Category: restaurant reviews

Last week when we were visiting Sonoma and Napa , we stopped at Mustard’s Grill in Yountville for lunch. We’ve been there many times over the years and we’ve never been disappointed.

Since we were both having seafood, we ordered the Viognier flight, three half glasses from Praxis, Saddleback and Miner wineries. This is a fun way to try and compare different varietals.

We started out by sharing Crispy Calamari with curried slaw and Fresno chilies. THIS IS THE REAL DEAL! THE BEST FRIED CALAMARI ! One caveat, these are delivered to your table with the slaw on top. Remove it immediately so the calamari don’t get soggy. The calamari were tender and perfect with a light tempura type batter. The slaw was really tasty and included pieces of arugula and cilantro.

John had Mahi-mahi Tostada with jicama slaw, black beans and feta. This was much like a fish taco with perfectly cooked fish but with perhaps a bit too much slaw on top.

I had risotto with scallops. It was pretty good although the dish came very hot and the scallops which were perfect when the dish was set down became a little done in the hot rice during the meal. The rice was creamy but had a very firm center.

John’s overall grade – A-
Mary’s overall grade – A-

Crispy Calamari grade – A+

The people who used to live in our apartment did not forward their magazines so we are receiving their Food and Wine. Just by chance, while flipping through, John noticed a review for Cyrus, the restaurant in the pricey Les Mars Hotel in Healdsburg. We decided to try it for his birthday dinner.

This is a fabulous restaurant. The décor and service are terrific. When you are seated a champagne and caviar cart arrives followed by amuse bouche. The three tidbits included a spoonful of beef tartar, a polenta diamond and a shrimp on a bed of slivered marinated carrot. All were delicious.

The menu is broken down into various components; vegetables, lobster, fish and shellfish, risotto, foie gras, poultry and meat. There is also a cheese and dessert category. Each category has a number of selections. The price of your meal depends on how many courses you choose. So you can mix and match whatever you like and have it in any order.

We settled on three courses with a wine pairing for each course. It was more than enough. Here are our choices.

John

Chilled cucumber soup with glazed shrimp and mint. Paired with an Austrian Gruener Veltiner. The soup was surprisingly pungent and tart, not watery and bland.

Stone bass with black eyed peas, corn, bacon and mustard greens. This was paired with a California Pinot Noir. The creaminess of the perfectly cooked fish played off the intense smokey/bitter flavors of the accompaniments. It could stand up easily to a red wine.

Lamb loin with Italian butter beans, merguez sausage and tomato confit. This was paired with a cab franc/merlot from Tuscany. Again the dish was perfectly cooked and the lamb sausage was really good.

Mary

Thai marinated lobster, avocado, melon and freash hearts of palm paired with a just off-dry riesling. This was the biggest star of the meal. I wanted to lick the plate. Yum.

Seared foie with fig compote and crispy potato, balsamic reduction. Instead of serving it with the usual sauterne, it was paired with tokai. Although this was really delicious, the foie had a really different texture from ones I’ve had in Europe, more meaty in consistency.

Filet of beef tenderloin, chanterelles, haricot vert and gnocchi paired with a Sonoma cabernet sauvignon. Tender, medium rare and I loved the gnocchi.

The cheese cart and desserts looked amazing but we were just too full. We were served small complimentary dessert bites and sent on our way with small boxes of treats. The whole dinner was a huge success and, although not cheap, it was not outlandishly expensive and we felt we got good value for our money.

John’s grade – A
Mary’s grade – A

Yesterday, John and I had lunch at IKEA in their cafeteria. We were shopping; it was lunchtime and it seemed easier to have lunch there then go get in the car and drive somewhere. Plus, with the price of gas here, driving is less of a first option. (Found a low price station where the gas was $2.55 yesterday. Most of the ones around here are about $2.67 for regular.) Anyway, we were pleasantly surprised.

We had the couscous special which was couscous and lentils with lots of different vegetables. These included red peppers, onions, carrots, corn, eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms. All the vegetables were well-seasoned although the whole thing was a little greasy. This came with a thick, white garlic sauce which was so-so. We also got a fried stick of vegetables in a batter which was reminiscent of a hush puppy.

Probably the best part was the salad which was from a limited salad bar. The greens mix had lots of argula and also some watercress, radicchio and something else they looked sort of like dandelion. The toppings were chickpeas and carrots. The greens were really tasty. There was also a selection of rolls. We had dill rolls. They were good.

The whole bill including drinks came to $12. Pretty good meal, pretty good price.

Mary’s grade – B
John’s grade – B+

It is always with great trepidation that we venture out into the St. George dining scene. As I’ve mentioned before, for an up and coming retirement area, there is a woeful lack of restaurants and nightlife, not to mention only one liquor store to serve about 70,000 people. But I digress. Ryan and Jon were visiting so we decided to go to the newly opened Kokopelli Grill at Entrada Country Club.

The dining room and the views are gorgeous. And the menu is both traditional and inventive. The service is a little slow but I think they are still working out the kinks. We were served rolls which we all liked although John thought they could be crustier. They have a wine list which you ask for (this is Utah) and they need a little work on wine service as they didn’t cut the foil. The waitering was a bit aggressive. Plates were cleared while you were still chewing. But this is minor stuff.

We ordered three spinach salads and a pear and goat cheese salad. All the salads were excellent. The spinach was fresh, there were slivers of tart apples and lightly sugared walnuts and a mellow dressing. The pear and goat salad had a nice raspberry vinaigrette and a crunchy crostini.

Ryan and Jon had elk which they thought was good although it could have been seasoned a little more. The side of vegetables were good and the corn fritters (really hushpuppies) were great.

John had venison chops which he felt were spectacular and seasoned well. They were served with fingerling potatoes and lovely small green beans. There was a tomato coulis for sauce.

I had NY steak. I’m still afraid to wander too far from Utah eating rules. (See note below) The steak was cooked just right and was very tasty. It was served with cheddar mashed potatoes and mixed root vegetables. There was an ancho chili sauce. My only criticism is that except for the steak everything was lukewarm.

For dessert we shared a yummy crème brulee. We wished that there had been a little more burnt sugar on top.

This was a fine dining experience. We’ll definitely go here again.

Jon – B+
Ryan – B+
John – A-
Mary – B+

NOTE: Utah eating rules were established by our family after too many awful meals. The idea is to improve your chances of a good meal by eliminating as many preparation steps as possible – fewer opportunities to screw up. The most basic meal would be, kill cow, cook cow, eat cow, as in, have a steak.

As I have mentioned many times before, the dining scene in St. George, Utah is kind of grim. But we are pretty intrepid eaters and we are always hopeful that something good will turn up. Plus I am sick of cooking. And since Ryan and Jon are visiting, I thought dinner out would be a good idea. Oh, Marymom, will you ever learn?! Mexican food seemed a good bet. There are lots of Mexican restaurants in St. George and I had heard good things about Café Rio. It probably is good but when we walked in it was crowded AND cafeteria style. This was not in my plan so we opted for a different restaurant. Don Jose’s had an advertisement for fish tacos, one of my favorites, so we decided to give it a try.

What was wrong with Don Jose’s? Let me count the blunders.

1. Only one basket of chips and salsa is complimentary.
2. No beer, margaritas or any alcoholic drinks.
3. No customers and a buffet that is languishing.
4. Bland salsa.
5. Way too sweet horchatas. ( although free refills)
6. Chicken mole with unpleasant bitterness.
7. Tamale with weird sweet sauce and tough masa.
8. Fish taco with sandy-breaded, overcooked fried fish.
9. Carnitas that were large, fatty chunks, cooked only once.

The rice and beans were good. And the silliest thing on the menu was the dish labeled “Carnita’s Platter.” We kept wondering if Carnita was back in the kitchen.

Looking for Mexican food in St. George? Look further.

Jon’s Grade – C-
Ryan’s Grade – C-
Mary’s Grade – C-
John’s Grade – D

While we are on the subject of food as a gift, I have to talk about the wonderful Parents’ Day celebration that our kids gave us. Since we all have busy lives and John and I are only home part of the time, we decided to celebrate a combination Mother’s/Father’s Day on June 12. Since the only thing we want from our kids are their company and hugs, we decided to meet for brunch at Jon’s. Well, what an impressive meal they made! First we started with mimosas and then we had Eggs Benedict and Silverman. Eggs Silverman substitute the ham with smoked salmon. Sarah made the hollandaise sauce by hand with much whisking. Jon fixed home fries with onions and we had shaved truffles on top. The meal was great and the time spent together even better. The Braisin’ Hussy has posted the recipes if you’d like to see them.

Dad’s grade – A
Mom’s grade – A

Tonopah is a sad, sad place. It used to a mining boom town. Now it is a place of empty store fronts, ramshackle houses and a couple of tawdry casinos. When we drive to St. George either through Reno or Yosemite, it is the only place to stop over night. Where to eat is always a problem. We’ve tried eating at the Ramada where we stay. First time, awful. Second time, we decided to eat breakfast for dinner. Maybe this would be safer. Still awful. We tried the Cozy Crab – fried seafood at formica tables with plastic glasses. Soft drinks only. The only things left are McDonald’s and El Marquez. So we eat at El Marquez, a Mexican restaurant. Granted, I am no Mexican food fan so my review may be biased.

We go in last night and there is a large party and this slowed things down. No one came to wait on us. Finally, a girl (who was 13 as we found out later when John ordered a second beer and nothing came) brought chips and salsa. No, not really salsa more like taco sauce. Thin and hot, no pieces of anything in it. Some time later, we were asked for our drink order. We each got a beer, bottle only no glass. We asked for water. Got one glass. Asked for water again, got a second glass. Finally, the waitress took our order. John had two chicken enchiladas which come with rice and beans. I ordered shrimp with garlic sauce. John enjoyed his. (He reminds me of the opposite of the old Life cereal commercial, “Give it to Johnny he likes everything.”) My shrimp came on top of lettuce with what I thought was hominey all over it. But no, it was large pieces of boiled garlic. There was no sauce. The shrimp were cooked okay and had black pepper on them. There was also the usual glop of rice and beans. I just didn’t get the concept.

My recommendation for dining in Tonopah? Pack a picnic supper.

John’s grade – C
Mary’s grade – D

During our outing in Sonoma County, we stopped at the Kenwood Bar and Grill. It’s located on Rte. 12 between Imagery Winery and Chateau St. Jean, two of the places we were visiting. At the Kenwood B & G you can eat inside or out. It is bright and airy. We started by ordering a couple of glasses of wine, an 04 Berthoud chasselas dore. This had kind of pink grapefruity taste which John liked but I did not, so I gave him my glass and ordered the 03 St. Francis chardonnay. It was fine. Then the rolls came and they are really good rolls. Crusty and soft. They are much like my favorite rolls from Legal Seafoods (Boston area and a really fine seafood restaurant.) John then had the shrimp bisque. It was not as rich as the lobster bisque that I had at Emeril’s Seafood House but still good especially after John doctored it up with some additional butter and salt. Some odd things about it were that it had little salad size shrimp in it and was served in a glass salad bowl. For a main course, John had the mussels mueniere. He is a big mussel fan. He said they were very fresh, with no grit and just barely cooked through. They were seasoned with shallots and parsley. He felt that the broth could have used a little more Pernod. I have no opinion. Mussels are too strong for me. I had poached salmon. It was served with a lemon cream sauce. The salmon was soft and lovely, the sauce went well with the new potatoes. There were also some pieces of yellow squash, asparagus (which should have either been peeled or snapped a little closer to the tip), and a giant slab of carrot. The carrot was probably 4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. I realize that it was cut on the diagonal from a very large carrot but I think smaller pieces would have been better. We both really enjoyed our meals and would dine at the Kenwood Bar and Grill again. You always get a reliably good dining experience.

John grade – B+
Mary grade – B+

John and I went here for our anniversary two years ago. This was a great meal which also taught us a lesson. I started with the appetizer special which was various caviars on toast points. Yum. John had the seasonal soup. My main course was a piece of Chilean sea bass just cooked through, wrapped filet mignon style with a piece of bacon. John had Niman Ranch Veal Chop with a polenta cake, fava beans, capers, and sage. The most astounding thing, though, was the mashed potato sampler which had five different flavored mashed potatoes. There were truffle potatoes, mushroom potatoes, champagne potatoes, garlic potatoes and one other. For a girl who really loves potatoes, it was potato heaven. And it’s not something you order, it just arrives. For dessert we shared creme brulee. Question – why do places insist on putting fresh fruit on top of the lovely sugar crust. It melts it! So we quickly grabbed the raspberries off the top of the creme brulee and saved it. We had a lovely Sancerre with the meal. So, the bill comes. Hmmm, how much should this be. Certainly in the $200 range. But no! The bill is over $300. Why? The caviar appetizer is $120. So, never, never order something without knowing how much it costs. The waitstaff may read you the specials with no prices but you need to know!

Mary grade – A
John grade – A

Sarah and I ate at the food court at the Great Mall of the East Bay in Milpitas, Calfornia. Of course, this is not going to be great food but you hope for adequate, fast and inexpensive. I had a favorite of mine, Pad Thai, from Magic Thai. It was disappointing. Quite gloppy and sweet. The tofu and egg were good but the noodles were stuck together and the bean sprouts were not fresh. Sarah had the steak burrito from La Salsa. The chips were stale and the burrito was so-so. With a drink each order came to about $7.00 but the money could have been better spent.

Magic Thai C-
La Salsa C-