Eureka!

Location: Several places; location reviewed is in Berkeley, CA

Food: American

Close To: Berkeley Rep, The Marsh

In many ways, the small chain of Eureka! restaurants scattered across the West Coast resembles the Ashland eatery Smithfield’s, which I reviewed here. Both restaurants elevate classic American dishes with upscale ingredients and bold flavors, sport a minimalist, masculine atmosphere, and feature a wide selection of whiskies at the bar. But, while Smithfield’s concentrates on a variety of meat dishes, Eureka! focuses on the classic American meal: The hamburger.

Eureka!’s enticing hamburgers range from the classic setup of lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles to the Bone Marrow Burger, topped with a bone marrow porcini butter that’s so popular it usually sells out by the end of the day. My personal favorite options are the Bison Burger, which combines hot jalapeño jam with the complex sweetness of grilled bell peppers on a lean bison patty, and the Cowboy Burger, an indulgent delight with bacon, cheddar, and barbecue sauce. The restaurant will accept most substitutions, so feel free to ask for different ingredients on a burger if what’s on the menu don’t quite suit your fancy.

Though burgers are the main focus at Eureka!, there are many other excellent options. Appetizers include Eureka!’s signature mac n’ cheese balls, Polish sausage lollipop corn dogs, and even ceviche. Other entrée items are also available, like orange-chili pork ribs and a selection of tacos. Not to be missed is a unique ginger-lime soda that provides the perfect combination of tartness and heat. Sweet potato fries are available with your burger, but Eureka!’s unique version comes covered in cinnamon and honey, accentuating the sweet potatoes in a way that’s almost dessert-like. And speaking of desserts, there’s only one on the menu: A warm, moist, unbelievably rich bourbon barrel cake served with caramel sauce and a big scoop of ice cream.

Most Eureka! restaurants are open late enough for you to catch dinner either before or after a show, and several are walking distance from theatrical venues. Eureka! is refined comfort food at its finest: The favorites you grew up with, given just enough of a twist to make them a new experience.

Vesta

Location: Redwood City, CA

Food: Pizza

Close To: Dragon Theatre, Broadway By The Bay

California pizza is known for being wide and flat, with a thin crust, as opposed to the thicker New York slice or the Chicago deep dish. One of the best choices for California-style pizza in the Bay Area is Vesta, a trendy, modern restaurant located in the middle of downtown Redwood City. Featuring a substantial menu of pies and appetizers, Vesta is a great choice if you feel like pizza but want something more upscale than delivery in a box.

There are a number of appetizers you could order to compliment your pizza, including the mushroom toast ($12) with sauteed mushrooms on bread or grilled carrots with lemon yogurt ($9), but one item on the menu must not be overlooked: Grilled bread ($2.50). Thick, crusty bread is toasted to perfection and lightly brushed with olive oil, creating a slight bitterness that compliments the sweet-sour flavor of the bread. There’s enough in a serving for at least two people, and it goes well with any pizza you would care to order.

Pizzas at Vesta are split into two categories: Red pizzas, which have tomato sauce, and white pizzas, which have cheese. Both types are large enough for two or three people to have a satisfying meal, so it’s highly recommended that you bring someone along. One of the more traditional pizzas in the red section is the basil burrata ($19), which plays on the classic Italian pizza margherita (also available on the menu for $16) by adding creamy dollops of soft, sweet burrata cheese. Fresh basil adds the aromatic punch needed to round out the flavor experience. Other choices in the red section are a vegan pesto pizza ($17) and an interesting pie that has sausage, honey and chili for a sweet-hot flavor ($21).

My choice in the white section is the Rosemary Potato & Bacon pizza ($21). Though unthinkable as a topping on a conventional pizza, the potato is one of the stars of the dish. The texture of the German butterball potato provides a palate contrast to the crisp bacon and soft cheese and the flavor combines beautifully with the dash of rosemary sprinkled across it. The pizza combines the casual delight that normally comes with eating pizza and the comfort of a home-cooked meal, providing an eating experience unique to Vesta.

After such great options for pizzas, it almost seems unfair that Vesta’s desserts are considerably above-par. Ordering a generous scoop of gelato ($5 with add-ons) is an excellent choice; my personal favorite flavor is the salted dulce de leche, which has coarse rock salt added to provide new flavors in every bite. Make sure to pay a little extra to add warm Tcho chocolate sauce, especially on a cold winter’s day. If ice cream isn’t your thing, you might want to order the Mexican chocolate bread pudding ($7), which comes with Grand Marnier sauce.

Vesta is a member of the newest generation of restaurants, which uses interesting local ingredients to put a spin on the classic American comfort food dishes from decades past (See also my review of Smithfield’s in Ashland, which offers a similar experience.) It provides a refined meal experience while removing much of the pretension of older fine dining locations. This mix of casual and sophisticated, along with its prime location near some of the Bay Area’s best theatre, makes it an excellent choice for the theatregoer.

Suisha House

Location: Redwood City, CA

Food: Japanese

Close To: Dragon Productions, Fox Theatre

Suisha House is perhaps a perfect destination for theatregoers looking for Japanese food before their play. It’s located just a few blocks from Redwood City’s two premiere theatres, and despite its intimate space, the restaurant always seems to have an open table or two for dinner. Sporting a menu of both sushi and Japanese comfort food at inexpensive prices, Suisha’s a great place to grab a bite to eat before your show.

There are a number of appetizers to choose from, including gyoza ($5.95), a Japanese pot sticker filled with either pork or vegetables. The gyoza, which are also available as a free side along certain dishes, are crisp and bursting with flavor, without being greasy or overwhelming the flavor of your entrée. They’re so addictive, you might regret only ordering one set of six.

Of note on Suisha House’s menu is its selection of udon noodle dishes. I’m personally more of a fan of the thick udon noodle than its more popular cousin ramen, and Suisha does udon justice. The most luxurious choice is the nabeyaki udon ($11.50), a rich mix of ingredients including chicken, shrimp tempura, vegetables, and a fried egg, a combination of flavors that becomes even more savory and complex as you eat it.

Like many casual Japanese places, there are also combination meals ($14.95 for two options at dinner, $17.95 for three). These come with sides that include Suisha’s miso soup, which is slightly saltier and more savory than miso soups served at other restaurants – a good compliment to many of the combination choices, which trend towards sweeter flavors. Consider ordering the tonkatsu, a fried pork cutlet that comes with rich katsu sauce on the side, along with one of Suisha’s numerous sushi options. The milder sushi helps balance out the heavier flavors of the fried cutlet so neither overwhelms the palate.

With a reasonable selection of tasty Japanese dishes, convenient location near two theatres, and friendly service, Suisha House is an excellent choice for a pre-show dinner. My favorite little touch is when they bring the check: Instead of a couple of wrapped hard candies, the waiter will serve a peeled orange with some toothpicks to round out your meal. It’s one of the cutest things I’ve seen from a restaurant in a long time.

New Mongolian BBQ

Location: Mountain View, CA

Food: Mongolian Barbecue

Close to: Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts (TheatreWorks), Pear Avenue Theatre

Mountain View’s Castro Street has a constantly changing wealth of dining options, ranging from Chinese bakeries to family-style pizzerias. For the enterprising theatregoer, one of the street’s best options is New Mongolian BBQ, which combines delicious food, a low wait time, and a reasonable price. Evidence of its quality can be seen in its longevity: It has been operating since 1973 on Mountain View’s Castro Street, one of the Peninsula’s most volatile shopping districts.

New Mongolian BBQ uses an all-you-can-eat system ($12 for a meal, weekday lunches $10) where you choose a variety of meat, noodles, vegetables, and sauces and give them to the chef, who will cook them to perfection on a gigantic open grill. You can go back as many times as you like or partake in unlimited vegetable egg rolls and soft serve ice cream. Because the ingredients are high quality, the fact that you can get your food quickly doesn’t influence how good it tastes.

The restaurant’s selection is wide enough to appeal to those with specific tastes, but provides guidance for the indecisive. This policy can be seen most clearly in the variety of ten sauces: There is a written guide with several standard combinations for the new restaurant goer, but nothing stops you from putting three ladles of sweet-and-sour and two ladles of chili sauce on your noodles. Garlic lovers like me will be pleased by the garlic powder you can add on your dish after it cooks.

This freedom of choice gives vegetarians and vegans a surprising number of options for what is ostensibly a barbecue. There are a number of seasonal fruits and vegetables, including unusual options like pineapple and water chestnuts alongside tofu, onions, and mushrooms. My personal favorite is the little baby corn, which adds a sweet crunch to meat dishes and acts as the star of the show in vegetable ones. Though the meat is excellent, there are many ways to create a non-meat dish that is just as satisfying.

In some ways, New Mongolian BBQ is the ideal restaurant for theatregoers, providing sit-down restaurant quality at fast-food speed. With delicious food, a delightful service staff, and proximity to multiple parking lots, it’s hard to go wrong when choosing this place.

Lotus Thai Bistro

Location: Palo Alto, CA

Food: Thai

Nearby: Lucie Stern Center (Theatreworks, Palo Alto Players)

The definition of “comfort food,” in my opinion, has become diluted. To truly be comfort food, a dish should be so delicious and so filling that even if you’ve had a hard day, it will start to look better after dinner. Lotus Thai Bistro, a restaurant squeezed into the California Avenue shopping district, is one of those scant few eateries that feeds the weary spirit as much as the empty stomach.

Like many Thai restaurants, there are a lot of excellent appetizer options. The chicken satay skewers ($7.95) are a little softer than those from other eateries, and combo well with the peanut satay sauce. Vegetarians or those on a budget might want to order the fried spring rolls ($4.95), which are filled with a fresh blend of vegetables.

The soups are served in entrée portions, larger than those at many other restaurants. Though you get a lot, the soup has enough variety of flavor and texture that it works as an entire meal, and you can always take it home. Look out for the Thom Kha ($6.95-8.95), which combines the delicate sweetness of coconut with the acidity of lemongrass. My personal protein recommendation for this soup is steamed tofu, which adds a delightful chewiness without overpowering the broth.

You can find your favorite Thai curries at Lotus Bistro, which are served with a number of different meat and vegetable options. (The menu on Google does not have several of the fish options I encountered, which may be seasonal.) If you want to pour your curry over something complex like Pad Thai, my suggestion would be the simple but effective yellow curry ($9.95). Another excellent choice is the mussaman curry ($12.95), which cuts to the core with just the basic ingredients.

All soups and curries are available at four spiciness levels; I personally enjoyed the “medium” level, finding the kick substantial but not overpowering. However, spice is a personal decision.

It must be mentioned that the coconut rice ($4.50, not shown on Google menu) is an out-of-this-world treat, a sweet, sticky, addicting dish that’s almost impossible to finish once you start. It’s especially great as a vehicle for curry.

Lotus Thai is a great low-key restaurant that serves classic dishes for a range of customers. The large portions are great for sharing, taking home, or enjoying on your own if you’re very hungry. They also deliver (through waiter.com and other sites), so if you’re hosting a party nearby and want to order something other than pizza, give Lotus Thai a chance!

Cliff House Bistro

Location: San Francisco, California

Food: American/Seafood

Situated next to the Sutro Baths in one of the most beautiful parts of San Francisco, a Cliff House has been in operation since the middle of the 19^th century. The Cliff House has gone through several architectural (and presumably menu) changes over the years, and it currently lives as an art deco mid-century throwback featuring the signature foods of San Francisco. There are two restaurants in the Cliff House – the sophisticated Sutro’s and the casual Bistro. This recommendation is for the Bistro.

There are no reservations at the Bistro, and the wait may take twenty to forty minutes, but fortunately there is plenty of bar seating where one can order a drink alongside a delicious appetizer. The dungeness crab cocktail ($15.95), artfully served in a martini glass, is sweet, flavorful, and satisfying enough for an entrée, and the prawn-pork potstickers ($13.50) are a beautiful blend of spicy and crunchy – using their accompanying dipping sauce is recommended. The French onion soup ($8.75), warm, soothing, and sweet, is another great choice. Once at the table, fresh sourdough bread is provided – so good my party usually ends up eating two or three baskets worth.

There are also a number of solid choices among the entrees. The fish and chips ($18.50), made with the Bay Area’s famous Anchor Steam beer, is a classic Bistro dish and not to be overlooked. The spinach ricotta pine nut ravioli ($19.95), served in a tomato-pesto sauce with mushrooms, changes flavors – sweet, rich, tangy, and savory – with every bite, creating a sophisticated taste adventure that’s perfect for pasta lovers. For meat enthusiasts, the braised lamb shank ($29.00) is cooked tenderly on the bone and served with a fitting side of Israeli couscous. Vegan dishes are also available on request.

Make sure to save room for dessert! The five desserts offered on the menu (all $7.25)  are an excellent way to round out your meal. The sour cream fudge cake is rich but not overpowering, and the créme brulee is served flat and wide, creating the ideal ratio of crunchy crust to sweet interior.

For visitors looking to capture the feeling of the historic San Francisco, the Cliff House Bistro is the perfect dining spot. The Art Deco architecture and signed photos of old movie stars catapult one back to the city of yesteryear. Try to get there in the evening – a delicious meal while watching the sun set over the Pacific coast is an unforgettable experience.

Fiorillo's

Location: Santa Clara, California

Close to: Santa Clara University, City Lights Theatre, Tabard Theatre

Food: Italian

A noble white-and-gold restaurant stands on El Camino Real in front of Santa Clara University – Fiorillo’s, a family-owned and operated eatery built in 1972. The restaurant has become a tradition for a number of Santa Clara students; one of my friends takes his family there every time they come into town.  And there is good reason why: Eating at Fiorillo’s makes you feel at home.

While Fiorillo’s serves focaccia and whole wheat bread for starters, I heavily recommend ordering a loaf of their garlic bread ($3.95). The bread falls on the chewy side, and though it contains a lot of herbs to make the taste more complex, it retains a perfect level of garlic flavor. Cheese is also available for an extra dollar. The bruschetta ($8.95), piled high with juicy tomatoes, peppers, and spices, is also a good choice for sharing with friends.

There are a lot of options for entrees, with portion sizes large enough that you can eat half and take the other half home. The lasagna ($12.95) is a personal favorite of mine – a classic dish done well, with tender meat, sweet cheese, and tangy marinara sauce. Fiorillos also boasts a mix-and-match pasta menu, ranging from noodles to ravioli, as well as a pizza and sandwich menu. The meat ravioli (pricing depends on selection) is tender and spicy, and the sauce is great for dipping bread.

The dessert menu is not without its options. The cheesecake ($8) has that smooth, fall-away texture that marks it as a masterpiece, and the tiramisu ($7) combines a creamy upper layer with a intensely flavored lower layer, the way tiramisu should be made.

With its warm atmosphere, well-stocked bar, and some of the friendliest wait staff I’ve ever encountered, eating at Fiorillo’s is truly a comfort. Even if you’re having a bad day, it’s guaranteed that you will leave with a full stomach and a smile on your face.