It’s been a while since I’ve written. Toasticles found out that he has type 2 diabetes. Tough diagnosis for a guy whose favorite food is, well, toast. I feel so sorry for him. He’s having a hard time dealing with it and he can’t seem to settle down and follow a food plan. Plus the medication gives him diarrhea, so he’s been playing around with the dosages. He has lowered his sugar, but he’s miserable. So we haven’t eaten out much. Our mainstays of Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese are full of rice and noodles, and sugar in the sauces, which he can’t have. We went to (gasp) Red Lobster, which wasn’t that bad. At least he could get plain fish and veggies. And I scarfed their yummy cheese biscuits.
What he’s looking for is the old-fashioned coffee shop. We were raised in the 1950’s, when you could go into a coffee shop that had a Formica counter and red leatherette booths, and on the menu would be something called a “diet plate,” consisting of a plain hamburger patty and a scoop of cottage cheese on top of a lettuce leaf, with maybe a tomato slice alongside. Even back then carbs were the enemy, although we called them “starches.” Try and find that today! We’ve been to a few of the dinosaur coffee shops that still exist, but those experiences are too horrifying to describe here. BJ’s actually came through, with a plain hamburger patty and a green salad (dressing on the side) for under ten bucks. It’s still a chain, however, and that stings.
I bought a George Foreman grill with the idea that Toasty can make his own food, grill a hamburger or a chicken breast. So far he hasn’t. I’ve made salmon that was surprisingly good, and I even grilled baby bok choy after sprinkling it with soy sauce and a drop or two of sesame oil. That was great! I love bok choy – it’s a very juicy vegetable.
The main premise of “Eating El Camino” will therefore have to wait for a bit because the majority of those restaurants won’t fit into Toasty’s diet. But I still have lots of stuff to blog about, so stay tuned!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Max's
Today we travel back through the mists of time to a magical place that was known as the San Francisco Airport Hyatt Coffee Shop, unusual in that it was frequented by locals as much as travelers. The reason? Outstanding sandwiches and desserts. Back in the day when I could eat a Monte Cristo sandwich and fries at 11:30 PM and then go to bed with no ill effects, we used to go to the Hyatt Coffee Shop for a snack after a movie at the Hyatt Cinema (now sadly defunct) across the street. Turns out the food and beverage manager at the Hyatt was Dennis Berkowitz, who left the hotel to start his own restaurant empire. His first outlet was Max’s Son, a hybrid Chinese restaurant/Jewish deli. Now he has several Max’s of various types, with a Max’s Opera Café just down the street from his old digs at the Hyatt. We’ve been eating there for about 25 years or so. The food is always good, solid American fare with Jewish deli tendencies and large portions.
I inevitably order the same thing every time: Russian cabbage soup and a pastrami sandwich, partly in tribute to my dad (it was his favorite), and partly because it’s one thing on the menu that I can’t get elsewhere, at least here in NorCal. Plenty of places have ribs and chicken and steaks, but cabbage soup – not likely. It’s as good as I would make it. Maybe not as good as my Aunt Henri’s, although I only ate hers once.
Aunt Henri was known far and wide for her cabbage soup – my brother called it “string soup.” I was a very picky eater and wouldn’t even try it, a decision I regret. I finally took the plunge in my late teens and was smacked in the mouth by the soup’s awesomeness. Too late, as it turned out – I decamped for California and Aunt Henri retired from soup making.
Max’s Opera Café started out with a clever concept – the waiters were aspiring opera singers. Once an hour or so one of them would hop up to the grand piano and sing one of the more popular arias or a Broadway tune, applause applause, then back to eating. Now it’s gotten to be more like a lounge act, with a cheesy electronic keyboard and a cheesy singer crooning cheesy songs end-to-end. Don’t need that during dinner, and it really makes Toasty crispy! If you go, ask to sit in the front room, away from the singer. We keep forgetting to do this. I did notice that this particular Max’s is now called Max’s Restaurant and Bar, so I guess they’re emphasizing the bar part. Dennis, you need to get rid of the cheese!
Max’s Restaurant and Bar
1250 Old Bayshore Hwy.
Burlingame, CA 94010-1805
650-342-6297
http://www.maxsworld.com/
I inevitably order the same thing every time: Russian cabbage soup and a pastrami sandwich, partly in tribute to my dad (it was his favorite), and partly because it’s one thing on the menu that I can’t get elsewhere, at least here in NorCal. Plenty of places have ribs and chicken and steaks, but cabbage soup – not likely. It’s as good as I would make it. Maybe not as good as my Aunt Henri’s, although I only ate hers once.
Aunt Henri was known far and wide for her cabbage soup – my brother called it “string soup.” I was a very picky eater and wouldn’t even try it, a decision I regret. I finally took the plunge in my late teens and was smacked in the mouth by the soup’s awesomeness. Too late, as it turned out – I decamped for California and Aunt Henri retired from soup making.
Max’s Opera Café started out with a clever concept – the waiters were aspiring opera singers. Once an hour or so one of them would hop up to the grand piano and sing one of the more popular arias or a Broadway tune, applause applause, then back to eating. Now it’s gotten to be more like a lounge act, with a cheesy electronic keyboard and a cheesy singer crooning cheesy songs end-to-end. Don’t need that during dinner, and it really makes Toasty crispy! If you go, ask to sit in the front room, away from the singer. We keep forgetting to do this. I did notice that this particular Max’s is now called Max’s Restaurant and Bar, so I guess they’re emphasizing the bar part. Dennis, you need to get rid of the cheese!
Max’s Restaurant and Bar
1250 Old Bayshore Hwy.
Burlingame, CA 94010-1805
650-342-6297
http://www.maxsworld.com/
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Expensive Dinner/Cheap View
Once a year some of the more expensive restaurants in San Francisco participate in “Dine-Around Week,” when they offer fixed price three-course meals for a lot less than their regular prices. I’ve taken advantage of this on many occasions to try the food at restaurants that I would not normally go to.
Last week I saw that some of the restaurants in Los Gatos were doing a similar program, so I thought it would be fun to take Mom to a place we would not usually try. We went to Crimson which I have looked at before but thought their prices were just too high. It’s located in a strip mall on Los Gatos Blvd., near a Trader Joe’s, a pet food store, and a Carl’s Jr., and this brings up an interesting point: Crimson is pretty inside, with red draperies and little twinkly red lights around the windows, but your view is of people strolling by in shorts and flip-flops. It’s a romantic place, but the sight of Joe & Josephine Six-Pack in their tank tops kind of spoils the ambiance.
Crimson’s special menu had three fixed-price dinners, at $25, $35, and $45. Clever marketing: the starter on the $45 menu was “Fondue for 2,” which forces both people to order the most expensive plan. But we were hooked by the idea of truffled cheese fondue, so we went for the top of the line. It was worth it: I saw the truffles in the lovely, winey fondue, but I’m not sure they added anything. Our fillets mignon were rare as requested, tender and buttery, with fresh veggies and mashed potatoes.
The waiter recommended we order one of each of the two $45 menu desserts – crème brulee and chocolate lava cake with a center that oozed hot fudge. We had to wait quite a while for dessert because, as the waiter explained, the first lava cake had burned – each is made to order. Worth the wait. The crème brulee was made in a wide, shallow dish, which maximizes the brulee in relation to the crème.
Delicious, but I don’t think I’ll go back. Too expensive – on the regular menu the fillet mignon is $44.00 a la carte! (No charge for the view of baggy cargo shorts and AC/DC t-shirts.) And Mom didn’t like the white butcher paper over the tablecloths. I tried to explain that it was bistro style and that it kept the tablecloths from getting dirty, but she thought it was “impolite.”
Crimson
15466 Los Gatos Blvd.
Los Gatos, CA 95032
408-358-0175
www.crimsonrestaurant.com
Last week I saw that some of the restaurants in Los Gatos were doing a similar program, so I thought it would be fun to take Mom to a place we would not usually try. We went to Crimson which I have looked at before but thought their prices were just too high. It’s located in a strip mall on Los Gatos Blvd., near a Trader Joe’s, a pet food store, and a Carl’s Jr., and this brings up an interesting point: Crimson is pretty inside, with red draperies and little twinkly red lights around the windows, but your view is of people strolling by in shorts and flip-flops. It’s a romantic place, but the sight of Joe & Josephine Six-Pack in their tank tops kind of spoils the ambiance.
Crimson’s special menu had three fixed-price dinners, at $25, $35, and $45. Clever marketing: the starter on the $45 menu was “Fondue for 2,” which forces both people to order the most expensive plan. But we were hooked by the idea of truffled cheese fondue, so we went for the top of the line. It was worth it: I saw the truffles in the lovely, winey fondue, but I’m not sure they added anything. Our fillets mignon were rare as requested, tender and buttery, with fresh veggies and mashed potatoes.
The waiter recommended we order one of each of the two $45 menu desserts – crème brulee and chocolate lava cake with a center that oozed hot fudge. We had to wait quite a while for dessert because, as the waiter explained, the first lava cake had burned – each is made to order. Worth the wait. The crème brulee was made in a wide, shallow dish, which maximizes the brulee in relation to the crème.
Delicious, but I don’t think I’ll go back. Too expensive – on the regular menu the fillet mignon is $44.00 a la carte! (No charge for the view of baggy cargo shorts and AC/DC t-shirts.) And Mom didn’t like the white butcher paper over the tablecloths. I tried to explain that it was bistro style and that it kept the tablecloths from getting dirty, but she thought it was “impolite.”
Crimson
15466 Los Gatos Blvd.
Los Gatos, CA 95032
408-358-0175
www.crimsonrestaurant.com
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Italian Food
Last week Toasticles was craving Italian food from a typical San Francisco Italian restaurant like the ones his family went to when he was a kid. So we went to a typical San Francisco Italian restaurant – except it was in SOUTH San Francisco.
In my 40-plus years in this area I had never been to Bertolucci’s, which has been sitting at the corner of Cypress and Lux Streets since 1928. In 2005 it became Sodini’s Bertolucci’s, which is kind of awkward. The place has been renovated but still looks like an old-fashioned dinner house, with big booths and decorations consisting of columns, opera posters, and oversized wine bottles.
I ordered Veal Milanese (politically incorrect, I know) which came with a small salad with creamy Italian dressing, garlicky vegetables, and polenta, for $22.00. Toasty ordered the same thing. He does this a lot, which says one of two things: either he has no will of his own and cannot summon the energy to choose his own entrée, or we are so much alike and in sync that we are really one soul in two bodies. Either way, I’m scared. And it annoys me because sometimes I would like him to try something different so that I can taste his.
The food was good, not great. The veal was fried crispy, and even though it was kind of thin it was not overdone. I wonder if it is supposed to be THAT thin, though. We did the early bird thing as Toasty had to get to work by 8:00PM and we are rapidly turning into senior citizens (please stop me before I start putting plastic slipcovers on my furniture). The place was empty when we arrived but full when we left. We’ll probably go again.
I know Toasty felt comfortable there, and I have to admit I was also reminded of restaurants of my youth in Illinois – Italian restaurants like D’Amico’s and Al’s Steak House, places Tony Soprano would find comfortable. Tony would probably like Bertolucci’s as well.
Sodini’s Bertolucci’s
421 Cypress Avenue
In my 40-plus years in this area I had never been to Bertolucci’s, which has been sitting at the corner of Cypress and Lux Streets since 1928. In 2005 it became Sodini’s Bertolucci’s, which is kind of awkward. The place has been renovated but still looks like an old-fashioned dinner house, with big booths and decorations consisting of columns, opera posters, and oversized wine bottles.
I ordered Veal Milanese (politically incorrect, I know) which came with a small salad with creamy Italian dressing, garlicky vegetables, and polenta, for $22.00. Toasty ordered the same thing. He does this a lot, which says one of two things: either he has no will of his own and cannot summon the energy to choose his own entrée, or we are so much alike and in sync that we are really one soul in two bodies. Either way, I’m scared. And it annoys me because sometimes I would like him to try something different so that I can taste his.
The food was good, not great. The veal was fried crispy, and even though it was kind of thin it was not overdone. I wonder if it is supposed to be THAT thin, though. We did the early bird thing as Toasty had to get to work by 8:00PM and we are rapidly turning into senior citizens (please stop me before I start putting plastic slipcovers on my furniture). The place was empty when we arrived but full when we left. We’ll probably go again.
I know Toasty felt comfortable there, and I have to admit I was also reminded of restaurants of my youth in Illinois – Italian restaurants like D’Amico’s and Al’s Steak House, places Tony Soprano would find comfortable. Tony would probably like Bertolucci’s as well.
Sodini’s Bertolucci’s
421 Cypress Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 588-1625
http://www.sodinisbertoluccis.com/
http://www.sodinisbertoluccis.com/
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tomato Paste
I made dinner for Toasticles twice this week -- some kind of a record. On Monday it was chicken tacos. I bought a package of boneless, skinless chicken that had 3 breasts and 6 thighs. I used the breasts for the tacos, which left the thighs. I also had a leftover item that really bugs me -- a can of tomato paste with one tablespoon removed. (I couldn't find the kind in a tube.) Usually that little can sits in the refrigerator with its aluminum foil cap until it gets all crusty and/or fuzzy. This time I was determined to get more use out of it. It only cost 69 cents, but still. And I had some limes.
I found a recipe on Food Network for a sort of BBQ sauce with tomato paste, honey, garlic, lime juice & zest. I made it and poured it over the thighs and baked. Very good! The limes added a fresh, tangy taste. Toasty said, “This isn’t bad,” which for him is the pinnacle of praise. The Nobel Prize for cooking. I will make it again. It’ll be good over wings or ribs, too.
I found a recipe on Food Network for a sort of BBQ sauce with tomato paste, honey, garlic, lime juice & zest. I made it and poured it over the thighs and baked. Very good! The limes added a fresh, tangy taste. Toasty said, “This isn’t bad,” which for him is the pinnacle of praise. The Nobel Prize for cooking. I will make it again. It’ll be good over wings or ribs, too.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Iced Tea
I like iced tea. Sometimes in a fancy restaurant I will be offered a choice of basil-pomegranate iced tea or organic vanilla-infused black tea from Ceylon, and I always want to say, "Umm, got any Lipton's?" Just tea please. A big glass, into which I will put 2 Splendas. I like my tea a little sweet, but not fruity.
In Georgia I was introduced to sweet tea. For some reason it’s really good, even though it’s really sweet. I like the inch or so of sugar at the bottom of the glass. And for some reason, it quenches your thirst, even in Georgia in August (not a travel tip, believe me).
My dad loved iced coffee, which is now readily available, but he used to have trouble getting it in restaurants. This would be the usual conversation, reminiscent of “Five Easy Pieces:”
Dad: I’d like iced coffee.
Waitress: We don’t have iced coffee.
Dad: Do you have coffee?
W: Yes.
D: Do you have ice?
W: Yes.
D: Then bring me a big glass of ice and the coffee pot.
W: Do you want me to pour the hot coffee over the ice?
D: Yes.
W: It’ll crack the glass.
D: No, it won’t.
And of course, he was right.
On Sunday Mom and I went to Giorgio’s in San Jose, in the Foxworthy Mall which is sort of in the Willow Glen area. The first thing you smell is garlic, and the tablecloths are red checked, so you know it’s authentic Italian. We split their Caesar’s Fantasy salad, which is a Caesar salad with blue cheese, artichokes, roasted red peppers, olives, and toasted walnuts. You might think all those additions would ruin a Caesar, but they don’t. Then we had linguine with white clam sauce, which isn’t on the menu, but they are very accommodating. I haven’t tried their pizza, but it always looks and smells divine on other tables. And they serve big glasses of old-fashioned iced tea, which are constantly replenished. Get a table by the side window so you can watch people coming and going at the water store next door, and ponder the mysteries of the universe.
Giorgio’s
1445 Foxworthy Ave
San Jose, CA 95118-1163
(408) 264-5781
http://giorgiossanjose.com/
In Georgia I was introduced to sweet tea. For some reason it’s really good, even though it’s really sweet. I like the inch or so of sugar at the bottom of the glass. And for some reason, it quenches your thirst, even in Georgia in August (not a travel tip, believe me).
My dad loved iced coffee, which is now readily available, but he used to have trouble getting it in restaurants. This would be the usual conversation, reminiscent of “Five Easy Pieces:”
Dad: I’d like iced coffee.
Waitress: We don’t have iced coffee.
Dad: Do you have coffee?
W: Yes.
D: Do you have ice?
W: Yes.
D: Then bring me a big glass of ice and the coffee pot.
W: Do you want me to pour the hot coffee over the ice?
D: Yes.
W: It’ll crack the glass.
D: No, it won’t.
And of course, he was right.
On Sunday Mom and I went to Giorgio’s in San Jose, in the Foxworthy Mall which is sort of in the Willow Glen area. The first thing you smell is garlic, and the tablecloths are red checked, so you know it’s authentic Italian. We split their Caesar’s Fantasy salad, which is a Caesar salad with blue cheese, artichokes, roasted red peppers, olives, and toasted walnuts. You might think all those additions would ruin a Caesar, but they don’t. Then we had linguine with white clam sauce, which isn’t on the menu, but they are very accommodating. I haven’t tried their pizza, but it always looks and smells divine on other tables. And they serve big glasses of old-fashioned iced tea, which are constantly replenished. Get a table by the side window so you can watch people coming and going at the water store next door, and ponder the mysteries of the universe.
Giorgio’s
1445 Foxworthy Ave
San Jose, CA 95118-1163
(408) 264-5781
http://giorgiossanjose.com/
Friday, July 24, 2009
Buffalo Wings
Last night I brought home wings from Original Buffalo Wings in San Mateo. Why are chicken wings so good? They’re messy, there’s not a lot of meat on a wing, but somehow they appeal to my craving for comfort food. I could eat them any way – fried, barbecued, buffaloed, whatever. A big package of wings from the supermarket thrown into a pan and baked with BBQ sauce makes an easy, cheap dinner.
At OBW they have several sauce options, like honey-mustard and teriyaki, but I always ask for the mild sauce. It’s not hot but seasoned perfectly, with a healthy dose of vinegar that I believe causes addiction. It’s hard to stop eating them. I got the Double Dozen – 26 wings – for me and Toasticles, and we chowed down until we were sticky all over, and there are still some left for whoever gets there first. Fries and cole slaw are good sides, and of course you get blue cheese dressing and celery and carrot sticks. I’ve never had buffalo wings in Buffalo, so I don’t know how authentic these are, but does authenticity really matter when you are up to your elbows in deliciousness? Just remember – DO NOT spill the sauce on your clothes or anything else of value, because you will never get the stain out. I’m not sure why – maybe there’s fluorescent orange paint in there.
OBW has an extensive menu with sandwiches and burgers, but why would you order anything besides wings? It’s like going to a place called Joe’s House of Liver ‘n’ Limas and ordering steak au poivre. Probably not a good idea. They have several locations around the Bay Area, but I don’t think it actually qualifies as a chain.
As I was waiting for my order I looked across the street and noticed that Gator’s Neo Soul Café seems to have closed. Darn! I never got to try it. I love soul/Cajun food.
Original Buffalo Wings
150 South B StreetSan Mateo, CA 94401(650) 375-8828
www.originalbuffalowings.biz
At OBW they have several sauce options, like honey-mustard and teriyaki, but I always ask for the mild sauce. It’s not hot but seasoned perfectly, with a healthy dose of vinegar that I believe causes addiction. It’s hard to stop eating them. I got the Double Dozen – 26 wings – for me and Toasticles, and we chowed down until we were sticky all over, and there are still some left for whoever gets there first. Fries and cole slaw are good sides, and of course you get blue cheese dressing and celery and carrot sticks. I’ve never had buffalo wings in Buffalo, so I don’t know how authentic these are, but does authenticity really matter when you are up to your elbows in deliciousness? Just remember – DO NOT spill the sauce on your clothes or anything else of value, because you will never get the stain out. I’m not sure why – maybe there’s fluorescent orange paint in there.
OBW has an extensive menu with sandwiches and burgers, but why would you order anything besides wings? It’s like going to a place called Joe’s House of Liver ‘n’ Limas and ordering steak au poivre. Probably not a good idea. They have several locations around the Bay Area, but I don’t think it actually qualifies as a chain.
As I was waiting for my order I looked across the street and noticed that Gator’s Neo Soul Café seems to have closed. Darn! I never got to try it. I love soul/Cajun food.
Original Buffalo Wings
150 South B StreetSan Mateo, CA 94401(650) 375-8828
www.originalbuffalowings.biz
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