It’sDiningTime!
San Francisco/Bay Area restaurant reviews by Chris NorrisArchive for fast food
Sushi Boat, Santa Clara, CA
Sushi Boat, Santa Clara, CA
November 2007
Hmmmmm. You are in the mall. You are in the mall and you are hungry. You are in the mall and you are hungry and the thought of fast food makes you queasy. You might be looking for a Sushi Boat! While the variety of sushi is limited and some dishes can taste bland, the fish at least tastes fresh, the price is right, and you can be in and out in 20 minutes or less! And c’mon, it IS kind of cool to choose your food off of little boats floating by your spot at the counter! But, here’s the secret: Don’t order off the boats. Ask the Chef to make you whatever you want and they will gladly serve you some custom Sushi! In the mall!
Chicken Coop, San Jose, CA
Chicken Coop, San Jose, CA
December 2007
Hmmmmm. Cluck … cluck … cluck … This is one of those places that is NOT fine dining, but you might go there anyway. Especially if you’ve got those little ones with you! The format is unique – you order at a counter when you first walk in. Then, you seat yourself in a casual, but not fast-food, dining room. The emphasis is on chicken, ribs and barbeque, but they also serve up fish, burgers and great salads. I like it. Just not too often.
Rubio’s, Fremont
Rubio’s, Fremont
July 2007
S’Ok. Rubio’s doesn’t look like much when you walk in – first impressions are of just another fast food Mexican restaurant. Look a little closer though! Rubio’s actually has quite a lot of baja inspired dishes, including baja style street tacos, shrimp tacos and burritos, several kinds of fish tacos and burritos, and really great carnitas. It’s my favorite of the “run in and grab a bite” Mexican restaurants. I especially like the shrimp burritos, the carnitas street tacos, and the fish tacos.
Interestingly, during my Sunday morning routine of watchin’ some food shows, I saw Tyler Florence kick off an episode of ‘Food 911’ at a Rubios. Forgiving Tyler for his current stint as Applebee’s “designer chef” (what IS he thinking?!), you’ve got to credit him for his good tasted in choosing Rubio’s! By the way, that episode of ‘Food 911’ featured chicken burritos and fish tacos, which are easy to fix and way good. He features a really terrific sauce for the tacos (mayo, sour cream, chipotle chilies and some lime juice) that you should try at home!
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Main Street Burger, Los Gatos
Main Street Burger, Los Gatos
July 2007
Hmmmm. Main Street Burger is a little burger shop located near Laura’s law office in Los Gatos. I was working from her office recently, got way hungry and decided to drop in for lunch. Main Street is a typical burger shop, with a small seating area, a too long wait, and lots of noise. In addition to hamburgers (with many variations), Main Street serves chicken sandwiches, which Laura is fond of, and Salmon burgers. On my visit, I decided to give the Salmon burger a go, and I was pleased. However, the sweet potato fries were greasy, had no salt, and after eating two or three, I tossed the rest. So there you go. Might be some situations for which Main Street Burger will beckon, and I haven’t actually tried a hamburger, but there are better choices in Los Gatos. In fact, Willow Street Pizza is in the same building, with lots of menu choices and the food is definitely better.
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In & Out Burger, EveryWhere
In & Out Burger, EveryWhere
July 2007
Way Good. If you are looking for a burger and fries, and don’t want or need many frills or “menu alternatives”, but DO want a darn fine burger, In & Out is the place for you! I rarely eat hamburgers, but when I do, I either surreptitiously slink out of work and while the rest of the crowd is off to “healthy food, I grab a cheeseburger and fries at In & Out. Or, it’s a weekend and I’m doing a “hardware store run” (which is basically my equivalent of Laura shopping for shoes) and based on which of the kids is along, In & Out could be on our shopping list!
The menu includes hamburgers, cheeseburgers, double versions of both, fries, soft drinks and shakes. And that’s it. Everything is made real time – no pre-cooked burgers sitting in a warming tray waiting for your order, and no frozen fries being shaken out of a plastic bag. Instead, hamburger is formed into patties and slapped onto the grill when you order, and fresh potatoes are being cut into fries using the world’s largest continually manned Veg-a-Matic! Awesome burgers & fries, and nothing else.
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