Chocolate croissants by Trader Joe's

What impresses me most about the chocolate croissants from TJ's is their transformation from slender little bars (with a cross-section with the same size and shape of a fig newton) to these big fluffy pastries. Let them rise overnight at room temperature, then pop 'em into the oven. We enjoyed the croissants--and they definitely have ample chocolate--but compared to croissants fresh from the bakery they deflate and flatten out a bit too readily.

Teriyaki Stir-Fry Udon by Pulmuone

This item is becoming a Costco mainstay. You'll get much better results taking the time to stir-fry the contents rather than using the microwave, which will result in hard, dry noodles. Having tried both methods, the peas always came out gummy for us. Although I'd get this again, my wife and kid wouldn't because of the texture of the toppings.

Stevens Creek vs Great America: A tale of two IHOPs

This morning Dylan and I took advantage of the all-you-can-eat promotion at International House of Pancakes. In January we went twice to the one on Stevens Creek (on the Santa Clara-Cupertino border); today we went to the one on Great America (in Santa Clara). With the exception of one serving today (which was room temperature), both IHOPs serve delicious buttermilk pancakes. The similarities end there.

Round 1 of the all-you-can-eat pancakes at IHOP  on Stevens Creek (Santa Clara)

At the Great America IHOP today, each round of pancakes (the first round is a stack of five, each subsequent is a round of two) took between 15 and 20 minutes from request, which is inexcusable. So, for us it took nearly an hour and a half to eat breakfast. We never got our glasses of water refilled.

At Stevens Creek, we had an excellent experience both times. There was a bug in one of our glasses, but we didn't complain because the staff was so damn nice--Dylan I ended up sharing a glass. During the last visit, the manager even went from table to table to ask how we were doing. We never had to wait more than 10 minutes for any round--each of was a sure-fire hot, fresh, fluffy stack. Bravo!

Achilles in Santa Clara, CA

Achilles in Santa Clara features Mediterranean food, but in some respects I found the actual food they served to be incidental. For a crowded restaurant where you pick up your food at the register, the employees are remarkably conscientious about the customer experience. All the employees smile there. The cashier threw on some extra meat before we carried away our trays. And, when I left, the same cashier thanked me by name, even though it was the first time we'd met.



Then there's the value. For less than $50 after tax but before tip, we received four meals heaping with meat and four heart-shaped falafel pieces that was the best I'd ever had (so crisp, yet fluffy and hot on the inside!).

Is there an Achilles' heel? If anything could have been improved, the Achilles chicken (pictured) was slightly overdone. That's it.

We went in on a Saturday night at about 5:30. There are far more customers than seats at that time. Your odds of finding a table are better at 5:00 or 6:30.

Blue Angel Cafe--South Lake Tahoe

We went to Blue Angel Cafe for dinner last weekend. Though we showed up at about 6 pm there was no line, which we were grateful for. Also, the staff there was friendly. However, for what we got, our meal was expensive at $77.50 before tax and tip. We needed to eat more when we got back to our hotel. Shown here are the Piri Piri Ribs. The sauce hits you with a sharp acidic taste, but the meat falls off the bone. For $22 you got veggies, mashed potatoes and five ribs.

Great Awakenings in Pacific Grove, CA

Shown here is "The Works" omelet. Not only did this dish hit the spot, there's enough here to feed a bear. It's a bargain, too, at $12. We waited about half an hour for a weekend brunch, but it was worth the wait.

The Reuben at Gunther's in San Jose...

...featuring both pastrami and corned beef for $15. A little on the salty side, but the meat is juicy and tender. I went here yesterday for lunch and it wasn't crowded. Mine didn't come with Russian dressing, but that was fine with me.