Partake By KJ

Last year, our favorite meal on Restaurant Week was at Partake by KJ. This year, they offered a 3-course dinner for $29 and another for $39. Wine pairings were just $10.

When we sat down, we were given a mystery wine in a black glass and

an amuse bouche of mozzarella with pickled radish. The mystery wine turned out to be a Sauvignon Blanc.

The $29 options included:

Mushroom soup, Pickled Mushrooms, Crispy Pancetta, Creme Fraiche. This was delicious. It was creamy and rich and so much better than the mushroom soup at Restaurant Hazel. This was paired with Jackson Estate Outland Ridge 2013 Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley.

The other 1st course option was Farmer T’s Greens, Herb and Shallot Vinaigrette, Roasted Pistachios, Vella Dry Jack Cheese. No one at our table ordered this but it was a huge bowl.

One of the 2nd course offerings was Roasted Chicken Romesco, Estate Spigarello, Pickled Pepper Relish. I didn't like the Romesco and the chicken would have been better brined. This was paired with Jackson Estate Los Robles, 2013 Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County.

The other options was Potato Gnocchi, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Poached Purple Onions, Tuscan Kale

The dessert was the best. It was Caramelized White Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse, Bacon-Praline

Crumble, Chardonnay Caramel Sauce. The bacon praline was amazing--sweet and salty at the same time. It was paired with Grand Reserve Late Harvest Riesling 2013 from Monterey County.

The $39 dinner included:

Cured Hamachi crudo, Citrus Salad, Jalapeno, Juniper, Pea Shoots. This was paired with a chardonnay but since none of us were chardonnay fans, we opted for the pinot.

Grilled Squid , Bone Marrow, Chimichurri, Oyster Mushrooms. This was also paired with the Pinot from Anderson Valley. This was great. The squid was perfectly grilled and the chimichurri was the perfect accompaniment.

Roasted Lamb Loin, Estate Squash, Pickled Chantrelles, Fennel, Lam Jus. This was paired with Jackson Estate Alisos Hills Syrah, 2013 from Santa Barbara County. The lamb was perfectly cooked and tasted great with the Syrah. 

Braised shortribs , Rosted Winter Squash, Squash Puree, Turnips. This was paired with Jackson Estate Trace Ridge, 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon from Knight's Valley. This was tender and also delicious.

“Bowl of Cereal”, Oplay Panna Cotta, Graham Cracker instead of Caramelized Rice Krispies, Dulcey

Cremuex, Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream. This was also paired with the late harvest Riesling. This was not as good as the other dessert. I think the caramelized rice krispies would have been better.

Unfortunately, this will be out last meal at Partake. The restaurant is closing and will be replaced by a Siduri tasting room. So sad!

2016 03 12

Canneti Roadhouse Italiana

We had Saturday lunch at Canneti Roadhouse Italiana in Forestville. It's located at 6675 Front Street. They offered a 2-course lunch. Lunches are supposed to be $10 or $15 for Restaurant Week. For some reason, theirs was $19.

Foccacia was brought to the table when you sit. If you ask for another serving, it's $4. It was a good foccacia and warm. Not sure 5 pieces was worth $4 though.

There were 2 choices for the 1st course:

Tuna of the Chianti: Tuscan preparation of Pork Shoulder and baked Tondini Beans with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Aromatic Herbs. This had a nice flavor.

Grilled Romaine Salad with candied Lemons, organic Blue Cheese, Apricots and Balsamic Vinaigrette. I liked the salad with the candied lemons and apricots. 

There were 2 choices for the main:

Crispy Skin Chicken over Fava Pesto fresh Cork Screw Pasta and Pecorino Cheese. The chicken needed to be brined and the skin was not crispy. The pasta was good but I wasn't a fan of the fava pesto. It needed a little more flavor--garlic would have been nice.

Maccheroni with Tuscan Meat Sauce. This was a pork sauce. The meat was too fatty but the sauce was nice. I liked the pasta--well cooked al dente.

2016 03 12

Earth's Bounty

When we went to Winter Wineland, Earth's Bounty served a delicious Mac & Cheese at Thumbprint Cellars. They were part of Restaurant Week and we saw an opportunity to try them out. They're located at 5755 Mountain Hawk Way, at the old Fresh location. It's part deli/specialty food shop, part restaurant.

I was pleasantly surprised by the restaurant and wine bar. It's a lot better than when it was "Fresh."

They served a 3-course dinner for $29

The first course included spice crusted ahi--seared tuna lemon aioli, pickled vegetable and pea shoot salad, mustard flowers, potato confit. This was not a large dish but it was delicious.

The other option for the first course was Wild Arugula and roasted beets fennel, blood orange, Laura Chenel Chevre, citrus vinaigrette

Herb marinated petite grass fed tenderloinm, Caramelized onion potato gratin, asparagus, natural jus. This was delicious.

The other entree option was Truffle Scented Risotto Baby root vegetables, asparagus, chive oil, lemon zest

Beignets Vanilla anglaise, chocolate sauce. When this arrived, I thought it was just fried dough but when I bit into it, it tasted just like a beignet.

My husband wasn't very hungry and ordered off the menu. This was the soup of the night--cauliflower soup with chili oil, truffle oil and paprika croutons. This was $10 for a small bowl but it was delicious and creamy.

The entree he ordered was Mac & Cheese for $12. Orecchiette, Sebastopol mushrooms, roasted shallots, Vella cheddar, crumb. It was delicious.

2016 03 11

Flavor Bistro

We took a break from Restaurant Week to have dinner at Flavor Bistro. It's still the best deal--$24.95 for 4 courses and 4 wine pairings.

Guazzetto--Day Boat Scallops, Jumbo Prawns, Mussels & Calamari Served in Heirloom Tomato Brodetto Di Vino Bianco, Sweet Basil, Garnished with Petite Flatbreads & Saffron Aioli, paired with 2014 Artazuri Garnacha Rosado, Navarra, Spain

Ravioli D'Anatra--Homemade Duck Ravioli Garnished with Ratatouille Relish, Tomato Cream & Balsamic Glaze, paired with 2013 Di Majo Norante Sangiovese, Terre Degli Osci I.G.T., Molise, Italy

Brasato Di Maiale--Slow Cooked Sonoma Style Pork Cacciatore Topped with Organic Fingerling Potatoes, Arugula, Pecorino & Gremolata, paired with 2013 St. Francis Winery & Vineyards Old Vines Zinfandel, Sonoma

Limone-Mirtillo Vol-Au-Vent--Puff Pastry Filled with Lemon Curd Topped with Blackberries Served in Strawberry Coulis, paired with 2012 Navarro Vineyards & Winery Late Harvest Riesling, Anderson Valley

2016 03 10

Restaurant Hazel

Restaurant Hazel is located at 3782 Bohemian Highway in Occidental. It occupies the site of the former Bistro des Copains.

They offered a $39 three-course dinner.

First course options were:

Organic mushroom soup--Porcini, maitake, pioppini mushrooms. This was under-salted and really didn't have much flavor.

Lamb Meatballs--Tomato compote, Valley Ford Cheese Company Estero Gold, Olivina Olive Oil, mint. This had good flavor but was swimming in a layer of grease.

The last option for the first course was Grilled Asparagus Salad, Watercress, Pugs Leap Sampson cheese, gribiche, Meyer lemon

The main course included:

Pork Schnitzel--Hazel sauerkraut, New Family Farms German Butterball potatoes. The schnitzel was tender and the sauerkraut was good but the dish was nothing special.

Seafood Stew--Halibut, Dungeness crab, PEI mussels, manila clams, grilled Hazel sourdough. This had a good broth but the halibut was tough and there really wasn't much crab.

Other main course options were Spring Vegetable Bucatini--Pea pesto, sugar snap peas, garlic, pecorino cheese and Roasted chicken with smashed Yukon potatoes, cream fraiche and green onions.

The dessert options were:

Bittersweet Pot de Crème, Amaretti Cookie, whipped cream. This also had tiny malt balls.

Mini Strawberry crumble pie, Three Twins vanilla ice cream

Hazel Sundae, Vanilla ice cream, Homemade chocolate hot fudge and caramel sauce, Candied almonds, Amerena cherries

The desserts were the best part of the meal.


Overall, this was not worthy of a $39 meal. We were disappointed.



2016 03 09

Brasa Churrascaria

Last night's dinner was at Brasa Churrascaria, located at 505 Mendocino Avenue. It's a Brazilian rodizio--all-you-can-eat meats for $29. It also included a buffet of cold and hot dishes. Last year, dessert of caramel-covered strawberries was included. This year, it was not included.

One of 2 soups available. This was a chicken soup with pretty good flavors. The other soup looked like a clam chowder.

Cold dishes included green salad, Caprese salad with tomatoes and mozzarella, watermelon, olive tapenade crisp. The hot items were minimal. The best dish was a potato casserole with chicken pieces in it. 

Brazilian cheese bread and plantains were brought to the table. This is what we missed out on last year.

Then, the parade of meats started. Picanha--sirloin coulotte, garlic marinated top sirloin, bacon wrapped chicken breast, garlic marinated chicken thigh, chicken wings, pork loin with Parmesan cheese, pork shoulder brined in apple vinegar and cider, beef shoulder marinated in garlic oil, peppercorns and sea salt and Calabresa sausages (cured pork sausage flavored with Calabresa chili pepper). My favorites were the bacon-wrapped chicken breast and the pork shoulder. The chicken was very moist and tender, as was the pork shoulder. The beef dishes were on the chewy side.

We had a bottle of Tinto Negro Malbec--$24. This actually paired well with all the meats.

2016 03 8

Sweet T's

It's Restaurant Week in Sonomoa County. First up, Sweet T's, located at 2097 Stagecoach Road, Suite 100. They offered a 3-course dinner for $29.

1st course choices were:

Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Red Pepper Flakes and Lemon Aioli--this is usually $9. The brussel sprouts were cooked through but there was too much oil.

Lil Apple Salad with a maple vinaigrette--usually $7. Arugula, baby spinach, gala apples, goat cheese, spicy pecans and red onions. I liked the salad, especially the pecans. The red onions would have been better if they were pickled.

The last 1st course choice was cup of smoked brisket chili with grated cheese and green onions.

The second course included:

BBQ Smoker Plate (Choice of Brisket, Pork, Pulled Chicken, Smoked Sausage or Ribs), served with Smashed Potatoes and Coleslaw. I chose the ribs which was 1/2 rack. This is usually $24. The ribs were tender but not fall-off-the-bone. The smashed potatoes were creamy and the coleslaw was good. It wasn't too heavy on the sauce. The biscuit was light and fluffy

Other choices for the 2nd course were Oven Roasted Chicken Breast (Mary's Organic) with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Sautéed Vegetables in a natural jus or Blackened Salmon Caesar with Romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, house made croutons and Caesar dressing.

Dessert options were:

Key Lime Pie--usually $7. This was very creamy and not too sweet. My only complaint was the graham cracker crust was too thin.

Mississippi Mud Pie--$8. Mocha ice cream drizzled with Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauce, Caramel Bourbon Sauce, Topped with Candied Pecans on an Oreo Cookie Crust. The mocha ice cream was very subtle and I didn't see any pecans. 

I had Ace Pear Cider with dinner--$4. I love the pear cider.

This was a great Restaurant Week dinner. I saw a lot of plates of fried chicken going by and I'll have to go back to try it.



2016 03 07