Category: American - Cute Diner

MOD @ Novato, CA

12/30/2020

I'm enjoying this trend where you can customize your burrito/sandwich/pizza. At MOD, it's customizable pizzas or salads. It's super nice to choose exactly what you want on your pizza. MOD does offer popular premade combinations but I always like to make my own. You can choose as many toppings as you want. They have a wide assortment of protein, veggies, and sauces. There's something for everyone, even the pickiest of eaters. Once you choose your toppings, they'll put it into the pizza oven and bake it to perfection for you. The crust is thin and crisp, and once the cheese melts and combines with everything, it's super yummy.

Amy's Drive Thru @ Courte Madera, CA

12/4/2020

I was so glad that Amy's opened in Marin! Amy's sells vegetarian meals that will satisfy your cravings. I love 'The Amy' which is a double veggie patty burger. It's very flavorful and will fill you up. Since everything is made fresh there, the burger tasted even better since it was warm. I also ordered a side of sweet potatoes fries because I can never resist them. They were delicious as well. I will definitely be coming back here often to get my veggie burger fix.

Wilma & Frieda's Cafe @ Palm Springs, CA

7/10/2020

Wilma & Frieda's Cafe is super popular for breakfast and brunch. You will need to plan ahead and either get there early or call ahead because it gets crowded fast. This cafe has a great reputation for brunch- it was even featured on Food Network!

After my meal there, I now understand why there are so many mentions of the blackberry custard french toast in reviews. It is definitely some of the best french toast I have ever had. The french toast is rich and dense like bread pudding, and the sweet and acidic blackberries complimented the dish so well. I highly recommend the blackberry custard french toast.

The other dishes we ordered were delicious as well. The short rib scramble had tender pieces of short rib with eggs and gooey mozzarella. I would recommend subbing in a biscuit instead of an English muffin because their biscuits are so flaky and buttery. If you want more of a traditional breakfast, you can order the 'eeny', 'meany', 'miney', or 'moe'. We ordered the 'eeny' with potatoes, eggs, and a biscuit. The 'eeny' is supposed to be the smallest combo but it was still really filling! The cafe also had a daily special of chicken fried steak when we visited so we had to try that as well. The chicken fried steak is everything you want it to be. Crunchy on the outside, tender inside, and all topped with amazing gravy.

From blackberry french toast to chicken fried steak, this cafe has an excellent assortment of delicious brunch dishes. You will definitely want to come hungry!

Brophy Bros @ Santa Barbara, CA

7/6/2020

It was a beautiful day in Santa Barbara and we knew we wanted to eat somewhere with delicious seafood and a great view. Brophy Bros had just what we wanted. Their seafood is pretty popular and their restaurant is near the harbor. From most tables, you can get an amazing view of the water. We ordered a bunch of their specials. The blackened cod was very flavorful. Adding the drawn butter that they provided with the cod made the flavors stand out even more. The swordfish was very tender with some light grill marks to provide that delicious smokiness. It came with guacamole and salsa, which added a refreshing element to the dish.

If you want to try a little of everything, the hot combo is a great way to do so. This seafood combo has steamed shrimp, mussels, and clams, as well as baked clams with breadcrumbs and ooey gooey oysters Rockefeller. The seafood pasta also has a good variation of seafood with scallops and shrimp. These paired with a light white wine and lemon sauce over pasta is excellent.

There is nothing better than eating magnificent seafood with a breathtaking view. It seems Brophy Bros has mastered a wide variety of seafood dishes. You won't be disappointed with any seafood dish you order!

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company @ Santa Barbara, CA

6/27/2020

When down by the amazing beaches in Santa Barbara, the seafood restaurants call my name. I just had to try out the famous seafood in Santa Barbara. We went to the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company, and we had to wait a bit for a seat. We were pretty excited because we saw tons of people enjoying various seafood dishes. They sure do have a lot of dishes to choose from. We decided to order the lobster roll, clam chowder, and two types of pasta dishes. I loved the lobster roll. It had such big, succulent pieces of lobster. The toasted roll and the light coating of mayo accompanied the lobster perfectly. And the onion rings that came with the dish were a definite, delicious bonus! The lobster roll was the highlight of the meal.
The chowder and pastas were alright. The chowder itself was yummy, however, I was not a fan of the bread bowl. I'm from San Francisco where sourdough reigns supreme so this bread did not meet my expectations. As for the pastas, we ordered the shrimp and scallop pasta and the lobster pasta. They both had a similar white wine reduction sauce that I did not really care for. I had a lot of hope for this restaurant, but perhaps I just ordered the wrong things. If I visit again, I will try ordering something else that hopefully will turn out great like the lobster roll.

Pecan Lodge @ Dallas, TX

6/2/2020

The Trough combo plate w/ an extra side of mac n cheese

When I was in Dallas, I just had to try the famous Texas Barbeque and there was no better place to try it than Pecan Lodge. I could tell by the bountiful reviews and the long lines outside that this place was legit.

*Life hack* go to the EXPRESS LANE inside the building. It's only allowed if you are buying 5+ pounds of meat or the huge combo called "The Trough". You definitely should use the express lane because it is so much faster. Bring a big group to feast on the 5+ pounds of meat. You get to eat a lot and also wait in a much shorter line. That's a win-win in my book.

We ordered The Trough from the Express Lane, and we did not have to wait in that long line. The Trough is essentially a huge sampler plate with brisket, a beef rib, pork ribs, pulled pork, and sausages. You can get free bread with it too. I recommend this for a huge group- you get to try some of everything.

Going into this meal, I already had high expectations for the brisket and yet the brisket still managed to exceed my expectations. The brisket was so unctuous, tender, and fatty. It was addicting. The beef rib was very similar in deliciousness to the brisket. Now for the pork portion, the pork ribs and pulled pork were great as well. We also ordered an extra side of mac and cheese which was good. But in the end, it was the brisket that stole the show. If you end up visiting (which you should), bring a big hungry group, use the express line, and try the brisket!

Junior's @ NYC, NY

5/9/2020

One of the things New York is synonymous with is cheesecake! And what better place to try cheesecake than at Junior's? But first, we had to eat lunch.
Junior's has a nice diner feel to it, offering lots of American classics from brisket to cheeseburgers. We ordered the brisket melt, bagel and lox, and the 'something else'. The 'something else' is a roast beef sandwich in between fried potato pancakes. It is a huge and delicious. The potato pancakes are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. It is a nice pairing with the yummy roast beef. We also tried the brisket melt, and that did not disappoint either. The brisket melt is a scrumptious combination of unctuous brisket, melty mozzarella, and flavor packed au jus. Getting a big bite of all those components will result in a party in your mouth. We planned on saving room for dessert, but the three dishes filled up four us. We decided to walk around for a bit before coming back to conquer the tremendous milkshake.

For the milkshake, we had to get the "New Yorker", a monster strawberry milkshake topped with a slice of cheesecake. It was the best of both worlds: cheesecake and milkshake. The milkshake is cool, smooth, and creamy, and the cheesecake was rich and amazing. This combination put all of us into a food coma, but it was worth every calorie.

Lundy's Home Cooking @ San Rafael, CA

8/15/2018

I've enjoyed meals at Lundy's before, but this time was a disappointment. I ordered the chicken marsala and was overwhelmed by the salt. The gravy had tons of salt and was paired with salty olives. I would not recommend that dish. We also ordered the pork chop and New York steak. They were better than the chicken marsala, but nothing extraordinary.

Eduardo's @ San Rafael, CA

6/3/2018

Lorraine quiche & salad

If someone asked for Eduardo's summed up in one phrase, I would say 'homemade herb bread'. Their bread is amazing. You have to try it in some form, whether it be a sandwich or a side of toast. Their half and half combo is great to try two different dishes. With their homemade herb bread, all of their sandwiches are delicious. As for their soups, they have some unique flavors, such as banana squash and Mexican chicken fiesta. I especially like the Mexican chicken fiesta because there's hominy, which is a type of Mexican corn that is amazing. For the combo, you can also order a slice of quiche. The Lorraine quiche is great with little bits of crisp bacon as a surprise. If you want a brunch dish, I would recommend Eduardo's pancakes or omelettes. Super yummy. And their homemade herb bread... you should order that as a side. It's the best :)

turkey avo sandwich w/ banana squash soup

California omlette

veggie burger w/ Mexican chicken fiesta

IHOP @ Novato, CA

5/7/2018

IHOP has yummy pancakes, but I discovered that their crepes are pretty good too. I ordered the chicken florentine crepe. It was full of chicken, spinach, mushrooms, and cheese. This crepe was really filling and yummy. I was surprised I enjoyed this crepe so much.