Atlas Pizza Parlor - San Bruno

637 San Mateo Ave, San Bruno CA 94066
(650) 553-5005
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Thurs 10a-12a, Fri-Sun 10a-1a

Last Visited: July 22, 2018

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

Atlas Pizza opened on San Bruno Avenue a few months ago and since there aren't too many Indian pies in the area, I wanted to give it a try.  Newly remodeled, the big space has been divided into four sections - the dining area, the kitchen, and private two areas which seem to be primarily used for storage and a ping pong table in the back that isn't open for public use.

The front seating is ample, facing the three large screen televisions mounted on the wall and a side wall with various sports figures. On the television today were Olympics archery and a soccer game.

A large menu is printed above the counter and features Italian pizzas, Atlas Fusion Pie, subs, appetizers, salad, chicken wings, and pasta.  Although their printed menu says they serve BBQ, their only bbq offering is chicken wings.  You won't find other typical bbq items.  From the sign above the counter, there is no way to tell that they have a wide variety of juice and smoothie offerings, but a whole page is dedicated to this in their printed takeout menu.  All items are halal.

I decided to split my pie so that it was half Italian and half fusion to try out both.

- Medium Half Mighty Meaty (Red sauce, pepperoni, ham, ground beef, sausage, red onions, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese) and Half Atlas Tandoori Chicken Pie (creamy garlic sauce, mozzarella cheese, bell peppers, red onions, diced tomatoes, tandoori chicken, green onions, and fresh cilantro) - First, the crust was very fresh tasting and the edges stayed crispy.  The menu specifically notes the fresh hand made dough.  The tandoori chicken pie was really good - smooth and creamy with a mild taste compared to the Italian half, but very flavorful.  The only improvement would have been to add more chicken.  On the Italian side, the toppings were more moist and had gone through to the bottom of the crust so that the pan showed juices flowing through.  This side was also significantly saltier than the tandoori side.  Overall, I would recommend the tandoori chicken pie since the Italian didn't stand out in comparison.  Medium 12' whole pie - Fusion $12.99, Italian $12.99

From a service standpoint, there is a lot of room for improvement.  There were some challenges understanding each other as I asked for water and there were a few exchanges before it was clear on their end that I wasn't ordering coconut water.  Also, when completing your order, you'll get a number on a stand.  All that number does is remind you of your number when it's called so that you can go retrieve your order - nobody brings you any food.  There's no point to having a number on a stand.  In some cases, I saw people go up for their pizza and about ten minutes later, go retrieve their chicken wings.  They weren't given a number at all.  Instead, the person behind the counter just yelled out 'hello' in their general direction.  For dine in, you get those super thin paper plates, and only one per person.  One of mine was dirtied by pizza sauce smudges.  When you enter or exit, there is no greeting for anyone, so don't expect a hello or thank you.

In summary, try a fusion pie and lower your service expectations.

LaSalette - Portuguese, Sonoma

452 First St E, Suite H, Sonoma CA 95476
(707) 938-1927
Parking: street parking, parking lot
https://www.lasaletterestaurant.com/

Last Visited: June 27, 2018

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

LaSalette first opened up 20 years ago at a location on Highway 12 and since moved here to the Sonoma Plaza.  Known for its New Portuguese cuisine, a combination of classic Portuguese with local ingredients, this upscale restaurant which might seem less approachable offers reasonably-priced lunch specials as well as dinner.  Seating is available indoors and in its outdoor patio.

I arrived on time for my reservation at 11:30a and found that the 'Closed' sign was still posted in the patio. Since I was waiting for friends, I opted to enjoy the sun outside, but nobody seemed to notice my arrival on the patio.  Instead, they were cleaning the windows and interior.  At 11:40a, the sign finally came down.

- Tomato Water - While we were still perusing the menu, we were each given a shot of tomato water which contained very tiny cubes of ham, basil, cucumber, and bell pepper.  A drop of oil floated on the top.  This refreshing sip, compliments of the chef, had a lot of tomato flavor despite its clear color.  Too bad you can't order this as an appetizer.

After ordering, each person is given a warm Portuguese bun with butter on the side.  You won't find a bread plate - instead, the little slat of wood which I mistook for a coaster is for the warm bread.  Slightly sweet, you'll find the bread crusty on the outside and airy on the inside.

Lunch special offerings this week included fish and chips, a paella-like seafood rice, piri piri chicken salad, and a pulled pork sandwich.  Typical entrees, such as bacalhau, sea bass fillets, and fisherman's stew, are also available during lunch.

- "Fish and Chips" - Cassava floured fillets of local cod that is pan fried, piri piri fries, greens.  Served with tartar sauce and ketchup.   - Three small filets are lightly coated in cassava flour and pan fried. All of them were uniformly fried and the flaky cod was moist.  The tartar sauce was mild in flavor, but a good and necessary addition.  The greens were primarily made of frisee and arugula and lightly tossed in a vinaigrette.  The slight bitter taste was a good complement to the fish and piri piri dusted fries.  The chili base for the piri piri was very light - not spicy at all, but you could notice the flavor was present.  Good.  Well balanced in flavor and quantity. $14

From what I could tell, the paella-like rice was also good.  Our dining companions seemed to enjoy the dish which was presented in a bowl with yellow rice and seafood in their shells.

- White chocolate sprinkle covered passion fruit, cashew - Another complimentary bite, each person received this sweet treat at the end of the meal.  It wasn't profound, but it was nice and light both in flavor and texture.

Service was efficient and prompt, but could be a bit warmer.  Overall, it was a good experience and you feel pampered with these complimentary dishes, but they need to be better about opening on time, especially when there is a reservation right at the opening time.