BiteClub Eats

Bluegrass Bar and Grill’s menu has some very solid contenders for the restaurant’s assertion of “Best BBQ in Sonoma”, namely the St. Louis Ribs ($16.99 half). These are a smoked and rubbed version, so the gloopy, gloppy is at a minimum, though sauce is served on the side. They’re tender, fall-off-the-bone tasty with just enough spice to be noticed

Going Pinoy is the name of the game at Trisha’s Lumpia House, Sonoma County’s first (as far as anyone we talked to knows) Filipino restaurant. Hidden in Petaluma’s G&G Shopping Center, Karen tells us that much of the clientele are curious, um, obviously non-Filipino eaters like us and she’s always happy to walk folks through the menu. She locks us onto Pork Adobo, lumpia (think fried spring rolls), pancit noodles (think Pad Thai or chowmein) and Sitaw at Kalabasa (long beans and squash in coconut milk).

BiteClub was ready to love Hopmonk. All the build up, all the hype, all the beer. What could go wrong? Apparently a lot. I’m willing to overlook a whole heck of a lot when a restaurant first opens. Kitchens need time to get the drill right. Staff need breaking in. Hey, it’s a brewpub for [...]

Despite a rough start, BiteClubbers say fare has improved

BiteClub goes to Maui

New life continues to spring into Glen Ellen’s Jack London Village, which is threatening to become a full-fledged foodie mecca. The newest tenant, set for a May opening, is Yeti Restaurant, serving high-end Indian and Nepalese dishes. BiteClub ran into owner Narayan Somname putting the finishing touches on the small, but what looks to be [...]

Schmaltz!

New life continues to spring into Glen Ellen’s Jack London Village, which is threatening to become a full-fledged foodie mecca. The newest tenant, set for a May opening, is Yeti Restaurant, serving high-end Indian and Nepalese dishes.

Mmmm. Schmaltz. Just in time for Passover, BiteClub goes on a quest for this staple of Jewish cooking. Enjoy! Check out Syrah’s Passover Seder Saturday (April 21, 2008), a five-course non-kosher menu created in the spirit of Passover with the Chef’s special culinary interpretation and family recipes. Chef Josh Silvers has planned a special welcoming, [...]

Recently I got a call from a BiteClubber who was shocked to have a found a bug in her salad at a local restaurant. A sign of a dirty kitchen? Slacking oversight? The key, I told her, was where she found the bug. In her salad. After talking to some local chefs, the news is [...]

Recently I got a call from a BiteClubber who was shocked to have a found a bug in her salad at a local restaurant. A sign of a dirty kitchen? Slacking oversight? The key, I told her, was where she found the bug. In her salad.

Set to open May 7 is Seed, a vegan/raw foods restaurant located in the former Cafe Saint Rose space. In the kitchen will be Jerri Hastey, formerly of Passages alternative healthcare and a certified raw foods chef. If you’re not familiar with raw foods, they’re, uh, raw. The idea, in a nutshell, is that cooking [...]

Ad Hoc: Though the restaurant was only supposed to be a temporary experiment, Thomas Keller’s home-style prix-fix diner has settled in for the long haul.

I’m about the least political person on the planet. I head for the hills when discussion starts to veer toward candidates, “anti” anything or involves sweaty, shouting people. Not that I don’t have the utmost admiration for the advocates among us. I’m just more of an eater than a fighter. So while Richard Gere, Ani [...]

Spend a thoughtful afternoon eating daal, saag paneer, momo, tikka masala and naan at Himalayan Tandoori and Curry House? It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make over and over (and over) again for the betterment of humanity…and in support of the cuisine of our friends from Tibet

Hospital food, I’m here to tell you, is every bit as awful as you’ve heard. Having just spent four days and nights in the pediatric ward, BiteClub would have traded a bed pan, four grape drinks, a slightly used IV bag and a several luxurious nights on the floor for a real hamburger. The distance [...]

Around since 1963, this walk-up burger spot’s got a local following that borders on rabid.

The Bauer has spoken. Each year, the San Francisco Chronicle food critic bestows his blessings on a lucky 100 restaurants (see who they are) as “the best” of the year. In 2008 only four made the grade in Sonoma County. On the list: Rosso, Cyrus, Cafe La Haye and the Farmhouse Inn. That’s it. Really? [...]

It’s a bit depressing driving around Santa Rosa these days, with every other storefront seemingly FOR LEASE. I hear endless frustration from folks in the food biz about ridiculous rents and increasing food costs. I’m get bummed seeing folks like Mark Malicki move out of town while yet another Panda Express or Taco Bell open [...]

Where to get the famous three milks cake