Mifune Restaurant

Objects in this photo are larger than
they appear!

Mifune Restaurant
1737 Post Street
San Francisco, CA


I should have seen the warning signs.

The word "Deluxe" in its title.

The $12.99 price tag.

Identical serving vessels being shuttled to families of four.

Yet, I went right ahead and ordered the Deluxe Nabe all for myself – even when the menu clearly stated it would be served in an iron pot.  Really?  An iron pot?  I felt compelled to order it for that reason alone.

I was given two soup bowls and two soup spoons.  Ha!  If I weren't such a lady, I would have dived right into the pot itself, head first.

Having two bowls actually came in handy.  Contents of one bowl would cool off while contents of the other were being methodically shoveled into my mouth.

Super generous serving of udon, cooked perfectly...no gluey mess here.  Shrimp.  Scallops.  White mystery fish.  Imitation crab.  Shitake mushrooms, other exotic mushrooms, and various greens.  All topped with a single shrimp tempura.

Wow.

The next morning I weighed two pounds heavier.  It had to be the sodium in the soy sauce, right?  Right...

Flaming Grill Cafe

Your mouth better be open for these
mammoth burgers, too.

Flaming Grill Cafe

2319 El Camino Avenue
Sacramento, CA


I haven’t seen this many exotic meats since the last time I was in San Francisco’s Castro District!

Flaming Grill Café’s menu is designed for repeat visits.  I came for the Ostrich, but ended up ordering the Wild Boar Café Burger, and created a mental checklist to come back for the llama and yak.

Although watching other patrons systematically devour a zoo’s variety of meats had me nearly salivating, my burger was only half-eaten because (a) of the sheer size and (b) my server unknowingly sabotaged my appetite by convincing me to substitute my fries with blue cheese and bacon fries, which I couldn’t stop eating.  Damn you, bacon.

Next time, the Carne Asada Fries…because my digestive system is a glutton for punishment.

Randy's Donuts

My kind of famous in L.A.!

Randy's Donuts

805 W. Manchester Boulevard
Inglewood, CA


To be honest, I came for the photo opp.  Giant donut on a roof?  Check.  Camera?  Check.

Eating was an afterthought, given the fact that the previous day I enjoyed a double-cupcake breakfast.

I couldn't resist, though; everyone seemed to be salivating over the smells of sugar, cinnamon and coffee that wafted from the kitchen and into the otherwise smoggy LA County air.  I chose a chocolate cake donut, and managed to shove each last tender, fudgy crumb into my mouth in seconds.  A jelly-filled monstrosity was saved for my mid-morning "snack".

Will I be back?  Maybe not for a repeat snapshot, but definitely for an apple fritter…tomorrow.

Samoa Cookhouse

Arrive early to beat the crowds.

Samoa Cookhouse
908 Vance Avenue
Samoa, CA


Samoa Cookhouse has been on my must-visit list for quite a while now, and for good reasons:  first of all, the last surviving cookhouse in the West has been serving customers since the late 1800s (a feat in itself), when they fed workers in the nearby lumber and logging industries.  Secondly, the fare is all-you-can eat, AKA “lumber camp style”, and servers bring the food to you at your request, something I appreciate since I typically make 4-5 embarrassing trips to any given buffet.  In fact, I wore stretchy yoga pants in preparation for this hearty meal.

I headed to the cookhouse early on a Sunday morning, ravenous after a day traipsing through redwoods along the Avenue of the Giants.  As I stepped inside I found rows upon rows of long tables covered with old-fashioned red and white-checked tablecloths.  A few families and solo diners were already digging into their breakfasts, and the air had a slight smell of cinnamon.  I was seated, immediately offered water, juice and coffee, then told the biscuits and gravy would arrive shortly.

The cookhouse has a set menu each day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Today’s menu board revealed that the biscuits and gravy would be follow by French toast, sausage and eggs; I tried to pace myself, but ended of gorging on a couple of biscuits with warm, buttery milk gravy.  I spied the chef behind the counter dipping thick, hand-sliced homemade bread into a vat of cinnamon egg mixture at a furious pace, keeping up with the steady stream of customers coming through the front door.  At the same time, he scrambled eggs and made sure there were enough hot sausage links to go around.

I declined a second round of biscuits and gravy (!) and cleansed my palate with a little OJ before the main event.  Moments later, I was presented with a pile of golden French toast, sizzling sausage links and fluffy scrambled eggs.

Few things top the taste and texture of home-baked bread; and, as a result, this might have been some of the best French toast I’ve ever had.  I drenched each rich, chewy bite with butter and syrup and watched as dozens of loaves behind the counter were being sliced up for the next day’s breakfast crowd (only day-old bread will hold up to that thick egg batter).  It was so good that even after the first helping AND my previous biscuits and gravy, I asked for seconds.  The sausage and eggs proved to be a nice balance to all of that carb-loading.

Completely satisfied, I lumbered (ha!) into the next room for a trip back in time.  The Logging Museum houses antique equipment and tools and displays turn-of-the-century photos of workers who likely dined at the cookhouse decades ago (just not in yoga pants).  Rigorous work under dangerous conditions can work up quite an appetite, which is why the cookhouse’s meals are indeed “fit for a lumberjack”.

Lou's Drive In

The lipstick on my straw means one thing:
HANDS OFF!

Lou's Drive In
6229 Watt Avenue

North Highlands, CA

To passersby, Lou's may seem like your typical, mild-mannered drive-in burger joint.  Walk up to the window, however, and you'll be bombarded by the enthusiasm that can only come from someone who truly enjoys his job.

I was privy to two Lada Gaga jokes, compliments of a male cashier, as I completed my debit card payment.  I settled in at an outdoor table and patiently waited for my order; in the meantime, that same cashier called patrons' names so boisterously it caused one customer to comment that he hadn't been yelled at like that since he lived with his parents.

The menu here is basic: burgers, dogs, drinks and a few fried items to round out the offerings.  I picked up my Chili Burger and large Chocolate Malt at the window and couldn't unwrap that sandwich quick enough, already salivating over everyone else's shakes and burgers.

All burger joints should take note: a little mustard makes a good chili burger a GREAT chili burger.  Lou's also goes so far as to add a little pickle relish.  It added to the mess, although slightly, but provided a new flavor profile to contrast with the thick, rich malt.  Genius.

For a few bucks, this is your best bet in North Highlands.  Watt are you waiting for (come on, that's clever)?

Chicago Fire

This will be the longest 45-minute wait of your life.

Chicago Fire

Various Locations

Folsom, Sacramento and Roseville, CA

I’ve dined at three of the four Chicago Fire locations more times than I care to admit to my personal trainer.  I go for intimate casual meals and celebrations with friends, and it’s also my venue of choice when planning work events.  Have they ever let me down?  Nope. 

I’d been searching for authentic Chicago-style pizza here on the west coast ever since I spent two consecutive college summers interning in the windy city.  Chicago Fire’s decadent Stuffed Pizzas are the closest I've had to Giordano's, the mother of all Chicago pizza joints; I no longer have to mail-order bricks of frozen meat, cheese and dough to satisfy my frequent cravings.

Stuffed Pizzas are hefty and can take up to 45 minutes to cook.  Plan accordingly.  Chicago Fire offers plenty of delicious salads, incredible wings and an extensive beer, wine and cocktail list to keep you occupied.  You can even order a thin-crust pizza (I recommend the Traditional) to snack on which bakes in a fraction of the time.  Pre-pizza pizza?  Yes, please.

I always, order two stuffed pies in particular: the meaty Chicago Fire Combo, and the lighter (ha!) Spinach & Mushroom.  You may be asking, what is a stuffed pizza?  Well, you take heavy, high-rimmed pizza pans large enough to bake wedding cake tiers and line it with dough.  Add your toppings, another layer of dough, THEN top it with chunky marinara.  Bake.  Devour.  Roll eyes to the back of your head.

 

Here’s a tip: these slices are tall and rich with high-quality ingredients.  When the menu says a small stuffed pizza will feed 2-3 people, BELIEVE IT.

Taqueria Eduardo 2

157 cubic inches of heaven can be found here.

Taqueria Eduardo 2
1104 W. Tennyson Road

Hayward, CA

If you want a perfectly assembled, lean and mean burrito for $8, I suggest Chavez Supermarket and Taqueria.

But if you haven't eaten in 7 hours, and wanna initiate a knock-down, drag-out fight with your intestines, for less than $7, come HERE.

When the lady behind the counter brought me my Carne Asada Burrito, I pretty much gained a couple pounds just looking at it.

I'm not kidding when I tell you my burrito was five inches in diameter and about 8 inches in length.  Do the math and you'll find that's roughly 157 cubic inches of burrito.  What's the capacity of the unstretched human stomach?  I'm afraid to find out.

The steak?  Phenomenal.  And lots of it!  Maybe a little bit too much rice, but that didn't stop me from eating 80 percent of the thing.

Towards the end everything started becoming a little greased-soaked, so I ended the battle, using about 17 napkins to clean up my hands.  Classy.