Volpi's Ristorante & Bar - Italian, Petaluma

124 Washington St, Petaluma CA 94952
(707) 765-0695
Parking: ample street parking

Last Visited: 2002

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

Volpi’s has been an institution in Petaluma for quite a long time. Its atmosphere is family style with a large waiting area and a fish tank holding today’s catch. This dining room extends back to hold more tables, in addition to an old fashioned speakeasy, with a separate adjacent unit for additional seating. The location was originally an old grocery store.

Volpi’s certainly has character. The tables are adorned with a bottle that holds a candle and the drippings of various colored candles before it.

Entrees are available a la carte or as a meal which includes soup and salad.

- Minestrone soup – Fresh carrots, potatoes, and beans can be found in the soup. It’s hearty.

- Clam chowder – I remember enjoying their clam chowder, rich and creamy.

- Spaghetti and meatballs – The spaghetti and meatballs came highly recommended. It’s quite authentic with al dente noodles and a hearty tomato sauce. $10.95

I tried a few other dishes, but have gone back for the spaghetti and meatballs several times.

Note that if you’re on a budget, it’s always good to ask about the prices on the seasonal items. The price of shrimp scampi was quite surprising the time we invited guests.

Since it’s been such a long time since my last visit, I don't know how it is right now, but it was just fair the last time I was there.  The salad dressing can sometimes be on the slightly sour side, but aside from that, Volpi’s is pretty consistent. The atmosphere is unique and the service varies, but the food is good.

My last visit was a little less stellar and prices were higher than previously, so the value wasn't as good, but Volpi's is good for old world Italian.

Happy Corner Cafe - Chinese, Sacramento

4940 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento CA 95822
(916) 736-3131
Parking: in shopping center parking lot

Last Visited: August 21, 2011

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

We arrived for lunch at Happy Corner to meet some friends, so our table was already set and ready when I came in.  Happy Corner is brightly lit with lighter color furniture.  The large windows on two sides of the restaurant bring in a lot of natural light, but was not blinding. 

Happy Corner offers a lot of very reasonably priced menu items.  One example is the three dishes for $21.99 menu which includes soup and steamed rice.  Another example is their $5.95 menu which comes with a milk tea or lemon tea and is offered only during lunch.  Most items on the regular menu are under $10.

Today, they were somewhat busy, so it took a while for us to get our order taken - probably at least ten minutes of waiting after we were ready, so this is definitely an area of improvement.  We ordered two of the $5.95 dishes and learned that they were out of milk tea.  Since it was about noon, we were a bit surprised - this menu would be available for at least another couple of hours - how do you run out of milk tea during your peak time so quickly?   

Since milk tea wasn't available, we got lemon tea.  The tea was pretty weak, but the lemon flavor was present from the fresh lemons in the drink.  Fair.   

- Beef Chow Fun - Of the dishes we tried, this was probably the best because it was the most close to authentic.  This was very standard in flavor and presentation - just what you would expect when you order it.  The beef, chow fun, and vegetables were all good. $5.95

- Pork Chow Mein - Crunchy pan fried noodles are served topped with a pork and bean sprout stir fry mixture in gravy.  The portion was okay and while the ingredients were fresh, the topping was too heavy on bean sprouts and could be more balanced with some shitake mushrooms or just less bean sprouts.  Okay. $5.95

- Steamed Fish - Since our table brought our own fresh salmon, I can't tell you the actual price.  The fish came out very nicely, not overcooked, and we paid a nominal fee.

The three dishes for $21.99 menu has a lot of choices - probably more than twenty.

- Hot and Sour Soup - More sweet than hot and sour, I wouldn't order this on its own.  It's also served with a disposable plastic spoon which seemed odd.  It's not clear why this saves effort from their end since it has an effect of seemingly reducing quality of service and decor.

- Braised Tofu with Vegetables - This was probably the second best dish of the day.  Everything about it is what you would typically expect - fresh vegetables served under braised tofu.  I'm not sure if I just didn't get to it fast enough, but the tofu temperature could be a tad hotter.  The texture of everything was good. 

- Bittermelon with Chicken - Black bean sauce is cooked with tender dark meat and slices of bittermelon.  This dish had too much sauce and that seemed to dilute the flavor of it a bit too. 

- Salted Pork Spareribs - The flavor of the spareribs were fine, but the individual pieces were pretty small and more bone than meat.  Typically, the pieces are larger, so the bones are just a fraction of each piece, but here the bones are more than half or three quarters of each piece.  There is definitely room for improvement for this dish.

Happy Corner Cafe offers lots of value and decent to good food for the price, but the quality of each dish should be carefully examined.  If everything was up to par compared to what is considered standard by most restaurants, I would heartily recommend Happy Corner, but for now, you need to pick and choose so it's a lot of trial and error taste testing.  Stocking up on milk tea would also be a good idea. 

We were treated to mango pudding, made from a mix, for dessert, so the staff was generous with us.  Happy Corner has potential to be really good, but for now, they're just okay.

Old Mexico - Santa Rosa

4501 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95409
(707) 539-2599
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: 2003

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

Old Mexico is located at the corner of Montgomery Drive and Mission Drive. It’s in a building painted green, so you won’t miss it. Driving past Old Mexico, the outside area looks like a mini garden paradise. There are multiple palm trees and bright flowers - you’ll have to see it to know what I mean.

Inside Old Mexico are the high back chairs and lots of color dangling from the ceiling. The chairs add to the atmosphere, but they aren’t the most comfortable chairs in the world.

When you arrive at your table, glasses of water, hot tortilla chips, salsa, and hot bean dip arrive at your table. The bean dip is great, but it’s especially good while it’s still hot. If you wait until it cools, the flavor of the bean dip changes, so try to enjoy a little it as your pour over their menu.

Old Mexico is great about keeping the chips coming. They have good experience with both small and big parties, but it can be a wait for the food to arrive to all guests at your table when there are large parties.

Since it’s been a while since my last visit, I’ll have to share my general impression on Old Mexico. Food portions are good, but food quality is average. It meets the standard, but there is nothing bringing it above the norm. I typically order the chimichanga or the taco salad here.

Service is good, and I would go back to Old Mexico, but there is nothing distinct to share about, except their bean dip.

Banhwich - Vietnamese, San Francisco

1105 Taraval St, San Francisco CA 94116
(415) 665-2233
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: July 13, 2011

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

I was trying to avoid traffic on the way home one night and decided to stop into Bahnwich, mostly because it's located near Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream and I figured I would be close to dessert.  While I had read some reviews about it being a small shop that is frequented by youth from the nearby school and that the cashier looks like she's twelve, I wasn't deterred.  I used to work at my parent's family business and I too was often mistaken for much younger than I was. 

In any case, I came with an open mind and a hungry stomach.  I walked in and saw a very cluttered setup.  The menu was displayed on a sign above the main counter and there were stools next to the counter by the   window.   Behind the main counter and in the rear of the store, there was stacks of stuff piled up on top of each other.  While I can appreciate that it's a family business, there were a few things that were offputting.  The clutter could have been hidden behind a curtain.  The young girl behind the counter was watching television and never even said hello.  Her father was very fast at preparing my order which is why I even gave them a two to three star rating for service, but there is a lot of opportunity for improving customer service as a whole.

- Barbecue Pork Banh Mi - The meat was microwaved and put into a toasted roll along with the pickled carrots and fresh cilantro.  The pork was well flavored and juicy, but had a few tendons in it.  At these prices, it's a great value and the food is satisfying. $3.80

I wouldn't mind paying even a dollar more for this if the service were better.  As is, I would consider stopping back if I were in the area, but it's not a place I would go out of my way to patronize.  Service like this is barely tolerable when the food is good.  Hopefully they recognize this soon.

Taqueria Santa Rosa - Mexican, Santa Rosa

791 Montecito Center, Santa Rosa CA
(707) 538-2642
Parking: in shopping center
1950 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa CA 95401
(707) 528-7956
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: August 3, 2009

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

Deanna first brought me here. Some might consider this a hole in the wall, but after you’ve been to hole in the wall places in Chinatown, this is more like walking into a little store. The tables are against the wall and the menu is posted on a wall adjacent to the counter. The kitchen is right behind the counter. It’s not a big shop, but they serve up great carnitas tacos. I’ve only tried two dishes here so far, but the carnitas are hard to beat. Order at the front counter, pay for your meal, and have a seat. Salsa and warm chips come to the table. Food is also available for take out.

SoftTacos – Carnitas tacos are soft, hot, and very good. The pork is shredded nicely and a little salsa like sauce tops the meat. I also tried the Carne Asada taco, but it doesn’t compare to the Carnitas. The carnitas deserves four stars. The carne asada is three stars. $1.99 each, also available in a combination dinner with refried beans and rice for $5.50.

Enchiladas – I tried the chicken enchilada. It was good, but I like the sauce and texture of the enchilada more at other restaurants I have tried. It’s an average enchilada.

Taqueria Santa Rosa on Mendocino Avenue appears to have a bigger menu, but it could just be the pictures of certain dishes displayed on the menu itself which is located on the wall. It’s not as well lit as the branch on Montecito, and they fry the carnitas until it’s more crispy than the Montecito branch. The chips at the Mendocino restaurant also seem a little bit on the thicker side than the Montecito location.

Stick to the carnitas, and I know you’ll be happy. Their chips are also quite good.

Fremont Diner - American, Sonoma

2698 Fremont Drive, Sonoma CA 95476
(707) 938-7370
Parking: in parking lot

Last Visited: April 2, 2011

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

Back in high school, the jocks used to go to Babe's burgers for a quick lunch as soon as we were given off campus privileges.  Somewhere along the way, Babe's went away, and in its place is the Fremont Diner.  A number of college friends started checking in at Fremont Diner, and as a local gal, I was surprised that none of my local friends had even mentioned it at all, let alone how good it was. 

My interest was piqued, and I made the trek out to Fremont Drive.  As a Sonoman, this is the section of road that is easy to avoid.  Going out to the city, you take this road, but skip this section, and the same is true for heading out to Napa, but in the opposite direction.  The Fremont Diner lies right in between these sections of roads.

Admittedly, with so many college friends talking about how good it was, my expectations were a bit on the higher side, and when we arrived on this Saturday to find the line to order food out the door, well, expectations ran even higher. 

One thing to get straight first is that it's a bit of a dive.  It's got a lot of character with both indoor and outdoor seating and old school toys (e.g. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head) available to keep the kids occupied, but despite its gourmet twists on some homestyle dishes, you get the sense that it's more of a local place.  However, on the weekends, it's mostly tourists visiting.  Service is comprised pretty much the gal at the front that takes your order.  When your name is called, you pick up your own food.  So while I've given the service rating 3 to 4 stars, that is pretty much entirely based on how the ordering process went.

The menu is shown on the blackboard above in addition to a paper menu available.  Griddle items including burgers, grilled cheese, and a hot dog sit alongside smoker selections including pork and brisket.  There is definitely a bit of a southern feel when you see listings like fried chicken, chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, collard greens, milkshakes, onion rings, french fries, and mac & cheese.  However, when we see reuben sandwiches on the menu, that becomes one of our default items.  Other reviews mentioned the oyster po'boy, so of course, we had to try it.

- Cracklin - Deep fried pig skins with hog spice - Hog spice is their own blend of spices.  While I had hoped the cracklin would stay crisp throughout our meal, I was disappointed to find it getting soggy in just minutes.  I would skip this item in the future. $3

- Hush Puppies - Julie's favorite with River Dog Spring onions and remoulade - An abundant plate of probably eleven or twelve hush puppies are served with a tasty remoulade.  Extremely filling, these slightly more than golden brown bites are moist and delicious.  This is a great plate to share. $4.99

- Fremont Reuben-  House cured and smoked pastrami, chow chow, Estero Gold swiss on Mike the Bakers rye bread with a side of potato salad with buttermilk and tarragon dressing - This was probably my favorite of the items we tried here today.  The bread is grilled until crisp and the layers of pastrami were moist and flavorful.  It's not the best reuben we've ever had, but it's good.  The potato salad was pretty average - better than many we've tried, but not stand out on its own.  This reuben is worth getting again although the price is a little on the high side.  $11.99

- Oyster Po'Boy - Drakes Bay oysters, Fremont bacon, remoulade, and little gems with side salad - Five small oysters were deep fried and served on a roll toasted on a grill with shreds of iceberg lettuce and remoulade.  It seemed lacking something in flavor while eating it, although the oil for deep frying and oysters were certainly fresh.  It wasn't until I got home and took a better look at the menu when I realized that there was supposed to be bacon on the sandwich, but it was nowhere be found.  Sadly, it was too late to let them know of their error.  The lemon and olive oil dressing on the greens were delightful and the salad was fresh.  $10.99

With my oyster po'boy and cracklin experience being fair, and the price of the reuben being higher than what I think it's valued, the Fremont Diner gets a good review, but has yet to prove it's a place that I should go to every week.  While I wouldn't say I won't be back, I hope to see some extra steps taken to improve the overall food experience before I try it again. 

Sakura - Japanese, Santa Rosa

300 Coddingtown Center, Santa Rosa CA 95401
(707) 523-1916
Parking: in shopping center parking lot

Last Visited: September 15, 2005

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

Enter Sakura and depending on the time, you may hear anything from soft music playing, sounds of the television over the bar, sushi bar that is, or even the sound of monkeys.  As you enter Sakura, on your left is a large tree and dangling from that tree are stuffed monkeys that make noise depending on what is going on.  The restaurant has a very home like feel to it with the many knickknacks on display.

The restaurant has windows bringing in natural light, and there are the typical bamboo decorations, maple framing and the like.  The sushi bar has many pieces of fresh sashimi on display and there is a theme of pink throughout the restaurant.  The other bar area is littered with a line of large Lucky Cat figurines.  Japanese lanterns hang from the ceiling, sumo wrestlers are depicted on curtains hanging from the ceiling, and many pictures of beautifully drawn Japanese ladies are on display.  There is a mixture of wine country decorations amongst everything with bunches of green and red grapes on display with bottles of Japanese sake right next to it.

Our visit was concurrent with Boys' Day, a celebration in Japan, in which colorful kites, many shaped like fish, are placed on display.  In celebration, Sakura also hung these flags above the bar area.

The restaurant has wood tables, with flowers in tall vases adorning the table.  A silver metal teapot with a red and black lid along with glasses of water come to the table after you sit down.

- Sushi Lunch Special – Six pieces of nigiri sushi and a California roll are served with miso soup.  A bowl of miso soup containing small pieces of tofu, seaweed pieces, and a few chopped green onions is served for starters.  This miso soup is a bit sweeter than the type I’m accustomed to, so the flavor was fine, but not what I was expecting.  It was steaming hot, so that’s always good.  The nigiri sushi are served on a plate shaped like a boat.  On the side was wasabi, red pickled ginger, and very thinly shredded daikon radish.  The sushi included imitation crab, tuna, halibut, and salmon.  I don’t know for sure what the other two pieces were.  The rice in the sushi was room temperature, but a little too tightly put together for my tastes.  The fish was fresh, but since I’m not a fan of imitation crab, I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t something else in place of it.  Good.  $12.95

At the end of our meal, the check came with fortune cookies (not quite Japanese, but still enjoyable) and pieces of individually wrapped coffee candy.

During my second visit, I had a very similar experience.  The staff was still quite nice, but I found the tempura to be only fair.  See below.

- Sashimi and Shrimp Tempura Special Lunch Box – Again, the miso soup was much the same.  The sashimi offered today were three pieces of yellow tail and three pieces of maguro.  These were nicely presented in one section of the box atop some shredded daikon and lettuce.  The fish was fresh, so that’s a plus.  The tempura came with two shrimp, a piece of yam, a piece of eggplant, and a few other vegetables.  The tempura batter on the vegetables was about regular thickness.  The batter on the shrimp was too much making the shrimp seem to be only about 20% of the entire piece with the rest being batter.  If you peel the cooked batter off of the shrimp, it stays intact by itself, so that’s an indicator that there’s too much batter.  The sashimi part was good, and the tempura vegetables are okay, but the tempura shrimp is not recommended.  The box came with a lot of rice and also a salad comprised of shredded lettuce and a wedge of tomato.  Okay overall with large portions as noticed before, but I would stay away from tempura shrimp in the future.   $12.95

Overall, service is friendly, although as the lunch hour became busier, it was increasingly more difficult to get the staff’s attention.  Portions of the dishes are large making them good value.  The tempura was also a little different style than anticipated, but the deep fried goodies still looked very fresh.  My fellow diners also had some large meat dishes where the helping of all the accompaniments and the meat were quite hearty.

Sakura isn’t quite authentic, or at least, not quite matching my tastes, but the portions are hearty.  The place has a unique charm – some might call it clutter, others might refer to it as more knick knacks to look at.  Good value for Sonoma County Japanese food.