Dawnville Rant: If the margarita ain't broke...

If you are of a certain age, you will remember the "New Coke" fiasco of the 1980s. Why do companies need to fiddle with what works? Consistency is what brings you back to your favorite products time after time. The same principle holds true in the restaurant world. That's not to say that innovation isn't welcome. I know chefs get bored. I'm not talking about five-star dining experiences. I'm referring to the places in your town or your neighborhood that you return to again and again. For us, one of those spots is Fiesta del Mar in Mountain View. For nearly fifteen years, we have visited this local favorite for excellent, flavorful Mexican dishes and warm, friendly service. More on that another time. Those memorable meals are always accompanied by frosty glasses of blended margaritas that struck an artful balance of tequila bite and citrus tartness that many family restaurants find hard to achieve.

Imagine our surprise when we settled in for a meal, with out-of-town company in tow, and took a big sip of what tasted like a tequila slurpee. Yikes. Had we dropped into some alternate universe where it looked like Fiesta del Mar, but our restaurant had actually been taken over by aliens without bartending skills? After quickly summoning our waiter, we learned that our precious elixir had been replaced in the interest of margarita gentrification. Out with the house-enhanced commercial sour mix and in with an all homemade version. Apparently, this "New Coke" works okay with the "rocks" margaritas, however all but disappears in the frozen version.

We are not the only old-timers to express our concern with this new recipe. Hopefully our pleas will be heard and the people at the top will revert to the original recipe as our friends at Coca-Cola so wisely did.

Dawnville on the Road: Pete's Seaside Cafe, Avila Beach

Before we dive into the description, let me say that I loved Pete's Seaside. So much so that I wanted to order another entree immediately after I finished my lunch. It was that good.

OK, now the story. I heard many good things about Pete's through Chowhound, one of my favorite sites for reliable food recommendations. On our last day in Avila we decided to check it out for lunch.

Pete's is located on the Harford Pier, about a mile along the water from the center of town. The pier is home to working fishing boats, seafood shops and the Olde Port restaurant (good for a scenic drink). It's fun to watch the seals frolic below you and some have even made themselves at home on the lower deck of the pier. Signs warn you that they are not friendly and will indeed attack if provoked. That didn't stop us from going down to take a peek at these massive animals lolling in the afternoon sun.

But back to Pete's. It was early for lunch, about 11:30 am, and the deck outside the restaurant was empty. I peered into the takeout window and saw two guys prepping food and chatting. I asked if they were open and got a yes. Usually, I don't like to eat at empty restaurants, but with nary a negative review from Chowhound I thought we would be okay. The menu is expansive for the side of the place which is little more than a small kitchen, beer tap and register. All eating is done al fresco, either under the corrugated tin makeshift roof or in the sun near the sun. All seats provide a view of the Pacific.

George and Giselle ordered shrimp tacos ($4.50) again. I looked over the specials board and chose the fresh halibut taco plate ($6.50), although I was intrigued by the pescado entero ($10), a 1 lb. whole fried fish. We ordered two New Belgium white beers from the tap and took a seat under cover. As we sat and sipped, traffic started to pick up at the window. Lots of regulars which is always a good sign. Within a few minutes, our name was called and we returned to the window to pick up our order. The friendly cook, whom I overheard being called "Nacho" handed us freshly cooked plates that smelled wonderful. I spooned on a little salsa from the condiment bar and hurried back to the table to dive in.

I don't know what the seasoning was on the halibut, but it matched the fish perfectly, giving the normally bland white fish a depth of flavor that just kept me biting away. The accompanying rice and beans tasted homemade. I managed to steal one bite of the shrimp tacos and they were tasty too. As I ate, I watched the later arrivals retrieve their plates. Next time I will definitely try the enchiladas. They are served with either a traditional or chili verde sauce, two giant enchiladas to a plate with a side of the same rice and beans. I was full, but still thinking about the pescado entero, hoping someone would order it so I could see it. I decided not to overdo it and promised myself a stop at Pete's on my next trip to southern California. It is most definitely worth the detour.

Dawnville on the Road: Avila Beach, Day Two

Nothing compares to waking up by the sea. I know the mountains have their fans, but to me it's no contest. The day dawned warm and without a cloud in the sky. Perfect for our beach day. After breakfast and another visit to Joe Mamma, we staked out our spot for the day, half way between the waves and the swing set to accommodate everyone.

The beach is perfect for strolling or napping. At the northern end, there are great rock formations with action-packed tide pools. The sea anemones fascinated Giselle. In the late afternoon we were rewarded by a performance by a school of dolphins. No matter how many times you see it, it's still an awe-inspiring sight.

Steps away from the beach is the Hula Hut which is a combination gift shop, ice cream parlor and cafe. The staff is friendly and the cafe features daily specials in addition to traditional deli offerings. We selected the Italian sub with chips and the shrimp tacos to carry back to the beach. The sub ingredients were good, spicy salami and sopressata with provolone and an oil and vinegar dressing. The roll was fresh, but not of artisan quality which would have elevated the whole experience. The shrimp tacos were tasty with a kicky chipotle sauce, plus rice and well-seasoned beans on the side. All-in-all a delight.

After a late afternoon dip in the pool, we relaxed on the balcony and prepared for dinner at Giuseppe's in Pismo that evening. To ensure that we didn't suffer the same fate as Sunday night, we planned for a 6:30 meal. We have visited Giuseppe's many times during our visits to the central coast. The restaurant was started many years ago by a Cal Poly student and expanded over the years to include a deli and pizza takeout spot across the street from the original and a new location in San Luis Obispo. We have always enjoyed our meals there and they get an A for consistency. And, the drinks are big and always served properly.

Every meal starts with the house-baked bread served with a slurry of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and parmesan for dipping. Go slow or you will be too full for the large portions to follow. On the appetizer front, we love the antipasto platter which can be a meal in itself. The large plate features salami, prosciutto, provolone, mozzarella, tomatoes, giardiniera, and eggplant. I also enjoy the italian salad which is a simple mix of butter lettuce, red lettuce and gorgonzola dressed with a light vinaigrette.

We always enjoy the pizzas which are cooked in a real wood-burning oven. The crust is the desired mix of crunchy and chewy and the toppings are of high quality. We like the sausage most of all. I also like the tortelloni Giuseppe which has a tomato cream sauce spiked with prosciutto and peas. It's a big carb load, but delicious.

This trip I decided on the eggplant parmesan because it is a favorite of mine and one of the few dishes I'm afraid to tackle at home. Often in California restaurants there is a need to reduce the calorie load in Italian-American dishes, but some things should not be tampered with. Thankfully, Giuseppe's does bread and fry the eggplant, although I must say it did seem lighter than what I'm used to on the east coast, which enabled me to clean the plate. I was recently inspired by an episode of Takedown with Bobby Flay to replicate the eggplant parmesan created by a deli from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. I really wanted to step into the TV and take a bite. Stay tuned for the results. The only weak link is the espresso. It's just a little weak and watery. Somehow we always forget this until after we've ordered dessert. No problems there. Georges and Giselle usually share the tiramisu. I tried the mocha chip semifreddo which was rich and creamy.

I think that any time you're in the Pismo Beach area, Giuseppe's is worth a stop for lunch, dinner or picnic provisions.

Dawnville on the Road: Avila Beach

In search of a respite from the rigors of silicon valley life, we decided to take a brief weekday road trip to Avila Beach. We've often escaped to Shell Beach, and the Dolphin Bay resort, in the past. On our last trip, we took a detour to the Avila Valley Barn so that Giselle could take in the petting zoo and I could sample the baked goods. We ventured into the town and were struck by how perfect it seemed for a family weekend. There was a sunny yellow hotel on the corner with a pirate-themed park on one side and the ocean directly in front. In fact the whole town seemed like a postcard of a Disney version of a small California seaside town. I noted the hotel's name, Avila Lighthouse Suites and filed it for later.

Travelers may be the only people benefitting from the current economic decline. With gas prices remaining well below $3 per gallon, and even luxury hotels competing for your dollars, it's a great time for a short getaway. After checking the forecast for a few of our favorites, it seemed that the San Luis Obispo area was going to be the warmest, sunniest locale for our trip. I searched the usual suspects, Expedia and Orbitz, before checking out the hotel's own website. I found a couple of packages that had more than we really needed as well as some AAA rates. I entered our dates in the reservations system and was presented with several choices including parkview, partial ocean view and full ocean view rates, with either one king or two queen beds ranging from $139 to $169. Then, I noticed a small link that said "Promotional Rates." Of course I clicked it and was rewarded with a super special of 20% off a two-night stay. That brought the price of the lowest priced room to a very reasonable $103 per night. We decided to go for the full ocean view for $119.

Avila Beach is an easy three-hour drive down Highway 101 from the bay area. Along the way, there are plenty of pit stops including outlets in Gilroy (Le Creuset cookware) and wine tasting in Paso Robles. Just past San Luis Obispo, you'll see the turnoff for Avila Beach Drive and be instantly transported to a winding country road. Soon, you'll pass the aforementioned Avila Valley Barn. It's a working farm and a fun stop for the whole family. There's the petting zoo, a candy shop, dairy bar with homemade ice cream and of course, the homemade scones, pies and breads.

Avila Beach Drive dead ends into Front Street, the oceanfront main drag in the town of 1,000 residents. The Avila Lighthouse Suites occupies a beautiful block with it's two-story, vaguely New England buildings in yellow and blue. Every suite features a patio or balcony with two comfy chairs and a table. The complex encircles a wind-shielded pool and spa, a mini putting green, life-size chess set and ping-pong tables. Giselle could not believe her good fortune, a pool and the ocean!

The Master Suites are 550 sf of well laid-out space which is scrupulously clean. You enter a small living room with a desk, armoir with the first of two 32" Philips TVs, microwave and a small refrigerator. On the way to the bedroom, you pass the spacious bathroom with soaker tub/shower combo and double sinks. There's a large closet and handy hooks in the hallway for stowing all your beach gear. The bedroom is spacious too, even with two queen beds. There's also a table and two chairs that would work for snacks or as extra desk space. Most of all though, is the view to the gentle waters of Avila's namesake beach. We can see the Avila Pier which reaches out right in front of the hotel as well as San Luis Pier which has fish right off the boat and a casual fish take-out, Pete's Pierside that comes highly recommended.

Avila Lighthouse Suites also includes a souped-up continental breakfast in the daily rate. If you keep your expectations reasonable, you can find something you like from the selection of packaged oatmeal, boiled eggs, cold cereal, bagels, yogurt, and the kid-pleasing make-it-yourself waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. Just down the street is Joe Mamma, a local-owned, fair trade coffee shop if you're in need of an espresso fix.

We had lunch the first day at The Custom House which overlooks Front Street and the beach. The restaurant is spacious and has a big comfortable bar. We enjoyed our lunch or mahi-mahi fish and chips and shrimp quesadillas. The bloody mary was spicy and delicious. However, I must admit that I was seized by a bit of stomach distress within a half-hour of our meal. In fairness to the Custom House, Georges and Giselle were fine.

That first night, we were lulled by the calming ocean sounds and did not get up in time to get dinner. It was a Sunday night, but be forewarned that Avila Beach is a bit of a sleepy destination so late-night dining options are few. Luckily, I had packed proscuitto, olives and cambozola with our wine, so we had an impromptu in-room picnic to go with our treasures from the hotel vending machine. Do not underestimate the pairing of chardonnay with Doritos and strawberry pop-tarts. :)

After a day of driving and fun in the sun, we turned in early. Eager for a full day on the beach on Monday.

Dawnville Rant: Chicken Salad Gone Wrong

From time to time, I will use this blog as a place to express my dismay with certain issues related to the food industry.  Today's rant centers around the adulteration of classic foods for no good reason.  Picture me at lunchtime, already starving due to noon meeting.  I decided to forego my usual salad bar at De la Cruz Deli (near McAfee headquarters in Santa Clara) in favor of a chicken salad sandwich.  They're a favorite of mine, but due to calorie counting I usually avoid them.  But I deserved a treat, I thought.  Well it turned out to be a trick.  

First of all, who puts thigh meat in chicken salad?   Chicken salad should have white-meat only. I am not opposed to other additions like curry and apples and nuts.  I've even had a pineapple and almond version that really surprised me.  However, this version was so overwhelmed by thyme, and big chunks of dark meat that I couldn't eat it. I don't like to waste food, especially in these times, but it just wasn't good.  I had to throw it away.   The moral of the story is don't mess with a classic--unless you can improve it.

That said, if you are in the market for a classic, Beli Deli in Belmont, California has an excellent chicken salad sandwich as well as delicious deviled eggs.  

Lunch at Mayfield Bakery Cafe

Well, I told you I would get back to Mayfield to sample the wares beyond the bakery, which I love.  On this sunny Tuesday, we had the opportunity to go for lunch.  We had hoped to sit on the patio, but the shade made that a daunting prospect.  Once inside, the restaurant is handsome, with counter seating on the left side and on the right a combination of a long, brown leather banquette and tables at the windowside.  The space is light and airy with white-painted exposed beams and big windows all around. 

We entered, and waited for recognition from a hostess.  A girl that I presumed to hold that position was very involved with rearranging the menus.  A waiter or busser asked if we needed a table.  We replied yes, and then he tried to get some action out of the aforementioned hostess.  Still a bit flummoxed, she passed us off to another hostess who was able to seat us. Once settled at our table, which had white linens covered with brown paper, we took a look at the menus.  Our server came over quickly and we ordered drinks--an Arnold Palmer for Giselle and a Niner Barbera for us.  There was a good selection of salads, sandwiches and entrees including a dorado with green garlic that intrigued me, but I really wasn't in a fish frame of mind.

I settled on the Cobb Salad, which the server explained was 'deconstructed.'  I wasn't too concerned.  I figured that as long as it had all the essentials I could reconstruct it to my liking. Georges ordered the bavette steak sandwich on sourdough with blue cheese and tapenade on sliced sourdough. Miss G decided on the gruyere cheeseburger off the kids menu.  

After ordering we were presented with warm pull-apart rolls and a ramekin of sweet, creamy butter.  Like all products of the bakery, these rolls were delicious.  Crisp on the outside and airy within.  Yum.  As we sipped our wine and waited, we were able to sneak peeks at the other plates.  The turkey and gruyere sandwich on brioche was popular.  It was served with a small green salad.  Another repeat order was the rigatoni which featured three large meatballs and a homemade tomato sauce.  The pizza, pepperoni with yellow peppers and red onion, looked good.  The crust had a proper char and blistering.  I didn't to check out the oven, so I'm not sure if it was wood-fired or gas.  

After whetting our appetites with table-snooping, we were pleased when our food arrived.  My cobb salad featured a roasted chicken thigh, breast and drumstick that was well-seasoned. Completing the plate were bite-sized pieces of thick-sliced bacon, sliced avocado and lightly dressed butter lettuce sprinkled with blue cheese.  I prefer a creamy blue cheese dressing on my cobb salad but that's a personal quirk.  Mayfield's version was light and satisfying.  

George enjoyed the flavors of his steak sandwich, although he felt it was unevenly cooked--nearly rare in some sections and the requested medium rare in others.  Overall though, the dish had good flavors.  Giselle's burger was a little dry, but tasty.  I am not sure if that's because it was cooked through because it was a child's dish or someone was a little lax at the grill.  The accompanying pommes frite were crisp and salty.  

We could not resist the apple crostata with vanilla bean ice cream and we were not disappointed.  I was happy that Giselle was not interested because it left more for me.  The crust was flaky and tender.  While not a baker by an estimation, I am extremely (irrationally?) critical of pie crust.  Done right, I often enjoy the crust more than the filling.  So I was excited by Mayfield's efforts.  I'm going to again give credit to magic elves in the bakery.  They are serious about their craft.  And, the apples were cooked perfectly, yielding to the fork, but not mushy.  And the ice cream was creamy and luscious with an assertive (in a good way) vanilla bean flavor.  A perfect ending to our lunch.

My overall experience Mayfield is positive, with a gold star to the pastry chef.  I think the restaurant is still finding its footing and given the attention to detail, I believe they will succeed.  Sometimes it takes a while to figure out your neighborhood, and Town & Country is an odd mixture of Stanford students and staff, techies, moms and tots, and ladies who lunch. That's a wide swath to cover.  I expect to see adjustments in the coming months as they fine tune the concept.  That said, Mayfield is a welcome addition to Palo Alto and we'll be back.

La Tiendita: Little Store with Big Flavor

Tucked away on a side street in the shadows of the Four Seasons Silicon Valley, lies La Tiendita, a combination mini-market/butcher shop and the home of Sancho's Taqueria.  If you want authentic Mexican flavors with top-quality, fresh ingredients, stop by for lunch the next time you're exiting the 101 freeway at University Avenue on your way to downtown Palo Alto.  

La Tiendita's unassuming exterior belies the wonders within.  Recently they added some nice chrome tables and chairs for those who can't wait to eat their meal.  However, the parking lot and adjacent liquor store do not provide the most scenic dining environment, so my recommendation would be to take your food to go.  Inside, the spotless establishment contains a small produce section, neatly arranged shelves of Mexican grocery items, and a pristine meat counter that displays Mexican cuts of meat, seafood selections and fresh Mexican cheeses.  The prices reflect the neighborhood the market serves and I would recommend buying your arrachera or other meats here.  

For me though, the star of the show is the taqueria.  Everything (except the chips) is cooked to order and you can taste the difference.  There's a limited but varied menu that covers the taqueria basics including tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos.   All orders are served with a bag of house-made chips and a container of green and red salsa.  They're both spicy.  There are also some creative touches that reflect the owner's previous stints at four-star restaurants like the Village Pub in Woodside, Calif.  

For example, the grilled vegetable quesadilla, is chock-full of zucchini, onions, peppers and eggplant.  The smokiness of the vegetables and the gooey richness of the cheese combine to make a wholly satisfying vegetarian meal.  I also love the carne asada torta.  Tortas are kind of a Mexican muffaletta, served on a round roll with meat cheese and other fixings.  I love the carne asada because the quality of the meat shines through.  You can watch the meat being grilled and then chopped on the flat top for your order.  The piping hot meat, is the perfect foil for the cool lettuce, housemade guacamole and Mexican crema.  Beware, this juicy sandwich will inevitably squish out the side, so get plenty of napkins and watch your clothes.  

One of the stars of the menu is the fish taco.  At $3.95, the price may seem hefty, but the taco is piled with three or four pieces of freshly fried fish and topped with a creamy, spicy chipotle sauce and chopped lettuce.  One is enough for all but the heartiest appetites.  Try one and you will be addicted.  As I mentioned, all the food is prepared to order, so while you wait, browse the grocery aisles.  You might find a tasty treat to top off your meal. The refrigerated case near the counter has homemade rice pudding and there is also a selection of candy that they seem to carve off by the chunk.  

Bottom line:  If you're in the area, take a detour to La Tiendita.  It's delicious and easy on the wallet. 

Note: I've heard that they are opening a new location in downtown Palo Alto.  I'll update you when I know more.

The Details:

La Tiendita

510 O'Connor Street

East Palo Alto, CA 94303

650-853-0724