Oak & Rye Pizza - Los Gatos

Today's review comes to you from the charming little town of Los Gatos, California. Only a few miles over Highway 17 from Santa Cruz, you take the first (left!) exit into the heart of its downtown. Parking is always a challenge, but I like the lot behind Pizza My Heart. That way, you can walk the length of downtown, peeking into shops and many good places to eat.

Oak & Rye website

So even though this place has "pizza" in its name, it's more like a bistro. Comfy and eclectic decor, cocktails, wine and beer, brunch on the weekends... They have a wood-fire oven for delicious pizza, but check out these small plates:

Wow, I have never had this before - Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad ($8). It's just the sprouts, romano cheese, lemon juice and olive oil but it was amazing! So light and airy like a cloud. I know this vegetable isn't everyone's favorite, but if you like them, I highly recommend this simple, yet delicious dish.

The Homemade Pretzel ($6), served with beer cheese and wholegrain mustard, was also wonderful. You could do just this and the salad above for a dinner for one! The pretzel was soft and warm, with a buttery and slightly salty taste. It was great even without the cheese and mustard.

Next up was the Chili Verde Fries ($12) with pork shoulder, pickled onions, jalapenos, smoked sour cream and cheese. This was okay, but I found the flavors didn't meld well together. Some bites were very spicy and others were just plain. I guess some effort could be made to incorporate all the ingredients in each bite. Maybe a melted sauce over it would help.

Now the main course, a pizza called Scottie 2 Hottie ($17). This beauty had tomato, basil, mozzarella, honey, Italian ham and pepperchino oil. It had a this crispy, but chewy crust, which was perfect. I really like the burnt edges too for nice flavor. The oil and honey gave a spicy and sweet experience. For $17, I would've liked a bigger serving, but I guess you are paying for the quality toppings. Still a thumbs up.

I also got the burger special ($15) of the night (Mondays are burger night) and it was glorious. They make the sesame seed brioche buns in house and it's light and chewy. The burger is very fresh with beef, brisket and short ribs mix. Cooked to perfection and served with homemade potato chips. It's worth circling that day on your calendar.

There's outdoor seating and inside is a hip, causal vibe. You can sit at the bar or indoor tables. I had a few very tasty Mama's Little Yella Pilsner in a can ($3.50) and was not disappointed. Not an everyday eatery, unless you are on Bill Gates' good side, but quite nice for a special occasion.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 8
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Value for price: 6
Overall: 7.25

Rangoli India Restaurant (San Jose)

I dedicate this restaurant review to my buddy, Spencer. This is because he gives me grief about reviewing places that aren't in Santa Cruz... "It's in the name of your blog!". Well, I believe if I come across some news-worthy food, I will write it up. Location, smo-cation! So there.

Rangoli web site

After seeing this movie, (which was very good if you're a foodie by the way), I wanted to sedate my cravings. I quickly scouted the area on my cellphone and found Rangoli. It was in a strip mall at Camden & Union, which can be a bad sign, but it had some good reviews. Let's see how it does...

Walking in, we noticed the place was dark and sparse of furniture. There was a big entryway and the seating area was around back. Interesting. We were seated at a table that had a tiny, little candle. With barely any light, we couldn't make out the menu! Thank goodness for the flashlight on the cellphone.

The reviews raved about this appetizer, Crispy Honey Indo-Chinese Cauliflower ($6) and it was amazing. Like, drop everything and order this immediately. It looks like something off a Chinese menu, but had some Indian spices. Not too hot, as the honey gave it equal sweetness. These crunchy bits of cauliflower are sooooo worth the drive.

My guest hadn't had a lot of Indian food, so we decided to go with the greatest hits - Shai Paneer ($13, soft cheese cubes in gravy), Chicken Tikki Masala ($14) and Chicken Vindaloo ($14). The waiter asked how spicy we wanted them and we replied "medium". The couple across from us warned us that their medium was more like hot. Better get some Garlic Naan ($3) to go with it!

So the entrees were on the hottish side, but were mellowed by the rice (included) and naan. The garlic on the naan was plentiful, but not over-powering. The Vindaloo was too much, but the Paneer and Marsala were perfect. Each had wonderful flavors and were abundant in their cool containers.

We ended up packing up the Vindaloo for my brother later that night. He likes it spicy! I would hate to see what this place's version of "hot" was. Big ups for the appetizer, but some knocks against for the cavern-like interior and volcanic Vindaloo.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 6
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 6
Value for price: 6
Overall: 6 (plus .5 for the Cauliflower!) = 6.5

El Palomar Downtown

I asked my daughter where she wanted to go for dinner to celebrate the first day of the school year. It's always tough on the first day after a fun-filled, goof-off summer... El Palomar downtown was the choice, so away we go!

El Palomar

We had been coming to El Palomar for many years and consider it one of the best Mexican places in town. And we have our favorites. For Kelly, it's all about the chips, served warm with their tomato-based, spicy salsa (but not too spicy). They also like to stack the bowls for a Death Star of tortilla chips.

Kelly's other favorite food here is their Cheese Quesadilla ($8). Complete with tomatilla salsa, salsa fresca, guacamole and sour cream, you can't go wrong with this dish. Along with an extra generous side of rice, the offspring was very happy.

For me, the dish that "is" El Palomar is their sope ($13). You get two puffed-up corn tortillas filled with either meat or guac, cabbage, salsa and topped with sour cream. Major yum! I love crunching through the sides, digging for the delicious treasures inside. Along with rice and beans, I can't not order this! (Please pardon my poor, emotional-filled grammar...) I got one chicken and one guac.

Our server was friendly and attentive. Our waters were filled continuously. Our meal was perfect. The Palomar main room has a nice, tall ceiling and the place is pleasantly decorated. The cantina next door is a fun place for happy hour and appetizers. It's no wonder this place is a downtown favorite. Ole!

Scores out of 10:
Food: 8
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Value for price: 8
Overall: A solid OCHO

Boulder Creek Brewery & Cafe

So I had reviewed Surfrider Cafe earlier this year that's down in Santa Cruz. They feature beers from the Boulder Creek Brewery up Highway 9. Now it's time to try the food there!

BC Brewery webpage (FB)

Walking in, there's the bar and huge brewing vats on the left and the main dining area with tables and booths on the right. My guest and I sat in one of the booths in the back. We were looking for a light lunch and some good brews.

Our waiter said he'd be right back after dropping off some menus. "Right back" was more like five minutes, which is a lifetime if you are thirsty! There were some Trivia Pursuit cards on the table, so we tested each other's useless knowledge until he came back. I chose the Red River Blonde ($5.50) to drink and she got a guest cider ($6).

When the drinks came, we ordered our food. The Four By Four cheese dip ($8.95) looked good with its secret recipe of four onions and four cheese, served with ciabatta bread. And we got the Santa Cruz burger ($9.50) with avocado, mushrooms and cheese. We paid a little extra to get garlic fries on the side.

So this dip was amazing! Caramelized onions were hiding in all the creamy cheeses... cheddar on top and cream cheese and mozzarella inside. Not sure of the other ingredients, but man, was it tasty! We were fighting over each bite!

The burger was good too and the fries were busting out all over. Big chunks of garlic and parmesan gave a strong, but wonderful flavor. The burger was well cooked and juicy and the bun was soft and chewy. I mixed some of the garlic chunks in with the cheese dip to knock it out of the park. Ooof!

Now the bad news... our waiter was distracted and slow the whole time. I asked him for the check and he said "okay, be right there....". Then we proceeded to help several other customers. It's not like we were hiding in the back, we were right on his path through the restaurant! I would forgive one mix up, but he was slow to give us menus too. No excuse for that.

This is the only brewery in Boulder Creek and the beer and food is good. Worth the drive up. But expect some slow service.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 8
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 7
Overall: 6.50

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

Malone's Grille SV

The best burger in Scotts Valley? I aim to find out, so we are starting with Malone's Grille. They have been around since 1980 and is always full of locals at night and on the weekends. Let's see how their lunch is...

Malone's website

We met at noon and we walked into the outdoor patio. It's nicely spaced out with tables, umbrellas and chairs. The waiter said we could sit wherever we'd like and then asked what we'd like to drink. Two iced teas later ($2.50), we were scanning the menu.

They have fish & chips, pasta, chicken, French Dip, etc. but we were there for the burgers. The Cobb Burger ($10.95 - half is $2 less) with bleu cheese, bacon and avocado. I found my target in the Italian Burger ($13.95) and we chose fries for both.

Big steak fries! As you can see, the burger is topped with many nice things and a soft Ciabatta roll. The bleu cheese was enough for some in every bite. Even at half, it was a good sized portion.

Mine also had tons of goodies: arugula, mozzarella cheese, bacon, tomato and pesto. It wasn't too oily and every bite was very flavorful. Now I know I will get some flack for saying this, but I don't think the Italian burger needed bacon. I know, I know, bacon is good with everything, but I mean the other ingredients held their own. The cheese was smooth and creamy and the arugula gave a nice peppery crunch. The fries were done well and weren't greasy.

The place was about half full on a weekday for lunch, so I guess people know about them. We didn't make it inside where the bar is, but they have karaoke and wine tasting in there during the week. Check out their website for more info. This was a good start to find the best burger in SV!

Scores out of 10:
Food: 8
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 7
Overall: 7.75

**BONUS - BURRITO BLOG!**
http://scburritoquest.wordpress.com/
My buddy Jeff is on a quest to find the best burrito in Santa Cruz! Join him.

Mission St. BBQ

I'd been meaning to get over to Mission St. BBQ for a blog post, but I knew I needed an expert to help with the review. There's nobody else close to my son Chris when it comes to a love of BBQ.

Website (Facebook page)

We got there late for dinner around 7:15pm, but the place was busy. There's menus on the shelf when you walk in and they have all the standard meats and sides for a BBQ place. This place has the same owners as Aptos St. BBQ, so if you've been there, it's the same menu.

This place used to be a KFC and then it was an Italian place. Since I work close-by, my co-workers and I were very happy to see a BBQ place move in. Lots of tables inside and few on the patio too. They also have an extensive beer list with several taps. Check out Wednesday for a $5 pint night. We ordered and then got cups for the soda machine ($2.49 each).

Chris went with the Pulled Pork dinner ($9.99) with 2 sides (beans and potato salad). It also came with toasted bread and hog wash. What's that, you ask? Hog wash is a vinegar/pepper sauce if you like your meat tangy. It's a nice extra. He was happy with the hearty meal and didn't even finish all the beans.

I went with the Westside Combo ($8.99), which is a choice of three of their meats and bread and a side. I got the tri-tip, pulled pork and a beef rib. I was a little sad when it was brought out to me... was this going to fill me up? The tri-tip was very tender and flavorful, but I wished I had more. The pork was great, but the rib had barely any meat on it. Good thing I could finish Chris' beans!

There's not another BBQ on the Westside of town, so this is it. Luckily, they fill the bill with good quality food, but I would knock them for the portions. I guess when you are the only one around, you can charge what you want.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 7
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 5
Overall: 6