Taco Taco

Casa Del Palmar #2

In search of poverty foods, one of my favorite stops is Casa Del Palmar in Novato. A postage stamp sized market and carniceria (butcher shop). There is barely enough room to walk the aisles. If someone tries to pass, it can get intimate real fast. All kinds of south of the border items cheap. On today’s visit we purchased ranchero beef. When I asked the butcher what the English name was he took out his huge knife and used it as a pointer to show me a picture that said flank/skirt steak. I’m glad he wasn’t mad at me cause that knife could do some damage! I digress … the ranchero beef is sliced very thin. I grilled it on the barbecue with salt, pepper and garlic powder till the pink just disappeared. A couple of small corn tortillas (sold by the huge piles at the same location) also warmed on the grill. I find that slicing the meat against the grain makes it more thender. Traditionally the tacos are served with chopped white onion and cilantro but I like a little Salsa Fresca too.

I figured the tacos cost about fifty cents each for a very generous portion. Add some rice and beans for a complete meal. I’ll just have the taco, carnivore that I am!

Salsa Fresca

Chopped tomato
Chopped white onion
Cilantro
Lime juice
Salt and pepper
Something hot – I used bottled hot sauce but chopped jalapeno peppers would be good.
Quantities to taste

Casa Del Palmar
1108 Grant Ave.
Novato, Ca. 94945

Follow Your Nose

Road Trip – Ukiah

Just found out the day job is secure for at least six more months so I decided to break away from the Poverty Kitchen mode for the moment and take a little road trip. A friend of mine lives just outside of Ukiah so we decided to visit. I like to visit small towns, a bit out of the way, to check out the people, places and food. Most of the bay area has really gone upscale, so I was looking for more “country” place. You know, blue collar, salt of the earth kind of place.

We checked out the online motel listings and found a room for $82 a night. It had lovely pictures of a 75-foot pool and redwood sculptures. The Discovery Inn, CSAA rated it three diamonds. On arrival it was apparent it had seen better days. The building was a little worn but the bed was comfortable, and they had wireless Internet service. The more modern Hampton Inn in the newer part of town wanted $129 so this was a bargain.

We cruised State Street, the main road through town, looking for places to eat. At the intersection of State and Lake Mendocino we saw a hand lettered sign that read “tri-tip and hot links”. I headed towards the smell. In the parking lot of Lightels Food and Fuel there was a towable barbecue rig that said Rob Roy’s’ Barbecue. The wood smoke was permeating the inside of my car, even though the windows were up and the air conditioning on. The smell was almost edible. Just then my friend called on the cell and invited us to lunch at Jensen’s Truck Stop. Truck stop sounded good but in retrospect we should have had the tri-tip.

Don’t get me wrong Jensen’s was a cool place. My wife had the patty melt and pronounced it good. Friend had the club sandwich, which he always gets, enough food for two people. The accompanying slaw was good too. I had the all day breakfast, scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon and toast. I’m sad to say the eggs and hash browns sucked. They were dry and tasteless, but add points for the hot toast and good bacon.

monster club

all day breakfast

patty melt

We bid friend goodbye and decided to while away the afternoon with a couple a games of bowling. We played at Yokayo lanes, the smallest bowling alley I’ve ever seen (16 lanes). Inside there was also a tiny restaurant and adjacent tiny bar that was already doing a good business at two in the afternoon. We didn’t try either cause we just ate and it was too early for a beer buzz.

Our Internet search and the CSAA travel book both mention a long time local Italian restaurant, Angelo’s. At dinner we head on over there. As you enter there is bar to your right that has a bunch of good old boys hanging out. (My kind of place), then you enter a nice dinning room. The waitress looks straight out of central casting for an Italian Aunt. Cotton dress, sturdy shoes and industrial strength pantyhose. She’s a seasoned pro, efficient and in command of her station. She directs the staff and takes our order. I have the special grilled sausage with pasta; wife has the spaghetti with scallops. Each comes with salad or soup. We both choose salads that arrive immediately. While the salad is a nice set up, almost like an antipasto, with eggplant, roasted red pepper, kidney and garbanzo beans, olives, and pepperoncini in addition to lettuce. My lettuce is very wilted. This is probably a result of being pre plated and sitting in the fridge for a while. Remarkably, the same salad served to my wife is fine. The pasta dishes were well received, plentiful and hot. Special mention to the grilled Italian sausage, spicy!
The only complaint is a note to the chef, drain the pasta more, don’t ruin the good sauce with a bunch of water on the plate. That being said, dinner was an overall good experience.

Back at the motel we check out the pool and HBO on five channels. After a good nights sleep we try the included continental breakfast. These can be tricky cause one persons idea of CB is lukewarm coffee and a stale roll while some are more complex. Here CB is pretty darn good. Coffee/tea, juices, cereals hot and cold, toasted breads or bagels, pastries, hard-boiled eggs, and freshly made waffles.

On the way out of town I just can’t help but think about going back to Rob Roy’s Barbecue. The signs still there but it’s only ten and the barbecue rig is nowhere to be seen. Next time I’m in town I think I’ll follow my nose.

was it a mirage ?

Poverty Kitchen

If you believe my friend Ricco, the tarot card reader, we are about to enter a rocky financial time at the end of this August. We were forced to replace an aged electric range this week. We chose a Maytag with double ovens and all the bells and whistles. It put a pretty good dent in the budget so, all things considered, I started thinking about saving money on food.

I love to spend money on new and exciting food. But I’ve decided the next couple of Blogs will be about frugal eating. The title of this project will be Poverty Kitchen or, for those of you French inclined, Cuisine de Pauvrette. Cheap and easy is the order. Dr. Biggles note this may qualify for your contest.

The first menu is smoked roasted chicken, tossed salad and rice. We fancied up the chicken a bit by roasting on the Weber with a dry rub and using apple wood chips for a smoky, bacon like finish. We also stuffed some sage from our herb box into the cavity. Roasting in the oven with salt and pepper would produce an acceptable alternative. A bag of yuppie chow (mesclum), two tomatoes, one cucumber and balsamic vinaigrette provided salad. Boiled white rice with butter some french bread and that’s all folks. We fed 6 adults for under $10. Most of the ingredients were purchased at Costco. While not gourmet it was enjoyed by all. Be frugal, but enjoy.

smoke roasted chicken

most new oven

Where's the Beef?

Marin Sun Farms Butcher Shop and Restaurant

Rancher Dave Evans has expanded his empire. A regular at several local farmers markets, Sun Farms now has a new venue just south of the town of Point Reyes. The old Chez Madalene site has been painted and scrubbed and sparkles inside and out. The bright colors and signage outside has a European feel to it. The interior houses a dining room with comfortable looking wood tables. To the back there is a butcher counter and market area selling their organic grass fed beef. A proponent of eating locally Sun Farms will use nearby purveyors to supply the restaurant and market.

We arrived on the first day and the first hour of opening day. Even though Mr. Evans probably had been frantic for many weeks trying to open the place, he was a gracious and affable host. The products we selected to take home were the New York Steak and the linguisa sausage. Cooler waiting we headed back to the old homestead.

To add a sporting touch to the day’s festivities we also grilled a grain fed New York Steak we had purchased at Costco. A taste test was in order. Off to the barbecue.

The linguisa was a star; it contained coarse ground beef with a little touch of pork and an outstanding seasoning with a kick. Mr. Evans had instructed us to grill the steak a little slower than grain fed beef and not to cook it to more than rare for the best result. I’ve been eating grain finished beef for so long there was noticeable difference in product. The grass fed beef had a sweet, herbaceous taste. To me likeable, but different than what I am used to. The younger palates in the family agreed the grass fed beef won, hands down.

Check the place out. Here’s to our local, sustainable agriculture. Enjoy!

10905 Highway One

Mas Queso

In many trips to Point Reyes Station we have visited the building that houses Tamales Bay Foods. We normally pick up some wonderful sandwiches from the deli counter. Ham with greens and Dijon on Brickmaiden rolls is our favorite. The deli is now called Indian Peach Cooking and Catering. I think this may be a name change but my research proved inconclusive. The building also houses Little Shorties Golden Point Produce and Cowgirl Creamery Artisan Cheeses.

Cowgirl Creamery has branched out to the Ferry Plaza in San Francisco. Each time I visit either venue the crowds buying cheese have discouraged me trying the product. This time, luckily, there was no crowd. Cheese monger Michael Zilber was manning the counter and was anxious to help us try the locally made organic cheese. We chose a little bag marked Picnic to Go. It contained three generous half rounds Mt. Tam, St. Pat and Red Hawk house-made cheese, house crackers and a cheese cutter. Perfect for a Life’s a Picnic experience.

Now you ask. Was it good, and what was your favorite? Well to be truthful, they were all wonderful. Each had its’ own personality. The Mt. Tam soft and creamy. The nettle wrapped St. Pat tasted like a light, soft Montery Jack. The Red Hawk had that aged tang, my favorite of the bunch.

The Picnic to Go is more than enough for two and would maybe feed four. Enjoy!

Job Envy

Bay café / Joey Altman

Hello my name is Greg and I have job envy. The first step is admitting you have a problem. Yes I would like your job Joey. That taken care of, on with the blog.

It’s Sunday at 8:30 pm. I’m in the afterglow of an amazing roasted chicken dinner. The television comes on and it’s time for Bay Café. I’ve always enjoyed watching this show. Joey Altman is more than just a pretty face, talking head. He has the restaurant chops, a been there / done that kind of guy. His real skill is being able to break down recipes to a form that most civilians understand. It’s fun to watch him try to coach a talented, but not very glib new chef, into to talking on the television. You know inside he just wants to shake the guy. Come on chef… look into the camera.

Sunday’s show was done in the style of “a day in the life” of Delfina Restaurant. I wish I had the sense to record this one. I’m sure it will repeat sometime. In the words of Randy of American Idol fame,” Dog, that was off the chain!!” The camera work, production and timing all came together to portray the life of a restaurant. Hard work and low pay but still a sense of accomplishment. They say do what you love, words to live by.

Bay Café a local show on Kron4.

Lucy the Boston Terror loves Bay Cafe too

Celebrity amongst us

Point Reyes Farmers Market / Toby’s Feed Barn

The fog was clearing when we arrived in Point Reyes Station. Our destination was Toby’s Feed Barn ( 15479 State Route 1) that hosts the Saturday morning farmers market (open 9am to 1pm June to October). We needed to fortify ourselves for the adventure so we stopped at Bovine Bakery (11315 Highway 1).

The Bovine Bakery is one of the top pastry makers in Marin. The wife and I always get the same thing. She has the bear claw and I the pain au chocolat. Some strong house coffee and you’re ready for anything.

So many choices

A real handfull

The market attracts locals when it first opens. It seems like everybody knows or is related to everybody else. I admire the community spirit and friendliness that envelops the town. Later in the day the crowd changes to a more tourist oriented crowd that heads for the local recreational areas.

Toby’s is already a sort of farmers market other days. It carries a selection of local food products including Brickmaiden Bread and Strauss Family dairy items. An array of garden and farm supplies, pet food, souvenirs and just plain fun stuff compete for your attention. On market day local purveyors back their trucks up to the front door and set up a colorful display.

who stole the roadsign?

the original Toby peeks out from better the plants

We chose some red lettuce and yellow beets destined for tonight’s dinner. The little tastes set out by Point Reyes Preserves call us over. We select some pickled mushrooms and spicy pickled green beans. Loads of vegetables, and fruits are available. Food stands from Indian Peach and Sun Farms, as well as a musical group, are setting up shop.

Marin Preserves

We’re off to other food adventures. While walking through town I notice several women swoon when a handsome black gentleman is introduced to them as John Francis. “Oh I’ve heard so much about you” one women gasps. Who is this mystery man? It is Dr. John Francis environmentalist, author, and apparent local celebrity. His story is amazing. Life’s little encounters happen, enjoy the journey!

Playing with Pizza

You gotta eat! With four kids to feed and two full time jobs, “pizza delivery” became a mantra at our house. Most of the kids have moved out now, but return on occasion. We were lazy one visit and ordered pizza. The bill was $49 for two very lovely pizzas from our local favorite Villa Roma Pizza. Lord that’s a lot of money!

Hey! My wife and I are good chefs, why not make pizza at home? So we did. With a little investment for a pizza stone, for the oven, and a pizza peel we began. I have to give credit to my wife, she is the dough maker. The dough recipe was liberated from Tyler Florence of Food Network fame. Depending on her mood the dough is made in a food processor or stand mixer. I think it is better to let the dough rest longer than the recipe calls for. If you are really an adventurous chef hand toss. We normally just use a rolling pin. Pre heat the oven to get the stone screaming hot, top the dough and shove it into the oven. That’s the tricky part. Make sure you flour the peel so the pizza will slide off. I think if I were starting again I would bake just a flat of dough to practice. The first time I tried to slip my heavily topped pizza on to the stone, I ended up with scrambled pizza. Most embarrassing. The bottom line is that the homemade pizza costs a quarter of the price of delivery. Make smaller pizzas so everyone can have their own topping. Use up leftover bits of meat and cheese for toppings. My latest experiment was putting the pizza on the Weber with indirect heat with a smoky and flavorful result. Two Buck Chuck (Charles Shaw from Trader Joe’s) Merlot is a nice wine pairing. Be frugal, but more importantly enjoy!

pepperoni pizza on the grill

finished product

Aprils "it's not easy being green" pizza. Fresh basil, olive oil and parmesan cheese

Food Memories

I’m willing to bet that most of us food bloggers, whose hobby it is to document what we eat, have a very distinct set of food memories. That is, we relate food to events in our lives that evoke good feelings of times gone by.

When my children were very little, my parents lived in San Francisco’s Golden Gateway area, wedged between the Financial District, North Beach, and Chinatown. A visit to Grandma and Grandpa’s house meant a visit to a Chinese Dim Sum restaurant. My Dad was easy to spot on crowded Stockton St. with his bright white hair standing a good bit taller than most of the pedestrians. I don’t know what the kids liked better, eating Dim Sum or buying Pop Pops and trinkets at the shops that cater to tourists along Grant Ave.

A few years later when my daughter was a Girl Scout we took her troop to Dim Sum assuming that all kids love the little bites selected off carts that roll by. The other girls starred as if we had landed on an alien planet while my kid pointed to her favorite goodies on the cart. When the chicken feet were displayed the troop retreated from the restaurant. It was off to McDonalds for some real kid food. I know there are a number of girls from that troop that are still traumatized by those chicken feet.

It is with these food memories in mind we review East Ocean Seafood Restaurant on Powell St. in Emeryville.Ca. With very same former Girl Scout daughter, and her now adult, baby sister we arrive for Saturday Dim Sum. No carts for the Dim Sum!? That’s not right! We almost do an about face and flee. Oh well, we’ve come this far. We are seated at a window table that overlooks the bay with great views of San Francisco, the Bay Bridge and the ports with their Star Wars looking giant steel cranes. As we are seated we receive a paper menu listing the available dishes. One is expected to make check marks next to the items we want brought to the table. This confuses us a little because we are used to viewing items for selection. With a family conference the boxes are checked we drink tea and wait. The service is fast and efficient but a bit on the brusque side. No time for friendly. The dishes arrive and arrive and arrive. Yes we have ordered way too much food. The demise of carts actually seems to have the food arrive much hotter than we are used to. This is darn good Dim Sum. The portions are large and the ingredients are fresh. Four of us eat for $52 including tea but not tip and we took home a large doggie bag. The dog didn’t get any. More good food memories were created.


Sui mai



Shrimp Dumplings


Rice noodles with shrimp


Steamed pork buns


Lotus leaf rice --tastes better than it looks ;)


Pan fried onion cake


Unknowen fried tasty something


Steamed Chinese Brocc. --gotta have a veg.