Restaurant Round-Up

Since I'm playing catch-up here, I thought I'd lump a bunch of restaurant assessments into one post.

But first, some background information: Tired of eating at the same ol' eateries in Cupertino EVERY DAY, the co-workers and I have been frequenting Santana Row for lunch. So all of the following are located at SR.

• Sino. Since my first visit to this place — back in February 2006 — I've been back numerous times. BUT, I was boycotting for a while because the service was so incredibly bad. For example: One time, we filled out our dim-sum order and handed it to the waitress. I'm assuming that, at that point, her job was pretty straightforward. GET THE PIECE OF PAPER TO THE KITCHEN. After 20 minutes or so, we flagged her down to inquire about our order. Turns out, SHE LOST OUR ORDER SLIP. Huh? First of all, who does that? And secondly, why wouldn't you tell us this so we could fill out another form? Sadly, it actually went downhill from there.
  
  Anyway! Fast forward to last week, when my young, single male co-worker wanted to try Sino because the women who work there are hot. Much to my surprise though, the service this time around was awesome. I could not believe it. I still can't. And the food was good, too. But I never really had any issues with the food there.
  
  Sino, I will be back.



• Pluto's. Yes, yes. I know, you already know about Pluto's. But did you know that for under $4, you can get a serving of mac'n'cheese, a side of garlicky fries, a small drink, and even a wedge of Rice Krispies treat? Indeed you can. It's called, ordering off of the kids' menu. And that is what I am all about. (If you don't like mac'n'cheese or fries, you can order other entrees and sides. But really, if you're reading this blog, you should like mac'n'cheese and fries.)



• Pizza Antica. I don't even really like pizza much, but I like this place. It's not extraordinary — just, good solid fare. With good, solid service (which is not all that common at SR restaurants actually). I like the pizza with heirloom potato, caramelized onions and white truffle oil. Yeah, not your average pizza toppings. Maybe that's why I like Antica.
  
  But either get a reservation or get here early. This place gets packed.

Two places that I'm in no hurry to visit again: Maggiano's and Roux Louisiana Kitchen. The food at Maggiano's is decent, but what burns me is the slow service. Coming here for lunch, I don't have time to wait and wait and then have you get my order wrong and wait and wait again for the correct dish to come out.

I really wanted to like Roux, but it's just not the best lunch spot because the food can be a bit heavy. And greasy. And make you ill by the time you get back to your desk.

Nola, Palo Alto

I must admit: When we showed up at Nola on Wednesday night, around 6 o'clock, I didn't expect much of a crowd. But the bar was pretty full and there were people (mostly smokers) spilling out into the street. Things were looking very promising. Because even if the food was just-okay, at least Nola seemed like it would be a good time.

And it was. Plus, the food was actually delicious!

The hostess originally tried to seat us downstairs, but we requested a move to a table upstairs, overlooking the courtyard. That area just has more of a New Orleans-vibe than the dining room that faces Ramona Street. So definitely ask for to be seated upstairs if you come here.

There were four of us, and we shared two appetizers: Hot Crab Dip and N.O.La Frites. I would highly recommend both of these dishes. But I wish the dip came with a few more slices of garlic bread. And of the three varieties of frites, the sweet potato ones were a slight disappointment; I wanted them to be thinner and crispier. Still, the Cajun fries and zucchini chips more than made up for it. They were so good!

For my entree, I picked the Southern-style Fried Chicken. The free range chicken was juicy on the inside, but I wanted a little more crunch to the outside. The corn was tasty though, and the mashed potatoes were awesome. Jon went with the mini Ahi Tacos (it's an appetizer that includes four of them), as well as a fried chicken Po-Boy. He had the same gripe about the chicken batter that I did, but aside from that, loved his dinner. Others at the table enjoyed the Nawlin's Spicy Jambalaya and the potato-crusted Mahi Mahi.

We still managed to leave some room for dessert, and went with the Beignets Du Monde and Big Fat Decadent Sundae. While they both get a thumbs up, I have to warn you that the beignets here are not like those from Cafe Du Monde. (Maybe it's true that you really can't find that style of beignet anywhere outside the New Orleans city limit.) Nola's version is denser, and definitely needs a dip in one of the three sauces that accompany the beignets. They're good, but more like donuts than the light and airy beignets in the Big Easy.

With drinks and dinner, it was about $40 per person. So not a super-cheap night out, but like I said, it was a fun night out.

Unfortunately, once Jon and I pulled into our driveway, I realized that I forgot my sunglasses. So we had to go back to Nolas to retrieve them. And you know what? The restaurant was even busier than when we had left after dinner! People just kept showing up! Didn't they know it was a school night!? I was both shocked and pleased that a place in downtown Palo Alto could pull in such a crowd. There is some semblance of a nightlife in the suburbs!

Nola
535 Ramona Street
Palo Alto, CA
(650) 328-2722

CreoLa, San Carlos

It's been nearly two years since my last trip to New Orleans, and the city's famous beignets still haunt my culinary dreams. While there, I indulged in the warm, doughnut-like pastries every day. I dragged Jon to Cafe Du Monde (of course) as well as several Cafe Beignets around the French Quarter.

Back here in the Bay Area, if I hear that a restaurant has beignets on the menu, you can bet that I'll be there. Which is how we ended up at CreoLa on Friday for dinner.

Although New Orleanians may be right when they say that you can't find authentic Cajun and Creole food outside of the city, CreoLa comes close. There were so many fried items on the menu, I had a really hard time making a decision! But I knew for sure I had to get one particular appetizer: oysters, wrapped in bacon, dipped in a batter and then deep-fried. OMG. How could you go wrong with that combination?! Delicious.

As if that wasn't enough deep-friedness for me, I also ordered the crawfish hush puppies, which were served with a remoulade sauce. They were tasty, but I actually prefer plain ol' hush puppies smeared with a bit of honey butter (the way I enjoy them when visiting the in-laws in South Carolina). Jon started his meal with the hearty and flavorful jambalaya, which featured Andouille sausage and chicken.

For our entrees, I had the porkchops with buttermilk mashed potatoes (a special); Jon had the Sunday chicken, which came with a side of cornbread stuffing. While the stuffing was excellent, the rest of it rated just a "good" in my book. (Maybe next time we'll try the alligator medallions!)

For dessert, we had to get the beignets, of course. They were fine, but not up to New Orleans' standards -- where they're so light and airy, you can eat half a dozen in one sitting. A better choice was the combo pie, which is a combination of the two other pies on the menu: the French silk (chocolate mousse) and the velvet pie (peanut butter mousse). It's so simple, yet so awesome. And, yes, you can order up a cup of chicory coffee -- just like in New Orleans.

CreoLa only seats about 60, so I'd recommend calling for a reservation if you're planning to stop by during the weekend. Dinner is served seven nights a week, while lunch is only offered on Wednesdays (I know -- random). While the decor feels a little dated (I could do without the fake greenery and flowers), the service was friendly and efficient. I would definitely come back here if I'm craving a taste of the Big Easy. Sadly, though, my search for beignets as delicious as Cafe Du Monde's continues...

Pssst! Next month, the restaurant will celebrate Mardi Gras by offering a special dinner: four courses for just $25.

CreoLa
344 El Camino Real
San Carlos, CA
(650) 654-0882