Chef Gator's Rustic Burger & His Creole Friends

5 Petaluma Blvd South, Petaluma CA 94952
(707) 658-1845
Parking: in parking lot
https://www.gatorscreolefriends.com/

Last Visited: June 7, 2018

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

Cousin Jimmy, a local Petaluma food enthusiast, suggested that I try out this new joint. It's been open for a few months now.

Chef Gator was a contestant on Guy Fieri's grocery games and recently had a food truck with similar fare in Petaluma.  Photos from his Food Network episodes are on display in one wall.  The room has a casual feel with bright colors, seating at the bar, regular tables, and high top tables.  Order at the counter and get a number, then wait for food to be delivered to you.

- Gator's Chicken and Waffles - 2 piece leg & thigh, southern fried, served with peach cobbler butter and maple syrup.  It's as good as it sounds.  The waffle is crispy on the outside and soft in the center.  The chicken is well seasoned, crispy, and golden brown - the portion is hearty and the balance of crunchy with sweet is perfect.  The peach cobbler butter is a pleasant surprise.  Very good.  This dish would get four stars. $12.99

- Smoked Chicken & Cajun Sausage Jambalaya - While there's no photo here, the half order is quite large and sufficient for a small eater.  The jambalaya is thick and well-seasoned.  Tasty and a good deal.  Half order $6.99, Full order $12.99

- Rustic Cheese Burger with Fries - Grass fed beef patty on shredded lettuce, tomatoes, caramelized onions, creole mustard aioli, and choice of cheese.  Chef Gator informed us that the buns are made daily and seemed particularly proud of their rosemary flavoring.  The bun could hold up slightly better - near the last few bites, it seemed slightly soft.  The fries were crispy and also lightly seasoned.  My burger patty seemed to be denser in one section than another, but this didn't seem to be the case with the other burgers.  Otherwise, it was pretty good.  $7.75 a la carte, $10.75 with regular fries

Chef Gator came and chatted with us and shared that he'll soon be battling Bobby Flay on Beat Bobby Flay and is also working on other tv appearances.  I appreciated his friendly demeanor and down to earth spirit.  The staff was friendly, but when it comes to service, there is still room for improvement.  Their computer system seemed to have glitches - one of our three burgers didn't arrive with the rest of the meal and I had to remind them that I had ordered it.  Also, while they were good to inform us that the chicken and waffles may take more time and that they were holding on to all the dishes so that everything would arrive together, when it did come, one of the servers slid a burger across the table (and past three people) in order to get it to the right person. The other server walked her items around to the appropriate person.

Generally speaking, the menu looks good, but I would recommend the chicken and waffles for a real treat.

Yuanbao Jiaozi - Chinese dumplings, San Francisco

2110 Irving St, San Francisco CA 94122
(415) 702-6506
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: June 10, 2018

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

Yuanbao Jiaozi is pretty unassuming from the outside.  Before the line starts to form outside, you might easily walk past it without a second thought.  The restaurant has been open for a few months, and focuses primarily on dumplings, one noodle dish, and a few side dishes.  While it's not very friendly for those whom require gluten-free diets, they do offer a few veggie side dishes.

Inside, the decorations are minimal.  One wall has a mural and the other is shown in the photo.  You'll be able to see the three ladies hand making dumplings and working the dough.   Overall, the food was very good, but service could use some improvements. 

- Marinated beef - The beef texture is right and the light brushing of chili oil paired nicely with the meat.  The meat is flavorful without being overpowering.  14 slices.  Good. $6.99

- House Special Beef Noodles (Spicy/Non-Spicy) - I ordered the non-spicy noodle soup this evening.  The noodles were excellent - al dente and cooked just right.  The noodles soaked up the broth without becoming soggy even as I got to the end of the bowl.  Marinated beef slices, beef stew cubes, and baby bok choy are served over the noodles in a flavorful broth that is just touch sweet.  It's a filling and delightful bowl.  Must try. $10.99

All dumpling dishes (14 dumplings) are available as Dumpling Soup (12 dumplings).

- Shiitake Mushroom & Fish Dumpling - 14 dumplings are served plain with dipping sauces (soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce) available on the table. The fish takes on the mushroom flavor more than anything else, so if you like mushroom, the delicate texture of the fish takes on this flavor well.  The skins are made on site, so they're thin and tender without falling apart.  Very good. $8.99

- Pork & Three Delicacies Dumpling - The photo would have looked the same as that for the mushroom and fish dumpling.  Inside the pork dumpling mix, there is also shrimp, green chives, and a little bamboo shoot. The chives stand out in this dumpling and the texture is more dense than the fish dumpling.  Very good.  With this dish, we were told that one dumpling unraveled during cooking, so they owed us one and to enjoy the others for now.  About ten minutes later, a whole plate came, so there was clearly some miscommunication occurred.  Another ten minutes later, when we were nearly done eating, the final one arrived with an apology. $8.99

- Tea - Each cup comes with a tea bag.  It appears that aside from tea, there aren't other drink options.   ~$1/cup

While the food is quite good, there is a lot of room for improving service.  The two ladies serving are friendly and polite, but some changes are simple - bring a serving spoon when you're serving up the dumplings as almost everyone is sharing the plate.  When you bring the cold water pitcher, bring a hot water pitcher to refill tea cups too.  Improve communication behind the scenes so that the dumpling incident above gets resolved seamlessly.  If you say you're bringing bowls for the noodle soup, then do it.  When you bring the check, use a glass or some kind of holder; include the prices for each item (that's part of the reason I don't know how much tea cost because it's not listed on the menu or on the check), and bring a copy of the credit card receipt for the customer.  Don't make customers wait for the check - 20 minutes of waiting is pretty slow.   Get these kinks worked out and tables will turn faster and patrons will be happier.  The food will keep people coming back for sure.