Roland "Rolando" C.'s Profile

When visiting Davis I told my friend I wanted to go eat where the students ate. I guess when I was back in Berkeley I partook of many sandwiches as well, so I shouldn't have been too surprised when my friend suggested Pluto's. I was less than enthusiastic about more sandwiches in my future, but she insisted it was good eats so I went with it.

Pluto's main selling point is their customization, you can get what you want on your sandwich/salad. After you get over the initial shock of trying to figure out their menu (it will take a bit of time), you realize there's a lot of leeway for you to pick what you want in your meal. And I think this is great. Enough of the force fed set combos/sandwiches of other places, you can get what you want, ensuring (as long as the ingredients are fresh), you get a good meal.

I had a tri tip sandwich which was fantastic but I was actually a little upset I didn't take the time to look at the salad (salad? who eats that!) section as well. Because my friend got a salad and shared some with me. For a non salad eater, it would be to be pretty damn good for me to care, but after a few bites, I cared.

The portions are generous too, when my friend said she only got the side salad (which looked reasonable enough), I was amazed to see the size of the regular one! You get plenty for your money here.

And I can choose meat as a topping for my salad? Sold. I need to come back here again and eat a not-so-healthy salad.

I *heart* Oto's. It's definitely a legitimate Japanese supermarket. It's super clean and organized (defying the expectations many have of an Asian supermarket) and has an amazing selection of Japanese drinks, snacks, ingredients and other miscellany. If you're planning to cook anything Japanese in the near future, I do believe a stop over at Oto's is necessary as I can't think of anything that this place wouldn't have access to.

I am also impressed by their selection of rice cookers here...I bought my Sacramento one here and haven't looked back.

Make sure to stop by the fish area in the back, the fish they cut and sell here is always fresh and has not disappointed me. I usually buy some myself for dinner and cut it up to make some nice sashimi.

Basically this place will have my business for a good damn while, I just wish they were open till later! It's tough to get here by 7 sometimes...

Thanks Yelp, for telling me about this place before their grand opening in a few days. I was able to sneak in during their soft opening period, so I feel like I'm kinda important (although not really).

In my limited time in Sacramento, I quickly deduced it was a one ramen town (aka, Shoki's). A bit disappointing coming from the Bay Area where ramen is in great supply, but since Shoki's is good, I'm not that disappointed. However, I am a fan of competition, because it will (hopefully) breed better quality food, so I welcome the addition of Hokkaido Noodle House to Sacramento.

There are some differences here from Shoki's, namely the place is much bigger and they have a bigger menu too, i.e. not just noodles. If you want a non-noodle dish, they've got plenty. But with the name like Noodle House, I'm coming here for the ramen more often than not.

I went with an order of the House Special ramen, which I found out is a tonkotsu (pork bone) broth. Interesting choice, since Hokkaido is known for miso ramen but I'll take it because I love tonkotsu. You'll get some pork, spinach, seaweed and an egg in your House Special. Noodles were good and I was happy with my tonkotsu broth, although it felt a little watered down imo...maybe they should stew the broth just a bit longer. Flavorful but I felt like I missing just a little bit.

However, it was a good ramen and it definitely is a worthy competitor to Shoki's. I can see myself dividing up my time between the two places gladly for the near future. Hoping that Hokkaido Noodle House can fill up all their seats (but still save a spot for me at the bar).

Yum yum. You remember those meatatarian commercials they used to have? That lifestyle choice is fully well and alive here. The name is a bit misleading, it is not an all you can eat buffet, but you will quickly realize it does not need to be one for the servings you will receive here.

The decor is a little off for me (feels like a furniture store they just cleared out) and there's little in the way of service as you just pick up your food in a cafeteria style line. But that's not why you're coming here. You heard about the mounds of meat you're going to get on your sandwich right?

The stories are all true. You can ask for any kind of meat on your sandwich, whereupon they will slice you so many pieces you'll want to say "when". Half sandwiches are more than enough for most people, those super hungry can go for a full and enjoy the food coma later.

And just because they serve meat in bulk does not mean the meat is of low quality. Quite the opposite in fact, you will be get quality slices of meat, comparable with any other sandwich you can probably get in the area.

There are also many excellent sides to get with your order (although avoid the fries as they are just frozen and deep fried there) but can you really handle a pretty sizeable side with your huge sandwich?

Grab your huge pile of meat featuring a little bread and don't look back. You make smell like meat coming out of here, but think of it as the smell of success as you have just finished a huge sandwich (or taken it home in a doggie bag).

Yes yes, it's quite tasty. And yes, it's a shame that despite going to Cal, I didn't actually try Ici until well after I graduated, when someone who moved into the area for work had to drag me out there because they wouldn't stop gushing about it. I put up a vague defense for myself (along the lines of that I didn't have a car and I wasn't about to bike all the way down to Ici just for ice cream) but after coming here, I know I should have at least made the trip a few times while at Cal.

Like any good ice cream place you get a variety of flavors and not of the types you're used to at the chain ice cream places. Of course you'll get a mix of options, some more standard than others, but take it upon yourself to go crazy and try something a bit wild, like Lavender Honey, Rum Raisin, or Green Tea.

Not much to say about a tasty place like this. Parking on College will always be a challenge. There will probably be a wait and a line. But it's ice cream, it doesn't that long to serve, so relax. If you're an ice cream fan, it's worth the wait.

My first lunch in Sacramento, so I guess there will always be memories here for me. Apparently it wasn't that much newer to Sacramento when I first arrived though. I have nothing but kudos for this place, with a few minor pain points here and there.

To frame things right, I've only been here for lunch. I don't know what goes on here after the work day is done but from how busy their lunchtime is, I assume they do all right. Then again, it may be because they operate in an office building and they just take people who are too tired to deal with the summer heat in Sacramento from that same building.

If you come a lunchtime, you'll be hard pressed to fit in a big group. Many times we have just split up our big group so we can get seated. And unfortunately, at the busy times, the service does seem to slow down quite a bit. If you get here early, you'll be okay, but a better tip may be for you to just sit at the bar. There you won't have to deal with the wait staff and the bartender is usually on their A-game making sure you get food and drinks as needed. I definitely took advantage of the bar location while I was watching World Cup on the TVs at House (and watching two simultaneous games on the TVs was glorious).

I have not yet been disappointed by a dish at House yet. Their centerpiece is the sandwiches, of which they have many types. I recommend the Angus Burger or Crispy Chicken, but honestly they're all good, I've had a chance to sample them all and I do enjoy the endless fries they come with (although I never do end up asking for more...I'm always full!)

They do have non sandwich entrees as well. Double fried chicken hits the target if you're looking for something southern style but I have to give some big kudos to the breakfast fried rice (available anytime of day, of course) which is surprisingly flavorful. You might just bypass it but it's a hidden gem on their menu.

I do feel like the non sandwich dishes are a bit overpriced, but not extremely. It won't hurt too much to go here every so often. If anything, it gives you a nice air conditioned area to have a great lunch.

I know a few people who cannot wait around for food. I don't know if it's a symptom of our fast food generation, or if they have been spoiled by expecting reservations everywhere they go, but it makes me happy every time I come across a place like La Bonne. It reminds me that there are some places out there in this world that treats everyone like equals. No matter how important you are, you're going to have to wait your turn in line like everyone else. For those who are so impatient that they cannot wait for great food such as this, I shed a tear for you.

So why do people cram into this tiny little place in downtown Sacramento? Because La Bonne is a labor of love for Chef Pont. You can see articles from his other restaurants back in the day but he has long since retired from day to day operations of large restaurants and La Bonne is basically his way to cook, purely for love. If he wanted to do this for money, he could easily have hired another person to take the money or something, but he makes these magical sandwiches because he wants to.

Every sandwich I've had here has been amazing. Tri-tip, duck, prosciutto, you really can't go wrong on his menu. Don't forget to look at the whiteboard menu too, you might think the main menu is all he has (you would be wrong). And his collection of soups cannot be beat and you just have to get one with your sandwich (why not, you waited that long anyway). French Onion? Yes, please. The bread and cheese added to it are a perfect compliment to the overall flavor of the soup.

Are you going to wait? Yes. There's pretty much no way you can avoid that unless you go real early or real late (but he may be out of something you want if you go late). He makes his sandwich one at a time, in almost excruciatingly slow pace when you know you're coming up next. But patience is a virtue my friends.

Space inside the restaurant is limited, but be polite and don't have someone camp out at a table for the 30 minutes you may have to wait for food.

When someone tells me they won't wait around for food, I tell them about this place. When they then tell me about the reservations they could get at an equally fancy place, I just smile and nod because that's one more person I don't have to worry about waiting in line behind here.

This place gets a lot of foot traffic in Japantown, being aptly named for its location, right on the bridge between Kinokuniya and the food court/Peace Plaza. But for some reason, I never see it completely full, even on busy weekends in J-town. To be honest, I think there are much better places for eats in J-town, although it could just be my tastes. I mean On the Bridge has been around for this long, so there has to be some reason, right?

Part of me believes that it's the anime/manga overload going on inside (manga in the place to read + anime on the TVs) that will inevitably draw in the anime/manga fans that flock to J-town (because if you don't know any better, why not go there?). But hey, I used to eat that stuff up too so, be you On the Bridge, it works.

Anyway, the only times I come here is if I have a Japanese curry craving. Any of the other dishes they serve, I'm sure they're just as tasty, but I think I can get them cheaper at other restaurants in J-town. But for Japanese curry, this is the place to be in J-town. There are just times you need to have katsu curry, right? I haven't been disappointed with the curry here and yes, you can name your own spicyness. I do think they make it pretty spicy if you ask for it, but I'm weak when comes to spice, so don't challenge me on this if you're disappointed.

Every now and then you can even see the chef on the front of the place pop his head out and take orders, which is always a treat. And in the end, don't you just feel a little comfortable eating curry with Totoro watching over you with his grin?

I found out about this place when I was listening to a junior person at my company talk about the places to eat in SF during a new hire orientation. Apparently there is still something to be said for listening to those below you because I was able to find a gem of a pizza place from him.

Nestled far away in the Richmond is this tiny random pizza place, unfortunately by now, popular with many so you'll have to compete for parking and a place to sit. But don't worry, this place is worth the wait. If you're forced to wait on a chilly night (no indoor space to wait, sorry), you can ask for blankets, or huddle by the heat lamp at some of the unoccupied outdoor tables. If you really can't wait, you can always get a pizza to go (phone in your order) but where's the fun in that?

Obviously the cream of the crop here is their thin crust pizzas. The menu rotates every couple weeks or so, but there is always one pizza that features farm eggs on it, an interesting, but tasty addition to a pizza (why have we not gotten on this in other pizza chains!) While your specific pizza will depend on the menu when you go, let me tell you that every pizza I've had here has been fantastic. They're cooked with the freshest ingredients and don't leave you with that sense of regret that you ate far too much.

They also have a relatively large calzone if you're feeling really hungry, but I honestly think you should just save space for the pizzas.

A minor hit for a random visit I had where the pizza took inexplicably long to come out (the place wasn't super busy) but for the most part, I'll make the drive out here anytime.

You're probably not going to find this place on your first visit out there, it's nestled at the top of the Mission district by some non descript warehouses. Took me awhile to find it myself. Entering the place you'll enter an obviously converted warehouse setting, welcoming of course, but the large space makes you wonder what else would have gone on here back in the day.

Me and my group came relatively early in the day so there were only a few people in the restaurant although it started to get busier as the night went on. We missed out on the jazz show, but from what I hear, this is the time to show up, when usually start around 8-9 (basically when the musicians show up).

Food wise, I was impressed. My table decided to go family style on the orders so I was able to sample from a few different orders. Scallops were excellent. Make sure you grab an order of the risotto as well. And to finish off, get some pork loin as well. Everything that came by the table was delish.

They also have a sizeable list of drinks, I usually go for the cocktails myself and was not disappointed with their offerings (enough sweet drinks to satisfy me!)

I would love to come back here when the music is playing, although you'll have to pay a cover charge if you go for the club/lounge version of Coda. I had a great time here, although nothing super amazing to give it that extra 5th star just yet.