Friday, October 12, 2007

The Englander

City: San Leandro

Food type: Pub and grill

Restaurant link: http://www.englanderpub.com/

Price range/person: $15-25/dinner

Wait time: 5-15 mins

Service: Casual, relaxed, can be slow. Server kept forgetting our beers, which ended up just sitting on the counter a few feet away from our table.

Ambiance: Lively, loud, exciting. Over 20 flat screen TVs line the walls. A sports lover's dream come true - watch EVERYTHING at one!

Dish Focus On:

FRIED CALAMARI
















Served hot. However, calamari pieces were mushy - not sure if they were undercooked, not fresh, or meant to be that way. Not my favorite.

SIDE SALAD





Normal garden salad with spinach, lettice, shredded carrots, cabbage and onions. Fresh, but nothing too special.

MONTEREY CHICKEN SANDWICH GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST TOPPED WITH CHEESE, CRISP BACON & AVOCADO SERVED ON CIABATTA BREAD



















Flavorful mesh of avocado, cheese and chicken. Although meat patty was surprisingly thin, it was adequate for the sandwich. Ran out of ciabatta bread, so I had sourdough instead. Good chicken choice!

PORK SPARERIBS WHOLE SLAB



















Enough meat for the entire table or one VERY hungry person. Tangy and YUMMMY BBQ sauce smothers rib pieces. Tasty meat dish.

Yummmy Factor: 3.5/5

YummmyRambles: Definitely a fun environment. Tons of beer and sports. So many flat screens around that it's hard to focus on one thing only. Great place to enjoy a drink after a long day at work.

LuLu Restaurant and Bar

City: San Francisco

Food type: Provençal, rotisserie and grill

Restaurant link: http://www.restaurantlulu.com/LuLu_about.html

Price range/person: $25-35/dinner

Wait time: 10-30 mins

Service: Professional, clean, slightly cold. Waiter always seemed in a rush to take away our plates, even when we were not completely done.

Ambiance: Rustic, warm, grand. Beautiful arched ceilings and lighting create an almost "outdoors" experience. Subtle blue lighting makes you feel as if you are sitting under a clear, bright sky. A majestic wood-fire oven makes a great restaurant centerpiece and gives the room a light smoky/camp-fire scent.
















Dish Focus on:

Butternut squash gnocchi with sage brown butter and parmesan.

















Unbelievably amazing morsels of pasta. Looks like each piece was carefully pan-fried. Distinct butternut squash flavor in each tender nugget. Gnocchi is sprinkled with fresh parmesan cheese and toasted hazelnuts. WOW!

Grilled quail with vegetables, roasted apples and sage-honey glaze.


















Quail was seasoned nicely. Too bad this poultry does not come with more meat! Roasted apples made a unique and sweet side. Veges were slightly undercooked, but some say chard should be cooked that way. Topped with roasted nuts.

Pork and mashed potatoes

















Savory thick slabs of pork. Overall, meat was tender and moist. Only a few parts on the edges were dry. Dark meat was tastier than the white meat, but maybe that is only a personal preference. Fluffy soft mashed potatoes line platter.

Warm molten chocolate cake and vanilla bean ice cream with caramel


















A perfect way to end a meal. Sweet, rich chocolate that literally melts in your mouth. Cold ice cream gives a nice contrast. Luscious to the last bite, which our waiter took from us!

Yummmy Factor: 4.75/5

YummmyRambles: Gorgeous interior with fantastic food. Parking on the street may be difficult, but it's worth it! My hair and clothes had a "camp-fire" scent when I left the restaurant. Dining family style works well to everyone's advantage. Looks like they have a great wine selection as well. Large bouquet of exotic flowers in the women's restroom. Would definitely go back again!

Basic Roll Cake

Yummmy Recipe Time!

















A big thanks to Mrs. O for sharing her secrets with us.

Ingredients

For cake
7 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cake flour

Filling (flexible)
Cream with diced fruit (strawberries, other berries, peaches, pears), jam, ganache, whatever suits your fancy!
If you use heavy cream for filling, Clover would be a good option. You may need 1 and 1/4 cups heavy cream (beat with 3-6 tbs sugar).

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Line jelly-roll pan (12 x 16 inches) with parchment paper.

3. Beat egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

4. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks and remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Continue beating until very thick.

5. Fold half of the egg whites (3) into egg yolks (4) until you don't see any white parts.

6. Shift flour into egg white/yolk mixture (5) and gently fold it in.

7. Fold remaining egg whites into combined mixture (6).

8. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for about 12 minutes or until cake top springs back when lightly touched.

9. To remove cake from pan, invert cake onto parchment paper (You can cover the cake with another jelly-roll pan to help invert). Let cool completely.

10. Carefully peal off the parchment paper. Spread with filling. Bevel cake edge on one side only - this will be the outer most edge to create a smooth surface. Roll up from one side (non-beveled) and wrap tightly. Let it rest in the fridge for a couple hours.

ENJOY!!

Tips:
Don't over beat egg whites as the cake gets dry. But, if the cake gets dry, no worries! Just brush simple syrup or liquor (Rum, Grand Marnier) on the cake before you spread the cream.







Monday, October 8, 2007

Saul's Restaurant and Deli

City: Berkeley

Food type: New York Style/ Jewish Deli

Restaurant link: http://www.saulsdeli.com/

Price range/person: $10-15/lunch

Wait time: 10-20 mins

Service: Rushed, casual, rugged.

Ambiance: Lively, jovial, colorful.

Dish Focus on:

Mega Mushroom - pile of sauteed mushrooms grilled with cheese













A mightly triple decker. Mushrooms and cheese are perfectly blended and melted together on toasted bread. Sandwich is served hot - watch your fingers! However, sandwich was slightly too salty for my taste and left me thirsty after the meal. Potato salad is flavorful and unique.

Yummmy factor: 3.75/5

YummmyRambles: A popular and crowded eatery tucked along a side street in Berkeley. Deli and To-go section is available in the restaurant for those in a hurry. Decent selection of side salads, pastas, dips, and special desserts/cookies available. Chocolate dipped macaroons are DE-licious! Fun candies are also available near the hostess counter. Fresh and crunchy pickles are served before each meal, in place of your usual bread. Slightly on the expensive side for sandwiches. Overall a great experience!

Another sandwich option - The Maven.

















Not sure why the bread is hot pink on the edges.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Sushi Solano














City: Berkeley

Food type: Japanese

Restaurant link: http://www.sushisolano.com/Welcome.html
No information available on site yet.

Price range/person: $15-25/dinner

Wait time: None

Service: Prompt, friendly.

Ambiance: Modern, asian influence, warm.

Dish Focus on:

Combined platter with various sushi types: Eel & Avocado Roll, Hamachi (Yellow Tail) Nigiri, Spicy Dynamite Roll (Yellow tail, tuna, and salmon?)


























Upon first bite, it was instantly noted that rice was not fully cooked or prepared properly - individual hard grains could be distinguised. While fish was of good quality, the rice ruined it.

LION KING Baked salmon on top of california rolls.













Hot salmon fillets tightly wrap california rolls below. Fish slightly overcooked. Sauce on top is tasty and spicy. Seen this roll prepared better at other Japanese restaurants.

Yummmy Factor: 2.5/5

YummmyRambles: Overpriced sushi with small portions. Restaurant was clean and comfortable, food was plated nicely, service was good, HOWEVER, food was not impressive at all.

Taylor's Refresher - Addition #1

More food for your pleasure...













Dish Focus On:

MISS KENTUCKY Grilled onions & mushrooms, jack cheese, tomatoes, slaw, BBQ sauce & ranch on a toasted egg bun.













Served piping HOT. A thick and juicy chicken patty coated with mushrooms and cheese. A light slaw salad lines the perfectly toasted bun. Fantastic alternative for those not crazy for beef.

WISCONSIN SOURDOUGH A burger with grilled mushrooms, bacon, cheddar cheese, mayo & BBQ sauce on grilled sourdough













Creative alternative for a typical bunned-burger. Filling and hits the spot, but burger doesn't seem right without the fluffy bun.

ONION RINGS Thick, beer batter style













Batter is prepared just right - crunchy yet light to the bite. Not a hint of sogginess. Onion stays crisp inside the ring. A winning side. What better way to add veges to the meal!? Not really, but it's worth it.

YummmyFactor: 4/5

Beach Chalet

City: San Francisco

Food type: Modern American

Restaurant link: http://www.beachchalet.com/

Price range/person: $25-35/dinner

Wait time: 20-45 mins

Service: Attentive, courteous, professional. Server made good suggestions on wine and dish selections.

Ambiance: Elegant yet relaxed, classy, romantic. Beautiful views of the ocean from restaurant. Candle-lit tables create a warm and comfortable atmosphere.

Dish Focus on:

BUTTERMILK FRIED CALAMARI Housemade Cocktail & Tartar Dipping Sauces













Calamari served warm, almost room temperature. Too much batter. Calamari pieces were small and slightly tough. Would rather have ordered something else. At one point, a manager-like lady came over to the table and said "I'm sorry about the calamari," like it wasn't prepared to our liking, however we had never made a complaint. It turns out that the table next to us didn't like the calamari that much either, and they actually made a complaint.

ICEBERG LETTUCE SALAD Blue Cheese Dressing, Sweet 100 Cherry Tomatoes, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Candied Walnuts, Shaved Red Onion & Pt. Reyes Blue Cheese













Simple wedge of lettuce makes a surprisingly good salad. The fresh tomatoes, candied walnuts and blue cheese enhance the fresh iceberg perfectly. Hits the spot.

LAURA CHENEL GOAT CHEESE RAVIOLIS Wild & Tamed Mushrooms, Savoy Spinach, English Peas, Mushroom & Mascarpone sauce













Mushrooms and veges topped the raviolis, rather than being wrapped up inside. Pasta shells were fresh and cooked perfectly, but mascarpone cheese inside was overwhelmingly rich. Spinach and peas were light and sweet, a good contrast to the rich raviolis.

SEAFOOD LINGUINI PROVENCALPEI Mussels, Manila Clams, Bay Scallops, Salmon & Mahi Mahi and Shellfish Broth













Seafood morsels were tender and nicely prepared. Luscious whole tomatoes were juicy and tangy. A light yet fulfilling entree.

NEW YORK CHEESECAKE With a Walnut-Graham Crust and Topped with a Berry Compote













A light and mouth-pleasing treat. Berry compote was not overwhelming and cake consistency was fluffy and moist. Graham crust was so thin that walnut flavor could not be appreciated.

Yummmy Factor: 3.75/5

YummmyRambles: Quaint get-away that straddles Golden Gate park and Ocean Beach in San Francisco. The restaurant and brewery is located just above a Visitor's Center, that features historic artwork by Lucien Labaudt from the 1930's. The Park Chalet Garden Restaurant is located behind Beach Chalet, and offers a large variety of drinks, appetizers, and more casual entree selection for someone on a tighter budget. A comfortable and delightful place with great views and food to satisfy your eyes and tummy.