Hidden Pleasures

[badthings]

their Mignonette sauce had cilantro in it.

ewww.

Mignonette (without cilantro) is the ultimate dilemma, though, because it is so good, except that oysters are so, so good that they don't need it. I always want to save the mignonette and put it on something else.

I don't know how "hidden" it is, because it's always packed, but Duarte's in Pescadero is pretty awesome. Imagine "normal" american food from 30 years ago, except it doesn't suck. (Maybe it didn't suck here, but I was trapped in New England until a decade ago).

[tanabutler]

Great topic.

I'm not telling!

[tanabutler]

Okay, I was kidding.

Up in Sonoma County, follow the Russian River to the coast. There in the sleepy town of Jenner is a lovely place called River's End. The food is organic, local, seasonal and fantastic. The wine list is great: the owner is so committed to using local treasures. Eat whatever your laidback, smart server suggests. Best of all: cell phones don't work there! Yay.

RIVERS END RESTAURANT & INN

11048 HIGHWAY 1

JENNER, CA 95450-9601

(707)865-2484

In Santa Cruz, I just discovered Parwana (Afghan for "butterfly") on Soquel Avenue at Seabright (where Bea's Koffee Kup used to be, next to the Rio). It was delicious. (I'll post photos soon.)

More as I think of them.

[Mayhaw Man]

You may find this thread about Hidden Pleasures in L.A. useful.

I gave big marks to a place in Downey called Kantaro Sushi. I cannot reccomend it highly enough in the "Sushi Joint" category. The place is wonderful and the fish is stunningly good.

[russ parsons]

just back from the great north coast, if you want a splurge, the inn at victorian gardens is perfect. 4-bedroom b&b on the south mendocino coast (between manchester and elk), run by a former fertility doc at ucla and his wife. unimaginably perfect and he's a roman who cooks a pan-italian dinner every night, lots of it from stuff from their property. not incredibly spendy, i think the rooms top out at $250 and dinner for two with wine is $150. i also had to laugh because he's completely over-the-top anti-restaurant, except for one: nancy berry's the broiler near Ukiah.

[Mudpuppie]

Okay, I'm a little late, but still wanted to add $.02.

Up in Sonoma County, follow the Russian River to the coast. There in the sleepy town of Jenner is a lovely place called River's End. The food is organic, local, seasonal and fantastic. The wine list is great: the owner is so committed to using local treasures. Eat whatever your laidback, smart server suggests. Best of all: cell phones don't work there! Yay.

I like this restaurant in principle, but had a really bad meal there. The morels in my pasta dish were as sandy as the beach below. The baby squashes were too bitter to eat. When I informed the waiter, he offered me dessert (which was excellent), but still charged me for the inedible $20 pasta. Sigh.

One of my favorite out-of-the-way places is Mendo Bistro in Ft. Bragg.

Best. Mashed. Potatoes. Ever.

Also, the Station House Cafe in Pt. Reyes Station, and Cowgirl Creamery. (If Pt. Reyes Station isn't out-of-the-way, what is?)

Edited February 20, 2004 by Mudpuppie (log)