Burmese in Burlingame

If you're looking for a new cuisine to try, I would highly suggest Burmese. Mingalaba Restaurant in Burlingame serves up some tasty grub. Think Chinese-Thai fusion. The two times Tobasco and I went, we ordered the Shan Noodles because they were THAT GOOD. The rice noodles are served in a spicy tomato sauce with chicken, peanuts, cilantro, chili flakes, sesame seeds and pickled radish. The dish arrives pre-mixed, and the server explains each ingredient and mixes it for you. I'm assuming it's in case you're allergic or dislike any of the ingredients. In addition to this dish, we've ordered the Eggplant with Garlic Sauce and the Burmese Style Pan Fried String Beans. The Eggplant is pretty self-explanatory, and the string beans were quite interesting. You can ordered said beans with either dried shrimp or vegetarian tofu. If you just say fried string beans, they'll automatically give you the dried shrimp, which actually adds an interesting kick to the dish. And give the coconut rice a try. It's divine.

Mingalaba Restaurant
1213 Burlingame Avenue
Burlingame, CA 94010

Nepalese Food

Having failed at ordering Dosa (the place was closed) and hungry on a Saturday night, PS and I decided to check for a good deal on her Taste Card. There aren't many places in Oxford that take the card on a Sat night, but we found Kadai and Naan, an Indian/Nepalese place. Since I was craving noodles, we decided to try our luck with their Paneer Noodle dish. We were pleasantly surprised by a delicious dish that almost mimics Indian-Chinese fusion. The noodles were fried with chillies, garlic, onion and we're assuming some soy sauce and chili oil. Intermixed with the noodles were perfectly fried cubes of paneer. The mixture may sound strange, but it was one of the best dishes I've had in a while. We also ordered the Chicken Kadai, which resembles an Indian curry, but with slight variations on the herbs and spices. If you love Indian food and want to try something similar with a twist, definitely give this place a go.

Kadai and Naan
209 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1XF

Cantonese Tomato Beef

I was left with several parcels of tomatoes the other day when a friend went on a month-long research trip to California. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." But when life gives you tomatoes, make...?" Feeling slightly nostalgic for my mother's cooking, I opted to make a Cantonese dish consisting of tomatoes and beef. Traditionally, this mixture is served over rice, but I decided to make it with vermicelli noodles because I had no rice in the house, and I love noodles. My version of this recipe is quite bastardized and randomly whipped together, but it turned out pretty good nonetheless!

(2-3 servings)
3-4 cloves of garlic (depending on garlic tolerance)
250g beef mince
~330g sliced cherry tomatoes (more or less depending on your taste; regular tomatoes are alright too and actually more traditional)
soy sauce (to taste)
1 tsp sugar
375g vermicelli (i.e. rice noodles)
dash of sesame oil
2-3 eggs (depending on # of servings)

Stir fry the garlic in a bit of oil for about a minute. Add the beef mince and fry until about 75% of the beef is cooked. Add the sliced cherry tomatoes and squish them to get all the water out. Add in soy sauce and sugar and let it simmer for a couple minutes. Give the mixture a try and add more sugar and/or soy sauce depending on how sweet or salty you want it.  Stir in the vermicelli, sesame oil, and more soy sauce if needed. Mix well for another two minutes. Keep tasting and adjusting the ingredients to your taste buds. In another pan, fry up some eggs. Put the noodles in dishes and top each serving off with an egg.

This recipe is quite ad hoc, so feel free to play around with it. There's really no way of messing up as long as you keep tasting and mixing in things little by little until the flavor suits you!

Giving Chains a Good Name

I've been a fan of Jamie Oliver since his first show, The Naked Chef. My mom and I used to watch it on  the Food Network. It was a great show: relatively simple recipes coupled with footage of East London markets. When my mother came to visit me, I naturally took her to Jamie's Italian, one of his restaurant chains. I'm usually skeptical about trying chains attached with chef names because it's all a bit gimmicky. However, Jamie's is quite legit. The pasta is made fresh, in-house every day. In the Oxford location, they even place the pasta machine next to the window, so passer-byers can watch noodles being made.

On our visit, my mother and I ordered the Crispy Squid as a starter, the Spaghetti Vongole and Seafood Bucatini as mains, and sizzling green beans as sides. Everything was incredibly fresh. This might also be due to the fact that we're in England. Good seafood is surprisingly hard to find back in the Bay Area unless you're willing to shell out major dollars (pun intended). The pasta was fresh, springy and actually tasted like pasta unlike the usual store bought stuff that let's face it, tastes of nothing. I highly recommend giving Jamie's a go if you're a fan or just an Italian food lover. We had a lovely experience and even went once more before she left.

Jamie's Italian (various locations)
Oxford:
24-26 George Street OX1 2AE

Cake Dreams

In celebration of A. Kole's viva, completion of PhD, and return to Medical School, his roommates and I decided to make a "Med School" themed cake. This was the first time I've ever used fondant, and I was surprised that it wasn't too difficult to handle. Not that I'm saying we're complete experts, but it's easy to get into. You're basically playing with clay-like frosting. The next time you consider making a cake instead of buying, I highly recommend giving this stuff a go.

Mac across the Pond

Obvs taken on a diff occasion. This time out of it's bowl with a "Home-made Cod Fish Finger Sandwich"

Having lived in England for two years, I of course have craved some American eats. Along with burgers, mac & cheese (or as the Brits call it “macaroni cheese”) is probably one of my biggest misses. Bill’s, a strangely American- and British- feeling restaurant founded by an Australian guy, offers some tasty mac. If you prefer the dry creamier kind, then this might not be your fave, but if you’re into saucy mac, this will be your thing. Leeks are included to add an extra kick along with a blanket of breadcrumbs.

I want to take some time to also talk about the cute décor of the place. So it's sort of a chain in England, but it’s aesthetic is quite appealing. I like to call it industrial chic: exposed pipes chilling with chandeliers and vintage-y kitchen products. Sure, it’s probably being marketed to yupsters, but it’s pretty damn effective!

Bill's (various locations)
London:
St. Martin's Courtyard WC2E 9AB

Oxford:
Northgate Hall, St. Michael's Street OX1 2DU

Not Your Bog Standard Ramen

If you know me well, you know that I have a lot of opinions on ramen. I justify it with the excuse that I partially grew up in Japan, but let’s face it I’m just a ramen snob. After various pop-ups, Shoryu officially opened its doors (finally). I went for their signature ramen dish, Shoryu Ganso Tonkatsu: thin slices of pork, veg, seaweed, soft boiled egg, and noodles swimming in a sea of pork broth. One of the hardest things to find is good noodles. These were actually spring-y, which was a major plus. The broth was nice and actually tasted as if they bothered to boil some pork bones for a day.  Definitely give this place a try if you’re a ramen connoisseur. I have to admit that this is a bit on the pricier side (£10!). I’m hesitant to even pay $10 for ramen! But as we all know, Japanese cuisine is somehow always priced way above what it’s actually worth. But again, I’m probably just basing this on the fact that I could get a bowl of noodles for ¥700.

Shoryu Ramen
9 Regent Street, SW1Y 4LR

Borough Market Finds

One of my favorite places to go for lunch in London these days is Borough Market. No matter the day of the week, there is always a large selection of bites from which to choose. On our second visit, Fitz and I happened upon Rainha Santa, a roast hog stall. You know it’s promising when they actually have an entire pig in a roaster behind the stand. For only 5 quid, you get pulled pork with apple sauce, a touch of spinach, and topped off with crackling in some nice rustic bread.  I would highly recommend this dish for any pork sandwich enthusiasts.

On my third visit (this time with PH), I ventured back to Roast to try their Scotch Egg Butty. Scotch eggs are one of the British delicacies that I will truly miss when I’m back in the “New Country.” Just in case you’re unfamiliar with this morsel, it is basically a boiled egg wrapped with sausage meat, breaded, and then deep-fried. It may sound disgusting, but I assure you they’re tastier than their description. Roast offers homemade scotch eggs that are about the size of a tennis ball. For the butty (i.e. sandwich), they not only slice one in half, but also fry up additional bacon to place in between the slices of bread. It’s breakfast in sandwich form (one of my new loves in addition to all-day breakfast). This thing will keep you going for HOURS. And as a fellow ex-pat mentioned, it's the best hangover cure.

Borough Market
8 Southwark Street SE1 1TL

I'm Back!

After a long hiatus (nearly two years to the date, yikes!), I've decided to come back to the food blogging world. It's been a weird two years considering I've been mostly trapped eating food at my college. Don't get me wrong it's great stuff, but there's only so many meals, in which I can eat potatoes. Oxford has a few good local eateries, but London is the place to go to fulfill your Foodie dreams.

Recently, I ventured out to Shoreditch on a Sunday to visit the Brick Lane Market. It was a hipster's paradise. Not only are their various stalls and stores that offer vintage wares, but there's an equal amount of food stalls! I had mistakingly eaten before heading to the market, but I managed to fit in a snack.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a Takoyaki stall and made my way towards it immediately. The balls of pancake and squid were made fresh in front of me, and the guy slapped on some wasabi mayo, Japanese chili flakes, and seaweed! I sat down with PH on the corner of Hanbury Street (where apparently all the hip kids chow down on food from the Sunday Upmarket). PH started on his £5 plate of Turkish food that resembled Indian food more than anything (it was still delicious), while I started on my Takoyaki. They were a bit gooey for my taste, and each ball only had one piece of squid! It's called Tako-yaki not pancake-yaki for a reason! The sauces were delicious, but only barely made up for the rest of the concoction. I ran into the same issue a couple years ago at Takoyaki Yum. Although I was glad to see that the Japanese treats were gaining an audience, I was slightly disappointed. Perhaps, the vendor didn't want to scare off the public with too much squid? Or perhaps, they're just being way too thrifty.

Brick Lane Market
Brick Lane, Shoreditch E1 6PU

Cone of Snow

Because I know how much you want to see ice in a cup.

It's been freaking hot lately, so frozen treats have been a must. I went to OTG again last week just to pick up something from Skylight Snowballs. Because I'm apparently obsessed with coffee, I had the Four Barrel Snowcone/Snowball/Shaved Ice Thing. It was delicious. Then again, it's just sugar water flavored with coffee...you really can't go wrong. I almost liked it more than the Coffee Pop I got at Ritual last SF Food Fest. But, I also think that the snowcone form suits the coffee syrup better because the popsicle feels like a block of sugar.

Off the Grid: North Berkeley
Shattuck Ave @ Rose St.

The Best Fish n' Chips This Side of the Pond (That I've Had So Far at Least...)

Fish and Chips + Allagash White
(It would be even more awesome if there were Mushy Peas, but one shouldn't be greedy.)

After a whirlwind day with Tob-asco, which included In-n-Out, a car overheating in Santa Cruz, getting the car towed, finally walking to the beach, and being picked up by her parents, we all decided to get dinner cuz we were effing hungry. After much discussion about what to eat, the parentals decided on Martins West. GREAT CHOICE. Three of us ordered Fish and Chips and the other ordered a burger, which Tob-asco and I probably would've ordered if we hadn't eaten In-N-Out. Fish was fried to perfection and actually tasted like fish. Chips were similar. Tasted like actual potatoes. Beer selection was pretty decent, especially for Redwood City (according to natives). Know that this place is a bit pricey, but if you're in the area, then there's probably nothing better to do, so check it out.

Martins West Gastropub
831 Main St., Redwood City

OtG: Berkeley Edition

The "Snoop Dog" from Brass Knuckle

The "Fryin' Maiden" from Brass Knuckle

Burger with Cheddar and Egg + Garlic Fries from Five Ten Burger

Off the Grid recently began in Berkeley, and where is it?! The Gourmet Ghetto of course! I went to the soft opening a few weeks ago, and it was cr-a-zy. I got there around 7ish and waited 1hr 20mins for my food. I actually ordered two items because I was so bitter (saved one for lunch the next day). I went again recently around 5:30, and it was a lot less hectic. Go early if you want to wait in shorter lines and not have half the trucks sold out!

On my first visit, I went to Brass Knuckle. I'm not even sure how to describe their food, other than fatty street food. I got a bacon wrapped hot dog (the Snoop Dog), which was less greasy and salty than I thought it would be. Definitely better than the ones you can get in the Mission at midnight, but not exactly something I'd order all the time. It's also supposed to be fusion-y, considering it's served with "spicy teri mayo, furikake, slaw, radish sprouts, bonito flakes," and they forgot to mention nori on the menu. The nori seemed quite unnecessary, but it's a fun twist on your traditional dog I guess. I also got a fried chicken sandwich (the Fryin' Maiden). Not bad, but I'm pretty faithful to Bakesale Betty's. I wouldn't wait that long again for this truck, but the food was decent.

I waited a few weeks before I went again. This time I was set to go to Five Ten Burger (it was sold out last time). After eating their burger, I realized why they had the longest line and sold out probably the quickest. The burger was delicious. I ordered it with a fried egg on top because everything tastes better with an egg (at least that's what current food trenders would like you to believe). The garlic fries contained just the right amount of garlic, not a punch in your face, but enough for you to notice it. I would definitely pay them another visit to serve my burger needs.

Off the Grid: North Berkeley
Shattuck Ave @ Rose St.
(Kind of near Cheeseboard in the parking lot area next to CVS. Same location as the Farmer's Market on Thursdays.)

Brass Knuckle and Five Ten have their own websites if anyone is interested in visiting them at other times.

O rly? Onigilly?!

To continue with the current Japanese snack food trend, I recently tried Onigilly, the Onigiri Cart that’s on Justin Herman Plaza every weekday (i.e. the area with hella vendors that you have to walk past to get to the ferry building). I’ve kind of put off trying it because I guess I haven’t cared enough. Also, onigiri is what I survived off of during a trip to Tokyo, so no onigiri in my mind could top that experience. Anyways, I went to the Ferry Building on a Tuesday at 12:30pm, which is probably one of the worst times ever. Everyone’s out at lunch and buying shit at the Farmer’s Market. However, there was no line at Onigilly! Usually this is probably not a good sign, but I think it was more due to the fact that everyone was concentrated on the Market.

I ordered the “Geisha,” which is basically three onigiris and edamame. I tried the Miso Tuna, Hijiki Black Seaweed, and Sansai Mountain Veggies. All three were quite delicious. The seaweed was crisp and protected my hands from the sticky rice, and each filling was nicely seasoned. The edamame was actually a bit too soft, but not inedible. I would definitely recommend this cart. It’s light and relatively healthy. A bit pricey and depending on how much you eat, it might not be enough, but for a hot summer day, it was actually perfect.

Cart at Justin Herman Plaza

5 Steuart St/Market St, San Francisco

Check out their website because they're also at Off the Grid!

Pinkerton Food

Takoyanen (Delica)

Takoyaki Yum

Sorry for the dearth of posts lately. Life has been...life. Anyways, I have recently discovered an increased interest around Japanese cuisine. Ramen and Izakayas have been popping up everywhere. The possible new foodie obsession? Takoyaki! Basically pancake batter filled with octopus and other stuff is thrown into a pan with little ball-shaped molds. Sometimes they're referred to as dumplings, other times they're called pancakes. You can decide for yourself. Takoyaki is usually served at festivals and other outdoor type events along with Taiyaki (A fish shaped waffle that has azuki filling. It is also super-noms).

In recent food bloggery, two locations in which to find Takoyaki have been mentioned: the Ferry Building Farmer's Market on Thursday and the Temescal Farmer's Market on Sunday. Surprised that they are both Farmer's Market? I wasn't either. Delica is currently offering the aforementioned morsel on the former day. It's run under the name Takoyanen. I arrived quite early, so the goods were made already, which actually was a slight disappointment, since they were not fresh. However, I enjoyed the fried-ness of the octopus. It tasted similar to the bags of fried squid you can get at any place that sells Asian snacks.

If you're in the East Bay and don't want to make the trek, check out Takoyaki Yum. The funny thing is they're actually not in the Farmer's Market. They are across from it at 491 Cavour St. Although the takoyaki was fresher and made in front of me, it still needs some improvement. They were a bit too gooey for my taste, and the octopus lacked flavour. However, I understand somewhat, since fresh octopus is hard to come by. Points for toppings though. The slurry of sauces (Kewpie mayonnaise, okonomiyaki sauce, wasabi mayo) along with bonito flakes and dried seaweed made a tasty combo, but was it just a way to mask the blandness of the morsels themselves? Idk. Right now, I'm leaning towards Delica's because both the takoyaki and sauces did not lack flavour. That being said, they did lack a bit of warmth.

Takoyanen
Ferry Building Marketplace
One Ferry Building

Takoyaki Yum
491 Cavour St.
(Across from the Farmer's Market, which is in the DMV's Parking Lot)

P.S. Just in case anyone was wondering, the use of Pinkerton refers to the slang definition.

So(uthie) Co(mfort)

Truffled Bacon and Poached Egg Salad

Nana Carmella

The Slab

Bacon-Green Lentil Soup
(? I'm not sure because my friend ordered it)

Carnitas Tacos
(It even came with complimentary White Wine Sangria.)

For some reason, I've been holding off on a review of Southie. I feel as if I have mixed feelings about it, but not enough to stop going. And, I keep telling people that it's one of the places that I like going to on College, which is true. I have enjoyed everything that I've tried there. The only complaints I have are that the Nana Carmella can be a bit salty and some of the food greasy. Otherwise, it's a nice joint. Here is a recap of some of the stuff I've consumed:

• Truffled Bacon and Poached Egg Salad: My favorite dish at Southie thus far. There's, just enough bacon, so it doesn't feel like grease overload. And, I freaking love poached eggs. The dressing is fairly light and tasty.

• Nana Carmella: A bit salty...something about the combination of sauce and cheese is off just a little. Otherwise, it's delicious. I might need to try it again because it could have been an off day.

• Carnitas Tacos: This was a Cinco de Mayo Special, so I'm not sure if it ever appears on their regular menu. The pork was extremely flavourful, but the tacos were quite greasy. There was a grease puddle under each taco, and whenever I picked one up, it would just drip all over my hand. I noticed the same thing happened when my friend ordered "The Slab." One of the things that they forget to mention on the menu is that the "thick slab bacon" is deep fried. Yes, I know it's bacon and is by default fatty. BUT this really took it to a new level of "What am I eating?!" Though quite tasty, its kind of an oil explosion.
  

I'm also a bit curious about their slogan "East Cost Mentality. West Coast Sensibility." Does anyone know the specifics of what they're referring to? Anyways, go, eat, and tell me what you think.

6311 College Ave (at 63rd St)
Oakland

The Most Amazing Cobb Salad Ever

I have been raving about the Cobb Salad at Free Speech Movement Cafe (on Cal's campus), for the last year. So much in fact, I am pretty sure my friends think I am insane. But believe me, it really is that good. Somehow FSM finds the right balance of bacon, egg, and chicken. Ok yes, it sounds like a meat lover's deal. But each meat is given in moderation unlike some places I know that top the salad with an entire chicken breast. Anyways, this salad also comes with surprisingly fresh avocado and cherry tomatoes. No seriously, their ingredients are incredibly fresh and quite the opposite of the salads anywhere else on campus. Then again, you are paying cold hard cash. A delicious slice of foccacia is included, and don't worry about heavy dressing because this one is light and tangy! If you are incredibly hungry, you might be able to finish it, but I usually like sharing it with a friend. :)

Burger Week Comes to an End

BURGER ON A STICK!

Just in case you didn't know, last week was "Burger Week" in SF. Eater had a bracket for said event, and voters determined 4505 Meats as the winner. It was a bit of a surprise to me, not only because I tried the burger for the first time only a week prior, but also it wasn't the most amazing one I've ever had. Then again, I can't really place the best burger I've ever had. It definitely does what a burger is supposed to (be delicious), but it's a bit on the greasy side. I keep telling people that it's like a McDonald's burger that has been made with fresh ingredients. That's supposed to be compliment by the way. I'm pretty sure the bun is toasted with butter. Nonetheless, yes, it is good and greasy and really simple. Think Ron Swanson's burger from Parks and Rec, "It's a hamburger made out of meat on a bun with nothing. Add ketchup if you want I couldn't care less." To my knowledge, you can only get these at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market on Thursdays and Saturdays.

4505 Meats
Ferry Building Marketplace
One Ferry Building

Comstock Saloon: Meh

Pigs in Biscuits with Sauerkraut

So, I've been waiting to go to Comstock for the longest time. So much so that K.yo finally gave in and went with me before we saw YACHT at Bimbo's. The interior is really cute. I love the 20's/30's Prohibition feel, but Bourbon and Branch probably hits it better. Cocktails and food-wise, Comstock was a disappointment. The drinks weren't bad, but I've definitely had better at Thermidor, Bourbon, and Gather (all three offer similar prices if not cheaper actually). My other small complaint is that they were charging $10 for a shot of Johnnie Walker Black Label. You can buy an entire bottle for $30! SIGH.

I ordered the "Pig in a Biscuit," since I figured I wouldn't go back very often and might as well try some food. The description of this dish on the menu is completely off. Firstly, it isn't just one pig. It's 3 and even 4 if you "want to share" as the waiter said. Secondly, the pork is not crispy and is merely a sausage patty. Thirdly, it's freakishly oily and not even tasty for being so fatty. Oh, this dish also comes with sauerkraut, which may actually be tastier than the pigs.

If given the choice, I probably wouldn't go back unless I'm somehow stuck in North Beach.

Comstock Saloon
155 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco

Souley Vegan--Souley DELICIOUS

Southern Fried Tofu, Mac and Cheese, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Southern Fried Tofu, Potato Salad, Black Eye Peas

Portabella Mushroom Burger and Potato Salad

Portabella Mushroom Burger and Mustard Greens
(The stuff oozing out of the burger is the Tangy Spinach.)

Apple Cobbler

Let's be honest, when people hear "vegan," they don't think tasty. And, the combination of vegan and soul food sounds even more strange. Well Special K., Tob-asco, CS, EJ, and I were pleasantly surprised last Friday, when we decided to make a Souley Vegan, Beer Revolution, and Trappist pilgrimage. We were so hungry that we didn't even think of ordering the "everything" plate, but instead all got similar orders. Here's a breakdown of some of the offerings:

• Southern Fried Tofu: HOLY CRAP THIS STUFF ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE CHICKEN. I don't know how they managed to bread and fry the tofu in such fashion, but the fried-ness tastes similar to fried chicken. Advice: share this with a friend because you kind of feel like dying after eating one piece (in a semi-good way).

• Mac and Cheese: Everyone who I've asked about vegan cheese seems to have had bad experiences. Therefore, I was a little skeptical when I ordered it, but the yelp pictures looked fucking amazing. The cheese was surprisingly cheese-like, and the dish was well-seasoned. This was probably my favorite side dish of the night.

• Mashed Potatoes and Gravy/Potato Salad: Both were not bad, but not the most amazing things I've ever had. The mashed potatoes were very creamy with a tiny bit of spice, and the potato salad was exactly what you would expect.
  

• Black Eye Peas/Mustard Greens: Both were not mine, but there were no complaints about either. Actually, I remember the greens being noms, and they made us feel slightly less terrible about ourselves.

• Portabella Mushroom Burger: This thing was huge!! I didn't get to try some of the mushroom, but I did try the "tangy spinach" on top. Holy crap, be aware that these greens are spicy. Tob-asco called it "death spinach." It wasn't bad, just a kick in the face that we weren't expecting.

• Apple Cobbler: Wait for this to cool down, before you eat it! We all nearly burned our mouths. But, it was the perfect end to a soul food meal...the cobbler, not the burning.

Oh I almost forgot to mention, the music here is amazing! Nothing like some soul jams.

Souley Vegan
301 Broadway, Oakland

Quick Summary of Beer Revolution and the Trappist (for those who are curious):

Beer Revolution: A bit divey, but has an incredibly extensive beer selection. There are refrigerator cases filled with bottles, and they have blackboards filled with on-tap options. You can apparently bring food from Souley Vegan over to eat or there's also a Tamale guy that goes around offering people...tamales.

The Trappist: I almost want to say that the mood of the place is the complete opposite of Beer Revolution. It has a cute European pub feel, and there's a front bar and a back bar. Their selection is also quite extensive, but seems less so when compared to the Bevmo beer-ness of the previous place.

Beer Revolution
464 3rd Street, Oakland

The Trappist
460 8th Street, Oakland

Diner Food That's Actually Worth It

BLT

Grilled Cheese + Tomato

Sometimes simple, inexpensive meals are the best. On Saturday night, Tob-asco and I were feeling indecisive. We knew we wanted a drink, but we also knew that we had to eat something beforehand. To save money, we settled on Claremont Diner and The Graduate. Maybe it was the fact that we weren't expecting much from a diner, but the food at Claremont really surprised us. We decided to split the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwich and the BLT. Both came with salads that were actually salads, i.e. it wasn't just a bowl of lettuce; there was actually garbanzo beans, black beans, cucumbers, carrots, etc. The sandwiches were toasted to perfection (we're guessing in butter) and came with the most awesome fries and fresh fruit. The cheese was melted deliciousness and the bacon was crisp. Oh, the little things in life...

Claremont Diner
6200 Claremont Avenue, Oakland