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

 

The Refuge - San Carlos

If you love pastrami, the Refuge is the place to go.  Another plus, they have over a 100 beers, Belgian beers, and upwards of 20 on tap everyday.

A colleague of our who grew in New York was impressed with their Pastrami sandwich - I guess there isn't a bigger compliment than that!

OK - so on to the stuff that counts. Pastrami is the way to go. If it isn't clear from this post, and their website, GET THE PASTRAMI! There are a few different combinations to choose from depending on what you like in your sandwich, and they are not stingy with the pickles. The pastrami is the real deal. It is moist and tender, one bite and you can't stop till its all gone!

If you do not eat beef, well, theres not too many things you can choose from on the menu... They have a scallop salad on the menu that is really good. The perfectly cooked scallops are well seasoned, and the Asian inspired dressing is interesting - it has a hint of ginger, sesame oil, and coffee?? I know it sounds weird, but it is actually quite good. Besides it is served on the side, so you can always leave it off. The salad is perfectly yummy without it.

The Refuge
(Clockwise From Top Right: Pastrami Sandwich,
Scallop Salad, Steak Parmesan Sandwich)

The Refuge is a very popular lunch destination, so go early! When we got there just past noon, there were a few empty tables, but by the time we got done, every table was occupied! In  fact, if you can go for lunch, and stay for happy hour, even better!

Bottom Line:
Price - $$
Ambience - Casual

Vegetarian Friendly - No

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