Sunflower Cafe - Sonoma

Our very first fan post! Thanks J&J for your review, can't wait to try out the sandwich, and the latte! OK, everything!

Monster Mimosa

The Sunflower Café is not a secret anymore – on the weekends you can find the tables filled with locals, regulars and the occasional tourist – yet most of my friends in San Francisco had never heard of it.

We discovered this lovely garden café quite accidentally on one of my trips to the Sonoma wine country. After just another tasting too much I felt the urgent need for caffeine and stopped at the Sonoma square in search for a cup. I saw the pretty yellow Sunflower sign and walked right in: A few bistro tables on the sidewalk, a big counter inside – and a line. Patiently, I cued up and got a number for my latte. While waiting I walked around the café and took the little hallway leading back instead of waiting by the counter – and I’m glad I did! Because there is a hidden and beautiful patio at the back of the café. Lots of tables of all sizes, set among lush vegetation, overgrown trellises and even a sparkling fountain. The quick coffee-to-go became a sit-down affair and after a quick glimpse at the menu we decided that we just had to have some food with the coffee. By the way, the latte was – and is – divine, lots of smooth foam and delicious coffee.

Smoked Duck Sandwich

A couple of years later ownership changed, and after getting used to the new menu and slightly higher prices I have to say the Sunflower Café has gotten even better! They also added a wine club and frequent art shows by local artists. From basic café food it now offers a wide range of breakfast and lunch items. Apart from fresh baked goodies, you can choose from a variety of omelets, egg sandwiches and waffles – the peppered bacon waffles being one of them. My breakfast favorite is the bagel with lox and cream cheese. It goes extremely well with the famous ‘Monster Mimosa’ (or so I heard). But what we usually come here for is lunch. Not really any lunch but specifically the Smoked Duck Sandwich. “No variations, don’t ask”, it says on the menu, and why would anyone want to break up this divine combo? Tender pieces of duck with caramelized onions melts together with Gruyere, fresh greens and dressings – amazing! There’s no way around this sandwich, we always order it and try other things around it.

Spanish Platter

The Chicken Salad Sandwich is fantastic, and all the appetizers are always extremely good. The Burrata melts in your mouth, the Spanish Board boasts a variety of cold cuts and delicious sides, and the Goat Cheese Filled Piquillo Peppers are a surprisingly refreshing mix of sweet and savory. All in all, you can’t really go wrong at the Sunflower Café. If you’re looking for a day filled with reading, relaxing and enjoying the sunshine you’ll feel right at home.

 

Bottom Line:Price - $$
Ambience - Casual
Vegetarian Friendly - Yes
Other - Dog-friendly

 

Ravioli House - San Mateo

"Get in Here" -- the sign at the entrance says it all.

Ravioli house in San Mateo is a popular lunch destination, serving a variety of sandwiches, and not surprisingly, ravioli. When we walked in past noon, the tiny restaurant was bustling, most of the tables were occupied, and there was a line of people waiting to place their orders.

They are popular for both their sandwiches and ravioli, and the selection of ravioli available for lunch changes often.

Our group got the Eggplant Ravioli (seasonal, and very unusual!), the Spicy Sausage Ravioli, the Mojo Sandwich, and an Egg Salad Sandwich. Everything was really good! If we had to make one complaint it would be that the egg salad was a little bland, it would be a whole lot more interesting if they actually chopped pickles and added it to the mix rather than just putting sliced pickes on the sandwich.


The Ravioli House
(Clockwise from Top Right: Mojo Sandwich,
Spicy Sausage Ravioli, Egg Salad Sandwich)

The ravioli was great too, we got ours with marinara but the also offer bolognese sauce. The ravioli is a huge serving, so we recommend getting one order of ravioli and perhaps a sandwich and sharing that with someone. If you really love ravioli, they even sell packages of fresh pasta to take home - from the traditional cheese or meat, to the more inspired eggplant, pumpkin, lobster etc. In fact, their marinara is pretty good, so get some of that to go as well!

Bottom Line:
Price - $
Ambience - Casual

Vegetarian Friendly - Yes  



Cocola - San Jose

Love dessert? Think chocolate should be its own food group?

The folks at Cocola are with you. Thankfully, so do bazillion other people! No matter what time of day, or day of the week, Cocola always seems to be crowded. Who knew sugar, butter, flour and some flavoring agents could be this addicitive!

For someone that doesn't really have a sweet tooth, I still seem to find myself here more often than is reasonable. It is especially fun to walk over here after a meal at one of the other restaurants, and get some coffee and dessert.

Cocola
Cakes, Cookies, Sandwiches,
Soups, Coffee and so much more

The mosaic bistro tables are placed optimally to maximize people watching, so whether you are sipping on a cup of jo, grabbing a quick lunch, or gorging yourself on the sweet treats, this is a fun place to meet friends, get your sugar fix, or just a quick bite to eat. Some of my personal favorites include the Rouge (Strawberry Cake), and the 3-Color Chocolate Mousse. 

If you have not already been here, go try it, and tell us what you think!

Bottom Line:
Price - $$
Ambience - Casual

Vegetarian Friendly - Yes  

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot - San Mateo

My first Hot pot experience was at dinner at a friends place, and I was hooked. As I have said in posts before, there is almost nothing better than a good bowl of flavorful broth. Hot Pot is just that, plus you get to add various meats and vegetables to it, making it a pretty well balanced meal.

Little Sheep Hot Pot (unfortunate name, I know), in downtown San Mateo is a great place for hot pot. They also have a location in Cupertino on Stevens Creek.

The concept is simple:
1. Pick a broth, or 2 (they even have a completely vegetarian broth!), and they have a pot that keeps the 2 separate
2. Pick your meat, there are plenty of vegetarian options as well.

Soon, a steady stream of food set up in front of you. Bowls of vegetables - cabbage, bok choy, mushrooms, tofu, fish balls and fish cake come with every order. Another tray holds thinly sliced frozed meat. All this, and lunch only runs about $9.95 per person!

Every table is equipped with a heating coils in the center - this keeps the huge bowl of broth hot. Once the broth gets to a rolling boil, use tongs, and ladles to immerse the ingredients into the hot pot. The meats only take about 30 seconds to cook, while the fish balls and tofu etc. take a little longer. You can even ladle some of the broth into your bowl to enjoy as a soup.

Picking the 50-50 bowl allows you to enjoy 2 completely different broths, or as it was in our case, allows vegetarians to enjoy food with the rest of the group.



Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot
(Clockwise From Top Right: 50-50 Pot with Spicy Vegetarian, & Original broth
 Fish, Beef, Pork, Lamb, & Vegetarian Accompaniments)

 There is something really comforting about sharing this meal with a group of friends, and the interactive cooking makes it a fun, relaxing meal.

Fair warning though, lunch, or dinner, you are bound to have too much food.

Bottom Line:
Price - $
Ambience - Trendy

Vegetarian Friendly - Yes