I have been a customer at The Grape Tray since the 80s, and very little has changed since then, which is a good thing. The selection of wine may not be as large as other shops, but the choices are always high quality and very reasonably priced. And the owner will go seriously out of his way to make a customer happy. For my wedding, I wanted a case of Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee along with four cases of Segura Viudes (which was just coming on the scene at the time). Stan not only scored all of that for me, but also managed to come up with a magnum of Iron Horse as well. Nobody else in town would have done that. When we found a Paso Robles blend that we particularly liked, not only did Stan go and ferret some out for us, he tries to get his hands on some at every opportunity and emails me when it arrives. Class. There is a little deli in the back of the store, with pretty much the same menu for the last 30+ years. No, really, it is the same menu hanging next to the staircase for all that time. Sandwiches are very generous, and super high quality makings, customizable anyway one likes. The Caravan sandwiches, turkey and cheese and good stuff rolled into cracker bread, are excellent as well as the very fresh and tasty tunafish salad. Staff at the Grape Tray are knowledgeable and friendly and do an excellent job. May the Grape Tray last another 30 years!

Mandarin Garden is a long-known destination for those wanting to stay close to the Marriott Courtyard hotel. In recent years, there have been a great many additions to the dining options near campus, but somehow Mandarin Garden remains. The restaurant is cavernous, but rarely busy. The menu is pretty basic for a Chinese restaurant, and the take-out menu has many options that the standard menu does not, which is curious. I enjoy the Special Hot Plate, because 1) it is enough food for one person without a lot of waste, and 2) the iron plate keeps everything warm for an extended time. The chili sauce is homemade, with whole chili pods and crushed peppers in an oil base. Good stuff. Beer, wine and sake are available. Staff is friendly, service is speedy. Decent enough Chinese food in walking distance from Hotel Central on University Ave.

Pismo's is the beach-babe sister restaurant to Yosemite Ranch, and they share excellent parentage. The restaurant is very open, with most of the south wall consisting of large glass windows that open up when the weather is nice. Prices are very fair for what is offered; one can easily make a dinner off of a salad and an appetizer. Snapper bites and fried oysters are my two favorites. The cioppino is so amazingly good it has to be tried. "Nice little dinner salads" are not so little, but very nice. Staff is friendly, and the facilities are kept clean. The owner is often seen circulating among the tables. One can purchase fresh seafood from the market-style display up front. My vote for Best Seafood in Town goes to Pismo's.

On the one hand, I am very glad to see that Dine.com has returned to life. On the other hand, I am very sad to announce that LaRocca's is no longer in business. I find it very difficult to believe, because the restaurant was always busy. There is really no substitute in the general vicinity, but take-out from Macaroni Grill is going to have to be next best.

Hello new owners of Melinda's Place! I stopped there for lunch yesterday, because you reminded me that I hadn't been there for a while. Good effort on the Super Sub, one of the best sandwiches in Reedley. I am not so sure about the giant chalk board, but that is just me. All night I was thinking about if I had bought Melinda's; what I would do with it. Here are some thoughts: The chips rack needs some help. I have given other shops points for having Ms. Vickie's chips, or something other than the ubiquitous Tostitos. I would have Tom's chips out. I rarely see Tom's outside of little snack stands in Huron or the mini-mart in Five Points, but I think they are excellent. The next thing is pickles. I love pickles. I would have a gallon jar of (homemade!) pickles on the counter, $1 a pickle. Better yet, I would make all that counter space right of the ice cream my pickle bar. Koshers, dills, watermelon, asparagus, cauliflower, all local produce, all sold by weight. Parents would appreciate the pickles and ice cream thing. And one menu item I would add. Fresh, local fruit - nectarines, peaches, blueberries, served with a generous piece of Three Sister's cheese and some bread sticks. Nobody in Reedley does that. I'd put down $10 for that, and me being such a tightwad, I am sure others would too. Get a wine and beer license, and I would bring friends after work. Looking forward to seeing you grow and thrive!

When I wrote that review four years ago, the Red Robin franchises in the area were in somewhat of a transition, some getting better marks than others. Well a new sheriff (regional manager) is in town, and my eyes have been opened somewhat as to how the operation (and the restaurant industry as a whole) actually works. There is nowhere better to start than by saying other restaurants could learn a thing or two from the staff training RR provides. It was true then and it is true now. The menu is more flexible, with annual competitions for new creations by restaurant chefs one way of providing variety. There are several new burgers on the menu, and there are seasonal offerings also. I was entirely unaware of how customizable the menu is; the staff will adapt any menu item in any way that is not actually illegal. Deep-fried jalapenos on that Banzai Burger? No worries (that actually is really really good). Traditional chili cheese burger instead of open-faced? They got it. Like your fries well-done? You betcha. My favorite thing to do now (and I am frequenting RR more often than ever) is to ask the server, or better yet, the manager, what their favorite customized burger is. Some of the creations are off-the-charts original and amazingly good. It is no wonder whatsoever that RR restaurants often have people waiting outside the door (but seating is usually pretty fast). So for excellent service, expanded menu and expedited seating, I hearby proclaim Red Robin as receiving the Big Five Stars. (fireworks and trumpets, please)

Fibber McGee's is in a largish strip mall on the southeast corner of Cedar and Herndon. It is a little restaurant, with bar / lounge on one side and a dozen or so tables on the other, separated by a glass partition. The menu is fairly basic; burgers and sandwiches for lunch; steaks and pasta for dinner with some salad choices thrown in. The menu is posted on the wall outside the restaurant, a custom that I approve of. My server was Jessika (with a "k"!) who was very pleasant; she was having to deal with a table of (I hope) regulars that were giving her a fair amount of grief and she was doing it in what I thought was a very professional way. The food, however, was not so much. The average lunch price is $8 - $9, not bad, but the serving size was pretty minimal, and the meatball hero touted on the menu as being big and messy was actually smallish and lacking much in the way of sauce, with a couple of pepper strips for vegetation. Onion rings were of the tempura variety and pretty greasy. Other table's orders looked similar. It is brighter inside Fibber's than an average pub / lounge would be, but the smudges on the glass and light fixtures shows up more, too. Overall, Fibber's shows a lot of promise, and does a fair dinner trade. With a little extra effort this would be a place that I would enjoy coming to again.

I have been enjoying VJ's for many years now, and actually wrote a review (at least I think I did), but since I was there just yesterday I am going to write another one. This place is immensely popular at lunchtime, and I can only guess what it is like at breakfast. The lunch menu is sandwiches, burgers and some mexican items (burritos and tacos, mostly). Prices are in the 6 to 8 dollar range for most things, but there is always a lot of food. I like that one can order half portions of several things, like the taco salad, because a whole one would be way too much for one person (and probably two). Call-in orders are always a good idea, because when the dining room is packed (and it always is) service can take a while. VJ's serves beer and wine along with the usual soft drinks, and for a reasonable price. My favorites here are the club sandwich and the "chute gate", which is an awesomely sized chili burger. On the mexican side, the chile verde is pretty good but the shredded chicken is just average. Overall a great place for lunch in Terra Bella.

Gizmo's is a recent addition to downtown Exeter, right next to the Frosty King. It is a tiny place, with two inside tables that seat six people each, and a couple of tables on the sidewalk. Service is walk-up, there is a menu on the wall next to the counter and small printed menus on the tables. Gizmo's serves three kinds of dogs - standard issue hot dog, polish sausage and a spicy hot link. I think I remember there being a tri-tip sandwich option also, but I might be mistaken there. Pricing is a little odd here. A hot dog is $1.29, a chili dog is $1.99. However, adding chili to a hot dog is 30 cents extra, or $1.59. Hmmm. Polish dogs and hot links are $2.50, with chili for 80 cents more or add chili for 30 cents more. Most condiments are free, there are a few others (bacon, avocado) that are 30 cents extra. Granny's Deal is two hot dogs with everything, potato or macaroni salad, and a drink for $6.00 Not too bad, actually, because the potato salad is homemade. Iced tea is pretty good, and there are the usual fountain drinks also with a fridge of bottles available too. There is a TV tuned to ESPN on the wall, but in such a little space it is somewhat awkward to see. I hope that Gizmo's gains a following, I am sure that during the school year hungry kids wanting something different would frequent this place but summertimes might get a little slow.

We stopped at the Fort Bragg Tourist Info and Propaganda Depository to find out about local lodging and restaurants, and booked an excellent room at the North Cliff Hotel, and somewhat less impressive dinner at Stevenswood, which is a few miles south of town. The restaurant itself is part of a larger complex of rooms and a day spa, all hidden among a scattering of coast redwoods. We had no problem getting a table, because we were one of only three that were occupied that evening. There is no bar, so only beer and wine are served. I felt like splurging, so I ordered an appetizer (which I rarely do) and chose the stuffed squash blossoms at $12. The hostess looked a little surprised that we were going to share an appetizer, and when it came we understood why - there was only one squash blossom, and barely enough there to make one bite, much less two. Dinner was scallops and prawns in a spicy wine sauce. Two small scallops, well done, and two small prawns, less well done, perched on a little mound of what might have been couscous, with a little gravy drizzled over the top. Would have been a perfect appetizer for $12, not a main course for $27. After dinner, which was $100+ for two people, we ended up going back to our room and eating the fine selection of fruit, bread and cheese that our hotel had set out for our breakfast. Highly unsatisfactory experience.

Stopped by Taylor's today for three with everything and noticed a sign out front saying something about a new chili recipe. Actually, it is an old chili recipe, presumably the one used when the stand was first started. The texture is a little different from the previous version, but there is certainly more spice involved. Lasts a little longer on the tongue. I like it. And at $1.40 a dog, nobody beats that.

The Avenue Cafe is picked out by name by one of the tourist flyers for the giant redwood / old Hwy 1 route as being one of the best places to eat on the Avenue of the Giants. Being the only restaurant in Miranda, and one of very few that are even still in business on the whole Avenue, I can see how that would be. The Avenue Cafe is not a large place - maybe seating for 25-30 at most. Breakfast centers around omelettes, which come in various kinds for about $10. One option, which was in fact pretty good and very similar to something I make at home, is called "Charola" and consists of a bowl of diced potatoes with a ladle of chile verde on top, with a couple of eggs and cheddar cheese. Lunch and dinner consist of some sandwiches and burgers, some pastas and several really interesting pizza options. I understand from the locals that the pizzas here are really good, but I was just stopping for a late breakfast. Our waitress was friendly enough, but by the time breakfast was over we had spent nearly an hour in the restaurant when we could have been off looking at big trees. Oh, the saltwater fish tank was nice, and something for otherwise bored kids to be interested in. Could have been really touristy, but I am glad it wasnt. Recommended.

Santi has (apparently) an international following, according to Cossette, the wonderful manager of the B&B that we stayed at (the Hope-Merrill House). Having made (unnecessarily) reservations, we walked off to taste wines in downtown Geyserville (very easily done) before dinner. The restaurant has two rooms, a bar and a dining room, and also an outside patio where live music was playing. The menu is italian, with antipasti, primero, secundo and dessert. Since I love olives, I got a bowl full (~20 olives) for $3, my wife made do with a tomato and basil salad. Fettucini in garlic creme sauce was very nice, but my spaghettini with chopped steak and a spicy red sauce was simply perfect. The staff was very friendly, and even though we were there on a weekend evening there seemed to be plenty of room. Overall a very nice dinner in Wine Country, and highly recommended, especially if spending the night in Geyserville (also highly recommended, after all that wine tasting).

Staying at the North Cliff Hotel, we scored window seat reservations at the Cliff House restaurant, which is just south across the bridge from the hotel, an easy walk. Cocktails were pretty expensive, but the view and the food were incredible. I had the cioppino, which was so full of amazingly good seafood that I was worried that I couldnt finish it all - I ended up sopping up all that lovely sauce with bread, and cleaning out the bowl. Fantastic. My wife had the whole steamed crab, which was meaty and served with the salad underneath (which was a little odd, but served to catch the juices and add a seafood tang to the salad dressing). Creme brulee and bread pudding for dessert, and we walked away stuffed. Very highly recommended, and well worth the price. Next time I am in Fort Bragg, I will have no problem stopping here again. Cliff House gets the Big Five Stars.

Not sure what Hugo's problem was (maybe a bad day) but lunch at North Coast Brewing Co. was very enjoyable for us. The turkey club sandwich was nice, huge pile of seasoned fries came with it. I wasnt so much a fan of the Mendocino Mustard, though, it seemed gluey and not particularly tasty. I ended up mixing it half-and-half with the standard yellow mustard and decided that the yellow mustard was good enough as it is. The Scrimshaw pilsner was an excellent choice for someone driving (me) as it has a lower alcohol content than the other offerings, but I could easily down a couple of Red Seal Ales at need. The restaurant was clean and uncrowded, and has separate bar area and dining rooms. Oh, and our hostess was adorable. Good stuff.

The California Grill sits at the edge of a little strip mall on Novato Blvd, along with a bicycle shop and I think there was a martial arts studio there too. Service is walk-up (inside), there are menus posted at a little above eye level and some on the counter top also. Inside there are a mix of tall and standard-sized tables, and on the patio there is seating for about 50 or 60 people. The menu is bbq (chicken and pork), some seafood selections, and sandwiches. The chicken is very good, and at under $6 for a quarter chicken and two sides, very reasonably priced. Pulled pork sandwich could have used a little extra sauce but the flavor was nice, and the portion more than adequate. The cole slaw is good, but doesnt have the traditional creamy dressing but more like a vinegarette dressing. The baked beans were excellent. Local beers on tap are available. You know the ribs must be good and sticky (I didnt try them though) when there is a laundry sink and bulk paper towels available to wash ones hands in. Overall a very nice place for lunch or dinner.

Well, Ofelia's fiance, congratulations! And you are right, the spicy fries are excellent, and Wimpy's knows how to make a proper chili burger. Good stuff. Friendly service, and there is a selection of (odd) reading materials on a table in the center of the dining area. A local favorite.

The Triangle Drive-In occupies (what else?) a triangle of property on the east edge of the great metropolis of Ivanhoe. This is yet another family owned, small-town burger stop, but there are some distinct differences that make this a very pleasant place to stop for lunch. The service is very friendly and competent, the prices are reasonable and the quality of the food is very good. My favorite is the Jumbo Ortega Cheeseburger with everything, and a large iced tea. The fries are good here also, but the burger itself is generous and sufficient for me. There are also some sandwich options, tacos and burritos. That, combined with the excellent service, recommends Triangle Drive-In as a great place to stop in Ivanhoe.

George's is an excellent Armenian-style restaurant on Blackstone just north of Sierra (do not believe what the stupid Google Map to the right says, it is nowhere close to FSU). The restaurant is divided into three dining areas - tables along a wall, a room where larger parties can be seated, and the counter at the grill where one can watch their meal being prepared. George's pilaf is legendary, it comes in rice or wheat varieties (I prefer the rice, but they are happy to give you half-and-half). Lamb takes center stage, the lamb shank is so amazingly tender that it literally falls off the bone. Beef, lulu and chicken kabob are all very good, and George's grills a steak perfectly. It is really interesting to watch the kabobs; the skewers have gears attached which fit a rotating chain in front of the grill, which keeps them turning as they cook. Excellent idea, I want a setup like that for myself. There is a full bar. Dinner, with a glass of wine, should be about $30 per person, although it is possible to go cheaper. Overall a really nice restaurant that is definitely unique.

Well, of course not - going to Roger Rocka's for "just food" would be like going to the beach for "just sand". This is Fresno's only dinner theater, and one where the performers can get up close and personal if you happen to have your table next to the action. The plays are always fantastic, very professionally done and using local talent. Sundays and weekdays are buffet-style, for ~$40 per person. The buffet is always excellent. Friday and Saturday dinners are served at the table for ~$50, and the menu varies according to the performance. Three or four appetizers, and five or six choices of entree to choose from. Fresno is lucky to have a place like this, and performances almost always sell out so reservations are almost a requirement. Highly recommended.