Dry Creek Station – Diner Prices, Steakhouse Quality

Femme de Joie arrived late to the Dry Creek Station party. She had heard of it but had always assumed it was a sort of roadhouse-cum-greasy spoon with nothing much to justify the drive out east of Redding. Nothing against roadhouses or Ye Olde Greasy Spoon; it's just that she'd prefer the roadhouse to be within crawling distance of home, and there are plenty of greasy spoons to go around.

It was the fire just two years ago that alerted her that it might have something worth the drive - if people were in such a swivet over losing it, Dry Creek Creek station must have had something to recommend it besides cheap beer. So M. de Joie cannot join the chorus of yayers/nayers over whether it was better before the fire. That's like arguing over whether Joe Montana's retirement spelled the end of the 49ers: it doesn't matter now. Let us see what we have today.

Whatever the inside looked like before probably bears no resemblance to the decor today. When you enter off the front porch, the pleasant-looking bar is to the right. The dining rooms (of which there are three large spaces) look rather like an ordinary coffee shop with ordinary wooden tables and chairs, some faux-stone, a surfeit of bear paintings and bear hanging wall plaques, industrial carpeting and lighting.

Amico del Signore and M. de Joie made the drive - not all that far, really - for breakfast. It was crowded on a Saturday morning and service was friendly, if a bit harried and scattered. Getting a coffee refill took time.



8-ounce fresh chicken fried steak and eggs, $7.50

Fresh chicken fried steak is what the menu said, and that is what it was. It looked like any other CFS but was by far the best we had ever tasted. The steak actually was fresh - not pre-breaded product made in Minnesota and shipped across the country - and covered with a luscious sausage country gravy. Tender and actually tasting of beef instead of Mystery Meat, this was a winner.



Dry Creek Breakfast Burrito, $6.50
It was probably unfair to have this burrito at the same table as the Chicken Fried Steak. It was filled with eggs, sausage, potatoes, onions, cheese, and topped with the same country gravy as the steak, and was quite good on its own, but M. de Joie kept sneaking bites of the CFS instead. Not that the burrito was bad - it wasn't; it was all the savory breakfast items rolled up into one neat package. But the CFS was better.

On a late afternoon in midweek, we headed to Dry Creek Station for dinner. Arriving about 5:15 PM, the parking lot was already half full. We stood in the doorway uncertainly for several minutes until a waitress emerged from the back to lead us to a table. Presently she came around and took our drink orders - one margarita ($5.00) and one tall (24 ounce) Bud Light ($4.00), which were brought quite promptly to the table.

Despite the steakhouse name, Dry Creek Station has fish, salad, and pastas on the menu, as well as inexpensive ($4.50) desserts. There's a wine list but it isn't automatically brought to the table - it's standard pours (Robert Mondavi, Rodney Strong).



All dinners come with a salad. This was bagged salad mix that was actually quite fresh (not always the case) with a little cup of dressing.



All-you-can-eat barbecued ribs, $12.95, including choice of potato and bread.
We do miss the old Hatch Cover and their occasional special of BBQ beef ribs, but Dry Creek Station's ribs have put that longing to rest. Slathered with a dark BBQ sauce, very meaty and tender ribs fell off the bone at the slightest prodding. A second plate of ribs was brought at our request. A. del Signore said these were easily the best beef ribs he'd had in a restaurant.



16-ounce prime rib with Au Jus, $14.95
This may have actually been more than a pound of prime rib. The crusty exterior had a strong salt-rub taste and the interior was cooked exactly to order. Mashed potatoes were creamy and house-made, with more of that country gravy. A thimble-sized container of horseradish proved to be explosively hot so it was more than ample. The odd little slice of grilled bread on the plate was pretty tasteless but did soak up some of the au jus.

Understand that this is not a steakhouse on the level of, say, Morton's of Chicago, or Ruth's Chris, or the House of Prime Rib. You might stand around waiting for someone to notice you before seating you - no hostess. There's no complimentary bread basket. Salads, though tasty, are minuscule. The forks and knives are just one step up from plastic picnic ware - Femme de Joie's fork actually bent as she attempted to detach a sliver of gristle with the cheapest steak knife on the planet. And it's LOUD - by 6:30 we were leaning across the table to yell to each other.

But the food is good, portions are generous, and prices are extremely reasonable. Service is friendly, though they could use another server on the floor. This is a solid local place with loyal clientele who pack it every night, so get here early.

Dry Creek Station, 22025 Highway 299 East (9 miles east of Redding), Bella Vista, CA 96008. 530-549-5386 or 530-779-0098. Open for breakfast Monday-Friday, 7 AM - 11 AM and Saturday-Sunday from 8 AM - 12 noon. Open for dinner daily, 5 PM - 9 PM. Cards and cash; no checks. Parking lot on-site. Vegetarian options. Full bar. Website and sample menu at http://drycreekstationhouseofsteaks.com/

Brick’s Brings Barbecue to Redding

The first time Femme de Joie dined at Brick's, back when it was on Placer Street (in the tiny building now occupied by the wildly popular Wilda's), she was underwhelmed. She and Amico del Signore ordered sandwiches (the exact contents now forgotten) which arrived slathered in a sweet red barbecue sauce that completely obliterated any smoke or grill taste. It could have been terry-cloth in those rolls; we wouldn't have been able to tell. Privately we vowed to never return.

But years went by. Brick's prospered and moved to a bigger location. The disappointing pain of those first sauce sandwiches eased. And eventually Brick's was given a second chance to redeem themselves. Breakfast seemed like a good place to start, so one Saturday morning we hied ourselves to Eureka Way to try it out.

If there is a Redding restaurant with a more poorly designed parking lot than Brick's, M. de Joie would be afraid to attempt parking in there. It isn't Brick's fault;' this lot has been like this for a number of years. It's as though the inventor of the Tilt-a-Whirl decided to transfer the concept of an amusement park ride to paving.

There have been several restaurants in this spot. If memory serves, there was the Donut Wheel, the ill-fated Avocado's, La Gondola (sorely missed), and possibly a couple of others. The current interior arrangement isn't fancy - wooden tables and chairs, a small beer bar in the back, a salad bar.



Tri-tip and eggs, $9.89.

Tri-tip is one of those cuts of meat that everyone professes to love, but is nearly always dessicated and rendered flavorless by well-meaning cooks. This, however, was luscious and tender, with smoke rings around the edges. House-made hash browns were similarly well-executed - crunchy exterior and creamy interior.



Chicken-fried steak and eggs, $10.89

We debated whether this chicken-fried steak was better than the one served at Dry Creek Station. While we didn't come to a definitive conclusion, we agreed it was equal. The steak still had some pinkness in the center and was quite juicy - a rarity for CFS. M. de Joie has never cared much for country potatoes/home fries in restaurants because they always seem to have an off taste, but these were delicious, crisp without being burned, and without that old-oil taste.



Grits, $2.89

Is there another place in Shasta County serving grits? They aren't everyone's cup of tea, but it's worth ordering a small cupful and trying them with butter, a squeeze of honey, or using them to mop up egg yolk. These were al dente, as Joe Pesci prefers.



Southwest chicken Reuben, $7.99

Brick's serves an interesting variation on the standard Reuben, substituting smoked shredded chicken for corned beef. It made for a messy, drippy, and delectable sandwich, the smoky chicken holding its own with the other ingredients. The swirled rye bread didn't hold up so well and finally collapsed.



Hot link sandwich, $7.99

Femme de Joie does enjoy food that's fiery enough to make her reach for the Tums. The hot link sandwich at Brick's did just that, but it was worth it. A combination of sliced Andouille and Louisiana hot links, this might be a bit too spicy for some people. It is hot, as the name implies, and a bit on the greasy side, but the piquant seasonings make this more than just one-note hot.

Both sandwiches came with waffle-cut fries, which added support to M. de Joie's theory that any French fried potatoes which are sliced in fancy shapes will always be inferior to fries sliced in the usual wedges or finger strips.



Spicy mac and cheese, $2.99

We both liked the creamy shell mac and cheese - not overcooked or dry, it did have a little heat but wasn't so hot that the kids would reject it out of hand.



Coleslaw, $1.59

One the other hand, M. de Joie wasn't crazy about the coleslaw, which was less than crunchy. With a non-sweet mustardy dressing, it would have been better served on a sandwich as a relish rather than as a side dish.

Overall, Femme de Joie likes Brick's and is glad she gave them a second and third chance. The atmosphere is casual and service is friendly, if a little on the slow side at times. And they get huge Brownie points for serving Guinness and Newcastle Brown Ale on tap. It's a good locally owned and operated place on Redding's West Side, an area that could use some more decent restaurants. Rather than stop at that chain burger hatchery across the street, give Brick's a try (they serve burgers too).

Brick's Smokehouse BBQ & Grill, 1970 Eureka Way, Redding, CA 96001. 530-245-9158. Fax 530-245-9163. Open Monday-Friday, 10 AM - 11 PM; Saturday & Sunday open 6 AM for breakfast. Beer and wine. Vegetarian options. Cash, cards; no checks. On-site parking lot from hell or park on the street. Website at http://bricksbbq.com/index.php/home

Beets and Chicken Feet in the City

www.walkscore.com recently rated San Francisco as the second most walkable city in the US, and indeed, a car is largely an expensive impediment for an enterprising tourist. Put on a decent pair of shoes or fill up a Clipper Card, and suddenly The City by the Bay is your oyster instead of a nightmare of one-way streets and shockingly-priced parking. And from Femme de Joie's point of view, a big bonus is that on foot, you'll find some culinary treats you'd otherwise drive right by.

A food blogger named Chili Bill steered M. de Joie and Amico del Signore to Rhea's Deli in the Mission District. It doesn't look particularly enticing from the street - basically a convenience store with liquor and a small sandwich counter. You'd never know that Rhea's makes sandwiches so good it'll bring tears to your eyes, and not just from the spicy sauces.



Korean Steak Sandwich

Marinated rib-eye in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey & spices served on Acme organic roll, choice of cheese, chili garlic sauce, house pickled red onions & Jalapenos, grilled onions, fresh red onions, iceberg lettuce & garlic aioli, $8.45

You might think with this many ingredients that this would be a muddled mess of tastes, but au contraire, mon frere, this is one of the most creative combinations on an Acme roll out there. Each ingredient is fresh (all sandwiches are made to order and you'd better be prepared to stand in line) and adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the whole. Just when the spicy rib steak and Jalapenos start to overwhelm you, the watery crunch of iceberg lettuce cools off the palate. Grilled and fresh onions contrast in texture and sweet/hot flavors. The whole thing is held together on an Acme roll - any ordinary supermarket sandwich roll would fall apart long before the final bite.



19th Street

Boar's Head medium rare roast beef, Vermont cheddar, pepper jack, avocado, champagne vinegar pickled jalapenos, tomatoes, pickles, baby arugula, garlic aioli, Boar's Head Delicatessen Mustard served on Acme organic sweet roll, $7.95

For another kind of kick, this roast-beef-and-cheddar looks and sounds like an ordinary cold submarine. But the roasty taste of arugula and buttery-textured avocado, plus those elegant champagne vinegar pickled Jalapenos, send this sandwich off in a much more sophisticated direction than you can get at a chain sandwich shop.

The counterman advised us that although they didn't serve beer, we could get one from the cold case and drink it with our lunch, provided we kept it wrapped in a brown paper bag (we stuck with non-alcoholic drinks, but that's good to know for future reference). Also for future reference, Rhea may soon be opening a second location at 20th and Brannan.

As we wandered up Market near Castro, we came across a space-age carnival barker who proclaimed that FREE FOOD was being given away nearby. Rhea's was still sticking to our ribs but we don't turn down free food.



It turned out to the the Dos Equis Mobile Food Academy Food Truck, who were serving up samples of Filipino food .



Itlog na Maalat - pickled duck egg with fresh heirloom tomato and salad



Adidas - Braised chicken feet, with lime and rice

The pickled duck egg tasted like a salty hard-boiled egg (from a duck that had been fed a controlled diet - no fish) and was on a sweetly-dressed tomato. We asked what chicken feet tasted like; the counterman said, "Like really, really fatty bacon." Seeing nothing at all wrong with that, we gave it a try, and found that to be accurate. Chicken bacon. The bones and toenails were removed, making it essentially a gluttonous pile of fatty smoky meat, with lime to cut the richness. Chicken foot bacon: the next big thing in breakfast foods.

Late in the afternoon, the dogs were starting to bark and we needed a place to sit down and recoup. That was when we stumbled into Pause Wine Bar - which at that moment was active as a pop-up juice bar, operated by Sow SF. A glass of juice seemed like a wiser choice at that moment than a drink, so we ordered a red juice and an orange juice (there is also a green juice).



Carrots, oranges, bell peppers and ginger



Beets, carrots, oranges, apples and ginger

Both juices were mildly but not cloyingly sweet, with each ingredient's distinct taste shining through. Not just a glass of juice, as owners Luisa and Derek explained, but a complex blending of compatible flavors from locally sourced organic and heirloom produce. Naturally, this kind of quality isn't cheap: each 8-ounce glass cost $7.00. But to put this in perspective: a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice from a place like the Brown Bruin will set you back that much - or, for that matter, a glass of wine at Pulse, had we opted for that.

No matter whether you're staying at Fisherman's Wharf or CouchSurfing, there's a lot of food to be discovered in San Francisco, but leave the car parked and save your money and sanity.

Rhea's Deli, 800 Valencia at 19th, San Francisco. (415) 282-5255 Open daily 11:30 AM - 5:00 PM. About six seats. Take BART to 16th Street or 24th Street, or Muni 14, 14L, 33, or 49. Menu here.

Dos Equis Mobile Food Academy Food Truck: Hapa Sf actually cooked the food, so see http://hapasf.com/ or like them on Facebook. Phone 650-483-5468.

http://www.mostinterestingacademy.com/ for details about Dos Equis Mobile Food Truck and a lot more.

Sow SF, currently operating a pop-up juice bar on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays at Pause Wine Bar, 1666 Market Street at Gough, San Francisco. (415) 637-7343

See http://sowsf.com/ or like them on Facebook.

BART Van Ness Station, or Muni 6, 9, 9L, 47, 49, 71, 71L, F.