Vinoma Tapas Argentinas - Rohnert Park

5085 Redwood Drive, Rohnert Park CA 94928
(707) 536-9215
Parking: gas station parking lot
Hours: Closed Mon-Wed; Open Thurs-Sun 11:30am-7:30pm
vinoma.net

Last Visited: September 24, 2022

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 4 stars
Price: $

I first learned about Vinoma through some news articles about where to find the best Bay Area restaurant, although you can't actually eat inside.  The headline about it being located next to a gas station sounded curious enough and since I've spent a good amount of time in Rohnert Park, I knew this cuisine definitely wasn't available there in the past.  Although I've had empanadas at various restaurants around the Bay Area, it was in 2019 when I had the opportunity to visit Buenos Aires that I had a chance to try one that was so good that I went back for more the next day.  While I was passing by a convenience store, slightly smaller than most 7-Eleven's in the states, I saw that they had a heat lamp pointing at multiple shelves of fresh empanadas.  Since I love a good Chinese curry beef turnover, I figured I had to try these local treats and I was not disappointed.  It seemed that a lot of people were stopping there for a takeaway lunch and when I passed by it an hour later, all of the empanadas were gone.  

To save time and avoid missing out on what might run out at Vinoma, I ordered online the night before and although I arrived earlier than my delivery time, they were able to accommodate my order.  It seemed that most people that came without ordering ahead received their empanadas in 15-20 minutes.  

A menu on the outside of the door, with photos, is available to help you decide what to get.  There's a discount if you buy a dozen.  And in case you forgot what you ordered, a picture menu is also sent with you when you pick up your order.  Vinoma adds a nice touch with each order - a fresh dahlia.  Since many may not be familiar with an Argentinian empanada, they help educate you by noting that each empanada is 3-4 bites and they recommend you get 4-6 per person.  There are meat, vegetarian, dessert, vegan, and breakfast empanadas available.  Brian, the owner, will answer any questions, and I watched him explain the same thing over and over to many new customers.  

- Canastita (open face empanada) - I tried one plum and bacon and one spinach and artichoke.  Both have a very flaky crust that is a bit reminiscent of eating puff pastry.  The plum is a rehydrated plum with a very intense flavor that pairs well with crispy bacon, fontina, and mozzarella cheese.  If you love a mix of sweet and savory, I would definitely recommend this one.  These empanadas also come out super hot out of the oven - to the point that you should use caution when eating them.  The spinach and artichoke canastita is mixed with onions, garlic, and monterey jack - for me, this was like eating a delicious bite of quiche, but of course, without the eggy quality.  

- Empanada - For the traditional style of empanada, I ordered traditional beef which is ground beef with scallions, red onions, spanish olives, chopped eggs, and spices.  This was yummy also, but less novel than the plum and bacon.  The texture of the dough seems different here because of the fold, but still tasty.  If you prefer a spicy version, they have that available too.  The other empanada I tried was ham and cheese made with diced hickory smoked ham, bechamel, and fontina.  This was also quite good, but there was something about walking down the street in Buenas Aires, where those may have been fried and even flakier that I can't quite compare these to.  Both are still good and worth trying.

Empanadas are $3.89 each or $3.44 each if you purchase a dozen or more.  

If you're in the area, this is definitely worth checking out.  Avoid the lines and order ahead. 

Super Duper Burgers, Daly City

3 Serramonte Center, Space 662, Daly City CA 94015
(650) 773-4041
Parking: mall parking

Last Visited: October 14, 2022

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

So if you've read any of my reviews, you know I don't typically write about chain restaurants unless it's super impressive or super bad.  Here goes - I was excited to see a Super Duper Burgers pop up at Serramonte and after about a month of their being open and having gotten the kinks out, I was hoping that this was going to be a good experience. 

I arrived a little before 5pm, so the place was just starting to get busy.  There was a line to the registers and you have the option to use the two self-serve kiosks or order from a real person.  I opted for the latter. 

- Super Duper Burger - Two quarter-pound patties are served with super sauce.  I added the freebies of grilled onions, tomato, pickles, and lettuce, along with paying for added cheese and bacon.  I was not that hungry, but since we were in the neighborhood, I figured I could at least eat half, so I asked them to cut it. The first couple of bites were really good - nice grilled flavor and saltiness from the cheese and bacon.  The toppings were present, but not particularly noticeable.  The pickles don't actually come in the burger - those are actually over in the condiments area and you need to get them out of the jar yourself - see the upper left of the photo for a glimpse of the pickles. I wasn't actually that impressed by the pickles - they are crisp, but not that crunchy and they're quite tart.  If I was basing it on the time at the restaurant, I would definitely recommend the burger, but you have to keep reading to know the true verdict. $10 burger, +$1 cheese, +$1.50 bacon  

- Garlic Fries - The fries were drenched with garlic oil and topped with 6 month aged cheddar.  I thought it looked good when I saw others eating it while I was waiting for my food, but when it arrived, the fries were no longer crispy - at all. And they weren't particularly hot.  The cheese was in that mid-ground of not solid and cold, and also not melted, but greasy.  I couldn't find a single bite of fries that still had crunch and the bottom of the paper tray had a couple of teaspoons of oil there - it's as though they mixed a bunch of fries with garlic, left these in the bowl, they got soggy, and they served it anyway.  Then the cheese sprinkled on top didn't melt because the fries weren't hot enough.  Not recommended. $4.50

Okay, so this is where things go awry.  Throughout the evening, my dining partner and I were forever thirsty.  I ate garlic fries - I get it.  I will have garlic breath all night, but it just gets weirder.  I go to sleep, and I wake up constantly. Then I have a bad dream.  I don't usually have bad dreams.  And when I checked with my dining partner the next morning, I find out I wasn't the only one who had bad dreams.  

So my Super Duper experience was super duper thirsty, super duper oily, and super duper weird/bad dreams.  If the weather is hot, I might go try their Strauss soft serve shake or cone, but I don't have any plans to go back for a burger or fries.  Super Duper memorable, but not in the good kind of way.