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Recipe: Fried Catfish and Quinoa: A Juxtaposition

April 30, 2010 by Angie Sommer 7 Comments

B&C has been, so far, solely interested in food that other people make.  Specifically, East Bay restaurants that serve food that I purchase from them.  It’s a good relationship: drive, eat, pay, write.  But perhaps it’s time for B&C to evolve to discuss some home cooking too, no?

I’m not a great cook, it’s true.  In fact, I (we) typically don’t cook anything terribly exciting on any kind of a regular basis.  Boyfriend gets a bit upset when I say this, but I’d argue for the most part that it’s true.  I’ll concede, also, that he’s a better cook than I.  Moving on.  When we do make an effort, and we’re successful, why not blog about it?  This is a food blog isn’t it?… 

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Filed Under: Recipes and Home Cooking Tagged With: At Home

Review: Katsu Restaurant

April 25, 2010 by Angie Sommer 2 Comments

Atmosphere: 3/5   ♦   Service: 3/5   ♦   Food Quality: 5/5   ♦   Value: 4/5
Times Visited:  Once   ♦   Will I Return?:  Yes please
___________

Katsu RestaurantKatsu is a tiny, unassuming restaurant in the increasingly decrepit Lucky’s shopping center across the boulevard from Castro Village.  I probably would have never seen it, so I’m glad my uncle recommended it to me.  I’m glad to have finally found another Japanese restaurant near my house that’s worth going to.

At first I was slightly alarmed – Katsu was by no means booming on a Saturday night.  You can’t see in very well from the outside due to drawn blinds, but it looked like no one was in there when we pulled up.  That wasn’t true, there were half a dozen tables filled, but it was by no means full.  … 

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Filed Under: Japanese Tagged With: Castro Valley

Review: Jay’s Fish & Chips

April 20, 2010 by Angie Sommer 6 Comments

Atmosphere: 3/5   ♦   Service: 3/5   ♦   Food Quality:4/5   ♦   Value: 4/5
Times Visited:  Once   ♦   Will I Return?:  I’d love to
___________

Jay's Fish & Chip Shop, HaywardHow many times have I passed Jay’s?  Well, it’s on Foothill Boulevard in Hayward just off Highway 238, so I’ll say probably about, oh, 900 times in the past few months.  The building that Jay’s occupies is just next to the Walgreen’s at the corner of Grove Way and used to be a variety of other restaurants over the years, as Hayward establishments are wont to do.  Notably, I remember a Chinese restaurant; my mom says it was an all-you-can-eat buffet*, though I have no recollection of eating there.  No matter, Jay’s is now the big cheese and I was pleasantly surprised by what we found inside…. 

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Filed Under: Fish 'n Chips Tagged With: Hayward

Review: Taqueria Azteca

April 16, 2010 by Angie Sommer 2 Comments

Atmosphere: 3/5   ♦   Service: 3/5   ♦   Food Quality: 3/5   ♦   Value: 5/5
Times Visited:  Once   ♦   Will I Return?:  If I’m in the area
___________

Taqueria AztecaThis taqueria is tucked away on Amador Plaza Road in Dublin, just across the street from Target.  And actually, it’s not really “tucked” anywhere – it’s right on the road for all to see as they drive by, though you do have to be on Amador Plaza Road to see it – it’s not on the main Boulevard.  Azteca is in an unassuming commercial string of buildings, plain stucco, gently slopipng roofs; nice but not elaborate.  Our trip to the nearby Target had suffered due to extreme hunger grumpiness, so we needed a place nearby and we had no time for arguing.  Azteca did it’s duty in this regard…. 

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Filed Under: Mexican Tagged With: Dublin

Review: A Slice of New York (Pizza)

April 12, 2010 by Angie Sommer 13 Comments

Atmosphere: 3/5   ♦   Service: N/A   ♦   Food Quality: 4/5   ♦   Value: 3/5
Times Visited:  Once   ♦   Will I Return?:  Sure
___________

The front of A Slice of New York Pizza in San Jose.Ok, how many pizza shops are called New York Pizza?  Seriously, it took me 5 minutes to find this one on Google because even typing “New York Pizza San Jose” into the search comes up with more hits than and oldies radio station.  I realize that many restaurants sell New York style pizza.  Use. A. Different. Name.

I suppose I should apologize to A Slice of NY Pizza for that rant, they deserved it no more than the hordes of other pizza places of the same name.  One of which, mind you, I’ve already reviewed.  But these two are not related, thankfully, despite a flash of panic when we arrived to pick up this latest pie.  Two of our friends who live in San Jose recommended (read: demanded) that we try this pizza place.  And unlike all the other “New York Pizza”s out there, this one is actually called A Slice of New York Pizza, though the distinguishing forewords are in such tiny print on their sign that no one but the hummingbirds are aware of it*…. 

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Filed Under: Pizza Tagged With: San Jose

Review: Buon Appetito

April 8, 2010 by Angie Sommer 6 Comments

Atmosphere: 5/5   ♦   Service: 4/5   ♦   Food Quality: 4/5   ♦   Value: 3/5
Times Visited:  Once   ♦   Will I Return?:  Yes, please
___________

Buon Appetito has been one of the classiest Hayward restaurants for some time now.  Amidst all the good things I’ve head over the past many years, this was my first visit.  My conclusion?  It was great.  In short, the menu had many delicious meat-less choices, the decor was exquisite, and the food was very good.  The only problem?  The damn place is on A Street in Hayward.

Let’s talk for a moment about how I love Hayward.  I’m from Hayward, born and raised.  It seems to me that it does a person no good to walk around all day squawking about how horrible his or her hometown is, especially when he or she currently is residing in said hometown.  … 

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Filed Under: Italian Tagged With: Hayward

Review: Pakwan

March 31, 2010 by Angie Sommer 7 Comments

Atmosphere: 4/5   ♦   Service: 3/5   ♦   Food Quality: 4/5   ♦   Value: 4/5
Times Visited:  Once   ♦   Will I Return?:  Yes Indeed
___________

Pakwan has been sitting at the bottom of the hill for some time now.  By the “bottom of the hill” I refer to the Hayward hills, housing Cal State East Bay (formerly, and better known as Cal State Hayward), and, incidentally, my house.  We refer to pretty much everything in Hayward as being “down the hill”, mostly because just about everything is.  The Hayward location of Pakwan is just near the base of Carlos Bee on Mission Boulevard (other locations in SF and Fremont), and that facility used to house a variety of mediocre Chinese restaurants over the years…. 

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Filed Under: Indian Tagged With: Hayward

Review: Top Thai

March 24, 2010 by Angie Sommer 7 Comments

Atmosphere: 4/5   ♦   Service: 5/5   ♦   Food Quality: 4/5   ♦   Value: 4/5
Times Visited:  Once   ♦   Will I Return?:  Yep
___________

I honestly don’t know of too many Thai places in the Hayward/Castro Valley area, so when my dad took us to Top Thai on Castro Valley Boulevard, I was intrigued.  There may indeed be many Thai places around, I just don’t know about them.  I’ve been to one place on Foothill in Hayward years ago, but I can’t really even think up the location of any others.  But no matter, Top Thai certainly fills the void.

TT is in a tiny, unassuming, single story building across from the ridiculously huge and sort-of-awful Rite Aid at the eastern end of CVB in Castro Valley.  I probably would have never noticed it, and even if I did, it doesn’t look terribly enticing from the outside.  One step inside the doors, however, and the scenery is transformed.  … 

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Filed Under: Thai Tagged With: Castro Valley

Review: Otaez

March 11, 2010 by Angie Sommer Leave a Comment

Atmosphere: 4/5   ♦   Service: 3/5   ♦   Food Quality: 3/5   ♦   Value: 4/5
Times Visited:  Once   ♦   Will I Return?:  Not for the brunch
___________

Otaez is a Mexican restaurant (with full bar, as noted on their site) with two locations: Oakland and Alameda.  My family had Sunday brunch at the Alameda location a couple weeks ago and had a decent experience.  Because we only had brunch, however, I’m not qualified to comment on the diversity of their menu or the speediness of their standard service, since we only received minimal buffet-style waitress visits.  Therefore, I write only of the Otaez brunch buffet.

Mexican brunch buffet is all the rage in my little life at the moment.  Never have I had so many Mexican Sunday brunches as I have in the last couple months (note: I’ve only had about four).  See my El Torito review for further notes on this fact.  Because El Torito is actually the only other restaurant where I have experienced the Mex brunch buffet, it’s hard not to compare one to the other.  And if I had to choose, I’d choose El Torito…. 

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Filed Under: Brunch, Mexican Tagged With: Alameda

Review: Ghion Ethiopian Restaurant

March 5, 2010 by Angie Sommer 5 Comments

Update: This restaurant is now closed.

Atmosphere: 3/5   ♦   Service: 3/5   ♦   Food Quality: 4/5   ♦   Value: 5/5
Times Visited:  Once   ♦   Will I Return?:  Yes, please
___________

Yes, Ethiopian food.  I think I made the same jokes before I tried it too.  Many people haven’t had Ethiopian food, and to them I often describe it as plops of mushy stuff with spices, sort of like Indian food, served on a giant flat pancake shaped piece of sourdough spongy bread.  Oh and by the way, you tear off pieces of the bread and scoop up the food with it to eat.  No forks.  So fun.

If you’ve never tried Ethiopian and you’re not a food prude, I’d highly recommend it.  It’s one of my favorites and was a weekly endeavor when we lived in Australia.  The food is delicious, the way you eat it is fun, and the whole thing is a different experience for us westerners.

The exterior of Ghion may be a bit forbidding, but don’t let it stop you from going in!

I’ve been eating Ethiopian food only for about the last two years, and have in that time tried probably a dozen different places (mostly in Melbourne, Australia).  In my experience, most Ethiopian restaurants are the same in a very odd way.  And because Ghion fit the bill, I was both amused and impressed.  The very best Ethiopian places are dead empty when you arrive.  There is often no music playing, and no one in the facility, possibly not even a waiter. There may be a group of Ethiopian gentlemen speaking (assumingly) Ethiopian and not paying you a bit of mind.  The dining area may be scantily decorated with an appropriately African theme.

The seating area in Ghion restaurant.

When you receive the menus, it is likely that pages are missing from most of them.  I could hardly believe that we found yet another Ethiopian place where this is the case, but we did.  It’s ok though, you can assemble the information between the few of you who have arrived together to assist in understanding the full menu selection.  The waiter/owner/cook is friendly but has a heavy accent. Sometimes there are language communication difficulties, but he is polite and courteous so it’s not uncomfortable.

It doesn’t really matter anyway, because whatever comes out of the kitchen will be good; no matter if you ordered it or not.  Your only concern is to make sure you receive vegetarian food if you ordered that, and that part of the order never seems to get lost.

Our food plate at Ghion.

Up until this point, I have been describing Ghion and many other places I’ve been.  I should now discuss the food at Ghion, which was excellent.  The vegetarian combo we ordered (x2 to feed four people) was a standard combo that we’ve seen elsewhere also.  The brown lintel mush, the yellow cabbage and potato pile, the green lintel stuff, the stuff that appeared to be spinach but may have been another green, and the yellow goo that I’m not sure what it was.  De-lic-ious, even though I’m clearly not aware of the technical names or ingredients.  We also ordered an appetizer of some sort of cheese, which was also placed on the big plate (white, crumbly), and boyfriend’s favorite dish of tomato-soup-consistency goo that was really, really good.

Food plate close-up. Yum!!

All of this with a generous side of wheat injera to scoop it with, and we were stuffed in no time.  One of the other great things about Ethiopian food is that it’s typically pretty cheap.  $42 covered all four of us including two beers, and we were certainly full to the brim.  If you like Ethiopian, head down to Ghion to get your next fix, or, if you’ve never tried it, I’d say Ghion wouldn’t be a bad place to start.

Note:  Wait a minute, Angie, aren’t you in Japan right now?  How are you patronizing restaurants in the Bay when you’re far far away?  Touche, fair reader, good catch.  I did not come to Japan fully unprepared – I have a few drafts waiting in the wings of this blog so as not to drop the ball while I’m away!  Haha!  Would I starve you of food posts while I travel the globe?  Surely not.  Keep your eyes peeled, I will be posting again!

Filed Under: Ethiopian Tagged With: San Jose

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