San Mateo: Draeger’s Market; restaurant review

101 South

Draeger’s Market  

222 E. 4th Ave./B St., downtown, (650) 685-3700.  Daily 7am-10pm.

wide aisle at Draeger's Market in San Mateo, California

This enormous market is the largest gourmet food emporium in the U.S.  But a bargain emporium it is not.  A paper grocery bag costs 25 cents.  More than a grocery store, this European-style facility caters to the educated palate with a sushi bar, wine tasting room, smoothie bar, deli, and bakery as well as a cooking school.  Draeger's Market offers a vast selection of wines and beers, an expansive olive bar, and exotic meats that include alligator, turtle, and buffalo.  A second-floor shop purveys an expansive selection of cookbooks, housewares, and gift items.

inviting fruit display at Draeger's Market in San Mateo, California

pink strawberry macarons at Draeger's Market in San Mateo, California

home dinner picnic from Draeger's Market in San Mateo, California

Viognier restaurant

In a subdued, open, second-floor space drenched with light, upscale Viognier restaurant.  serves a rustic Mediterranean menu of salads, pizzettas, grilled and rotisseried meats, and pastas.  An exhibition kitchen and fireplace enhance the setting.  Desserts are a high point—look for a chocolate-raspberry parfait dome that tastes as good as it sounds.  The namesake wine is featured on the wine list.

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images ©2020 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

San Mateo: Heidi Pies; restaurant review

101 South

Heidi Pies  

1941 S. El Camino Real/20th Ave., (650) 574-0505.  B-L-D daily, 24 hours; $.  No reservations.  Large free parking lot adjoins.

counter at Heidi Pies in San Mateo, California

Impressive numbers for your consideration:  48 is the number of years this old-fashioned coffee shop has been open and also that the pie maker has worked here; 31 is the number of years the waitress has served customers, and 24 is the number of hours the restaurant is open each day.  The selection of freshly baked pies at Heidi Pies is replenished continuously from the on-site kitchen.  Choices include fruit (raisin and gooseberry in addition to more common varieties), cream (peanut butter, coconut, banana), and specialty (German chocolate, pecan, cream cheese).  My favorite is the cherry, which is made with tart fruit.  The house specialty is hot apple pie--served plain, a la mode, with hot cinnamon sauce, with whipped cream, or with either Cheddar or American cheese.  Whole pies are available to go.  A vast selection of short-order items, including a hamburger and a grilled cheese sandwich, comprise the rest of the menu.  Among the seating options are at an old-time low counter with swivel chairs.

dining room at Heidi Pies in San Mateo, California

pie racks at Heidi Pies in San Mateo, California

pie menu at Heidi Pies in San Mateo, California

cherry pie at Heidi Pies in San Mateo, California

 

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images ©2020 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

San Mateo: Talbot's Toyland (CLOSED); things to do

101 South

Talbot’s Toyland  

CLOSED  445 South B St./4th Ave.  Toy & Doll Dept. (650) 931-8100; Hobby Dept. (650) 931-8110; Infant Toys and Outdoor Play Department (650) 931-8140.  M-Sat 10am-6:30pm, Sun 11am-5pm.

interior of Talbot's Toyland in San Mateo, California

This oldie but goodie opened way back in 1953.  Through the years Talbot's Toyland has grown even bigger, and now it continues to offer high quality toys and hobby supplies displayed in spacious aisles.  Many items are unique, and special sections are devoted to dolls, hobbies, and infant toys.  Customer service is a hallmark, and the knowledgeable sales staff can assist with finding the perfect gift.  But now you really must hurry on in, because after 66 years in business this local institution is closing by mid-February 2020.  Note just in:  Store is closing at end of January, and is currently open only Wednesday through Sunday.  

cuddly teddy bears at Talbot's Toyland in San Mateo, California

wall of dolls at Talbot's Toyland in San Mateo, California

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images ©2020 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

San Mateo: Coyote Point Recreation Area + CuriOdyssey; things to do

101 South

Coyote Point Recreation Area

1701 Coyote Point Dr., (650) 573-2592.  Daily 8-sunset.  $6/vehicle.  No pets; no smoking.

This 149-acre park (plus 538 additional underwater acres) is equipped with a barbecue area, picnic areas sheltered by fragrant eucalyptus, several playgrounds, inviting grassy expanses, several trails, an 18-hole golf course, a rifle range, and a swimming beach with bathhouse.  Coyote Point Recreation Area is one of the best windsurfing sites in the U.S. and considered prime for beginners.  As if all this isn’t enough, it’s also located on the descent route for the San Francisco International Airport, making it a great place to just sit and watch planes land.

CuriOdyssey   

1651 Coyote Point Dr., (650) 342-7755.  Tu-Sun 10-5.  $9, 62+ & 13-17 $7, 2-12 $6.

Bay-side and surrounded by an aromatic grove of eucalyptus trees, the architecturally impressive CuriOdyssey aims to educate visitors with numerous hands-on and multi-media displays.  Exhibits inside include a live colony of bees.  Outside, the impressive Wildlife Habitats area includes exhibits of live, non-releasable native animals (burrowing owls, a porcupine, a banana slug), a walk-through aviary of native Bay Area birds, and a colorful demonstration garden composed of plants that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.  Animal feedings occur daily.  Bring a lunch to enjoy in the inviting picnic area. 

interior exhibits at CuriOdyssey in San Mateo, California

cattle egret at CuriOdyssey in San Mateo, California

great blue heron at CuriOdyssey in San Mateo, California

 
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images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

San Mateo: Central Park; things to do

101 South 

Central Park  

El Camino Real/5th Ave., downtown, (650) 522-7434.  Free. Japanese Garden: M-F 10am-4pm, Sat-Sun 11am-4pm; free.  Mini train: Sat-Sun 11am-3pm, daily in summer; $2.

Dating from 1922, this is the oldest municipal park in the county.  Facilities in Central Park include a The Bianchi Railroad mini train--a miniature version of the long-gone Southern Pacific Coast Daylight—plus a rose garden, tennis courts, and a large, colorful playground. In summer free weekly concerts are presented in the park, and in winter the baseball diamond is converted into an ice-skating rink.

playground in Central Park in San Mateo, California

The park’s tidy Japanese Garden was designed by Nagao Sakurai, a former landscape architect at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.  Features include a teahouse (no tea service), a central pond divided by a narrow bridge (in spring and summer, koi are usually fed at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.), two waterfalls, a bamboo forest, a pagoda, and a shrine.  Narrow pathways are designed to make visitors slow down and really look.  Rare and unusual plants include a weeping beech and an umbrella pine.  No dogs are permitted. 

overview of Japanese Garden in Central Park in San Mateo, California

koi pond in Japanese Garden in Central Park in San Mateo, California

buddah in Japanese Garden in Central Park in San Mateo, California

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images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
updated 1-22-19

San Mateo: Pacific Catch; restaurant review

101 South

Pacific Catch  

243 S B St./E. 3rd Ave., (650) 389-2482.  L-D daily. 

The original restaurant in the Bay Area Pacific Catch mini-chain is on Chestnut Street in San Francisco.  This newish branch operates inside a spare, clean-lined dining room featuring rust-colored walls, bamboo-style room dividers, giant rice paper chandeliers, and--surprisingly in such a sleek space, but most appreciated--comfy booths.

exterior of Pacific Catch in San Mateo, California

interior of Pacific Catch in San Mateo, California

Before we ordered, the server offered us complimentary still or sprinkling house-filtered water in lovely blue bottles along with a little plate of fish-shaped pretzels and edamame.

house-filtered sparkling water at Pacific Catch in San Mateo, California

The menu stresses sustainable seafood with an Asian and Hawaiian bent.  Signature items include six kinds of Hawaiian Poke, sushi rolls, rice bowls, fish & chips, salads, and island tacos--all in a variety of styles.  I ordered a Hawaiian teriyaki bowl with a half rice, half lettuce base and topped with a small slab of grilled salmon.  It was so big and yummy that I took my leftovers home for lunch the next day.

Hawaiian teriyaki bowl at Pacific Catch in San Mateo, California

Appetizers include spicy Cabo calamari, Korean sticky ribs, and crispy Thai coconut shrimp.  A special themed menu is added periodically, and when I visited it featured dishes made famous in San Francisco.  From it we chose a crisp, avocado-heavy Green Goddess shrimp salad to share.

Green Goddess shrimp salad at Pacific Catch in San Mateo, California

From it, he also chose a tasty pan-seared petrale sole with Dungeness crab-topped mashed potatoes,

petrale sole at Pacific Catch in San Mateo, California

and we both were unable to resist the pull of what turned out to be strong and really good Mai Tais.

Service was a little slow, but our waitress checked in and reassured us that “perfection takes time.”  I planned to order an It's-It for dessert from the S.F. menu, but we decided instead to share chocolate and vanilla mochis.  

mochi ice cream at Pacific Catch in San Mateo, California

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images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

San Mateo: Curry Up Now; restaurant review

101 South

Curry Up Now  

129 S. B St., (650) 477-1001.  L-D daily; $.  Reservations taken. 

deconstructed samosa at  Curry Up Now in San Mateo, California

This is a food truck gone brick and mortar.  Order at the counter, then select a seat in the contemporary interior furnished with sleek black tabletops that match the unusual menu choices displayed chalk board-style on the wall.  The menu at  Curry Up Now blends ethnic Indian street food with Mexican dishes--think chicken tikka masala burrito, kathi roll (a wrap consisting of a whole-wheat parantha flat bread stuffed with, perhaps, egg and paneer), aloo paratha quesadilla, sexy fries (cross-cut sweet potato fries topped with tikka masala), deconstructed samosa (a mushed-up samosa with chickpeas and teeny-tiny mini samosas mixed in).  Drinks include a ginger-mint lemonade and rose, mango, and mango-mint lassis.  Special vegan and gluten-free menus are available.



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images ©2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

San Mateo: 31st Union; restaurant review

101 South

31st Union  

5 S. Ellsworth St./Baldwin, near train station, (650) 458-0049.  D Tu-Sun; $$. 

dining room at 31st Union in San Mateo, California

Decorated in a rustic style reminiscent of a mountain cabin, the 31st Union restaurant has blackboard walls framed with reclaimed barn-wood panels, a high ceiling, and a state map that denotes the geographic sources of various ingredients.  The restaurant’s name combines the fact that California was the 31st state to enter the Union and the house commitment to using ingredients from within state lines whenever possible.  Featuring mostly small sharable plates, the menu changes regularly.  Populaar items include duck tacos, fish & chips, and fat lamb meatball sliders (a Romesco sauce makes them both colorful and tasty).

padron peppers appetizer at 31st Union in San Mateo, California

I especially liked the scrumptious bite-size roasted green padron peppers and the flavorful and juicy grilled hanger steak. All the desserts are inviting, though we opted for the cannoli ice cream sandwich and flaky peach pocket pie and not the beer float (next time).  Drinks include flights of wine, cocktails, and local artisanal beers.  Though open just two months now, when I visited on a Saturday night the Union roared with a capacity crowd.


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images ©2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

San Mateo: Champagne Seafood Restaurant; restaurant review

101 South 

Champagne Seafood Restaurant  

88 E. 4th Ave./San Mateo Dr., downtown, (650) 343-6988.  Dim sum M-F 11-2:30, Sat-Sun 10-3, D daily; $.  Reservations advised (not taken for 2).

taro puffs at Champagne Seafood Restaurant in San Mateo, California

In a very large, high-ceilinged room with a frenetic atmosphere, delicious dim sum is served only via menu at the Champagne Seafood Restaurant.  I do miss selecting from carts, or at the very least trays, but a full-color menu with images--on which you can check off the menu items you desire--helps with the selection process.  Diners are greeted by white tablecloths, and a small wall of fish tanks in the back adds to the ambiance and promise of fresh fish.  Favorite menu items include shrimp-and-chive dumplings, deep-fried crispy taro puffs, and thin-noodle soy sauce chow mein.  For dessert, don't miss the egg-custard tarts. 

Dim sum photo gallery.

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image ©2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
updated 1-22-20

San Mateo: Osteria Coppa (CLOSED); restaurant review

101 South

Osteria Coppa  

CLOSED  139 S. B St., downtown, (650) 579-6021. D Tu-Sun; $$-$$$. Reservations advised.

Contemporary Italian fare at Osteria Coppa includes housemade pastas and artisanal pizzas. Diners here sit at tables covered informally with butcher paper and are encouraged to share items. My dining partner and I found a perfect dinner in a shared beet salad atop a thin, flavorful bed of avocado mousse; tagliatelle topped with a traditional unsaucy, meaty Bolognese; exquisitely succulent chicken al Mattone (boned and grilled under a brick) with Brussels sprouts and butternut squash puree; and chocolate lava cake with Bi-Rite roasted banana ice cream. My only disappointment was that I didn’t have room to taste a few of the other unusual pastas-- wild nettle puree-flavored pappardelle noodles tossed with lobster mushrooms, and bigoli tube pasta with red wine-braised duck and pumpkin. Cocktails and a list of pleasant wines by the glass are available. Note that service is slow and the noise level high, so don’t be in a hurry and bring the kids!


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image courtesy of venue

San Mateo: AcquaPazza (CLOSED); restaurant review

101 South

AcquaPazza  

CLOSED  201 E. 3rd Ave./Ellsworth St., downtown, (650) 375-0903. L-D daily; $$. Reservations advised.

Seating in AcquaPazza is in an open, high-ceilinged room that is alive with promise. It’s the perfect spot for a rainy evening or a sunny day. Operated by three brothers who share a charming family smile, this comfortable venue offers a Neapolitan menu. It just might be impossible to find a better bolognese sauce, so don’t miss it, but then there is also the fresh fish of the day cooked in olive oil and garlic, and the classic risottos, and the crispy crostini that is sometimes topped with grilled fresh sardines. Also, Mamma Carmela’s famous arancini e crocchè (rice ball and potato cake) is reputedly amazing and there are wood-oven pizzas, too! Live music is sometimes scheduled on weekends. 

See the video.


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image ©2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers  

San Mateo: Joy Luck Place (CLOSED); restaurant review

101 South 

Joy Luck Place 

CLOSED

This restaurant space is now Champagne Seafood Restaurant, a similar seafood dim sum house but reputed to have a better layout.


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San Mateo: Left Bank (CLOSED); restaurant review

101 South 

Left Bank 

CLOSED

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San Mateo: La Michoacana (CLOSED); restaurant review

101 South 

La Michoacana 

CLOSED

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San Mateo: Hotaru Japanese Restaurant; restaurant review

101 South

Hotaru Japanese Restaurant  

33 E. 3rd Ave./El Camino Real, (650) 343-1152. L-D daily; $. No reservations.

Featuring a traditional Japanese decor, with some wood booths and a small sushi bar as well as tables and chairs, this small “homestyle” Japanese restaurant dishes up some tasty fare. An extensive sushi menu is the main draw at Hotaru Japanese Restaurant, but delicious tempura and tonkatsu—a lightly-breaded fried pork cutlet—are also options. Expect a short wait; it is always packed with people waiting.

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video ©2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

San Mateo: Espetus Churrascaria; restaurant review

101 South

Espetus Churrascaria 

710 S. B St./7th St., (650) 342-8700. L-D daily; set price $23.95-$49.95; drinks and desserts additional.

More spacious than the San Francisco mother ship, this branch of Espetus Churrascaria is a worthy clone and serves up the same delicious array of salads and meats. Skewers of meats cooked over an open fire are brought around to each table by skilled carvers and sliced onto diners’ plates. The salad bar is a cornucopia of delights and includes typical Brazilian side dishes. 


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