Category Archives: Restaurants & Reviews

Little Louie’s in Point Richmond

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Prime rib sammie at Little Louie's in Point Richmond

Grilled prime rib panini at Little Louie’s in Point Richmond

Matt and I drove over to Point Richmond a couple of weeks ago to take some photographs.  It’s an interesting area with some nice old houses and storefronts – a hidden gem.  According to the Point Richmond History Association, Point Richmond was once an island on San Francisco Bay and the birthplace of the city of Richmond.  Point Richmond is now a Richmond neighborhood and considered its “old town.”

If you spend a little time walking its hilly streets looking at Victorian and Craftsman-style homes, you’ll have no problem grabbing a bite when you’re done.  Since we like delis, and think there are not enough of them in the Bay Area, we almost always go to Little Louie’s (49 Washington Avenue).  Now, if you’re from a place like New York (like us) or Chicago or even LA, you won’t consider this a “real” deli, rather a good Cali-style fancified kind of deli/casual eating establishment where you can get decent sandwiches.

Grilled chix panini at Little Louie's in Point Richmond

Grilled chix panini at Little Louie’s in Point Richmond

Little Louie’s is a comfy place where you order at the deli counter and your food is brought to the dining area in the back room.  Matt and I opted for panini – one prime rib and one chicken – and a Caesar salad.

The Caesar salad ($5.95) was a nice big bowlful of fresh romaine tossed with the customary trimmings with dressing on the side.  It was the perfect thing for us to split with the sammies.

My prime rib panini ($9.25) was very good. and not over-grilled.  I give them credit for serving this, because you have to strike a balance with prime rib that’s not cooked to order.  Too much grilling and you’ll wind up with overcooked meat – too little and the fat will not have softened sufficiently to get good flavor and mouthfeel.  This is exactly why I buy a prime rib at Christmas that is about the right size for one meal – it’s just not the same as a left-over.  My still-pink slice of meat, of a sufficient size, was topped with melted cheddar and sauteed onions and served on a high-quality sourdough roll, most likely from Semifreddi’s.  It was served with beef jus for dipping, a pickle spear and a couple pepperoncini.

The chicken panini ($8.50), served on a ciabatta roll with spinach, tomato and jack cheese, arrived naked on the plate – no pickle, no nothing, but was tasty.  It could have used a few more minutes on the panini maker, but other than that, there were no complaints.  I can’t say it was as good as the prime rib sandwich, though.

If you’re in the area I suggest you give this place a try.  They’re very nice there, and have an extensive menu, including numerous breakfast items (they actually serve a full breakfast) and carry  the whole nine yards falling under the category of “coffee and” if you don’t want a full meal.  Burgers, sausages, bagels – it’s all there.  They open at 6:00 a.m. during the week and 7:00 a.m. on weekends, but be sure to check their hours because they are open for breakfast and an extended lunch only.

Tomate Cafe in Berkeley

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Side potatoes from Tomate Cafe in Berkeley in 2009

‘Bakers Mash Potatoes’ at Tomate Cafe in Berkeley (12/09)

We really, really wanted to love Tomate Cafe (2265 5th Street, Berkeley).  It’s a cute little place tucked into Berkeley’s industrial area, food-wise something on the order of a Jimmy Beans or Meal Ticket.  They’ve got lots of veggie and vegan options – plenty of organic stuff – and refer to what they offer as “creative, non-traditional American cuisine.”  When looking for parking near Vik’s, I would notice this place while circling around, and was looking forward to giving it a try.  Matt and I were finally able to stop in for lunch during the holidays.

It wasn’t that the whole experience was negative, but two key elements were a problem.  First off, we were overcharged significantly, as in the person behind the counter adding an extra $50 to the bill.  Luckily, the manager caught it and took care of it for us.  OK, mistakes happen, and I don’t really hold this against them, but at no time did the person who made the error say, “I apologize.”  The manager just kept saying something like, “…mistakes happen.”

We each ordered a tuna melt ($7.25), which were pretty good, I must say, particularly the bread, which had a nice crunchy texture.  The tuna salad was flavorful, and there was some red onion, tomato and sprouts, too.  There was sufficient filling, and everything on the sammie melded nicely.  Matt had a green salad and I had the potato salad, which was, well, nothing to write home about, but I find this to be true of most cold, mayo/creamy dressing-based potato salads.  This one was no more or less a heavy mass than others I’ve come across, but it also lacked flavor.  Maybe if they cut their potatoes into smaller pieces it would help, but they seem to not want to break down their potatoes much, which leads me to the main irritant of our meal:  the side order of “Bakers Mash Potatoes” ($2.00).  What we got was a plate with three smallish potatoes that looked as though they were cooked whole (I guess they were baked, from the name) and then smashed down on a grill and left there for a very short period of time, given their lack of crust or color.  They were served with a small quantity of sour cream on top.

I looked at the server (not really a server – you order at counter and then someone brings you your food) as if she had just brought us out a plate of sawdust.  “That’s the potatoes?  They look like crushed whole potatoes and there’s hardly any sour cream,” said I.  She said, “Yes, that’s the way we make them, and you should know that these potatoes are served with the breakfasts.”  Good to know.

While we were eating, another diner ordered the potatoes and also gave them a perplexed look when they arrived.  She asked the same server for “something” to put on them, like a sauce.  The server offered pesto, which seemed agreeable.  When the server passed by our table, I asked her if she had something to put on our potatoes (I don’t think she knew we were wise to the other diner and the pesto), and she said, “no.”  She told me she would take them back and give us something else, but by then we were pretty annoyed and told her we’d take them home and use them to cook.

I’m still wondering if they normally crisp their potatoes up on the grill, which would make all the difference, but at no point did the server indicate this.  Until I get to the bottom of it, I’ll stick with the tuna melt and salad!

'Classic Tuna Melt' at Tomate Cafe in Berkeley (12/09)

‘Classic Tuna Melt’ at Tomate Cafe in Berkeley (12/09)

San Pablo Lytton casino grub

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My Mother-in-law, Elaine, is here visiting from Delray Beach, Florida, which means a trip to Reno – and any other casinos that are handy – with my mother, Renate, Sr. 

They came back with a story the other day about some sort of buffet lunch at the San Pablo Lytton Casino (13255 San Pablo Avenue, San Pablo) based on a sign they supposedly saw on the way back from somewhere else.  I was a little skeptical because I know the restaurant set-up there, but, what the heck, Matt and I decided to drive over and meet them for lunch.

After a parking nightmare we made our way in and to the restaurant – which has no buffet.  We located the two of them at slot machines and decided to eat there anywhere – in the casual dining/coffee shop part, as I recalled having had dinner at the fine dining restarant there a few years ago and it being just fine and figuring the rest of the food is probably OK, too. 

I questioned their information about the buffet, and got back something sketchy from them about a sign saying, “Lunch for $7.99,” and their assuming that, since it was a casino, it “has to mean buffet.” 

I’m actually glad they kept the casual dining part as-is, because it’s pretty good.  They have many, many choices, including a couple of oddballs (for a casino coffee shop, anyway), like “oxtail over rice,” and there is a Chinese theme here – in keeping with a large portion of the casino’s clientele.  There are all kinds of sandwiches, fried chicken, burgers, fried catfish and chips, steak, calamari, and almost anything else you’d want.  The prices for most things are quite decent, which makes sense, though be aware that the fine dining option, The Broiler, is pricey.  In my opinion they should be running their entire food service operation as a loss-leader; there are not many regular diners near the casino, and I think they could rope more people into the place by making all of the food a bargain.

Our table of four ordered two BLT’s with avocado ($6.75), one catfish with chips ($7.25), a “Big Bucks Deluxe” burger ($6.95), an iced tea ($1.75) and two coffees ($1.25). 

Everything was fresh and appetizing looking and the service was great.  The BLT’s had plenty of ripe avo and enough bacon to satisfy her nibs (Renate, Sr.), though both mothers said they like their bacon less crispy.  Well, the time to say something about that is when the order is placed.  Matt’s catfish was a side fillet that looked like it had a cornmeal crust, and I guess it was pretty good because he chomped it down.  My burger was nice and hot (everything that was supposed to be hot was hot) and cooked rare, as requested.  It tasted like decent ground meat, and had some fried onions along with the usual toppings.  All the sides of fries were fine, and the coleslaw that came with the fish was very good, tasting as though the dressing was something on the order of a Chinese chicken salad dressing.

My mother was very pleased about the coffee being $1.25; she keeps complaining about the price of a regular cup of coffee in the Bay Area.  They make a good cup of coffee, by the way, and the ice tea is fresh-brewed.

The people in the place are very nice and were happy to accommodate my requests for special things, like a side of ranch dressing for my fries. 

It’s seems odd in that you are eating in an open area near the slots, but the air is well-filtered of cigarette smoke and it’s kind of a hoot, really, to have a bite in there.

Albany Bowl’s restaurant

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Entrance to Albany Bowl in Albany, California

I admit it:  I love to bowl.  I hold the key to locker #1 at Albany Bowl (540 San Pablo Avenue), the bowling alley in Albany, California, a city with only about 17,000 people but boasting both a pool and a bowling alley, for crying out loud.

They keep it nice in there.  It’s sparkling clean but still has that retro feel, what with all the black and white photos of famous visitors, a dark, secluded bar, pool tables and a pro shop.  Patrons include various league members there to practice, and kids from the Albany school system walked over in groups.  While there are video games for teens who use the Bowl as a hang-out, it never gets out of control because management keeps a lid on it.

Since I had to go renew my locker for another year, Matt and I thought we’d have something to eat at the cafe, which serves Thai food in addition to the usual suspects, like burgers and cheese fries. There’s a counter and a half-dozen or so tables, and you order from a board behind the counter.  Honest to God, you can get a very decent pad Thai at Albany Bowl for $7.50.  There are ample shrimp and tofu cubes in this large, hot portion of noodles served with a slice of lime on the side and ground peanuts on top.  Matthew ordered the cheesesteak for $6.95, which had plenty of meat, cheese, and, I think, green peppers and onions, but he got mad when I wanted all the details so I left it alone.  His sammie came with criss-cut fries, which was a nice touch.  We also shared a fried calamari for $6.75, served with sweet/hot sauce.  It was all strips (no tentacles) but nice, thick, non-uniform pieces that were not overcooked and not greasy.

Fried calamari at Albany Bowl in Albany, CA

The food here is cooked to order and handed to you right out of the tiny kitchen, so you can’t go wrong, and the proprieters of this little diner are super-friendly, too.  If I were you, I’d check it out and bowl a couple games, too.

Albany Bowl is a remnant of a mostly-lost world, where cocktails, Brunswick machines and Formica tables still happily coexist.  While the smoking part of the equation is no longer allowed, they do have free wi-fi.

Lunch at Berkeley Bowl West

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Matthew at Berkeley Bowl West cafe

Berkeley Bowl West (920 Heinz, Berkeley) is a good place to have lunch, but we like to buy stuff in the market and bring it into the cafe, rather than buy cafe food.  The eating space is much nicer here than at the Shattuck location, because it’s in another building and you don’t have the hustle and bustle of shoppers all around you as you eat – though it does get crowded at lunch.

So far we have not been thrilled with the cafe food, but they may just need some time to work out kinks.  My Mom had a Cuban sandwich there a couple weeks ago that was so skimpy and cold (they never pressed or grilled the thing) I though she was going to have a conniption.  I dragged her back there when Matt and I went so she could see the kinds of things we select.

Here are the things we like:

1)  The store-made sushi, in particular the spicy tuna roll.
2)  The egg salad at the deli, which Matthew loves.  We get a container and then select a couple of rolls from the bread department to go with it.
3)  The turkey meatloaf from the deli counter.  The texture is gluey, but I like this stuff.  I swear there is the flavor of liver in there.  Despite the fact that many people in the food business never order meatloaf from anywhere (you never know what evils lurk in a product that is ground and formed), I get it here.
4)  The Chinese food at the hot food counter.  You can’t go wrong, for the most part.  The potstickers are pretty good.
5)  The pecan roll.  At a buck fifty, I can’t believe they even make money on this thing given the volume of pecans on top.  They can be had at the pastry counter and are usually in the cafe, too.
6)  A little piece of cheese from the cheese counter.  (This is another place the rolls come in into play…)

Take your goodies across the little divide to the cafe, grab some utensils and napkins and set up shop.  You may purchase a beverage, but we usually just have water.

Oh, before I forget:  the house-made potato chips at the cafe are to die for.  Even my Mom had to admit this.