To Dine or not To Dine

8-15-14

For those of you who follow my ‘to dine or not to dine’ restaurant reviews, I apologize. I have been remiss in my duties of late, due to time and economy constraints dining out has not been on the top of my ‘to do’ list. But not to worry, I think I have found a gem here in the foothills, in fact, right in our back yard.

I am talking about the new coffee shop in Town Square in Copperopolis, Roasters Coffee Corner. A coffee shop, you ask? Why yes!

Of course, I had to visit multiple times in order to give a full review…darn…what I won’t suffer for these columns. (Please hear the sarcasm, as there was NO suffering dining at Roasters.)

First hubby and I thought we would give their lunch a shot. And what a shot it was! The combinations of meats, sauces, cheeses, toppings etc . was incredible. Combinations I would have never considered but were a delight to the palate.

Feeling in a Thanksgiving type mood, I opted for the smoked turkey on garlic herb ciabatta with spicy garlic cranberry dressing, cream cheese, lettuce and tomato. Needless to say, I did not speak until my plate was clean. And for those who know me that’s quite a compliment, as words tend to tumble out of my mouth a rapid rate and extremely often. 

To Dine or Not to Dine...

This weeks restaurant, Bristol's Ranch House Cafe in Arnold.

There are some restaurants you just can't get enough of, and this one is one of them.

Not sure whether its the small town dining, the fun wait staff or the down home cooking, but whatever it is...I keep coming back for more.

This week, after a short hike at White Pines with my beautiful daughter and adorable grandson..yes, grandson...I am the proud grandmother of FOUR grandchildren with hopefully more on the way....we decided to stop for a bite at Bristol's Ranch House Cafe.

Best decision of the day.

To Dine or Not to Dine ...

This weeks restaurant Andy's Mountain Grill & Deli in Mi Wuk.

The majority of us have to admit to either heading to the high country in search of the all illusive snow, or perhaps to see for ourselves the incredibly scary lack of snow, but either way, we see dotted along the roadsides a greasy spoon ere and a greasy spoon there.

So I decided to take some of the mystery out of the greasy spoon hunt for you, taking a bullet for y'all - so to speak.

So in our quest for snow, or something akin to it (you know the fake stuff some of the slopes have resorted to), we headed up towards Dodge Ridge.

To Dine or Not To Dine....

This weeks restaurant Louie's Place in LaGrange.

Well what with all the holidays and me attempting to watch my ever growing figure, I passed on a lot of dining out, as dining in was simply too delicious to pass up.

But with the holidays behind me and my culinary appetite in need of whetting, hubby and I head out in search of the all illusive middle of the week prime rib. Well, I was in search of antique stores and yard sales, but he willingly came along when I mentioned I was also insearch of prime rib. Thats the real buzz word in our home.

So as he begins to don his motorcycle garb, I am realizing that my shopping experience will be limited to what I can fit in my purse...not what I had envisioned for my day out exploring. So with a little more cajoling and I admit a little whining we load into something with four wheels and (lucky me) a trunk!

Which way do we go, hmmm, off the beaten path if one is looking for treasures.

Once again our journey takes us to places where I swear I hear banjoes and I begin to have flashbacks of B movies...LaGrange.

To Dine or not To Dine....

This weeks restaurant - The Willow in Jamestown.

Now while I really enjoy writing these restaurant reviews it has inadvertently wreaked havoc on my waistline. So with the holidays fast approaching and that little black dress suspiciously shrinking in the back of my closet I have chosen to attempt a low carb type diet. With this said, much to my taste-buds disappointment, my reviews will be lacking in information on the best things in life, like desserts, cream soups, etc.

But the up side? Hopefully I will be able to shed some light on the best steak eateries around this area.

On a blustery day, I headed to yet another great play by the Sierra Repertory Theatre in Sonora with my good friend in tow. As has become our regular routine, we shop or we soak up culture and then we hit the Willow for a little nip of something and a tasty bite to eat. Last visit I indulged myself with the best Philly cheese-steak this side of Philly as well as some fresh bread and creamy dumpling soup. Can you see why the waistline is becoming an issue? Well I forgot to give the Willow a write up for this little side trip, so lucky me, I had another opportunity to sample their fare, only this time, low on the carbs.

To Dine or Not to Dine

This weeks restaurant Payless IGA.

A grocery store? you ask. Why yes!

I have found, multiple times, that I want a homecooked meal in my home that I have not cooked. Sound familiar?

Well, all you need to do is call the deli at Payless IGA and order up some yummy fried chicken and jojos, or a juicy bacon cheeseburger, or a stuffed breakfast burrito. It seems as if the sky is the limit.

After a long day of doing absolutely nothing, one can become extrememly exhausted and wish for someone else to make dinner. Unfortuantely when you have spent the day doing absolutely nothing with your other half, they are hoping the same thing, for someone else to make dinner.

To Dine or not to Dine....

This weeks restaurant... Mi Pueblo in Sonora.

Sometimes the hidden places are simply the best finds.

On a little jaunt to explore the Halloween Fantasy faire, hubby and I changed our minds (meaning I did) and we headed to the last outdoor produce market of the season in old town Sonora...only to find it closing up.

Well luckily for me I happen to know of a great yarn shop just a street away. Of course I announced this with excitment, but my excitement was met with a less than enthusiastic 'ok.' I'm usually pretty good in yarn shops, I like to look and touch, but know better than to buy unless I have a project in mind or I end up with a towering pile of yarn with no colors matching and not enough to complete anything...hence the mass amounts of scarves I create....I digress once again.

A little disclaimer - If you have not read a to dine or not to dine before, you may need to adjust to my wanderings.

To Dine or Not to Dine

This weeks restaurant is the Coulterville General Store and Cafe...

An unexpected treat!

Being of daring spirit, hubby and I headed out of our little comfort zone and ventured into what we were sure was the twilight zone.

Heading out for a weekend of fun with friends to watch one of our favorite bands, the Copper Holdings Company, we found ourselves in the little town of Coulterville - seriously do not blink or you will miss it.

The town consists of one main road with approximately 7 buildings all clearly knocking at the door of historical registry level. Coulterville is a throw back to the days of unlocked doors, neighborly ways and haunted hotels. Yes, you read right.

While I aspired to stay in said hotel, the Hotel Jefferey boasting up to 17 ghosts, my plans were waylaid and my alternative I must say was gorgeous! In this little town of 150 there lies a bed and breakfast that is so well appointed and so cozy one would think they were in England - the Rose Cottage. Feather beds, antiques throughout the rooms, handmade quilts, a cozy library with antique settee and ah so much more, sigh.

But I digress. Food, this article is about food....

To Dine or Not to Dine...

This weeks restaurant Rods Grill in Angels Camp.

Unfortunately this experience left much to be desired.

After a moving experience at the 4th annual Live-On suicide prevention walk-a-thon hubby and I headed to Rods Grill located on Main St across from the Angels Camp Museum. We had heard it was a family style 'greasy spoon' much like a Denny's.

After we were greeted by a sweet young hostess we walked down a carpeted walkway that was so stained and soiled it looked as if a food fight had taken place and had been hastily wiped up, I attempted to slide into my booth. That was no easy task as my bare legs (I was in a dress) stuck to the seat from some unknown sticky substance.

Water, tea and coffee were served quickly and our orders were taken.

The menu was clever with cute car terminology for food items, like lubricants listed all the drinks, etc. The menu boasted some mouthwatering foods. I choose an artichoke omelet, not sure but it sounded delicious, never had one of those before. Hubby chose eggs sunny side up with linguica.

To Dine or Not to Dine...

This weeks restaurant is Jebs in Sonora.

Two words.... ARRIVE HUNGRY!

Some of you may remember when you would roll out of bed at the crack of dawn, forgo brushing your teeth or your hair for that matter, pull on your worn jeans and mud encrusted boots, slip into your beat up old coat and don your hat as you headed out the door to feed the many animals in your care. Robotically you complete your morning chores, half asleep and fully miserable wishing you could have stayed in your nice warm bed. Yet, as you finish and get closer to home you smell the tantalizing and all to familiar smell of fresh bacon frying in a skillet. You pick up your pace because you know in your current mud covered condition you will not be allowed at the table. You rush through your morning clean up and head to the kitchen table where you are awarded - for all your hard work - a plate heaped high with eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy and a side of toast.  It certainly makes all your morning chores worth it!

For those of you that remember this or those of you that can envision this, the picture you see in your mind is exactly what you get when you dine at Jeb's.

To Dine or Not to Dine…

This week’s restaurant is the Seven Sisters at the Black Oak Casino in Tuolumne.

Of course you can correctly assume I was headed to Black Oak to take advantage of all the fun they offer…like bowling and skee-ball and…wait! You thought I was going to gamble? 

Well ok I confess I left some of my hard earned money in more than one of those darn penny eating machines. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I was not smarter than the sensory overloading money depriving electronic  thingy-magigs. Thank goodness our reservation at the Seven Sisters was not long off or I would not have the money for what I was told would be a memorable meal.

To Dine or Not to Dine....

This weeks restaurant is Angelo's Steakhouse in Murphys.

Headed up to an evening of guaranteed enjoyment at Murphys Creek Theater under the stars, we allotted ourselves some time to peruse Murphys for a bite to eat. We didn't peruse far as our stomachs were growling, so we stopped at the first restaurant we saw...lucky us...an Italian steakhouse! What with my love for anything Italian and my partner in crimes love of steak we hit the jackpot!

The outside dining looked perfect for a nice romantic evening, but alas, each seat was taken...dining inside it was. The tables were a bit tight and the chairs were really uncomfortable but the wine was divine! Oh what one will not endure for an amazing glass of grape juice:)

To Dine or Not to Dine...

This weeks restaurant is the Hillbillies Restaurant in Murphys.

Suffice it to say, the name itself should tell you of the fixin's offered inside.

After passing a rustic penitentiary wagon in the parking lot you enter a place not like any other in the foothills, filled with kitchen gadgetry of a bygone era, clothes hangin' from a  line, saddles perched precariously about and a covered wagon in the corner. With all this decor one would think I would have become distracted, by no, I curiously felt right at home.

We were seated quickly and served our drinks. However the wait for service after that seemed interminable. Then we noticed the house seemed to be shorthanded and the single waitress was handling the whole restaurant with as much efficiency and grace as possible given the size of the crowd.

This wait gave us a bit more time to peruse the menu. A menu that consisted of pretty much every rib stickin' meal you could think of, from chicken fried steak to fresh omelets, locally renowned hillbilly bowl with eggs, potatoes, sausage and cheese inside a bread bowl covered in gravy to fish and chips to frog legs. Yes, Hillbillies has frog legs, and you know my philosophy by now...when in Rome....
Frog legs is is!

To Dine or Not to Dine....

This weeks restaurant is Pete's Family Restaurant in downtown Jamestown.

While spending a day running the innumerable 'catch all' errands up the hill, one tends to get hungry right between Sonora and Copper...luckily there is a variety of restaurants to choose from in Jamestown...a perfect midway point for a snack.

On just such an errand run I discovered Pete's. What was once Azzo's famous Italian restaurant is now an American and Greek cuisine eatery. It is a small restaurant tucked away along the main drag of Jamestown with little curb appeal but a menu worth a look.

Once inside with a nice glass of ice water my companion and I perused the expansive menu offering breakfast, lunch and dinner. New York Steak and eggs, omelets, pancakes and more on the breakfast side...but it was 2 in the afternoon...I would behave and eat a lunch even though my mouth was watering with the mere thoughts of waffles with fresh strawberries. On to the lunch menu.

Indeed there was a vast array of American eats like hamburgers and salads but what intrigued me were the items I could not pronounce let alone try to spell without the menu in front of me. Forget phonetics with some of these Greek words, but when in Greece....

To Dine or Not to Dine...

This weeks restaurant - The House of Beef in Oakdale

While some of us head up the hill for our weekly shopping spree, many of us head down the hill into the 'Cowboy Capitol of the World'....Oakdale.

Full of country charm and lots of shopping venues, Oakdale has more than enough to offer us foothill folks out on the town for a day. In fact I'm thinking it may take more than a few days to sufficiently scour this town for good eats.

On this day though I was traveling with my 15 year son, you know the age- the hollow leg age - when I ventured upon the House of Beef, corner of Yosemite and 3rd Avenue. (Just so happens I have a meat locker there too, mighty convenient).

'Come on in and sit down a spell' is the sense you get upon entering this establishment. Dated pictures from the turn of the century and farm implements large and small adorn every section of each wall.

To Dine or Not To Dine...

This weeks restaurant Sonora's Thai Cuisine...

Never one for to turn down a meal -my figure can attest to that- I once again find myself with a good friend that would like to treat me to lunch. After a calm tea at Heart Rock Cafe on Washington Street  in downtown Sonora its just a hop-ski and a jump to Sonora's Thai Cuisine.

Having not indulged in Thai food, suprising I know, I was a bit leary at first. I had heard that Thai food can be quite spicey...but none-the-less I found myself comfortably sitting at a table for two in a rustic style setting. The style was goldrush meets Thailand as the art and knick knacks were clearly Thai inspired yet the wooden floors and high tinned ceilings were from a time period long ago. Somehow it worked.

The menu was what I considered to be an eclectic array of odd combinations of foods. Chicken in coconut milk? Never had I thought to combine the two. The list of those combinations goes on and on, yet each one seemed to be tantalizingly more desirable as I put some thought into what they might taste like. This adventure was opening up a whole new culinary world for me.

To Dine or Not To Dine

This weeks restaurant - Talulah's in downtown Sonora.

I have to say that I have walked by this cute little gem nestled among shops on Washington Street a few times and though the cuisine looked amazing in the menu...the doors were closed.

So lucky me, on a day out with the girls, Talulah's was open! The small cafe style entrance gives way to a much larger dining area that begets friendship and a wonderful dining experience. Tables were simply decorated and the ambiance was wonderful, tin ceiling, Fleur de lis crown molding and hard wood flooring harking back to a day of rustic elegance. In addition, the art that graces the walls are from local artists.

Greeted by Mark, a waiter with more energy and panache than I have witnessed in the foothills, we are quickly seated and sipping iced lemon waters...bubbly on the way.

The menu was both eclectic and mouthwatering. Each entree was so different from the next that everyone's palate was sure to be pleased.

To Dine or not To Dine...

This weeks restaurant... the 'V' Bistro in downtown Murphys.

It may seem as if I have been spending a lot of time dining in Murphys as of late, I can only claim the luck of the Irish for that one, as the dining is always interesting and the variety of culinary treats plentiful in Murphys.

As my birthday stretched out I had the opportunity to dine with some good friends at a wine pairing at the V Bistro. Having never been there before I was delighted at the intimate nature of the restaurant yet the exquisite cuisine offered by such a small establishment.

We chose to hit the back of the V first as that is where the bar is and where the glass shelves lined with top notch liquors were calling my name. Not wanting to spoil my much anticipated dinner I passed on the chambord creation I so desired and asked to be paired with a wine. Yes, pair me with a wine. I told the wonderfully cheerful and knowledgeable bartender what I preferred and she matched me perfectly with a dry Muscat, just the right hint of sweet with no overpowering dessert wine taste. My friends too were matched perfectly. and as we sipped we chatted with those around us making fast friends.

To Dine or Not to Dine.....

This weeks restaurant Aria Bakery in Murphys.
 
So I'm pretty sure the best thing about birthdays - seeing as how it can't be that we are getting older - is that people love to feed you! You get morning coffees, lunches, dinners and sometimes even lovely cocktails and cakes!

So if you can follow this line of thinking...I got stuffed the other day and as my daughter tells me I am now of a respectable Grandmother age...whatever THAT means!

Back to Aria Bakery.

So I had wandered past this heavenly smelling bakery in the past and worried that the mere inhaling of the delicious scents would cause me to somehow consume calorie infused air so chose to walk by briskly. I was told that I had made a mistake by not at least poking my head inside. So with this said, my buddy and partner in crime for the day, took me to Aria for lunch. Yes, lunch.

To Dine or not To Dine....

This weeks restaurant is Eddie's Grill in Valley Springs.

On a visit to our daughter-in-law in Valley Springs we managed to fit in a little dining experience...imagine that...I have a talent for either fitting in shopping or dining...either one and I'm a happy camper.

I digress. So on this fateful day our daughter-in-law suggested Eddies. Hubby craving Mexican was a bit put-off, but with two hormonal women in the car knew better than to complain and off we headed to Eddies.

I opened the door and was instantly enveloped in the tantalizing scent of roasted garlic. I knew I had come to the right place. We were greeted by a sweet waitress (Liza) and seated immediately. Drinks were easy to order...food was not. The menu was extensive and the selection was all over the culinary map. My brain still stuck in garlic over-drive I knew I had to have whatever they were making that created that delicious scent. Lucky me....it was garlic fries! I was pretty sure garlic fries were not considered a meal so I also ordered a half BLT...just to cover my bases. Hubby ordered hot pastrami and daughter-in-law ordered Cobb salad.