Pizza Pizza!

It's no secret that I love pizza! I love it! I could eat probably it every day. It's been that way since I was little. I was the pizza kid and my sister liked fried chicken. We've always been different that way.

I've also found that people are passionate about their pizza. You've got your New York style, your deep dish, your fancy schmancy gourmet, your take and bake. I could go on and on. And although I'm partial to New Haven style, I will eat pretty much all of them.

Last week, Nancy and I sat down at Masullo Pizza on Riverside Drive. There's not much signage - or light at night - so it can be hard to see from the street. The restaurant is an open space with tables for two and larger family-style tables. We each ordered a small salad and split a pizza. Mine was a mixed green salad with prosciutto, tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette and served with two generous wedges of flat bread. Our pizza (the name escapes me and it's not on their online menu) was toped with tomato, spinach, green olives, red onion, feta and capers. This pizza is in the Neapolitan style, which has a thin crust prepared by hand (not with a rolling pin). I'd say it was crispy and tender at the same time.

The toppings were excellent, with the right balance between the salty ingredients and the sweetness of the tomatoes. The toppings compliment the crust, rather than the crust serving as merely a vessel for them. If you prefer a pizza that's piled high with toppings, this might not be the pie for you. However, I really enjoyed it and even had a slice leftover for lunch the next day!

There were lots of yummy sounding options to choose from in both vegetarian and meaty options. Their menu changes seasonally based on available ingredients so I'll definitely go back to try another variety.

As for value, our salads were about $6 each and the pizza was $12. Not a bad price for a dinner for two! The restaurant isn't open for lunch.

Blue Cue Happy Hour

I used to go to the Blue Cue quite a bit when I was about 21. For some reason I thought it was the "cool" downtown bar. (Ok, before you make fun of me, remember that I grew up in the 'burbs and was living in the Bay Area at the time. I thought all Sac bars were like that.) Anyway, I hadn't been for years, even though now I live a few blocks away and frequent other bars on the street. I've been twice in the past month, and I have to say, the recent renovations were a definite improvement. The bar looks sleeker, less cheesy, and the clientele is a little less cheesy as well. Other than the abnormally small chandeliers around the perimeter and the television set to "Deal or No Deal" it was a pretty cool place to grab a drink and chat with friends. They also have a pretty cool happy hour:
$2 Shoestring Potatoes
$2.5 Draft Beer
$3 Grilled chicken and pineapple skewers, Hot wings w/bleu cheese dip, import draft beer and well cocktails
$4 BBQ Spare Ribs with hoisin-honey glaze, Red Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon, Sterling Chardonnay
$5 Pepperoni Pizza

Speaking of Lunch Deals...

A few years back there was a sushi restaurant on the corner of S and 18th. I don't remember what it was called (I am sure somebody out there does). I remember it being good, but then it was gone and now it's Ju Hachi by Taka (was Taka the name of the place??).

Stacy and I hit Ju Hachi for lunch today and I wanted to pass on their lunch specials. I was originally going for sushi, but their menu was too good to pass up. For $8 you can choose one of the following items, along with soup, salad and rice, and for $11.50 you can choose two items.

• Tempura (shrimp and vegetables)
  
• Chicken Teriyaki
• Sesame Chicken
• Spicy Chicken Teriyaki
• Chicken Katsu
• Beef Teriyaki
• Sushi (five pieces, chef's choice)
• Sashimi (five pieces, chef's choice)
• BBQ Albacore
• BBQ Salmon

I had the BBQ albacore and the sesame chicken while Stacy had the same BBQ and the tempura. The portions were huge -- I really was shocked by the size of my albacore portion! Both my items were great and Stacy liked hers too. We were both stuffed for $12 each!

The dinner menu looks good too and I definitely want to go back and try some sushi!

$10 Lunch Specials

I just got an email from Spataro announcing new $10 daily lunch specials (all of which are served with a cup of soup):

Monday
Spaghetti and Meatballs - San Marzano tomato sauce, Parmesan

Tuesday
Chicken Parmigiana - Fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, sauteed spinach

Wednesday
House Made Ravioli - Stuffed with ricotta, herbs, fresh tomato-basil sauce

Thursday
Pork Milanese - Lemon, arugula, roasted potatoes

Friday
Lasagna - House Made Italian sausage, spinach, mozzarella, San Marzano tomato sauce

Updates!

Our crack R & D team (Sheri Madsen) has been hitting some new happy hours and her research has led to some updates on the Happy Hour Quick List. Check it out!

http://sachappyhour.blogspot.com/2007/10/cheers.html

Meal of the Week

I've had some good food this week. Marla took me out for my birthday on Tuesday and I took advantage of a free meal and went to 58 Degrees, where I can never afford the food. This is what we ordered and DAMN it was good:

Chicken Misto al Tartufo with prosciutto, white truffle pan sauce, and a warm Lebanese cous cous salad.

I can't even describe it, it was so good. If you're feeling flush, this is the meal to get. Perfect with a glass of Ken Forrester “Petit” Chenin Blanc.

Thanks, Marla!

Boon Boon Cafe

It's early and I haven't finished my coffee, so sorry for the unoriginal title.

Anyway, it doesn't need anything fancy because this place is GOOD. Jen and I couldn't come up with any remotely interesting dinner ideas the other night when neither of us felt like cooking after too many vodka sodas at the Tallac Lounge, so we decided to try the Boon Boon. I drive by it every day on my to and from work and it's also super close to Jen's house in TP.

What a great, pleasant surprise! The food was so incredibly good and the service was fantastic. Our server/owner (we're not sure, but making an assumption because she kept calling the restaurant "hers" so she either owns it or takes incredible ownership of it, both of which are a good thing) was incredibly knowledgeable about the food. She gave us the picture menu, which I always think is a funny thing about Asian restaurants, but also incredibly appreciated when you can't decide. Jen and I ordered the Chicken Satay appetizer, Chicken Green Curry and Spicy Shrimp. The Chicken Satay was perfectly grilled, the peanut sauce tasting homemade and not at all like peanut butter, the green curry perfectly light and just the right amount of heat, and the spicy shrimp perfectly cooked with all the vegetables. Our ginger tea was delicious and the perfect accompaniment.

I went back for lunch last week when I couldn't think of anything better to eat. I had the Tom Kha Gai (coconut milk soup) and the Yakitori appetizer. I wasn't as impressed by the Yakitori as the Chicken Satay. The chicken tasted a bit like it was on the grill for too long, but the teriyaki sauce was excellent. I usually stay away from teriyaki because I don't like the sticky sweetness of it, but this was a perfect balance of everything. The soup, however, was FABULOUS. I think I've talked about it every day since. It was a perfect balance of spicy and sweet, creamy without being heavy, with perfect little mushrooms, tender strips of chicken, and crunchy onion strips. YUM. I could eat this every day of my life.

The ambiance could use some warming up, but I think that's more because it's been relatively empty every time I've eaten here. The music is always interesting (when I was there for lunch it was some rockin' random jazz that was pretty cool). They're applying for a liquor license, which will probably help with the crowd, but honestly (and I can't believe I'm going to say this) they don't need it. They also have free delivery within 4 miles--hurray for those of us in TP, LP and Midtown!

One thing--there's a lot of talk on the Yelp reviews about it being in the "heart" of Oak Park. Anybody from the center city neighborhoods knows Stockton and Broadway is NOT the heart of Oak Park. It's not the greatest neighborhood, but hardly the worst ghetto either. And the location should not keep you away from the Boon Boon, the food is way too good for that.

Oh--and I almost forgot--it's cheap!! Jen and I spent $25 on dinner and I spent $10 on lunch with tip.

You can find Boon Boon on the south west corner of the Stockton and Broadway intersection, behind the Subway, or on the web at www.boonbooncafe.com. I highly recommend you try it.