The Village Pub--Woodside, CA

Spinach: More a feast for the eyes than the stomach (still good, though!)

Using a gift certificate given to us by Jenny's brother (Thank you AK!) and a well timed birthday party, my wife and I sneaked off to The Village Pub for Sunday brunch, where we ordered off the menu.

Ranch heirloom melon salad

The melon, which was our first course, was fine, though I thought it expensive for what it was ($13). On a good day, I can find a melon at the market that matches the quality of this one.

Halibut cake: The Pub knocked this one out of the park

The halibut cake, on the other hand, was terrific and the highlight of the lunch. It was delicate and went well with the runny egg. It made me say, "Wow", even on the second and third bites. It was one of Jenny's favorites, too.

Ricotta and Meyer lemon pancakes

The Village Pub also scored well with the ricotta cheese and Meyer lemon pancakes. It'll be hard to eat from a mix from now on (which was never an issue before). The creaminess from the ricotta really stood out. 

Warm breakfast breads

In addition to the halibut, Jenny most enjoyed the breads, which at $6 was a relative steal. The fluffy and flavorful little bricks went well with the housemade spreads and jam. I liked the lemon the most.

"Shrimp and grits" on the menu, with the shrimp replaced by lobster

They were out of shrimp for the shrimp and grits, so they replaced it with lobster and didn't change the price ($18). It was good and savory, but I thought the grits drowned out the lobster.

Carpaccio of local yellowtail

Service was efficient, though it was more of the leave-you-alone approach rather than doting. Unfortunately, despite all that we ordered, we weren't full when we left.

The Village Pub
2967 Woodside Rd.
Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-9888
www.thevillagepub.net

Japanese tapas--Mountain View, CA

Scoring a date night thanks to a birthday party, Jenny and I went to have Japanese tapas in Mountain View last Friday. I visited the other restaurant in this chain back in 2008 and I remembered the rice cakes to be wonderfully crunchy. So, this time, we went with the rice cakes with salmon and salmon mayo. They were good, but the salmon was essentially there just for flavoring.

The pork rice pot was probably the best dish of the night. A runny egg was thrown in for some flavor. and our server mixed it at the table. It was a tad heavy but scrumptious and, again, had that delicious crunchy burnt rice.

The tomatoes with scallops looked good--the dish was a work of art. The tomatoes were super-juicy, too. However, the concoction was difficult to handle with chopsticks.

The cod, which was tender, could have been served on a smaller platter. What intrigued us most was the flavor. I thought it was from lemon or other citrus, though Jenny thought it was the plum soy sauce.

At $67 (including tax) with the above dishes plus a beer, we thought dinner was a bit expensive. But, the service was friendly and prompt. So much, so, in fact we got got a free bowl of edamame because we were told the food would take longer than expected. In fact, it came in less than 15 minutes. If only other restaurants could hold themselves to such a high standard of service. The restaurant opens at 6:00. At 6:30 there was plenty of seating. At 7:00, though, the restaurant was full.

Gochi Japanese Fusion Tapas
1036 Castro St.
Mountain View, CA 94040
(650) 965-8301
www.gochifusiontapas.com

Extraordinary Soup and More--Sunnyvale, CA

The Gyros Platter

It's pretty clear when you walk into this charming home of a restaurant that this is a family run operation. Occupying the former Bonjour Crepes (the sign is still up), this restaurant specializes in Mediterranean food. However, they embraced the French identity of the former restaurant with artwork on the wall evoking France (like that of the Eiffel Tower) and they played an accordion track with La Vie En Rose and C'est Si Bon. How could we think we were anywhere but France?

The soups came in interesting flavors and you can tell they're homemade. The woman behind the register let us sample each creation. Some comments:
Pommegranite: A bit strong for me. If sour is your thing, give it a try.
Beef and Barley: Just the right amount of heartiness and thickness. So often this is made too weighty and gloppy, but not this one. It was my favorite of the bunch.
Yogurt Drink: Was a little sour as one might expect. It came with spinach.
Five mushroom: Creamy and savory. This is the one we chose to get a bowl of. It'll be hard to ever go back to Campbell's Cream of Mushroom.
Mexican Lentl with lime and avocado: Watch out for this one. It's spicy.

Chicken and Beef Kabob

One of our entrees was the Combo Chicken and Beef Kabob. I enjoyed the beef, which was tender and a tad greasy (which is good!), though Jenny thought you can get the beef elsewhere.

The gyros platter was delicious and filling. Jenny and I agreed the best part of both dishes was the gyro, which was tender and flavorful. It makes us think that the Gyro on a Pita for $4.59 is a steal. The falafel was fresh, crisp and hot. The woman who made them even gave us a couple on the house since they were just made. I was told the vibrant green color came from parsley and cilantro.

My advice? Get here at 5:30 on a weekday when it isn't crowded and let this family take care of you.

Extraordinary Soup and More
20371 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 973-8553

Lena's Soul Food Cafe--Oakland, CA

The ox tail with yams and collard greens

Our indirect journey to the Oakland Coliseum continued from Ming's (see post below) to Lena's Soul Food Cafe in Oakland. The atmosphere was jovial and from the banter you really got the feeling this is where locals ate. What I couldn't figure out, though, was why everyone else carried their food out when Lena's offered a perfectly space to dine.

For me, the sides were as enticing as the main event. The yams, for example were delightfully sweet, soft and very filling. The ox tail I ordered was good, though I've had more tender tail elsewhere. Also, I struggled to pry the meat off the bone.

Everyone loved Jenny's fish and rice. It was the first to go and it was also the healthiest option. For reasons they couldn't be specific about, the boys didn't quite finish the mac and cheese (perhaps it was the doughnuts at Ming's?). We got a side of fried chicken which was hot, tender and fresh. It was delivered to our table.

Lena's Soul Food Cafe
1462 High St.
Oakland, CA 94601
(510) 842-3510
www.lenassoulfoodcafe.com

Lena's menu

Ming's Donut Shop--San Leandro CA

Sunday we went to see the A's clinch the West, edging out my Minnesota Twins. On the way, we stopped by Ming' Donut Shop, which was a huge hit with our family.

Eclair with blueberry cake doughnut

I really enjoyed the eclair. The cream was actually cold, which I liked, and had a genuine consistency and flavor (i.e. not gummy).

Jenny liked everything, but for her the blueberry cake doughnut stood out. It was as cakey and soft as doughnuts come.

Bear claw with apple filling

The boys each got a "bear claw", but it was more of a fritter with its apple-pie filling.

It's worth mentioning they were nice enough to give each of the boys a doughnut hole. :)

Ming's Donut Shop
13996 Doolittle Dr.
San Leandro, CA 94557
(510) 352-5870

Steins Beer Garden--Mountain View, CA

Breakfast for Dinner

With the kids away at a birthday party, Jenny and I were able to try Steins for lunch in downtown Mountain View. Jenny had a seared ahi salad. It was good, but it wasn't distinctive. The Breakfast for Dinner that I had, though, was both. This scrumptious dish featured a runny egg (just how I like it), toast and a drippy, soft, tasty, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly at the bottom.

Seared Ahi

To make this good-for-you lunch even healthier, I had a Dark Flight featuring Cerne Dark, Asam Bock, Vampire Slayer and Campfire Stout. All four were sipping brews. The Cerne Dark was distinctive for its roasted flavor. The Vampire Slayer was a bit too strong for me with its sharp flavor. The Campfire Stout, however, matched my tastes well. It was a fun, sweet, chocolate-rich affair and it would be what I'd get the next time I come by.

Dark Flight (from left to right): Cerne Dark, Asam Bock, Vampire Slayer, Campfire Stout

I don't know what Steins is like on a Friday night, but I can easily imagine it being a busy beer hall. Go there on a Sunday afternoon for lunch, though, and the environment is wonderfully peaceful.

Steins Beer Garden
895 Villa St.
Mountain View, CA
(650) 963-9568
www.steinsbeergarden.com

Chevre and mango steak bites

Jenny tried this recipe yesterday for friends who came over yesterday afternoon. First appearing in Sunset magazine, the recipe is available at myrecipes.com.

Though perhaps the steak was a bit on the rare side for some (you can judge from the photo), I happen to like meat a little rare and I think this turned out fine. It's easy to buy too much mango, so I'd cut the quantity below in half. The key to the whole thing, in my mind, is the mint, which goes a long way in giving this little gem its looks, flavor and aroma.

Jenny worked on this for a while and got a head start the night before.

The recipe from the aforementioned source:

The ingredients:

• 1 flank steak (about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 lbs.)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• About 2 tbsp. milk
• 1/2 cup (4 to 5 oz.) packed fresh goat cheese
• 30 to 34 small mint leaves
• About 15 dried mango pieces, cut into 1/4- by 1-in. slivers

And the prep:

1. 1. Trim fat from steak. Rinse meat, pat dry, rub with oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
2. 2. Lay steak on an oiled cooking grate over a solid bed of very hot coals or highest gas heat (you can hold your hand 1 to 2 in. above grate for only 1 to 2 seconds); cover gas grill. Cook until firm when pressed on thin end but still quite pink inside (cut to check), 8 to 10 minutes; turn over halfway through. Transfer steak to a plate; let cool at least 30 minutes. About 45 minutes before slicing, put steak in the freezer (it will be easier to slice thinly).
3. 3. On a board with a very sharp knife, cut steak across the grain, straight up and down and as thinly and evenly as possible, to make 30 to 34 slices; save narrow and uneven ends just to eat. If wet, blot with paper towels.
4. 4. Measure accumulated meat juices and add enough milk to make 2 tbsp.; pour into a bowl. Crumble cheese into bowl and mash with a fork into a smooth paste.
5. 5. Working with 1 steak strip at a time, lay strip on a flat side. Spread strip with about 3/4 tsp. cheese mixture, then lay 1 mint leaf and 1 mango piece at end of strip and roll to enclose. Let stand at room temperature at least 10 minutes before serving.
6. Note: Nutritional analysis is per roll.

Note:

Cut chilled grilled steak when ready to assemble appetizers and slice it very thinly (less than 1/4 inch, if possible). The finished appetizers can be covered and chilled for up to 6 hours.