Gobi Mongolian Grill

Location: San Jose, CA (Berryessa)
Cuisine type: Mongolian barbecue
Atmosphere: casual cafe, austere
Meal: early dinner
Overall score: 7.4

Nina

This is a comeback of sorts! We have neglected this blog, largely due to pregnancy and first-time parenthood keeping us out of interesting restaurants and mainly in chains/same old/takeout. This should be the first of more (though more sparse) posts to come.

This is a very low key, casual place, with a good selection of ingredients and friendly service. They only have the lamb for dinner (at time of this meal), but at lunch they still have chicken, pork, beef and some seafood. The vegetables are the usual suspects - fresh broccoli, zucchini, carrots, onions, snap peas, scallions etc, as well as some canned items like corn, water chestnuts.

The sauce selection was also pretty good, with a few suggested combinations. I found that for a full bowl I needed more sauce than their combinations suggested, and they still had to add plenty of water on the grill to steam everything thoroughly. One thing I'd like to see - raw eggs, I've really enjoyed a stir fried egg added to my dish in the past at other similar restaurants.

Kiddo enjoyed mostly fruity puffs, but the (non spicy) plate also had quite a bit to offer - bits of veggies that are stir-fried relatively soft, thin slices of meat and of course noodles. My toddler never refuses any form of pasta. Overall this is a solid family friendly spot for a quick meal. Nothing fancy, not much of a view, but pretty solid food and they're accommodating of families and small children.

Food	8
Drinks	5
Atmosphere	7
Service	8
Value	9

Arcadia (a Michael Mina restaurant)

Location: downtown San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: modern American
Atmosphere: subdued, dim lighting
Meal: dinner, festive
Overall score: 8.7

Note: We apologize for the dismal quality of the pictures for this place, but the lighting was so dim that nothing came out on our phone camera without flash, and we didn't want to disrupt other guests' dinners.

Nina

Apparently many restaurants are closed on New Years Day - who knew? Thus, we decided that we’d have our anniversary dinner early, and we picked a place that came with high praises from a colleague whose taste in restaurants I’ve come to appreciate. Arcadia is located in the lobby of a San Jose downtown Marriott, and the only entrance we could find involved entering through the hotel lobby (and getting a bit lost in the process, we blame it on poor signage). The atmosphere inside was subdued, with dim lighting and some retro decor elements - overall, the light was so low that we weren’t really able to take any pictures of our food without using flash (and we left that out so it wouldn’t disrupt our meal and the meals of others sitting nearby). The decor and table layout didn’t go together as smoothly as I would have liked, the combination of chairs and benches at many of the tables felt more like a casual diner than a fine restaurant, but the noise level was low (maybe just because it was a slow night, but we didn’t mind) and service was great, so the overall experience was definitely positive.

For appetizer, we ordered a beef tartare. The presentation was certainly impressive - the hand chopped beef came in a neat cylindrical stack topped with a quail egg yolk, and alongside it there was a trail of fried capers, garlic and coarse salt. The server who brought it to the table neatly scooped up the seasonings, then folded them and the yolk into the mass of minced meat. Then, he placed it in a conical glass which rested in a bowl of ice next to a delicious and crispy pile of fries. The flavors were subtle and harmonious, and the homemade fries were a perfect vehicle for the meat. Towards the end we ran out of chips and used some of the bread we had left in our bread basket to finish up the tartare.
Appetizer number two of sorts was the bone marrow that I asked Ben to order with his steak - this was probably the weakest dish of the night, and most responsible for the point deducted from their food score. I like marrow cook whichever way (for some reason), but I can appreciate it when it’s particularly well prepared. This was cooked in the bone whole, which was a bit disappointing mainly because I was picturing the halved bones serving as a dipping boat of marrow, which would also allow it to develop the roasted crust and depth of flavor a bit more. The topping of bread crumbs, parsley and seasoning was good, but the overall dish a little hard to eat.
My entree was the daily special - the lobster pot pie. I saw it mentioned many times in reviews of Arcadia, so it was definitely something I had to try. I have to say first of all that the flavors were fantastic, the lobster was perfectly cooked, and was cooked in a creamy rue with a delicious assortment of vegetables and various wild mushrooms. The crust was crispy on the top and soaked up just enough of the sauce on the bottom, and it was topped with a few grains of coarse salt. The presentation, however, was epic in its own right - the server brought the pot pie in a large pan, with the crust baked on top and sealed around the edges of the pan. Then, with a knife, he carefully removed the crust from the top and placed in on a large plate, then proceeded to reassemble the pieces of lobster from the pot pie back into the rough layout of the animal whole. Finally, he arranged the vegetables and mushrooms around the lobster and top everything with the creamy sauce. The crust on the bottom of all this somehow remained crusty throughout my meal, and was a perfect complement to every bite of the dish.

Last but not least, there had to be dessert. After contemplating the entire dessert menu (everything looks good when it’s sweet and especially when it’s covered or otherwise rich in chocolate), we settled on the coffee ice cream deconstructed sundae. Seemed like a classic with a twist, which should be a guaranteed hit. The ice cream was tasty, if slightly icy, and it came topped with small meringue dollops. On the side, there was various toppings like slivered almonds and chocolate sauce, so it was overall an enjoyable dessert. The better dessert, however, was the one we didn’t order - the waiter apparently caught my fleeting reference to it being our anniversary, so he brought a second dessert from the chef (off the menu). It was a layered cake of vanilla batter and chocolate buttercream, served alongside cocoa nib ice cream, which I actually liked a little better than the espresso kind in our sundae. Also, to make things a little more special, the chef had also handwritten “Happy Anniversary” in chocolate sauce on the edge of the plate. A festive end to a delicious meal. :) I really enjoyed the experience at this restaurant, including everything from the atmosphere (though I wasn't a fan of the light fixtures) and service to the food and presentation.

Food	9
Drinks	9
Atmosphere	8
Service	10
Value	8

Ben

A restaurant in the Marriott in downtown San Jose. Arcadia does not give the “wow” impression that we’ve seen at similarly priced / reputed restaurants - it is entered through the hotel, and is a large (at the time very empty) restaurant. The wait staff was very polite and professional, and the mood once we settled in was more comfortable and intimate. We started off with beef tartare - a presentation at the table in which the tartare was mixed with quail egg yolk and a caper and garlic seasoning, and served with a side of freshly baked potato chips.

 

I ordered a wagyu beef strip steak with a red wine sauce on the side. The steak was perfect - living up to high expectations. It was a perfectly homogenous medium rare all the way through, and was tender and juicy (maybe could have used even more fat.. but I’m not complaining). The sauce was a little thin and weak, which was at first disappointing - I felt like a hearty red wine flavor sauce would go great with bread or the truffle mac and cheese I ordered. I ended up appreciating the subtlety of the sauce, as it was at an appropriate level to eat with a quality steak without overpowering it. The truffle mac and cheese was decent, though I would have enjoyed a little more flavor … it was a little too subtle for me.
I tried a Nina’s lobster pot pie and it was really fantastic flavor as well as presentation (a little annoyed by the mystery price .. ended up being $20 more than the next highest menu item).

The dessert was pretty good - a sundae with crisp bites of cocoa meringue, served with almonds and chocolate sauce. Nina had mentioned our anniversary was coming up, and our server brought us a complimentary sponge cake with chocolate with a “happy anniversary” message in chocolate.

Food	9
Drinks	9
Atmosphere	7
Service	10
Value	7

Pasta Market

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: Italian, mostly pasta dishes
Atmosphere: casual, order at the counter with table service
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 7.67

Nina

When I first laid my eyes on this place, I assumed it was a store that sold homemade pasta for cooking at home. Turns out that wasn't the case, they actually have a small, but not tiny dining area with pasta-themed decor (paintings) and simple wooden tables and benches. There is table service, but ordering is at the counter, which makes it feel casual but not quite fast food.
I ordered what seems to call to me every time on an Italian menu - veal medallions (scallopini) with mushroom Marsala sauce (the combination of cream and mushrooms must be it, though veal is a plus too).

But first things first. They brought us a basket of bread sticks without having ordered them. I have to admit I was surprised, since I didn't expect the free bread and dip treatment from a place where you order at the counter. The bread was nice, a focaccia style loaf broken up in thick strips, served with a tangy, slightly spicy cheese sauce. The sauce was a little too thick to count as a dip, and it felt strange to treat cheddar as butter; aside from that, it tasted a little too much like something that came out of the box than the homemade treat it was meant to be, I suspect due to the quality of the cheese.
Along with my entree I ordered a clam chowder. That's a treat I've come to enjoy greatly since moving to the bay area, so I was looking forward to it. The soup was a little disappointing, too many chunks of celery and too little of clams, not quite creamy enough but not exactly light either. I'll probably save ordering the chowder for places that are closer to the ocean or focus on seafood a little more in their menu.

Last but not least, came my entree. The plate was quite large, and it was separated in three distinct sections, which looked more homey than professional. On one end I had the steamed vegetables, which were quite plain but well done (not overcooked) and reasonably well seasoned. On the other end of the plate I had some pasta, which was delicious and perfect al dente, though not dressed with anything and just a little too wet. In the middle was the most prized component - the actual scallopini. the veal was tender and cooked just right, the sauce was creamy and mushroomy, and the mushrooms were well integrated, though nothing out of the ordinary (plain sliced button mushrooms).
I was happy to see that they not only offered carryout service of their full menu, but they sold individual components for the home cook - fresh pasta, various sauces, and Italian seasoning mixes (parmesan with herbs etc). The prices were reasonable and the service was great, and while I am not sure I would come back to eat in their dining room - I am looking forward to picking up some fresh pasta and a possibly even some sauce and pairing it with veggies (and maybe meat) of my choice at home and tweak it to my taste.

Food	7
Drinks	7
Atmosphere	7
Service	8
Value	8

Ben

I had a great first impression of the Pasta Market, and the food lived up to expectation. It is a place where one orders at the counter, but with plentiful seating. They offer raw noodles, pastas to go, and a variety classic italian entrees. The prices are a little high for what looks like a to-go market, but the food generally lived up it. The minestrone I had was decent, but the pasta bolognese (with a rich tomato sauce and sausage) was fantastic. As was the fresh bread on the table served with the meal served with a chili cream cheese. They offered a variety of wines, and we got a small half carafe of some table (red) wine that was a great complement for the food (and pretty cheap at ~$6).

I would say all of us really enjoyed the food. It has the quality (and price) of a decent italian restaurant, but the feel of a small market despite the large amount of seating. Without the “wow”- or romantic - factor of a more formal italian restaurant, they have a strong design and execution of classic italian dishes.

Food	9
Drinks	8
Atmosphere	7
Service	8
Value	7

Tomisushi

Location: San Jose, CA (Saratoga Rd)
Cuisine type: Japanese, sushi bar
Atmosphere: authentic, intimate
Meal: dinner (takeout)
Overall score:

Nina

After a tiring day at work and yoga, I was not feeling up to cooking dinner, so I stopped by for a pickup on my way home. First place that popped in my way was Mitsuwa Marketplace, where I found this small sushi restaurant. At first glance it looked like a very small and modest place, but the atmosphere was actually quite pleasant and intimate, and the wood lining the walls gave it a rustic feel. There was a line of seats around the sushi bar, and the rest of the dining room consisted of small wooden tables.
I ordered takeout, and took a seat by the sushi bar while I waited for the food to be prepared. A waitress offered me a drink while I waited, though that green tea never showed up, which was a bit disappointing. After a 15-20 minute wait, I got a large bag with neatly stacked boxes comprising our dinner.
First of all, I ordered one of their daily specials for an appetizers, the seared spicy scallop appetizer. I was impressed by the presentation, the one single large scallop was well seared on both sides, then put back into a half shell as a plate. The spicy factor, however, came from an all-too-familiar spicy mayo, which was nicely garnished but a bit too heavy and greasy to be fully enjoyable. The miso soup and salad that seem to accompany every Japanese meal ever were mediocre, but I don’t really count on them very much unless I order them off a menu a la carte.

The first dinner combo we enjoyed was a tempura mix with salmon sashimi on the side. The tempura involved potatoes, red potatoes, zucchini and shrimp - it was a bit plain and not as crispy as I would like (though the latter could be attributed to takeout vs fresh). The salmon sashimi was fresh, tender and creamy - it wasn’t outstanding but it was tasty and enjoyable. The second entree was pork and egg; when I ordered it, I was imagining something of a breaded tenderloin with a runny yolk egg on top, not that it was based on an actual detailed description, I suppose it was just wishful thinking. The reality was closer to a plain old pork stir-fry with scrambled eggs, which was not particularly exciting or flavorful, but good enough for what it was.
Overall, I found this place tasty, but not extraordinary - a little overpriced for the food I got, and the dishes were largely hit or miss with no big surprises. For the short time I was in the actual restaurant, service was courteous but not well followed through and prices seemed generally higher than in other similar caliber sushi places.

Food	7
Drinks	n/a
Atmosphere	8
Service	7
Value	6

Cha Cha Sushi

Location: San Jose, CA
Website: www.chachasushi.com
Cuisine type: Sushi
Atmosphere: cozy cafe
Meal: lunch
Overall score: 7.3

Nina

Small space, cafe style seating with sushi bar option, unassuming facade on a strip mall, I didn’t really expect anything exceptional. However, I was in for a surprise, the food really delivered and the lunch menu value was great.
Without necessarily planning it this way, I picked an all salmon menu. I ordered the lunch combination meal with two components($10), teriyaki salmon and salmon sashimi. In addition, I couldn’t resist also ordering the salmon roe sashimi, which despite the general sashimi descriptor of “4 slices” came in a pretty pile of pink-orange gems.

The lunch combination included a small salad and miso soup, pretty routine for many Japanese sushi restaurants. The salad was quite bland, with a few watery iceberg lettuce chunks topped with a small amount of shaved carrots and drenched in a ranch-style dressing. The miso soup was more flavorful, though nothing out of the ordinary. I was, however, surprised, when the server came to our table with a small plate with two very large mussels dressed with a pickled spicy dressing and explained that it was an appetizer on the house. It was quite a delicious bite, striking a good balance between the tender mussel meat and the bright acidity of the dressing.

Finally, it was time for the main course. The teriyaki salmon was fairly pale in color (so I can eliminate wild sockeye as an option), but perfectly cooked, to the point where it had a smooth and almost creamy texture on the inside and a very slight crunch on the outside where the teriyaki glaze caramelized on the grill. The sashimi was even better, with the meat clearly fresh tasting and well cut, with a melt-in-your mouth texture. Last but not least, the row was also very fresh and well presented. I was impressed that none of the pearls were soft or oozing, which indicates both freshness and care in handling.
Overall, this place is quite the hidden gem in the busy parking lot of this strip mall. The many positive reviews it received are well deserved, and it’s a great value particularly for lunch combinations.

Food 8
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 6
Service 8
Value 8

MYTH Taverna & Lounge

Location: San Jose, CA
Website: mythsj.com/myth-greek-restaurant
Cuisine type: Greek, Mediterranean modern
Atmosphere: modern decor, dim lighting, patio lounge style seating
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 7.9

Nina

This place is lost somewhere on the back streets of downtown San Jose and looks very unassuming from the outside. However, on the inside it lives up to the name of lounge - the dining room has a chic decor, with comfortable table seating and a long, modern bar stretching the length of the dining room. On top of that, they have an outdoor patio (not really visible from the street, since it’s protected by a tall fence), which has space heaters surrounding the cafe style tables, and also features very lush wicker and pillows armchair and couch seating.
We ordered a cocktail to start out our late dinner experience - I got an Achilles Heel, which was a vodka based cocktail with limoncello, grenadine and egg white (don’t hold me to that exact composition, but it’s pretty close). To my slight disappointment, this cocktail served in a tall collins glass was presented with no fuss or decorations, and it was tasty but not amazing.

We ordered two things at once - a gyro saganaki and a pizza since we were starving and were hoping that the food would come sooner this way. After waiting for quite a while for our drinks, we waited some more for our first dish, the saganaki. It reminded me of a raclette, with a twist. The Greek cheese was gooey, creamy and really the star of the plate, it came with a good amount of gyro meat and also enough cherry tomatoes and red onion to give it a burst of freshness and even out the richness with some tanginess. Pita triangles became the vehicle for eating this dish, and it was really delightful.
After our plate was empty, and taken away, and some more time passed, it was becoming clear that our pizza was not coming. We finally caught our waiter’s attention and it turns out that the table next to us ordered the same thing around the same time, and only one pizza made it out of the kitchen (and they got it). After apologizing profusely, he made it that our chicken, bacon and mushroom pizza was out on our table in less than 10 minutes. I was a bit disappointed that the crust was not really crispy, it was basically a pita topped with cheese and generous chunks of meat and mushroom. The toppings were tasty, though the cheese became a little greasy and made the pizza just a tad too rich for me. The waiter tried to make up for the order mix-up by applying the employee discount to our bill, so we appreciated his effort.
As we were getting ready to leave, the were laying out a DJ stage and setting up a line along the sidewalk for the entrance. Unless they were over-preparing, it seems like this place really comes alive at night. Their food is pretty good, their bar selection is quite extensive and the atmosphere is relaxed and modern, so I would definitely recommend this place for a casual dinner and a cocktail.

Food 8
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 9
Service 8
Value 7

Ben

A greek restaurant / lounge with a good amount of outdoor seating mixed with an almost club lighting and feel on the inside. It was pretty surprising that around 7-8 PM on a Friday that it was so empty (2 -3 other tables with people), as I saw it as a pretty cool looking place. The food menu is a pretty elegant greek selection, though we were there mainly to try a couple of appetizers and cocktails. The Gyro saganaki was great - a melted cheese with onion and tomatoes served with dipping pitas. The chicken / bacon / mushroom pita crust pizza was a creamy, tasty dish as well. My manhattan was decent (though not that strong), and though I didn’t enjoy Nina’s ultra-heavy eggwhite cocktail “achilles heel.” The place did seem like it might light up a little more at night - they appeared to be setting up a stage, and based on the number of employees running around and bartenders I hope/assume they pull a larger crowd later at night than they do for dinner. The service was a little awkward - we ordered just 2 appetizers and the cocktails as he listened (and we were seemingly his only table), and even after he commented on the great choice we made in the pizza it wasn’t served with the appetizer. When we later questioned it appeared he had simply completely forgotten (though our cocktails were eabout finished and we were about ready to move on). The prices were around $11-13 for cocktails and $10-15 for appetizers, so it’s aiming for a higher end lounge. Overall it’s a pretty nice place to go, it just seems the popularity is not that high, and it was definitely a strange feel to be such a large place with so few people at peak dinner hours.

Food 8
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 9
Service 6
Value 7

Kumako Ramen

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: Japanese, Ramen
Atmosphere: hole-in-the-wall cafe, plain decor
Meal: lunch
Overall score: 7.67

Nina

For a quick Saturday lunch we headed to Japantown in San Jose, which we found out with surprise is very close to our place. The neighborhood had a small town feel, with wide, clean streets, and small storefronts with various Japanese owned/run businesses. We walked past a series of restaurants, specialty stores and grocery stores before arriving at this small cafe style restaurant. The interior was fairly dark, but it didn’t convey a romantic atmosphere as much as a feeling of austerity. The wooden tables were worn and darkened by time, and the bar seating had a direct view of the food preparation area. The kitchen was very basic and modest, with a large vat of simmering water used to warm up the ramen noodles, and a few burners and pots used to prepare the meats and veggies.
We ordered a bowl of edamame as an appetizer since we weren’t sure how long it would take to get our food, and I was glad we did since we had time to snack on the entire bowl before we got our ramen. However, I was very disenchanted when I saw the preparation of the edamame (they poured a handful of frozen pods from a bag into a plastic container and microwaved it with a bit of water for a few minutes), and disappointed that it ended up overcooked and mushy.

My entree was a roast duck ramen. The flavor of the broth gets 10 points, it was rich and flavorful, and I would pick it over pho broth anytime. The plate had a great appearance, with a small bundle of green sprouts, mushrooms, bean sprouts and scallions distributed around the bowl, and topped with appetizing chunks of duck. The meat was a little hard to eat, since there was almost as much bone as there was meat in each of the pieces, but the flavor was undeniably well developed and quite enticing. The portion size was appropriate and the dish struck a great balance between the various ingredients.
This place is a solid choice, though I would definitely prefer if they made more of their food from scratch and without the use of microwaves.

Food 7
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 7
Service 8
Value 8

Ben

A dimly lit little restaurant in Japantown in San Jose. A tasty but not overwhelming broth, and a good portion of pork in the curry pork ramen I ordered. I liked the ramen a lot, in the way of a comfort food - tasty, addictive and easy to keep eating. There’s a good amount of options of broth types and all meats one would expect, and hot / sweet sauces to tailor the flavor. I liked the cozy bar running along the few tables, and a TV in the top corner of the bar contributed to a relaxed, homey feel. There were two cooks and 1 waitress working at the time, all entirely visible from the bar, so you could see the whole process of your food being prepared. It does lose a bit of the romance to see edamame poured from a frozen bag into a bowl and microwaved before putting in front of you, but the ramen was cooked fresh from prepared broths. They had a decent bar with some beers on tap and bottled and a spirit selection as well as sakes. The prices were reasonable as well. This is a place I would likely visit a lot if I were within walking distance.

Food 8
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 8

Falafels N More

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: Mediterranean
Atmosphere: casual, fast-food
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8.3

Nina

This is one of the small cafe/restaurants in our neighborhood. We stopped by just as they were closing, which had its advantages as we quickly found out. I just wanted to try some falafel, but since they have to fry them in batches and they had some out already they have us twice as many as would normally go in an order. The falafel were delicious, a little too perfectly shaped to have been hand rolled, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the mixture wasn’t prepared in house. The outside was crunchy and golden, while the inside was smooth and moist, perfect combination. We also ordered a side of dolmas, which are the mediterranean grape leaf wraps - these were light and exceptionally creamy, balanced out by an acidic tanginess from the vinegar and olive oil mixture they were drizzled with. Finally came even more perks related to stopping by at closing time - they threw in free fries and a Greek salad, so we ended up with a pretty good dinner for a very low price. I wouldn’t count on closing time bonuses always working out so well, but even outside of that this small, clean family restaurant had good food, very friendly service and great value for a light meal on the go.

Food 8
Drinks N/A
Atmosphere 6
Service 9
Value 10

Ben

A Mediterranean place where you order at the counter. They have a good mix of classic gyros / wraps / classic middle eastern foods. We ordered some Dolmas and falafels. They were closing down, and the owners were very friendly and emptied the kitchen for us (giving us about 3 orders of falafels and dolmas, as well as a lot of free french fries and greek salad). The dolmas were a pickled, cold, and filled with creamy rice mix (not my favorite). The falafels were great, moist, very flavorful and meaty composition. The fries were good, and the greek salad looked good as well. Overall, our small experience was pleasant, the owners are very nice and the food is tasty and affordable for a quick meal.

Food 8
Drinks N/A
Atmosphere 7
Service 10
Value 9

Kaati Fresh

Location: San Jose, River Oaks Plaza
Cuisine Type: Indian fast food
Atmosphere: fast food restaurant
Meal: dinner
Overall grade: 6.9

Ben

This is an Indian fast food restaurant within walking distance of our place, so we went to check it out. The menu is pretty short but has about what one would expect, different marinations of meats in wraps. I had a spicy chicken wrap with yogurt, which was pretty decent and cheap (though not extremely fresh - it is a genuine "fast food"). I would recommend it as a good place to try out for a different takes on wraps, with decent ingredients and a good price. The server was friendly and the desert we got (a dessert crepe with cinnamon and cream cheese) was also pretty good. 

Food 7

Drinks 7

Atmosphere 7

Service 8

Value 8

Nina

For a quick weeknight dinner, it made sense to go close to home, to the River Oaks Plaza. The place that drew us this time was Kaati Fresh - the Indian cafe. Their menu was dominated by a large variation of rolls - essentially an Indian flavor burrito, in which the tortilla shell was replaced by a large, thin crepe crusted with a very thin layer of egg on the inside. It was a unique combination, but worked great in preventing the filling from soaking into the crepe shell, and at the same time lent a richness to the overall flavor of the roll. I ordered the ground beef roll, which surprised me a little since I had never really had either beef or meat in ground form combined with classic Indian flavors. The fresh bite in this dish came from a pretty standard combination of iceberg lettuce and sliced tomato, so not much surprise there.
Since I can rarely resist dessert, I also ordered the cinnamon cream cheese roll (saffron churri churri), which turned out to share the same crepe-like base with the entree, and was filled with a soft and sweet cream cheese mixture and topped with a powder of cinnamon.
With its modest, fast-food like setting (even heating was provided by these portable radiators), and fairly unsurprising menu, this place is a solid choice for a filling, tasty and quick dinner, but not exactly a date destination.

Food 7
Drinks 5
Atmosphere 6
Service 6
Value 8

Pizza Bocca Lupo

Location: San Jose, San Pedro St. Market
Cuisine type: Italian, Fire Oven Pizza
Atmosphere: open, community style seating shared among multiple small food vendors
Meal: late night snack
Overall grade: 7.67

Nina

What’s better for a late night snack than pizza (with beer)? Really good pizza with beer on tap, that’s what. While trying to watch one of the 49ers games on TV (a game much delayed by repeated power outages at Candlestick Park), we ended up in a new establishment in San Jose - a sort of marketplace on San Pedro street which was still partially in construction but had the game on in a dining area. You could pick up food from any of the restaurants in the market, drinks from any other, and take them to this common dining area to enjoy.
The only restaurant still open that late at night was Boca Luppo, a small pizza shop with a wood fire oven, baking up crispy thin crust pies with traditional toppings (fact emphasized on the menu by Italian names for each ingredient in large letters with the English translations demoted to fine print). We got a Pizza margherita with two topics - funghi and prosciutto crudo (essentially a cheese pizza with wild mushrooms and cured ham). The flavor really delivered - the crust was crunchy and light, the sauce was rich and aromatic, and the toppings were fresh . The pizza was large enough to serve one person for dinner entree or two for a game-time snack, and it was really delicious along with the beer on tap. I am looking forward to trying some of the other small restaurants with big personalities that will open in this place.

Food 9
Drinks 8 (from the adjacent bar)
Atmosphere 8
Service 6 (mostly self-service)
Value 7


Ben

This is a pizza place in the recently developing marketplace in San Jose (a few connected restaurants and bars with a common eating area of picnic tables and a TV. They offer a good combination of fresh ingredients and an assortment of gourmet toppings, we went with a mushroom and prosciutto pizza. The pizza was good, though a little pricy for the size (~$17 for a pizza for 2 and self service). I did love the community eating style - sharing long tables with people who picked up food at any of the other restaurants - and was a fun place to catch the end of a 49ers game with some fans. It's conveniently located next to a full bar with pretty good prices and a great beer selection (rated drinks highly though it's not actually the same establishment). Overall it's developing into a fun and trendy place to hang out, with lively and young crowd, and the popularity has really boomed over just a couple of months of being open.

Food 7
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 9
Service 7
Value 6

Pho Kim Long

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: Vietnamese, Pho
Atmosphere: austere, family friendly dining
Meal: late lunch
Overall grade: 7.42

Ben

This place is very popular, with an authentic - and a little austere - feel, and has a large Vietnamese crowd. Tables fill and are turned over pretty quickly, and the service is generally self-serve. The menu had a large variety of ingredients for Pho's. I ordered a mix of rare beef (which could have been put in a little later to be more red) and brisket. The portion was pretty generous and the soup was flavorful. It was a conventional serving (limes, sprouts, basel, with a few pepper sauces available). Overall it doesn't stand out as extraordinary, but is a reliable, tasty, and satisfying place to get a good Pho, as is evident by the large local following.

Food 8

Drinks 7

Atmosphere 8

Service 6

Value 8

Nina

Christmas season sneaked up on us - before I knew it, it was the weekend before the holidays, and we still hadn’t used the discounted tickets I had purchased for the Gilroy Gardens Holiday lights event. Since it was a case of now or never, there was no time left to change our mind, or go home to cook a quick dinner before heading to Gilroy, so we stopped at the closest place on the way from the Great Mall to the highway headed south towards Gilroy.
I was a bit of a hole in the wall, a shabby looking front window with a modest sign announcing the restaurant name. Inside, the tables were pretty small and close together, lined up against the walls and in the middle. The menu was pertty predictable too - the majority of the space was taken up by variations of pho, half of which were different combinations of beef cuts and the rest the usual chicken, seafood, tofu. Overall, there was nothing new or surprising about this place, a pretty standard pho with affordable prices and generous portions.

Food 8
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 7
Service 6
Value 9

Hobee's

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: American breakfast
Atmosphere: family style dining, retro decor
Meal: breakfast/brunch
Overall score: 7

Nina

Lazy Sunday, early brunch, gift card to local cafe - match made in heaven? I'd think so!

We walked over to this friendly looking cafe down the street from where we live, looking forward to a hearty meal to start out the day right. The restaurant looked inviting and bright, with retro decor which appeared recently revamped. Their menu also looked very promising - some creative combinations with a bit of an edge. I picked the sunny-side up eggs (my favorite preparation, always) with salmon hash, spinach and rye toast. In my head, this would be creamy and tender, and possibly just a touch smoky in flavor - now I realize there really wasn't anything to suggest that the salmon would be smoked. The execution, however, disappointed me a bit. The salmon tasted like it was out of a can, the eggs were undercooked and the hash was a bit greasy. I was putting my hopes in their famous blueberry coffee cake, the description was scrumptious and I couldn't wait to pair that with my cold creamy milk. This was also a bit of a disappointment - instead of the flaky, syrupy and rich texture of a coffee cake, we got this large chunk of a somewhat dry and fluffy cake, with a few blueberries baked in and a large dollop of sugar icing. While this restaurant could provide a solid breakfast in the absence of any pantry essentials at home (or in extreme cases of the Sunday lazies), it fell short of my expectations this time.

Food 5
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 9
Service 8
Value 7


Ben

This is right next to our place and we had to give it a shot. It has the look and feel of a neighborhood classic, and it is actually quite popular place for brunch (no wait time, but most tables were full). They had a great looking menu of a lot of different eggs benedict type dishes, which come with a monstrous blueberry muffin. The food came out looking as good as it sounded, but to our surprise the taste of both of our dishes were pretty disappointing. Most of the vegetables appeared unfrozen from bags, the hollandaise sauce was bland, and half of the eggwhites were uncookied on the sunny-side up eggs. The muffin was delicious, though probably not advisable for anyone on any sort of diet. They were also severely understaffed, and it was difficult to wave down our waitress to take our orders / the bill. 

Food 6

Drinks 8

Atmosphere 9

Service 6

Value 8

Sushi Boat

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: Sushi Boats bar
Atmosphere: sushi bar or table option, smooth music, traditional decor
Meal: dinner
Price range: ~$3 - $6 / sushi plate
Overall grade: 7.25

Nina

The fact that I don’t remember too much of what I ate here speaks to two different things - one, that it’s been quite a while since I ate here and I really should be more diligent about keeping up with the blog; two, the food here has not been too memorable. Of course, that means not only that I was not particularly blown away by their selection, but also that there I didn’t encounter anything particularly bad - that would stick with me for much longer.
In broad terms, this place is a somewhat typical mall restaurant - accessible, quick, and with just enough unique atmosphere to make you forget you’ve already spent half the day on your feet, hopping from store to store for a dress you’re only going to wear one. But I digress. We chose the serving style that’s near and dear to my heart - the sushi boats - where fishy yumminess passes slowly in front of your eyes on little boats chained together, while you pick and choose which plates will leave the boats and join the growing stack on your part of the counter. I like this not only for the large variety of choices (at the better places, which I would say this one qualifies as) and the option to ask for customized plates from the sushi chef directly, but also for the bite-sized portions on each plate which allow you to try much more things than if you had to settle for a couple off-the-menu rolls or even a “chef’s choice” variety platter.
Aside from the usual variations on the overdone California roll, this place did have a few unique offerings. One example would be the baked stuffed shrimp covered in a creamy sauce, or the roe nigiris with their fishy yet delicate oily mouth feel. The thing that probably stuck with me most was the dessert, which I was not able to find in most other restaurants of this type. On the boats they also had these thin slices of green tea cheesecake, which I had on my mind from the moment I sat down until the satisfying moment when I decided I had eaten enough fish and wanted to dig into a mildly sweet and unique dessert.

Food 7
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 7
Service 8
Value 6

Ben
A nice place for a restaurant in a mall (Valley Fair in San Jose). We went with the sushi boats during prime dinner time. The cuts were pretty fresh and pretty generous portions. They had nice cuts of all of the classics nigiri (including sea urchin, a gooey delicious favorite) and a good amount of creative rolls as well. We enjoyed that the counter was high, so it was easy to see the behind the running boats chefs, cutting sashimi pieces off a large salmon. It was a lively atmosphere of people coming in and out, and the running boats are conducive to quick snacks between shopping or full meals. Overall most of the dishes we tried were very good, the green tea cheesecake was probably the only real disappointment (firm and bland, not as good as it looked..).

Food 8
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 7
Service 9
Value 7

Britannia Arms Downtown

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: British Pub
Atmosphere: sports bar, pub
Meal: late dinner
Price range: $8 - $16 / plate
Overall grade: 7.9

Ben

We stopped in here on Halloween night (a Monday) to grab a beer, bar food, and costumed-people-watch (in our own cowboy attire) with even some MNF in the background. The restaurant was pretty empty so we sat at the bar, the bartenders were very friendly and outgoing. There was not a large beer selection, they rather went with limited number of high quality beers (which I appreciate as large menus overwhelm me..). The layout is a simple classic pub layout - long bar, offset dining tables, though had a much cleaner feel than  my perception of a classic pub. I ordered one of the British classics (sausage (bangers), onions, mashed potatoes, and vegetables for me), which I found about as good as british food could possibly be. The prices were decent for the drinks and food. Overall, it is an enjoyable, reliable bar to grab food or drinks, and with a convenient downtown San Jose location. 

Food          8

Drinks        8

Atmosphere 8

Service       9

Value         7

Nina

We stopped by this place on Halloween night dressed in cowboys - the reason was not as much the food (we had no idea what to expect) as was the fortunate combination of a bar/pub open late on a Monday night, with them showing the football game with the sound on, so we could actually follow the game.

The menu consisted of various dishes from the old world, though I did notice in the sides listing they still called french fries as "fries" rather than "chips" on the menu, and potato chips were not "crisps" either. After pondering over some of the classics - sausage (bangers), fish'n'chips, I went with something hearty since I was really starving at that point. I got the 12 oz steak with onion rings, french fires and steamed vegetables. The steak was well seasoned and perfectly cooked and the onion rings and fries were crispy and not too greasy. However, the vegetables were quite plain, not nearly seasoned enough and a bit overcooked. Steak sauce made them palatable but still not something I would pick off a menu on its own. The beer selection was not too impressive, but there were enough choices on draught that I was happy with what I got.

This place is not somewhere I would go for a gourmet dinner,  but for a hearty meal over a game of football it remains a solid option.

Food           7

Drinks        8

Atmosphere 8

Service       9

Value         8

Teske's Germania

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: German
Atmosphere: authentic setting, homey dining room
Meal: dinner
Price range: ~$20-$30/meal,
Overall grade: 8.25

Ben

An authentic German restaurant, from the feel to the entire menu. I ordered a dish extremely popular in Germany (was my favorite dish during the 8 months I lived there, though it is not German), a hungarian goulash. It had a very rich and moderately spiced paprika flavor with tender beef and delicious spaetzle on the side. Nina had a Jaegerschnitzel (breaded pork with mushroom sauce) that was equally delicious. 

They had a large selection of German beers on tap, and the true feel in every way of a respectable German restaurant (minus the pizza that seemed to be on every menu in Germany). The food selection, preparation, and flavors are perfectly what one could expect to get in any classic restaurant in Germany, and in my opinion it was probably more flavorful than most genuine restaurants in Germany (possibly an ever-so-subtle accentuation in spices to stand up to the american palate). The service was prompt, the dress ranged from formal to T-shirts, with the entrees a little pricy (ranging from ~$20-$35).

Food  9
Drinks  9
Service  9
Atmosphere 8
Value 7

Nina

It could have been a feeling of melancholy for the time we spent in Europe a few years ago, or just pure coincidence which landed us in this quaint little German restaurant on a Thursday night. As soon as we entered we were transported back in time and space to an old style German bar - dim lit, tinted wood bar counter and stools, and a few different varieties of Bavarian brews. After walking through the narrow bar area, we entered the dining room, which was not much larger - maybe 10, 15 tables at most. It had a low ceiling and visible wood beams which gave the place even more of an authentic feel. The crowd was very diverse, from young to old, from casual to nearly formal wear, but the atmosphere was casual and friendly, with the hum of chatter in the air.

I ordered my favorite German dish - Jaegerschnitzel. Basically, it is built around the classic veal schnitzel - tenderized filet dredged through flour, dipped in whole egg and coated in bread crumbs, then fried. What makes it a Jaegerschnitzel (hunter's cutlet) is the mushroom cream sauce served on top of it. Although this one felt a bit grainy, it was creamy nonetheless and definitely had a rich mushroom flavor that I enjoyed quite a bit. To make it more authentic German, it was served with a side of Spaetzle, a very egg-rich traditional noodle (more of a cross between a dumpling and a noodle), which doesn't have a lot of flavor on its own, but acts like the sponge to other flavors in the dish.

While the entrees seemed a little pricy for their simplicity, we soon realized that by ordering an entree we would get a full meal - soup of the day and house salad before the entree and dessert of the day afterwards. They told us they were out of their advertised dessert - appel strudel - and served us marzipan cake instead. The cake was sweet and slightly bitter with the flavor of the marzipan, with a moist and creamy texture, so I didn't mind the substitution at all.

I really enjoyed this simple, yet tasty German meal, as well as the authentic atmosphere. In the future I would definitely go back when I crave a good Bavarian brew on tap and a hearty meat-centered meal.

Food           7
Drinks         9
Atmosphere 9
Service        8
Value          8

Mudai

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: Ethiopian
Atmosphere: authentic setting, thematic decorations
Meal: dinner
Price range: ~$10-$12/entree,
Overall grade: 7.8

Ben

Mudai was our first Ethiopian on the west coast, and lived up to our experiences we’ve had on the east coast. At first glance, the design of the restaurant looks like it is divided into an adult room and a children’s room. The entrance room is a well lit room with a bar and kitchen at the end and about a dozen tables. To the left is a smaller room with a rainbow array of exotic looking (presumably Ethiopian style . . I didn’t ask) chairs and tables made from cloth materials. The menu has a pretty good selection of meats as well as vegetarian food, we went with an all vegetarian selection. The dishes were pretty decent - to be fair we didn’t sample any of the meat entrees – the ingredients seemed fresh and the cooking was done well,  but I had expected dishes to have a little more kick to them. The highlight was a moderately spicy lentil dish, while the potato and the spinach dishes were a little more bland.The ethiopian bread was generously served under the dishes as customary with generous portions on the side for grabbing the food. The flavor and texture were pleasant, though a little more bitter than I had remembered. The beer list included Ethiopian beers among other imports, as well as a small wine list. The drink prices were good, about $3-4, as were the entrée prices at around $10-$15. The atmosphere is very relaxed and pretty quiet, a good place for conversation and there is no rush from the service to move people along. 

Food           7

Drinks         7
Atmosphere 7
Service        8
Value          9


Nina

Mudai came on our radar due to a coupon I had found, albeit with a minimum purchase condition. When we glanced at the menu we quickly realized that we wouldn't be able to meet this minimum, but then again, nothing wrong with a great deal for dinner!

What is most exciting about Ethiopian food is the way it is served - various creamy dips atop enjera (Ethiopian yeast risen flat bread with a very spongy texture and somewhat sour flavor), that are eaten by hand using pieces of bread. We ordered the full selection of their vegetarian entrees (miser kik - split red lentils in red hot pepper sauce, ater kik - split chickpeas in hot sauce, miten shiro - roasted and powdered chickpeas simmered in spiced butter, gomen - chopped collard greens simmered in mild sauce, and alicha atkilt - cabbage, carrot, potatoes and onions in mild sauce), which came neatly arranged around a crispy pile of lettuce. The level of spice varied from completely bland to medium spice, but I was disappointed at the texture profile of the plate. Since the flavors seemed like different heat levels of the same set of spices, having a uniform set of textures on top of that made the eating experience quite dull in the end.


I drank a red Ethiopian wine with my meal, which was fruity and smooth, and the acidity paired really well with the heavier, somewhat spicy entrees. The restaurant was split in two parts - the first room had a classic table and chairs arrangement, while the second room has a more traditional setup - stumpy stools with inlaid metallic lacing around a highly colorful table covered with a lid when not in use, quite a whimsical design. Service was very friendly, even tough we had some difficulty communicating with our waitress since her English was pretty bad. 


This restaurant is a great deal for dinner, very filling for low cost. I wouldn't count it as a very exciting dining experience due to the relative monotony of flavors and textures, but it's a delicious meal ideal for sharing with a group of friends in a relaxed atmosphere.

Food             8

Drinks           8
Atmosphere  7
Service          8
Value            9

Mr Krab's Seafood Restaurant

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: Cajun, Seafood
Atmosphere: family style dive, playful themed decoration
Meal: dinner
Price range: ~$10/entree, $1.50-$4/side, more for shareable plates
Overall grade: 7.1

Ben

Most of the restaurant is two rows of tables with a server aisle in between with wooden tables draped with large sheets of paper. It is decorated with some sports memorabilia, Louisiana tributes, and cartoons of crawfish / shrimp. The menu consists of shrimp, crawfish, snow and king lobster. The shrimp and crawfish are boiled with heads and shells on, Louisiana style. We ordered the seafood platter, which came with about 30 crawfish, 15 shrimp, and lobster (we upgraded from snow to king) served in a big pot filled with broth. The broth was delicious, a red color with potatoes, onions, and garlic inside loaded with spicy pepper flavor. Despite a summer and a few trips in the south, we still never saw the huge appeal of crawfish (suck the head and crack through the body for a tiny morsel of meat), but for what it is, they were executed well and had a spicy sweet flavor. The shrimp was perfectly cooked with a soft and fresh flavor, with the drawback for some people (me included) of being cooked with head and shell on is that they are not deveined. The lobster was incredible served in the broth, the only complaint is that at the price we thought we would receive a full king lobster, though we only received about 4 chopped pieces of leg.  The side of sweet potato fries were freshly made and delicious, and the corn-on-the-cob served in a broth was not worth eating, severely overcooked and bland. The atmosphere was pretty fun, the paper table cloths and roll of paper towels on each table calling for food to be enjoyed without worrying about the mess. The drink menu was limited, at the time they weren’t selling beer or wine due to alcohol license issue. The place offers a great taste of cajun style cooking in the bay area, and they have mastered their broths and seafood preparation. The atmosphere is light, fun and informal, filled with groups of friends and couples.

Food           9

Drinks         5

Atmosphere 7

Service        8

Value          7

Nina

We left for Mr Krab's restaurant not sure what to expect. On one hand, so far any restaurant labeled "seafood restaurant" tended to be on the fancy side of the spectrum, especially when lobster is present in any form. On the other hand, the name of the place made me think of a Chuck E Cheese's type setting, which is anything but fancy. The actual place didn't match either expectation - the restaurant was small and unassuming, with a family friendly setting yet with nothing particularly tailored to be children-friendly. The content was also quite surprising - the manu was split between cajun style seafood and asian noodles. Since we came determined to eat seafood, we looked at the former for our choice of dinner.

The entrees were basically all either deep fried or seafood boils, all you had to do was choose the type of seafood, spice levels and sides. We went for a combo platter, since it was shareable and would give us an opportunity to try out most of their menu offerings in one dish; spice level - medium, since I decided to play it safe (this was cajun style, after all); finally, we didn't order any sides until later when we saw corn on the cob being presented to a nearby table and felt a tinge of melancholy for this Midwest staple. It was pretty disappointing that their advertised drink menu was reduced to only water and soda, since they had not renewed their liquor license and had no estimated date when they would get it again.

Our platter came with a lot of crawfish (which I always find difficult to eat, certainly too much labor put in for too small of a reward), quite a bit of whole shrimp, clams and king crab legs, all in a spicy broth whose flavor penetrated all of the components. I was certainly glad we ordered the medium spiciness, it had enough of a kick to make the food more exciting, while not overwhelming the delicate flavor of seafood to the point where all you could taste was spice. For how expensive of an addition the crab legs were, we didn't get too much of that on our plate, so that was a little disappointing, though in flavor they really shined. The corn on the cob was disappointing, to soggy, not sweet enough, and didn't taste too fresh either. It was a good thing that the sweet potato fries were crispy and delicious to make up for it.

Overall, this place doesn't stand out in particular, though it offers good flavorful seafood boil. I would think that crawfish fans might enjoy this place much more than me, I have yet to find good reason to pick these over shrimp or crab legs.

Food             8

Drinks          4
Atmosphere  6
Service          7
Value            7

Morocco's

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: Moroccan
Atmosphere: exotic dining, themed setting
Meal: late dinner
Price range: $10/appetizer, $18.50/entree, $15 for wine tasting
Overall grade: 8.8 

Ben


I saw an ad in Mercury News for $15 tasting of 5 wines from around the world and an appetizer. We started with about 2 oz each of 3 red wines and 2 whites, served with nuts and an assortment of cheeses. The atmosphere is  very pleasant - cozy, dimly lit, and well decorated with moroccan artwork, and a very social environment. The service was prompt and friendly, and the cheese (camembert, smoked gouda, blue cheese and chevre with cumin) and wine (see above) were pretty generous and a fun experience. We were still hungry so we ended up ordering Briwatts (stuffed fillo dough, 3 stuffed with crabs and 3 with vegetables) and a white fish (tilapia) tagine. The briwatts were fantastic and the tagine had a flavorful paprika sauce though the portion was small for an entrée and the fish was somewhat bland. We found a surprise on the menu that if you “check-in” on facebook you get either a wine taste or a starter dish, so we continued the night as we both checked in on our phones. The starter dish was a beet and potatoes dish but the wine tasting was a pleasant surprise, opening a new bordeaux wine and shiraz. Overall the experience was great, the menu looks very good and I would recommend the lamb / beef tagines, as they looked much better than the “white fish” we selected.

Food          8
Drinks      10
Atmosphere 9
Service       9
Value         7

Nina


On a whim, we decided to forego cooking on a Thursday night and head out for dinner, especially since it was one of those unique days when we both got home from work while the sun was still up. Ben had found reference to this Moroccan restaurant in the local San Jose newspaper, which was tempting in and of itself since we hadn't eaten this type of cuisine for a while. To make it more interesting, they have a wine tasting special once a month which fell on that same day.

We walked to the restaurant form the San Jose MLK Jr library, and realized we had walked by this place before, which goes to show you may pass by true gems without knowing what's hidden behind the street facade. The restaurant has a wonderful welcoming atmosphere. We were greeted at the door by someone who seemed to be an owner, then were lead to a table and presented the specials and menu options. The ceiling was draped with a sort of canvas which created the impression of sitting inside of a giant tent. That, along with the dim lights highlighting decorations along the walls and the carved sun and moon niches above the kitchen created a very genuine exotic atmosphere.

Their wine special included five types of wine and an appetizer - we went for the cheese sampler, of course :) I started on the first wine - a Moroccan Chardonnay from the Beni M'Tir  wine region, while I enjoyed the Camembert, smoked gouda, blue cheese and goat cheese rolled in cumin platter. The plating choice for this selection was interesting, they essentially layered mixed nuts on the bottom and laid the cheese right on top, which actually paired the flavors very harmoniously.

The next wine, a Portugese Vinho Verde, was naturally slightly carbonated and had a pleasant acidity which paired great with the heavier briwatts. We chose two flavors for these triangular Moroccan eggrolls - vegetable and crab. The spice level was gerat, with enough of a bite to delight the palate but mild enough to allow us to taste the rest of the meal fully.

A final appetizer plate was a potato and beet salad with garlic and spices - considering how bland beets often are, this was a really great surprise.  Flavorful and light, it paired really well with my third wine - a Geurrouane red blend from Morocco.

After all this early meal delight, we decided it would be too much to get an entree each, so we opted to share a white fish tagine. The fish was tender, though I was slightly disappointed that it was a tilapia filet - I was hoping for something a little more exciting. That being said, the sauce was rich and light at the same time, and the veggies just perfectly cooked - not too crunchy, not too soft. What made it even better was enjoying it alongside the fourth wine from the tasting sequence - a California aged Syrah.

Last but certainly not least, we ordered the dessert that our waiter enthusiastically described as "heaven in your mouth" - a white chocolate and strawberry birwatt. It was sweet, but not overbearingly so, and worked well with the final glass of wine in front of me - the Chile Casillero Del Diablo Carmenere wine.

This meal turned from a quick escape to quite the feast, but this restaurant definitely impressed me. The decor really carried it us to a new and exotic locale, the service was warm and welcoming and the food brought on a unique set of flavors. It's definitely a great place for a romantic dinner date in the dimmed lighting, but also for a get-together with friends sharing good food and a few bottles of wine.

Food          9
Drinks      10
Atmosphere 9
Service      8
Value        9