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The blue cinder-block building on South Market Street that now houses Rose Garden was once home to a liquor store (name long forgotten), then an Asian market, then a series of restaurants including The Experience (which came and went before Femme de Joie had a chance to experience it) and a couple of Thai cafes of varying quality and longevity. Most recently Kanya Garden occupied that spot; it has hosted Rose Garden for some months now.

The Good:

The interior is bright and cheerful with a fresh coat of paint and good lighting. Service is fast and attentive with cheerful waitstaff. Prices are fair for the portion sizes.

The Food:



Yum Nam Tok, $6.95

Grilled beef with vegetables on a bed of iceberg lettuce was coated with what the menu calls "a house spicy cilantro lime sauce." The lime was up front and present as was a fair amount of fish sauce, but we couldn't discern any cilantro or much that was spicy. "Nam tok" means waterfall, and the salad seemed to get a bit watery as time passed, the salty fish sauce wilting the iceberg lettuce and diluting the dressing.



Red curry with tofu and sticky rice, $8.50

Red curry was ordered with medium heat but was very much on the mild side. Heavy on the canned bamboo shoots and light on tofu cubes, the liquid curry lacked that punch of flavor that makes a diner crave it again - it could have used an infusion of galangal, lemon grass, garlic - just about anything to elevate the complexity. It wasn't bad, but neither was it great.



The sticky rice that accompanied the curry was wrapped in clingfilm and brought to the table in a small wicker pagoda that fell over frequently. It was kind of cute but also kind of a pain every time it tipped over, which was any time it was touched.



Pad chow mein with pork, $6.95

The Thai version of chow mein was filled with nicely-cooked vegetables and thin-sliced pork. Not overly salty with too much soy or too oily, this would have been very good if the noodles hadn't been overcooked and on the gummy side.



Get to know the Thai condiment tray (kreung prung): judicious use of these can make a difference in your food. They encompass sour, sweet, salty, and spicy flavors. Clockwise from top: in squeeze bottles, oyster sauce, chili garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, prik pon (dried ground hot chilis), sugar (used to balance flavors), Sriracha, Tamarind soup mix (sour flavor), salt, pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce (nam pla). Just behind the soup mix is a small jar of pickled Jalapenos.



Beef pho, $5.00 lunch special

A small bowl of beef pho was accompanied by a plate of Romaine leaves, fresh basil and cilantro leaves, and bean sprouts, plus the condiment tray. With a goodly amount of rice noodles, some beef slices and halved meatballs, this made a satisfying light lunch. But other than a strong star anise flavor, the broth didn't have the rich melange of flavors that make the difference between an adequate bowl of pho and a really memorable one.

The Not Good:

The moment we walked in we noticed a strong scent in the air. Femme de Joie thought optimistically that maybe it was fresh herbs. Amico del Signore thought it was some kind of cleaning fluid. Eventually it became clear that it was perfume on one of the waitstaff, who had not sprayed it on so much as saturated herself in it.

On M. de Joie's last visit to Rose Garden, she approached the cash register to pay where she saw a sign saying that any debit or credit card purchase under $10.00 would be charged fifty cents for the privilege. The cashier pointed out the sign and asked if that was okay. M. de Joie told her it was illegal, and got exactly the response she expected: a blank uncomprehending look. A $5.00 pho suddenly became a $5.50 bowl of pho. After a lengthy discussion with her bank, Femme de Joie found out how the consumer protection laws in California can be sidestepped, which is apparently what happened here. Caveat emptor.(Sources: http://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/credit_card_surcharges and http://money.msn.com/now/post.aspx?post=4e20e4b0-bd7e-47a5-824b-4f7920a45a1b and http://usa.visa.com/personal/using_visa/checkout_fees/)

Femme de Joie had higher hopes for Rose Garden, especially since their predecessor had such good food. But her overall take on the food was that it was pretty average, uninspired, and utilitarian. She wouldn't protest loudly if she was dragged there, but she wouldn't advocate for it, either.

Rose Garden, 2825 South Market Street, Redding, CA 96001. 530-243-8863. Open Sunday-Friday, 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM, Saturday 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM. No checks; debit and credit cards (watch for that user fee). Beer and wine. Vegan and vegetarian options. Small parking lot on south side of building. Follow them on Facebook.

The phrase “tote-bag hell” was first coined during the 1970s for those interminable weeks when public television programming was interrupted every six minutes to beg the viewers to pledge money. In exchange, the pledger received a “token of appreciation” – a tote bag or a coffee mug. Tote bags and coffee mugs are now apparently passe – instead, the lucky donor gets a CD/DVD of Live from the Andorra Opera House, Peter Lemongello Salutes Allan Sherman! Even a die-hard Peter Lemongello fan must surely be aware that no matter how shiny and new that DVD may be, it’s just an enticement to get you to send money for the greater good.

There’s been a restaurant of some kind in the courtyard of the Hartnell Castle for many years. Femme de Joie knows she dined there a few times, but it was so unmemorable she cannot recall now if it was Mexican, Chinese, or what. Savory Spoon opened in that oft-abandoned spot in late 2011. M. de Joie immediately filed it away in her soon-to-close-due-to-bad-location file cabinet. But it didn’t close; it prospered and grew from being open three days a week to six days. Good things were heard about the food and the pay-what-you-can Mondays. It was time to drive east on Hartnell to visit.

The dining room features perhaps 20 small tables (no booths) topped with butcher paper; a cup of crayons is provided. Also on the tables are small pepper grinders and salt grinders – a very nice touch. Collections of vintage menus and kitchen tools make more interesting wall decor than the usual starving-artist paintings found in small cafes. It was perhaps half-full and not crowded on any of our visits.

M. de Joie was surprised at how varied Savory Spoon’s menu is. There are numerous vegan options (including seitan) as well as gluten-free dishes (though Femme de Joie did not ask whether cross-contamination measures are taken).



VLAT (Vegetarian bacon, lettuce, tomato & avocado) potato salad, $11.00

When vegetarian meat substitutes were first widely available, most of them were on the disgusting side. M. de Joie remembers a booth at the Shasta District Fair circa 1970 that was handing out fake steak bites. She has blocked out exactly how nasty that bite was. There’s been a lot of progress since then, and this sandwich was a good example. Crisp and smoky veg bacon stood in for the real porker product. Matched with local tomatoes and buttery avocados, this was a healthier take on the classic with a strong resemblance to the real thing. On the side, potato salad was good enough to be compared to homemade – this definitely did not come off the Sysco truck. However good the food was, we did expect more food for $11.00.



Monte Meat Burger (brown rice, legumes, mushrooms & vegetables) with chipotle sauce, side of cod chowder, $12.00

It’s easy for most restaurants to offer a veggie burger by just defrosting a Boca or Garden burger, but kudos go to anyone who makes their own. The Monte Meat burger had a meat-like texture (it held together rather than falling into sorry lumps like many veggie burgers do) and taste (though again, it isn’t going to be mistaken for ground chuck). Femme de Joie was rather taken aback at the size, reminiscent of a kiddie burger at a fast-food place, though the homegrown yellow tomato soothed some of the disappointment. Chipotle sauce was very mild and bland. Cod chowder was full of vegetables but a bit short on actual cod, though it had the fishy taste of a cod swimming in the cauldron.



Strawhouse Morning Blend coffee, $2.50

Savory Spoon uses a lot of local food purveyors, including coffee from Strawhouse on Highway 299 at Big Flat. Why would you get coffee from a wide spot in the road on your way to the coast? Because this is exceptionally good coffee and worth the extra trouble.



California omelet (bacon, tomato, avocado, blue cheese) with red house potatoes and rye toast, $9.00

It isn’t that easy to find a really good breakfast in Redding, but Savory Spoon does them right. A tender omelet with a harmonious combination of fillings (blue cheese on an omelet? Yes, please) was the centerpiece. Red house potatoes were a delight – not burned or underdone or out of a freezer bag, seasoned lightly, they made the plate complete. Rye bread from The Oven Bakery in Mount Shasta was a surprise – toast is often just on the side to take up room, but fine rye bread is actually worth eating. A nice touch was jam served in tiny bowls rather than the peel-away plastic tubs.



Biscuits and gravy, $8.00/$5.00

House-made sausage gravy isn’t on the dieter’s list, but this gravy was worth at least a taste or two. Not overly salty or greasy, creamy gravy had plenty of sausage bits (unfortunately, a bit of gristle too). It would have been nice to have the gravy served on the side rather than poured over the biscuit so the biscuit could have remained unsoggy.



Tofu scramble with potato, red bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, with hash browns and rye toast, $9.00

Scrambled tofu? It’s been a staple of vegetarian & vegan breakfasts for years, and is worth exploring if you’re looking for a low-fat alternative to eggs. Colored with turmeric to look like eggs, tofu takes on the taste of whatever it’s cooked with. This was a pleasing mix of vegetables with soft tofu curds. It’s been a mission of Amico del Signore to find really great hash browns, and these were pretty close to potato Nirvana: very crisp, nongreasy house-made shreds of browned potatoes.

The food is delicious with so many nice touches, and the undertaking of the Savory Spoon is noble and in line with everything M. de Joie agrees with. It is located in an underserved area for restaurants and also attempts to serve the disenfranchised population. Savory Spoon has so many good things about it – ingredients sourced from local purveyors, dedication to high-quality organic foods, gluten-free and vegan options, a pay-what-you-can day on Monday for the poor & indigent. Having said all of that, Femme de Joie found this to be by far the most difficult review she has ever written.She walked out of Savory Spoon feeling uneasy, unsettled about some niggling little discrepancy, something that just wasn’t sitting well with her. It finally came to her, not in an enlightening moment of shimmering clarity, but after hours of boring Amico del Signore with existential questions and general angst. It’s the pricing.

Take the coffee, Morning Blend, retailing at Strawhouse for $13.00/pound. It is very good coffee and a very good deal at $2.50. But Cheesecakes Unlimited in Redding serves coffee for $2.79, Clearie’s for $4.00, a French press of coffee (2-3 cups) at Moonstone costs $5.95. Wines: Savory Spoon has a nice selection of primarily local wines. A bottle of Burnsini 2009 Tehama Red sells for $24.00 at Vintage Wine Bar but $18.00 at Savory Spoon. The food pricing seems askew: a large spaghetti lunch (including garlic bread but not soup or salad) costs $15.00 but a 1/3 pound Prather Ranch bacon cheeseburger (including a choice of sides) is priced at $12.50. Chicken and dumplings at dinner is $15.00, more than meatloaf ($14.50). And at breakfast, a bowl of cream of wheat or oatmeal seems sky-high at $7.00, compared to an English muffin with meat, Cheddar, and a fried egg for $5.00. Should a seitan sandwich cost more than a Reuben? Why do inexpensive pasta and chicken cost more than beef? Why is a simple bowl of hot cereal more than a ham-egg-cheese breakfast sandwich?

M. de Joie wondered what’s wrong with the chicken if the pasta costs more? Why do pancakes cost more than an omelet? There must be something she is missing here. It would seem logical to her that a nonprofit restaurant capitalize on the same things that for-profit restaurants make money on – i.e. the huge markup in beverages – so that the other menu items are not so far out of line with other restaurant menu pricing. Does getting a cup of coffee for $2.50 make up for a seven dollar bowl of oatmeal? At what point does “It’s for a good cause” trump actual value? Like the DVD sent out by PBS in exchange for a donation of $120, is it enough to keep people coming back for more, or will it eventually dissuade consumers?

These are questions M. de Joie does not have a satisfactory answer to, but thus far the customer base seems quite happy with the food at Savory Spoon – and in the end, that is what will keep it alive.

Savory Spoon, 1647 Hartnell Avenue #1, Redding, CA 96002. 530-222-7200. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 AM – 8:00 PM. Sunday brunch from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Community Monday, 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM; pay what you can. Cash and cards. Beer and wine. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free options. Parking lot. Website at www.SavorySpoon.org

In "Square Meals," their love letter to American suburban cuisine, the very tongue-in-cheek food & pop culture writers Jane and Michael Stern have this to say about Hawaiian food: "There is no cuisine more adventurous, or more totally spurious, than that called Polynesian. We don't know what Polynesians eat, but that doesn't matter, because it has no bearing on Polynesian food, suburban style. Polynesian dining is the ultimate in exotica. It is a cuisine that encourages you to flame foods, tint them unnatural shades of red and blue, and generally create a very sexy mood. It is the food of love, suggesting a Hawaiian honeymoon or moonlight cruise.

"Polynesian Night calls for a romantic setting, the dining area lit with pagoda lanterns, the table set with fragrant gardenias bobbing in glasses of tinted water, and centerpieces constructed from tropical fruits and nuts. The man of the house wears his most colorful aloha shirt, the woman her muumuu or grass skirt... a good luau concludes with the singing of Hawaiian love chants such as 'O Makala Pua," "Imi Ao Ia Oe," or "Lovely Hula Hands.' What? You say Hawaii isn't Polynesia? Who cares? To the suburban gourmet, that is a petty distinction. All Pacific cuisines are one, their escutcheon a Maraschino-red banner bearing a parasol and scowling Tiki god engulfed in the Sterno-blue flames of the pu pu platter." From there the Sterns go on to offer recipes for Flaming Cabbage Head Weenies with Pu Pu Sauce and Kilauea Purple Passion Rice.

Femme de Joie has never experienced the Hawaiian tourist luau or been offered a bowl of poi to be washed down with a Blue Hawaii. But she does know that the stereotypes about any regional cuisine are just that - stereotypes - and that savvy chefs use the best local foods to create their finest dishes. But you won't find that kind of cooking in the tourist areas. You'll have to seek it out.

And that brings us to 808 Bistro, which is about as hidden as a restaurant can possibly get. Improbably located in the basement of the Department of Transportation building, it's highly unlikely any non-Reddingite ever darkened its doorway unless they happened to be in that building on business. Those who did almost certainly walked away smiling: Oahu-born & raised Chef Keith Kakiuchi is turning out some of the best food in town, and not just Hawaiian - he covers a range of Asian cuisines as well as French, Greek, and other western-style preparations. Yes, you can get Kalua Pork or Ahi Poke - but there's so much more.

808 Bistro is only open for breakfast and lunch, and only on weekdays. You have to sign in with the security guard, then walk down the stairs and through below-ground hallways to get to it. The dining room doubles as the CalTrans break/lunch room, but unlike most workplace lunchrooms with their scary refrigerators and sinks full of dirty dishes left by co-workers who think the Good Fairy will wash them, this dining room is cheerful and clean with Hawaiian motif artwork and cool aqua paint throughout. On hot Redding days, it's a cool relief to step down to 808, order at the counter, and relax while Chef Kakiuchi prepares your order.



Macadamia nut pancakes came with guava syrup and lilikoi syrup (lilikoi might be better known as Passion Fruit) - all made by Chef Kakiuchi. These were some of the lightest, fluffiest pancakes we've ever tasted, with a generous amount of macadamias; the house-made syrups were fruity and not overly sweet.



Omelet with bacon and sausage was tender with crisp bites of salty meat folded inside. The house-made hash browns were perfect, with a crusty exterior and creamy shredded potatoes inside. That tart green tomatillo salsa was hot enough to make Tabasco redundant, and was far tastier.



Breakfast wrap with egg and ham was enlivened with more of that hot green salsa. Freshly made (as is almost everything at 808), it didn't have that pile-everything-on-and-wrap-it-up quality of most breakfast burritos/wraps: simple ingredients well-prepared.



Loco moco is wildly popular in Hawaii; there's even a restaurant chain by the same name. The basic version consists of rice topped with a hamburger patty, which is in turn topped with brown gravy and a fried egg. Bad versions are gummy and salty, but this one was piquant and more-ish, with flavorful house-made gravy saucing the entire dish together. Amico del Signore spent a bit of time waxing surfboards and catching waves at Waikiki so he knows his way around a plate of loco moco. He thought this was one of the best versions he's tried. M. de Joie was impressed with the dish as indicative of the level of cooking at 808: this could easily be thrown together with leftovers and gravy out of a packet, but was made with the same care as any other dish on the menu.



Chef Kakiuchi runs a daily special, and on this lucky day it was Korean-style ribs with rice and macaroni salad. Two racks of beef short ribs were cut flanken-style (across the bone) and marinated, then grilled to order. We can't say enough good things about those ribs. We detected high levels of garlic plus shoyu, some sugar - but there was such a masterful blending of spices and flavors that no one ingredient overwhelmed the dish. Truly one of the very best versions of ribs ever; definitely the best Asian-style ribs in Redding.



A puff pastry turnover was filled with fresh - not dessicated - coconut paste, which wasn't nearly as sweet as it first appeared, with genuine coconut taste and texture. It had been sitting since early in the morning so the puff pastry was a bit soggy but wasn't so bad that we didn't lick up all the icing.

808 Bistro really is one of those undiscovered gems and M. de Joie feels it deserves more patronage than it's getting. The level of cooking is very high indeed and prices are more than reasonable. A couple of caveats: while prices are low, the serving sizes usually reflect that. And everything is cooked to order, so be prepared to sit down and wait. This isn't fast food or "Polynesian" either, for which we are grateful. There's not a pu pu platter in sight - just fine cooking.

808 Bistro & Catering Company, 1657 Riverside Drive (in the basement of the Department of Transportation/CalTrans Building), Redding, CA. 530-225-3370. Open Monday-Friday, 7 AM - 3 PM. Vegetarian and vegan options. No alcohol. Street Parking. Website at http://www.808bistroandcatering.com/index.html

The late Dame Anita Roddick (founder of The Body Shop cosmetics chain) wrote of a visit to Mexico City when she was taken to Fonda Meson de Alonso, where she was promised "real Mayan cooking." The house special was a taco filled with live beetles. Roddick kept her menu firmly in front of her face until the bill was paid and she could leave. But food writer Raymond Sokolov, in "Why We Eat What We Eat," declared that Fonda Meson de Alonso merely made a pretense at serving authentic pre-Columbian dishes as a publicity stunt; though the ant eggs in green sauce and iguana consomme were sure to grab the diner's attention, those were mere novelties: the rest of the menu featured beef, pork, and goat - all post-Spanish meats. Sokolov sneered that Fonda Meson de Alonso used wine in a quail dish - a European technique. ( In case you were going to be in Mexico City and wanted to sample the mosquito eggs in mole, Fonda Meson de Alonso does not appear to be in business any longer.)

Now here comes Gustavo Arellano, author of "Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America" and the syndicated column, "Ask a Mexican!" Raised on nopalitos, birria, and Asadero cheese served by his Zacatecas-born parents, he was confounded by the Mexican combo plate put in front of him at an Anaheim restaurant. After researching the history and evolution of Mexican food as well as tracking the inroads into American culture, Arellano now says that Mexican food is too complex, too varied to be neatly summed up by whether a taco is deep-fried or what kind of cheese is used. It's not a static cuisine, bound forever by Escoffier-like rigidity and rules. According to Arellano, if it was made by a Mexican, it's Mexican food.

Which brings us to Baja Burrito, a teacup of a storefront in a tiny strip mall on South Bonnyview Road that occupies a spot vacated by Blimpie's, near the ever-present Starbucks. Many was the time that Femme de Joie and Amico del Signore drove past and wondered aloud, "Suppose that place is any good?" It was just out of convenience that A. del Signore did stop in one day, buying lunch for a friend, and reported back to M. de Joie with great enthusiasm that this was a place worth visiting.

To get to it, you either have to be driving west on South Bonnyview, or turn at the light onto Eastside Road and swing around through the back of the strip mall. There are a couple of tables out front, along with the special-of-the-day board. Inside are more tables, including a couple of surfboard-shaped bar tables in the window. Order at the counter from the menu board and your food will be assembled as you like it, Subway-style. There's likely to be a line around lunchtime, but it moves fast.



Burritos are the specialty of the house, and you can have it your way: carne asada to al pastor, chile verde, chicken, vegetarian. Never previously a big fan of burritos - that pasty white tortilla always put him off his feed - Amico del Signore has been converted. After trying several kinds, he has settled on the pulled pork as his favorite: a pile of ultra-tender shredded pork in a flavorful but not spicy sauce. Black beans and refried beans are both made in-house, and the difference between them and canned is quite noticeable - try one or both, plus the fresh toppings (none of which were shredded last week to save time; their bright colors spoke to their very recent prep). Secret ingredients: try the roasted corn salsa and the roasted tomato salsa, as well as the hot pickled carrots on the side.



This might be Femme de Joie's new favorite fish taco in town. After ordering, she watched the counter staff carefully stir the batter and dip the fish filet, then deep fry it for a very brief time. There are no pre-packaged fish sticks here. Topped with a slightly sweet creamy sauce and pico de gallo, these fish tacos were light, not greasy, and full of fresh flavors.



Hot mess? No sir, that's the nachos with pulled pork and cheese sauce. On our first visit as we stood and dithered about what to order, two ladies came in who knew what they wanted - nacho lunches for each. Watching their orders being assembled put the nachos on our to-try list. A far cry from the dry nacho plate appetizer offered on most menus, this was a full meal.



There are two salads on the Baja Burrito menu, one involving that ubiquitous deep-fried tortilla shell bowl, and this one: just the fillings with your choice of toppings. Chile verde was pleasantly piquant with tomatillos and cubed pork, a great tart contrast to the other rich ingredients.




Tuesday is the only day tamales are offered at Baja Burrito, so Femme de Joie took advantage of the daily special. Soft, moist masa had a savory corn taste and the generous amount of pork filling was tender and not overwhelmingly spicy. While the rice is pretty average, the black beans are delicious with a simple fresh salsa topping.

Baja Burrito serves a very steady stream of hungry customers in a very under-served area of town. On weekdays starting at 7 AM, they make a breakfast burrito, and stay open late enough to pick up a fast meal for dinner. Daily specials include chile rellanos on Wednesday, tortas ("the best in town!" the owner crowed) on Thursday, and menudo Saturday and Sunday. The food is freshly prepped every day and is just different enough to place it above similar burrito places around town. It's fast without being unhealthy, inexpensive, and a good value. Service is quick and always friendly, with a great willingness to show the customer the different ingredients and explain how each one is prepared. So is it authentic? Frankly, we don't care; we think Gustavo Arellano would approve. On your way to I-5, or on your way home, stop in.

Baja Burrito, 2400 South Bonnyview, Suite 130, Redding, CA 96001. 530-243-2244. Open Monday-Friday, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Cash, cards. On-site parking lot. Daily specials. Vegetarian and vegan options. Bottled beer. Follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Baja-Burrito/159725954071932

Being in a traveling trade myself, I know the problem of asking someone in a strange city for the best restaurant in town and being led to some purple palace that serves "Continental cuisine" and has as its chief employee a menu-writer rather than a chef... a three-paragraph description of what the trout is wrapped in, how long it has been sauteed, what province its sauce comes from, and what it is likely to sounds like sizzling on my platter - a description lacking only the information that before the poor trout went through that process it had been frozen for eight and a half months... What is saddest about a visitor's sitting in the Continental cuisine palace chewing on what an honest menu would have identified as Frozen Duck a l'Orange Soda Pop is likely to have passed a spectacular restaurant on the way over.
- Calvin Trillin, American Fried

Long-time visitors to Eureka may recall and mourn places like Lazio's and Weatherbee's, gems that served locally caught fish. There's now a Subway where Weatherbee's was; you can buy yellowed postcards of Lazio's on eBay. But from our observations there are an increasing number of food purveyors who are seeking out the best Humboldt has to offer. The resurgence of farmer's markets, local bread bakeries, cheesemakers, chocolatiers, etc., would not be possible without a customer base willing to buy fresh food from small businesses.

Case in point: Humboldt Brews opened in Arcata in 1987, brewing their Red Nectar and Hemp Ale on site until they were bought out by Firestone Walker Brewing Company. In 2003 their doors closed, but then-employees formed Humboldt Brews LLC and reopened in 2004 as employee-owned. They've made some changes since then, most notably adding a venue next door. The focus is still on beer, but their food is high-caliber pub grub, with emphasis on using local products such as Cypress Grove chevre, bread from Brio Breadworks, and produce from the Arcata farmer's market. (As a side note, the owner told us that currently they are unable to procure the signature Humboldt beers they were initially famous for.)

Humbrews (as it's known locally) looks tiny from the outside, but is actually a long space with plenty of tables, a hammered metal bar, pool tables, surfboards lining the walls, and fast, friendly service. Clientele was a lively mix of students, parents, professionals, old hippies, and families.



Soup and salad, $7.79

Expecting to see a small bowl of bagged salad greens with bottled dressing, this gigantic plateful of fresh local greens and vegetables came as a wonderful surprise. Tzatziki dressing was tart with yogurt and lively with dill. House-made curried chicken soup, pleasantly masala-scented, was light and warming on a cold night. The plateful was a generous-enough serving to be dinner.



Fish and chips, $11.99

The vast majority of the time, fish and chips in a restaurant are uniform rectangles out of a freezer box, all too often a fish "product." Not at Humbrews. This was actual snapper filets fried in a beer batter. Non-greasy, tender, and without a "fishy" aroma or taste, three very large pieces were far more than expected, along with a huge portion of fries and house-made tartar sauce. A winner.



Sweet potato fries, $7.99

Femme de Joie doesn't know what kicked off the current craze for sweet potato fries, but it's one she approves of, though most are edible but undistinguished. These were made at the restaurant, served very crisp, and accompanied by an addictive chipotle-honey-ranch sauce. One serving = lunch.



Falafel wrap, $10.29

Vegans are served well at Humbrews. This falafel (garbanzo fritters) wrap packed with veggies and bound with a delicious lemon-sesame dressing was substantial enough that you'd never miss meat. If you didn't know it was vegan, you wouldn't guess. There was enough that M. de Joie wrapped half of it to go.

Arcata is a college town, so on Friday and Saturday nights the emphasis at Humbrews is almost certainly more on brewskis than on food. But the crowd is friendly, the food is quite good, and the restaurant is large enough to accommodate families and groups. There are frequent live music nights in the next-door venue; artists as well known as Leon Russell, New Riders of the Purple Sage, G. Love with Special Sauce, and Jackie Greene have performed there. The next time you're escaping the Redding summers, try it out.

Humboldt Brews, 856 10th Street (two blocks off the Plaza), Arcata, CA 95521. 707-826-BREW (2739). Open Noon-11 PM daily; on nights with live music, open until 2 AM. Cash, cards, no checks. Street parking (time limits are enforced). Beer and wine. Vegetarian and vegan options. Frequent live music. Website at http://www.humboldtbrews.com/index.php

As they always are, Amico del Signore and Femme de Joie were in search of decent Chinese food when they got to San Francisco. There's no shortage of such restaurants, but weeding out the chaff from the wheat (to mix a metaphor or two) is the challenge. We already know to skip any restaurant being shilled by women on the street corner attempting to press menus into your hand, as well as any place with a sign out front reading "Tour bus parking in the back."

After that, though, it can be a series of dead-end streets where you barely escape with your life and guts intact, or an endless parade of La Choy-coated fried cubes of chewy packing peanuts served atop Minute Rice. It's not really surprising, then, that IHOP, Johnny Rocket's, Rainforest Cafe, and the like are planted firmly around touristy areas like Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach: after a long day of sightseeing, many people aren't interested in finding great sizzling rice soup. They just want to feed the kids and go to bed.

That's where the internet comes in. Yeah, Yelp may not always be the go-to place, but neither should it be completely dismissed out of hand. Neither should local websites writing about food. 7 X 7 and SF Weekly are two such reliable sources in the Bay Area, and that's how we learned about the Capital Restaurant.

We arrived about 7 PM on a Friday night, accompanied by the Ancient Mariner and Sailor Moon, both of whom like Chinese food but don't love it like we do. Capital Restaurant was packed, but we were invited to sit at the small counter and look at the menu until a table cleared, which it did in just a few minutes. The interior is brightly lit and clean, with mirrors around the room making it look more spacious. There are menus written in Chinese characters on the walls - always a good sign - and photos of some of the dishes.



We started with the usual pots of tea but also ordered Sho Chiku Bai hot sake. M. de Joie has never been a big fan of sake but this was smoother than some she's tried in the past, and it was the right choice for a Chinese meal. Most wines don't seem to go well with Chinese food, but sake (and beer) are better suited to the variety of differing heat levels and textures in a Chinese dinner.



Wor Won Ton Soup came topped with squid, Chinese BBQ pork, bok choy, chicken, prawns in a rich mixed pork-and-chicken broth. Squid was particularly tender - A. del Signore is not a squid fancier but he enjoyed this. There was enough soup in one order to serve four people with a little extra.



Sailor Moon chose Honey Walnut Prawns. M de Joie has never been enthused over sweet tastes with seafood (such as coconut shrimp); that combination has always struck her as colliding in a bad way. But this was rich without being goopy. Prawns were plump and not smothered by the sauce; the crisp honeyed walnuts made a nice textural contrast.



BBQ pork egg foo yong was tender and freshly cooked, with abundant pork and vegetables, but the bland gravy was on the oily side and didn't enhance the eggs so much as provide a slippery sheen to keep them moist.



On the other hand, Szechuan garlic eggplant was good enough that both Ancient Mariner and Sailor Moon - neither of whom are crazy about eggplant - came back for seconds, and then polished off the remaining bits on the plate. Spicy, yes, with whole dried chilis and garlic, but not searing, and not oily as this dish so often is.



Usually chow mein's ingredients are cut small and mixed in with the noodles so that the diner has to prod through to find a niblet of pork or beef. Here, tomato beef chow mein had generous chunks of tender beef and vegetables on top of the noodles and a few mixed in as well. The noodles, slightly crisp from pan-frying, had a light coating of non-sweet gingery, tomato-y sauce. Ancient Mariner confessed he didn't really like chow mein but he liked this one, as evidenced by him shoveling it onto his plate.



Roast duck was the star of the show, with a luscious lacquered skin and star anise-flavored meat. Duck is naturally very fatty and sometimes it arrives that way on your plate - making for a greasy meal. This duck, though, was mainly meat with just enough fat to keep it moist and flavorful but not be an unpleasant memory later.

Amico del Signore and Femme de Joie returned to the Capital on a Sunday night, when it was much less crowded. M. de Joie wasn't on her toes and so missed getting photos of their dinner.

The beef won ton noodle soup was a generous bowl of thick noodles in beef broth with shredded beef and vegetables - more of a stew, really, and a very large portion.

Gai lan (AKA Chinese broccoli) is a slightly bitter and austere green that makes a refreshing contrast to mixed stir-fries. It was also a very generous serving with lots of garlic, still very crunchy and a vibrant green.

However, the almond chicken went on M. de Joie's do-not-order-again list. It was as though the cook took the name literally: twists of cooked chicken were covered with almonds, and sent out on a plate, desert-dry and tasteless. Never again.

While there were a few dishes that didn't hit the mark, we liked the Capital Restaurant and would happily return. Portions are fair for the price and service is fast and efficient, and it's not on the tour bus schedule. Warning: Capital takes cash only.

Capital Restaurant, 839 Clay Street (between Stockton and Grant), San Francisco, CA. 415-397-6269 or 415-218-3883. Open daily, 8:00 AM - 9:30 PM. Sake, beer, wine. CASH ONLY (ATM at Bank of America on Grant Avenue). Street parking only; good luck. You'll be better off parking elsewhere and walking, or better yet take Muni. Lines 41-Union, 30-Stockton, 45 Union-Stockton, 8-Express, 10-Townsend, 12-Folsom, 27-Bryant, 1-California, and the Powell Street Cable Car all come within walking distance. Sample menu at http://sanfrancisco.menupages.com/restaurants/capital-restaurant/

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.

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/

When Casa Ramos closed in early 2009, La Casa Cuevas immediately opened in the same spot. Childress not being a main artery, and La Casa Cuevas not being part of a chain, the restaurant seems to be somewhat out of sight, out of mind to potential customers who come off I-5 or are staying at a nearby motel. Femme de Joie has visited several times and it was never more than half-full at lunchtime. That's a shame, because the food is markedly better than before.

Customers are greeted and seated almost immediately upon entering La Casa Cuevas. Seating is in comfortable booths; there's also a room that can be reserved for parties. In addition to the usual chips and salsa, a small dish of warm refried beans topped with cotija cheese is brought to the table. Both Tapatio and Cholula sauces are available.

The menu is quite lengthy, exhaustive, and colorful, but it isn't organized well. It tends to fall into "Specialties" and "House Favorites" types of sections, rather than the usual "burritos," "tacos," "por los gringos" kind of sections. They probably have what you want, but it will take some searching on the menu to find it.

On M. de Joie's first visit she rashly ordered a margarita, which was brought in one of those glasses about the size and weight of a halved bowling ball. It was a bit on the acidic side so if you like them sweeter, be sure to specify.



Two mahi-mahi tacos with rice and rancho beans

These fish tacos were covered in a sweet creamy tomato sauce, like 1000 island dressing without the pickles. It pretty much covered the delicate fish, but wasn't so cloying that it was unpleasant. A small heap of tomato-lettuce-cilantro dice was available to garnish the tacos, which toned down the sauce and gave a fresh crunch contrast to the soft grilled fish. Rancho beans are simply pinto beans in their own broth. One or two were underdone, indicating these are house-made.



Chicken tortilla soup

A warming bowl of soup featured lots of crunchy tortilla strips, shredded chicken, diced avocados, and a little bit of cheese. The broth was some kind of canned or boxed broth with added puree of chile and a heavy sprinkle of dried herbs on top. This could be really delicious with a little more care in the making of the broth.



Burrito Dos Amigos, $12.50

Not two burritos, but one very large tortilla wrap cut in half, with one side filled with chile verde and the other with chile colorado, and a paper-thin scattering of cheese on top. A tiny deep-fried tortilla bowl filled with fresh pico de gallo was a nice touch. M. de Joie much preferred the chile verde with its tart, mellow sauce; while the chile colorado was beefy and filling with none of that acrid taste that red chile sauces sometimes have, it was also excessively salty.



Tacos Carbon

Amico del Signore chose chicken tacos carbon. Not the pick-up-and-stuff-in-your-face type of tacos, these were very tender and easily cut with a fork. They had been cooked on the flattop but weren't at all greasy and had ample cubed grilled chicken, light cheese, and diced tomato filling.



Chicken mole

Though the mole owes a lot to a jar of Dona Maria, it was still nicely prepared, not too sweet, with a good balance of chile and chocolate tastes, and tender strips of chicken. Served with warm tortillas on the side, this made a not-too-heavy lunch.



Notice anything odd here? Yes, that's right. There's an enormous empty space in the center of the plate. This shrimp and cheese quesadilla on a whole-wheat tortilla - advertised as low-carb - while tasty enough, simply screams DIET PLATE. While Femme de Joie liked the quesadilla, she was somewhat distracted off by a tiny amount of food on a giant platter. Either put it on a smaller plate, or fill that space with something edible.

La Casa Cuevas has food worth making a trip to Anderson for. Service is very fast and friendly, portions generally are fair for the money, and the very extensive menu provides something for everyone. Does it reach that ever-elusive "authentic" standard? Probably not for some folks, but overall, you won't be disappointed.

La Casa Cuevas, 2830 Childress Drive, Anderson, CA 96007. 530-378-2118. Open daily, 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM. Cash, cards; no checks. Full bar. Parking lot on-site. Vegetarian and low-carb options. Catering; private dining room. Follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Casa-Cuevas/399477242677

Femme de Joie misses the old Omelet House, up there on North Hilltop.

No, it wasn't a transcendental experience, but it was a pretty good place to get breakfast in a town where decent breakfasts are thin on the ground. Behind the counter was a menu signed by Ron Howard, who stopped in one morning for provender. Whatever happened to that menu?

About 20 years ago Country Kitchen opened next door to, then moved into, that old Omelet House space. They've made a successful go of it, dishing up breakfasts and lunch for some years now - they were even mentioned in the New York Times "36 Hours in Redding" (http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/07/07/travel/escapes/07hours.html ). It's the kind of place where you pick up The Nickel outside to peruse while you wait for your food, in case you were in the market for eustachian equipment, a dowsing class, or Pearl Harbor pups.

Country Kitchen is known mostly for their generous servings of breakfast, though they do lunch too, as well as sell bread and cinnamon rolls from their bakery. Generally customers are shuffled first into the smaller dining room, mostly booths with a couple of tables in the center. But if it's busy, the larger Omelet House area handles the overflow. Customers are a mix of retirees, families, working men, and an aging hippie or two. Service is friendly, if occasionally somewhat scattered - the person who brings the coffee may be quick to tell you she isn't your waitress.



Scrapple with hash browns, a biscuit, and eggs, $9.55; side of gravy, $1.99.

Oh, it did gladden M. de Joie's heart to see scrapple on the menu. If you're not familiar with this delicious dish, it's what was made with the remainder of the pig once the chops, ribs, roasts, and so on were removed - the small, flavorful scraps were boiled with cornmeal to make a thick pudding, which was fried until crisp. This version is topped with bacon to reiterate the porky goodness, and served with potatoes and eggs. Lovely crisp scrapple cakes were tender on the inside with a crunch on the outside. You wouldn't want to eat this every day unless you carry a defibrillator in your back pocket, but it's a treat once in a while.



Special of the day, sourdough pancakes with peaches, sour cream and brown sugar cinnamon sauce, sausage, $8,25.

When this plate was first set before M. de Joie, it truly looked like fried eggs on top. Nope - it was canned peaches. The pancakes were delicious, but M. de Joie could not bring herself to appreciate the oddly bitter creamy cinnamon syrup. Too bad - the pancakes and peaches (out of a can) would have been better served with plain (imitation) maple or fruit syrup.



Chinese chicken salad, $9.75, served with house-made cornbread.

You wouldn't expect a salad so blatantly healthy and colorful to come out of the kitchen of a mainly-breakfast cafe, but there is was. This was excellent - freshly-grilled chicken on top of a beautiful array of crisp vegetables. If there was any complaint, it was that the dressing was so thin, it didn't stick to the salad and puddled underneath. Other than that, Chinese chicken salad was a winner, as was the crunchy cornbread served alongside.

The only item Femme de Joie tasted at Country Kitchen that was a misfire was chicken fried steak (not pictured) - the doughy, undercooked crust was unappetizing and the steak was very salty. as was the gravy that day.

Though there are some misses on the execution, M. de Joie likes Country Kitchen and could be persuaded to go back. It does get crazy busy at times, especially Sunday mornings, so call ahead if you're with a group. There's something for everyone on the menu and the prices are fair for the large portions. If you're out on Hilltop waiting for the mall to open, stop by.

Country Kitchen, Town and Country Plaza, 1099 Hilltop Drive, Redding, CA 96002. 530-223- 5438. Open daily from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Breakfast and lunch, bakery. No alcohol. No checks accepted; cards, cash. On-site parking. Vegetarian options. Website at http://www.countrykitchenredding.com/