restaurant blues

[onthepath]

hard to understand that there are no really good restaurants in this town. with luscious raw materials, i have given up trying to find something good to eat in sebastopol. i make the run at least once a week to the sea thai in santa rosa, where the chef actually has a great set of taste buds and refers to them when he cooks. the food is interesting, delicious and inexpensive. the hot and sour coconut shrimp soup is --perfect, as is the their version of sticky rice with mango. the black noodles , which are colored and flavored with soy sauce are true comfort food, deeply flavored, made with care and attention to balance, visual appeal, and a nod to nutritional awareness. all it takes is training, talent and taste. tossing thirty dollars for a petite mound of peter lowell's gritty greens and a glass of white wine while i get the pleasure of watching him and his staff drink with the regulars up at the vip counter got old after two visits. adios peter.

[someguy]

hard to understand that there are no really good restaurants in this town. with luscious raw materials, i have given up trying to find something good to eat in sebastopol. i make the run at least once a week to the sea thai in santa rosa, where the chef actually has a great set of taste buds and refers to them when he cooks. the food is interesting, delicious and inexpensive. the hot and sour coconut shrimp soup is --perfect, as is the their version of sticky rice with mango. the black noodles , which are colored and flavored with soy sauce are true comfort food, deeply flavored, made with care and attention to balance, visual appeal, and a nod to nutritional awareness. all it takes is training, talent and taste. tossing thirty dollars for a petite mound of peter lowell's gritty greens and a glass of white wine while i get the pleasure of watching him and his staff drink with the regulars up at the vip counter got old after two visits. adios peter.

Hey dude, I dont know if your interested in heading out to Santa Rosa, but you must try my favorite restaurant, Annapurna. Its Nepalese cuisine, and at first glance you might think its just another Indian food joint, but truly the dishes are WAY more flavorful. The staff is pretty chill, and the restaurant itself is kind of bohemian. So if its good food your looking for, try Annapurna dude. If you dont like it, call me up and I'll finish your food for you! Thats a guarentee!

[Tars]

i have given up trying to find something good to eat in sebastopol.

Note: the is about SEBASTOPOL, sorry other folks.

I share your pain, onthepath! However, from a different direction. I do love Thai. But I am a carnivarian, and prefer some meat in my meals. It's getting difficult in Sebastopol, most especially in the downtown area, to find a restaurant that isn't either offering "art food" (i.e. expensive) or which doesn't just offer whole grain, tofu, organic whatnot.

It's tough sometimes, living in a hippy-dippy-tourist-town. I hope some food entrepeneur opens up a downtown kitchen with more traditional fare.

[C Tut]

I've heard, and can relate to, many complaints about the restaurant situation in Sebastopol. What I am wondering, is what kind of restaurant would you like to see open up in this town? For example, I think that the China Room in Santa Rosa (or place with a similar model) would do terrific business in West County. What is it that you feel we are missing?

[Imagery]

I've heard, and can relate to, many complaints about the restaurant situation in Sebastopol. What I am wondering, is what kind of restaurant would you like to see open up in this town? For example, I think that the China Room in Santa Rosa (or place with a similar model) would do terrific business in West County. What is it that you feel we are missing?

Can you name a place that serves up a really good steak? Bloomfield is the closest I can find (Stormy's) who serves up a delicious, grass-fed, man-sized (not 4-8 oz.) medium rare slab of meat!!

Next closest is Cattleman's, but they're a chain - I prefer single operations I can't find all over the map.

[hales]

Have you checked out Underwood Bar and Grill, in Graton?

Underwood Bar and Bistro, Graton, California - Menus

There is also the Willowood Cafe, across the street, with great breakfasts and a lovely garden patio. If you want cheap food, both of these are not going to work out, though.

(btw, I can't believe you guys, (excuse the expression), whining about the food choices in Sebastopol.. cheesh! ; ) It's a frigging cornucopia, from my standpoint.. However, being able to afford to live and eat around here, that I can understand complaining about.. ; )

In Sonoma (town) we have the opposite problem, few choices for organic and vegetarian eaters. Still the same high prices, for the most parts, except for a few inexpensive options, mostly mexican food places.

Scott.

Can you name a place that serves up a really good steak? Bloomfield is the closest I can find (Stormy's) who serves up a delicious, grass-fed, man-sized (not 4-8 oz.) medium rare slab of meat!!

Next closest is Cattleman's, but they're a chain - I prefer single operations I can't find all over the map.

[hales]

btw, I think Yelp.com is handy, because you can see what customers thought of the food and service, where all the options are, in your search, etc..

I searched for steak in Sebastopol.. check it out..

Steak Sebastopol | Yelp

Can you name a place that serves up a really good steak? Bloomfield is the closest I can find (Stormy's) who serves up a delicious, grass-fed, man-sized (not 4-8 oz.) medium rare slab of meat!!

Next closest is Cattleman's, but they're a chain - I prefer single operations I can't find all over the map.

["Mad" Miles]

I laughed when I first read "onthepath"'s first post.

No good restaurants in crunchy foodie central? You got some splain'in to do!

I wholly support the comments asking for specifics; What are you looking for? Price range? Style of cooking? Ingredients? Dietary restrictions (either imposed by health limitations or self-imposed by lifestyle choices)?

Please, enlighten us!

Or were you just standing in the town square shouting that you're ready to take on all comers? Cocka-doodle-doo!!!

Here's an old thread I started, sorry Sebasto-Centrics, it covers parts of Santa Rosa and the 116 corridor, as well as Sebastopol.

We're all one...

I got some props for this stuff back in the day. So I don't feel too arrogant referring youse to it.

There's also a RIP thread for those places that I loved but didn't make it. Just do a search.

As for steak, I miss Elmo's. But the R'Bizz is a risky venture. What is it? 80% of new restaurants fail in the first year to three of opening?

Lately I've been eating at HopMonk, Underwood, Willow Wood, Aioli, Mosaic, Lola's on Petaluma Hill Road, Bistro 29, Real Doner, K&L and Chez Moi.

Broiled marinated boneless lamb chops, whole steamed artichoke in lime butter and toast to soak up the grilled lamb juices, a nice South Australian Shiraz (Strong Arms) for the marinade and as my tipple tonight. The lamb chop marinade was a quick one-off an hour before. Made of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lime juice, shiraz, crushed garlic, diced/crushed fresh thyme, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Jeff Smith may have been a gay sexual harrasser on the set, but he taught me a thing or two.

As I've mentioned elsewhere, one of the main limitations on where I eat is, are you open between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.? That severely limits my choices around these hyah parts in this cornocopia of foodie heaven.

Pocket book used to be a limit. Not so much lately.

I agree about P. Lowell's. $30 for salad, a glass of wine and a small/medium pizza seems exhorbitant. But yeah, they do have house made pork sausage as one meat choice. Didn't see the chicken when I ate there about a year ago. It was a great salad, great pizza, and very nice wine, but.... $30? When the service was sort of like being served by a bored, pissed off supermodel who barely deigned to pay attention to me, the customer? Haven't been back.

"Carnivarian"? Doesn't that mean you either eat carnies or carnival rides? Or is it carnival rides topped with carnies?

Carnivore.

I'm an omnivore with carnivoristic tendencies. And I ain't ashamed to admit it! But the grilled asparagus I did last night was well received by all.

"Mad" Miles

[jsjjane]

Note: the is about SEBASTOPOL, sorry other folks.

I share your pain, onthepath! However, from a different direction. I do love Thai. But I am a carnivarian, and prefer some meat in my meals. It's getting difficult in Sebastopol, most especially in the downtown area, to find a restaurant that isn't either offering "art food" (i.e. expensive) or which doesn't just offer whole grain, tofu, organic whatnot.

It's tough sometimes, living in a hippy-dippy-tourist-town. I hope some food entrepeneur opens up a downtown kitchen with more traditional fare.

Interesting to come home and find the thread about restaurant blues in Sebastopol. I just had pizza at Fregenes in Sebastopol. Really great pizza! I recently met and was impressed by Mike, the young entrepreneur who owns this place and decided to give it a shot. The pizza recipes are based on his uncle's recipes from Fregenes, Italy. I don't usually go out for pizza much these days, but the one I had, the Margarita, had a thin crust and light cheese that made it very light and delightful. I'm a vegetarian but the meat eaters who were there seemed happy too. (They will also put together a pizza that you can take home and bake.) I encourage anyone who wants a good pizza AND wants to support our community's young business owners to give it a try!

[oliviathunderkitty]

Note: the is about SEBASTOPOL, sorry other folks.

I share your pain, onthepath! However, from a different direction. I do love Thai. But I am a carnivarian, and prefer some meat in my meals. It's getting difficult in Sebastopol, most especially in the downtown area, to find a restaurant that isn't either offering "art food" (i.e. expensive) or which doesn't just offer whole grain, tofu, organic whatnot.

It's tough sometimes, living in a hippy-dippy-tourist-town. I hope some food entrepeneur opens up a downtown kitchen with more traditional fare.

My inclination has been to stay out of conversations about restaurants in Sebastopol but I have to jump in and defend two outstanding places. Both K & L Bistro and Eloise are among the best restaurants in Sonoma County and, really, in the Bay Area. They are both family operations, with young couples with small children--two boys in the case of K & L, a 3-year-old girl in the case of Eloise--at the helm. One of the things this means is that they are in the business for the long haul, to not make a name or turn a big profit and then scoot out of town.
Both restaurants take good care of their employees, which I think is important and is also reflected in the quality of service.
Neither of these restaurants are vanity projects and they do not offer "food as art." Both are in the traditional French bistro style. Both cater primarily to local customers, though visitors do find them because of their reputations. But they are not in the business of feeding tourists as somewhere like Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg is.

The food is neither inexpensive nor overpriced. It is possible to dine at either location relatively moderately if you take the time to understand the menus. I often order a couple of first courses because I do not always feel like a full entree and because I love the appetizer selections.

Both restaurants make extensive use of local products in a knowledgeable and genuine way. Wines are priced fairly--often well below what wines by the glass are at Peter Lowell's--and there are great by-the-glass selections.

One of the things I most value about both of these restaurants is their reliability. I have never ever felt that I have wasted money, something that has happened on more than one occasion at just about every local restaurant.

And if you love meat, you must check out the house-made charcuterie and the marrow bones at Eloise. The marrow bones, served as an appetizer, are more than enough for a full meal; you don't want much more than a green salad with them. And they are extraordinary, as good as I've had anywhere, including in Paris.

I realize I take a risk writing about such things on wacco but I support equal rights for carnivores.

And, no, I have no connection to these restaurants other than living in Sebastopol for a long time and wanting to support such quality places.

[hales]

You mean you cook your own food!!??

; )

Scott.

"Mad" Miles wrote:

Lately I've been eating at HopMonk, Underwood, Willow Wood, Aioli, Mosaic, Lola's on Petaluma Hill Road, Bistro 29, Real Doner, K&L and Chez Moi. Broiled marinated boneless lamb chops, whole steamed artichoke in lime butter and toast to soak up the grilled lamb juices, a nice South Australian Shiraz (Strong Arms) for the marinade and as my tipple tonight. The lamb chop marinade was a quick one-off an hour before. Made of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lime juice, shiraz, crushed garlic, diced/crushed fresh thyme, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Jeff Smith may have been a gay sexual harrasser on the set, but he taught me a thing or two.

snip... >

I'm an omnivore with carnivoristic tendencies. And I ain't ashamed to admit it! But the grilled asparagus I did last night was well received by all.

"Mad" Miles

[/quote]

[Imagery]

Have you checked out Underwood Bar and Grill, in Graton?

Underwood Bar and Bistro, Graton, California - Menus

There is also the Willowood Cafe, across the street, with great breakfasts and a lovely garden patio. If you want cheap food, both of these are not going to work out, though.

Scott.

To clarify - in order to keep my cardiologist in business, and the mortgage payments on his condo in Tahiti current, let's review menus:

Among the dozen or so entrees, the beef dishes absolutely shine. Prime rib ($21.95), served with a meaty rib bone balanced over the top of the thick slab of beef, is stunning, with nuggets of crispy fat and perfectly rare, juicy meat.

New York scallopini ($18.50) is equally delicious, if not quite as indulgent. Thin slices of meat, again prepared rare, are topped with mushrooms in a deeply flavored sherry sauce.

A ribeye steak ($19.50), crowned with some of the best onion rings I've had, is everything that cut of meat should be -- tender, full of flavor, and again, expertly cooked not a nanosecond past rare.

The New York of New Yorks ($23.95) maintains the standard of delicious beef cooked to a turn, though be aware: This is one big piece of meat.

A porterhouse ($27.95) weighs in at a minimum of 32 ounces, the menu tells us. We've yet to tackle it, though I can't imagine that it's less than sensational.

There's more than beef. Double lamb chops ($23.95), thick pieces grilled on the bone, are excellent, though cooked a bit longer than we like, the only meat that wasn't prepared perfectly.

Pork tenderloin piccata ($18.50) is tangy with lemon and studded with pleasantly salty capers, the meat fork-tender.

Fried chicken ($12.95) underscores the kitchen's considerable skill. A golden cloak of crunchy batter hugs the pieces -- a thigh, a leg, a breast, a wing -- of succulent poultry.

Sauteed scallops ($19.95) are tender, sweet and rich in their buttery juices.

Let's see how that stacks up against anybody here in town. Yeah, if we drive to Graton - we MIGHT get a little steak, but let me know if anyone in THIS town can match the food. The food is local and fresh...

...and no, I don't represent or frequent them - just comparing the prices vs. over here in Sebtown.

[bodegahead]

Other nearby non chain restaurants with good meat and steaks: Union Hotel and Negris in Occidental, or a nice ride out to the coast to Dinnuchi`s in Valley Ford. Dinnuchi`s has the big slabs.

Can you name a place that serves up a really good steak? Bloomfield is the closest I can find (Stormy's) who serves up a delicious, grass-fed, man-sized (not 4-8 oz.) medium rare slab of meat!!

Next closest is Cattleman's, but they're a chain - I prefer single operations I can't find all over the map.

["Mad" Miles]

Just a couple of followups:

Hey onthepath/Jane,

"Chez Moi" just means my place in La Francais.


Imagery,

Good info about Stormy's. Ate there once years ago while on the Board/Staff annual retreat of the Sonoma County Chapter of The American Red Cross. We had the prime rib. Plentiful, tender and tasty. A fairly conventional presentation and spicing style. But why mess with a classic?

If my local pricy places aren't supplying my red meat jones, I may go back.

But has anyone else had the bison at Mosaic? Huzzah! (See the following picture link for three views.)


Hales Baby!

Yes, I cook. I can cook like a Mo Fo!

But I don't do it much as the time for prep and cleanup, when I'm cooking just for me, makes it less enjoyable. I used to do it more, and still do it once and a while.

Long ago and far away my veggie lentil stews allowed me to crash for free in a council flat in Brixton. My bohemian punk squatter skip diving new friends never wanted any of my kabab takeaway, but they couldn't get enough of the stew made from scavenged vegetable picked up early in the morning at Covent Garden wholesale market.


Since I bought a digital camera before my trip to Louisiana in late April, I've been photographing some of my meals. Both in restaurants and with friends. When I remember to have it with me. I have a "Set" on flickr. Here's the link.

(This is the first set of my photos I've made public. I'm curious to see if it works so please let me know if you have any problems opening it.)


When it comes to cooking I doubt I could match OliviaThunderKitty (aka Michele A. J.) who writes inspiring recipes, commentary and food event news on a regular basis with elan.

Her text makes my mouth water!

"Mad" Miles

[Imagery]

So, when are we all going to meat (intentional) and dine together at Stormy's or Dinnuchi's? I'm willing to try different places, provided I'm not dropping a C-note on our dinner.

[scorpiomoon]

Just go to Healdsburg Bar and Grill. Check out the scenery. The food is beyond good. Something for everyone. Inexpensive, great salads burgers organic and naughty truffle fries to die for. Taste buds on high alert. Sunny patio and no corkage fee.