Salsa's Scotts Valley

This will be a quick review since time is running fast and I'm trying to catch up! But better a quick one than nothing. As the song says "A little bit is better than nada..."

Salsa's (somebody please update me!)

Remember where KFC was on Mt. Hermon Road on the way out of SV? Salsa's took over more than a year ago and yes, they still have a drive-thru window. We decided to go in to check out the interior. It was nice and no hints of a fast-food chicken place. Upon entering, there's several barstools and a full bar on the right. Many margaritas are born there. Further up is the cashier and a salsa bar. There's 10 or so tables inside with TVs on the wall and a nice patio out back. We decided to enjoy the sun out there.

We love Mexican food, so it was only a matter of time before we ate here. My go-to Mexican is nachos ($8.95), so I ordered mine with grilled chicken. Would Colonel Sanders be proud?

Si, senor! Mega-loaded with beans, chips and cheese, the meal was very generous. The toppings were fresh and the chicken was cooked well. I added some of the tomatillo salsa to make it even better. This plate was a winner!

She got two shredded chicken tacos with rice and beans ($7.95). She liked the crunchy taco shells and filing but said the chicken could have been better. Not enough flavor. But it looked good and was a nice portion.

There are a handful of Mexican restaurants in SV, Maya's, some taquerias, Cafe Carlos, and Salsa's is as good as any of them. I liked the outside patio option for sunny days and the salsa bar to choose your own. Maybe some bigger salsa bowls, but I can understand why they aren't. Just get a table close by for frequent trips.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 6
Service: n/a (order and they bring it to you)
Atmosphere: 8
Value for price: 7
Overall: 7

Heavenly Roadside Cafe

Hello and we're back! It's been forever since a new review, but I had a yummy breakfast last weekend and found some time to write about it. No guarantees for many more coming up, but you never know - a man's got to eat!

Heavenly Roadside Cafe (Yelp page)

After a dump run (thanks Russ!), we were two tired, hungry hombres. This roadside cafe was right on the way back and we stopped for much needed fuel.

There was a bodacious menu of all good things to eat for breakfast and lunch. It was around 11am, so we felt we could go either way. The onion rings looked like a nice starter - did I mention we were starved??

Aw yah! This is what I'm talking about - they were huge! Lots of crunchy batter - maybe double-dipped? The sauce was cool and slightly spicy and was a perfect complement to the hot, crispy rings.

Russell got the Avocado Benedict with fruit on the side. How great does that look? He was one happy puppy has he devoured his meal. I was going to ask how he liked it, but already knew the answer.

I was feeling like some avo as well and got the California Omelette. It had cheddar cheese and bacon inside. It was very tasty, but the eggs were a bit overdone. That didn't stop me from finishing off the plate!

Heavenly is a great spot for a morning or lunchtime meal. They had burgers and salads on the menu as well. The service was friendly and efficient. Inside is nice and sunny. We will be back even without a dump run.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 7
Service: 6
Atmosphere: 6
Value for price: 7
Overall: 6.5 very good

Sushi Garden SV

Guess who's back? Back again. The blog is back. Tell a friend. This time we are trying the new sushi place in Scotts Valley that replaced Yamamori. That was one of our favorites (see its review here from last Spring), so how does it compare?

Sushi Garden SV

Around the corner from Starbucks at the north end of SV, Sushi Garden just opened a few weeks ago. It was sad to see the former sushi place replaced, but we were willing to give this new one a try. We being my teenage, sushi-obsessed daughter and me.

Inside, they kept mostly the same layout for booths and tables, but brightened the area with lighter colors, tablecloths and walls. It was a nice contrast with the new darker chairs. Our friendly server asked where we wanted to sit. Coming from a long line of booth people, our choice was easy.

What to get? I enjoy the salads that Japanese places serve with its Miso dressing, so we started on that. I didn't even look up the price, since how much could a small salad cost? If you guessed $4.50, you'd be right. It was way too much for wet lettuce, cucumbers and carrots served with a scant amount of dressing. Off to a bad start!

The sushi, however, was much better. First up was the Golden California Roll ($7.50), served deep-fried with sweet sauce. This was a great value and the crab and avocado tasted spot on. I liked the purple flower too (didn't check to see if it was edible).

Next up were two rolls: one with pork Gyoza ($6.50) and one with Yam Tempura ($5.90). Both were tasty, but my daughter preferred the Yam one. It had a nice fresh flavor and a small crunch.

One more deep fried roll to try: the Regulator ($12.50), which came with Unagi, spicy Tuna, cream cheese and a sweet sauce. It was another winner that we both very much enjoyed.

It looked like all the guests were given a free dish, probably since they had just opened. Ours was some deep-fried Hamachi (Yellowtail), but it didn't have a strong taste. Just a mild fish flavor covered in crunchy tempura. Free is free.

I'm sorry to say that overall they didn't measure up to the previous restaurant. Maybe they are still working out the kinks? I think it is good enough for your "go-to" north-end sushi place. Hopefully, they can improve on a few things.

Scores out of 10:

Food: 7 (knocked down by the salad)

Service: 7

Atmosphere: 7

Value for price: 6

Overall: 6.75

Otoro Sushi SV

Howdy folks! It's been a while since my last food blog, but the "Best of" issue from Good Times came out and I was inspired. They claim the best sushi in Scotts Valley/SLV is Otoro Sushi. I was hungry and needed to do some research.

Otoro Sushi (Yelp page)

It's in a strip mall behind Taco Bell on Mt. Hermon road. Maybe not the greatest location for a sushi place, but let's not be picky. Good food goes where good food goes. I met my daughter there for dinner, since she never misses a sushi run.

Determining our appetites, she decided she wanted a full dinner, but I'd be good with a house salad ($4) and some sushi rolls. Maybe an appetizer too. First up, was the soup and salads. Kelly liked the Miso, but took one bite of the salad and pushed it away. I tried mine and it tasted a bit like dirt. It wasn't gritty, it just tasted bad. The dressing was sparse and only coated the top.

Next up with the Mixed Tempura ($6) with veggies and shrimp. Kelly really goes for the yams and I like the shrimp, so it's a good split. Crispy and not greasy, just the way we like it.

We got served two sushi rolls, Crunchy ($10) and California ($7). We had checked off another on the given paper list, but the waitress missed it. As it turns out, the food we ate was plenty. I'm not sold on the "mark the list to order" routine however. The Crunchy roll had shrimp tempura, avocado and crab with Panko crumbs on the outside. We both liked it very much. The California roll was good too, but I missed the cucumber crunch they usually have.

Bam! Look at the amount of food that comes with the Chicken Katsu dinner ($14)! My kid was stoked and quickly gobbled up the lightly-breaded, fried chicken and sauce. The Katsu sauce is like a tangy ketchup, but not very sweet. More salad was not that exciting. There were steamed carrots, mushrooms and broccoli on the plate too and they seemed out of place. Maybe because we were used to tempura veggies? The rice bowl was heaping and the fruit was a nice touch.

Service was good and the staff were friendly. I should have sent back the salad. I did like the decor - modern and spacious. Why was this place rated so high? I'm not convinced it's better than Rumblefish or Yamamori. Especially with the mega-whiff on the salad. They get docked a point on the food score for that.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 6
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 7
Overall: 6.75

(Compare with my review of Yamamori)

Auntie Mame's SV

Breakfast in Scotts Valley gives you several options. Only a few, however, give you biscuits and gravy. Auntie Mame's has that and we were hungry. Let's see how the old gal does...

Auntie Mame's website (Yelp)

Located at the corner of Mt. Hermon and SV Drive, Mame's has been serving the city for decades. They have a menu on the wall from the early 70's. It's cozy inside with barstools and tables.

My guest hadn't been here before, but I had and I love their biscuits. Topped with the Santa Barbara Pepper Sauce (at each table), it's a real winner. 

I ordered the basic two eggs, potatoes with B&G ($6.75). Little pools of butter were on the overeasy eggs and the fries were half crispy. The star was the biscuits of course, with a thick creamy gravy on top. I asked the waitress what was in it and she said bacon and sausage. Mmm!

My guest got the same dish but with bacon ($8.25). It was cooked well and crispy. She said her potatoes were too salty, so I tried them. Mine were the same, so I guess I didn't mind it as much. To each their own!

I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a hearty breakfast. They have fruit instead of potatoes, if you're going the healthy route. But why would you do that?

Scores out of 10:

Food: 7

Service: 7

Atmosphere: 7

Value for price: 7

Overall: 7

Mint Cafe & Wine Bar

There are so many places to eat in SV (please note sarcasm), that's when a good one is found, it's worth talking about. Mint is tucked away along SV Drive - don't blink or you might miss it!

Website

I had read some Yelp reviews about the lack of a hostess stand and not knowing if you should seat yourself. When we walked in, Ed, the owner behind the bar, came over and said to sit anywhere. Problem solved! There were several TVs, some high tables and a dining room with arts and crafts for sale around the perimeter.

There's a comfortable bar with beers on tap, but Mint is known for its wine selection. Ed brought us over food and wine menus. He offered to let us taste something before we ordered. Plus one star for that! The wines ranged from $5 to $14 a glass. You can also get a half or full bottle. A good selection of reds, whites and bubbly's.

To go with our wine, we decided to get the cheese plate ($14 for two cheeses) with Irish Cheddar and Spanish Manchego along with sliced apple, toast, salted almonds and cashews. For $4, the Rocco Plate was sliced hot links with a honey mustard. The spicy sausage and creamy cheeses were great together. I would have liked more fruit on the plate, but it was plenty for the two of us.

They have an extensive menu of lunch and dinner items too, but we were only here for wine and snacks. There's Tri Tip Sliders (shown above), Lots'o Meat Lasagna, Stuffed Shrimp Avocado Salad and more. We will be coming back for sure...

Scores out of 10:
Food: 7
Services: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Value for price: 7
Overall: 7.5

Mint is in the same location that the Scotts Valley Tree Circus was many years ago. Some of the trees were moved to the Gilroy Gardens Park, but there's still a little sign showing the history there.

Kao Sook Thai

It's been awhile since I wrote up a restaurant review - sometimes life can get in the way of what you like to do. Some friends of mine have been going through some tough times, so I dedicate this blog entry to them. When the going gets tough, the tough go out for Thai food!

Website

I have been to some good Thai places all over town like Sabieng, Thai Orchid and Sawasdee, so I like to think of myself as an expert. This place in Scotts Valley is small and hidden in a strip mall across from the Kings Village shopping center. Is it worth it to search out?

My dining companion was excited to try it too. You walk in and it's one big room with tables and the kitchen in the back. I liked the decorations they had at the front.

We started with a traditional Thai appetizer, Chicken Satay ($7.25) and what a feast for the eyes! I love those grill marks on the chicken, which was cooked through and still juicy (not dry). The peanut sauce had a nice zing to it and I think I hogged all the cucumber onion salad. It was a great way to start out meal.

Next up, Tom Kha or coconut milk soup ($9.95). There were lots of chicken, mushrooms and onions all floating around the bowls. The soup serving bowl is so cool with its volcano-like tower and the Sterno flame underneath. We wisely put aside the pieces of lemongrass - too tough to eat, but gave a nice flavor.

Our main dish was the Pumpkin Curry ($11.45), which was served in a neat fish-shaped bowl. The blue trim and the orange sauce made for another visual pleasure. There were very generous portions of beef and veggies including the nice chunks of pumpkin. As a curry, I was expecting more of a punch, but I didn't specify any hotness. Still, the flavors were good and not too sweet. My guest said she liked it too.

We also got the Chicken Fried Rice ($5.95) to go with the curry. It too had generous pieces of chicken and chopped veggies. The rice was cooked just right, not too sticky or dry, but the chicken itself was plain. I would have preferred it grilled or better seasoned. Still, it was fresh and not dry at all, but I'll rate it as average.

I need to mention our smiling server who made us feel right at home. It's funny how a smile can make you feel welcome and our waiter certainly did. He was always available and seemed proud to deliver to us all the delicious food.

Kao Sook is truly a good place to eat. I would include it with the other good Thai places I mentioned above.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 8
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 7
Overall: 7.50