Harry's Hof Brau

Joining me for lunch today at a place she recommended was Shantel. We dined on the patio at Harry's Hof Brau. My idea of a Hof Brau was sloppy counters, meat, and grease everywhere. To the contrary, this establishment was clean as a snowflake. The service was best described as pleasurable. When you walk in, there is a large overhead menu and the folks at the carving station are happy to explain each of their dishes in addition to offering you samples of their various fresh meats.

I'm starting to think I'm losing my knack at making the right sandwich selection. For the second time this week, I believe I was bested by my lunch guest.


This is the incredible sandwich Shantel ordered. Constructed of Tri-Tip, BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, crispy onion strips, lettuce, tomato, and served on a fresh french roll. Once I saw this thing being erected I knew I had made the wrong selection. That's what I get for cutting in line. Now I know why they say "Ladies First".

Shantel rolling her eyes in bliss as she experiences extreme goodness.

I ordered the Roast Pork sandwich, with lettuce, red onion, tomato, and pepperoncini on a french roll. They offered to dip it in Au Jus sauce, and I was imagining them dipping the whole sandwich in Au Jus like an Italian Beef sandwich. Instead they dipped a millimeter of it in Au Jus, barely enough to stain the bread brown. Sandwich was dry, meat flavor was good. I used some of their house mustard that was available at our table, which helped out a bit. The star of the show for me was their decadent macaroni and cheese that I ordered on the side. Rich, thick, creamy and cheesy, with some crispy panko breadcrumbs on the top. It truly was everything Mac and Cheese should be!!

Kenzie was a little camera shy, her mama not so much.

Harry's Hof Brau offers an astonishing amount of tantalizing choices for your enjoyment. They have turkey legs, frankfurters, enormous enchiladas, and daily lunch specials. If you are in Livermore, and you love meat, Harry's Hof Brau should be your next lunchtime destination.

You can visit them online at:

http://www.harryshofbrau.com/

Or in Livermore at:

2491 1st St
(between Maple St & Mcleod St)
Livermore, CA 94550

Rising Loafer (Danville)

While walking down Hartz Ave. in Danville last week, I noticed a patio dining area full of people dining on what looked like delicious sandwiches. I knew then that I must return and find out for myself. Today was that magical day and joining me was my friend Charlotte.

We chose to dine outside on the patio, there was a perfect table with one side in the shade for me and one side in the sun for Char. The menu was complete with breakfast selections, sandwiches, and salads. I was impressed with the extensive sandwich selections, from grilled chicken breast sandwiches to half-pound burgers in addition to a Reuben, Meatloaf, and Tri-Tip variations as well.


Charlotte ordered the Grilled Chicken Avocado sandwich, it was constructed with fresh baked garlic herb bread, chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, bacon, and mayo. It was served with seasoned french fries that tasted more like breaded and deep fried air. Seriously, if ever a french fry could taste light and fluffy, these tots must have been created in the clouds.


We were enjoying interesting and meaningful conversation until the first bite. Then silence, ok perhaps that is an exaggeration, however Charlotte gushed about this sandwich from start to finish. Fair to say this one is highly recommended.


I was looking for a healthy option today, and I opted for the half sandwich and soup. The soup was a lentil and fresh vegetable, it was light and somewhat filling. My sandwich was Turkey and Havarti on garlic herb bread with lettuce, tomato, alfalfa sprouts and dijon mustard. The sandwich sounded better than it tasted, the bread was soft, and the turkey tasted fresh roasted, however it was a bit dry. I wanted to start eyeballing Charlotte's sandwich but I didn't want to get poked with a fork.

For fresh baked bread, and gourmet sandwiches try the Rising Loafer in Danville.

You can visit them online at:

http://www.danvillerisingloafer.com/default.asp

Or in Danville at:

340 Hartz Ave.,
Danville, CA 94526

Los Pericos

Lorraine, Allison, and I decided to visit our favorite Dublin taqueria today Los Pericos (the parrots). We have dined here several times before, always impressed with fast service, great prices and good food. Try to avoid coming here during the lunch rush, or else you will be part of the daily line out the door.

Like most taquerias you select your meal from a menu posted overhead, pay, take your number and have a seat, then the food is delivered to your table. While you wait, you can take advantage of the vast salsa bar, offering spice levels from the pico de gallo to the roasted chile salsa that will burn you twice if you are not careful.

Salsa bar with "industrial" grade sneeze guard.

Believe it or not there is a large corn tortilla at the bottom.

LG and Alli Palli decided to order the carne asada super taco. This taco comes complete with carne asada, cilantro, sour cream, onion, guacamole, pico de gallo, and red sauce. At $3.25 each, these tacos are a best kept secret, cheap, delicious, and unless you are a competitive eater it should fill you up. In addition to all the fresh flavors coming through with the cilantro and salsa, I was impressed with the tender and juicy yet crispy steak pieces.

Steak Ranchero

I was interested in a low carb option, intially I was going to order a burrito and leave the tortilla as a disposable food wrapper. Instead, Lorraine suggested I sample the Steak Ranchero. I ordered whole bean instead of refried (forgot to tell them to hold the queso). As you can see, they inlcluded beans (yummy), rice (eh), guacomole (fair), and marinated steak pieces sauteed with jalepeno peppers, onions, fresh tomatoes, and served in a light red sauce (muy deliciouso). This meal could easily feed two. I ate all the meat, a couple bites of beans, a few jalepenos and I was full. You can think of it as fajitas on steroids, sans the fancy sizzling skillet and high price.

Los Pericos is "THE" taqueria in the Tri-Valley area, if you don't agree with me then I will fight you, or at least ask you where you think is better and try it as well.

You can visit them at:

7473 Village Pky, Dublin, CA 94568

Chow

When I heard that we were going to dine at "Chow" restaurant, my first thought was Chinese food. Turns out that I was not even close. Chow relies on fresh and locally produced organic ingredients, including free range chicken, all natural beef and fresh squeezed fruit juices.

Their menu was complete with an impressive amount of food selections. Even the pickiest of diners will find something to enjoy. Well known for their delicious pizza, they also offer fantastic salad choices as well as appetizers and small cheese and salami plates to whet your appetite.

Right away I was interested in either the Grilled Rare Ahi Tuna sandwich with ginger, or the Picante Fish Tacos. After speaking with our friendly and well informed server Kris, I chose the tacos.

Kris, doing a fine job of explaining my Picante fish tacos which
included a Deep Fried Mahi Mahi filet, avocado, cilantro, mango pico de
gallo salsa, dressed with cabbage and a chipotle cream sauce.

His description of the tacos made them sound muy deliciouso. However, with all those tasty ingredients the tacos were slightly dry, and personally I would have loved some fresh jalapenos on the side for a little spice. The fish had great flavor, very mild and perfectly cooked.

Today's lunch crowd from left to right, my wife Dawn, myself, and Barbara,
(our fourth luncher was Erin, she chose to take the picture instead of being in it).

Barbara, who always has a keen ability to pick out the best item on the menu selected the Nicoise Salad (pronounced Nee-Swah, glad I didn't order it I would have said Nee-Koi-Se). Only the experienced should order this salad, it comes complete with capers, ahi tuna, tomatoes, kalamata olives, anchovies, fresh greens, potatoes, tomatoes, string beans and fresh hard boiled eggs. Served with an amazing dressing called Green Goddess, it's as delicious as it is mysterious.


Dawn ordered the Fusilli pasta served with chicken, sausage, tomato and cream. This item sounded terrific from the menu, however I was very underwhelmed by it's flavor. The pasta was cooked perfectly but the JuJuBes sized sausage flecks were tasty but scarce.

Erin ordered the Cobb salad, after having them hold the onions and the eggs, she was left with fresh greens, chicken, bacon, avacado and blue cheese dressing. She said the pre-tossed dressing left the salad just a little soggy but not so much that she didn't finish every bite. Chow offers 3 salad sizes, Erin chose the medium and found it to be the perfect lunch sized portion.

The service at Chow restaurant is top notch, never will your glass be empty, your bread dish devoid of bread, nor will your finished plate stare back up at you wondering if you are going to lick it or not.

Offering a full bar and a brisk lunch crowd, Chow is a great place for a great meal at a modest price for Danville dining.

You can visit Chow online at:

http://www.chowfoodbar.com/index.html

Or in Danville at:

445 Railroad Ave
Danville, CA 94526

Jim's Country Style Restaurant

If you are curious just how "Country" a restaurant could possibly be located in a strip mall in the middle of a city. Then you haven't been to Jim's Country Style Restaurant. From the Banjo music playing in the background to the "Coors Light" aluminum can artwork. Just kidding, well about the Banjo music anyway. In addition to various beer can exhibits, there are also plenty of old rusty hand tools and implements to give you a reason to keep your shots up to date.

Joined today be Lorraine and Allison, we set out to conquer some famously large sandwiches.

I ordered the "Jack Special", turkey, avocado, tomato, lettuce,
and glorious thick cut bacon on grilled sourdough.

This sandwich was amazing, I could only eat half. They don't hold back with the ingredients or the flavor. Served with perfectly cooked golden brown steak fries and a side of ranch.

Allison ordered the BLT, which was constructed in club sandwich form on whole wheat.

The "Vanna White" of Great Britain.

Lorraine ordered the French Dip. She allowed me to sample a small portion. I was a little disappointed with the freshness of the bread but the thin sliced roast beef was juicy and "beefy".

Huge portions, and great food make Jim's Country Style Restaurant a "must have" destination for anybody who owns a pair of overalls or loves to make a mess.

You can visit Jim's at:

5400 Sunol Blvd, #1,
Pleasanton, CA 94566

Quickly

My current food mission has been to keep my food radar on high alert for strange and interesting cuisine. Today, my lunch associate Gary M. and I found ourselves at Quickly. Quickly is one of the largest Tapioca Milk Tea franchises in the world with hundreds of locations spread throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia. Tapioca Milk Tea is also known as Pearl Tea, or Bubble Tea. These teas offer a milk or fruit based tea with large pieces of Tapioca that are sucked through oversize straws.

Taro flavored Pearl Tea.

I've been to this Quickly before for a mid afternoon tea snack, and I while there I noticed that they offered a diverse snack menu with some very odd choices. Some options to enjoy with your tea beverage are: Lobster Balls, Squid Balls, or a Fried Black Rice Cake.

From Left to right, Taro Fries, Fried Mini Octopus, Popcorn Chicken

There were two obvious choices for me today though, the whole deep fried mini octopus and the Taro fries. Taro is a tropical plant that is grown and harvested for the corm (the root of the plant).

When they say whole mini octopus, they mean it, eyes and everything.

I'm having second thoughts here.

Eh, not so bad actually.

The Taro Fries were disgusting, not much of a texture, soft, mushy and very bland. The octopus was really very chewy, and not flavorful. Plus they give you 30-40 with every order, a great value at $2.99 but who can eat that many. Gary ordered the Popcorn Chicken, the flavor was a very solid OK, but we agreed that it was too heavy on the grease.

The verdict for today, if you want to try a new and refreshing tea beverage then Quickly is here to help. However, I would suggest you select a new restaurant while considering your last meal.

You can visit Quickly online at:

http://www.quicklyusa.com/

Or in Dublin at:

4288 Dublin Blvd. #104
Dublin, CA 94568

Yanagi Too

For those of you who love sushi but don't love the check when it arrives at your table, I have a treat for you. Thanks to Facebook I have been in contact with lots of friends from school and previous jobs. Today I met Amber, a fellow Calaveras High School alum. She happened to see one of my blog updates and insisted I try her favorite sushi spot.

When I pulled up and parked out front of Yanagi Too, it was love at first sight. Totally a hole in the wall kinda joint, my kinda joint. When you walk in there is a giant menu, and also pictures of their assorted rolls.


As you can see, their prices are very reasonable. That's because this is a deli type of set up. You walk up to the counter, place your order, pay and have a seat. Plus as an added bonus, you are not expected to tip, hey that extra cash means more raw fish for me to enjoy.

Since I was already dollars ahead, I wanted to try and stay under $20, I asked what their most popular roll was. Turns out is was one that I was contemplating anyways, it's called the Bollinger Roll. Included inside was Tempura Shrimp, Cucumber, Crab, and on the outside was Avacado and Salmon. Topping it off was tobiko, Unagi sauce and a sweet "House" sauce.

Clockwise from bottom right Bollinger Roll, Seaweed Salad, Tempura Shrimp, and California Roll.

The Bollinger roll was delicious, the fish was fresh, the roll was good size and the sauces were superb. I also ordered seaweed salad and a cup of miso soup. The seaweed salad was on the small side and was served on a bed of iceberg lettuce (if I was the seaweed I would be insulted).

Amber enjoying her Miso.

She also ordered the tempura shrimp, and a California roll. Amber is a self proclaimed "fake" sushi eater. A "Sushi Poser" if you will, she only eats rolls that include cooked fish. Her favorite is the California roll, I rolled my eyes a little at first, but I must admit, Yanagi Too puts a great spin on this classic "beginner" roll by including plenty of spicy sauce on top.



If you are interested in sushi on the cheap, ditch the supermarkets and head to Yanagi Too.

You can find them at:

1061 Market Pl, San Ramon, CA 94583

Haveli Indian Cuisine

Indian food is not a favorite dining choice for many of my friends and co-workers. Most of the time if I am craving this type of food I know I'll be dining alone. I've seen this restaurant a few times and today decided to try it.

When you walk in you are greeted with the aromas of mysterious special spices and fresh baked naan (flatbread cooked in a Tandoori Oven).

It's a little confusing when you get to the counter. You can see all the items they have available from their steam table, and even being experienced in this type of food I still had to ask what each item was. The women serving the food behind the counter were very friendly and happy to explain what was in each dish.


They have an "early bird" special, 4 items for only $7.50, as long as you can show up for lunch between 11am-12pm. Perfect for me as my stomach starts growling around 11 and I oftentimes jest that if I don't eat by 12 I may just pass out.

From the bottom to the top: basmati rice, salad, mixed fruit in mango sauce,
lamb curry, eggplant and potato, Tandoori chicken, and naan bread.

It's easy to get used to Indian buffets, they are cheap and the food is usually pretty good, not to mention all the variety. However, I would now choose Haveli over a buffet. Their lamb curry was spicier than most, and the lamb was mild and very tender (rare at most buffets). The eggplant and potato dish was also delicious, with the perfect amount of spiciness to flavor ratios. The Tandoori chicken was served with fresh cilantro, lemon, and onion, the meat fell off the bone but I found it a little salty for my taste.

I was skeptical of the fruit floating in the mango sauce, but in the end the bowl was empty and my palate was cleansed.

While I was dining I took an opportunity to review their regular menu. There was a vast selection of food options that you normally don't see. However, their prices looked higher than I would expect for the area. Unless their portions are huge, or you are craving something in particular, I would suggest the lunch special.

If you are in Dublin and you love Indian cuisine, you should visit Haveli.

Online:

http://www.haveliindiancuisine.com/

In person:

4582 Dublin Boulevard,
Dublin, CA 94568

Matsu Sushi

The words cheap and sushi almost never end up in the same sentence. However, a couple of years ago I was introduced to the best value available in sushi restaurants. There exists an item on 95% of all sushi menus called Chirashi. For the true sushi enthusiast, a person who loves raw fish and is not afraid to "think outside of the roll". Chirashi is for you, translated Chirashizushi means literally "scattered sushi".

Chirashi consists of a bowl of sushi rice that is covered with assorted raw fish, accompanied by wasabi paste, ginger, and often times tamago (a sweet layered Japanese omelete).

It's always chef's choice as to what fish you get. I've always had good luck though, they seem to always have a great variety. So let's break this down to dollars and cents. Your assorted nigiri sushi can cost anywhere between $3-$5 per two piece order. Most Chirashi varies between $14.95-$24.95, we'll average it out to $19.95. Typically you get 20 pieces of sushi, so that is only $.99 per piece.

Also, they serve miso soup and a house salad with their Chirashi. I personally think that iceberg lettuce needs to be banned from cuisine entirely both here at home and abroad. With that said, the dressing they used on this salad was so delicious that I ate every chilled lettuce crisp and carrot (and I dislike carrots more than iceberg lettuce).

It really is "edible art", look at all those vibrant colors!!

Today the chef included:

Shiro Maguro (Albacore Tuna)
Maguro (Ahi Tuna)
Red Snapper
Yellowfin
Salmon
Tamago
Ebi (Shrimp)

Each of the pieces of fish was very fresh, the salmon had great color and magnificent flavor. The albacore tuna was fantastic as well, the flavor was exceptional as it melted away on my tongue.

Albacore dipped in wasabi/soy sauce mixture. I love albacore like Homer Simpson loves donuts.

I was surprised that Matsu Sushi was so good, as it happens to be located so close to a bunch of other chain style restaurants next to a movie theater.

If you ever want to get your Wasabi fix before a movie stop by Matsu Sushi.

You can visit them online at:

http://www.matsusushiusa.com/pages/menu.htm

Or in person in Dublin at:

4930 Dublin Blvd., Suite 800
Dublin, CA

Thai House and Yogurt Shack

Today I had the pleasure of sharing my dining experience with Barbara and Rob. We met in Danville, and chose Thai House. Thai House is one of those restaurants that is located inside a converted house. These types of place always amuse me, I don't know why, easily amused I guess. I also like shiny objects. We decided to sit on the patio, the weather was just warm enough, with a slight breeze and lots of shade.

Thai food was my first foray into ethnic cuisine way back in 2000. I've been really bad about eating just a couple of Thai dishes, either the Pad Thai, or the Spicy Basil Noodles with chicken. However, as I've been writing this blog, it's becoming more important for me to keep trying new flavors and new experiences. I've never had Thai curry, Rob and Barbara are seasoned veterans and suggested I try the Red Curry. Most Thai restaurants offer Red, Green, Yellow, and even Orange curry selections, each with a different flavor and spice level.

From left to right Pumpkin Curry, Yellow Curry, Red Curry.

When you are ready to order be prepared for the quiz. Our waiter asked us, what we wanted, with what meat, and on a scale of 1-4, how spicy would you like it. Barbara went with a 2, which was medium, Rob selected a 1 for mild, and I wasn't sure how hot the 4 would be so I settled with a 3.

They were out of "Sippy" cups, poor Rob.

Barbara enjoying her fantastic Thai Iced Tea.

We decided we would all sample a little bit of each curry. My red curry was only a number 3 but it packed some heat. Flavored with coconut milk, bamboo shoots, zucchini, green peas, and fresh basil. It was odd, it didn't burn my tongue, instead the spice hit me right in the back of the throat. After I took a bite I would cough, yes it was strange. The pumpkin curry had large chunks of fresh pumpkin (where do you get that this time of year anyways), shrimp, zucchini, and red bell peppers. The spice of the pumpkin curry was warm, it was like sitting in a spa that is set at 98 degrees. Rob's yellow curry was excellent as well, including potatoes, onions, and carrots in addition to the coconut milk and curry base.

Easy to find, fantastic service, reasonable prices and great food can be found at Thai House in Danville. You can find them online at:

http://www.thaihousedanville.net

Or in person at:

254 Rose Avenue
Danville, CA 94526

So after lunch Rob and I were still a little hungry. We were craving something sweet. I enlisted the help of my trusty iPhone. A quick map search later and we found out that we had to walk around the corner 364 feet to arrive at The Yogurt Shack.

If you have a pulse you probably know that frozen yogurt is gaining a lot of popularity these days. I've been to a few places now, and I've learned, grab the smallest cup and try not to fill it up. They charge by the ounce and it's very easy to over indulge without even trying.

Looks like a laundrymat!! There were a total of 10 flavors, I went with the Original Tart (my favorite), Golden Gate Chocolate (more brown then golden), and "Cake Batter".


These are all the toppings available. I usually stay away from the toppings. Aren't there enough calories in the yogurt? Ok, I will indulge in the Mochi (a soft Japanese rice cake) if they have it, this place didn't. Their yogurt was good, not the best I've had but I'd go back again. Friendly service and a great location.

You can visit them in Danville at:
290 Hartz Ave.

Papaya Grill

It's not easy finding new and interesting places to eat everyday. Today I enlisted the help of YELP!, I needed to see what other people in the area are eating and enjoying. Papaya Grill is located in San Ramon and has been getting some great reviews. It's Wednesday and I was accompanied by one of my regular lunch companions Gary M.

Papaya Grill offers Filipino cuisine either ala carte or they have 1 or 2 item combination plates served with white rice. There are 8-10 prepared items on a steam table for you to choose from.


The lady behind the counter was very friendly, offering free samples and education on the various dishes.

What's amazing is, Papaya Grill serves an authentic Filipino breakfast menu for only $4.95 available until 12pm.

Gary took advantage of the breakfast, he ordered the Tocilog, served with white rice and a fried egg. Tocilog is a Filipino sausage made with pork, it's very crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle with an exceptional pork flavor.


There were many unique and interesting choices available for me. Gary suggested I sample one of the dishes that were on display. Pork Dinuguan is the name of this strange purple colored concoction of pork chunks slow simmered in pork blood, vinegar and spices.


Ok, you can swallow your bile, it wasn't too bad actually. I've never been too keen on anything that is flavored with or cooked in blood. Honestly though, I've never tried it before. Recently I have been watching more and more food shows on the Travel Channel, and well I'm starting to get a little brave. I found this dish to have a very strong vinegar flavor to it, I couldn't taste the blood, and the pork was tender and juicy. I wouldn't eat a whole plate of this stuff, but I definitely could try it again.

For my lunch I decided to order the two item combination. One item I chose was my old Filipino stand by, Chicken Adobo (chicken parts simmered in soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, bay leaves and other spices). I needed to order something that I have tried before so that I could have a basis for my comparison. In addition to the adobo, I tried the Beef Mechado which is slices of beef stewed in tomato sauce with carrots.


The Chicken Adobo was fair, I've had better and certainly worse, but I wasn't wowed. The Beef Mechado had a great flavor and the sauce from the stew was excellent on the rice, I wished the beef was more tender though. This restaurant had some strange condiments as well. In the picture above there is a brownish grey sauce and a red sauce. Neither of these sauces went with the dishes I selected but I was curious about their flavor. I was reading the label for the sauce on top, the first two ingredients were sugar and breadcrumbs, yes it tasted strange. The red sauce was called banana sauce it was a sweet ketchup like sauce that tasted like bananas.

Let's face it, food is fun! It's enjoyable trying different ethnic fare around the bay area. I think of it as a lunchtime vacation.

If you are ready to take it to the next level, stop by Papaya Grill. For only $8 for a 2 item combo it's a great value as well.

You can visit them online at:

http://www.papaya-grill.com/

Or in person at:

280 Market Place
San Ramon, CA 94583