Easy Rider - Southern, Petaluma

190 Kentucky St, Petaluma CA 94952
(707) 774-6233
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Fri 5pm-9pm; Sat-Sun 10am-1:30pm, 5pm-9pm
www.easyriderpetaluma.com

Last Visited: May 6, 2023

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars

Service: 4 to 5 stars

Price: $$$

Petaluma's food scene is pretty happening for a small town - Italian is a staple and while there is a good variety of everything else, there hasn't really been a southern comfort food spot in Sonoma County, so it's fun to see a new place take this location.

Enter Easy Rider and you'll see their full bar.  Tables tend to be a bit tight in terms of space - for example, we sat in the booth across from the bar and if you happen to be a little larger, this would have been uncomfortable, but overall, they have made it cozy and rustic, using up every counter and corner that you can find.

The restaurant was packed on a Saturday night by 6pm, so reservations are definitely recommended.  If you live locally, consider the three course prix fixe menu for $44 - a terrific deal when most of their entrees are in the high $30 range.  Brunch is available on the weekends.  If you have to wait, there seems to be an abundance of drink choices to try.  

Ashley, our server, was very positive and had such a pleasant attitude.  She was not fazed at all by our declaration that we would share all of the entrees and made sure the bussers didn't take our plates away after the appetizer.  I really appreciated her service and attention to detail. 

- Hushpuppies - For our starter, we chose the bacon and cheddar hushpuppies which are served with a sweet strawberry and japaleno jam.  The hushpuppies exterior are a bit dark in color, but the inside is bright yellow and the flavor of the bacon and salt from the cheddar definitely comes out.  There were six in total.  The jam could be more jammy/thick, and the strawberry was definitely more prominent the jalapeno, but that was fine for our table since we can't tolerate a ton of spice anyways. Solid, but I would have preferred the oil to be fresher so that the presentation could be golden brown.  $13.75

- Braised Short rib - This was easily the best dish of the night.  The short rib is super tender and flavorful.  You don't even need a knife.  The potato puree is covered with gravy and topped with the meat, so you can't go wrong there.  The short rib was topped with some fried shallots, chopped parsley, and a horseradish cream.  While the menu mentions turnip and mushrooms, I think with our splitting all of the entrees that I missed getting these ingredients. They certainly weren't overwhelming.  In any case, I could easily eat this dish again.  The horseradish cream is pretty mild, so I wouldn't have minded if the horseradish flavor was stronger here.  Four stars. $37 

- Shrimp n grits - Four shrimp are served with four slices of andouille sausage cut on the bias and grilled.  The grits are topped with sauce creole and there is a small spoonful's worth of trinity pickles on the side.  The shrimp is tender and not overcooked and the sauce has a kick - so if you don't like spicy food, you should skip this one.  The grits are just the right texture.  For this price, I think another couple of shrimp would make it a better value.  Good, but the sauce can be a touch overpowering and possibly affected every dish I ate after this one. $33.50

- Berkshire pork chop - I was pleasantly surprised at how juicy this pork chop was when I cut into it.  It's thick and meaty - maybe it's brined.  With all of the other dishes, my palate might have been a bit distorted by the time I ate this, but the pork chop could be a bit saltier.  The cheesy grits don't have as much of a cheesy taste as just a regular grits taste.  The collards are slightly sweet because of the apple butter.  This was just okay, but the meat was done nicely.  If you want mild flavors, choose this one. $34.50

- Southern fried chicken dinner - This was my second favorite dish of the night.  Four pieces of chicken are breaded with a cornmeal crust and fried.  I think they probably brine the meat because I've never had a fried chicken breast this size that is this juicy.  The meat is served drizzled with calabrian chili honey and there is bacon truffle gravy on the side.  Mac and cheese and collard greens also come with the chicken.  The calabrian chili is not very noticeable, but the sweetness of the honey makes for a terrific bite with this thick crust.  Similar comment as above when it comes to the color being a bit on the dark side.  Nevertheless, the gravy makes it better, although I could taste the bacon more than the truffle.  Actually, had the menu not said truffle, I can't say I would have even noticed that was part of the ingredient list, but again, it could have been that creole sauce from the shrimp and grits dish that made it less noticeable.  The mac and cheese is awesome - even if you're not ordering the chicken, I wonder if you can get that as a side (it's not on the menu as a side dish).  Collard greens are ok - nothing to write home about here.  The sides make this a really good value. $35.50

The food and service make Easy Rider worth a visit.  In my opinion, there is a lot of good flavors going on, but some ingredients could be highlighted even more.  I'm really glad I shared the entrees so I didn't feel stuck with any one because depending on what you order, as noted, some flavors are mild while others may be too strong.  

The menu offers sandwiches and other sides as well as lighter fare.  The staff was all around friendly and made the evening enjoyable.  It's a fun atmosphere for drinks or night out with friends.  Note that they also charge a living wage surcharge on your dine in bill.

CA Bakehouse - Bakery, San Jose

 979 Story Rd, Unit 7066, San Jose CA 95122
(408) 287-9188
Parking: mall parking lot

Hours: Thurs-Fri, Sun 12p-4p, Sat 12p-6p, Closed Mon-Wed
www.cabakehouse.com

Last Visited: February 5, 2023

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

I have heard about CA Bakehouse for a long time, but their limited hours have made it challenging to visit.  Nestled inside the Little Vietnam plaza, you'll find this shop by the line outside. The idea of pandan waffles, ube croissants, black sesame choux pastry, honeycomb cake, and mochi cakes all together make their offerings the perfect blend of east meets west.  Since the pandemic, you can no longer enter the shop, but the display case is still available for you to see from the window.

Let me start with a few tips to save you time: 

1. Your best bet, due to the limited hours and resulting long lines, is to make your order online on their website.  That allows you to approach the front door in the much shorter pickup line.

2. Check your order - I walked to my car and fortunately, looked through my bag. My croissant was missing.  I went back immediately and was able to get my croissant - no questions asked.  It's pretty obvious from the way they packaged things that there was no room for a croissant, so this was easy peasy.

- Original Green Waffle - This is a family recipe that has been passed between the Le Monde Bakery to Century Bakery, and now, to this location under a new name, CA Bakehouse.  The waffle is a bright green due to the usage of fresh pandan leaves.  For those who are unfamiliar, the pandan flavor is a bit grassy and very fragrant, falling in the same category as how toasted coconut can be super fragrant.  You extract the juice from the leaves by blending or pureeing the leaves and separating the juice from the pulp.  The waffles came warm, but since I was sharing with friends, I didn't eat it right away.  I reheated it in a toaster oven, so I got to enjoy the waffle warm.  The scent is lovely - slightly grassy and how can you go wrong with a waffle smell.  It's a little chewy in texture like a mochi waffle and not too sweet.  Solid 3 stars. $2.50

- Ube Croissant - I was having a hard time deciding whether to go for an ube croissant or a kaya croissant (made of pandan) and since I had already ordered the pandan waffle, I opted for ube.  The color of the filling is a brilliant purple and the dough is also light purple.  If you've had a good croissant, you know how flaky and light it is.  This croissant wasn't particularly flaky and while the ube filling does taste like ube, it could have been stronger in its flavor.  I was disappointed and wouldn't get this croissant again. 2 stars $4.25

- Portuguese Egg Tart - The crust is one of the main differentiators of a classic Chinese egg tart and a Portuguese egg tart.  The Portuguese egg tart the crust is a puff pastry and light and flaky.  While these don't compare to what you can find in Belem, Portugal, I did enjoy the warm regular egg tart and its custard which wasn't too sweet.  The kaya egg tarts, while pretty to look at, were just ok. The kaya custard texture is not as smooth as the regular one. Several of us compared the two and all preferred the regular one.  If choosing between the two, I would select the regular one.  $2.75 regular, $3 kaya egg tart

My pick-up experience was very straightforward and service was friendly.  They were attentive and still friendly when I came back around a second time.  For me, a one time visit was sufficient, but I wouldn't be opposed if someone brought me a black sesame choux pastry, lol.

Poke Lab Fish Bar - Hawaiian, Millbrae - CLOSED

1069 El Camino Real, Millbrae CA 94030

(650) 627-7772

Parking: small parking lot or street parking

Last Visited: September 2, 2019

Food: 3 stars

Service: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars

Price: $$ to $$$

This is a very late post, but still thought it was worth adding.  

Despite it being open for several years prior, unfortunately, this place didn't survive the pandemic.  

It was a decent model where you could create your own bowl - choosing from a regular or large, then base (sushi rice, brown rice, kelp noodles, spring mix, chips, or half and half.  Then you select your choice of protein (ahi tuna, salmon, hamachi, albacore, spicy tuna, shrimp, scallops, tako, or tofu).  

With choices for mixers, sauces, and toppings, you really are getting what you want, but alas, this place succumbed to the sheltering in place and people not eating out much during this period.

While I didn't find it to be the best poke I've had, it wasn't too bad either.  Goodbye Poke Lab Fish Bar.  

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.

Amausaan - Dessert, San Francisco - CLOSED

CLOSED

354 Clement St, San Francisco CA 94118

(415) 691-0536

Parking: street parking

https://amausaan.us/

Last Visited: August 31, 2019

Food: 3 stars

Atmosphere: N/A

Service: 4 stars

Price: $$

This place closed before I got a chance to write about it, but since it's a chain, if this experience was any indication of what their other locations are like, then it's representative.

Uji matcha in a cone - The cone is crispy and is a nice color contrast with the refreshing matcha flavored ice cream.  Reasonably priced, its a good way to get your matcha fix.  If you prefer hojicha ice cream instead, that option is also available. 

Matcha crepe cake - While significantly less expensive than a Lady M crepe cake, the quality is also not quite as good.  If you haven't had any other crepe cake, this one is pretty good - strong matcha flavor, creamy filling, and lots of layers neatly stacked with clean cuts on the edge as you can see in the photo.  However, if you've had higher quality crepe cakes, it's lacking in its delicateness.  It's almost too much filling, but at least the crepes aren't too thick.  Okay. 

After this experience, if I'm craving matcha, I might consider going to Burlefer ingame where there is another franchise location, but it's not a destination for me. The after effects were odd in that you see green again later (sort of like when you see red after eating beets).  Personally, I preferred the Matcha Cafe Maiko store at Stonestown which offers similar menu items and won't leave you seeing green later. 

Rong's - Chinese/Jiangnan, San Francisco

3420 Balboa St, San Francisco CA 94121

San Francisco CA 94121

(415) 702-9918

Parking: street parking

Hours:  Tues-Sat 11am-2:30pm, 5pm -8:30pm; Sun 11:30am-2:30pm,  4:30pm-8:30pm

https://www.rongssf.com/

Last Visited: June 15, 2022

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 3 stars

Price: $$

Rong's opened during the pandemic, and it would be easy to walk by this place without taking notice of it. The decor is modern, sort of like it used to be a Japanese restaurant maybe because of the wood and the curtains. From the name, you can tell it's likely not owned by a Chinese-American...the food seems to confirm its authenticity.

It's a bit confusing to see their super simple menu offers Cantonese cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, and housemade tea, as in fruit tea and milk tea.  Their menu also mentions 'Tea O'clock.'   The menu also offers a small variety of snacks, like curry fish balls, seasonal fruit in sugar coating, and deep-fried buns with condensed milk.  So is it a snack/tea shop or is it a restaurant?  If you aren't confused yet, you'll see the menu is sorted by protein, carbs, soup, vegetarian dishes, and vegetables with meat - not your typical arrangement.

When we came in at 5pm, there wasn't anyone there.  We ordered a few dishes, but one of the most popular dishes, a house special chicken, wasn't available.  Nevertheless, we proceeded and the server was happy to answer questions we had.

- Dry-Fried French Beans with Minced Pork - Good wok air, slightly spicy, very fresh.  This is a solid dish and if you like a hint of spice, it's perfect. If you want it
more spicy, you can probably ask for it.  A touch of sweetness balances out the flavor. Some of the meat is a bit fatty, but still acceptable.  $15.99

- Homemade Pan-Fried Flat Noodle (20 min) - This was a pleasant surprise.  If you like rice noodles that have been pan fried, the kind where it's cut like a pie and placed on top of meat and vegetables to display the beautiful browning, this might fit your tastes well.  Also, if you like eating sweet rice cakes (Korean or Chinese style), these flat noodles have the same level of chew, without the stickiness/glutinous part.  Rice fun (also known as ho fun) are browned as a cake until the two sides are crispy.  Then, it's cut into strips and the fresh chicken thigh chunks and cauliflower stir fry in a bit of gravy covers the top.  I would recommend trying this dish - it's unique and comes with a lot of cauliflower.  For this price, I'm glad they included a lot of meat.  $18.99

- Vegetable Fried Rice with Salted Meat - This dish was less of a value compared to the others since the quantity was smaller, but the rice is stir fried well and the salted meat is of a decent quality.  Sometimes, you get preserved meat that has off texture, but this was just fine.  Snow cabbage is diced fine and offers a good texture contrast with its slight crunch.  Good.   $15.99

The good: Each dish contains a large amount (or relatively large amount) of fresh vegetables.  The taste of most dishes aren't too heavy - it's reminiscent of home cooking and not overly greasy. There is good wok air in each dish. Also, the server is really nice.  She checks to see if you have allergies (unusual for a Chinese restaurant) and frequently comes to refill your water. 

The bad: You can't use the bathroom here.  Apparently, customers aren't allowed to go to through the kitchen to reach the bathroom, so you need to go to the coffee shop next door.  I don't know how to explain this one.  Order times are long.  There weren't to go orders, and there weren't other tables filled with diners.  We were the only ones there the entire time.  We just had to wait at least 15 minutes for the first dish and even longer for the others, not counting the one where the menu indicated a 20 minute wait.

I'll note that I would go back to Rong's, but only if I were in the neighborhood and not in a hurry to use a restroom.  It's not a destination, but solid, almost like home cooking.