When you have a birthday or other event to celebrate; have I got suggestions for you!!!
First and foremost;
Restaurant Taste in Plymouth. Truly amazing food. Organic, Sustainable, Beautiful, Inventive, and Satisfying. I've been three times. Two times we ate at the bar and once we had a table. The bar was a fun experience, people really talk and the party next to us shared tastes of the personal vintages they had brought in for dinner. On certain nights corkage is free or reduced in price. I have had some of the most succulent appetizers here. The mushroom cigars, the quail and any ravioli. Tasty much. It's kinda pricey but not too bad. Really inventive desserts. Very quiet, there is a seperate small private room and you absolutely NEED a reservation for a table. www.restauranttaste.com
Next, V Restaurant in Murphys. Inventive appetizers. Good size portions. The outside is where we always eat because the inside is entirely TOOOOO noisy. They really need something to baffle the sound. It can be hot or cold outside but they try to have fans and heaters.
The fried stuffed olive appetizer really serves the purpose of getting the juices flowing. When they did a foie gras appetizer it was rich and fresh all at the same time; I had never before had minced watermelon as part of the accompaniment but really good and refreshing. The green bean or asparagus plate with fresh cheese is another large and satisfying appetizer. They do really good lamb shanks and small lamb chop munchies. They have a really good hand at vegetables and often attempt new twists on old services. The bad part is that they bring you skinny bread sticks and cracker bread with a sun dried tomato based dipping sauce. It's too drippy with minimal flavor. Needs basil or garlic or hot peppers or something. Waste of calories. The wait staff is usually friendly and helpful. they are really good at helping people meet a theater time. Again reservations are strongly recommended. www.victoriainn-murphys.com
Friday, October 10, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Mexican food in Calaveras County
OK, So maybe I'm not an objective judge of Mexican food but I know what I like.
1) Clean, clear flavors and an appealing presentation.
2) A variety of choices of products that allow vegans and meat-heads to eat happily
3) Respect for the patron in providing "healthy choices" if they so choose
That stated let me say in the last five years that I have eaten or attempted to eat at every "Mexican" restaurant in Calaveras, Amador and Tuolumne Counties.
My all time FAV: the taco truck in Valley Springs. Jesse turns out the most amazing food in such a small truck. His Chicken Picata! Chicken breast in a light and tangy sauce with mushroom slices, served with beans, rice, salad and two tortillas for $5.00. Any time he has fish specials be sure to order them. He also makes flan and rice pudding. The flan is a one person serving but the rice pudding is enough for two to three people; dusted with cinnamon and sprinkled with raisins. Wonderful all for $2.50. Yes, it is windy and cold under the shade structure in the winter and darned hot in the summer. Get it "para llevar" and eat in comfort at your own home.
My greatest disappointment has been the new "El Papagallo" in San Andreas. I have yet to be able to eat there. The two times we have gone in the tablecloths were filthy and they would not change them and the second time it was entirely toooooo noooooisy. The wait person could not even hear us when we stated how many people. We left and went to Blue Street Bistro; not Mexican but good.
I had eaten at the previous incarnation of the restaurant when Sylvia from Cliffs Corner was actually cooking. Man that girl and her aunt could cook. One of the best chile rellenos I ever ate; light, fluffy with a creamy cheese filling and a light and satisfyingly hot green sauce. They stopped for health reasons. Too bad.
The other local Mexican restaurants:
La Pinata, Central Valley Springs
Goopy food, muddy flavors and TOOO much cheese on everything.
El Torrero, Burson
We only eat in the bar because the noise level of the other rooms with kids is way loud.
No food that is not fried or breaded. Why? Even the salads have chips. Again not clean flavors, the chicken tastes like the beef and vice versa.
Jose's, Jackson
What on earth is the appeal of this place? Sloppy service and again with too much cheese and red sauce on everything. Chile verde should not be red.
Don Jose's, Ione
Killer chile relleno. Can you tell we like them? Not a canned chile; fresh with the stem on and a light green sauce with white cheese. They have a good beer and wine selection (Negra Modela available) but no liquor. Kinda weird decor and cavernous place; it's a historic building downtown. Really good chicken enchilada.
Michiocan, Jamestown
Excellent food and service. Terribly uncomfortable chairs you wear out just sitting. Their chili verde and chili rellenos are wonderful.
Smoke Cafe, Jamestown is a shadow of it's former self. Best thing is the outside dining on the street. You can watch tourists while you eat.
The mexican restaurant in Twain Harte is merely pedestrian. Emphais on liquor.
The chain that is in Columbia, Murphys and Sonora. So-So.
Camachos, Sonora. I had great hopes. We had met the owners at Irish Winery and they had raved. We ate there after they moved from a little store front to the Sonora Hotel. NO BEER OR WINE! Again Huge stuffed burritos but overwhelmed by sauce. Muddy and messy.
Alfredos, Sonora on the main drag. Again goopy. All wait persons and cooks are ANGLO! What gives? How do they escape "A Day without a Mexican"?
Jackson at the entrance to Old Town. I don't remember the name. If you do not have liquor of any kind and don't serve it for religious reasons it should be posted on the front door. What do you do after you have eaten half a bowl of chips and salsa then find out that not only do they not have liquor they only have Pepsi not Coke. I don't even remember the food. I just hated the experience.
I have never eaten at the Blue Frog in Arnold. I like the owner, Carol Fleming, she also owns Wild Grape in Murphys. Anyone eaten there?
I have eated some absolutely fantastic mexican food in my time.
Blue Agave in Pleasanton; Amazing, Morelia style food.
Huarache in Oakland on International @ 45th. Sonora style with a peasant twist.
Any street food sold at the Dia de Los Muertos festival in the Fruitvale District in Oakland.
El Balazo; Killer Margaritas and choose your own ingredient burritos at several locations : Danville, SF, Pleasanton.
I would LOOOOOVVVEEE any recommendations!!!!!!
All disagreements and comments are enthusiastically appreciated.
1) Clean, clear flavors and an appealing presentation.
2) A variety of choices of products that allow vegans and meat-heads to eat happily
3) Respect for the patron in providing "healthy choices" if they so choose
That stated let me say in the last five years that I have eaten or attempted to eat at every "Mexican" restaurant in Calaveras, Amador and Tuolumne Counties.
My all time FAV: the taco truck in Valley Springs. Jesse turns out the most amazing food in such a small truck. His Chicken Picata! Chicken breast in a light and tangy sauce with mushroom slices, served with beans, rice, salad and two tortillas for $5.00. Any time he has fish specials be sure to order them. He also makes flan and rice pudding. The flan is a one person serving but the rice pudding is enough for two to three people; dusted with cinnamon and sprinkled with raisins. Wonderful all for $2.50. Yes, it is windy and cold under the shade structure in the winter and darned hot in the summer. Get it "para llevar" and eat in comfort at your own home.
My greatest disappointment has been the new "El Papagallo" in San Andreas. I have yet to be able to eat there. The two times we have gone in the tablecloths were filthy and they would not change them and the second time it was entirely toooooo noooooisy. The wait person could not even hear us when we stated how many people. We left and went to Blue Street Bistro; not Mexican but good.
I had eaten at the previous incarnation of the restaurant when Sylvia from Cliffs Corner was actually cooking. Man that girl and her aunt could cook. One of the best chile rellenos I ever ate; light, fluffy with a creamy cheese filling and a light and satisfyingly hot green sauce. They stopped for health reasons. Too bad.
The other local Mexican restaurants:
La Pinata, Central Valley Springs
Goopy food, muddy flavors and TOOO much cheese on everything.
El Torrero, Burson
We only eat in the bar because the noise level of the other rooms with kids is way loud.
No food that is not fried or breaded. Why? Even the salads have chips. Again not clean flavors, the chicken tastes like the beef and vice versa.
Jose's, Jackson
What on earth is the appeal of this place? Sloppy service and again with too much cheese and red sauce on everything. Chile verde should not be red.
Don Jose's, Ione
Killer chile relleno. Can you tell we like them? Not a canned chile; fresh with the stem on and a light green sauce with white cheese. They have a good beer and wine selection (Negra Modela available) but no liquor. Kinda weird decor and cavernous place; it's a historic building downtown. Really good chicken enchilada.
Michiocan, Jamestown
Excellent food and service. Terribly uncomfortable chairs you wear out just sitting. Their chili verde and chili rellenos are wonderful.
Smoke Cafe, Jamestown is a shadow of it's former self. Best thing is the outside dining on the street. You can watch tourists while you eat.
The mexican restaurant in Twain Harte is merely pedestrian. Emphais on liquor.
The chain that is in Columbia, Murphys and Sonora. So-So.
Camachos, Sonora. I had great hopes. We had met the owners at Irish Winery and they had raved. We ate there after they moved from a little store front to the Sonora Hotel. NO BEER OR WINE! Again Huge stuffed burritos but overwhelmed by sauce. Muddy and messy.
Alfredos, Sonora on the main drag. Again goopy. All wait persons and cooks are ANGLO! What gives? How do they escape "A Day without a Mexican"?
Jackson at the entrance to Old Town. I don't remember the name. If you do not have liquor of any kind and don't serve it for religious reasons it should be posted on the front door. What do you do after you have eaten half a bowl of chips and salsa then find out that not only do they not have liquor they only have Pepsi not Coke. I don't even remember the food. I just hated the experience.
I have never eaten at the Blue Frog in Arnold. I like the owner, Carol Fleming, she also owns Wild Grape in Murphys. Anyone eaten there?
I have eated some absolutely fantastic mexican food in my time.
Blue Agave in Pleasanton; Amazing, Morelia style food.
Huarache in Oakland on International @ 45th. Sonora style with a peasant twist.
Any street food sold at the Dia de Los Muertos festival in the Fruitvale District in Oakland.
El Balazo; Killer Margaritas and choose your own ingredient burritos at several locations : Danville, SF, Pleasanton.
I would LOOOOOVVVEEE any recommendations!!!!!!
All disagreements and comments are enthusiastically appreciated.
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