Mushy Texture for Bowzer's Meatballs

I ordered the all-beef meatballs at Bowzer's Pizza. I served them in a red, marinara sauce. The sauce was good, but the texture of the meatballs were soft. My first thought was mushy. Who wants to eat mushy meatballs. Unfortunately, this will be the first and last time, I order the all-beef meatballs.

FYI - Santoro's also makes homemade meatballs every Friday. I was informed by the owner that he takes orders a few days in advance because he sells out each week. He must be doing something right to be selling out every Friday. His meatballs are made with beef and chicken. I wonder what his secret ingredients are?

West End Slowly Dying...

The recession has caused much grief to the bay area and Alameda is not immune to the weak economy. The west end of Alameda is on the brink of a real disaster if the city does not promote and support small business. More amenities are going out of business on Webster Street. Everett and Jones is gone and now The New Zealander is closed for the second time. And still there isn't a new proprietor for the newly renovated Fireside Lounge. If nothing is done quite soon, the west end will become a dead zone.

It is difficult to believe that while Alameda may have peaked on Park Street, Webster is waning, and now Oakland is the new and vibrant area of bars, restaurants and clubs. The reason why Oakland is booming is because City Hall has relaxed permits on dining and entertainment, which Alameda has not. The City of Alameda is stagnant and for some reason does not have the foresight to watch all of the activity around and promote similar permits.

The City of Alameda has a problem of allowing tax dollars to go off island due to strict restrictions. In the end, it hurts the city instead of emphasizing growth and keeping Alamedans in Alameda.

Dim Sum Weekends

I enjoy dim sum as much as the average person. I go to Hong Kong East Ocean to have a dim sum brunch or lunch from time to time. However, if you go around 11:30 am to 1:30 pm on weekends, the traffic on Webster Street is absolutely horrible. Chef's Wok and Hong Kong East Ocean are in close proximity to each other and there aren't proper parking lots for their customers. Their customers love to double park and clog up traffic for a few blocks. I find the lack of parking annoying.

Call Me a Traitor

Even though this blog is about eating establishments in Alameda, CA, I had a fabulous meal at Plum in Oakland that was magnificent. Plum is probably one of the best new restaurants in the East Bay. The owner is Daniel Patterson, who was once co-owner of Elizabeth Daniel Restaurant in San Francisco for those of you who have been living in San Francisco for a decade or so. That restaurant closed when the husband and wife team got divorced and went their separate ways. Mr. Patterson currently owns Coi Restaurant and now Plum is his newest and lower end restaurant. Plum is in close proximity to Alameda on Broadway, just across the street from Ozumo.

The food at Plum is creative, moderately priced and the kitchen uses the freshest ingredients. There is no bad dish at this restaurant. The ginger and pear soda was refreshing and tasty. Wine can be a bit pricey dependent upon the region and year. My friends and I ordered everything family style and had four appetizers of: cauliflower, carrots, red beets and chick pea fritters. All of the small plates were fantastic. Our main courses were: two pork dishes and one babbette steak. The steak was a classic meal, but the pork dish utilized interesting ingredients that at first did not appear to compliment the meat. However, when the pork came to the table, the food was great. The flavors worked and it enhanced the meal. At the end of the night, we all shared one dessert of a white chocolate parfait with fennel. The portion was a little small, however the bites were bursting with flavor.

Another great attraction about Plum is that the restaurant stops serving at 1 am. This restaurant is getting all the buzz, so getting a reservation may be a 10 pm dinner slot.

Christmas Eve - Soup Kitchen

Pappo once again for the third year will serve soup and bread to needy families on Christmas Eve day. The kitchen will serve food from 11 am to 2 pm. The restaurant is also seeking donations of jackets, blankets and clothes.

Later that evening, John the chef and owner will serve a prix fixe meal of $45 for a three-course meal.

What a Coincidence...

I wanted to try out The Frog and the Fiddle on a Friday night. I was curious to observe the crowd, atmosphere and re-worked space from Acquacotta. As I walked inside the restaurant, I noticed the BBQ guy, Ben, behind the kitchen counter. Ben was the food guy at the Rooster and then he moved into his own space by the ferry terminal on the West End, which is still in business. However, he is now moonlighting at The Frog and the Fiddle on certain nights.


The establishment is basically a pub. There is nothing fancy about it. You order food at the kitchen counter because there was no wait staff. There was a bar on the right side of the room and it was completely packed. Tables were located on the left side of the room where two tables were occupied. Noise was a definite problem throughout the space since there weren't any soft features in the room to absorb sound.

Because I know Ben's food and I am a huge fan of his pulled pork sandwich, I tried his BBQ Beef sandwich. The meat was thinly sliced and it was like butter. The meat was tender, juicy and flavorful. I only wished there was more beef inside the sandwich. This sandwich is better than Everett and Jones BBQ.

I have always recommended Ben's BBQ. He takes his time in ensuring a quality product.

Stocking Stuffers

Alameda residents received a coupon package from various local restaurants, businesses and service organizations. There were a small group of food coupons that would make great stocking stuffers, or utilize them for yourself during the holidays.

Angela's Bistro and Bar: 3 Course Meal for $14.00 from 4:30 pm to 6 pm every evening. Coupon expires 3/31/2011.

Cera Una Volta: 20% off lunch or brunch, or $25 towards a weeknight dinner with a minimum purchase of $50.00.

La Penca Azul: $5.00 off any purchase over $30.00.

Pappo: $5.00 off next visit. Not valid on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve or Valentine's Day. Coupon expires 3/31/2011. One coupon per table.

Speisekammer: one free small beer with any entree. Limit one beer per coupon. Coupon expires 2/1/2011.