Restaurants

By Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Sardine Factory Ice Swan

The Sardine Factory in Monterey is my new favorite restaurant. Not because it served the best pacific swordfish that I’ve ever tasted and not because it’s located in seaside Monterey, but because they made me feel special. My husband and I were enjoying a night out by ourselves, sans children, shirley temples and chicken nuggets.

Owners Ted Balestreri and Bert Cutino have raised this dining establishment to legendary status, serving movie stars and famous sports figures, yet they made my husband and I feel like we were the VIP’s of the evening. From the sommelier, who helped us select the 2004 Calera Mills Vineyard Pinot Noir, to our waiter and the ever vigilant bus boy, we were welcomed into the upscale Northern California restaurant.

Our evening began in the Sardine Factory Conservatory, surrounded by lush greenery in the dead of winter, where we were seated beneath a glass-domed roof. We enjoyed the abalone bisque as much as President Reagan did at his inaugural dinner in Washington D.C. From there we were brought a refreshing blackberry sorbet served as an Intermezzo before the entree. Once again, it’s the special touches that will be remembered as the palate cleanser was served in a swan-shaped ice sculpture.

Next, we moved on to the broiled king salmon with crab meat served with a chive risotto in a tarragon beurre blanc sauce. I selected the swordfish with sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts in a champagne vinaigrette sauce. While I am a seafood lover, sometime swordfish can be dry. This center-cut piece was very moist. I also like the fact that the restaurant only serves fish approved from the “sustainable seafood” guide.

As this was a special occasion, we splurged on the warm chocolate lava cake with tahitian vanilla bean cream and fresh raspberries. Our waiter recommended that we try the “Flaming Sardine” a coffee and licorice liquor drink that is as tasty as it is showy. It was actually fun to have our dining neighbors oohing and ahhing as the waiter made the flames leap into the air, tableside.

TIP: Savvy diners order the prix-fix menu, served nightly from 5-6:30 p.m. This budget-friendly menu offers the abalone bisque or caesar salad and a choice of petite filet mignon, duck and pappardelle pasta or the scampi for a reasonable $19.95 per person. The restaurant also offers a children’s menu with kid-friendly pizza, mac and cheese and mini hamburgers.

Sardine Factory Reservations (831) 373-3775

701 Wave Street, Monterey, CA 93940

A new pre-game routine

Here’s a sight I hope never to see again: Mother Bear’s with an empty parking lot. I guess that’s what we get for not calling ahead to see if the campus classic would be open over Christmas break — but then we assumed the mere fact we were coming to Bloomington, Indiana, for a basketball game meant they had a table ready.

Having your pizza and breadsticks expectations ripped away from you is a stunner — and so is the fact that you now have to wander Bloomington seeking something else that will go well with popcorn and a Coke at Assembly Hall. The mall is, of course, crammed with restaurant choices — and all of them the same names I could have picked less than a mile from my house. I had my IU sweatshirt. I had my striped warm-up pants. I had my leather Indiana University jacket, my red and white tennis shoes and my tickets for H 29, 108.

I was not going to ruin the pre-game good luck routine by grabbing dinner any place short of a local restaurant.

Thank goodness Scholars Inn Bakehouse was open, or I might have missed the game in that mood. Yes, in the grand scheme of things, it’s a soup, salad and sandwich shop, but with a decor the owners at Panera Bread could only dream of copying. Instead of cramming strangers shoulder to shoulder and calling it cozy, Bakehouse offers plenty of personal space in the leather chairs and high-backed booths. The double-sided fireplace adds that “welcome home” touch, and more than two people can actually enjoy it at one time.

Coach Tom Crean

The menu is handwritten on a chalk board, making you think for a split second you’ve wandered into Lush, something no doubt the college students can follow easily. Alumni stand out by the way we grab for the printed menus, the better to see them up close and interpret what in the world goes into Hangover Special. (For the record, that’s two fried eggs on a mixture of mushrooms, onions, bacon, red peppers, seasoned home fries and Monterey Jack cheese. I’d rather be drunk.)

The gal at the cash register was eager to show us their new sandwiches, but of course when you didn’t know the place existed five minutes earlier, everything is new. The cinnamon carrot soup of the day sounded great if they hadn’t ruined it with carrots, so in the end I ordered a boring bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. I almost talked my husband into a Smokin’ BLT with habanero cilantro yogurt, served on jalapeno cheddar toast, but he saw right through that as my way of trying to snarf his popcorn while he spent the next two hours in the men’s restroom.

If there’s a downside to Bakehouse, it’s that the restaurant doesn’t appear to be especially lucky as a pre-game ritual. The Hoosiers had their lunch handed to them, 55 – 42, the lowest point total in history for our home floor. I might have enjoyed it more if I’d ordered that BLT. Or shown up drunk.

Malik Story

Scholars Inn Bakehouse

3002 East Third Street

Bloomington, IN

(812) 323-7070

Photographer credits: Jetalone, Julie Sturgeon

Tomkats Grille in Old Koloa Town, Kauai (Jennifer Miner)

One of my favorite things to do in the Hawaiian islands (besides the snorkeling, the hiking, the soaking up of the sun and mai tais) is finding relatively unknown restaurants and trying them out. You know it’s probably a good bet, for example, when you see a crowd of locals waiting to get in a restaurant that the concierge at your fancy resort never thought to recommend. I had just such a happy experience at Tomkats Grille, in the Poipu resort area’s Old Koloa Town, Kauai.

Old Koloa Town was Hawaii’s first real (read: successful) sugar mill. Today, however, it’s a humble Hawaiian village, dwarfed in popularity by the shopping area of Poipu Beach. There are only two real restaurants here; a pizzeria, and Tomkats Grille. Now, pizza’s fine any time of the year as far as I’m concerned, but if you’re on vacation in Hawaii, why not eat at a real Hawaiian joint? Tomkats fits the bill nicely.

This is NOT a health food restaurant by any stretch. The big plates of burgers, fish sandwiches and fries are

Mahi Mahi Sandwich at Tomkats Grille in Kauai, Hawaii (Jennifer Miner)

all very satisfying, and not for dieters. I made the mistake of ordering a Caesar salad appetizer, which frankly was subpar. The specialties here definitely run towards the greasy and satisfying. The size and selection of beer here surprised me; stouts, lagers, local and Maui micro brews…a beer goes down great after a morning in the sun, and we enjoyed ours immensely.

Old Koloa Town is a handy pitstop on the way back to Poipu from, say, a hike in Waimea Canyon. Hungry children will be very, very happy with Tomkats Grille, and their paper and crayon creations often end up hanging on the wall. Daily specials vary, of course, but when I was there the macadamia nut-crusted ahi and the fresh caught mahi mahi sandwich were both really great, and generously proportioned. One of my kids gobbled up every last bit of her fish and chips – made with locally caught ono – and said they were “better than the fish sticks at home.” I should hope so! The relaxed, casual atmosphere at Tomkats Grille perfectly epitomizes small-town Hawaiian restaurants, and we all enjoyed our midday meal there.

Tomkats Grill

5404 Koloa Rd,

Old Koloa Town, Kauai

Tam's in Pacifica

During the holidays, it is a tradition for lots of families to have a big Chinese dinner at least once – with many relatives and extended family all around the table.

Along the Pacific Coast, south of San Francisco is a great spot for just this occasion – at Tam’s Restaurant in Pacifica. Here you can celebrate the holidays or have great Chinese food along the ocean. The west coast sunsets are beautiful here!

Months ago I discovered Tam’s Restaurant is perfect for the big family meal now or any time. Whenever I am there, even if I go for a dinner out with my husband – there are always groups of loud and rowdy families enjoying a great time together.

House Chow Fun

They have mai tai drinks that remind you of Hawaii and their house dishes never fail. We have had lots of plates that have been hits and misses – such as their house chow fun – always a big thumbs up – though their breaded orange chicken has been a miss.

I love the honey walnut prawn and their chow mein can’t be beat. If you need a warm family restaurant or just a nice spot for some yummy Chinese food – Tam’s is a great location – and has friendly wait staff. They have lots of parking and are conveniently located between the Pacific Ocean and Highway One.

A great Chinese meal

494 Manor Plaza
Pacifica, CA 94044
(650) 359-7575

Open for Lunch and Dinner

Sensei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar, Waikoloa Beach (Jennifer Miner)

Travelers spending their precious vacation time on the Big Island are wise to learn about recommended restaurants. Even small local chains are often more fun dining experiences than are the massive, pricey resort restaurants – and at the very least they’ll help budget-conscious travelers with their food budget. Hawaii has one such small, local chain that’s popular for good reason (as compared to, say, KFC or McDonald’s). Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar has a great Japanese and pan-Asian menu, with a fun, festive atmosphere that is downright contagious. If you don’t have a fun experience at Sansei’s, you’re really not letting yourself be part of the mood of the place.

Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar is in the Queen’s Marketplace area of Waikoloa Beach. This popular resort area has several off-resort restaurants, including Charley’s Thai Cuisine, that are both less expenisive and more interesting than the standard hotel fare. There are also Sansei restaurants on Maui and Oahu, so this relatively new (winter 2008) Waikoloa Beach restaurant was able to start off up and running, without the usual trial-and-error effects of grand openings.

The sushi is fantastic. There are, of course, the usual California rolls and spicy tuna rolls, but there are

Delicious Seared Tuna at Sensei Restaurant, Big Island (Nathan Kam)

alsomany, many creative option using locally caught ahi, ono, and other fish native to the Pacific. Hawaii aquaculturalists and farmers on the Big Island both benefit from the “buy locally” philosophy, and eager, happy tourists benefit from the great entrees as well. The seafood is fresh and delicious, and early bird specials make meals here even more affordable. Diners who don’t like sushi or seafood, have no fear (although why are you vacationing in Hawaii, then?) – the beef teriyaki, macadamia nut crusted pork, and tempura vegetables are all quite good.

Now, Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar is no secret little hole-in-the-wall. It’s recommended by most Big Island Waikoloa Beach Resort concierges, and locals love it too: Reservations are strongly recommended, particularly during peak travel seasons. We had an hour wait when, foolhardy as we are, we tried to stroll right in. Learn from our mistakes: Make reservations, and try to get there for happy hour, when most sushi is as much as 50% off. Amazing deal, amazing sushi. That, plus the fun atmosphere, really add up to an amazing night out in Hawaii.

It’s a sad moment when you pull into a parking lot to find the restaurant doors locked, chairs piled on the tables, and not an employee earning a paycheck in sight. Someone’s dream just crashed and burned, and it would take a stone heart not to care.

Good, yes. Upscale, no.

But I’m not always politically correct, and while I blubber like a baby at most sentimental moments, there are no tears here:

1. Boston Market on South State Road 135 in Greenwood. Don’t get me wrong — I don’t have a beef with this rotisserie chicken fast casual chain. But when they built this unit, they somehow managed to trick my husband into believing it was one of the most upscale restaurants to hit Indianapolis’ south side. He called on his way home from work one evening and asked me to dress up as he was taking me somewhere special for dinner. I donned a dress — and hose! — fixed my make-up and styled my hair.

I’ll let you fill in the dialogue when he turned into Boston Market. I don’t think the filters will let me share those details.

2. Old Towne Country Buffet and Grill on Sunset Boulevard. in Greenwood, we hardly knew ye. I heard great things about the spread here, but apparently not enough to visit fast enough. They closed with the “book your Thanksgiving dinner” signs in the window, which is exactly what I was trying to do when I finally showed up. Silly me, thinking “closed” meant they weren’t open on Tuesdays, I tried calling for several days afterward, thus relegating myself to making vegetable soup for the holiday since the other restaurants hit reservation overload in that time frame.

Farewell, friend

3. Steak and Ale OK, this one baffles me. You never could get a seat without an butt-numbing wait, and reservations were hard to come by. Still, we muddled through because Steak and Ale offered the only salad bar in the city where I’d actually eat a salad. But when the parent company files Chapter 7, you ride off in the sunset regardless. Hmph. It was hard to get a parking spot there anyway.

4. Olive Garden at 38th Street. I’m pretty sure I’m responsible for this closing. My family chose this Olive Garden location for our Sunday-after-church lunches for years, and I believe management just couldn’t handle any more incidents of my niece and I singing and pretending to tap dance (poorly) in the bathroom. Or my toddler nephew dropping pasta onto whoever was sitting at the booth behind us.

Who, me?

Not to mention watching grown people blow straw papers at each other throughout the meal probably gets old, unless you specifically are the one getting revenge on a younger (read: age 42) brother.

Just ask the staff at TGI Fridays that now has to deal with us.

Photographer credits:  Morton Fox, Angelrove, Julie Sturgeon

Many tourists coming to San Francisco visit the beach areas along the bay, but you would be missing out if you didn’t drive to Ocean Beach with its striking view of the Marin Headlands – and if you are lucky catch sight of some of the most amazing kite flying. What you might not realize that is also close by – at the edge of Golden Gate Park and in historic buildings are the Beach Chalet and Park Chalet restaurants.

Windmill at Golden Gate Park

Recognized by their unique location near the north Dutch Windmill and known as The Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant and The Park Chalet Garden Restaurant, these local gems reside in historic buildings facing the Pacific Ocean and the park. Both can be reached by the free parking lot in front.

With Golden Gate Park’s Visitor Center on the ground floor, you can stroll through San Francisco’s history during the Depression while you wait for your table at either restaurant. On the walls surrounding the lobby are the most beautiful murals depicting classic scenes from around the city – Fisherman’s Wharf, the Marina and Chinatown.

And don’t miss the scale model of the entire park with miniature landscaping to help orient you.  The beautiful murals, mosaics and wood carvings here were completed in 1936 as part of a federal works program.

The hard part of discovering these restaurants is deciding on whether you are in the mood to be surrounded in greenery and face the park, or if you want grab a bite to eat while staring out at the Pacific Ocean.  Both restaurants are open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, and offer a large selection of hand crafted ales prepared on site by the master brewer.

The Beach Chalet faces Ocean Beach

If you choose the Beach Chalet upstairs, you will enjoy a fantastic view of Ocean Beach and great pub food, like burgers and ribs, as well as more upscale items like New York Steak.

The Park Chalet’s menu features California small-plate cuisine in a unique indoor/outdoor atmosphere situated at the edge of Golden Gate Park. Enjoy sitting by the fire on a foggy evening or relax on a sunny weekend in an Adirondack chair out on the lawn.

Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant
Park Garden Chalet Restaurant

1000 Great Hwy.
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 386-8439
Photo credits to smi22le

A Christmas Story house

I refuse to declare Christmas Eve over at our house until we pop A Christmas Story into the DVD player. I know I’m not the only fanatic because at least 15 people took up a bidding war at eBay to sleep in the Cleveland house where they fllmed Ralphie’s relentless quest for a Red Ryder BB gun.

Yes, the charity selling the package even tossed in a blue bowling ball, a pink bunny suit and a can of Simonize under the tree.

But with a winning bid of $5,250, that holiday present was out of my financial reach. I’ll have to be content with owning a leg lamp, a Red Ryder BB gun, and eating Christmas dinner in a Chinese restaurant.

Pearl of the Orient is now the official restaurant of the movie, taking that honor from the C & Y, which recently closed. Since Cleveland is more than a five-hour drive (that’s 6.5 showings of the movie roundtrip), we had to make do last year with Lucky 8 Buffet. The contrast between Hollywood and reality is instant: The Parkers had a dining room to themselves. We had to share a table for two with more than a hundred people, many of them wearing Santa hats. Such background noise drowns out any possibility of turning our conversation into a recorded dialogue, however, which is definitely a plus in our column.

Ralphie’s party dined on linen tablecloths; we sat at a table made of fake wood, a rubberized edge and paper placemats. Their attentive wait staff brought the food to them. We stood in line clutching our plates to fill with rice, snow crab legs and my mainstay in any Chinese restaurant: sweet and sour pork, minus the sicky sweet sauce that tastes like a thick medicine ruining a perfectly good chicken nugget. I assume the Parkers ate with chopsticks since I’ve never seen forks in the scene, so we can call that a tie. On the other hand, we scored brownies for dessert, which the fictional family missed since they cut the scene before the end of the meal.

Christmas dinner

Still, we lacked the singing wait staff, although my husband was more than happy to aimlessly mumble “fa ra ra ra ra” in my direction. Nice try, but it didn’t count.

So even though my stomach was full, my heart was rather disappointed as we gathered our coats to head home. Sigh. A Christmas Story and eating in a Chinese restaurant on December 25 simply can’t be reconciled.

Until we reached the cash register and a beaming owner shook our hands and very sincerely — and loudly — wished us a Merry Christmas. That’s when it hit me:

Laughter is the strongest, and most memorable, connection you could ask for.

Lucky 8 Buffet5050 S. East St.

Indianapolis, IN 46227

(317) 783-1688

Photographer: Yvonne in Willowick,Ohio and Marmaduk

A Best Restaurant in the Big Island's Queen's Marketplace, Hawaii

Waikoloa Beach is one of the resort hotel areas on Hawaii’s Big Island, and as with many resort destinations, there are a couple of small shopping areas in walking distance from the hotels. The Queen’s Marketplace is one such shopping area in the Waikoloa Beach district. Along with the usual touristy shops and a Starbucks, there is a really fantastic Thai restaurant here. Charley’s Thai Cuisine serves everything from mild Thai classics like Pad Thai and satay, to very spicy chili and curry dishes. Warning: Like most seriously authentic Thai restaurants, when Charley’s says “spicy,” they mean it!

Although I haven’t been to every Asian restaurant on the Big Island, Charley’s Thai Cuisine proved to be so superior to any that I have eaten in, that I can safely say it’s one of the best Asian restaurants on this Hawaiian island. Located at the far end of the Queen’s Marketplace area, it feels removed enough from the foot traffic to lend to the restaurant a sense of distinction from the outdoor-mall atmosphere. The decor is Thai, of course, and everything is new and clean. There are also plenty of wine and beer options here: With choices ranging from microbreweries on Hawaii to Thai beer, and an international selection of wines, there is bound to be a drink to meet any guest’s desire. And if there isn’t, the Thai iced tea is a real crowd-pleaser.

Charley's Thai Cuisine in the Queen's Marketplace, Hawaii (Bill Adams)

We were a party of six; our meals varied from non-spicy fried shrimp, to a generous portion of mildly spicy mahi mahi and veggies, to a medium-hot yellow curry stew with plenty of coconut flavor, to a very spicy (ordered that way) seafood and sticky rice dish. The very spicy entrees here really take some acclimation for those of us raised on the Western version of Thai food! I appreciated the variety of options and the authenticity of the curry and chilis here. I wonder if the genuine quality is due in part to the fact that Hawaii is closer to Thailand than are the mainland U.S. states. Whatever the reason, Charley’s Thai Cuisine in the Queen’s Marketplace is one of the best Asian restaurants on the Big Island of Hawaii, and one of the most authentic Thai restaurants around.

Do you ever find yourself in an unfamiliar part of town and suddenly your stomach starts growling? It happens to me more than I care to admit, but this time rather than suffering until I got home – or reluctantly eating fast food – I let my nose lead me to some of the best Mexican food ever in Daly City.

Finding myself on the outskirts of the Mission District in San Francisco with a hungry stomach, I took the first parking spot I found on a busy section of Mission Street. When I got out of the car, the first thing I noticed was this lovely smell of warm tortillas and roasting meats coming out this little doorway with a green metal gate.

I was technically in Daly City, not San Francisco which is not discernible unless you have a map in front of you. Our “accidental” find proceeded to bring all sorts of wonderful memories out for my husband – with the music, the authentic and rich smells coming from the kitchen and the colorful decorations on the wall. He kept saying how the room felt like he was in his grandmother’s house.

Delicious menu items

I loved the decor and the warm hospitality from the staff of Lisa’s Mexican Restaurant.

The sangria I had was delicious and not too sweet. We were very surprised at the number of empty tables but at the same time you could tell that the people who were coming in for lunch, felt very much at home and ready for a relaxing and unhurried meal.

On this occasion I had a combination of chicken enchilada and crispy flauta (a flauta is deep fried like a taquito but made with a flour tortilla rather than corn) – both were cooked and seasoned perfectly.

I will definitely put this down in my book under the category of “undiscovered finds” and return again. The prices were very reasonable and the portions were perfect.

Lisa’s Mexican Restaurant
6582 Mission St
Daly City, CA 94014
(650) 756-6289