Project Insomnia Restaurant Reviews

Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:16:00 +0000

Name: Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar
[see below for location, phone and Web site]
Date & Time visited: Sunday, October 21, 2007 12:15 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Smoked salmon Benedict (Jen), bagel with smoked salmon (me)

This time, Jen had the smoked salmon Benedict and gave it the same high marks as I had last time. My entree was a plain toasted bagel, some really excellent lox, cream cheese and a mini-salad of lettuce, cucumbers, onions and capers. While perhaps a bit pricey for a bagel with lox, it was good food with nice presentation.

Service: A little slow but good overall.

Would we go back: Yes.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:02:00 +0000

Name: Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
Address: 2204 Bridgepointe Parkway, San Mateo, California 94404
Phone: (650) 571-5500
Web site: RedRobin.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, October 20, 2007 3:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: BBQ chicken salad (Jen), Blackened Bayou burger w/turkey patty (me)

Both entrees were monthly specials and don't appear on Red Robin's regular menu. Jennifer's BBQ chicken salad was topped with a generous portion of grilled chicken breast pieces slathered with Red Robin's Whiskey River barbecue sauce. My blackened Bayou burger was very spicy and I enjoyed it. Unlike my last experience with a spicy burger at Red Robin, this time the turkey patty was done with the same spice rub they would have used on a beef patty.

Service: Very good. The server was on the ball, taking our drink and food orders within minutes and keeping the drinks filled. This includes Red Robin's signature Freckled Lemonade, Jennifer's favorite which does include free refills.

Would we go back: Yes.

Napa Rose Lounge

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:08:00 +0000

Name: Napa Rose Lounge
Address: 1600 S. Disneyland Dr, Anaheim, California 92802
Phone: (714) 781-DINE (3463)
Web site: (on Disneyland Resort Web site)
Date & Time visited: Saturday, October 13, 2007 at roughly 8:00 PM
Guests: A whole lot of MousePlanet staff and/or crew people
What we I had: Diligently Selected Cheeses.

This review will be in a different style than usual. Rather than going over the appetizers, small bites and drinks that everyone in our party of nine enjoyed, I'm going to focus solely on my cheese platter. Trust me, everyone else liked what they had.

The "Diligently Selected Cheeses" were served on a platter with various bits of dried fruit and candied nuts, and came with a printed handout naming and describing each cheese in detail. Here they are in order: (typos and odd phrasing are straight from the handout!)

Brie Val De Saône (vol dee Sone) - France
This is a rare and hard to get brie cheese, from Vale de Saône near the river Saône. This particular brie has a long history dating back to Charlemagne in 774. Many Bries are around 40% - 45% butter fat, this is over 60% and perfectly ripe. The cream-colored soft interior oozes at room temperature. The flavor is sweet and buttery with hints of almond.

Bucheron, St. Saviol (boo-share-OH) - France
This Goat's milk cheese is from Burgundy, France, made in the village of Poitou. This is a fresh, unripened chèvre. This cheese is a pleasant cheese to snack on, which is somewhat tart and chalky on the palette.
Etorki (eh-tor-KEE) -Aquitaine, France
This is an Aged A.O.C. 100% Sheep's Milk cheese from the high mountains of the Western Pyrenees of France. This is a true world class cheese with a nutty almost fruity character. The cheese has remained unchanged for well over a hundred years due to the remoteness of the area.

Mimolette (MEE-moh-LETT) - France
A relative of Dutch Edam, made from pasteurized Cow's milk, Mimolette has a vivid orange color and a distinctive nutty taste. It is aged over 1 year and has a firm, yet flaky texture.

Grana Padano - Emilia-Romagna, Italy
This Cow's milk D.O.C. cheese is made througout Lombardy andPiedmont regions of Northern Italy. The name padona means "of the Po River". This cheese is aged over two years and is a Parmesan style. The color is a straw to cream color. The flavor is that of classic Parmigiano-Reggiano, but with wonderful nutty notes and less salty flavor than other parmesans.

San Joaquin Gold - California, USA
This is an artisan cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk by Fiscalini Family Creamery in Modesto, California. Its milk comes from it sown herd of 1500 Holstein cows. It just recently won a gold medal at the prestigious London World Cheese Awards. Aged for 15 months, it is semi-hard, with a natural rind and sweet, salty, buttery taste and a rich, nutty flavor and pleasingly crumbly texture.

Roquefort "Le Papillon" (roke-FORE) (LAY PAPP-ee-yone) - France
"Le Papillon": the butterfly. The worlds premiere sheep's milk blue-veined cheese. It has a creamy interior with an intense, complex and spicy flavor with hints of bitterness associated with rye bread crumbs, which as used to distribute the bleu veining.

Shropshire Blue (SHROP-shur-blu) - England
This cheese was invented in England at the beginning of the centure and currently regarded as a world class cheese. Shropshire is a farmhouse Blue-Vein Cheddar made from Cow's Milk. It has a crumbly, yet firm and creamy texture. This cheese is aged 1 year, and is great with red wine!

Without exception, each one of the cheeses was wonderful. Each cheese's associated paragraph pretty accurately described the flavor and texture, and I made sure to try most of them along with the bits of fruit, candied nuts and toast points. Pure pleasure, completely decadent. I loved it.

Service: Disappointing to start--the server saw a large party and must have assumed we were going to hang out, not order much and therefore tip low--but she perked up once we started ordering drinks and food. The odd thing was that she offered opinions on just about everything ordered. Actually that's not the odd thing--the odd thing was that her opinions were fairly negative and she was somewhat insistent about her preferred alternative. Again, though, she did get a lot better after the initial round of orders. One other sour note was that it was basically impossible to get a glass of water, and once having received one to have it refilled.

Would we go back: Yes, but perhaps in a smaller group.

Mimi's Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:55:00 +0000

Name: Mimi's Cafe
Address: 1400 S. Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, California 92802
Phone: (714) 956-2223
Web site: MimisCafe.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, October 13, 2007 11:15 AM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: French Toast Breakfast (Jen), Belgian Waffle Breakfast (me)

After dressing up as The Waffler the previous evening, of course I had to have waffles for breakfast the next morning. My Belgian waffle was... acceptable, nothing special. The eggs were quite good, however. Jennifer enjoyed her French toast and said it was made well, slightly creamy in the middle.

Service: A little slow but not unusually so for this particular location.

Would we go back: Yes, for convenience if nothing else.

Jeffrey's Hamburgers

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:44:00 +0000

Name: Jeffrey's Hamburgers
[see below for location & Web site]
Date & Time visited: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 7:20 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Fish & chips (me), garlic herb chicken (Jen), onion rings

After our first pleasant experience at Jeffrey's, we wanted to try it again and sample some of the other, non-burger menu items. My fish & chips were above average; the fish filets were crunchy but not greasy outside, moist and flaky inside. Jennifer's garlic herb chicken was tender, not dry at all, and flavorful. And I've already commented on the onion rings.

Service: Counter-service. They were pretty busy so it was a bit of a wait for the food to be delivered, but no more than anyone else at the restaurant was seeing.

Would we go back: Yes.

Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:32:00 +0000

Name: Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar
Address: 1 Town & Country Village, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 323-1555
Web site: ScottsSeafood.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, October 6, 2007 1:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Canadian omlette (Jen), Smoked salmon Benedict (me)

We've had dinner at Scott's but recently discovered they serve weekend brunch until 3:00 PM. Late weekend risers as we are, this suits us well so we've done this a few times recently.

The Canadian omlette includes Canadian bacon, mushrooms and avocado. As I recall it was huge and Jen ended up taking half home for dinner. My smoke salmon benedict was excellent; picture a standard eggs Benedict with the canadian bacon replaced with smoked salmon. Perfectly done.

Scott's serves Illy coffee which I love.

Service: A little slow but good overall.

Would we go back: Yes, often.

California Pizza Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 23:54:00 +0000

Name: California Pizza Kitchen
Address: 531 Cowper St, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 323-7332
Web site: CPK.com
Date & Time visited: Monday, October 1, 2007 8:15 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Sesame chicken dumplings (shared), half Cobb salad (Jen), Thai chicken pizza (me)

The sesame chicken dumplings are really good, spicy and flavorful. They are served in a portion of four, with a mini-salad of shredded cabbage and cucumber and a tasty sauce. Jen ate around half of her cobb salad, which she said was "better than average" though it for some reason came un-mixed, so she had to mix the various ingredients together herself. The Thai chicken pizza is a longtime favorite of mine at CPK, and it didn't disappoint this time.

Service: Not too good. We were in a hard-to-see corner and I think the server forgot about us a few times. We waited several minutes to place our orders and drinks were never refilled. To be sure, this is unusual for this location and is probably an unfortunate combination of inattentive server and bad table location. We'll make sure not to sit there again.

Would we go back: Yes.

The Fish Hopper

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 23:41:00 +0000

Name: The Fish Hopper
Address: 700 Cannery Row, Monterey, California 93940
Phone: (831) 372-8543
Web site: FishHopper.com
Date & Time visited: Sunday, September 30, 2007 2:30 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: clam chowder (Jen and I each had a cup), crab salad sandwich (Jen), child-size fish and chips (me)

The clam chowder was really excellent, and in fact the restaurant has a counter outside offering sample cups, and that's what drew us in. Jen's crab salad sandwich was huge, and she could only finish about half of it. I helped her out a little bit, but I was already less that completely starving which is why I'd ordered the kid-size fish & chips. The fish was pretty standard breaded fish filet and the chips (fries) were decent. Nothing special, really, but good.

Service: Good. The server had no problem with my request to order the child-size meal. Drink refills were a little slow in coming.

Would we go back: Probably, when we're in Monterey.

Jeffrey's Hamburgers

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 23:31:00 +0000

Name: Jeffrey's Hamburgers
Address: 888 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, California 94025
Phone: (650) 322-1959
Web site: None; Google Local info page
Date & Time visited: Thursday, September 27, 8:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Blue cheese & avocado burger (Jen), patty melt w/Gardenburger (me), onion rings + fries

We'd watched this place come together after the location sat empty for a year--it had been at least three other restaurants in the past--and now that it's finally done we had to try it. Both burgers (Jen's beef and my Gardenburger) were very good, though there was a bit of confusion at order time as the cashier tried to put my request into their system. The onion rings were cooked just right--neither soggy nor burnt--and the extensive toppings bar let us build our burgers the way we wanted.

Service: Counter-service. Aside from the brief delay while the cashier figured out how to enter "patty melt but with Gardenburger"--I gave them a pass since the place is so new--there were no service problems. The seating areas were clean and the toppings bar was well-stocked with fresh ingredients.

Would we go back: Yes, and in fact we have since this first visit.

Mimi's Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 00:21:00 +0000

Name: Mimi's Cafe
Address: 6935 Camino Arroyo, Gilroy, California 95020
Phone: (408) 842-4043
Web site: MimisCafe.com
Date & Time visited: Sunday, September 16, 2007 8:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Crab quiche (Jen), French Quarter sandwich (me).

The French Quarter sandwich isn't listed on Mimi's online menu and it was two months ago, so I can't remember exactly what the sandwich was, but I can guess that was probably something like a French Dip but with turkey. I do remember Jennifer enjoying her crab quiche.

Service: Quick and efficient. We were seated immediately, orders taken as soon as we were ready, drink refills as needed.

Would we go back: This location is in a shopping center at the 101-152 junction in Gilroy. It makes a convenient place to stop on the way home from Southern California if we don't want to wait to have dinner until we get home. So, probably, yes.

Plaza Inn

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 01:06:00 +0000

Name: Plaza Inn
Address: Disneyland, California 92802
Phone: 714-781-DINE (3463)
Web site: (on Disneyland Resort Web site)
Date & Time visited: Sunday, September 16, 2007, 12:15 pm
Guests: Jennfer and me
What we had: Broasted Chicken (Jen), Cobb salad (me).

Not a lot to say; the Plaza Inn has the best fried (or broasted, whatever) chicken in the Disneyland Resort and the Cobb salad is always satisfying.

Service: Not really applicable, as this is a "scramble service" restaurant, where guests go to various stations to order and pick up their items. The Cast Members working the individual stations were nice enough.

Would we go back: Yes.

Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:51:00 +0000

Name: Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen
Address: 1590 S Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, CA 92802
Phone: (714) 776-5200
Web site: RBJazzKitchen.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, September 15, 2007, 8:40 pm
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Absolut Peppar Bloody Mary (we each had one), SDJ (appetizer--Jen), Cajun popcorn shrimp (me), Grilled Tournedos of Beef (Jen), Blue Crabmeat Topped Blackened Salmon, Bananas Foster (shared).

The place was crowded and we didn't have a reservation, so we walked around Downtown Disney for a while and came back to find that the estimated 40-minute wait was spot-on. We were in the upstairs dining room, opposite the glassed-in wine cellar and in between two large parties--so it was quite loud for a while.

If I'd written this review sooner than seven weeks after the meal I might be able to be more specific. I don't remember what the "SDJ" was other than an appetizer. My cajun popcorn shrimp were cooked just right and came with three tasty dipping sauces. Jennifer quite enjoyed her Tournedos of beef, two medallions of filet mignon with crawfish mashed potatoes. My blue crab-topped blackened salmon was excellent. At the server's recommendation, we tried the house specialty dessert Bananas Foster. Though the presentation was impressive, prepared at the table, the dish itself was underwhelming.

Service: A little slow but not bad, and the server was also dealing with two large parties at the same time. Water refills were prompt and the dirty dishes were cleared right away.

Would we go back: Maybe. It's a bit pricey and if we want New Orleans / Cajun we'd probably rather go to Nolas here in Palo Alto. Still, when in Anaheim it's worth trying.

Robin's Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:50:00 +0000

Name: Robin's Restaurant
Address: 4095 Burton Dr, Cambria, California 93428
Phone: 805-927-5007
Web site: RobinsRestaurant.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, September 1, 2007, 8:00 PM
Guests: Kevin, Adrienne, Jennifer and me
What we had: Salmon bisque (Jen), heirloom tomato salad (Kevin, Adrienne), spinach salad (me), grilled filet mignon (Jen), Indian lamb (Adrienne), Tandoori chicken (Kevin), lobster enchiladas (me), vanilla bread pudding (Kevin), hot fudge sundae (me), chocolate ganache (Adrienne), root beer float (Jen).

If I'd written this review sooner than two months after the meal I might be able to be more specific, but I don't recall anything that wasn't really excellent. Jennifer's steak, which she'd ordered medium rare, came out well done. The server immediately took it back, brought the correct dish and added extra helpings of the side dishes. They also comped Jen's dessert.

Service: Good, no complaints.

Would we go back: Yes. It's a very small place, so make reservations early.

First Crush

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 21:56:00 +0000

Name: First Crush
Address: 101 Cyril Magnin St, San Francisco, California 94102
Phone: (415) 982-7874
Web site: FirstCrush.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, August 18, 5:30 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me

What we had: Grey Goose martini (me), Lost in Alsatian (wine flight; Jen), Caesar Salad (me), Grilled artichoke (Jen), Mushroom tortellini (Jen), Spicy Prawns (me), Cheese plate (shared).

We were in the City to see Avenue Q at the Orpheum, and decided to have dinner before the show. First Crush is recommended by SHN (operator of the Orpheum Theatre) as a preferred dining location, and offers a free dessert to theatre-goers upon presentation of a ticket stub for that day's performance. We could not have been more pleased with the outcome.

My vodka martini was perfectly made, with only a tiny disappointment of just one olive (Frank Sinatra said martinis should have two: one for you, and one for the next beautiful woman to walk into the bar). Jennifer's wine was served with dinner and she quite enjoyed the three selections.

Jen started with a marinated grilled artichoke, which is something she misses at home since I am not fond of artichokes and she doesn't want to make just one. She said the best part was the lemon mayonnaise sauce. I had the house Caesar salad. The lettuce was fresh, with generous pieces of shaved Parmesan cheese and a tasty dressing.

Jennifer's main course was a mushroom tortellini, which featured a creamy and "mushroomy" alfredo sauce. My spicy prawns were actually appetizer-size, since I knew we'd be finishing with a cheese course and wasn't hungry enough for a full entree portion. There were four very large prawns in a spicy remoulade, served with a corn and micro-green slaw; perfect portion size and excellent flavor.

The final star of this wonderful meal was the cheese plate. According to the menu, the four cheeses were Grafton's Classic Reserve Cheddar, St. Agur Blue, P'Tit Basque and Bermuda Triangle Goat Cheese. The cheeses were served with garlic toast points, salted olives, sliced olives, candied walnuts and baby dills, and the size of the portion--even shared between the two of us--fully vindicated my decision to have a "small plate" for my main course.

Service: Excellent. We were a bit early for our 5:30 reservation, but were seated immediately. Our server was by turns helpful, friendly and attentive but not hovering. She gave Jennifer her opinion of menu options, described the wine varieties in Jen's wine flight, and was generally a credit to the establishment. Our orders were taken quickly, water refills were prompt, and although we did not order a dessert (which we would have received free by showing our theatre tickets), our server took half off the cheese course instead.

Would we go back: Yes, enthusiastically.

Review search now working

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 21:39:00 +0000

Over on the right-hand side of this page you'll see a new Google Search field, with the "Search In" mode pre-selected for "Restaurant Reviews". You can use this new feature to search Project Insomnia Restaurant Reviews for any specific review or keyword. Enjoy!

Su Casa

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 23:54:00 +0000

Name: Su Casa
Address: 403 Main Street, El Segundo, California 90245
Phone: 310-524-9985
Web site: none; Google Local page
Date & Time visited: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 6:00 PM
Guests: Manetta (Jen's grandmother), Jennifer and me
What we had: Beef tacos (Manetta), cheese quesadilla (Jen), tortilla soup (Jen), chicken tacos (me)

This is the former location of La Paz, an El Segundo tradition for at least 20 years, and this was the first time we'd visited its replacement--so we were inclined to possibly be a bit critical. We were pleasantly surprised, however. With large portions, attractive presentations and flavorful food, Su Casa seems to be a worthy successor to La Paz. Jennifer's cheese quesadilla was served in a large corn tortilla, apparently made fresh at the restaurant (as were the very delicious flour tortilla chips) and loaded with cheese and diced chilis. Her tortilla soup was, she said, one of the best she'd had, even considering the absence of chicken from the soup--it did use a chicken base, but there were no actual chicken pieces in the soup.

Both Manetta's and my tacos were served with Mexican rice and beans, with Manetta choosing black beans while I selected refried. Both were hot (temperature-wise) and tasty, though the rice was average at best. I'd asked for one soft and one crunchy taco and this was what I got. The soft taco was in a medium corn tortilla, loaded with chicken, lettuce, cheese and sour cream, while the crunchy taco was similarly loaded in a standard taco shell. Very good, and I cleaned my plate.

Service: Fair. There was only one server actually working the restaurant, though another employee did come out from behind the bar to greet and seat new arrivals. This meant that the one server was constantly on the move from kitchen to table and back, so getting her attention was difficult. However, the busser took care of refilling drinks and since the food was so good we didn't really need the server for anything after she brought our meals.

Would we go back: Yes, but hopefully they'll hire another server or two.

Redd Rockett's Pizza Port

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 23:40:00 +0000

Name: Redd Rockett's Pizza Port
Address: Disneyland, California 92802
Phone: 714-781-DINE (3463)
Web site: on Disneyland.com
Date & Time visited: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 2:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me, plus Steven, Jenn and AVP
What we had: (I only know when Jen and I had) Chicken Fusilli (Jen), Starfield Salad (me), focaccia breadstick

If Redd Rockett's can be said to have a signature dish, the Chicken Fusilli is it. It's lost some quality--and quantity--in the nine years the restaurant has been open (has it really been nine years?!) but it's still probably the best item on the menu. Jen said it was okay, but it was a good thing I had a packet of red pepper flakes in my camera bag because the sauce needed some extra flavor.

The Starfield salad contains field greens, golden raisins, candied walnuts, blue cheese and other good things. The Cast Member behind the counter kindly made a fresh salad for me sans tomatoes, and since the dressing comes separately it was easy to put on just the amount I wanted and not drown the greens. The focaccia bread used to be separate breadsticks, and then a long piece of bread sectioned into three parts, but it's now just the long piece with no cuts so you have to tear it. Marinara sauce is included for dipping.

Service: This is a "scramble service" place, so the level of service you get greatly depends on what you want and where you get it. I thought we did all right with our selections and interactions with Cast Members working behind the counter, and the person working the register did her job quickly and efficiently.

Would we go back: Yes.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 23:24:00 +0000

Name: Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
Address: 12007 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, California 92840
Phone: 714-971-4775
Web site: RedRobin.com
Date & Time visited: Monday, July 16, 2007 1:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Barbecue burger (Jen), Peppercorn burger (me)

Red Robin's burgers are huge, with lots of toppings. Jennifer's barbecue burger was as she'd ordered it ("a tiny bit of pink in the middle") and she enjoyed but could not finish it. My peppercorn burger was a bit disappointing; I'd last ordered this item when I was still eating beef, and the beef patty is rolled in cracked peppercorns before cooking which imparts the spicy, pungent flavor. This time, I ordered it with a veggie patty, and--whether by design or accident I don't know--the veggie patty was not rolled in peppercorns, so the burger lacked that flavor burst I was looking for. Aside from that, though, it was pretty good, and I'm very pleased that Red Robin offers turkey and veggie patty alternatives for all their burgers.

Service: Very good. Jennifer had asked for garlic fries instead of the regular fries that came with her burger, and since the server wasn't able to modify the original order he got her a refill of garlic fries with the burger when he brought it (Red Robin's burgers come with refills on the fries). Drinks were refilled quickly and the only delay we experienced was in waiting for the check.

Would we go back: Yes, it's good and convenient when we're staying in Anaheim.

Cafe Orleans

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 23:13:00 +0000

Name: Cafe Orleans
Address: Disneyland, California 92802
Phone: 714-781-DINE (3463)
Web site: on Disneyland.com
Date & Time visited: Sunday, July 15, 2007 10:10 AM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Creole Eggs Benedict (Jennifer), Cafe Scramble (me)

Creole Eggs Benedict means standard Eggs Benedict only with Andouille sausage instead of Canadian bacon, and a spicier sauce. Jennifer enjoyed the dish. A Cafe Scramble is eggs, potatoes, onions and peppers scrambled together with spices and seasonings. Nothing too unusual, but well-executed and a generous portion.

Service: Pretty good. Our assigned server was on a break when we were seated, so another Cast Member took over for him, but then he came back except he was only there about half the time. The other people working the area covered for him, though, so overall we didn't feel neglected.

Would we go back: Yes. This was the first time we'd tried the new breakfast offering at Cafe Orleans, and we'll probably try it again.

French Market

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 23:02:00 +0000

Name: French Market
Address: Disneyland, California, 92802
Phone: 714-781-DINE (3463)
Web site: on Disneyland.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, July 14, 2007 8:20 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: We made up for last time by ordering the French Market fried chicken, and since we'd had a snack a few hours earlier we decided to share a single order. It turned out to be just enough food. Unfortunately, the chicken itself was not as good as we both remembered. Dry, much smaller pieces (is Disney buying smaller chickens?) and a decided lack of the spicy flavor we'd enjoyed on previous visits.

The accompanying salad and french fries were fine, and we skipped dessert since we knew we'd be stopping by the Critter Country candy shop later.

Service: Good. The line moves very slowly at this restaurant, but it seems to be more a function of the design (buffeteria) than the actual level of service provided by the Cast Members working there. When we did finally get to the front of the line, the Cast Members assembled our order quickly and correctly.

Would we go back: Yes.

Stage Door Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 22:46:00 +0000

Name: Stage Door Cafe
Address: Disneyland, California 92802
Phone: 714-781-DINE (3463)
Web site: on Disneyland.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, July 14, 2007 6:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Mozzarella sticks w/french fries

Not a lot to say; this was a snack to tide us over until a late dinner (see next post). The mozzarella sticks were fresh out of the fryer, crispy on the outside and hot and cheesy on the inside. The accompanying marinara sauce was nothing special, but did add a nice contrast to the breading on the mozzarella sticks. The fries were also fresh and flavorful.

Service: Counter-service. It felt like we were disturbing the Cast Member working the register, when we entered the mostly-empty building and waited a couple of minutes for her to take our order. The order was accurate, though, and it wasn't a big deal.

Would we go back: Yes. The Stage Door also features chicken strips and fish-and-chips.

Cafe 220

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 18:50:00 +0000

Name: Cafe 220
Address: 220B University Ave, Palo Alto, California 94301
Phone: (650) 853-8182
Web site: None; Google Local page
Date & Time visited: Friday, June 29, 2007, 9:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Hummus appetizer, Chicken gyros (me), Lamb & beef gyros plate (Jen), Baklava, Turkish coffee (me)

The hummus was creamy and flavorful and the pita, though there were only four pieces, was warm and soft. We did ask for and receive a second helping of pita to finish off the hummus. The hot sauce on the table--unknown brand in a squeeze bottle--added a nice kick to the hummus' flavor.

My chicken gyros was huge and more like a burrito than the sort of gyro I'm used to. That said, it was very good; tender, not over-cooked chicken, tasty sauce, crunchy vegetables, and the wrap was warm and crunchy.

Jennifer enjoyed her lamb & beef gyros plate, and was impressed by the portion size; in fact, she couldn't finish it.

I've only ever had Turkish coffee at Cafe 220 so I don't know if they do it "right" or not, but I am growing to like it very much. Also, their baklava is quite good; sweet and sticky, of course, but not "artificially" sweet if that makes sense. Seems very authentic.

Service: Not too quick, but friendly. This is a counter order/table service place, where you order at the counter and your food is brought to your table, so the only drink refills are the ones you get up and get yourself; however, they did bring a second dish of pita (at no charge!) when we asked.

Would we go back: Yes, in fact I seem to be developing a Turkish coffee and baklava craving.

All reviews now tagged and mapped

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 07:34:00 +0000

I've finished editing all 56 reviews to date, adding tags and Google Maps/Street View links. Now you can sort the reviews by restaurant name or city. Enjoy!

I Tapas & Wine Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 06:41:00 +0000

Name: I Tapas & Wine Bar
Address: 445 Emerson St, Palo Alto CA 94301
Phone: 650-325-4400
Web site: itapaspaloalto.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, June 16, 2007 9:30 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Tapas are "small plates", basically appetizer-size portions served family-style. We started with a fresh guacamole with queso fresco, served with warm corn tortilla chips and a tomato salsa. I ordered the pimientos de padron and shrimp & chicken corn dogs. Jen had prosciutto-wrapped asparagus spears and barbecued baby back ribs, and we shared an espresso flan and a sorbet trio for dessert.

The guacamole was indeed fresh and chunky, just right. It did unfortunately come garnished with a scoop of cilantro, as did almost everything else (except the dessert). The salsa was pretty average but made a nice contrast to the guacamole.

My pimientos de padron were essentially roasted pepperoncinis drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt. Very unusual and tasty. Jen and I both tried putting one on top of a chip with guacamole and that went well. Jennifer said her asparagus spears were perfectly cooked, with just a little snap. My shrimp and chicken "corn dogs" were actually closer to fritters--balls of chicken and shrimp deep-fried and skewered, served with cocktail sauce and spicy Chinese mustard. Fun to eat and tasty, too--they reminded us of conch fritters. Jen said her ribs were excellent, once she scraped the cilantro off; the server brought an extra cup of sauce in case she'd had to remove too much from the ribs and that was appreciated.

Jennifer enjoyed the sorbet trio. I liked the honeydew melon flavor though I'm usually not much for sorbet. My espresso flan was good, though for some reason I was expecting it to be served warm instead of cold. The menu didn't say that, so I'm not sure where I got the idea. Either way it was enjoyable.

Service: Very good, no complaints. Quick water and iced tea refills.

Would we go back: Yes, we barely scratched the surface of their extensive menu of small plates. Going back is a must.

Junnoon Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew) — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 01:08:00 +0000

Name: Junnoon Restaurant
[see below for location & Web site]
Date & Time visited: Saturday, June 9, 2007, 9:30 PM
Guests: Lani, Alex, Jennifer and me
What we had: "Lemonito" pitcher (Jen and me), Coriander Fennel Chicken bites (Jen and me--appetizer), Tapioca/potato fritters (Alex and Lani--appetizer), Goat cheese Naan, Black Pepper steak (Jen), Prawns in coconut mustard sauce (Alex, me--separate portions), Rice flaked sea bass (Lani).

Jen had ordered a different nonalcoholic beverage that it turned out they were out of, so we got a pitcher of "Lemonito" to share; it's basically a nonalcoholic Mojito with Sprite in place of rum. Lani had club soda and Alex stuck with water.

We shared the appetizers around the table and both were quite good. They were each served with a different sauce, one minty and the other a bit spicy. Unfortunately both were heavily laden with cilantro so Jen couldn't enjoy either one. The goat cheese naan was warm and soft and cheesy.

I didn't try Jennifer's black pepper steak (it was a bit odd to find a steak on the menu at a supposedly Indian restaurant, but it's more Indian-fusion with emphasis on the fusion) but she said it was very good; she wasn't as thrilled with the potatoes. Alex and I both enjoyed our prawns in coconut mustard sauce, and I especially liked the flavorful charred bits that flaked off the tails. I neglected to ask Lani how she liked her rice flaked sea bass, but she finished it so it couldn't have been too bad.

We passed on dessert as the kitchen was about to close.

Service: Good but a little odd. Our initial server described the specials and answered questions, and then introduced another guy who would be taking over for the rest of the meal. Okay, we figured, he's done with his shift and going home. No, he was still working other tables and even helped serve our table. Maybe our guy was on break when we were seated? No real problem, anyway.

Would we go back: Yes.