1266 Broadway, Sonoma CA 95476
(707) 935-6085
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
Last Visited: November 1, 2006
Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$
I haven’t been to Pizzeria Capri for more than ten years. The last time I went, they had just opened in Sonoma. We had brought a coupon – yes, those things really do get you in the door – and the staff’s reaction was so poor that we never went back despite its convenient location just a few miles from downtown.
Upon walking in the door, we were immediately directed to a seat. There isn’t a host, so it’s bit of a frantic hustle and bustle, but the lead waitress seems to have things under control. The rest of the staff is a bit flighty in comparison. More about this below.
The décor is simple. Older wooden tables, some with the finish rubbed off, simple chairs, and two televisions – the larger television is in the rear room and a smaller televisions is above the counter. A wall with openings separates the rooms. The large windows make the restaurant feel slightly bigger, and the yellow walls with brown trim gives the place a fresher look. However, the floor and the tables show the wear of the establishment, and the overall look is a bit dated. Pizzeria Capri is a great candidate for Restaurant Makeover, but it has its charm. Posters of past local events line the walls. After ordering the pizza, we saw the calamari and were tempted to try it.
- Fried Calamari – A plate comprised primarily of fried calamari rings and few tentacles is placed on top of a larger plate and served with two ramekins. One ramekin contains marinara sauce. The other contains ranch with a dollop of pesto sauce. The calamari is deep fried until the light batter is just golden and placed on a plate that has been lightly covered in chunky marinara sauce. Coarsely chopped parsley tops the dish. The calamari was tender and the coating was light and flaky. The sauces were more than ample, and we appreciated that since many places tend to skimp on dipping sauce. The pesto adds color and flavor to the ranch dressing. Very good. $8
- Pizza: Capri Special – There are a number of choices in pizza topping combinations. The Capri special didn’t list the specific toppings, but I figured it would be a combination of meat and vegetables. Our medium crust pizza (not thick, not thin) was topped with red sauce, cheese, bell peppers, green onions, mushrooms, sausage, pepperoni, salami, and olives. Great. The crust was crispy on bottom and the pizza had a nice flavor. It wasn’t too soggy nor too dry. It had just the right texture and dipping the crust in the ranch sauce from the calamari made it even better. $18 for medium
- Milk $2
As for the service, the young bus boy was a bit inexperienced. Although he took our individual plates when we had finished with our calamari, he didn’t take the main dish despite it being empty. He’s polite in asking if he may take your plate, but not quite experienced enough. Also, when he answered the phone when I initially called, he could have been more professional.
If you’re a local, look for coupons in the advertising mailer. There were many locals there, and the food is pretty good. Other entrees include standard pasta fare which is available a la carte or with choice of salad or soup.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Red Grape - Pizza, Californian, Sonoma
529 First Street West, Sonoma CA 95476
(707) 996-4103
Parking: small parking lot adjacent to the building complex and street parking
Hours: Open daily for lunch and dinner at 11:30am
Last Visited: November 13, 2011
Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 starsPrice: $$ to $$$
It's been a while since I've been to The Red Grape. Touting itself as New Haven Pizza, I remember going there when it first opened about a decade ago and thinking what a different type of pizza it was offering compared to what you normally find in Sonoma.
While the first visit was good, my second and third visits revealed a lot of pizzas with a burnt bottom or more burnt dough than I enjoy. After not going for a number of years, we decided to see what new things they might have to offer.
It's minimalistic with painted ceiling ducts, bare floor, and wood tables and chairs. There is lots of natural lighting as two sides of the restaurant are comprised of a wall of windows.
It's minimalistic with painted ceiling ducts, bare floor, and wood tables and chairs. There is lots of natural lighting as two sides of the restaurant are comprised of a wall of windows.
The menu offers red pizzas and white pizzas as well as monthly specials. You'll also find sandwiches and appetizers such as arancini and polenta sticks. While there are a number of Italian items, the menu seems very Californian offering items such as Southwestern chicken salad, pears and gorgonzola pizza, and the beach club, esssentially a BLT with turkey. For today's lunch visit, we opted to try a pizza and sandwich.
- Red Pizza: Sonoma - Pepperoni, sausage, sautéed mushrooms, red onion, and jalapeno jack cheese top a thin crust pizza. The pizza was good - not overpowered by the toppings themselves or the weight of the toppings. The crust was done nicely without the burnt areas that I had encountered during past experiences. I would give the pizza three to four stars. $14.75 
- Cheesesteak Sandwich - Slow roasted thinly sliced steak, cheddar cheese, and red and yellow peppers, are placed on a traditional toasted sub roll with a horseradish aioli. I appreciated the juiciness of the meat, but this isn't exactly a traditional cheesesteak. The combination of the peppers with the meat make each bite a bit sweet. The horseradish aioli gives moisture, but the spiciness of the horseradish is lost because the peppers overpower the flavor. The salad was fresh with cherry tomatoes, but I found the balsamic dressing to be too sweet. Okay. If it was given a different name, I wouldn't have had the same expectation as that of a cheesesteak and probably would have rated it higher. The other weird thing was that there was chicken on this plate, and chicken isn't part of the sandwich. $11.95
Service is attentive, but not exactly warm. The staff came back to check on you during the middle and end of the meal. Finding chicken on the plate was not significant, but if someone had a food allergy, it could be a problem and indicates that the kitchen has an opportunity for improvement. Since the floors are bare and there isn't much insulation, the noise level increases significantly as more people enter the restaurant.
I also noticed that the floor, particularly the hallway to the restroom, had water on the floor, a danger to guests. Overall, I would recommend the pizzas over the sandwiches, unless you know going in that you're having a Californian interpretation of the sandwiches.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Mosaic - California Cuisine, Forestville
6675 Front St, Forestville CA 95436
(707) 887-7503
Parking: in the front
http://www.mosaiceats.com/
Last Visited: March 9, 2007
Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 stars
Price: $$$ to $$$$
Both Jim and Jeff gave Mosaic high praise when we talked about outstanding restaurants in the North Bay, so when I was driving through Forestville, I decided to stop on by. I had heard through the grapevine that the food quality was excellent and it would be a worthwhile place to check out. I walked in with little expectation, but hoped for fantastic food.
It was a little after 5pm on the Friday evening I visited, and I was surprised at the very cool reception we received. Most hostesses are ready to greet you with a friendly smile and perhaps engage in some small talk about your day. Although I don’t expect this at your local chain locations, for these higher end restaurants, it’s expected. This was definitely lacking. There was not even a ‘how are you?’ but we gave the hostess the benefit of the doubt figuring it was a bad day or that she needed some time to warm up. She brought us to our table and asked if we wanted Fiji still water, sparkling, or regular water flavored with cucumber slices. When we answered that we wanted regular water, she said okay. My dining companion then proceeded to the restroom, and upon returning, she told me that our hostess told the busser to bring us regular water in a not too happy tone. When I received the water, it had a refreshing cucumber flavor.
Few customers came into the facility during my time there. One was a regular so the hostess greeted him with a smile, but the other couple that arrived near the end of our meal was greeted with extremely friendly tones by the same hostess. She not only made small talk, but she spent some time at their table and chatted for a while. This all made me wonder – what was going on when we arrived? Why didn’t she do the same for us? Don’t get me wrong. With the number of restaurants I have visited, this was not the only point of service that dropped their rating, but it was certainly one that made me feel uneasy. I would say she spent a good 15 minutes with these strangers, and though I personally didn’t want to spend that much time on small talk this evening, a few of the same questions about the weather and general conversation would have been fine.
Mosaic is a pleasant orange peach color on the outside, and the planter boxes are studded with colorful flowers. Walking inside is like taking a vacation from Forestville’s small town feel and entering a warm room filled with earth tones. From the dark copper floors, the wood tables, and the muted colorful plates, the room seems to silently exclaim the warmth of fall etched by the onset of winter. Smooth lyrics in a soothing jazz plays on the sound system. From the main dining room, you can see a little into the kitchen, but the faces of the chefs are hidden by the opaque glass.
At each table, the planked table tops were topped with one tealight candle in a small container. Each place setting contained one large colored plate along with a black cloth napkin folded into a rectangle. The knife was placed between the tines of the fork laid in the middle of the napkin. A butter knife sits on top of the small square black plate to the left of each of these.
When our server arrived at our table, she greeted us with a friendly, “How are you guys tonight?” Although this was fine at first, she proceeded to ask if “us guys” needed anything. The continued use of this phrase was exhausted, considering there were no guys at the table at all. When paying a higher price at a nicer establishment, the use of “guys” really isn’t appropriate anymore, since we’re not at a local burger joint or the like. Her demeanor was also just fair, lacking the excellent qualities of a great server.
After ordering, we were given warm French bread. I love that. Warm bread is always good. The bread arrived covered in a napkin and a small black ceramic container held the soft butter. As we conversed, we found the table was wobbly and asked one of the staff members to fix it. This gentleman was probably the kindest during our whole visit. After almost half an hour, we had eaten all the bread and our meal had still not arrived. So that’s where another point of lacking service was noted. When there aren’t any starters ordered and there is a long wait for food (which was inexplicable considering we were the only people in the restaurant), then the server should check to see if the diners would like more bread. Unfortunately, during our wait, we could hear the loud conversation from the kitchen, studded with cuss words here and there. What is talked about in the kitchen should stay there. You should never hear an expletive from the kitchen while seated across the room. Mind you, it wasn’t a situation where they dropped a plate or another disaster occurred. The expletives wandered around the general kitchen conversation.
As our food arrived, we noticed the beautiful presentation. It’s bordering being over the top though.
- Beef Short Ribs – Slow braised short ribs are served over saffron-parmesan risotto and grilled asparagus on a square green plate. The short ribs were cooked in a red wine reduction and had a lot of flavor. The meat was tender and fell off the bone. This was placed on top of grilled baby asparagus and part of the saffron-parmesan risotto which had been placed vertically on the plate (parallel to the short ribs). On top of the items was a single chive that was diagonally placed over everything. The spears of the asparagus were aimed toward the corner of the plate and fanned out. Although presentation was elegant, and the flavor of each item was nice, the combination of the flavors was a bit overwhelming, and I found that with each bite, everything seemed to get saltier. It’s unfortunate that the asparagus and risotto weren’t seasoned less heavily because that would have accented the short ribs even further. $29
- Halibut with raspberry sauce, gratin, baked baby yams, were plated on a round yellow plate. I’m not sure if it was a gratin, but the potato side item had good flavor and was not overwhelming. Of all the items on this plate, I enjoyed it the best. The three baby yams were placed on the side, with one opened up to reveal the gorgeous orange flesh. The halibut had been seared until golden brown on both sides and drizzled with raspberry sauce. Edible decoration was placed on top to add height. Although the fish was beautifully golden, the inside was a bit dry, especially as the meal continued. Even the raspberry sauce was not enough to counteract the gradual lack of moisture. Okay. $26
Unfortunately, I didn’t know until after my visit, that Mosaic’s signature dish is the Coffee Encrusted Filet Mignon. However, after my experience, I don’t think I’ll be going back to try it.
Mosaic’s motto is “Everything generously seasoned with passion and pride!” and certainly, I would agree that everything is generously seasoned – a little too much so for my palate. Individually, the items tasted good, but together, it became overwhelming rather than harmonious. The atmosphere was pleasant, but the service lacked friendliness and as we exited, though two people stood near the hostess station, nobody thanked us or greeted us as we left. An A for presentation, but only a fair experience overall.
(707) 887-7503
Parking: in the front
http://www.mosaiceats.com/
Last Visited: March 9, 2007
Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 stars
Price: $$$ to $$$$
Both Jim and Jeff gave Mosaic high praise when we talked about outstanding restaurants in the North Bay, so when I was driving through Forestville, I decided to stop on by. I had heard through the grapevine that the food quality was excellent and it would be a worthwhile place to check out. I walked in with little expectation, but hoped for fantastic food.
It was a little after 5pm on the Friday evening I visited, and I was surprised at the very cool reception we received. Most hostesses are ready to greet you with a friendly smile and perhaps engage in some small talk about your day. Although I don’t expect this at your local chain locations, for these higher end restaurants, it’s expected. This was definitely lacking. There was not even a ‘how are you?’ but we gave the hostess the benefit of the doubt figuring it was a bad day or that she needed some time to warm up. She brought us to our table and asked if we wanted Fiji still water, sparkling, or regular water flavored with cucumber slices. When we answered that we wanted regular water, she said okay. My dining companion then proceeded to the restroom, and upon returning, she told me that our hostess told the busser to bring us regular water in a not too happy tone. When I received the water, it had a refreshing cucumber flavor.
Few customers came into the facility during my time there. One was a regular so the hostess greeted him with a smile, but the other couple that arrived near the end of our meal was greeted with extremely friendly tones by the same hostess. She not only made small talk, but she spent some time at their table and chatted for a while. This all made me wonder – what was going on when we arrived? Why didn’t she do the same for us? Don’t get me wrong. With the number of restaurants I have visited, this was not the only point of service that dropped their rating, but it was certainly one that made me feel uneasy. I would say she spent a good 15 minutes with these strangers, and though I personally didn’t want to spend that much time on small talk this evening, a few of the same questions about the weather and general conversation would have been fine.
Mosaic is a pleasant orange peach color on the outside, and the planter boxes are studded with colorful flowers. Walking inside is like taking a vacation from Forestville’s small town feel and entering a warm room filled with earth tones. From the dark copper floors, the wood tables, and the muted colorful plates, the room seems to silently exclaim the warmth of fall etched by the onset of winter. Smooth lyrics in a soothing jazz plays on the sound system. From the main dining room, you can see a little into the kitchen, but the faces of the chefs are hidden by the opaque glass.
At each table, the planked table tops were topped with one tealight candle in a small container. Each place setting contained one large colored plate along with a black cloth napkin folded into a rectangle. The knife was placed between the tines of the fork laid in the middle of the napkin. A butter knife sits on top of the small square black plate to the left of each of these.
When our server arrived at our table, she greeted us with a friendly, “How are you guys tonight?” Although this was fine at first, she proceeded to ask if “us guys” needed anything. The continued use of this phrase was exhausted, considering there were no guys at the table at all. When paying a higher price at a nicer establishment, the use of “guys” really isn’t appropriate anymore, since we’re not at a local burger joint or the like. Her demeanor was also just fair, lacking the excellent qualities of a great server.
After ordering, we were given warm French bread. I love that. Warm bread is always good. The bread arrived covered in a napkin and a small black ceramic container held the soft butter. As we conversed, we found the table was wobbly and asked one of the staff members to fix it. This gentleman was probably the kindest during our whole visit. After almost half an hour, we had eaten all the bread and our meal had still not arrived. So that’s where another point of lacking service was noted. When there aren’t any starters ordered and there is a long wait for food (which was inexplicable considering we were the only people in the restaurant), then the server should check to see if the diners would like more bread. Unfortunately, during our wait, we could hear the loud conversation from the kitchen, studded with cuss words here and there. What is talked about in the kitchen should stay there. You should never hear an expletive from the kitchen while seated across the room. Mind you, it wasn’t a situation where they dropped a plate or another disaster occurred. The expletives wandered around the general kitchen conversation.
As our food arrived, we noticed the beautiful presentation. It’s bordering being over the top though.
- Beef Short Ribs – Slow braised short ribs are served over saffron-parmesan risotto and grilled asparagus on a square green plate. The short ribs were cooked in a red wine reduction and had a lot of flavor. The meat was tender and fell off the bone. This was placed on top of grilled baby asparagus and part of the saffron-parmesan risotto which had been placed vertically on the plate (parallel to the short ribs). On top of the items was a single chive that was diagonally placed over everything. The spears of the asparagus were aimed toward the corner of the plate and fanned out. Although presentation was elegant, and the flavor of each item was nice, the combination of the flavors was a bit overwhelming, and I found that with each bite, everything seemed to get saltier. It’s unfortunate that the asparagus and risotto weren’t seasoned less heavily because that would have accented the short ribs even further. $29
- Halibut with raspberry sauce, gratin, baked baby yams, were plated on a round yellow plate. I’m not sure if it was a gratin, but the potato side item had good flavor and was not overwhelming. Of all the items on this plate, I enjoyed it the best. The three baby yams were placed on the side, with one opened up to reveal the gorgeous orange flesh. The halibut had been seared until golden brown on both sides and drizzled with raspberry sauce. Edible decoration was placed on top to add height. Although the fish was beautifully golden, the inside was a bit dry, especially as the meal continued. Even the raspberry sauce was not enough to counteract the gradual lack of moisture. Okay. $26
Unfortunately, I didn’t know until after my visit, that Mosaic’s signature dish is the Coffee Encrusted Filet Mignon. However, after my experience, I don’t think I’ll be going back to try it.
Mosaic’s motto is “Everything generously seasoned with passion and pride!” and certainly, I would agree that everything is generously seasoned – a little too much so for my palate. Individually, the items tasted good, but together, it became overwhelming rather than harmonious. The atmosphere was pleasant, but the service lacked friendliness and as we exited, though two people stood near the hostess station, nobody thanked us or greeted us as we left. An A for presentation, but only a fair experience overall.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sift - Bakery, Cupcakes, Santa Rosa
(707) 703-4228
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mo-Th 10am-8pm, Fr-Sa 10am-9pm, Su 12pm-6pm
http://www.siftcupcakes.com/
Last Visited: July 17, 2011
Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $Walk into Sift and smell the sweet scent of sugar throughout the shop. The case displaying sweet treats is very inviting and calls you to peruse it. Cupcakes at Sift Cupcake and Dessert Bar go for $3 each or $30 per dozen. They also offer cupcake chocolates for $2 and frosting shots (the thought of that just scares me) for $1.50 a piece. 
French macaroons, ice cream sammys, whoopie cookies, and profiteroles are available too.
I opted to try one of their Sonoma County famous cupcakes - Peach Me I'm Dreaming - It's a vanilla cake with a graham cracker crust, filled with peach jam, and topped with peach mousse and white chocolate shavings. I found the cupcake to be good. I would have liked the cake to have a lighter texture and not to fall apart quite so much, but that's just my preference for cake. I appreciated how the filling and frosting weren't overly sweet, but a nice balance of quantities as well as the attention to detail.
It's hard to judge a place by one cupcake alone, so I'm definitely willing to go back, but would look to trying one of the chocolate or red velvet versions.
French macaroons, ice cream sammys, whoopie cookies, and profiteroles are available too. I opted to try one of their Sonoma County famous cupcakes - Peach Me I'm Dreaming - It's a vanilla cake with a graham cracker crust, filled with peach jam, and topped with peach mousse and white chocolate shavings. I found the cupcake to be good. I would have liked the cake to have a lighter texture and not to fall apart quite so much, but that's just my preference for cake. I appreciated how the filling and frosting weren't overly sweet, but a nice balance of quantities as well as the attention to detail.
It's hard to judge a place by one cupcake alone, so I'm definitely willing to go back, but would look to trying one of the chocolate or red velvet versions.
Chinese food to-go boxes make this an easy treat to pick up and share with a friend.
There are also now locations in Cotati, Napa, and there's even a cupcake truck.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Lo Coco - Italian, Berkeley
1400 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley CA 94709
(510) 843-3745
Parking: street parking
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 5pm to 10pm
http://www.lococospizzeria.com/index1.htm
Last Visited: July 15, 2007
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 stars
Price: $$$ to $$$$
We entered Lo Coco and found that the restaurant temperature was extremely warm this summer evening. They must not have air conditioning, and there is little ventilation despite the door being open. This evening, the restaurant was fairly crowded and in general, the tables are spaced fairly close together. The distance is such that if you reach your arm out, you’ll hit another table.
The room is painted a warm light yellow and the small halogen lights above only add to the temperature. One wall has a large advertisement showing a photo of a hotel against an ocean background with lettering showing contact information for the hotel located in Palermo. The windows line the other side of the restaurant. The kitchen is located in the rear, and each table is covered with a tablecloth as well as a large sheet of white paper. Columns and part of one wall have mirrors to create the illusion of a larger room.
Each place was set with a fork and knife wrapped in a cloth napkin placed on top of a dish. Parmesan in a glass container and olive oil are also placed on the table. The wait staff is dressed in black shirts or tank tops with an apron around their waist.
Upon entering the restaurant, it took a while for anyone to pay attention to us. After the waitress had come back to the hostess station to retrieve items for setting up the table several times, she finally told me she would be back in a moment (this occurred after about three trips to the station before I was acknowledged). Most of the wait staff members are in their twenties, and though they seemed to know what they were doing, they weren’t very good at hosting or greeting. Hardly a smile could be found except when the check was brought to a table. The menu consists of a variety of pizza, a list of pasta dishes, specials, appetizers, salads, and a few seafood plates.
Once seated, we were given menus and asked what we wanted to drink. Once she had finished taking our order, we were given our drinks and she returned a few moments later with the flatbread that came with the meal. As she brought our four pieces of flatbread, she dropped one onto the table and then used her hand to pick it up. First, what are you doing? Why not use a bigger plate? Second, a bunch of crumbs landed in my drink. Considering I was drinking water, she should have offered me another glass. Third, using your hand? What? This is gross. Who knows what you have touched? Pens, menus, dishes? Tongs would have been more appropriate, or a paper napkin. She did apologize, but it shouldn’t have happened in the first place and was hardly handled appropriately for a food establishment.
The bread was hot out of the oven, but that leaves no excuse. Shaped like a large stick, also known as pizza dough, the bread is browned and has a crusty taste. I would have loved to have some marinara sauce with it.
- Linguine with Clams – Served in a lemon butter white wine sauce, al dente linguine is mixed with manila clams for a rich tasting pasta dish. The quantity was good and there is tons of garlic slices to add to the flavor. Good. $12.95
Overall, I found the service to be fair. It took a while before anyone came to refill the water. After serving the food, they did come to check on us, but the overall demeanor was not friendly. The one good thing is that you aren’t rushed to complete your meal quickly and vacate the table, but there is a lot of room for improvement on how to treat the customer. When the check was brought, the dish used to hold the bill was colorful, but chipped. Small items like this are not huge cause for concern, but it leaves the customer with just one more ding on their list for Lo Coco. When we left the restaurant, two of the wait staff was standing near the door, but they continued to chat and did not thank us for coming in. The lack of attention to detail keeps their service rating at two stars. Although the food is good, I think there are better places with a complete package elsewhere and I would likely try those first before returning. Not to mention, considering the amount of garlic in the sauces, mints or candy would have been a nice touch – another missing item.
(510) 843-3745
Parking: street parking
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 5pm to 10pm
http://www.lococospizzeria.com/index1.htm
Last Visited: July 15, 2007
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 stars
Price: $$$ to $$$$
We entered Lo Coco and found that the restaurant temperature was extremely warm this summer evening. They must not have air conditioning, and there is little ventilation despite the door being open. This evening, the restaurant was fairly crowded and in general, the tables are spaced fairly close together. The distance is such that if you reach your arm out, you’ll hit another table.
The room is painted a warm light yellow and the small halogen lights above only add to the temperature. One wall has a large advertisement showing a photo of a hotel against an ocean background with lettering showing contact information for the hotel located in Palermo. The windows line the other side of the restaurant. The kitchen is located in the rear, and each table is covered with a tablecloth as well as a large sheet of white paper. Columns and part of one wall have mirrors to create the illusion of a larger room.
Each place was set with a fork and knife wrapped in a cloth napkin placed on top of a dish. Parmesan in a glass container and olive oil are also placed on the table. The wait staff is dressed in black shirts or tank tops with an apron around their waist.
Upon entering the restaurant, it took a while for anyone to pay attention to us. After the waitress had come back to the hostess station to retrieve items for setting up the table several times, she finally told me she would be back in a moment (this occurred after about three trips to the station before I was acknowledged). Most of the wait staff members are in their twenties, and though they seemed to know what they were doing, they weren’t very good at hosting or greeting. Hardly a smile could be found except when the check was brought to a table. The menu consists of a variety of pizza, a list of pasta dishes, specials, appetizers, salads, and a few seafood plates.
Once seated, we were given menus and asked what we wanted to drink. Once she had finished taking our order, we were given our drinks and she returned a few moments later with the flatbread that came with the meal. As she brought our four pieces of flatbread, she dropped one onto the table and then used her hand to pick it up. First, what are you doing? Why not use a bigger plate? Second, a bunch of crumbs landed in my drink. Considering I was drinking water, she should have offered me another glass. Third, using your hand? What? This is gross. Who knows what you have touched? Pens, menus, dishes? Tongs would have been more appropriate, or a paper napkin. She did apologize, but it shouldn’t have happened in the first place and was hardly handled appropriately for a food establishment.
The bread was hot out of the oven, but that leaves no excuse. Shaped like a large stick, also known as pizza dough, the bread is browned and has a crusty taste. I would have loved to have some marinara sauce with it.
- Linguine with Clams – Served in a lemon butter white wine sauce, al dente linguine is mixed with manila clams for a rich tasting pasta dish. The quantity was good and there is tons of garlic slices to add to the flavor. Good. $12.95
Overall, I found the service to be fair. It took a while before anyone came to refill the water. After serving the food, they did come to check on us, but the overall demeanor was not friendly. The one good thing is that you aren’t rushed to complete your meal quickly and vacate the table, but there is a lot of room for improvement on how to treat the customer. When the check was brought, the dish used to hold the bill was colorful, but chipped. Small items like this are not huge cause for concern, but it leaves the customer with just one more ding on their list for Lo Coco. When we left the restaurant, two of the wait staff was standing near the door, but they continued to chat and did not thank us for coming in. The lack of attention to detail keeps their service rating at two stars. Although the food is good, I think there are better places with a complete package elsewhere and I would likely try those first before returning. Not to mention, considering the amount of garlic in the sauces, mints or candy would have been a nice touch – another missing item.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Tim Ho Wan - Chinese/Dim Sum, Hong Kong
Best: Dim Sum, Hong Kong 2, 2-20 Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok, Ph: 2332 2896
G/F, 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, Ph: 2788 1226
Shop 12A, Hong Kong Station (Podium Level 1, IFC Mall), Central, Ph: 2332 3078
Last Visited: November 26, 2010
Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $
Our first visit was an hour and a half wait. Our second visit was over a two hour wait, but one should take into account that I arrived before opening time. With only about 32 seats available in this location, our second visit waited through an entire round of people (completely packed full house) before we were able to be seated. And there were a ton of people in line after us too.
You'll find the crowd is fairly international. Known as the least expensive restaurant in the world with a Michelin star, Tim Ho Wan has been featured in a number of guide books and listed as a must-try in many restaurant guides as well. While I knew I was in for a treat, I had no idea that dim sum could be this fresh and this good. The owner and chef, Mak Pui Gor, was the former chef of the three star restaurant at the Four Seasons in Hong Kong. Impressive credentials and I think it's awesome he decided to open a place that is accessible to those on a budget.
The atmosphere is one of hustle and bustle - you get a piece of paper to indicate your order quantity for each item, and your order is plugged into the computer. Then little dishes and baskets arrive at your table in no particular order. Unlike other restaurants in Hong Kong, there is something really unique here. When the food arrives, the restaurant goes almost completely quiet. Everyone is eating, savoring, taking photos, and just enjoying. It was one of the quietest restaurants I have ever visited in Hong Kong. 
Another unusual thing is that it's very social. The interest in food between patrons, both strangers, and those at your table, generates conversation about where you come from and how you learned about the restaurant. While other restaurants and cafes have similarly close seating arrangements and shared tables, at other places, people tend to focus on their phones and don't talk. I heard that the chef formerly worked at a very large restaurant and decided to open his own place, much to our delight.
Prices for most items range from $1.25 to $5 USD, extremely reasonable for such a delightful variety of food that is high quality too. Most of the dishes could be model dim sum - the way it should be. - Rice Roll with Shrimp - Perfect texture and consistency with soy sauce that is not too salty. It's hard to find rice rolls that are made so thin.
- Deep Fried Puff with Pork - Another light and delicious item. The filling quantity is just right, but what is so hard to find is an outer shell that isn't too thick. As one might expect, they do it just right, and not too greasy either. Just about all of their fried stuff fits this description - not greasy, wonderfully fresh.- Braised Chicken Feet - The flavors of the chicken feet are great. A larger number of restaurants are good at this dish, so it was not quite as outstanding, but still very good.
- Har Gao - These shrimp dumplings are the size of authentic har gao. In the US, they often super size the shrimp dumplings which inevitably reduces quality in most of those versions. This one is a single bite of loveliness. Thin skinned, you can really taste the shrimp.- Sweet Pumpkin Dessert - Sweet soups are very popular as a dessert in Asian cuisine. We enjoyed this smooth pumpkin pureed soup with hints of coconut milk. So delicious and unique to Tim Ho Wan.
- Steamed Pork Spareribs - I liked how the spareribs had a hint of heat from the red chili pepper to balance the richness of the fermented black beans. I appreciated that the meat was tender without having a starchy sauce around it. 
- Osmanthus Flower Jello (Kuei Fa Gao) - While you won't find it written in English as Osmanthus flower, you'll see a number of patrons eating this dish - you can ask for it by the Chinese name. This was probably my favorite item because I was delighted by its super refreshing flavor. It's so light and sweet with a light, flowery flavor. It's the perfect way to end a meal. You can actually see the flower petals in it still. The light consistency of the jello is offset by sweet goji berries, to give it a little chew. You've absolutely got to try it!
- Pineapple BBQ Pork Bun - Yes, you read that right. BBQ pork buns are topped with what makes a pineapple bun a pineapple bun. The thin sweet topping is super light. Some people around me ordered this dish once and had to order another two servings because they loved them so much. While I enjoyed them for their light texture, they were good for me, but not worth another order. This may be just your thing though.- Steamed Beef Ball - These are tender and flavored with a little cilantro. Fairly standard and many places do get this one right, so not that much to say.
- Pan Fried Turnip Cake - These were good and had more grated turnip than you find at other restaurants. You can actually see the grated pieces when you bite into it and of course, the outside texture was just a touch crispy. Good stuff. - Egg Rolls - These are a must try! The super crunchy egg roll wrapper is fried to perfection. The shrimp and sweet fruit inside makes this a scrumptious bite. Loved it! If only everyone made an egg roll as good as this.
- Siu Mai (pork dumpling) - Good in its texture and how it stayed together. At some places, the filling is too dense or too loose - here, it's just right. The flavor was good too.- Lotus Leaf Wrapped Chicken and Rice - Super flavorful, the lotus leaf fragrance has infused the rice and the center contains juicy meat with rice.
- Sweet cloud fungus with herbs - This sweet dessert is really light and very good for soothing your throat because of its sweet rock sugar soup which is almost like a syrup, but not overly sweet. The cloud fungus has been cooked until tender. This is great to have as an offset to your fried dishes. This is another specialty that you won't find at other dim sum houses.
- Brown Sugar Cake - The literal translation from Chinese to English is something along the lines of fluffy cake or light cake. It's made with real Chinese brown sugar (which is actually translated literally as yellow sugar). Unlike places in the U.S., the cake has a really strong brown sugar taste - this is a must try if you want to see what authentic cake should taste like. This steamed cake is super light and fluffy. Again, you won't find it anywhere else - and even the dim sum houses in Hong Kong don't seem to make it as good as this version right here. Even the color seems to be a richer brown.
- Chinese Sausage and Spareribs with Rice - While this isn't a real dim sum dish, local tea houses in Hong Kong have turned it into one, so now I think it's just made available because people expect it. A little soy sauce is served with this to moisten the steamed pot of meat and rice. All the meat is tender and good.
- Pan Fried Shrimp Stuffed Tofu Wrapper - Another must try, the combination of a little cilantro and celery with the shrimp and the just crispy tofu skin make this a really delectable treat. Love this one too.
While you'll have an advantage if you can read and speak Chinese, if you can't, don't let that deter you. There is plenty of other diners whom can help you out, or you can just point. Just be brave and eat what you can. It's unlikely you'll be disappointed. For those that are familiar with dim sum menus, Tim Ho Wan offers all of the standards at least as good as what is offered at the best dim sum places. They have an amazing way of standing out in many of their dishes. You will definitely leave satisfied and you won't feel like you left a huge dent in your wallet when you're done.
- Sweet cloud fungus with herbs - This sweet dessert is really light and very good for soothing your throat because of its sweet rock sugar soup which is almost like a syrup, but not overly sweet. The cloud fungus has been cooked until tender. This is great to have as an offset to your fried dishes. This is another specialty that you won't find at other dim sum houses.
- Brown Sugar Cake - The literal translation from Chinese to English is something along the lines of fluffy cake or light cake. It's made with real Chinese brown sugar (which is actually translated literally as yellow sugar). Unlike places in the U.S., the cake has a really strong brown sugar taste - this is a must try if you want to see what authentic cake should taste like. This steamed cake is super light and fluffy. Again, you won't find it anywhere else - and even the dim sum houses in Hong Kong don't seem to make it as good as this version right here. Even the color seems to be a richer brown. 
- Chinese Sausage and Spareribs with Rice - While this isn't a real dim sum dish, local tea houses in Hong Kong have turned it into one, so now I think it's just made available because people expect it. A little soy sauce is served with this to moisten the steamed pot of meat and rice. All the meat is tender and good. 
- Pan Fried Shrimp Stuffed Tofu Wrapper - Another must try, the combination of a little cilantro and celery with the shrimp and the just crispy tofu skin make this a really delectable treat. Love this one too. - Steamed Buns - A few choices of steamed buns are available - meat and vegetable, BBQ pork, and others. I thought they were good - though you can find them as good as this elsewhere.
While you'll have an advantage if you can read and speak Chinese, if you can't, don't let that deter you. There is plenty of other diners whom can help you out, or you can just point. Just be brave and eat what you can. It's unlikely you'll be disappointed. For those that are familiar with dim sum menus, Tim Ho Wan offers all of the standards at least as good as what is offered at the best dim sum places. They have an amazing way of standing out in many of their dishes. You will definitely leave satisfied and you won't feel like you left a huge dent in your wallet when you're done. 
The atmosphere isn't fancy. You get paper placemats, plastic plates, and somewhat crowded conditions, but it's well worth it. To avoid the lines, try to go during afternoon tea time (3 to 5pm). Otherwise, get there early. Lines can be a bit deceiving as sometimes a person is waiting in line for a party of 20 (someone in front of me did that), but the fact that I returned again during such a short stay should tell you something. If only they had a place like this in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tim Ho Wan deserves their Michelin star. I am definitely going to try to go back during my next Hong Kong visit!Sunday, November 13, 2011
El Gallo Taqueria - Mexican, Petaluma
1367 North McDowell, Suite 140, Petaluma CA 95954
(707) 763-7111
Parking: in shopping center
Last Visited: June 3, 2006
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$$
El Gallo Taqueria just opened up in the new Kohl’s shopping center in Petaluma. It’s bright orange and sunny décor is inviting. The large panes of glass in the front of the shop stream in lots of light. In the rear is a large flat screen tv. This evening and during my second visit, it was showing the soccer game. There are rooster figures on the wall and a large glass rooster containing garlic and other decorative foods. The open kitchen allows the aroma to come to your nose. There’s a salsa bar in the middle of the restaurant with lime pieces, various salsas, and vegetables.
The local radio station was raving about El Gallo Taqueria, so I thought I would give it a try. Upon our arrival, we received warm chips and were told to help ourselves to the salsa bar. Service was friendly.
- Super Burrito – I selected chicken, but other meats are available. A good sized burrito comes in a soft flour tortilla. Inside were sour cream, guacamole, rice, beans, and salsa. The overall flavor was good. The chicken strips inside my burrito were freshly grilled. Good. I wouldn’t expect anymore for the price. $5.95
- Fajitas – Shrimp – The fajitas are available with shrimp, chicken, or steak. They’re served with pico de gallo, guacamole, rice, refried beans, and three tortillas. The shrimp is grilled with green peppers and onion strips. It’s grilled after ordering and comes out steaming hot. The rice is perfectly moist, and the refried beans have a fine consistency. All was very good. There were only seven shrimp, which was a bit disappointing that there weren’t more, but overall, the flavor was terrific. The only point of improvement is being a little more generous with the shrimp. $10.95
Most items range from $4.50 to $11.95 in price. The typical item menus are included – enchiladas, burritos, tortas, tacos, and even burgers. They also have kid’s plates available. I will probably try one of their combination plates in the future (prices for those range from $5.95 to $6.95).
During my second experience, the service was not quite as friendly, though close. The place is somewhat empty for a Saturday evening, so the location may not be so good for drumming up clientele. The lack of signage from a side view is likely hurting them, but the food is still good. This time, there wasn’t any pico de gallo in the salsa bar which was a little disappointing, but some came with my dish.
- Enchilada and taco combination plate – Choice of meat for both items is available. The shredded beef enchilada came in a very soft tortilla topped with sauce and cheese. Great sauce. The taco is available with a crispy shell or soft. The crispy shell is drizzled with a little enchilada sauce and lightly sprinkled with cheese over the center. The taco comes with lettuce and pico de gallo. Since breast meat is used, it can be a little dry. This combo plate also came with rice and refried beans. Since the items are not made to order, it’s more like hot plate, warm food, but still good flavor. $6.96
- Taco Salad – With a choice of meat, you receive a tostada shell (very light and flaky) containing refried beans, rice, lettuce, meat (I selected shredded beef), pico de gallo, two dollops of sour cream, and two dollops of guacamole. There’s a light sprinkling of cheese on top (dried, not fresh). The meat is fresh and warm and the salad is good. The only thing I would improve is adding more lettuce and using fresh cheese. Great flavor though. $6.95
The chef was very sanitary – he took our order, and visibly washed his hands before beginning to cook. Not every place does this. The only thing I would change is the air circulation. Since the kitchen is open, it’s hard for the fresh air to be circulated. They try to accomplish this by keeping the door open, but I don’t know what they do on a cold or rainy day. Nevertheless, it’s a great place to try out. The ingredients were fresh, the service, friendly, and the chips warm. If you’re interested, they have tamales that are Central American style that are wrapped in banana leaves instead of corn husks. So far, all of the dishes I’ve tried have been fresh and good. Need I say more?
(707) 763-7111
Parking: in shopping center
Last Visited: June 3, 2006
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$$
El Gallo Taqueria just opened up in the new Kohl’s shopping center in Petaluma. It’s bright orange and sunny décor is inviting. The large panes of glass in the front of the shop stream in lots of light. In the rear is a large flat screen tv. This evening and during my second visit, it was showing the soccer game. There are rooster figures on the wall and a large glass rooster containing garlic and other decorative foods. The open kitchen allows the aroma to come to your nose. There’s a salsa bar in the middle of the restaurant with lime pieces, various salsas, and vegetables.
The local radio station was raving about El Gallo Taqueria, so I thought I would give it a try. Upon our arrival, we received warm chips and were told to help ourselves to the salsa bar. Service was friendly.
- Super Burrito – I selected chicken, but other meats are available. A good sized burrito comes in a soft flour tortilla. Inside were sour cream, guacamole, rice, beans, and salsa. The overall flavor was good. The chicken strips inside my burrito were freshly grilled. Good. I wouldn’t expect anymore for the price. $5.95
- Fajitas – Shrimp – The fajitas are available with shrimp, chicken, or steak. They’re served with pico de gallo, guacamole, rice, refried beans, and three tortillas. The shrimp is grilled with green peppers and onion strips. It’s grilled after ordering and comes out steaming hot. The rice is perfectly moist, and the refried beans have a fine consistency. All was very good. There were only seven shrimp, which was a bit disappointing that there weren’t more, but overall, the flavor was terrific. The only point of improvement is being a little more generous with the shrimp. $10.95
Most items range from $4.50 to $11.95 in price. The typical item menus are included – enchiladas, burritos, tortas, tacos, and even burgers. They also have kid’s plates available. I will probably try one of their combination plates in the future (prices for those range from $5.95 to $6.95).
During my second experience, the service was not quite as friendly, though close. The place is somewhat empty for a Saturday evening, so the location may not be so good for drumming up clientele. The lack of signage from a side view is likely hurting them, but the food is still good. This time, there wasn’t any pico de gallo in the salsa bar which was a little disappointing, but some came with my dish.
- Enchilada and taco combination plate – Choice of meat for both items is available. The shredded beef enchilada came in a very soft tortilla topped with sauce and cheese. Great sauce. The taco is available with a crispy shell or soft. The crispy shell is drizzled with a little enchilada sauce and lightly sprinkled with cheese over the center. The taco comes with lettuce and pico de gallo. Since breast meat is used, it can be a little dry. This combo plate also came with rice and refried beans. Since the items are not made to order, it’s more like hot plate, warm food, but still good flavor. $6.96
- Taco Salad – With a choice of meat, you receive a tostada shell (very light and flaky) containing refried beans, rice, lettuce, meat (I selected shredded beef), pico de gallo, two dollops of sour cream, and two dollops of guacamole. There’s a light sprinkling of cheese on top (dried, not fresh). The meat is fresh and warm and the salad is good. The only thing I would improve is adding more lettuce and using fresh cheese. Great flavor though. $6.95
The chef was very sanitary – he took our order, and visibly washed his hands before beginning to cook. Not every place does this. The only thing I would change is the air circulation. Since the kitchen is open, it’s hard for the fresh air to be circulated. They try to accomplish this by keeping the door open, but I don’t know what they do on a cold or rainy day. Nevertheless, it’s a great place to try out. The ingredients were fresh, the service, friendly, and the chips warm. If you’re interested, they have tamales that are Central American style that are wrapped in banana leaves instead of corn husks. So far, all of the dishes I’ve tried have been fresh and good. Need I say more?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)