byway East, Napa CA 94558, (707) 257-1999
French Laundry, 6640 Washington St, Yountville CA 94599, (707) 944-2380
Jonesy's Famous Steak House, 2044 Airport Rd, Napa CA 94558, (707) 255-2003
Pica Pica Maize Kitchen, Oxbow Public Market, 610 1st St, Napa CA 94559, (707) 251-3757 :)
Rutherford Grill, 1180 Rutherford Rd, Rutherford CA 94573, (707) 963-1792 :)
Saizon, 1129 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa CA 95407, (707) 523-4346

Friday, September 4, 2009

Places to Go - North Bay

Last Updated: September 15, 2009

These are restaurants that friends have recommended, but I haven't tried yet.
In some cases, I've actually been there, but haven't gotten around to writing the review - look for notes on the side.

Central Market, 42 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma CA 94952, (707) 778-9900
D's Diner,7260 Healdsburg Ave, Sebastopol CA 95472, (707) 829-8080
De Schmire, 304 Bodega Ave, Petaluma CA 94952, (707) 762-1901 :)
Della Fattoria, 141 Petaluma Boulevard North, Petaluma, 707-763-0161 :(
Jack and Tony's Restaurant and Whisky Bar, 115 Fourth St, Santa Rosa CA 95401
La Gare, 208 Wilson St, Santa Rosa CA 95401, (707) 528-4355 :)
Le Bistro, 312 Petaluma Blvd S, Petaluma CA 94952, (707) 762-8292
Martha's Old Mexican Grill, Sebastopol CA 95472, (707) 823-4458
River's End, 11048 Hwy 1, Jenner CA 95450, (707) 865-2484
Simply Delicious, 2780 Stony Point Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 95407, (707) 579-2083
Tony's Seafood Restaurant, 18863 Highway 1, Marshall CA 94940, (415) 663-1107
Truc Linh, 810 McClelland Dr, Windsor CA 95492, (707) 838-6746
Wild Jane's, 16440 4th St, Guerneville CA 95446, (707) 869-3600
Willow Wood Market Café, 9020 Graton Road, Graton CA 95444, (707) 823-0233