Wanton Ego's Restaurant Reviews

Bette's Oceanview Diner - Berkeley, California

2009-04-05T13:14:00.008-06:00

Bette's Oceanview Diner
1807 Fourth Street
Berkeley, CA
(510) 644-3932
www.worldpantry.com/bettes/

Date of Visit: Monday, March 9, 2009
Time: Breakfast - 8:30 AM
Server: ???
Number of Diners: 2

Ratings
Food Quality: 5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 5

Even though there's no ocean view, and there's probably no Bette, I had high hopes for our breakfast in this place. "Don't even think about going there on Saturday or Sunday without waiting an hour or more," was the local buzz. "Best breakfast in the East Bay, the Bay Area, the West Coast, the Country, the World, the Universe..." were the raves. I love breakfast, and I wanted to love Bette's. It was not meant to be.

Located in an oasis of redeveloped industrial area with two blocks of hoity-toity shops and restaurants a block from the rescue mission and its associated hundreds of transients on the streets, the Diner is true to the genre. Small in black and white tile with red vinyl, seating choices of counter, booth, table or patio, the place is jammed from 6AM daily. At 8:30 on a Monday it was busy, but we hit a seam between waves and were seated in a booth immediately. Coffee for one of us and no bottled water available for me. I asked if I could therefore drink my own, prompting a small yet agitated conference with management, who decided to allow it - just this once. Whatever. Be advised that if you like coffee, you will get exactly one cupful. More on this later.

We perused the menu, which was quite extensive and looked harmless enough. There was a full slate of specials on the blackboard, and they looked pretty good. Our waitress came quickly, perhaps too quickly, and made it clear that SHE was ready, so that we would know that we should be also. We ordered hastily. Lest you think that this was a "Madge" sort of older diner-style waitress who is the ultimate professional and would brook no nonsense as part of the Bette's Diner shtick, be advised that our server was a very attractive female in her mid 20s, devoid of the de-rigueur Berkeley tattoos and piercings (as far as I could see), and reeking of attitude. Every movement screamed something along the lines of: "Like, kind of, well... ya know this job would be OK if I didn't have to be here so early, and if there weren't all these damned customers, and if they would just do what I want and stay out of the way..." Her attitude made me feel like I was back in Utah! Annoyed and completely humorless, she took our order and disappeared. The food arrived very quickly, delivered by the other waitress (who seemed much nicer), and we set about the business of the morning.

What we had with menu descriptions...

omelettes 3 eggs cooked in the French style (soft on the inside) served with home fries & sour cream, and choice of muffin, cream scone, light wheat, sourdough, or rye toast - fresh herb & cheese $8.95 (there were other choices)

(from the specials board) organic whole grain waffle with butter and maple syrup with two eggs any style $10.95

side order chicken-apple sausage $3.50

(from the specials board) fresh organic veggie frittata, with home fries & sour cream, and choice of muffin, cream scone, light wheat, sourdough, or rye toast $11.95

The omelet was creamy with specks of fresh green herbs and completely bland - a bit of a surprise. The waffle was on the small side, golden brown, and the room-temperature syrup was the real deal. The butter was in foil-wrapped pats and hard as a stone, as if fresh from the freezer. The taste was... OK. The turkey-apple sausage looked delicious and was completely tasteless - bland would have been a step up. The frittata was tiny, mildly rubbery, and also bland. If there had been Tabasco on the table, it might have redeemed some of the sorry breakfast, but salt and pepper were our only source of flavor. I had ordered sourdough with one entree and a blueberry scone with the other. Hold the home fries on both. The sourdough toast was the most flavorful part of the meal. The scone was dry, even for a scone, and remarkably unencumbered by blueberries. I wondered how old it was.

My partner had been out of coffee for some time, and the fellow in the booth facing me had been lunging at our very attractive and very quick waitress with his empty cup for 5-10 minutes to no avail. She was completely focused on the task of taking orders from tables to kitchen. No room for any other duties. I grabbed the empty cup from our table and walked to the rear of the restaurant where the regular tables were. The coffee pot was sitting on a warmer, so I grabbed it to fill the cup. "Stop that right now!" yelled our waitress, charging at me and suddenly aware of my existence. "I was just trying to help," was my reply with a smile. "Put that down. I will bring you coffee at your table." I shrugged and complied, being in no mood for a fight. A few minutes later she delivered, still ignoring the man at the next booth who mumbled and thrust his cup at her again. I grabbed her free hand and pointed out the unfortunate victim of her inattention. She walked over, and upon finding that he wanted decaf when she had only regular, gave him the most disdainful eye roll I have ever witnessed. That certainly showed HIM. That second cup of coffee, far too late, was the last coffee either of us would see that day. I had to wonder what she did when the place was actually busy?

All in all the meal was edible and expensive. With coffee and taxes the bill was $39.26, prompting me to begrudgingly leave $3 cash tip. To the waitress, should you read this, here's an additional tip: "Good looks will only excuse your bad attitude for a few years. After that you're screwed." At least the experience was quick. We were back in the car and on our way before 9AM, never to return, leaving a long-ish line of people begging to spend their hard-earned cash for some abuse. It certainly could not have been for the food. Bette's was the sort of place who had been told for so long how great they were - to the point that they actually believed it. And now they treat diners as interlopers to be fleeced and barely tolerated. They must be thankful that Berkeley houses so many wealthy masochists upon which to prey.

Perhaps you are thinking that my expectations are too high for simple breakfast fare. I would submit as evidence to the contrary the breakfast we'd had at First Awakenings in Monterey a few days earlier, and sadly over two hours away from Berkeley.

Bette's Oceanview Diner - NOT RECOMMENDED unless you have too much money, too much time, and prefer to be treated rudely for mediocre fare

Highs: Clean
Lows: Incompetent and rude service, obscene prices for nothing special on the plate, obsessed with their own reputation

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Firefly - San Francisco, California

2009-04-04T14:40:00.008-06:00

Firefly
4288 24th Street (Noe Valley)
San Francisco, CA
(415) 821-7652
www.fireflyrestaurant.com

Date of Visit: Sunday, March 8, 2009
Time: Dinner - 8:45 PM
Server: ???
Number of Diners: 2

Ratings
Food Quality: 9
Service: 6
Ambiance: 8

Firefly is tucked away in the semi-hidden Noe Valley neighborhood. Pronounced "NO-eee," it's sandwiched between the Castro and Twin Peaks. It's not easy to find the neighborhood or the restaurant, and it's nearly impossible to park there, even on a Sunday night. On a Friday or Saturday? Fuggedaboudit if you don't have a reservation, and you'll need to park somewhere else and take a cab. Be sure to remember where you parked! Because of these factors, Firefly's model is for repeat business fed primarily by the upscale nearby residents who can and will walk there, and other locals with enough disposable income to use taxis. Two things are mandatory for repeat business - high quality product and frequent changes in menu. Firefly does not disappoint. Run since its inception by Brad Levy, a St. Louis native, and his wife Veva Edelson, Firefly is a long-lasting, friendly place after which many others have been modeled. The cuisine is difficult to capture, perhaps "healthy fusion comfort food" comes close. It has a single Mobil star, begrudgingly granted by the Texan editors who found it too weird. Perhaps they were refused ketchup or barbecue sauce? It has a very respectable 25 rating on Zagat, putting it in the company of Range and Delfina. San Francisco is full of small, quirky bistro-style restaurants with fluid, seasonal menus. Few survive, and Firefly is a welcome exception at 17.5 years and counting...

Being Irish has its perks, and I invoked my genetic right to be lucky, immediately finding the only parking place within a mile, only half a block up the very steep hill from the restaurant. We strolled in at 8PM, the height of dinner rush-hour, even on a Sunday. I knew they were open until at least 10, so I figured we could get wait-listed for a late dinner. The hostess seemed almost afraid to ask us to wait 45 minutes, but I accepted her offer happily. We walked two blocks down the hill and had a beer at Peak's, a local dive bar on Castro Street. It was basically empty, with only two other couples, and it reeked of smoke. We alternated between World Baseball Championship games on the TV and watching a couple of locals shoot pool badly.

We returned at 8:40 and were seated immediately in the lower of two dining rooms. The hill is so steep that there is a six foot difference between the floor levels of the two rooms. The interior place is airy and quiet, due to the innovative draped fabric concealing the industrial ceiling. Whimsical art works inspired by kindergarten projects, or perhaps even done by children, adorn the walls at random heights, though there was one graffiti-inspired Che Guevara themed painting that appealed to me.

We declined the tap water in favor of San Pellegrino, and the busboy brought an excellent sourdough with a curried chickpea spread - a welcome and healthful change from butter or oil. They have a "Prix Fix" menu Sunday through Thursday with any appetizer, entree, and dessert for $35, saving you about $5-6 per person. We decided to go for it, and having chosen beef and fish, we asked the waiter for a wine recommendation. He chose an safe and unremarkable Australian Petit Syrah for about $35. I get the sense that if we were regulars, he would have gotten to know us and our tastes. Then the recommendation might have been more aggressive. The wine was OK, as was the service. He answered questions thoughtfully, but seemed a bit distant - a real contrast with the vibe of the room.

What we had with menu descriptions...

Butter Lettuce Salad with Shaved Radishes, Meyer Lemon, Grilled Croutons and Roasted Garlic–Manchego Dressing 9.00

Rio Star Grapefruit and Avocado Salad with Mâche, Tarragon, Macadamia Nuts and Black Pepper Crème Fraîche 9.00

Braised Corvina Seabass with Black Trumpet Mushroom–Green Garlic Crust, Sautéed Belgian Endive and Roasted Turnips 23.00

Grilled Beef Sirloin with Griddled Garbanzo Cake, Cauliflower, Minted English Peas and Kalamata Olive Tapenade 24.00

Jasmine panna Cotta with Honey Poached Pears and Coconut Sesame Cookie 8.50

Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding Parfait with Fresh, Organic Berries and Cream 8.50

Though we both ordered variants of our standard fare, one menu item caught our attention: "The Fried Chicken of Your Dreams with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Peas & Carrots and a Damn Fine Buttermilk Biscuit 20.00" As we wondered aloud what that might be like, the waiter carried a fresh example (pictured here) to a neighboring table. I suspect it is every bit as good as it looks. Our entrees arrived in short order. My partner was having fish for the fourth evening in succession, and she promptly pronounced the Firefly Sea Bass as the best of the four. I was skeptical, even after trying it, but then I tucked into the beef. Sirloin is a pretty flavorful cut, and this example competed nicely with the lamb dish at the Range on the previous night. Salads and sides were fresh, organic, and delicious as well. Desserts and coffee made a nice nightcap on the evening.

I suppose if we lived there we could afford to eat there regularly, and I suspect that we would indeed. Surfing for reviews shows raves for the service with a few less than ecstatic aberrations. Our guy was competent and professional, but far from warm or friendly. I'd bet this was not the norm for the place. And to be fair to the Mobil Guide guys, the place IS weird. And then again the whole city is weird, often in a good way. From the Firefly website I have embedded a video that shows what it's like to dine there, or almost anywhere in San Francisco outside of the 5 star places or financial district. It's... different. Not good or bad necessarily, but always entertaining!

Firefly - UNCONDITIONALLY RECOMMENDED for excellent, organic meats and vegetables prepared with Northern California flair in a whimsical environment. Their menu statement: "All Our Meat Comes From Happy, Never Mad, Drug Free Animals; no Hormones, Antibiotics or Crack Cocaine"

Highs: Comfortable neighborhood feel, whimsical practicality, imaginative preparation of high quality ingredients
Lows: Parking, not being immediately local

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Ajanta - Berkeley, California

2009-04-04T09:11:00.010-06:00

Ajanta
1888 Solano Avenue
Berkeley, CA
(510) 526-4373
www.ajantarestaurant.com

Date of Visit: Sunday, March 8, 2009
Time: Lunch - 1:00 PM
Server: ???
Number of Diners: 2

Ratings
Food Quality: 9
Service: 7
Ambiance: 8

I have not had tremendous exposure to the vast variety of foods from the subcontinent of India. So if one is to experiment, one should start with the best! Hidden behind an unassuming storefront on Berkeley's Solano Avenue you can find the top-rated Indian cuisine restaurant in Northern California. Named for the Buddhist Ajanta caves in India and decorated with murals inspired by the cave paintings, Ajanta is near the top of the "Solano Avenue Stroll," and we had a very enjoyable walk from the car to the restaurant. This walk is necessitated by the total absence of parking except for on-street and the myriad of regulations for which Berkeley is so famous. Even on a Sunday afternoon parking was scarce, but the 5 block trek enabled us to absorb the picture-perfect weather. Once inside, a feeling of calm descended upon us, induced by the color scheme and decor of the serene dining area. They were not busy at all, with only three or four of the 20 tables filled, and we were greeted happily and seated promptly. We asked for two bottles of generic still water to sip while perusing the lunch menu. Example dishes from several regions (Chennai, Hyderabad, Kerala, Lucknow, Mumbai, Punjab, Sind, Uttar Pradesh) are randomly distributed throughout, making for dining combinations that would be nearly impossible in India outside of a major city. While the menu was not overly large, we took our time to get a good sampling of all they had to offer.

What we had with menu descriptions...

PAPADAM : Indian lentil wafers, served with mint-cilantro sauce (2 per order) $ 2.50

DAAL SOUP: A lentil soup, made with mung beans $ 4.50 (pictured at right)

Lunches are served with Basmati rice and a side dish of spinach and potatoes (with non-veg lunches) or chickpeas (with veg lunches) . Dishes can be ordered very mild, mild/low medium, medium, high medium or hot.

MILONI SABZI: Mixed vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, blue lake beans) cooked in a sauce made with pureed spinach, onions, garlic, coconut milk, cashews, and spices (Hyderabad) (Vegan) $ 7.00

PUDINA GOSHT: Boneless cubed Colorado lamb cooked in a sauce made with onions, tomatoes, ginger, coriander, turmeric, cumin, paprika, lemon juice and mint (Uttar Pradesh) $ 10.00

NAAN: Leavened dough bread cooked in tandoor oven $ 1.75

TAJ MAHAL BEER, Large (22 oz.) $ 6.00

CARDAMON GELATO $ 5.00

We opened with Taj Mahal beers, size large. This cool, refreshing beer is not nearly as light as the more well-known Kingfisher. It provided a malty counterpoint to the complex spice in the dishes, though the light, hoppy alternatives might have been better choices. For starters we ordered daal soup and a side of "Papadam." Most frequently spelled "poppadom," there appear to be many acceptable variant spellings (papadam, papaddam, papadom, papadum, papodam, papodum, popadam, popadom, poppadam, poppadum, poppodam, puppadum, puppodam, puppodum). However you choose to spell it, these tasty wafers are what potato chips can only wish to be - light, crunchy, complex, and delicious - these delicacies are prepared with over a dozen ingredients in labor intensive fashion and dried for several days before being grilled or fried. If Ajanta's version ever came near hot oil, it was impossible to tell - they were airy and delicate with no hint of oil or grease. Adding the freshly prepared herb sauce elevated the snack to a higher level. Having skipped breakfast, we opted for a second order. These chips are both delicious and fun - see the end of this post for a PacMan photo I grabbed from the Internet for an example!

The daal soup was as tasty as it was beautiful. Thick but not creamy, redolent of spice and fresh, organic legumes, it was the perfect stage-setter for the entrees to come. Mung beans may sound like something strange, but keep in mind that most bean sprouts you find in salad bars or elsewhere in the USA are mung bean sprouts. These legumes added bright yellow color along with great flavor and complexity to the bean texture of the lentils.

My dining companion ordered the lamb (gosht) with medium spice and I asked for my vegetarian meloni sabsi combo (pictured at right) hot. The waiter discreetly sought to find if I meant hot by American standards or a more global scale. Both diners assured him that I wanted the real deal. When the serving dishes arrived, all together, we prepared our plates with the aromatic rice and ladled portions of each entree onto separate areas. The lamb dish was bright, cheerful, and permeated with the essence of the meat. The melange of spices used added character without overpowering. All in all it was excellent. I tucked into the fresh vegetable dish, which was at once warm, fragrant, spicy, and mildly sweet. It was also very hot from a spice standpoint, bringing me to the edge of perspiration. A perfect execution.

My dining partner began fanning herself. "It's very spicy!" she proclaimed, indicating the lamb. I assured her that the lamb was not hot, and that if she thought so, she should avoid the veggie dish altogether. Instantly a waiter appeared from thin air, having heard me say "not hot." "We can make this hotter!" he assured me. "It will only take thirty seconds." I explained that both dishes were adequately spiced, but he repeated his offer. I suppose he had (quite accurately) targeted my dish for somewhere between an American and Indian hotness scale and was concerned I would need more. I don't mind my taste buds being zapped, but I don't need to break out into a sweat to enjoy it - so I declined his offer.

The side of fresh, plain Naan made a handy tool for pushing the food onto the fork, and was very tasty in its own right. Being famished and delighted with the meal, we eliminated all traces of every dish. I asked the waiter for some guidance with the desserts. Indian drinks and desserts can be extremely sweet, and I was hoping to avoid a sugar rush. He recommended the cardamon (aka cardamom) gelato, and it was a perfect capstone. Cool and fragrant, the cardamom spice is somewhere between cinnamon and clove. In the ice cream concoction it came to life, leaving my mouth with a cool, pleasant taste that lasted well into our walk down the Solano Stroll.

To be fair, if you look at my food scale, any properly prepared Indian food would rate a 7 or 8. Ajanta took it to the next level with their perfect application of dozens of spices to the fresh, organic ingredients. Each dish was a vibrant splash of color on the plate and a work of art on the palate - a solid 9 on the Ego scale.

Ajanta - UNCONDITIONALLY RECOMMENDED for a top-notch Indian cuisine from several regions

Highs: Quiet and relaxed room, flavorful food, eager service, reasonable prices, free range hormone and antibiotic free meats
Lows: Unobtainable street parking

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Passionfish, Pacific Grove, California

2009-03-28T16:56:00.009-06:00

Passionfish
701 Lighthouse Ave
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
(831) 655-3311
www.passionfish.net

Date of Visit: Friday, March 6, 2009
Time: Dinner - 10:00 PM
Server: Holly
Number of Diners: 4

Ratings
Food Quality: 8
Service: 7
Ambiance: 7.5*
*We were there very late, just before closing, and there was one large, very drunk, VERY noisy table full of people - to the extent that the waitress had to pause for gaps of comparative quiet to talk to our table. The one diner (hopefully) sober enough to drive did apologize halfheartedly on their way out.

Having been in a meeting until 9:30 PM we needed to find a decent restaurant that was open. Fortunately Passionfish in Pacific Grove was open until 10. A semi-quick 15 minute drive from Carmel and we were there, 10 minutes before closing time. The hostess/waitress, Holly, assured us our party of 4 were welcome. There was one large table with about 10 folks noisily finishing their desserts and wines, and the rest of the small room was empty. We were promptly seated and drinking San Pellegrino ($3.50). Holly brought menus and informed us the specials were all on the card, which changes frequently. I perused the wine list, shocked at the prices. I asked Holly, and she told us that Passionfish charges retail (i.e. winery list price) for every wine. And the selection was amazing. Check it out by downloading the pdf from their wine list page. I was drawn to the Dashe Cellars L’ Enfant Terrible, Potter Valley ’07 for $30. It was listed as an "Un-Zinfandel." Holly told me the "Terrible Child" was a very unique Zin that was light and would not overpower the fish. I was intrigued and ordered it, only to discover they had run out. We settled on the Gunn, New Zealand ’07 Unoaked Chardonnay for $20, and it was a rare treat for two of our party. They had never had a chardonnay that tasted like grapes instead of just vanilla and oak. It was so good (and so reasonable) that we had two bottles over the course of the evening.

We all ordered salads to start. Fish was the reason for being there, and our party of four chose one Sturgeon, one Sablefish, and two wanted Mahi-mahi. We also had San Pellegrino ($3.50) with the wine. The long day called for desserts for all and coffee for some. It was quite a feast, so without further ado...

What we had with menu descriptions...

Butter lettuce garden salad with mixed organic greens $8

Shredded Brussels sprout salad with Kurobuta ham and mustard dressing $8

Baked gorgonzola, golden chutney, candied pecans & curried butter lettuce $10

‘Quinault’ Sablefish crusted with pepper/wasabi slaw/ginger vinaigrette (pictured at left) $22

Sturgeon/coconut rice/zucchini fritters/red curry vinaigrette $23

Hand lined Mahi (pictured at right)/black pepper-rum sauce/cucumber salad/green onion rice $23

Fresh local berry ice cream $6

Mud Pie $6

Panna cotta $6

Creme brulee $6

As is the norm for the area, the salads are amazing - due to the readily available, fresh, local produce from nearby fields. Passionfish goes the extra mile with extra adornments (cheese, dried fruits, nuts, radishes, onions, etc.) and homemade dressings. All of the excellent salads disappeared quickly. One standout was the Brussels sprout salad. Warm and tender, the shredded sprouts blended nicely with the grainy mustard vinegarette to form the best cole slaw in the universe. The very rare an expensive Kurobuta ham made a wonderful accent.

The Sablefish was excellent - properly cooked with an herb crust, appropriately sauced, with interesting sides. The fish was tender, flaky and delicate. And the "slaw" was slivered Watsonville apples in a slightly spicy wasabe slaw dressing. I loved it, though I was the only one at the table who did.

The Mahi-Mahi must have been good as well, since both portions disappeared rapidly, before I had a chance to taste them. It was generously doused in a chopped tomato relish, which I might have thought would be overwhelming, but the diners had no complaints.

The Sturgeon (pictured at left) was the weakest of the three, moist and nearly overcooked, slightly mushy. Compared to the other dishes, even the colors were muted. Still it was quite passable, and the rice and fresh vegetables carried the day for this entree.

The coffee was passable, and the desserts were fresh and generous. The Mud pie was a tower of death by chocolate, offset with a delicious homemade vanilla ice cream. The other desserts were acceptable executions of the standards.

Locally there is an informal rivalry between Passionfish and Fish House. For creatively prepared fish and unusual, tasty side dishes, Passionfish is the clear choice. For plain, unadorned, fresh fish, the edge goes to Fish House. Throw in the retail priced wine and plethora of choices, and the tiebreaker goes to Passionfish. One note - all fish at Fish House is wild caught. Passionfish is vocal about sustainable resources, so most of their fish is farmed - tasty, but potentially less healthful than the wild versions.

Passionfish - RECOMMENDED for a fresh, fancy-preparation fish dishes and outstanding wine values

Highs: Wine selection and retail pricing, fresh fish fancy style
Lows: Room can be murderously noisy when full, aggressive with food politics

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Range - San Francisco, California

2009-03-28T11:41:00.008-06:00

Range
842 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 282-8283
www.rangesf.com

Date of Visit: Saturday, March 7, 2009
Time: Dinner - 8:00 PM
Server: Jonathon S.
Number of Diners: 2

Ratings
Food Quality: 9
Service: 9
Ambiance: 7.5*
*To be fair, the ambiance is not quite comfortable and not at all quiet, but the place is very cool - in a good way.

And now for something completely different. San Francisco is not New York City, and despite the chip on the shoulder of some, that's a good thing. It's a microcosm of much that is good (and a little that isn't) about NYC. Sure, you can't get a decent bagel at 3AM within walking distance of most places in San Francisco, but who really gives a damn about that? If your answer is, "Anybody that IS anybody," please delete this blog from your list of things to read in order to save time for early morning bagel munching! But I digress... This blog entry is about great food in a fun city.

Our long weekend's itinerary had space in it for only two restaurants in "the City." We chose Range in the Mission District for our first evening. This area used to be unsafe after dark, but prices in blighted areas have attracted entrepreneurs, and the neighborhood has improved dramatically. While we hoped to arrive for an early dinner (which should have been easy even without reservations) our Saturday had not progressed as expected, having delayed us in Carmel past noon. A late lunch at In-N-Out and an afternoon visit with a friend in Morgan Hill, an aborted attempt at wine tasting at Guglielmo (doing quite well despite the economy), and a pre-dinner workout in the hotel fitness center had delayed our arrival into San Francisco until the prime time dinner hour. We were on a casual schedule, so entertaining ourselves for a couple of hours while awaiting a slot for a 10PM dinner was an acceptable workaround. One of the reasons I'd selected the place was that they were open late - until 11PM or later. We decided to park near Range to find nearby random sources of self-amusement. Luck of the Irish was in full force, and we found free street parking half a block from the place without hassle or incident. We walked past the front door at two minutes before 8PM, peak of dinner rush hour. The place was crowded as expected, but no line out the door or anything. I started to continue on, but my companion suggested checking inside just to see what was up.

We ventured in. The restaurant is very stylish - granite bar, stainless steel tables and chairs, black lacquered woods, glass shelves with chrome brackets, and retro fixtures and appliances. The cool color scheme added to the hip-cool ambiance. The place was noisy inside, fully of happy patrons, and a cheerful hostess greeted me. I led with my best foot forward, "I know you're jammed and we don't have reservations. Since you're open pretty late, can you tell me a good time to come back for a shot at a late dinner?" She smiled and told me that the dining room was pretty full for the evening, and that she had a waiting list for bar table seating. She added, "If you're hungry, you can try to grab a bar seat as they open up, but I don't feel that for you." I laughed and asked, "You're not FEELING it for me? How do you feel about the table wait list?" She quickly explained, "No, no - I don't FIELD that for you. But since you ask, I'm not FEELING it either, at least not any time soon." I assured her that we were not in a hurry, and asked to be added to the wait list. She apologized that it might be as much as 45 minutes as I gave her my cell phone number. I asked, "Dinner's worth the wait, isn't it?" and she assured me it was indeed. I thanked her, and we continued our stroll. I commented that 45 minutes was nothing - to which my partner fully agreed. We found an Irish pub across the street and used their restroom, after which we examined the appetizer menu and beers on tap. We had just decided to walk around a couple of blocks and return here for a beer when the cell phone rang. It was my friendly hostess, Amanda at Range, and she said there was a table open RIGHT NOW if we were interested. I assured her that we were, and by 8:10 PM we were seated at a high-top for two (pictured here) with a liter of San Pellegrino ($6) being poured for us. Whether it was Irish charm, Irish luck, or both, it was awesome - take THAT, New-Age Guy!

We sat at the last table toward the back of the bar area, at the opening of the hallway to the main dining rooms with its rack of coat hooks on the wall - all full. The hostess who seated us pointed out the coat hooks on the wall under the table, a welcome addition for our jackets. There was a tiny sideboard on the opposite wall of the hallway, and people congregated there while waiting to pounce on bar seating. My seat put me next to them and in the path of every server and bus-person dashing between the bar and the dining areas. I took it all in stride (as did the staff), and we became familiar with each other through the next 90 minutes of bumping and dodging each other. I was happy for the lightning quick seating and opportunity to sample the cuisine, as well as the new options of late night dessert that were now open to us, so I had no complaints. Range was opened in 2005 by Phil and Cameron West, a husband-and-wife team. Phil brings back-of-house experience from Bacar's kitchen and Cameron has front-of-house covered from her days at Delfina. It is worthwhile to note that Range already has a Michelin Star, putting it in company with some of the area's greatest eateries, such as Berkeley's Chez Panisse, The Dining Room at Ritz Carlton San Francisco, and Bouchon in Napa Valley.

Seated with a great view of the bar we were able to take in all the activity there. The center of the back-bar was dominated by an authentic, 60s-vintage, lighted, multi-tiered, glass-front refrigerator with rotating shelves - half with bottled beer and half with tall glasses. It turns out that this was a blood bank fridge in its former life - very cool and well suited to its new duties. The bartenders were quite busy making elaborate concoctions of which juice squeezed out of an enormous bowl of fresh fruits was the prime ingredient. A peek at the cocktail menu plus the labor input we were observing proved that these drinks might actually be worth the $9.50 price tag. I told Jonathon, our waiter, that we were starting with some "frou-frou" drinks. I was drawn to the Third Rail, but ultimately chose the Blood Bank. My companion picked a Vin de Pamplemousse, which turned out to be deliciously tart with a hint of mild spice. The Blood Bank was at once spicy, fruity, sweet, and tart - absolutely worthwhile. Someone has taken great pains to develop interesting concoctions with fresh and exotic fruits and liquors. There being no specials to contemplate, we consulted with Jonathan about the merits of menu choices and wine pairings. He advised us efficiently and impartially, asking good questions, and making specific recommendations. Since I settled on lamb and my companion wanted fish, he recommended the 2006 Jean-Paul Thevenet "Vielles Vignes" Morgon Beaujolais for $49, heading off my cocked eyebrow with assurances that it was in no way a Noveau Beaujolais. He was spot on - the wine had a light ruby color with mild raisin an cranberry aromas. It's mouth feel was smooth balanced with flavors of tart cranberry and the dark cassis. No tannin at all, but rich and mildly fruity - complementary to the lamb and not overpowering to the fish. It even added a little pop to the excellent appetizers.

What we had with menu descriptions...
(the menu is also very cool, including the deliberate failure to capitalize words)

Vin de Pamplemousse - square one vodka, arneis, grapefruit, vanilla, lemon 9.50

Blood Bank - gosling’s black rum, walnut orgeat, blood orange, lime 9.50

purée of asparagus soup with sour cream and breadcrumbs 8.00

parsnip purée with a poached farm egg and black truffle butter 14.00

petrale sole with shaved fennel, fingerling potatoes and a grain mustard sauce 24.00

pan roasted lamb sirloin with butter beans, radicchio di verona and lucques olive tapenade 24.00

cheese plate: crottin de champcol- pasteurized french goat’s milk cheese with housemade panforte 8.50

While the food was amazing, I must lead off with a word about the service. Amanda, the reservation hostess, the seating hostess, Jonathan our waiter, the bartenders, the bar waitress, and numerous bus-persons attended to our every need before it even became a thought or question. Glasses were filled and refilled, bottles and dishes brought and removed, crumbs swept, napkins folded, every nuance attended seamlessly by the entire team. There was no assignment of duties or egos - any passing employee who saw something that might need doing simply did it in passing, and would have done so invisibly had I not needed to bump and dodge most of them frequently due to my seating spot - a fact that frankly added to the sport of the evening. The front of house team was seamless and perfect. This was a special treat for denizens of Utah, where service with a scowl is an upgrade in many places, even high-end ones. Let's discuss each plate in turn:

Asparagus soup - Fresh pureed and warmed rather than cooked - it was like an explosion of green and cream in the mouth. The dairy added to the mouth feel and creaminess while the bread crumbs provided some delicate crunch. I felt my vitamin counts go up as my palate was teased with the freshness of it all.

Poached farm egg - The fact that many chefs are discovering anew some old world peasant foods with modern preparation techniques is a boon to society. The parsnip puree was something better than mashed potatoes could hope to be, providing a lovely cushion for the perfectly poached, fresh, organic egg. Truffle butter added a hint of earth to the dish, which was a blend of solid and liquid textures to delight the senses. Confessions of an egg lover - I could eat one of these every day for the rest of my life.

Petrale sole - As fresh as it cold Pacific nearby, it was delicate and flaky. I'm no fan of fennel, but the conservative application plus the grainy mustard contributed an earthy background that played into the fingers of the Beaujolais masterfully. A solid home run.

Lamb sirloin - The weakest of the players by the thinnest of margins, it was still excellent, fork tender, beautifully bold in flavor, complemented adequately with olive, arugula and beans. The latter were an experience all on their own, clearly fresh, local, and organic. I had no complaints at all, and the lamb did pop a little with the Beaujolais. I would order it again.

Cheese plate - The three cheeses were substantially different and all delicious. My companion had asked for regular coffee to accompany hers, while I had elected to stick with the wine. I was shocked when the coffee had not appeared within thirty seconds after the cheese, and quickly caught Jonathan's eye. Busy as he was, he was never more than 60 seconds out of range, nor too distracted to observe if he was being sought after by any patron. I simply asked, "Coffee?" and the man visibly winced. I know the look - it's the expression of someone who NEVER makes mistakes or forgets anything remembering that something was overlooked. I waved off his apology with a smile, and the coffee with cream and sugars appeared on the table within 30 seconds, and never appeared on the check at all.

This was as close to a perfect dining experience as I have had in two years.

We followed our excellent dinner and cheese course with something that would have been unthinkable ten years ago - a stroll around San Francisco's Mission District at 9:30 PM. The area is on the cusp of rediscovery, sporting an odd mix of bombed-out crack houses, boarded-up movie theaters, creepy discount and used-item stores, seedy liquor stores, and Popeye's Chicken equally peppered with cool clubs, upscale restaurants, many trendy retro decor and clothing stores, and a few Central American banks. With the rough economy, it's difficult to guess which direction the area will take - progression or regression. The street was populated with young, trendy club-hounds, couples of all types seeking food, drink, or other conventional entertainment, and a few (clearly well-fed) homeless types - all non-aggressive. On Mission Street itself we stumbled across a place called Foreign Cinema, at first glance an art film theater, but actually a restaurant that shows films. Being a fan of both, I had to check it out. Another very cool place, the entrance appeared to be a long hallway to the theater, but was actually an enclosed area between two buildings, the back rooms of which had been converted to the restaurant's use. At the farthest reaches is an open courtyard, partially roofed and canopied, with a movie playing against the whitewashed back of the building on the next block. Very cool, very secure, and completely fascinating. We did not have a chance to eat there, but it looked like a winner based on observation of the diners and the food on their tables. You can check out a good review of the space and brunch on Hass's excellent NSAaM blog on Foreign Cinema and an adequate review of the Foreign Cinema's food on Foodnut's ad-cluttered blog. I noted they were showing PI, an excellent black and white film by Darren Aronofsky that won a Director's Award at Sundance in 1998 (before they became completely full of themselves and useless). Since no sound could be heard, I asked the very friendly hostesses if it were even possible. They laughed and pointed out the obvious fact that the film was more for atmosphere than watching, and added that a few of the tables had drive-in type speakers for those who wanted to listen. An interesting concept, apparently well-executed and "cool." We may have to try it on our next visit to the area.

Though I rarely recommend other reviewers, Haas also likes Range and lists it as a favorite - a rare accolade from him. I did not read his review until after my experience, and it's very informative. Check it out: Haas on Range (unsubtle pun intended)

Range - UNCONDITIONALLY RECOMMENDED for a worthy, inventive meals, excellent service, and unusual cocktails - all at reasonable prices

Highs: Cool place, people, and patrons; ever-changing, inventive food; top quality ingredients; stellar service; creative and refreshing cocktails
Lows: None, but you may get the worst table in the house if you don't reserve (at 8PM on a Saturday)

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Cafe Cruz - Soquel, California

2009-03-22T20:15:00.009-06:00

Cafe Cruz
2621 41st Avenue
Soquel, CA
(831) 476-3801
www.cafecruz.com

Date of Visit: Friday, March 6, 2009
Time: Lunch - 1:00 PM
Server: Lisa
Number of Diners: 2

Ratings
Food Quality: 8
Service: 8*
Ambiance: 7
*Service is an 8 with elements of 5 for occasional visitors and 10 with elements of 5 for regulars - the place is so overwhelmingly friendly that frequent long gaps between server visits are easily overlooked, but it would be inaccurate not to mention them.

Time for an Ego confession before the review. This is my favorite restaurant in the United States, period. That said, it is far from the best restaurant in the U.S. How can it be my favorite if not the best? It's a lot of little things - fresh, local, often organic meats, produce, and the like. Comfortable, bustling atmosphere, unpretentious on every level. Consistently good (not great) food - American standards with a Northern California flair. Decent wine list, good beers on tap, and always friendly. When I lived in the area we would hit this restaurant nearly monthly - not enough to be called regulars, but as often as we could for a decent meal. It was always worth the 40 minute drive each way from Gilroy. Special occasions? Not here. We could go to San Francisco or other "special" places. Cafe Cruz provided us with reliable and consistent high-quality, food, beer, and wine at reasonable prices in a comfortable atmosphere. Any time I visit the area, this place is at the top of the list for "must-do" dining. Our schedule on this trip only permitted one visit for lunch, and it was like putting on a comfortable pair of shoes. It just felt - easy. You can always count on Cafe Cruz to take great ingredients and combine them competently without damage.

Cafe Cruz is located in Soquel, which is just south of Santa Cruz. It's definitely a locals-only place, not near the water for tourists or downtown for the college and "cool" crowds. It's in an old building across the street from the local Super K-Mart. Parking is non-existent, half shared with a nameless Chinese place behind the building. The structure itself is a labyrinth of small dining areas, a bar and adjacent table seating, a featured gas-fired rotisserie with rotating spitted chickens and other fowl, an outdoor open-air patio, and a heated, covered outdoor courtyard. I have never counted, but I'd speculate there are at least 50 tables scattered about the place. The bar is small, noisy, and always jammed wall to wall with happy locals chattering about the workday while catching whatever game is on TV. Tables are set simply with tablecloths covered by white butcher paper. And it has an all-copper bar and showplace kitchen area with 4 seats, installed before such things were cool or commonplace. One or more of the chefs nearly always will ask about your meal when you walk past to visit the restroom or exit the front door.

Visiting on a Friday later in the lunch period, the main dining rooms were full, and the bar tables seemed overrun by people with small children, so we gladly accepted covered courtyard seating under the heaters. There was a large table set, and we took one of the five 2-person tables next to it. A couple with a (very sick) baby were behind us, and another couple a few tables down. The large table slowly filled with eight or nine women and one man. "Who invited HIM?" I asked softly, eliciting a giggle from my dining companion. We were pleased to see our server was Lisa (pictured here in a circa 2000 photo and unchanged today), who had been with the restaurant since opening, and had served us many times in the past. There was no reason for her to remember us, and she did not, but still greeted us warmly and treated us like long lost friends - the normal atmosphere for the place. I believe it was Lisa who told us many years ago that one of the desserts (the lemon bar) was prepared by one of the waitstaff and brought with her to work fresh daily. They discontinued the practice later, outsourcing to a local bakery, but it's that kind of place - where anyone would pitch in to make it successful.

We ordered our standard San Pellegrino liter ($4.25) and heard the specials. Learning that they had Seabright Brewery's Amber Ale on tap, we both ordered one of those as well - passing up Anchor Steam, Newcastle, Heinekin, Paulaner Hefeweizen, Guinness, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale also available on draft. I reminisced that Seabright, a local brewery in Santa Cruz, was one of our favorite post-beach hangouts in days past. The decent and affordable wine list (with 15 by the glass) also beckoned, offset by the fact of a 40 minute drive to Carmel for a meeting that had already started at 1PM. We had opted for the lunch and a late arrival at the meeting in order to work Cafe Cruz into the schedule! They had an interesting special of fresh ahi tuna organized somehow into a taco salad. It looked very tasty on the large table near us, but we were wanting lighter fare in smaller portions for our afternoon repast.

What we had with menu descriptions...

Happy Boy Farms Organic Baby Green Salad (Large) - Granny smith apples, crumbled Gorgonzola, glazed walnuts & raspberry vinaigrette $13.50

Organic Baby Green Salad (small) - balsamic vinaigrette or creamy Gorgonzola port dressing $6.50

Three Cheese Spinach & Artichoke Ravioli - roasted red bell pepper cream sauce $14.95

Each table is started with a sliced sourdough baguette served with herb-infused olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh chopped garlic (prepared daily). The concoction makes a hot-spicy garlicky nectar readily absorbed by the excellent bread. Lisa brought us a second round of bread and garlic after taking our order. The salads were, as anticipated, prepared from fresh, local, organic greens. The Happy Boy salad was generous in size and perfect in presentation. The small salad really "popped" with the Gorgonzola port dressing. The pasta was also very good - warm, creamy, and redolent of fresh spinach and artichokes both procured from farms less than 20 miles away. The roasted bell pepper cream sauce was mild with a strong hint of sweetness. The hoppy Seabright ale made a great complement to the simple meal. It was a wonderful, albeit all too quick, homecoming for us.

We wanted to bring our friends back for dinner the very same evening, but the meeting in Carmel was scheduled to go until 9PM and likely to be later. I asked Lisa when closing time was for a Friday night. She went to check and reported that they planned to close around 10. I mentioned that we were hoping to bring a few friends back, but the schedule would be tight and late arrivals might not be welcomed. Lisa (without checking) assured me that if I called with a party of four or more at 9:30 for a 10PM arrival, they would without question stay open for us. Perhaps it's the rough economy, and perhaps it's also just that kind of a place. While we might ultimately have made it happen, the meeting was so exhausting that none felt up to the 80 minute round trip. So we all will have something to look forward to on our next visit.

Cafe Cruz - UNCONDITIONALLY RECOMMENDED for a friendly and comfortable Northern California lunch or dinner experience if you are relaxed and unhurried - not recommended for the demanding, up-tight, or time-limited diner

Highs: Friendly environment, reasonable prices, reliable preparation, stellar ingredients - fresh meat, fish and pasta
Lows: Parking, occasional periods of absent service

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

First Awakenings - Pacific Grove, California

2009-03-22T18:36:00.008-06:00

First Awakenings
125 Oceanview Boulevard
Pacific Grove, CA
(831) 372-1125
http://www.firstawakenings.net/

Date of Visit: Friday, March 6, 2009
Time: Breakfast - 8:30 AM
Server: N/A
Number of Diners: 2

Ratings
Food Quality: 7
Service: 6.5
Ambiance: 5

If you snoop around the web a bit, there is a very rare and clear consensus that the best breakfast in the Monterey area may be found at First Awakenings in Pacific Grove. This tiny, uber-wealthy community, called "P.G." by the locals, is where John Steinbeck lived while he wrote many famous works of fiction and non-fiction, including one about nearby Cannery Row. Often confused with Monterey, the town is sandwiched between the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Pebble Beach Golf Links. There are many fine restaurants and expensive Bed & Breakfast Inns located there, and it's a quiet place to hang out for locals looking for something upscale. It's a stunningly beautiful place - the image one brings to mind when thinking of Pebble Beach, so I decided that FA in PG would do for our breakfast this day. I was somewhat taken aback to discover the restaurant is located within the American Tin Cannery shops, a faux-restoration collection of designer label shops and other tourist traps. I decided to at least check it out before moving on to our second choice eatery. At this early hour on a Friday, everything in the mall was closed except this place, and it was packed to the rafters with locals - a very good sign indeed.

With the luck of the Irish we hit it just as several tables were departing, and we were seated immediately. It has about 20 small tables inside and a large patio outside, unused for breakfast even in the temperate PG late winter. The waitress brought coffee immediately and allowed me to use my own bottle of water, as they had only tap water available. We took quite some time perusing the extensive menu, which the waitress explained by pointing out real examples being consumed at neighboring tables. The crepes, skillets, pancakes, and huevos rancheros were well represented, with some pictured here. We opted for something more reserved to preserve room for at least one other meal that day!

What we had with menu descriptions...

Crêpeggs A thin, sweet crêpe combined with fluffy whipped egg. Served with homestyle potatoes and an English muffin.
Turkey Dill - Diced turkey, mushrooms, chopped spinach, onion and Monterey Jack cheese folded in our crêpegg. Topped with diced tomatoes, our award-winning hollandaise sauce and fresh dill 8.99

Our Omelettes We have devoted our lives to this art form. Served with homestyle potatoes and English muffin of course! If you like it hot, add jalapeños - 79¢
Veggie - Fresh seasonal vegetables, savory cheese, sour cream and chives 8.99

Vegetarian Sausage Links - Low-fat, low cholesterol 3.29

We both chose to pass on the home fries and their associated bulk and calories. The egg dishes and crepes were excellent, light, and fluffy as they should be. The veggies and fruits were fresh and delicious. Coffee was decent and plentiful, since a full pitcher of the stuff had been left on the table for our use. The veggie omelet had broccoli, spinach, onion, and chives. The turkey dill crepe was lightly seasoned with fresh dill and was both unusual and remarkable. The veggie sausage was passable, if a bit dry. Next time I might try the turkey version, available for the same price. We lingered over each bite, pausing only to dash out and feed the parking meters (which begin duty a 9AM). I even donated a quarter to feed the meter for a BMW K1100 motorcycle parked near me - my biker good deed for the morning!

First Awakenings - RECOMMENDED for a hearty and/or healthy breakfast - also open for lunch, sister location in downtown Salinas

Highs: Good ingredients, fresh food, casual upscale without pretense
Lows: Feeding parking meters from 9AM daily

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Fish House - Monterey, California

2009-03-21T07:58:00.011-06:00

Monterey's Fish House
2114 Del Monte Avenue
Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 373-4647
No Website

Date of Visit: Thursday, March 5, 2009
Time: Early Dinner - 6:00 PM
Server: ???
Number of Diners: 2

Ratings
Food Quality: 5.5
Service: 7
Ambiance: 5

In the interest of full disclosure, this is not my first visit to the Fish House, nor the second, or third. My previous visits number well into double-digit territory over the past 20 years. When we lived in the area (Gilroy), we probably ate here half a dozen times per year. So while I really wanted to love the place, the review is pretty neutral. Like the mole on Cindy Crawford's face, could it be the little flaws that give the Fish House its particular charm? For first-time visitors to the restaurant, we need to make clear which place is the subject of the review. The restaurant is a strictly locals-only type of place, called Monterey's Fish House, north of town, not close to anything but a bowling alley. It should NOT be confused with "Monterey Jack's Fish House and Sports Bar," an entirely different business located near Cannery Row, and one that caters to a primarily tourist crowd. What's the difference? Fish House is jam packed every night of the week with repeat-business locals. Monterey Jack's is jammed whenever the tourists are plentiful, with not a lot of repeat business needed. So the focus is very different, and clearly our Fish House has earned and sustained its loyal following.

The Fish House was a house at one time, but has been morphed into a tiny restaurant and grill for at least 25 years. It still feels like eating in someone's home, and it's run like a family business should be, with each and every employee from hostess to dishwashers greeting each customer like a family friend at every opportunity. Service is oddly impersonal despite the overt friendliness, perhaps because family needs no introductions. It's also by necessity, as the place is jammed to overfilling whenever they are open. It's also important to note that two things are a waste of time at the Fish House - reservations and the menu - the former because they never rush patrons despite the crowds, and they try to seat everyone that shows up somewhere if they can, reservations or not. The place opens at 5PM and closes when they start to run out of stuff, and reservations don't really guarantee you anything. The menu is nearly useless, as good as it is, because the fresh seafood is procured locally every day and varies based on the season, the catch, and the market prices. So the menu should be viewed as entertaining reading until a server comes and recites a dozen or more specials from memory.

All of this makes dining at the Fish House an exercise in patience and a journey into chaos. If you want prompt seating, fawning service, and a quiet meal with friends, this is NOT the place for you. While you may not be seated at a table with strangers, the tables are so tight that you are effectively together. We were seated at a table by the wall, about 6 inches from the next table with a single diner. When discussing the menu, it was natural (and welcome) for him to join in and discuss the finer points of what he had just finished eating. Shortly he paid his bill and left, to be replaced by a retired farmer from Hollister and his son-in-law. The older man had brought them there specifically for the barbecued oysters. Soon active conversation developed between us concerning the food, current events, and the younger man's plans to accompany a group of doctors to Central America to provide charitable medical services to indigent villages there, to be followed by a couple days of radical surfing. Only in California...

The raison d'etre for a trip to the Fish House is FRESH fish and shellfish, simply prepared, grilled over an oak fire. A few things are standard fare here: Cioppino, grilled baby octopus (when available), and barbecued oysters. Two of the three are pictured here (click on any pic in the blog for a larger version), and the oysters are indeed the stuff of legend. We are avoiding shellfish at the moment for health reasons, but have sampled all three in the past and can verify their excellence - for those who like to eat that sort of thing. If you have never tried barbecued oysters, this would be the place. They also have a selection raw on the half shell for traditionalists. Other "perpetual specials" include steamed clams or mussels and an amazing rack of lamb. The server's list of specials for that Thursday included a number of shellfish dishes and several fresh-caught fish.

What we had with descriptions...

Keep in mind that the menu is not the star here, and the specials are not written, so I have to go from memory for the dishes we ordered. Fresh fish was available oak grilled, pan cooked with veggies, blackened, or with a honey-walnut herb crust and white-wine/mushroom sauce. We decided on house salads, an antipasto platter, and two fresh fish choices.

1L bottle San Pellegrino $6

Mixed organic greens - house dressing $5.95

Antipasto Appetizer $7.95

(special) Fresh Ahi Tuna - blackened $22.95
accompanied by fresh vegetables and pasta marinara

(special) Fresh Mahi Mahi - with honey-walnut crust $22.95 (pictured at right)
accompanied by fresh vegetables and pasta marinara

Our server, whose name we never knew, was courteous and prompt, staring at the ceiling as he struggled to recite the specials at this early hour. He really never made eye contact with either of us, but his impersonal touch was more than offset by the busboy who came by every three to five minutes to refresh water, bread, wine, and to sweep away dishes and crumbs. We started with sourdough bread and butter to lead to the San Pellegrino and house salads. We had arrived a few hours earlier from Utah, and we were hungry. And we found that the salads were amazing. Not because of the variety or types of ingredients, but because of the freshness. Most of the salad greens in the Western US are grown in the Monterey Bay area and Salinas Valley. Everything on our plates was from less than 20 miles away and had been growing in a field a couple of days earlier. The difference is stunning. When we lived there, we became accustomed to it. Living in Utah, we are accustomed to week-old produce picked too early. Salads in this area should not be overlooked - they are on a different plane.

Thoroughly refreshed, I looked over the wine list, trying to guess which local, unknown vineyard would have that hidden gem. The waiter recommended Joullian Sauvignon Blanc ($30) from the Carmel Valley to my request for something dry. It was not at all dry, but went well with the fish. Having eaten here many times before, both of us decided to abandon our standard fare and branch out. Past visits opened with steamed mussels followed by fresh fish grilled on the open flame. Occasionally a rack of lamb. But this time we went with blackened tuna (on the enthusiastic recommendation of the single diner next to us) and fancy crusted and sauced mahi-mahi. They were quite frankly disappointing, and we should have known better. To take a perfect piece of fresh fish and "fancy it up" is something they do because locals insist on it, but it was a tragic waste - a needless dumbing down of good ingredients with superfluous extras. The wood-fired or pan-grilled choices are the only ones that should be considered for the fish, and next time we will remember that. The veggies were fresh and perfectly pan-tossed al dente, and the pasta was a tasty, if unnecessary side dish. We left a $20 tip for a $100 meal and waddled to our hotel to collapse for the night.

Locally there is an informal rivalry between Passionfish and Fish House. For creatively prepared fish and unusual, tasty side dishes, Passionfish is the clear choice. For plain, unadorned, fresh fish, the edge goes to Fish House. Throw in the retail priced wine and plethora of choices, and the tiebreaker goes to Passionfish. One note - all fish at Fish House is wild caught. Passionfish is vocal about sustainable resources, so most of their fish is farmed - tasty, but potentially less healthful than the wild versions.

Monterey's Fish House - RECOMMENDED for fresh, wild-caught fish or shellfish, simply prepared

Highs: Excellent fresh ingredients, intimate setting, friendly staff and patrons
Lows: Loud, chaotic, temptation to mess up perfect fish with fancy preparation

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Doolittle's Deli - Ogden, Utah

2009-01-17T15:37:00.004-07:00

Doolittle's Deli
4282S 1650 West
Ogden, UT
(801) 627-4100
http://doolittlesdeli.com/

Date of Visit: Saturday, January 17, 2009
Time: Late Lunch - 2:30 PM
Server: N/A
Number of Diners: 1

Ratings
Food Quality: 6
Service: 3
Ambiance: 6

The Ogden Municipal Airport has been developing slowly into a decent location for businesses and associated support services. A couple of years ago a new terminal and fixed-base-operator area was opened on the south side of the airport. Located there is a decent restaurant, Rickenbacker's, and a decent deli, Doolittle's. This January afternoon I happened to be in the area in need of a lite lunch, so I decided to give Doolittle's a try. The deli is open from 7AM to 8PM Monday - Saturday, closed Sundays. There were a handful of folks lunching there, even at this odd hour on a non-business day. The setup is cafeteria style, where you order, pay, get your beverage, and seat yourself. Shortly after that someone runs your order out to your table. They have numbers to hand you for when it's busy, but not needed on this slow afternoon.

The interior is as nice as it can be for an industrial space. Bright, open, and airy with walls covered with pictures of airplanes and Jimmy Doolittle, the first man to fly coast to coast from Daytona to San Diego, and the man who led the first air raids on Tokyo in B-25s from more than 600 miles away on the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. There are some very detailed large-scale models of a P-51, Spitfire, B-25, and B-29 suspended from the ceiling. Plenty of things for airplane lovers to look at, and a good thing with no view of anything out the windows except the parking area.

The young lady at the counter suggested a couple of sandwiches and a couple of calzones from the menu, when I asked what she thought was best. They all looked good, but I decided on a Thai chicken wrap and San Pellegrino. No beer or wine served, a Utah tradition! Total was $9.52. The wraps and sandwiches come with a pickle slice and choice of pasta salad, green salad, chips, or potato salad. A fresh baked cookie was also included, which I regretfully passed on - they did look good.

What I had with menu descriptions...

Thai Chicken Wrap $ 7.99…WARNING this contains peanuts
Whole grain tortilla, broiled chicken breast basted with our special Thai peanut sauce, sautéed portabella mushrooms, crisp spring greens, sprouts and gourmet mayo

The wrap was small, fresh, warm, and very tasty. The green side salad was small and had a sweet vinaigrette. The San Pellegrino made a nice complement. All in all a very decent meal, and a clean, quiet place.

Doolittle's Deli - RECOMMENDED for a quick breakfast, lunch, or early dinner

Highs: Good ingredients, fresh food, clean and attractive room
Lows: No beer or wine, prices slightly high

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Lugano - Salt Lake City, Utah

2009-01-10T08:19:00.010-07:00

Lugano
3364 S 2300 East
Salt Lake City, UT
(801) 412-9994
http://www.luganorestaurant.com/

Date of Visit: Saturday, January 3, 2009
Time: Dinner - 7:00 PM
Server: Tanya L.
Number of Diners: 4

Ratings
Food Quality: 7
Service: 8
Ambiance: 7

In 2001 Chef Greg Neville opened this place away from the competitively-crowded Salt Lake City center. It received Best New Restaurant kudos that year, and has racked up awards every year since then. I have eaten Greg's food before, trucked across town and reheated on a kitchen stove (for 50 people!) and it was fantastic. Ever since I had been looking for an excuse to visit his restaurant. The website claims it's the best Italian restaurant in Salt Lake City - a bold claim that is somewhat suspect due to the presence of Cucina Toscana, but it is certainly the best Italian restaurant that's NOT in the center of Salt Lake City. It's received Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence for the past several years, and has Zagat Top 20 ratings as well, so one can expect good things. And it is conveniently located just south of Interstate 80, so it's easier to get to for out-of-towners than the city center. There is a bit of street parking and a modest lot (all free) behind the building that can accommodate most of the demand. Behind the lot is a ski rental shop and a few other outbuildings that Greg has acquired to make the Lugano "campus." The devastating economic times have (temporarily?) derailed his plans to open a breakfast/lunch place, so the rooms are now set for private dinner functions, culinary classes, and the like.

A need to get together with another couple provided the excuse to dine at Lugano. The main room is L-shaped and can seat maybe 75. Since others were involved I went forward with reservations - no problem at all for 7PM prime time just two days in advance. We arived right on time and were greeted and seated in less than five minutes, with an apology for not being quicker about it. The room was comfortable and almost, but not quite, crowded. The tables were all full, and a handful of folks were waiting hopefully for an opening. Our server did not introduce herself, but wore a large name tag with "Tanya" imprinted neatly. She made sure we had appropriate menus and tap water glasses filled, then left us to chat and peruse. At least 15 appealing appetizers were on the menu, and I noted two choices of wood-fired pizza (Margherita and Quattro Stagione) listed among the Entrees. The entire party greeted my suggestion of a Margherita pizza as a table appetizer, and Tanya overhearing as she approached the table, rushed to make it happen. Our companions had brought along a very nice Seghisio Old Vine Zinfandel 2006 vintage, which Tanya eagerly opened and poured for us (no corkage fee appeared on the check). With the fresh bread, butter and olive selection, the wine was young bold, and fruity. With the pizza it was an excellent complement. Our server described the daily specials, and at least one diner ended up changing a selection based on those. Lugano features a daily risotto, and this day's feature was pea and marscapone. Tanya also noted that the daily risotto could be substituted for the starch with any entree, and I elected to do just that. I also asked for San Pellegrino to avoid the chlorine in the tap water. They had another brand, temporarily sold out of sparkling, and still water was an adequate choice.

What we had with descriptions...

Appetizer - PIZZA MARGHERITA WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA, SAN MARZANO TOMATOES, BASIL & OREGANO 14.95

Salad - "BELL FARMS" ORGANIC MIXED FIELD GREENS, BLUE CHEESE CROSTINI & BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE 7.95

Entree - TAGLIATTELLE WITH WILD MUSHROOMS, PROSCUITTO "COTTO", WILTED ARUGULA, PINOT GRIGIO, TRUFFLE OIL & PORCINI CREAM SAUCE 16.95

Entree - SPAGHETTI WITH SHRIMP, MUSSELS, CLAMS, TODAY'S SPECIAL FISH, GARLIC, CHILI FLAKES, BASIL & TOMATO 18.95

Entree - Special - PUMPKIN AND MARSCAPONE RAVIOLI, FRESH VEGETABLE ASSORTMENT 17.95

Entree - GRILLED POUNDED CHICKEN BREAST, SAGE/LEMON MARINADE, PARMESAN MASHED POTATOES & RED WINE REDUCTION 18.95 (Substitute Daily Risotto for Potato)

Wine - Wishing Tree Unoaked Chardonnay 2004 (Western Australia) - $36

Dessert - Cappuccino - 4.75

Dessert - Tiramisu - 6.95

Dessert - Lavender Panna Cotta with Cat's Tongue Cookies and 12 year old Balsamic 6.95

Even though all pricing is a la carte, the prices are very reasonable, possibly due to the "suburban" location of the restaurant. The salads were fresh, organic, and very tasty. The pizza was very good as an appetizer, though some quibbles could be taken that an excellent tomato sauce was used instead of fresh tomatoes (though it is mid-winter, after all!), and there could have been a touch more fresh basil on it. The entrees were, for the most part, stunning. Fresh ingredients, lovingly prepared, and sauces cooked to perfection. Let's take each in turn... The tagliattelle was generous with the mushrooms and prosciutto taking front stage in the dish and the sauce application was discreet enough not to drown the whole thing. Even though she complained that the dish was "missing something" and "almost bland," our dainty dining friend left nothing on her plate save for a few drops of sauce. The ravioli special was sweet and creamy - a cross between ultralight cheese ravioli and pumpkin pie. While not to my taste, everyone else at the table raved about it. The chicken was moist and excellent, and the pea/marscapone risotto substitution was a delight.

Perhaps the only disappointment of the evening was the spaghetti. Easily the best looking of the entrees selected, the seafood was liberally doused in a red marinara MEAT sauce. The sauce by itself was bold, hearty, and seething with pork, lamb, and perhaps beef. Combining this sauce with mussels, clams, and shrimp was an odd choice. The delicate seafood was made messy to deal with removing shells, and the flavor was completely overwhelmed by the sauce. Meat-flavored clams, anyone? While the result could not have in any way been classified as bad, it was a strange method to add protein to the dish and wasted all the nuance of the flavors of the seafood. It also clashed with the diner's expectation of the dish, having been labeled as Seafood Spaghetti rather than Spaghetti with MEAT Sauce and seafood chucked in at the end. A couple of nice, New York style meatballs would have been more appropriate and more welcome. Though had that been the case, our diner would have selected something else. The fact that it was all eaten speaks to the quality of the dish, disappointments aside.

I am a big fan of unoaked Chardonnays, which taste of grapes rather than vanilla. Our Wishing Tree selection did not disappoint, and it made an excellent complement to everything except the surprising MEAT sauce. As is customary in Utah, paying $36 for a $10 bottle is generally acceptable, as it beats paying $175 for a $40 wine. Our practice of bringing along a $40 bottle that was not on the restaurant's extensive wine list is also an accepted norm. There were plenty of reasonably priced wines (for the area) listed to experiment with, but it's more sensible to experiment at retail than at restaurant prices! Our unoaked Chardonnay was a clear winner.

The service was excellent. Tanya worked several tables pretty much solo, with one unobtrusive bus-person working the same tables independently. The only half-slip was that I had to ask twice for the bottled water, and no charge for it appeared on the check. I do not know whether the lack of corkage and water charges were oversights, generosity, or driven by economic conditions.

The desserts were outstanding and paired well with the cappuccinos - especially the tiramisu, which was significantly better than a homemade version I'd tried two weeks prior - and that was homemade by a professional chef for his mother's birthday! The panna cotta measured up well, creamy, light and delicate. The "cat's tongue" cookies were also light and very crunchy, providing the perfect textural contrast to the creamy dessert. They may have been out of 12 year old balsamic, as the panna cotta was served with two delicious, colored sauces.

All in all the experience was a worthy one. Food and service were up to par, even on a busy Saturday night, and the prices were very reasonable given the quality of the ingredients and care in their preparation. In Utah the service is often a weak link, but Tanya did very well attending to us seamlessly. We happily left her a $40 tip for the $190 tab.

Greg Neville is a people person, and he works hard before service to set up the kitchen so that he can spend half the time during service in the front of the house. While he visits most tables seated during the dinner, answering questions and seeking feedback, he makes a point to thank each and every patron as they leave the restaurant. He clearly pours his heart and soul into the place, and I plan to revisit Lugano again. Local foodies praise the food at Lugano. While the food is adequate, Greg's presence and good service make the package complete, perhaps explaining the raves.

Lugano - RECOMMENDED if you order carefully

Highs: Fresh ingredients, creative risottos daily, comfortable atmosphere, reasonable prices for the quality of food, gracious host
Lows: Meaty seafood dish

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Oasis Cafe - Salt Lake City, Utah

2008-11-08T09:23:00.005-07:00

Oasis Cafe
151 S 500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
(801) 322-1162
http://oasiscafeslc.com/

Date of Visit: Friday, November 7, 2008
Time: Dinner - 7:30 PM
Server: Dustin
Number of Diners: 2

Ratings
Food Quality: 6
Service: 6
Ambiance: 8

After being turned away by the egotists at Em's, we detoured around a noisy and traffic-disrupting gay rights protest at Salt Lake City's Temple Square and made our way over to the Oasis Cafe. This was formerly THE place in Salt Lake for natural and organic foods. An ownership change at the end of 2007 has been met with pretty severe backlash from the locals, who have had basically nothing good to say about the service, and little good to say about the food, since 2006. We decided to give it a shot anyway. The restaurant is in a quiet neighborhood on the east side, with plenty of free parking on-street and adjacent lot. It's also attached to a "new age" bookstore. The room is large, well lit, decorated liberally with paintings in gallery style, quiet, and comfortable. It's shaped in the form of right triangle, with the long side being all windows with a view of the cozy city neighborhood. All servers were dressed in solid black, and one with "Dustin" on his name tag greeted us and showed us apologetically to the acute tip of the triangular dining area. "Is this OK?" he asked. I assured him it was, as we prefer quiet corners. He left us with a lot to read - 2 entree menus, one drinks menu, one tea menu, and one wine/beer menu. Only a couple of the green teas were marked "organic." I was surprised that the Oasis' claim to fame, natural and organic, was absent from the food menus.

Dustin returned promptly with two large glasses of tap water. Since we have recently abandoned consumption of water with chlorine in it for health reasons, it smelled like a swimming pool. We set the glasses quietly to one side while giving our appetizer order and asking for a large bottle of San Pellegrino - they offer 3 sizes. After polishing the appetizer off, I gave Dustin our food and wine order. He then remembered to tell us about the fresh Halibut special, prompting a change from my dining partner. He did neglect to mention the soup special - cream of cauliflower, which I had seen on the board on our way in. One thing that suffered in the ownership changeover is the website. The very trick java interface with music displays everything you need to know EXCEPT the menu. Several comments have been left on the site complaining about it, to no avail. So we will have to go from memory to describe the food and drinks.

What we had with descriptions...

Appetizer - Seared ahi medallions on baby spinach and arugula with mandarin oranges, sticky wild rice, and spicy mustard - $12

Salad - Mixed green salad with house dressing - $6

Entree - Special fresh halibut on a vegetable risotto - $22

Entree - Vegetarian lasagna - $18

Wine - Paul Jaboulet Cotes du Rhone "Parallel 45" - $35

Dessert - Gunbarrel Green Tea - $2

Dessert - Green Tea with Toasted Rice - $2

While the prices seemed a bit high for the area, that's to be expected for fresh and organic foods. Paying $35 for a $10 bottle of wine is also the norm for Utah.

The Parallel 45 is a reliable, inexpensive blend of French Grenache and Syrah grapes. Medium in body, we decided to risk it with the fish and veggie dinner choices. It was very fruity on the nose, opening with unsubtle dark cherry. The taste was full of fruit, barely off dry, and with a clean finish. Nothing special, but a decent pairing for almost any meal.

The half dozen ahi medallions were barely seared and served warm. Mixing the two greens with the rice, fish, orange, and mustard was a great combination. Individually the ingredients were more bland than I might have expected. The salads were also unexciting, leading me to suspect that the restaurant had abandoned its commitment to those ingredients. Instead they may have been content to settle for wierd art, advertisements for dance, zen healing, vegan events, and far left politics. While this atmosphere is sought by some, it does not necessarily translate to the plates. We were pleased with the entrees, though. The fish was fresh and delicious and went well with the slightly glue-like risotto. The very generous portion of veggie lasagna was saturated with several kinds of cheese and many vegetables, making for a very filling (if not completely hot) meal. For dessert we went with some unusual selections from the tea menu. The gunpowder tea was as good as any I've had anywhere, while the tea/rice mix was very light and different. Not to my taste, but my dining partner was quite happy with it.

All in all it was just okay, not spectacular. With tax the bill came to $105, quite high for an average/decent meal. Even though I had no big complaints with either food or service, it's possible to do better in Salt Lake.

Oasis Cafe - NOT RECOMMENDED

Highs: Entrees, art, decor, windows, atmosphere
Lows: Abandoned commitment to organic ingredients, bland greens, website not up to date

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Em's - Salt Lake City, Utah

2008-11-08T07:52:00.010-07:00

Em's
271 North Center Street
Salt Lake City, Utah
(801)596–0566
http://www.emsrestaurant.com/

Date of Visit: Friday, November 7, 2008
Time: Dinner - 7:00 PM
Server: N/A
Number of Diners: 0

Ratings
Food Quality: 0
Service: 0
Ambiance: 0

I have recently taken an interest in "Slow Food," which is a great concept - to sit and dine, to eat slowly, to enjoy the best of food, to focus on fresh, local ingredients. Sadly, like many good ideas, it's "gone political," and so much of the information out there is about events, rallies, donations, and the like. I only wish they could focus more on the concept and executing it locally. Still, the Slow Food Utah site has useful information on finding fresh, local foodstuffs and restaurants that specialize in preparing them. I browsed through several, checking their websites, and was drawn to a new place I had not heard about, Em's Restaurant, featuring "simply elegant food at its finest, prepared fresh by hand from only the finest local and organic ingredients." The menu looked good, and so we ventured out for an early dinner on a Friday evening. The website promised "plenty of free, off-street parking," unusual for Salt Lake. When we arrived, we found only scarce, on-street parking, but even at 7 PM on a Friday we were able to find a place on the street less than a block away - this is an advantage of living in Utah. As we walked to the place in the post-daylight savings time darkness, we could feel the chill in the air - al fresco dining season is pretty much over in Northern Utah.

We entered the dining area, which was tidy, well-lit, and tasteful, with about 15 tables on the right and a metal bar on the left with 8-10 chairs. There was no host podium, so we stood quietly by the bar while a server prepared a check with a high-tech electronic calculator. He eventually greeted us and asked if we had reservations. This being Salt Lake City, and me being unwilling to plan ahead, we did not. Apparently this was no problem at all, because on Friday and Saturday nights they are "completely booked," and dinner for interlopers such as ourselves was a simple impossibility. I glanced at the room, where there were two empty tables and a third being re-set after departing diners and asked, "You ONLY do reservations here?" He replied that "usually" on Fridays and Saturdays it was a "good idea," and that "sometimes, rarely you can get lucky." I looked him in the eye and said nothing - If he was fishing for a bribe, he wasn't getting one. This is Utah, not New York City! He offered, "We have some business cards with our hours printed on the back right here." I had previously picked one up, which I took out of my pocket and returned to the pile. "We drove 45 miles to eat dinner here. I will NEVER come back to this place." He blinked, and provided the universal GenX/Y condemnation, "Whatever..." as we turned and walked out the door.

If you live in a civilized area I'm sure that you are thinking that MY behavior was boorish at best, if not downright rude and unreasonable. Let me clarify, Utah is NOT a civilized area. While decent dining places are relatively rare, the state is an enormous small town, and as such, copping an attitude toward patrons is not going to curry favor with the locals. While I expected to have to wait, or sit at the bar, or even come back in an hour or two, I did NOT expect to be tossed out on the street. Perhaps "chef-owner" Emily Gassmann has so focused on getting local ingredients, she also believes that all her clients should live within walking distance as well, know her rules, and abide by them without complaint. The reality is that even locals from Salt Lake will have to drive at least 20 minutes (and most double that) to get to her place, and returning on another day is not without inconvenience. Or perhaps her place is small enough that she can sell out most of her stock each evening without encouraging repeat business. Most likely she has enough repeat business within walking distance that she needs no others, and actively discourages them. It's her business and she can do as she wishes, but would it kill her to list on her website that Friday and Saturday dinner seating IS STRICTLY BY RESERVATION ONLY? Telling me that I need to adjust my habits to support her schedule is not a winning strategy.

Was I unreasonable? Since I was able to drive a couple of miles down the street, park for free, and obtain immediate seating for a fine meal at a decent restaurant where they were happy to have my business at 7:30PM on a Friday night, I suspect not. Therefore Em's receives the not-so-coveted Wanton Ego "Nazi Food Medal" award pictured here. I hope Ms. Gassmann will display it with egotistical pride!

What we had with menu descriptions...

We had nothing at all, but the menu sounded good.

APPETIZERS:
Potato Pancakes with Crme Fraiche & Fresh Herbs. $6.00
Flatbread with Seasonal Toppings. $6.00
Smoked Salmon & Crab Rolls with Avocado, Sesame Seed Vinaigrette & Cilantro Oil. $9.00
Phyllo stuffed with Goat's Cheese & Duck Confit. $8.00
Country Pate with Toast Points. $9.00
Tamales stuffed with Goat's Cheese served on a bed of Chipotle Con Crema. $7.00
SALADS:
Spinach salad with Goat's Cheese in a Balsamic Vinaigrette. $8.00
House Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Shaved Parmesan Reggiano & House made Croutons. $5.00
Pear, Walnuts & Bleu Cheese with mixed Organic Greens in a Champagne Vinaigrette. $7.00
Roasted Potatoes, Caramelized Onions & Italian Sausage with Seasonal Greens in a Bacon, Sherry Vinaigrette. $8.00
ENTRE'S (sic): Served with House salad
Potato Lasagna - Yukon Gold potatoes layered with Parmesan, Ricotta, Whole Milk Mozzarella & Seasonal Vegetables. $13.00
Nightly Pasta Special. $A.Q.
Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Seasonal Vegetables & Mashed Potatoes. $18.00
Moran Valley Rack of Lamb with Potato, Shallot Custard & Jalapeno Jelly. $ 20.00
Ribeye with Bleu Cheese & Caramelized Onions, Roasted Potatoes & Seasonal Vegetable. $ 21.00
Dried Fruit stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Potatoes in a Bacon Sherry Vinaigrette. $17.00
Leek stuffed, Wild Salmon Roulade over Creamy Cabbage. $17.00
Free Range Chicken Breast stuffed with Goat's Cheese & Pine Nuts with Mashed Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables. $16.00
Marinated Pork Chop in a Maple, Mustard & Bacon Barbeque Sauce with Mashed Potatoes & Seasonal Vegetables. $18.00

The menu above is quoted exactly as it appears on the website, and is provided with misspelled words, comma abuse, and apostrophe errors to demonstrate that this is, in fact, Utah.

Em's - NOT RECOMMENDED - AVOID especially on Fridays and Saturdays, even in Utah equivalent (or better) alternatives are available!

Highs: Looked nice and people seemed to be enjoying themselves
Lows: Big city celeb chef attitude, GenY rudeness

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

El Gaucho - Portland, Oregon

2008-10-04T06:25:00.007-06:00

El Gaucho
319 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
(503)227-8794
http://www.elgaucho.com/elgaucho/_portland

Date of Visit: Friday, October 3, 2008
Time: Dinner - 5:00 PM
Server: Chris
Number of Diners: 4

Ratings
Food Quality: 7.5
Service: 6.5
Ambiance: 8

Our Saturday schedule of leisurely shopping, late breakfast, and no lunch put us squarely into early-bird time for dinner. We were the first diners of the evening at the Portland location of the famous steakhouse, which started in Seattle and also has a Tacoma branch. We were told to expect a new opening in Bellingham in November as well. The rainy season had started in Portland, and after our 10 block walk to the restaurant all of us had soaking wet raincoats to deal with. The hostesses greeted us cheerfully and produced a single coat hanger upon which every coat was draped. I took the single claim ticket and cocked an eyebrow at my companions who shrugged. We shook ourselves off and proceeded to a very nice table in the quiet, elegant dining room.

El Gaucho is a veritable time machine, transporting us instantly back to the 50s and 60s of chic supper clubs, thankfully sans the smoking! Our server and his team were all dressed in El Gaucho uniforms - formal black and white with gold embroidery. Chris introduced himself and encouraged us to take our time with the menu and wine lists. Standard wines and wines by the glass were listed on the back of the oversized menu card, while reserve wines were listed in a separate menu. Wine prices were high across the board, overcome by the fact that nearly every choice was a high quality wine - some famous and some less famous. The sideboard next to our table displayed magnums of some of the best wines in the United States: Joseph Phelps Insignia, Far Niente Estate Cabernet, Woodward Canyon Old Vines Cabernet, Caymus Special Selection Cabernet, Trefethen, Grgich, and others. It was an honor to dine in such company.

I had to call my wine consultant, Scott in Yakima, to help find the best quality/value pairing on the list. Most good wine lists have the famous wines at famous prices, and they hide a few gems somewhere that provide equivalent or superior quality for a comparative bargain. Scott quickly honed in on one and directed me to have it decanted and wait for a minimum of 30 minutes before consumption. I called Chris over and asked for the Andrew Will, Sorella, Horse Heaven Hills 05, our hidden wine gem for $145. The wine steward quickly appeared with the correct bottle, opening it and decanting it through a silver filter with a flourish. We could see from the deep burgundy color and the slow viscosity of the pour that this was indeed a special wine. The steward poured me a sample. The nose was prominent, fruity and floral, and the wine was smooth and delicate with enough body to coat my entire tongue. I enjoyed every nuance of flavor as taste buds were stimulated area by area. I nodded to the steward, but had to stop him from pouring out the carafe into our glasses. "We will let it rest for a while." He was taken aback a bit. Clever servers know that they need to get you started drinking immediately to loosen up the group and create time and desire for a second bottle. Clever diners know that the bottle can be saved for the main course, and this was the path we chose! Two minutes later the wine was still dancing around my tongue - a very good sign of things to come.

If you ever wondered, "Where's the beef?" the answer is a resounding "El Gaucho!" The center of the menu boldly states: "We proudly serve custom 28-day dry-aged certified Angus beef® prime steaks as personally recommended by John Tarpoff." Sure, there are good fish and poultry choices, but the order of the evening was beef, and plenty of it! We discussed steaks and sides with Chris as we ordered. I was surprised to learn that none of the produce, vegetables, or fruits were organic - unusual for Portland and slightly disappointing.

What we had with menu descriptions...

Table Side Caesar Salad (minimum of two) $12 per person

French Onion Soup bowl $8

Peppercorn New York 16 oz $64

Baseball Cut Top Sirloin 12 oz $38, Roquefort $40

Filet Mignon 8 oz $42

Flaming Sword Brochette of Tenderloin $34

"Shareable Sides"

Full Gaucho Treatment Gaucho Baked Potato - Russet potato fluffed tableside with butter and Tillamook cheddar cheese beer sauce, cracked pepper and scallions $5

Southwest Scalloped Potatoes $6

Asparagus $12

Chris wheeled a tableside prep cart over and began the serious business of making our Caesar salads. He scooped garlic and anchovies into an oversized walnut salad bowl and started working them vigorously with a big spoon. Adding Dijon, egg yolk (pasteurized), Pecorino cheese, and fresh lemon, he capped it off with a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil. Working the dressing for several minutes, he showed us the result before adding cheesy croutons and romaine lettuce. I took the opportunity to pour a generous taste of wine for each of my companions. While the salad and show were wonderful, the French onion soup was even better. Carmelized sweet Walla Walla onions brought out nuances of our wine made from Walla Walla grapes. Subtelties of shared terroir are difficult to describe, so you should be encouraged play around with such pairings on your own!

We were alerted to the imminence of our steaks when one of Chris's assistants appeared with a cutlass of meat, mushrooms, and tomato with flaming spirits in the inverted crossguard - good for serving the food if less functional in a sword fight! He started spooning the flames over the brochette in a professional manner as we enjoyed the show. Chris and another assistant came with the other three entrees while the restaurant manager came to finally pour the wine. I told her to check with each person before pouring, as one of our friends wanted to limit herself to a taste. This instruction elicited another funny look as she complied. It seems that the entire staff is there to please you and handle everything, and they were somewhat insulted by my instructions. Whatever.

Chris spooned crimini mushroom gravy onto one of the tenderloins and Bearnaise onto the other, then the two ladies attacked their tenderloins like true carnivores - perhaps it was a tactical error to skip lunch? Both uttered moans of delight, so all was well. My buddy offered praise for his peppercorn NY steak, while I carved a chunk off the baseball of top sirloin. I found my steak to be perfectly cooked, flavorful, and a bit chewy. I glanced at my enraptured companions and tried another bite with the same result. I asked my friend if the evening's steak was better than the flat iron steak at Higgins, and he said that it was. The girls were still gorging themselves, so I tried a few more bites. Still disappointing, I said something to my companions. They were shocked and immediately proffered generous samples of all of their steaks. The tenderloins were both delicious and melty. The peppercorn steak was overspiced and very tough. By contrast my top sirloin was much better, and it clearly improved as I moved to the center of its mass. Apparently I have a talent for choosing the very worst part of any steak for my first bites! The rest of the meal was a delight, and the wine paired perfectly with the aged Angus beef.

After dinner dishes were cleared Chris brought out an enormous tray of fresh fruit and raw nuts in the shell plus a plate of Roquefort cheese, crackers, and dried dates. We eagerly cracked pecans, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, and almonds while sipping good coffee. There were red and green apples and a pear as well. I tried each of the items with the wine, and it did not pair very well with the coffee or sweets, but was OK with the various nuts - especially almonds. I finally poured the last of the wine from the carafe and watched as the legs slowly melted down its sides. The wine steward appeared out of nowhere and stood looking at me. "I'm waiting for the legs to fall to get the last drop." He stared silently, picked up the carafe, and backed away very slowly - cautiously assuming that I was kidding while giving me an option to stop him. I wasn't totally kidding, but let him have his way at last. My wife shrewdly deduced that those few drops from the legs of the wine were his to taste, explaining the odd behavior.

Overall the experience was good. Dinner as theater. I deducted half a point from the food score for the lack of organic ingredients and the unimaginative handling of the menu items. This last point is perhaps unfair, as imagination would have detracted from the vintage experience. It's my blog, so my opinion rules, as always! I also deducted half a point for the wet raincoats (mine was thoroughly soaked inside). Only the bottom coat was dry on the inside. And for the the slight undertone of discomfort from the staff as they dealt with my unusual instructions. Chris and his team got a generous tip (22%) while the hostess/coat check girl got a quiet word of advice. I wanted her to learn rather than get a reprimand from management. Not sure it worked - she seemed shocked to learn that placing one wet coat on a hanger on top of another would make the inside of the top coat wet. She's probably still complaining to her friends that nobody every complained to her before. For someone that lives in a city where it rains 6-12 months per year, she should know this by now!

El Gaucho - RECOMMENDED for a nice night of theater dinner

Highs: The show, reasonable prices considering the extras
Lows: Low creativity, damp inside lining of raincoats

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Higgins Restaurant and Bar - Portland, Oregon

2008-10-03T08:40:00.013-06:00

Higgins Restaurant and Bar
1239 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
(503)222-9070
http://higgins.ypguides.net

Date of Visit: Thursday, October 2, 2008
Time: Dinner - 8:30 PM
Server: Andrew
Number of Diners: 4

Ratings
Food Quality: 9
Service: 9
Ambiance: 7

Started a long weekend in Portland, Oregon with friends by re-visiting Higgins Restaurant and Bar. In any conversation of which restaurant is best in Portland (a topic of endless discussion locally), it is a given that Higgins will be mentioned in the top five. In a culinary mecca like Portland, anything in the top 50 will not disappoint!

Our waiter introduced himself (Andrew) and asked about drinks. We asked for some time to contemplate, and he left me with the wine and beer lists. The beer list is worth noting, two full pages, a dozen on tap, and there are separate wine and beer stewards listed and present at the restaurant. I saw a Volnay for $62, which is a stellar restaurant price for such a wine, which can often retail for $100 or more. I also noted that there was a cask beer selection available. When Andrew returned I quizzed him about the wine (well balanced and bold) and the cask beer (a selection from a local microbrewery). We ordered a bottle of the Volnay and I asked for a draught of the cask beer to pair with my appetizer course. The menu is short - half a dozen appetizers and salads, two soups daily, and half a dozen main courses. There were also verbal specials - 1 appetizer and 3 mains. Between us our group ordered three soups, three salads, and three entrees.

The menu changes every Thursday based on what's locally available week by week. All produce, fruits and meats are organic and natural - something not written on the menu. It may go without saying in this health-conscious city.

What we had with menu descriptions...

Fresh mozzarella burrata with vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and basil $14.50

Salad of gathered summer greens, toasted hazelnuts and herb vinaigrette $7.25

Soup of the Day - white bean and bacon $7.00

Soup of the Day - tomatillo and green chile $7.00

Risotto of sweet corn, tomatillos, and chèvre cheese with a sweet red pepper vinaigrette $23.50

Special - Flat iron steak with cheddar mashed potatoes and a trio of local mushrooms in red wine sauce $35.00

Special - Fresh local sturgeon and garlic green beans on a bed of polenta $28.50

One thing we did not order this time: Higgins charcuterie plate with house-made pickles $13.75 - pictured at right and even better than it looks...

Sourdough bread was excellent, paired with house branded extra virgin olive oil. The soups and salads appeared immediately. The Caprese was stunning with organic green heirloom tomatoes and uber-fresh mozzarella - clearly made on premises earlier that same day. And the basil had clearly been snipped from a nearby plant. The green salad was a work of art and very tasty with organic greens. The white bean soup was hearty and entirely pleasant, while the tomatillo chile soup raised raised the bar of excellence even higher. The mildly hoppy cask ale was a perfect complement to all of the above.

Andrew had opened the Volnay, inspecting the cork with his nose immediately after it popped out of the bottle, quietly showcasing his wine expertise. It had time to breathe in the glasses as we lingered over salads, soups, bread, and beer. The wine had great character, tasting of raspberry, blueberry, leather, and earth. The nose was delicate and fruity with no floral notes at all. Volnay was the perfect choice to pair with beef, fish, and vegetarian main courses.

The entrees appeared together at exactly the right time. The flat iron steak was perfectly cooked, pink in the center, and literally tender enough to cut with a fork. The cheesy potatoes easily absorbed the mushroom sauce, and the fresh local mushrooms added value to the taste of the perfectly aged beef. The sturgeon was light, delicate, flaky, moist and melted in your mouth. The beans were crisp, fresh, and full of phytochemical goodness. The polenta was as good as corn meal mush can be. The most unusual entree was the sweet corn risotto - creamy, crunchy, piquant, and surprisingly sweet. The sweetness melded well with the sweet red pepper vinaigrette, and the whole of the dish was a factor of ten more than the sum of its parts. Everyone at the table had a taste, and the reviews were consistent - home run!

All throughout the night Andrew was at our elbow in anticipation of every need, and the bus staff never allowed a water glass to be less than half full. All servers were polite, unobtrusive, professional, and nearly invisible. Dessert menu was equally impressive, and the four of us shared the hot apple crisp - a delightful medley of fresh apples mixed with house-made granola and topped with vanilla ice cream. Mediocre cappuccino was the only (very minor) flaw in the otherwise perfect dining experience. We all rolled happily and slowly back to the hotel six blocks away.

It should be noted that the entire menu plus a bargain-priced bistro menu is available in the bar at the back of the restaurant. Locals jam in here for Portland's best foodie value play. The hamburgers here are a local legend, and I shall have to return and try one for lunch very soon!

Higgins - UNCONDITIONALLY RECOMMENDED

Highs: Fresh Organic and Local ingredients, innovative menu, beautiful presentation, casual atmosphere, flawless service
Lows: Mediocre coffee, not open for breakfast...

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Cucina Toscana - Salt Lake City, UT

2008-10-02T06:21:00.009-06:00

Cucina Toscana
Historic Firestone Building
307 W Pierpont Avenue
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801)328-DINE(3463)
http://www.cucina-toscana.com

Date of Visit: Saturday, August 23, 2008
Time: Dinner - 10:00 PM
Server: Justin & staff
Number of Diners: 4

Ratings
Food Quality: 8
Service: 8
Ambiance: 7

Valter Nassi took over the deserted Firestone Building space in 2002 and created his version of a Tuscan kitchen for Salt Lake City. As with any new place, reviews raved. Unlike other new places, the reviews escalated year by year, and the quality consistently improved. Picked as a no-contest best Italian restaurant by Salt Lake Magazine several years in a row, Cucina Toscana was also picked in 2008 by that publication as the best restaurant in Salt Lake City, period. Having been there a number of times, I find it easy to agree. It's inconceivable that this city could deserve or maintain such a place.

With that modest setup, we found ourselves downtown with friends late one Saturday evening, having just viewed the movie Bottle Shock - a great story poorly done for Sundance and released to art houses this year. Wait for it on cable. But I digress. Where to go near 10 PM on a Saturday in Salt Lake City for some wine and dessert? Unlike civilized regions, most dining establishments were already closed. We knew that the trendy, downtown places would be open until maybe 10, so we took a chance and went to the best one - Cucina Toscana. The parking lot was half empty, and folks were pouring out of the place. I had some trepidation, but we proceeded boldly inside. The bar area (not a real bar - this is Utah!) was being cleaned after hosting a private party, and the hostess greeted us cheerfully. I replied, "I was hoping to get some drinks and dessert." She said, "No problem!" and quickly seated us in the main dining area, in a prime table on the busy deli aisle. The restaurant is designed to make you feel as if you are eating in a kitchen, and the best tables are in the noisy, active areas. The host, impeccably dressed, introduced himself as Justin, and snapped his fingers, "Get some bruschetta for these folks!" The near-invisible staff made the complimentary appetizer appear, and it was perfect - freshly toasted baguette slices covered with diced tomato and fresh spices doused in olive oil. We asked for San Pellegrino for the table and it appeared immediately in endless quantities.

Just for fun, we perused the dinner menu, and I discussed wine selections with my friend. Justin reappeared and added his recommendations. My friends chose two different chardonnays by the glass, and I stayed with the Pellegrino as designated driver. Even though we were not hungry, the smells were tantalizing. So I ordered a "tuna carpaccio" while my wife got the Caprese salad. Our friends split an enormous pasta entree. The tuna was fresh, uncooked, and delicious. The Caprese was a work of art with fresh, organic, hydroponic, Wyoming tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and basil covered in fine extra virgin olive oil. The pasta was al dente and the sauce delicate. Valter appeared from the banquet room and provided handshakes and hugs for the men and kisses for the ladies. As always, he made us feel welcome - as if we were visiting the home of an uncle. After some time and several glasses of wine and Pellegrino, we were given dessert menus. Four demitasse cups of the house special hot chocolate (also complimentary) appeared to help us in our selections. The drink was warm, rich, and amazing - too rich to finish even the tiny portions. Our friends shared a triamisu. We were abstaining from sugar, so I asked if a dessert of cheeses and berries was available. Nothing like it was on the menu, but it appeared in concert with the tiramisu, and the selections were generous and delicious.

By now it was nearing 11PM and the restaurant was still about half full. Our friends noticed comedian Lewis Black come in with an entourage, and they were quickly and discreetly seated at a large table in a quiet corner. They were happily digging into their bruschetta as we split the $140 check (leaving $85 apiece) and made our way home. Expensive, but well worth it - the perfect finish for a nice evening out with friends.

Cucina Toscana - UNCONDITIONALLY RECOMMENDED any time for anyone in the Salt Lake area (closed Sundays)

Highs: Valter, service, activity, food, dessert, and hospitality
Lows: Very busy at "rush hour" 7-9 nightly

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

The Brickskeller - Washington, DC

2008-08-01T15:38:00.012-06:00

The Brickskeller
1523 22nd St NW
Washington, DC 20037
202.293.1885
www.lovethebeer.com/brickskeller.html

Date of Visit: Sunday, June 8, 2008
Time: Dinner - 6:30 PM
Server: Chrissy
Number of Diners: 1

Ratings
Food Quality: 4
Service: 7
Ambiance: 4

Family owned and operated since October 7, 1957, The Brickskeller is legendary in the DC area for its selection of over 1000 bottled beers. Google "Brickskeller Reviews" and you will find dozens of famous, infamous, and unknown critics hailing its praises. And Washington D.C. is legendary for its bountiful traffic, byzantine layout, and scarce parking - especially in the DuPont Circle area. For these reasons I chose Sunday evening to make my visit. True to my expectations traffic was relatively light and I was able to find free, legal on-street parking within a block and half - no mean feat in this embassy-rich area of the District! The downside of my timing is that the place was not busy, and the more comfortable upstairs bar/lounge area (pictured at left) was closed - and so was access to their dozen plus interesting beers on tap. So I found myself taking refuge from the 100-degree plus heat in the cellar area - dingy, sooty, and decorated with rare beer bottles, cans, and advertisements from 100 years ago. It was cooler than outside, but still quite warm. I was seated somewhere in the rabbit warren promptly if not courteously, and there were a few photocopies of the menu booklet on the table propped between ketchup and mustard. There are a number of interesting things listed in the menu, though mostly "bar food." And truth be told, nobody comes here for the food - they all come for the beer. Check out the impressive BEER LIST. Or click on the photo at right to see two of the ten pages of beers listed with current prices.

What I had with menu descriptions...

The Pentagon CheeseBoard 7.25
Five big cheeses! ~ havarti with dill, smoked gouda, brie, cheddar and pepperjack served with loaf of oven warmed french bread

Garden Greens House Salad 4.25
Choice of Ceasar, Ranch, Blue Cheese, Russian, Oil & Vinegar Dressings

The "Down Home" Burger 7.95
One half pound of lean ground beef smothered in fried onions seasoned with our own special blend of herbs and spices. With fries.

Check out the full menu with THIS LINK.

This being my second visit to the place, I can verify that it is absolutely true that folks come for the beer and not the food. My server was barely dressed - appropriate for the heat, and had a number of pretty severe-looking tattoos on her neck and upper arms. Later I noticed some birthmarks or burn marks on the underside of her lower arms, so the tats were a good diversionary tactic for her. Though she did not introduce herself, she was friendly enough - considering I was a solo diner. The salad was a halfhearted mound of greens with two plastic tubs of commercial blue cheese dressing. Good for digestion, but no pleasure to eat. The cheese board was a pleasant surprise - all five cheeses were quite good, as was the fresh loaf of warm, soft, white bread - though hardly French. My burger, ordered well done, was dry as a bone. I had tried the buffalo burger on a previous visit with the same result. Again I made do with generous servings of mustard from the squirt bottle on the table.

The thing that salvaged the experience was the beer. On my previous visit I had sampled several unusual Belgian beers on tap, but not available this night. I found a Weihenstephan dark Hefeweizen in the German section of the beer list for $7.50 and ordered it. My waitress (whose name I learned from the check) poured it expertly into the proper glass, inverting the bottle with no thought for overcarbonation, stopping with a quarter left and swirling to pick up the yeast, then topping off the glass. The bottle proclaimed in German "älteste Brauerei der Welt" - the Oldest Brewery in the World. I can see why they have lasted so long - the beer was outstanding. When I was ready for my second beer, the waitress suggested an alternate dark Hefe from Schneider. It was not nearly as good and cost $9.45, but I was happy to have tried it. All in all the experience was a mixed bag. I shall probably not return unless with a few friends, and we'll be dining elsewhere first!

The Brickskeller - RECOMMENDED only for beer
Eat somewhere else and call ahead to see if the upstairs is open!

Highs: Beer
Lows: Dry burgers, unexciting food, closed upstairs

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Settebello - Salt Lake City, Utah

2008-07-13T14:00:00.011-06:00

Settebello
260 South 200 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
801-322-3556
http://www.settebello.net/SLC/main.html

Date of Visit: Saturday, July 12, 2008
Time: Dinner - 6:30 PM
Server: Levi
Number of Diners: 2

Ratings
Food Quality: 6
Service: 7
Ambiance: 7

We happened to be in the area of the "Best New Restaurant in Salt Lake City for 2008" at early dinnertime this fine evening. We decided to try the place that Longisland Guy had pronounced to be "very thin crust," "NOT NY style," and "far too small." I love thin, Neapolitan style pizza, and so his negative review sounded pretty good to me. This restaurant is new to the area, but had promise, as it was copied from a successful sister restaurant in Las Vegas. We declined the valet service and found free street parking, in the shade, about a block away (this IS Salt Lake City, after all!). The place was mid-sized, tastefully decorated with sketches and lithographs of Naples, and a bit noisy. An enormous gas-fired brick oven dominated the room, boding well for good Neapolitan pizza. We were well ahead of the dinner rush and were seated immediately. Levi, our waiter, brought us some iced tea to take the edge off the heat while we perused the menu. Like ourselves, all the patrons were dressed casually in shorts and casual shirts. The menu explained the history behind the name Settebello.

Settebello is the most valuable and sought after card in the popular Italian card game scopa. A deck of scopa cards consists of 40 separate cards in 4 different suits. The suits include clubs, swords, cups and gold. The Settebello is the nickname given to the seven of gold.

Whichever player holds the settebello at the end of a hand is awarded a point. The settebello can also aid a player in winning a point for the primiera as well as for the player who holds the most gold cards. A typical game of scopa is played to 11 points. Scopa is an extremely popular card game in and around Napoli.

The menu consisted of several salads and several pizza choices, complemented by a few appetizers and gelato for dessert. The menu also noted that the restaurant is the only Utah member of Verace Pizza Napoletana, another good sign. From the website - Some of the differences between an authentic Napoli style pizza and its American cousins are:

-THE OVEN: Made of brick and heated from 800-1000 degrees Fahrenheit. In these conditions a pizza takes only 45-60 seconds to cook completely. Our oven is manufactured by Acuto in Napoli Italy.

-THE ITALIAN TOMATOES: Usually in the style of San Marzano, these tomatoes bring less acidity and a fresh taste and are never mixed and made into a dark heavy sauce.

-THE FLOUR: Imported from one of the oldest mills in Napoli, Molino Caputo. The flour made by Caputo is world renowned for its ability to make an elastic chewy crust. There is no substitute for Caputo flour for pizzerias in Napoli.

-THE CHEESE: Only fresh mozzarella (known as fior di latte in Napoli) or buffalo mozzarella is acceptable. Most pizzas are also sprinkled with Parmigiano Reggiano.

I found the wine list recommended one red and several whites from the Campania region, which surrounds Naples and is the same area that produced the flour and tomatoes for the pizza, making a great trifecta of terrior. I saw they included one of our favorites, MASTROBERARDINO Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio for $35, and ordered a bottle.

What we had with menu descriptions...

CAPRESE 6.99
Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Basil.

INSALATA 4.99
Mixed Greens, Italian Vinaigrette, Cracked Pepper, Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

QUATTRO STAGIONI 10.99
Margherita Divided Into Four Sections. Each Section Topped Separately With Wood Oven Roasted Sausage, Salame, Roasted Mushrooms, Calamata Olives. (pictured here)

SETTEBELLO 12.99
Crushed Tomatoes, Pancetta, Wood Oven Roasted Fennel Sausage, Roasted Mushrooms, Toasted Pine Nuts, Mozzarella, Basil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

The salads came right away, and both were quite good. The Caprese, easily large enough to have shared, was very generous with mozzarella and tomatoes, but very sparse on the fresh basil. Levi provided us containers of balsamic vinegar and olive oil along with imported Italian sea salt and peppercorns in separate grinders. The Insalata was perfectly dressed in light vinegarette, and loaded with fresh, mixed greens. When the wine arrived, I told Levi to pour away, confident that we would love it.

But it was not meant to be - I took a tiny sip, cool and refreshing. My wife sampled hers and made a very unhappy face. I tried a generous mouthful and was rewarded with well-chilled, slightly effervescent vinegar! My wife verified the diagnosis, and I inspected the cork, which was undamaged. Of course the wine was NOT corked (contaminated with bacteria), but it had apparently been cooked in the bottle to become vinegar. Levi immediately took the bottle away and returned with another. Same problem to a much lesser degree! Levi opined that the Utah state liquor stores were often careless in their handling of wines in the summer, leaving them in railroad cars, trucks, or tin warehouses in the summer heat. We all suffer under the state's burden of carelessness. I asked if the restaurant ever was able to return for refund, and he said, "sometimes." It's not as if any of us (whether individuals or restaurants) are free to take our wine-purchasing business elsewhere!

Upon sending two bottles back, the manager had to be consulted. Apparently she can easily taste vinegar and within seconds Levi returned with her apologies. We decided to try something new to us, going with the menu's recommended red, TERREDORA AGLIANICO - "Intense ruby red with violet reflections, it is surprisingly long in the mouth with notes of mature red fruits and displays the structure necessary for long aging." It was a bargain at $30, and in addition to the menu descriptions, it had a very strong bitter character that complemented the sweet and salt of the pizzas perfectly!

As for the pizzas, by themselves they were sort of OK. The crust was delicious and chewy, almost rubbery. And the tomatoes (smashed, not sauced) were incredible. The toppings - olives, sausage, pancetta, etc. were quite tasty, but far too salty for our taste. Notable exceptions were the mushrooms and peppered salame. And the center of each pizza was quite soggy. It occurred to me immediately that we should have resisted our American urge to over-top the pizza and gone with the simple Margherita. But the fresh basil that is one of the four key ingredients (tomatoes, cheese, basil, and olive oil) was again quite scarce. We know from our own garden that it is early season for basil, but the restaurant should not have been so stingy (or poorly stocked). Adding the wine (not brilliant by itself) to the pizza made a combination greater than the sum of the parts, and made the overall experience good. Levi was fast and nearly invisible as a server, and he and the manager were gracious in working with us on the wine-vinegar. Perhaps another visit with more basil and fewer toppings would improve the food score. We were too full to do more than sample the gelato on display at the front.

It should be noted that the leftover pizza fared well - remaining tasty, chewy, and delicious after being re-heated a day later.

Settebello - Tentatively RECOMMENDED

Highs: Quality ingredients, REAL pizza Napoletano, good service (for SLC)
Lows: Salty toppings, chronic shortage of fresh basil

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Updated: Michael's Kitchen - Taos, New Mexico

2008-06-23T12:50:00.009-06:00

Michael's Kitchen
304 C N Pueblo Rd.
3 blocks north of Plaza
Taos, New Mexico 87571
505-758-4178
http://www.michaelskitchen.com/

Date of Visit: Monday, June 23, 2008
Time: Breakfast - 8:30 AM
Server: Rosairo
Number of Diners: 8

Ratings
Food Quality: 8
Service: 7
Ambiance: 5

This place is legendary across New Mexico for good food and great bakery items. You can tell a place is good when the parking lot is four times the size of the building - in an area where parking is scarce! I went with my wife and a half dozen other motorcylists to try the breakfast, and it did live up to the legend. The place is a little nondescript, and you have to enter via a long breezeway - to accommodate the frequent long lines. Our timing was perfect, hitting the soft spot between the pre-work breakfasters and the vacationers - the breezeway was jammed as we tried to leave at 9:30. The place has two main rooms in the front, separated by a walk-in bakery counter filled with countless delights. There are additional rooms in the back, too. Bustling and noisy, the decor was old southwest, with rough-hewn plank flooring copiously stained with generations of coffee, syrup, and other items.

They seated our party of eight in seconds and brought coffee (regular or pinon) for those so inclined. P inon adds a mellow, almost chocolate flavor to the coffee, but our table of mostly tourists considered it more of a contaminant. It's a love-it or hate-it deal, kind of like New Orleans chickory coffee.Our waitress was a veteran professional, so she immediately asked if we wanted one check or several, and did not flinch when we told her two groups of two and one group of four.

What we had with menu descriptions...
The menu had a large selection of standard and New Mexican breakfast dishes, and our group sampled several.

My choice: Breakfast Enchilada
Corn tortillas filled with scrambled eggs, smothered with your choice of chile, served with rice and pinto beans: 7.95

My wife's choice: Tortilla Relleñada
Delicious diced ham and lightly scrambled eggs with chives, wrapped in a flour tortilla & smothered with your choice of chile and cheese: 8.35

Martín's Breakfast Burrito
Scrambled eggs, bacon, cheese, diced green chile and hash browns wrapped in a flour tortilla: 8.35

Blueberry Blintzes
A gourmet delight heated blueberry compote surrounded by thin pancakes and topped with sour cream: 8.65

And my wife summoned all her resolve not to get the Viva La French Toast
Delicious cinnamon bread swizzled in a rich batter browned to perfection and topped with one egg, any style, and two bacon strips or sausage: 7.65

The food arrived within 10 minutes for the entire table, delivered two by two in the hands of our capable waitress. I opted for pinto beans and rice with mine. The two enchiladas were excellent - chewy corn tortillas offsetting the creamy egg/cheese filling. The green chile sauce topping was spicier than average, and full of small chunks of beef (they also offer veggie green chile). Another diner, who had both on hers, assured me that the red was quite good also. The pinto beans were whole (as they should be) and not refried. The rice was a soggy Spanish-sauced white rice - the only disappointment. The beans, chile, enchilada combo was outstanding. I also sampled the Rellenada that my wife ordered. The eggs were very fluffy and well-seasoned with chive and shaved ham - absolutely delicious with the green chile as well. Other diners added their praise to the generous dishes. Upon exiting, I browsed the menu case with a range of cake donuts, colossal cinnamon rolls with and without pecans/maple glazing, and other delights. I chose a blueberry muffin to go and paid the modest check ($27 for two, including $5 tip). Later that day the muffin did not disappoint - jammed full of fruit and very light on the sugar.

I really must say, Michael's food was excellent. Both the green and red chile sauces were unique, and I found the red much more to my taste that the type found south of Santa Fe. In fact, it was so good that we returned again for two more breakfasts and three lunches that week! All were legendary. Here's a quick review of our other experiences - 4 diners each time...

Something Deliciously Different
Omelette enhanced with roasted green chile and smothered with cheese: 7.45

Poor Man's Eggs Benedict
Two eggs any style on a toasted English muffin, nestled between shaved ham and chile and crowned with melted cheese: 8.35

Huevos Rancheros
Two eggs served on a corn tortilla, piled high with pinto beans and surrounded with your choice of homemade red or green chile with meat: 7.95

Omelette Extraordinaire
A zesty blend of cheese, ham, peppers, onions and chile salsa: 7.85

And for lunch...

Bacon Chile Cheese Burger
Our huge burger with bacon, melted cheese, and diced green chile, served with french fries 7.95 - These were so good I had two (on different days!)

Patty Melt
Pure ground beef smothered in onions and melted processed cheese, served on rye bread, grilled in butter: 7.95

Stuffed Sopapilla
A delicate sopapilla stuffed with beans, cheese, onions and ground beef. Your choice of chile is ladled on, then crowned with guacamole and sour cream: 8.35

BLTG Wrapper
BLT with Green Chile Wrapped up in a Flour Tortilla Mmmmmmmmmmmm: 7.85

Chicken Quesadilla
Grilled chicken in a flour tortilla, a tangy blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, diced green chiles and avocado. Grilled and served with rice and beans:6.85 - Side of fruit ordered extra to aid digestion!

It should be noted that on our first visit we were seated in an overflow area. The main dining room is much nicer and more tastefully decorated with stained glass, antique iron stoves, local photographs and other local art, plus an enormous wood scroll-saw landscape on one wall. Both food and ambiance scores have increased a full point based on our subsequent visits. The food was all outstanding, with the patty melt trailing the pack at simply good. The stuffed sopapilla was absolutely delicious, and the bacon green chile burger rivaled that of the famous Owl Cafe in San Antonio, NM. The quesadilla was quite good, approaching but not rivaling the Range in Bernalillo, NM. Service was consistently friendly and capable. On top of it all each meal came with one or more sopapillas for dessert with honey butter plus honey on the table. I gained a pound a day during my week in Taos!

Michael's Kitchen - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Highs: Excellent, bountiful, rib-sticking food; friendly, informal atmosphere; reasonable prices
Lows: Noisy and often crowded - only open for dinner on weekends!

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Blue Ridge Seafood - Gainesville, Virginia

2008-06-11T22:22:00.009-06:00

Blue Ridge Seafood
15704 Lee Highway
Gainesville, VA 20155
703-754-9852
http://blueridgeseafood.net/index.html

Date of Visit: Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Time: Dinner - 8:30 PM
Server: Shirlee
Number of Diners: 5

Ratings
Food Quality: 7
Service: 7
Ambiance: 4

I decided to join my fellow-traveling co-workers this evening, and they were on a mission - a mission for BLUE CRABS! The ringleaders suggested there was only one place - Blue Ridge Seafood in Gainesville. This town is well to the southwest of the DC area, a few miles beyond Manassas. We made the sojourn late, to avoid the infamous rush hour. The restaurant is a sprawling shack with an enormous gravel parking lot that was nearly full. We stepped inside to the decor of "crab shack 60's" and waited a bit for the young hostess to seat us. She found a place for us in the back, at a pair of picnic tables covered with brown butcher paper on an unifinished concrete floor. The neighboring tables had a group of 15 or so, most of whom were 2.5 sheets to the wind already, and very noisy.

What we had with menu descriptions...
The menu had a large selection of seafood items, about half of which were fried. Featured on the menu and a table card were several soups and chowders. I noticed the lobster bisque was the same price as the New England clam chowder. I asked the waitress about it, and she didn't quite wrinkle her nose. "I'd go with the clam chowder," she advised. "It's made here and that lobster stuff is frozen." Good enough for me, and most of us ordered a cup or bowl of chowder. While several other things looked good, we were there for a crab adventure. Shirlee advised starting with a dozen medium crabs and going from there. We again followed her advice, and added a pitcher of Red Hook ESB (Extra Special Bitter, aka English Style Bitter) Ale. She had each of us specify if we wanted butter or malt vinegar. Four chose butter and one vinegar.

The beer arrived first, with a large stick of frozen stuff to keep it cold stuck into the pitcher. It's a bitter style, but does not have a strong bitter flavor, so the name is deceptive. It worked well with all the seafood. The clam chowder was dense with a generous amount of clams, a heavy cream base, and large chunks of skin-on potatoes. A few minutes after the soup was cleared a plastic dining tray arrived with our dozen medium crabs, covered in a bath of dry spices. These were about a hand's width across. Our veteran showed us how to use the plastic prybar and wooden mallet to get to the crabmeat, advising us what to eat and what to avoid. There was quite a bit of work involved, but it got easy once I got the hang of it. The peeling, prying, and cracking process left enough spice residue on my fingers to flavor the tiny morsels of meat - enough so I completely forgot the tiny cup of drawn butter. My take - it was good, but not quite worth the effort. A dozen crabs later we were all still hungry. Shirlee ducked into the kitchen to reserve our second dozen - apparently our late arrival made availability doubtful. She came back to announce that all that were left were "Jumbos," significantly more expensive. Being on expense account - nobody cared, and we charged on, adding a second pitcher of beer.

I asked our group if the crabs were local, presuming they were from the nearby Chesapeake Bay. Apparently it had been fished out years ago, so all restaurant crabs were imported, presumably from Mexico or somewhere. So I asked Shirlee, and she verified that they were not from the Chesapeake - hadn't been for years. I asked where they came from now, and she replied, "I think they come from Alabama." Most of us had been to Alabama several times, and all of us were surprised to hear it. Shirlee ducked into the back and returned with the day's invoice. Sure enough, all from LA (Lower Alabama) now! This supplier was based in Bayou La Batre.

The next round of crabs was easily three times bigger than the first. Having warmed up on the small ones, the Jumbos were easy to crack and eat, causing unintentional yet amusing sprays of crab juice in all directions. The meat was bountiful and delicious, perhaps not as tasty as the smaller lot, but far less work to get to. This second platter filled us up and left all satiated. Total with tip was about $38 apiece - very reasonable. The guys who had been before avowed that all of the seafood dinners were likewise excellent and affordable. Definitely worth a return visit. Just be sure to ask what's prepared in house!

Blue Ridge Seafood - RECOMMENDED

Highs: Good, fresh seafood, informal atmosphere, reasonable prices
Lows: Noisy and Messy!

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Cafe Monti - Alexandria, Virginia

2008-06-11T21:20:00.012-06:00

Cafe Monti
3250 Duke Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703-370-3632
http://www.cafemonti.com/

Date of Visit: Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Time: Lunch - 1:30 PM
Server: ???
Number of Diners: 1

Ratings
Food Quality: 7
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4

On this particular day I was in the mood for a late lunch of salad and pizza. Having my fill of NY style a few days earlier, I was looking for something thinner and less greasy. I told the GPS to look for Italian places as I drove down Duke Street in Alexandria. Stopped at one place - menu in the window proclaimed, "NY Style Pizza," so I moved on. I was about ready to give up as the GPS indicated Cafe Monti dead ahead. Sounded too pretentious for a pizza place. I was looking for places to make a legal U-turn as I passed the place. Much to my delight, it was very clearly a hole-in-the-wall dive. My kind of place!!! I took one of the three available parking places (there were a few more in back) for my late lunch.

Upon entering I was rewarded with Great American Dive Restaurant decor, faded linoleum, chipped formica tables, vinyl tablecloths, thin patina of perma-grease on everything, and a wonderful aroma of cooking tomato sauce! And there were no less than three signs calling attention to their Zagat listing, dated 2007 and 2008, an unexpected discovery. The tall counter hardly concealed the tiny kitchen area, where two cooks were hard at work. A handwritten sign notified all visitors to place their orders at the counter before being seated at one of the eleven (clearly numbered) tables. The manager, dressed in designer jeans and a Hawaiian shirt, greeted me cheerfully as I perused the white board with 20 or so handwritten specials, primarily seafood and seafood/pasta combinations. On the yellowed wall was the permanent menu, listing margherita style and other pizzas. This was good for me, indicating authentic Napoletana Style (Neapolitan) pizza. An Austrian flag proudly displayed next to Old Glory further indicated the Northern Italian slant of the proprietor and menu. Half a dozen enormous round fresh-baked loaves lined a shelving unit, and two more of them were disemboweled in the prep area. I ordered a small margherita pizza and a green salad. Upon inquiring if they had iced tea, the manager assured me it was both fresh brewed and unsweetened, so I added it to my lunch trifecta. Total with tax - $11.78.

I took a seat, and after a short wait, the manager delivered a large salad of fresh, chopped greens (no olives or other veggies to get in the way), generously dressed with a light vinegarette. A large piece of round bread loaf had a very crispy crust and a chewy, spongy inside - sort of like soda bread without the saltiness. It was perfect for pushing the salad and soaking up the surplus olive oil. The iced tea was cold enough to cause brain freeze when using the supplied straw in the plastic cup. Soon the pizza arrived on a tin plate. At first glance it looked just like NY style cheese pizza. While I was expecting fresh tomato slices and basil leaves over mozzarella on the crust (classic margherita), it was a generous amount of tomato sauce and cheese - no basil at all. It was very hot, and I cut off small pieces to cool - protecting my upper mouth from blistering. The sauce was absolutely amazing, so it was decent pizza, if not what I expected. The crust was relatively thin, crispy, and good as well. Perhaps this alteration was an adaptation to the recent tomato-salmonella scare, but I doubted it. As I waited for the pie to cool, I noticed seven types of wine on display, and a case of bottled beer. Some quick investigation found there was a good assortment of both domestic and imported beers, and I zeroed in on an Erdinger Hefe-weizen Dunkel (dark) als Bayern (from Bavaria). $5.35 more and it was mine, providing an excellent companion for the pizza.

As I finished eating and nursed my beer and tea, I saw the cooks and bus-girl take a seat with some big platters of food. It looked and smelled wonderful, as did the fish ordered at a neighboring table. My pizza and salad made a delightful and filling meal, just perfect for my mood and inclination. I looked up their Zagat Rating, and found it to be 22 for the food, a pretty high score for the Uber-picky NoVa crowd. I think the place deserves a return trip to try the seafood and pasta, which looked great, and perhaps even to try some Austrian fare as well. It's a place you definitely go for the food and not the atmosphere.

And so I did return, for dinner!

Date of Visit: Thursday, June 12, 2008
Time: Dinner - 7:30 PM
Server: ???
Number of Diners: 1

Even though 9 of the 11 tables were full, I still was able to snag one of the three places out front. The same folks were there as the day before, plus an attractive young lady who served and cleared the tables. The white board had been changed in several areas, and the drill looked to be the same. I studied for a bit, then stepped up to the cash register to order. Unlike lunch, the manager did not collect payment at that time, but directed me to an empty table.

What I had with descriptions...
I went with the prosciutto and melon appetizer ($8), fresh scallops and linguine for main course ($18), and pear tart ($5) for dessert. the white board menu descriptions offered no more information than this. I noted they were pouring wines by the carafe, so I asked about the choices for white - pinot grigio and chardonnay. I added half a carafe ($9) of the pinot grigio. I took a table at the back and watched the room. The wine arrived at once, and it was cold and decent - off dry and nice in the summer heat. Near me was a display refrigerator stocked with sodas and bottled water, and a bus area with tubs labeled "Dishes," "Silverware," and "Glasses." Much to my surprise, two young girls eating with their mothers bussed their table into the bins. A few minutes later their teenage brothers did the same, as did the mothers. As I enjoyed my salty prosciutto, fresh cantaloupe, olive oil, and crusty bread - offset nicely by the wine, I watched essentially all the other diners bus their tables as well. It was evident that many of them knew each other - by sight if not by name, and they were also familiar with the staff. Apparently this is a locals' place, and the locals are happy to help out by clearing their own tables. One elderly man even stooped low to fetch a napkin from under his table. Most of the adults, and all of the kids, smiled and acknowledged me as I sat alone. It created a nice atmosphere.

The main course arrived - a healthy pile of needle-thin pasta surrounded by a dozen good-sized scallops. The smallest was about the size of a half dollar. The sauce was the same as used on yesterday's pizza, made slightly runny in combination with the pasta. The linguine was slightly overcooked, soft and unable to absorb any sauce. I put a few hunks of crusty, spongy bread to good use, soaking up puddles of sauce, as I focused on the scallops. They were fresh and sweet, though a couple had started to become slightly fishy. I noted a father and daughter at a nearby table order dessert, and was surprised to see something other than the pear tart. I asked the helpful server what they had, and she informed me it was apple strudel. As it turns out they also had cheesecake, flan, and one piece of raspberry tart. We discussed the merits of strudel versus pear tart for a bit, and I ended up changing my order over to the strudel. I took my time with the main course, but still ended up with some sauce spray on my shirt - which was fortunately red!

The strudel arrived with a nice side of whipped cream. The waitress had told me that none of their desserts was overly sweet, and that was indeed the case with the strudel. I noted a pink tinge to the apple filling, and saw a couple of fruits inside that looked like raisins. I was pleasantly surprised to find they were pitted, dried cherries, lending a delightfully tart contrast to the sweet apples. The portion was generous and delicious. And though not overly sweet, it brought out a pleasant bitter characteristic in the pinot grigio, providing yet another contrast. Again we have a dessert elevating the overall food score! Satiated, I decided to join the locals and bus my own table. And I will have to come back another time to try the pear tart... Total bill was a very reasonable $42.50 with tax, and I left another $8 for tip.

Cafe Monti - Recommended if you want decent Italian with outstanding dessert in a modest setting

Highs: Decent food, great desserts, reasonable prices, large portions, very friendly staff, local restaurant feel
Lows: Ambiance not suitable for a first date or business meeting

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Tony's N.Y. Pizza - Fairfax, Virginia

2008-06-09T20:59:00.010-06:00

Tony's N.Y. Pizza
3087 Fair Lakes Shopping Center
Fairfax, Virginia
11:00AM - 11:00 PM - 7 Days a Week
703-502-0808
http://www.tonysnypizza.com/

Date of Visit:Monday, June 11, 2008
Time: Dinner - 6:30 PM
Server: N/A
Number of Diners: 4

Ratings
Food Quality: 7
Service: 2
Ambiance: 4

I hooked up with three co-workers who were also working in Northern Virginia this week for a pizza treat. Our ringleader was "Longisland Guy" (LG) who was Jones-ing for a taste of his homeland. He had been to Tony's before and attested it was the real deal. There were a few tables outside in the 100 degree heat and 100% humidity, so we bypassed them and headed into the strip mall location. LG was quick to point out the portraits of the last three Popes hanging conspicuously over the cash register - a testimony to the authenticity of the place. Inside you stand in a line to place your order and pay, then you are given a number for your table. This number is called in semi-incoherent fashion over the loudspeaker so you can come fetch your food. The staff in the back yelling at each other indiscriminately added another layer of authenticity to the experience.

The Menu and what we had...
The menu was a full Italian slate on large overhead signboards. Probably a dozen pre-made pies were on display in a glass case for orders by the slice. On the last visit LG and another guy had put away two 14-inch pies, so we ordered three 16-inchers for the four of us, plus antipasto salad and bread. And a pitcher (or two) of Sam Adams beer. Our three pies were classic NY cheese, pepperoni, and (after considering mushroom for a minute) sausage. My suggestion to get a combo was quickly dismissed as impractical, testifying to my Midwestern ignorance. We found a fast-food style booth for four and crowded ourselves in. The beer and salad were ready very quickly, and we were privileged to have an authentic Italian staff member deliver the salad personally. It was a pile of iceberg, heavily dressed with oil and vinegar, plus Buffalo cheese balls and rolls of ham, artichokes, and Italian peppers. A side of bread was ignored in anticipation of the coming pies. Three of us had small portions of the salad, while LG abstained to save room for his precious NY pizza. When the pies were called, two went to retrieve them, and there was no room on the small table. Our earlier helpful friend returned with three pedestals, two of which fit on the table - the third being relegated to and adjoining high-top table.

The pies were blisteringly hot, and LG dove in immediately, while the rest of us were more circumspect. The cheese pie was topped with a semi-liquid sauce and a healthy amount of Mozzarella cheese. The crust was NY spec - lending itself to folding to hold most of the topping in a pocket for your eating pleasure. The Pepperoni pizza was identical to the cheese with the addition of spicy slices of bright red meat-byproducts. The sausage pizza was similar, but instead of crumbled sausage there were slices of brown sausage. The cheese pie was greasy, the pepperoni pie was very greasy, and the sausage pie was molto-molto-greasy, as demonstrated by the puddles on our paper plates - grease catchers. We charged through all four pizzas, three large piles of napkins, and two pitches of beer (for three of us - the fourth was a teetotaler). The pie was decent and a pleasure to eat, although NY is not my favorite style. LG proudly proclaimed that the roof of his mouth was blistered, shredded, and pleasantly numb - the rest of us had avoided such a fate. While nobody was keeping track, LG certainly was the consumer of the night - and we were all happy for him. And by unanimous vote, Pepperoni was the best of the three pizzas.

While we all sat and rested in a cheesy-greasy haze, somebody (might have been me) mentioned that they had cannoli. A lively conversation ensued concerning the compartmenting of the human stomach into food and dessert sections. A few minutes later a tray appeared with four beautiful cannoli. "Are you kidding me?" I asked. Bought and paid for, there was nothing for it but to proceed. These marscarpone-stuffed tubes of pastry were absolutely delightful, better than the last ones I'd had in Little Italy on Manhattan. The dessert raised this restaurant's food score by a full point. Overstuffed and wounded, we made our way back to our respective hotels for a well-earned comatose rest.

Tony's NY Pizza - RECOMMENDED for all New York pizza lovers and all who love to blister the roofs of their mouths!

Highs: Pepperoni pie, Cannoli
Lows: Self service, uncomfortable tables, noise

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Golden Corral - Ogden, Utah

2008-05-25T16:59:00.007-06:00

Golden Corral Family Steakhouse
1624 Heritage Park Blvd.
Layton, UT 84041
(Ogden area)
801-775-9535
http://www.goldencorral.com/

Date of Visit: Sunday, May 25, 2008
Time: Lunch - 12:30 PM
Server: N/A
Number of Diners: ~30

Ratings
Food Quality: 3
Service: 2
Ambiance: 3*
*Spilled food and screaming children in abundance

Certainly a departure from my normal class of restaurant, it will serve a purpose in testing the lower ranges of the rating scales!

Golden Corral is a buffet style family restaurant. We attended a group function to bid farewell to a person moving out of state. The fellowship was great. Everything else was not. Hopefully our friend will return to visit us anyway.

The Menu...
No printed menu, but a vast array of items laid out in a byzantine buffet.

The room is enormous with tables everywhere, and a couple of private banquet rooms. You come into a large queue where your drink order is filled and placed on a cafeteria tray with a pile of plates. You pay in advance: $9.49 per person, plus $1.89 per drink, plus tax. No alcoholic beverages available, which is too bad - a stiff drink might have taken the edge off the experience.

In our banquet room there was an even larger pile of plates and about 20 tables. A service person brought a big bowl of shiny yeast rolls fresh from the oven with a tray of paper souffle cups with honey butter. She also cleared plates and refilled drinks. While a nice attempt at service, allowing us to serve ourselves would have been adequate and we would have been better served without the need to leave additional gratuity.

What I had with descriptions...

If you love fried starch and protein, this is the place for you. The yeast rolls were light and messy, and it went downhill from there. There were four large buffet stations. One was the cold buffet, dedicated to salad, cold meats, nachos, 4 soups of undetermined origin, tacos, potatoes and fixings. The middle two "hot buffets" and contained troughs of soft vegetables, starches, and fried chicken, fried catfish, fried shrimp, fried hush puppies, fried potatoes, fried and breaded veggies of several stripes, fried potatoes, fried crab cakes, and a number of other starches mixed with cream sauces and fried selections. The fourth was a dessert bar. There was no shortage of choices, many of which were marked, and most of which were scattered liberally on the floor, making traction a mix of spongy and slick.

From the website, here were the purported hot choices: Awesome Pot Roast, Bourbon Street Chicken, Broccoli & Rice, Brown Gravy, Buttered Noodles, Chicken & Pastry Noodles, Chicken Tenders, Country Fried Steak, Creamy Chicken & Pasta, Fresh Fried Chicken, Grilled Pork Chop, Macaroni & Beef, Macaroni & Cheese, Mashed Potatoes (Scratch), Meatloaf, Pizza, Potato Casserole, Roast Beef, Sirloin Steak, Spaghetti Pasta, Spaghetti Sauce, Tortillas, White Rice, Battered Pollock Fish Fillet, Breaded Butterflied Shrimp, Breaded Jumbo Shrimp, Breaded Shrimp, Cajun Style Fish Fillet, Cracker Crumb Fish Fillet, Asian Beans, Black-eyed Peas, Brussels Sprouts, Cheddar Cheese Sauce, Corn-on-the-Cob, Creamed Corn, Creamed Spinach, Fresh Steamed Broccoli, Fresh Steamed Cabbage, Fresh Steamed Carrots, Fresh Steamed Cauliflower, Fresh Vegetable Trio, Glazed Sesame Carrots, Green & Yellow Beans, Green Beans, Green Peas, Squash Medley, Steamed Zucchini, Yams & Apples, etc. Some of these may not have been available, and other things may have been, but it was too overwhelming to tell.

To go with my iced tea (unsweetened) I hazarded a green salad with almond slices, dried cranberries, green olives, blue cheese, crumbled bacon, and thousand island dressing. The ingredients were fresh and nice, and the dressing was soupy and depressing. Complemented with two slices of pizza (medium crust and lots of over-sweet sauce), one slice had leftover breakfast sausage and the other had leftover breakfast bacon. It was... edible. Barely.

Next I ventured forth to seek non-fried alternatives and found bourbon chicken (too sweet and salty), sliced sausage in an over-sweet BBQ sauce, a taco, scratch mashed potatoes (not good) with white sausage gravy (not bad). I'm told I missed a bet by passing on the steak, for which the place is legendary. These were seven-bone beef steaks tossed onto a gas grill with great showmanship, cooked to and sliced to order. Each table had a bottle of Golden Corral steak sauce in an A-1 shaped bottle.

Dessert was a piece of gelatinous and doughy blueberry pie. The vanilla soft-serve machine was empty, so I opted for the sugar-free vanilla, which quickly dispensed a liberal helping of orange sherbet. Added a chocolate-topped rice crispie treat and some jellied orange candies to round out the nutritional disaster.

The place was convenient for our purpose - to pack in 30 assorted people with noisy and messy kids into a room, get fed, and roast our friend in public before he moved to Colorado. Everybody paid their own way, and we left extra tips for the mess made by the children. But you would never go there for the food.

Golden Corral - NOT RECOMMENDED unless you need to gain a weight class in an hour or two.

Highs: Fellowship with friends, space for rowdy kids
Lows: Fried foods, mushy vegetables, too much starch, fat, sugar, and salt - I was still thirsty 5 hours later

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

MiniReview: Roma Ristorante - Salt Lake City, Utah

2008-05-19T18:09:00.007-06:00

Roma Ristorante
5468 S 900 E
Murray, UT 84117
(801) 268-1017
No Web Page

This is a MiniReview - we had a special meal service with wine pairings for a local wine club, Les Amis du Vin Utah, so we can rate the restaurant, but the food, price, service, and ambiance are not typical of a normal restaurant visit. Servers brought out each course to every table in platoon fashion, so there was not much possibility of personal service for this type of event. Wine prices listed are what is charged by Utah State Liquor Stores, the only available source to law-abiding citizens in this backward state, and of interest only to them...

Date of Visit: Sunday, May 18, 2008
Time: Early Dinner - 4:30 PM
Waitpersons - entire staff
Number of Diners: 8 - 75

Ratings
Food Quality: 8.5+
Service: 6*
Ambiance: 6
+The wine pairings elevated the food beyond it's native level.
*The banquet-style service precluded a true rating of the front-of-house staff.

What We had with menu descriptions...

Mediterranean Feast
Your hosts, Aida and LJ Ljubicic have prepared a delightful 5 course menu, with touches of Italy and their native Croatia, paired with wines, mostly from Italy... with a few surprises.

Starter: Bruschetta
With LD's unique style - you'll not soon forget it
2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Villa Maria, Marlborough, New Zealand ($14)

Salad: Spring Mix Organic Salad
Served with Pears and Pecorino-Romano cheese - Fresh, simple and delicious!
2006 Pinot Gris, King Estate, Oregon ($17.49)

First Course: Poached Salmon
Served with side Risotto - Subtle and full of flavor
2005 "Rafael" Valpolicella Classico, Tommasi, Italy ($13)

Main Course: Pork Tenderloin
Wrapped in Proscuiutto and served with Roasted Red Pepper potatoes - an outstanding combination!
2005 "Ruvei" Barbera d'Alba, Marchesi di Barolo, Piedmont, Italy ($17)

Dolci: Lemoncello Torta
With Berry Sauce... and a surprising wine pairing
NV Prosecco di Conegliano, (I did not get the Winemaker), Veneto, Italy ($16.69)

Members' cost for this event was $72 per person, all inclusive.

Roma is tucked away inside a suburban South Salt Lake City (Murray-area) strip mall, in the center of the block. (For trivia buffs the town of Murray is best known for being the home of American Idol finalist David Archuleta.) We arrived and quickly connected with three other couples in our mini-party, making 8 total. We all wasted no time diving into the first wine, Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc, which was plentiful and flowed freely. It was cool, crisp, extremely green-grassy, and very tart. The grass and high acid content blended well with the Balsamic vinegar in the Bruschetta, making for a smashing pairing. Unusual to see such care taken for an appetizer and wine pairing! The Bruschetta was on thick, whole grain toast, with cubed tomato, basil, garlic, olive oil, and Balsamic. The whole grain toast provided a nice, meaty texture base for the very garlicky topping. Very good indeed. Most of our party were able to snag a second one from the roving waitstaff, who were busily trying to be fair to all 75 or so wine club members!

Salad - Simple and delicious was the promise, and Roma delivered. Fresh, organic greens were lightly dressed and accompanied by VERY thin slices of Bartlett pear and Pecorino-Romano cheese. The color and visual texture of the pears and cheese were nearly identical - deliberately so, deceiving some into thinking they were cheese-deprived! The combination of sweet pear, salty cheese, crispy greens, and light dressing was refreshing and delicious. The wine pairing of Pinot Gris amped up the flavor to the next level. This wine was fruit-forward, off dry sweetness, with a fresh finish reminiscent of a crisp Thompson seedless green grape.

First Course - The salmon appeared atop a slightly dry risotto, surrounded by a vivid neon-green oil, accompanied by a caper berry. Unfamiliar to most in our party, this olive-sized fruit results when caper buds are allowed to blossom into flowers with stalks that fruit into individual berries. Pickled, their flavor is somewhat less intense than the buds, and the texture is delightfully crunchy. The salt provided contrast to the relatively strong flavor of the salmon, and the risotto added to the trio of textures. The very green oil turned out to be an infusion of parsley and spinach into olive oil, made fresh on the premises. This aromatic garnish completed the dish into something quite special, transcending the fish alone. The Valpolicella had a phenomenal dry, fruity bouquet. The pairing was surprisingly not overpowering, and the slight salt of the dish mellowed the boldness and enhanced the sweet notes of the ruby red wine. A leftover sip of the sweetish Pinot Gris paired well with the risotto, but did nothing special for the fish.

Main Course - Like the fish, the pork was perched on a starchy base - this time mashed potatoes mixed with roasted red bell peppers. The slightly sweet tenderloin was wrapped in salty Prosciutto, cooked the minimum amount and very moist. The salty-sweet potato mixture was surrounded by more of the fragrant, neon-green infused oil. Taken individually and as a whole, it was all good, though not as special together as what had come before. The Barbera had a nice, musty nose, dry then sweet start on the tip of the tongue, lusciously smooth and delicious as it worked its way across the palate, finishing with a long, green maraschino cherry finish. Stunning alone, it was less successful as a pairing. Not bad, but not as brilliant as the previous pairings.

Dolci - I must confess that I am a big fan of lemon and no fan at all of sparkling wines. Our hosts surprised us with their choice of Prosecco, which the Italians drink like (or instead of) water. Meant to be a refreshing counterpoint to the silky, sweet cake, I found it to be an unpleasant rush of effervescent foam. Alone in my distaste for it, I was able to quickly give my glass away to a table-mate. While it reminded most of their summer visits to Northern Italy and Venice, I was more impressed with the Barbera as a complement for the lemon torte, contrasted well with tart strawberry/blackberry syrup - the sweetness of the cake revealing the previously hidden tannins in the wine. The Prosecco disappointed me, and I have to characterize it as an unpleasant, fizzy "alka-spumonte."

We were able to discover through the evening that LJ and his mother were the force behind the cooking in the kitchen, while Aida was responsible for the genius of the wine pairings. She was also the most extroverted, and visited nearly every diner at every table. I chided her a bit for omitting even one wine from her native Croatia. She had one chosen, but it exceeded the club's budget. Eager to please, she offered to cook anything we wanted, menu be damned. We speculated for a while about meals she could produce to pair with her favorite Croatian wines, rare and underappreciated. We shall have to return soon and put her skills to the test!

Roma Ristorante served up top quality Italian food elevated by Aida's excellent wine parings. The club event gave us good exposure at a great price. My favorites with pairings were the appetizer, salad, and fish courses, though my favorite wine alone was the Barbera. Roma is definitely worth a return visit and a full review.

Be aware that not all of these wines are available at the restaurant, and none of them are available at the prices listed. In Utah the restaurants must buy their wines from the same source at the same price as private citizens - no trade or volume discounts for anyone. So expect to pay at least 2.2 times the prices listed above if you buy in the restaurant.

Highs: Smashing food combinations, transcendent wine pairings, great value
Lows: For me alone... Prosecco-seltzer

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Hodad's - Ocean Beach, California

2008-05-14T16:42:00.014-06:00

Hodad's
5010 Newport Avenue
Ocean Beach, CA 92107
619-224-4623
http://www.myspace.com/hodadsob

Date of Visit: Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Time: Dinner - 7:30 PM
Server: Entire Staff
Number of Diners: 2

Ratings
Food Quality: 7
Service: 7
Ambiance: 5*
*Unique place - Clean enough, Eclectic Funky Decor, and LOUD!

My co-worker, the very thin Mike S., and I decided to hit what is arguably the most famous burger joint in Southern California. It should be noted that Hodad's is about a block from the beach, not in San Diego "proper," but in the town of Ocean Beach, California. "The OB" is a pretty interesting place, catering to the hippie fringe of SoCal society. On this Wednesday we were surprised to find a street festival in full swing on the main street, featuring organic whatever fried in organic grease or grilled on organic wood, and served on recycled toilet paper (or something). There were also hundreds of hemp and macramé wares mixed in with some herbal and organic products for both internal and external use. Dozens of 2-3 person acoustic bands and dreadlocks were everywhere. Most of the people smelled very... organic!

The presence of all the street food was good news, as the feeding frenzy in the street depleted the starving crowds at this infamous burger joint. The sign outside proudly proclaimed "Less than 99 billion served!" When we arrived the place was full, with about half a dozen waiting in line outside. We queued up and waited on the street, the SoCal midwinter weather being about 55 degrees and beachy-humid, really not bad at all. In no time we were accosted by a hostess/waitress and ushered in. The place is bright and very noisy. They support local live music, so it COULD have been even noisier - hard to conceive! Our helpful hostess asked, "Would you guys mind sitting in the van?" Of course not! So here was our table...

I took the driver's seat and Mike took the passenger's side. Once inside, even though the windows were all missing in action, the noise factor was greatly reduced, and we had an awesome ringside seat for the night's activities. The steering wheel and column were long gone, but the dash and instruments were there, indicating 40MPH, and the odometer reading HODAD. The fresh air vent at the top for the heating system was fully functional, too! A helpful waitress took a beer order, quickly filled by another young lady. There were at least 5 different servers working - all young, attractive, and in better shape than either of us, and all of them visited us more than once - we never went wanting for attention, food, or drinks!

The Menu and what we had...
We sipped from excellent California micro brews as we perused the menu. Having had a late lunch, I opted for the single cheeseburger with bacon, while Mike, who had joined me for lunch, decided to go for the gusto and ordered the double cheeseburger with bacon. We were debating fries or onion rings, both having been described as legendary, when the server suggested "Frings" a half and half basket. Perfect!

The room is medium sized, with about a two dozen high tables, a long dining hall picnic table, and a counter on the window - seats inside, facing outside, where the servers would go to take orders and bring food. Those were primo seats for watching the fun on the Avenue outside! There's a large L-shaped counter protecting the grill and many chalkboards jammed with menu information and clever sayings.

As you can see from the photos the walls are covered with license plates from all over, and we spent our time with beer and Frings trying to decipher some of the more clever ones. 2NICAGY took us some time. Either it was "Too Nice A Guy" or "Tunica Gay." The Frings came with both ketchup and ranch dressing - and this was the full time Mike had ever tasted real ranch dressing, as opposed to low fat. Ultimately the burgers, ordered "with everything" came. Mine was enormous - Pile of bacon topped by 2 slabs of cheesy beef topped by tomatoes, lettuce, pickle, rings of fresh white onion (thick) and mustard. The bacon deserves some comment. There is a lot of it, and it tastes very good, but it is unusual - about a quarter pound of bacon is parboiled, globbed together, then grilled next to the burger. So the taste is there, but the bacon is not at all the crispy breakfast treat that Americans are used to - much more like a semi-greasy glob of Canadian bacon. Closest I've seen to it is real Irish bacon.
My burger, like all at Hodad's, was served in a generous wrapper described by the owner as a "burger trough." It was way too big to bite into. Trying to compress the thing to mouth sized was not at all possible. You pretty much just have to nibble around the edges, taking what you get in each mouthful. And as big as mine was, Mike's was TWICE AS BIG!!

We each gathered our thoughts and our burgers and literally dove in. "Good bread, bacon, and mustard," says Mike. I got bacon, lettuce, bread and mustard in my mouth, along with beef and cheese in my nose, so I could not immediately comment. Silence reigned inside the van as we each attacked the giant burgers from a variety of angles. Each bite was different, with different components. Every bite was damn good. About halfway through Mike ordered another round of beers, the consumption of which was hampered by the need for two hands on each of the burgers. We moved the beer glasses to the dash, hoping that the indicated 40MPH was not in violation of any California open container laws. After an extended consumption time, I managed to finish mine and resume on the Frings. Mike, surrounded by several heaps of used napkins, pressed on. I was stuffed, leaving 2 onion rings in the aftermath. Mike finished the meat and cheese and showed me the results. "I'd call it victory," was my comment. "No way!" says Mike who proceeded to eat the salad and bun, leaving nothing. Satiated, stuffed, and feeling a beery-protein high, we just relaxed in the van and watched the show in the dining room.

We had previously discussed whether a milkshake might be in order, but opted for the beers to enjoy a rare respite from the draconian laws found in Utah. But the folks at the next table obliged by ordering one. Words cannot describe this thing, so just try to comprehend the photo...

Our tab with 4 beers, a split basket of Frings, and one single and one double was $31 with tax. All of it was toxic and quite delicious. A sign by the register informed us, "If this isn't the best burger you've ever had, we really don't want to hear about it!" I can't say it was the best, or even the biggest, but I can say it was right up there. And the experience and the friendliness of the folks from "The OB" made a good thing even better. Two thumbs-up and highly recommended!

Highs: Friendly service, funky decor, al fresco dining in perfect San Diego weather, The Van, the OB experience
Lows: We were too full to try the milkshake

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Cafe Madrid - Salt Lake City, Utah

2008-05-08T16:53:00.015-06:00

Cafe Madrid
2080 East 3900 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84124
(Murray/Holladay area)
801-273-0837
http://www.cafemadrid.net/

Date of Visit: Saturday, May 10, 2008
Time: Dinner - 6:30 PM
Server: Raul R.
Number of Diners: 6

Ratings
Food Quality: 8
Service: 6*
Ambiance: 7
*Average of 7 and 5 - see below for details

Cafe Madrid is a Spanish restaurant, and they serve full entrees in addition to the appetizers/tapas for which Spanish cuisine has become known. Tapas are derived from a mid-afternoon snack with wine taken by the king, and subsequently by field workers. Originally a small meal to sustain you through the afternoon, it has evolved into a style of dining on many small plates.

The Menu...
While only limited to two pages, the menu has quite a few choices. At top there's a notice that genuine Seafood Paella or Tortilla Espanola require 24 hours notice, and should be considered for your next visit. There are a couple of soups and salads, and about 10 each cold and hot appetizers or Tapas, with about half a dozen entrees at the end. Prices for Tapas ranged between $8.50 and $12.50, while entrees were $26 - $29. The wine list is long and impressive, covering all price points, and is full of Spanish wines with several choices by the glass. At the bottom of the menu was a rather strange notice: "Parties with checks split more than twice will have a 16% service fee added." This seemed odd to me, that they would charge a flat gratuity under these circumstances. But since our three couples would split the bill twice (into three equal parts), I figured we would not be affected. More on this later...

The room is quite small, with about a dozen tables - half of which could seat 6 or more. There was also a handful of tables outside. We had arrived about 15 minutes early, and took a seat outside to await our friends. After about 30 seconds a young man (nametag Raul) came out of the back and noticed us. "Did you talk to the people inside?" he inquired. We explained that we were early and awaiting friends. He suggested that we should come inside, led the way, found the registration, and seated us immediately. Soon all 6 water glasses were filled and six menus were distributed. We passed the time drinking water and studying the menu while our friends joined us.

At some point during the evening you must decide whether to do all Tapas, or do a few Tapas and entrees. Raul, who turned out to be our waiter, suggested that certain groups of Tapas go well together and provided a couple of examples. After studying the menu and the wine list, we decided that he knew more about it than we did. So we placed our meal in his hands. He wanted to know if we wanted all Tapas or some entrees. "When do we have to decide?" I asked. He went with it and said we would start small and go from there.

What we had with menu descriptions...

At Raul's suggestion, we opened with:

Calamares Fritos – “Rabas” $9
Juicy and inviting, our Calamari is unlike any you have tasted before
(2 orders) Pimientos Piquillo Rellenos de Pescado $12.50
Authentic Piquillo Peppers, oven roasted with tempting white wine & Seafood Stuffing
Meat Paella - a special appetizer (price not disclosed) $19
Described as paella with sausage, mussels, calamari, chicken, and pork

We also asked Raul to recommend a wine. He chose for us a Spanish white, which he described as "Summer in a bottle." Pazo Pondal 2005 Albarino $34

After the Tapas we decided to go for entrees. Raul had several recommendations, including an Osso Buco (literally "bone hole") not on the menu, and his favorite was the Chilean Sea Bass. In our party of six, two chose the beef tenderloin, and the rest all chose Sea Bass.

Solomillo de Buey al Queso Picon de Tresviso $ 29
Grilled Beef Tenderloin generously topped with an authentic Roquefort Cheese Sauce
Lubina en Salsa de Gambas $29
Fresh Sea Bass served with Caramelized Onions in a creamy Shrimp Sauce

All entrees are served with salad and your choice of: Fried Potatoes, Baby Red Potatoes, or Rice with Pine Nuts and Raisins. Our party was diverse enough to order all three, of which the thin, fried potatoes were the most interesting.

Starting from the top, the Albarino white wine was very nice - crisp, cool, unoaked, tasting of light fruit, slightly tart, with an off-dry finish. It went well with all the foods. The Piquillo peppers were delicious, four portions to each plate, and smothered in a tomato cream sauce. Raul brought us extra bread and encouraged us not to be shy about soaking up the sauce. We weren't shy at all. The Calamari rings were lightly fried, served with fresh lemon and mayonnaise, and were delicate and delicious. The Paella came in a generous portion. Seasoned rice with hidden gems of meat, sausage, and seafood - everyone was delighted with it. The wine paired especially well with the Paella.

Given our dinner choices, a second bottle of Albarino was ordered, and we turned again to Raul to recommend a red for the beef eaters. He asked discreetly about how much we were willing to pay, suggesting $50 and acquiescing to $40. He returned with a bottle of Marqués de Cáceres Crianza Rioja $32. If you have ever had Spanish wine, it was likely this one, and you'll certainly recognize the label pictured here. I have consumed many bottles of it, and it is a fine, midrange wine, well balanced and smoothly finished. Made from 85% Temperanillo grapes, it's a restaurant standard and a very safe recommendation. And, like a decent Merlot, it's also a bit - unexciting. I asked Raul if he had a more interesting Temperanillo, and he reappeared instantly with a bottle of 2003 Loriñon Rioja Crianza $32. It was also 85% Temperanillo with 5% each of Granacha, Graciano, and Mazuelo. It was also delightfully unrefined with a big cherry nose - aged in American oak for 14 months to take the edge off, it was lush, dark as ink, fruity, smoky, and sweet - with a dark cherry, dry finish. It was an excellent, complex pairing for the beef.

The beef tenderloin was generous, tender, and wonderfully balanced by the Roquefort sauce. It should be noted that real Roquefort cheese is made from sheep's milk, and has a flavor character unlike the more common blue cheeses. It is also much more expensive and a delight to encounter as an ingredient in a beef dish. The tenderloins were perched upon two disks of potato and garnished with squash, asparagus, and carrots. All were cooked to perfection and devoured by our beef-eaters, though one allowed others to sample hers...

The Chilean Sea Bass was also a taste treat, served on a bed of mashed potato with a generous portion of tomato cream sauce, two tender shrimp, sweet caramelized onions, and a short sprig of rosemary. The sides of potatoes or rice were served in separate dishes, and we made good use of them to soak up the excess sauce. The Albarino continued to serve us well in complementing the dish.

Feeling satiated and not over-full, we perused the dessert menu. To coffee all around we added flan, lemon mousse, and rice pudding. The flan was cool, firm, and excellent, as was the rice pudding dusted with cinnamon. The lemon mousse was topped with walnuts, and was much thicker than expected. It reminded one diner of her mother's home-made lemon ice-box pie filling made with fresh lemons. It was a veritable explosion of lemon, and quite delightful.

Given the prompt and attentive service Raul was providing, you may be surprised at the reduced service scoring above. The problems started when the bill arrived. For our party of six it came to a very reasonable $348 but it had a gratuity pre-included of $64.60, or 18.55%. Very odd because the service was better than 18% worth, and it's unusual to see service added for parties of six. It had 22 lines of itemized expenses and seemed at a glance to be complete. One of my eagle-eyed dining companions noted that we had only been charged for one bottle of white. Raul quickly made the modification and returned with the new bill: $385 with $71.40 (18.55%) again pre-added. We each tossed a credit card in (3 total) and Raul became visibly upset. He explained that the menu clearly stated there would be a service fee charged should the bill be split more than two ways - an interesting interpretation of the actual language, but understandable. I pointed to the "Gratuity Added" line and said, "It's already there."

Raul explained that was a gratuity, and the service fee for the extra credit card would be 16% IN ADDITION TO the pre-added gratuity! He suggested that perhaps one party could pay cash, and he would split the rest between two cards. One couple drained their collective collections of cash to make this happen. Even so entire staff had to fuss with the bill for about 15 minutes afterward. They returned with two bills, evenly split and exactly correct, both pre-charged to the two cards. No opportunity (or inclination on our parts) to increase the gratuity. It's not really fair to blame Raul for this ridiculous hassle dictated by management policy, and he at least thanked us (discreetly) for catching the wine error.

The whole episode became a wet blanket tossed on an otherwise good time for no good reason. It seemed very "un-American" treatment, so perhaps that's a tribute to the restaurant's authenticity. It is also certainly a strong de-motivator for future visits, especially for medium to large groups. There are enough competing places in the region with good food and without such hassles. Perhaps this explains why the restaurant was only three-quarters full at 8PM on a Saturday night?

Highs: Ingredient quality, creative dishes, friendly staff and service, good wine selection and prices, reasonable overall cost for the quality
Lows: Annoying payment policy deflated an otherwise enjoyable experience, undisclosed disproportionate pricing between menu items and specials

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Kappo Seafood - Los Angeles, California

2008-05-06T21:59:00.009-06:00

Kappo Seafood
1757 W. Carson Street #S
Torrance, CA 90501
310-782-0530
http://www.kapposeafood.com/information.htm

Date of Visit: Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Time: Dinner - 7:30 PM
Servers: Entire Staff
Number of Diners: 1

Ratings
Food Quality: 9
Service: 7.5
Ambiance: 8 (with elements of 2)

This is the best Japanese food at a restaurant you never heard of. Difficult to find, it's hidden in a strip mall in Torrance, California. Ostensibly on Carson Street, the center is at the corner of Carson and Western, on the North side of Carson and West of Western. This restaurant is on the far West (left) side, and is really closest to Abalone Avenue, which intersects Carson on the North side, one block West of Western. Confused yet?

What makes this place so great? How about fish flown in daily from Japan into LAX just 10 miles away? Or fresh fish from the Pacific Ocean even closer than that? It's all about the best seafood you can procure, lovingly prepared by craftsmen following centuries of tradition. It's been stellar every time I've been there, and I'm nearly always the only Gaijin there! Generally when you enter there is a brief scramble to get the best English-speaker to greet you, seat you, and take your order. Notwithstanding that the entire staff always pitches in to help serve and bus your area, cheerfully smiling and addressing you in Japanese.

The Menus...
This place has a standard menu, which you never need to open. The question is what's fresh, and the choices are legion - changing daily. Combination dinners are standardized in a separate, laminated menu of "Sets" with pictures - Japanese on one side and English on the other. And there is a separate sushi menu, a separate special dinner menu, and a separate fresh fish menu. Click on the links to see examples. (Apparently their spell checker failed to catch their "per parson" pricing, or there is a special deal for the clergy!) A separate drinks menu with a great variety of sake and standard spirits rounds out the tableau. I am literally showered in menus!

The place is relatively quiet, decorated in traditional and understated Japanese style. There are 15 tables, 12 seats at the sushi bar, and 2-3 Zashiki rooms off to the side where you can take off your shoes, sit on the floor, and dine at low tables family style. Some of the few reviewers on the net (mostly locals) have complained about the prices vs. other places, but those other places do not take the same care to procure and import the top quality seafood that Kappo has. You pay a little more for the best stuff. That said, you can spend a ton here, or get by quite reasonably. For instance the special dinners price out at: $28, $42, $85, $90, and $120 - plus beverages. The "Set" menu offers the most variety and quantity for the lowest price, and I almost always get the "Sashimi Set." Most Sets can be upgraded for a extra charge. The upgrade gets you some rarer and more expensive fish, but most are not to my taste. Being a single diner, I opted to sit at the sushi bar.

What I had with menu descriptions...

Sashimi Set (no upgrade) Sashimi plate, Today's Salad, Today's Appetizer (cold), Today's Appetizer (hot), Red Miso Soup, Chawanmushi, Japanese Pickles, Steamed Rice, Dessert - $38 ($18 more to upgrade)

Toro (fatty tuna) Nigiri Sushi - 2 pc $18

Unagi (fresh water eel) Nigiri Sushi - 2 pc $9

Kirin Ichiban Beer (draft) $4.50 ea (I had two)

We shall take each item in turn. It should be noted that this place use real (inedible) greens to separate the pieces and decorate the dishes (instead of plastic greenery), plus some intricately carved veggies. Every presentation on every plate was a work of Eastern art. And Kirin is a wonderfully light lager that cleanses the palate perfectly and does not overwhelm the delicate fish.

The Toro order came out quickly. Two generous slabs of light pink fish were perched on sushi rice. Each was too big for one bite - even for my big mouth! I opted to use fingers instead of chopsticks to avoid mishaps with the expensive fish. Some say all sushi is meant to be finger food, but I've never observed Japanese in America using anything but chopsticks. The wasabi that came with the sushi was the real deal - grated wasabi horseradish root. The powders and resulting pastes are usually American horseradish and green food coloring. The real wasabi is less hot and more subtly piquant. I like it a lot! The fish melted in my mouth like butter, complemented by the subtle wasabi and soy mixture. Absolutely first rate.

Next came the Unagi. This eel is cooked and wrapped onto the rice, then sprinkled with a Teriyaki sauce. These were done to perfection - warm, moist and not overcooked, and with only a hint of the sweet sauce.

Next came Today's Salad which was plate of mixed greens, soy ginger dressing, and two boiled shrimp. Very nice.

Today's Appetizer (cold) was several thin strips of fresh, uncooked mackerel in a thick, mildly sweet sauce. Also very nice.

Today's Appetizer (hot) was a dumpling soup with pea pods, carrots, and a full diakon radish. The dumpling was a purse, tied at the top, and filled with green stalks I could not identify. All of it was delicious.

Red Miso Soup tastes much like normal Miso Soup, but it is red, and there is an extra kick of flavor to it that makes it better, albeit difficult to capture in words!

Japanese Pickles were cucumbers, red cabbage, and white cabbage. All were sweet/sour, and the white cabbage tasted something like a New York half-sour pickle. Nice contrast to the other foods.

The Sashimi Plate is the chef's choice, and usually has a good mix of what's fresh and what's plentiful. I prefer the sashimi to the sushi, as I can limit the high-calorie rice component - the steamed, seasoned white rice is served on the side in a separate bowl. Tonight's plate had 2 good sized portions of FRESH scallop, salmon, yellowtail, mackerel, and something I could not identify. There were three portions of delectable Tuna (tekka), and one portion of something else I didn't identify topped with salmon roe. The Tekka and the last one were the best, really transcending the others, which were all excellent. The sushi chef noticed my rapturous look when I ate the Tekka and smiled broadly. All of it was truly awesome.

It took me a while to eat it all, and I saved the Chawanmushi for last - it's one of my favorite Japanese foods. Lightly seasoned egg custard, served in a small bowl or teacup, with "treasures" at the bottom. My treasures tonight were a small shrimp, shitake mushroom, and a quail's egg yolk. Wonderfully delicious!

The front-of-house team consisted of 4 giggling waitresses in kimono style uniforms, one waiter (the best English speaker), a Hostess, a Host, and one bus-girl. All of them visited me at least once to bring or clear things, and all spoke to me in Japanese with friendly smiles. They might have been saying, "Have a wonderful meal." Or they might have been saying, "Die Yankee scum!" But I decided that the body language was genuinely friendly. For dessert, they had the standard green tea and red bean ice creams. And the waiter said they also had the traditional red bean with sticky rice dessert. I had tried both ice creams before, so I went with the traditional. This choice captured the attention of all the staff, as Gaijins never order this, or they hate it when they do. They brought out a cup of hot green tea and a small bowl with red beans in a sweet sauce (of red beans) with two mochi cakes in it. It's called Ozenzai and is a winter dessert. The sushi chef was eager to see if I liked it, and said the mochi was sweet rice. He also told me that in Japan all the kids love it, then paused and added, "Everybody loves this!" The host also came over to see if I liked it. When I assured him I did, he beamed and said, "Only Japanese like this - it has a long history." When I suggested I should move to Japan, his smile got even broader!

So how was it? The Japanese compare red beans to chocolate - but it's a stretch. They are about half the size of Mexican black beans, and they have exactly the same texture. They are quite sweet, but not overpowering. The mochi were quite resilient - you could not cut them in half with the tiny spoon. They looked, tasted, and chewed like rubbery marshmallows, and they were quite interesting and tasty with the bean sauce. I would not trade in a nice bowl of chocolate ice cream for Ozenzai, but it was a very tasty change of pace.

When the bill came, it was about $80 with tax. With so much attention from so many servers, I added $20 to round it out to $100. Expensive, and totally blowing two days worth of my meals per diem. I could even it up by eating on the cheap for the rest of the trip. I could have easily eaten for less than half of this amount, but the company was buying, and I learned long ago that eating Mickey D to save a few bucks is a game for the young. So I got all the extras, stuffed myself, and had a grand time.

Kappo Seafood - highly recommended!

Highs: Seafood quality, friendly staff, service, quiet room, unusual choices, daily menus
Lows: Expensive, if you are not careful

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

MiniReview: Franck's - Salt Lake City, Utah

2008-05-06T14:50:00.007-06:00

Franck's
6263 Holladay Blvd
Holladay, UT 85712
(801)274-6264
http://francksfood.com/indexSWF.html

This is a MiniReview - we had a special meal service with wine pairings for a local wine club, Wasatch Mountain Food and Wine Society, so we can rate the restaurant, but the food, price, service, and ambiance are not typical of a normal restaurant visit. Servers brought out each course to every table in platoon fashion, so there was not much possibility of personal service for this type of event. Wine prices listed are what is charged by Utah State Liquor Stores, the only available source to law-abiding citizens in this backward state, and of interest only to them...

Date of Visit: Sunday, May 4, 2008
Time: Dinner - 7:30 PM
Waitpersons - entire staff
Number of Diners: 6 - 50

Ratings
Food Quality: 8.5
Service: 6*
Ambiance: 7
*The banquet-style service precluded a true rating of the front-of-house staff.

What We had with menu descriptions...

Burgundy Wine Dinner
Award-winning chef Franck Peissel (Salt Lake Best Chef 2007, Taste of the Nation People’s Choice 2007) has prepared an outstanding menu for our group. His cuisine is “American on the surface, but very French on closer inspection." The 2005 Burgundy vintage has received rave reviews and Franck has devised a tasting menu that highly complements the wines from this great region. The combination of great wines and food is assured to make this one of our group’s best events.

Appetizers: Mushroom tart, escargot on a shell
Kir with 2006 Bouzeron Aligote, Domaine de Villaine ($26.75)

First course: Mussels with a beurre blanc sauce
2005 Chablis, Domaine de Vaudon, Joseph Drouhin ($21.70)

Second course: Hawaiian sea bass in an amaretto sauce
2005 Meursault, Matrot ($28.22)

Third course: Short ribs in a mushroom and truffle sauce
2005 Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Nicolas Potel ($18.87)

Fourth course: Medley of quail and duck in a Madeira sauce
2005 Nuits-Saint-George, Nicolas Potel ($46.99)

Dessert: Pear tarten with rosemary ice cream
2002 Chateau Rieussac Sauternes (half bottle $42.79)

Members' cost for this event was $90 per person, all inclusive.

Franck's is not easy to find, located in Holladay and hidden behind the much more famous Tuscany eatery owned by former Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton. On our night out, all of Franck's parking was valet, and most of the nearby streets were marked "No Parking." Franck is much shorter than Mark and arguably more talented. The room was small with maybe 12-15 tables, and 3-4 more outside. There was a big plasma screen on the wall so all diners could see what was happening in the kitchen. Servers platooned to rush each course to each table, and there was little opportunity for interaction. A couple different servers made attempts, but they were unable by logisitcs to follow through on their intentions. I believe that a dining experience would certainly score better service marks than this banquet-style setting permitted. As for the food, we shall take each course and wine in turn, giving much attention to our table consensus on things.

Appetizers - the mushroom tart was delicious, with lightly grilled, well-seasoned mushrooms on a buttery, flaky tart base. The escargot were tender, not at all chewy, and garlicky - but too salty for my taste. The wine pairing was a traditional Kir (NOT a Kir Royale) which mixed Creme de Cassis with a still white wine (rather than a Champagne). The tart wine was supposed to play off the sweet Cassis, but all we could taste was the sweet. It was a nice, light starter, but most in our small group wondered what the wine would have tasted like on its own. We Americans defy tradition, as apparently Kir was the mayor of Dijon around World War II, and he loved these apparatifs so much that they now bear his name.

First Course - Mussels were fresh, sweet, and tender paired well with the burre blanc sauce. Some very nice Pomme Frite came to soak up the sauce, but someone forgot to tell the servers who hustled most of the dishes away. We managed to save one of the two at our table! The wine was an un-oaked Chablis, very crisp, dry, with a mild grapefruit taste and a hint of earthiness. It complemented the mussels very well.

Second Course - Hawaiian sea bass was light and sweet with a mild salty favor. The Amaretto sauce was nicely sweet, complementing the fish with the mildest hint of nutty flavor. The wine was an un-oaked Chardonnay grape, soft, round, tart, and dry with a clean finish and a mildly lemony aftertaste that went well with the fish. The pairing with broccoli stalks and rice provided both contrast and a medium to soak up the sauce.

Third Course - Franck did a nice job with the short ribs, which were boneless and had appropriate texture while still tender and not overly chewy. Scalloped potatoes were present for sauce-soaking. The meat had a slightly salty flavor. The wine had a light mustiness to the nose, great legs, full body of fruit with a dry finish. It erased all the salt in the meat, making a near-perfect pairing.

Fourth Course - Sweet quail with salty duck and a smooth Madeira sauce made for a great variety on the plate. I am not a duck person, though my wife and dinner partners were. But this duck was GREAT duck. I not only liked it, I enjoyed it thoroughly. One table-mate VIG (Very Italian Guy), fancied himself the best duck cook in the west, and he acknowledged Franck's were as good as his. Simply amazing. As was the wine. You could tell from the bouquet that it was something special - delicate with light floral overtones. It was full bodied, mildly astringent with a hint of tannin, rich, complex, with hints of blackberry, tobacco, leather, and currant - with a crisp finsh. It was brilliant alone, and OK with the food - also effectively balancing the salt in the meats.

Dessert - The pear tarten was sweet, flaky, chewy, and wonderful - the cool, fresh rosemary ice cream a great complement. And the Sauterne (one of my favorite wines) was out of this world - Full bodied and not syrupy - thick in the way of authentic maple syrup (not the glycerin thick Log Cabin stuff). It had a slight scent of orange blossom and sweet clover. It was lightly chilled and the taste was delicate, and complex, like liquid honey. The dessert and wine were brilliant alone, but made for a poor combination - the sweet of the dessert overpowered the delicacy of the wine.

All in all a great food and wine experience at a great price. Beware that not all of these wines are available at the restaurant, and none of them are available at the prices listed. In Utah the restaurants must buy their wines from the same source at the same price as private citizens - no trade or volume discounts for anyone. So expect to pay at least 2.2 times the prices listed above if you buy in the restaurant.

Highs: Good food, good friends, great wines, boisterous party, great value
Lows: Banquet service, few wine refills available

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

Cafe Poca Cosa - Tucson, Arizona

2008-04-30T22:27:00.004-06:00

Cafe Poca Cosa
100 E. Pennington St.
Tucson, AZ 85701
520-622-6400
No website

Date of Visit: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Time: Dinner - 6:30 PM
Waiter: Aaron
Number of Diners: 2

Ratings
Food Quality: 8
Service: 7
Ambiance: 7

I invited an old friend and former co-worker, GB, to dine with me. He lives in Tucson and had never tried the place. It is a pretty place oddly located downtown at the base of a parking garage, and they do validate - but it's a needlessly complex process. The menu changes twice daily based on the availability of ingredients and the mood of the chef. So the menus are written on blackboards and easels which are explained table side by the server. The descriptions are detailed, verbal, and fast. There is no website for reference (it would be a pain to maintain), and I had no camera or recording device. So my normally detailed descriptions of the food are rendered brief by the limitations of my memory.

The Menu...
Cafe Poca Cosa has 3-4 chicken dishes, 3-4 beef dishes, 2-3 fish dishes, and 1-2 vegetarian dishes for each service. For our evening there were 4 chicken, 3 beef, 2 fish (one already sold out), and one vegetarian. The names of each dish are in Spanish, and most of the terms are outside my range of "menu Spanish." Prices range from $16-$22 and all include family style whole pinto beans, white rice, and corn tortillas (unless you request flour), and each entree comes with a very large salad heaped onto the plate. Spicy oil and vinegar dressing is on the table and very tasty. Nothing is very spicy-hot, but plenty of flavorful spices are combined to make each dish unique. It's hard to decide, and for $24 the chef will select three entrees for you in a sampler plate - one chicken, one beef, and one vegetarian. If two at the same table order the sampler, there will be six unique choices.

Upon entering we were immediately greeted by a friendly and cheerful hostess along with another lady who seems to run the front of the house - I call her the Mamacita. They were genuinely happy to see us, and asked if we needed to get dinner "before the show." When I replied in the negative, Mamacita clapped me on the back and exclaimed, "No problem then!" I asked what show we were missing, and was happy to hear we were missing Michael Buble. We found seats at the bar and dismissed the fancy Tequilas, Martinis, and Margaritas in favor of a couple of honest bottles of Negra Modelo. GB had never tried one, and he found it to be most excellent. The room was very modern, decorated with a variety of paintings, photos, and sculptures artfully lit with xenon droplights. The oval bar was a central feature with the kitchen behind and maybe 40 tables around in a C pattern. A handful of tables were outside on a small patio, for the smokers. One Zagat member referred to the arrangement as an "ultra-modernized Denny's." GB and I found the description to be unkind and unfair.

After a short wait (10 minutes) the hostess came back and asked us to settle the bar tab, and then she could take us to our table. Five minutes later we were seated at a nice table near the front door. The bus staff provided water, salsa, and a saucer with a few tortilla chips immediately. Seconds later Aaron stopped by and introduced himself as our server. He was very tall, very dark and had very long baby-dreadlocks tied neatly into a ponytail. Like everyone else we'd seen (including the bartender) he seemed very pleased to have us as guests and very concerned for our comfort and satiety. He noted that our beers were nearly full and promised to return shortly with a menu.

Aaron soon returned with an easel and blackboard, and explained each entree to us from memory in flawless Spanish followed by an English translation. Every item sounded fantastic. Gus went with the beef in tomatillo sauce, and I was tempted by the chicken mole. But I opted to go with the Poca Cosa sampler and let the chef decide. At least half an hour passed by as we conversed and observed the frenetic activity of this very busy place. The tiny pile of chips was quickly exhausted with the fresh salsa - tasty, not sweet, not hot, and blended into almost a paste. GB wondered why we couldn't get more chips. Having visited the place once before, I suggested they were sparing us from overfilling before the coming bounty. After dinner, he saw the wisdom in their stinginess.

What we had for dinner...
My dinner sampler came with beef with amarillo sauce, chicken with ancho cream sauce, and the vegetarian tamale pie. GB had an enormous portion of beef with tomatillo sauce. Both plates were piled high with salad greens, and all the side dishes (family style) and tortilla stack were generous. I sampled GB's entree as well as my own, and it was the hands-down winner of the four. He commented several times at how tender the beef was, and the flavor combo was excellent. My beef was also tender and tasty, just not as brilliant as GB's. My chicken was the best of my three portions, and the chef must have agreed - it was the biggest of the three. The masa in the tamale pie was sweet, grainy, and covered with cheese. Very good, but my least favorite. Salad (dressing on the table) and sides were very fresh and good.

GB and I are generally big eaters, and both of us plowed in with gusto. When we were done, both had salad remaining (they provide a LARGE portion), and we did not kill off any of the side dishes completely. Both too full for dessert or coffee, we paid the very reasonable tab ($54) with a very good tip, and rolled out the door.

Highs: Friendly staff, service, pretty room, activity, food quality and attention to preparation
Lows: Having to deal with the bar tab separately, long wait for main courses

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego

The Feast - Tucson, Arizona

2008-04-30T13:34:00.007-06:00

Feast Restaurant
4122 E Speedway
Tucson, AZ 85712
520-326-9363
http://www.eatatfeast.com/feast/

Date of Visit: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Time: Dinner - 7:30 PM
Waitress: Lydia R.
Number of Diners: 1

Ratings
Food Quality: 9
Service: 5
Ambiance: 6

What I had with menu descriptions...

Mixed Green Salad with Creamy Roasted Shallot Dressing. $3.75
Lovely mix of fresh, sweet, and bitter greens with delicious dressing.
Riesling Chicken $15.25 - Riesling-braised breast of chicken with Crimini mushrooms and pancetta, accompanied by garlic-roasted fingerling potatoes and sauteed asparagus.
Ice Cream We Made Here - Passion Fruit $5.00
Numi Gunpowder Green Tea (hot) $2.50
2003 Nicolas Joly 'Les Clos Sacrés' Savennières Chenin Blanc
Wine by the Glass special of the day (white) - $38.00 bottle, $9.00 glass (I had two glasses)

The restaurant is medium small, maybe 30 small tables (for 2 or 4), which could be bunched for larger parties (all but 2 occupied), and a bar with seats for 6 or 8 (all empty). There was a birthday group there, and they were having a great time. Parking was at a premium. Like most places, it was a little too noisy with poor acoustics. Tables were spartan, clean and perfectly adequate. A friendly hostess seated me at a window table for two inn the corner. I sat with my back to the room until after the pretty but blinding sunset, and then switched to the other chair to see the whole room. The space was tidy, crowded but not cramped, minimally decorated, and functional. The bus-person quickly poured water, and shortly after the waitress dropped off a very large wine list and a very small menu.

Having done some research on Zagat, I was ready for both. There were at least a dozen reds and another dozen whites available by the glass - all decent and reasonably priced. And there was an encouragement to ask your server about the glass wine special of the day. The appetizers, salads, and entrees were all described in detail. There were several vegetarian choices, and most things could be prepared gluten-free. I love a good garden salad, and went with that for my fiber needs. Dinner choices were lamb, beef, chicken, salmon, beet, and a few others. The choices were few, and one could see from the descriptions the care taken to prepare them well.

The waitress was young, petite, dark-haired, fair skinned, and freckled. She was polite and efficient, though not overly friendly. She never disclosed her name, but it was on the check. I commented that the menu was impressive, and she informed me about the special (shrimp in a burre blanc sauce) and the soup (lentil). I said the chicken was calling to me, and she affirmed it as a great choice. I asked about the special wine by the glass. "Red or white?" I answered "White," and she looked over her shoulder. "Um, not sure the name of it, but it's a French Chenin Blanc and it's $7." I was contemplating a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc at $7.50, so that seemed like a better deal. It was delicious and amazing. Cool, crisp, dry, delicate - with a slight dusty gravel flavor that reeked of its terrior. In a GOOD way. When I got the bill I found that it was $9 and not $7, but it was so good that I uncharacteristically didn't complain.

Wine and salad came promptly. I finished the salad and lingered over the wine. Entree was maybe 20 minutes later, a couple of minutes after I finished my first wine glass. No bread was served - to me or anyone else. Second glass arrived a few minutes after I started my entree. The waitress was giving me only the minimum attention to barely get the job done, which sadly is the norm for chubby, balding men who dine alone. The chicken, mushrooms, pancetta, and wine sauce all came together in a concert of complementary flavor. Outstanding. The asparagus was perfectly prepared, and the potatoes were sliced into disks, which were easily mashed to soak up the phenomenal white wine sauce. It was like the best chicken pot pie you ever had, sans carrots and crust.

I noticed that the chef/owner came frequently into the dining room, chatting to regulars and eagerly seeking feedback on their meals. He also bussed dirty dishes, refilled water, and rearranged chairs whenever he saw a need. It was a pleasure to see a head chef concerned more with the perfection of the customer experience than the propriety of his position. Conversations were natural, and not "movie star."

Dessert options were interesting, and I followed the lead of a neighboring table and ordered the homemade passion fruit ice cream. Coffee would overwhelm the flavor, so I went with hot green tea. The ice cream was delightful and the tea pairing was genius, if I do say so myself!

Bill came fairly promptly and included a detailed description of an upcoming special wine dinner for May 5. Looked interesting except for the licorice meatballs. For minimal service I generally tip 12-15%, but I allowed an extra 5% for being a single.

Highs: Fresh ingredients carefully prepared with innovative combinations, good wines available, all reasonably priced
Lows: Time gap between salad and entree, slow refills on wine & water, no bread, service minimal and not friendly, error on glass wine price

Bon Appétit! - W. Ego