The Riata Diner & Tavern - Livermore, CA

The Riata Diner & Tavern
190 S J St
Livermore, CA 94550
(925) 294-9170
riatadinerandtavern.com

Knock on wood, we've had some outstanding servers lately during our dining experiences...and tonight Rita was simply wonderful, full of smiles and happy to be working at Riata! The entrees we ordered were delicious...the New York Steak with a veggie medley and garlic mashed potatoes (they weren't too garlicky, but the gravy on the side was awesome!) and the Hawaiian Burger with freshly sliced pineapple (mmm!) and a side of teriyaki sauce and steak fries. I no longer see the need to visit Red Robin for my once-in-a-while craving for their Banzai Burgers, when I can come here for a Hawaiian Burger with REAL pineapple!

Note to Riata: the teriyaki sauce is so delicious with the Hawaiian Burger, I'd recommend making it standard instead of an option.

BONUS POINTS FOR RIATA - They're dog friendly! Not only do they have outdoor seating, but they also leave out a water bowl and doggie biscuits for our four-legged family members. :)









Riata's new menu!


House Salad add-on $2.99


Corn Chowder add-on $2.99


New York Steak 12 oz. $18.99


Hawaiian Burger w/teriyaki sauce $8.99

Fuzio - Dublin, CA

Fuzio
4930 Dublin Blvd
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 833-7124
fuzio.com

Tonight was the last Wednesday of Fuzio's April Pasta Special and we both decided to try something new. The service provided by Andrea was EXCELLENT...the food was good (all right, I admit that no dish can hold a candle to the supreme Fuzio Firecracker Pork Fusilli!)...but the VALUE was incredible at 50% off, so 5 stars it is! ;)



(His) Southwestern Gemelli Pasta: grilled chicken, creamy chipotle sauce, corn, roasted sweet red peppers, anaheim chiles. $5.13 at 50% off.


(Hers) Caramelized Mushroom Linguine: portobello mushrooms, button mushrooms, arugula and basil. $4.75 at 50% off.

BJ's Restaurant & Brewery - Newark, CA

BJ's Restaurant & Brewery
5699 Mowry Avenue
Newark, CA
(510) 456-3750
bjsbrewhouse.com

This was the third BJ's we've been to and tonight's purpose was to have their famous Pizookie...after sharing an appetizer, of course! The Newark location (right off I-880 and Mowry) has only been open since last November and at 9:30 on a Saturday night, there was a 25-30 minute wait. Oh, one cool thing about this place is the revolving front door...makes me feel like I'm entering some fancy hotel! :)

Tonight's overall experience was a 5, thanks to our awesome server "Lauren 206" from Modesto and of course...the Pizookies! We shared the Piranha Pale Ale Nachos, which was served with the chili and fire-roasted tomato salsa on the side. This appetizer only deserved 3 stars, due to several stale chips I experienced and being a little skimpy on the chili and salsa.

I wanted to try the "Triple Chocolate Pizookie Featuring Ghirardelli" but was afraid of it being too rich, so I went half chocolate chip and half chocolate-chocolate chip cookie with one scoop of vanilla bean and one scoop of chocolate ice cream. It was perfect!!! But next time I will try the peanut butter cookie with chocolate ice cream...

One last thing...I spotted a sign advertising "12 Delicious Lunch Specials, starting at only $5.95" so if you're interested, contact your local BJ's for more information. The details were probably on the lunch menu...and we had dinner menus...













Piranha Pale Ale Nachos $9.25


Triple Chocolate Pizookie $5.95


Half Chocolate Chunk/Triple Chocolate Pizookie $5.95

Boardwalk Grill - Discovery Bay, CA

Boardwalk Grill
5879 Marina Road
Discovery Bay, CA 94505
(925) 513-2499
boardwalkgrill.net

The first time I had been to this location at the Discovery Bay Marina, it was called "Discovery Joe's" and this was back in the late '90s so I know I'm dating myself! ;) It was awful back then, so I actually hadn't returned after giving them a few chances to redeem themselves.

Living in Discovery Bay back in the day, our only "local" dining choices were either Discovery Joe's or the pizza parlor or sandwich shop in the Discovery Bay Shopping Center. You could also head out to Orwood Resort for an Okie Taco or drive to Brentwood for more selection...but it was really still quite limited!

Anyway, we really enjoyed our lunch at the Boardwalk Grill today. Not only was it the perfect day driving up to Discovery Bay in my convertible, but we're thankful that there was no wind so we could enjoy dining al fresco without my hair blowing everywhere. :) I think the term "Delta Breeze" is quite an understatement...on a typical day, I wouldn't be able to eat outside without being subject to an occasional mouthful of my hair!

Service: Excellent. Thanks, Danielle (30)!

Sourdough Melt (his): "Burger patty with melted cheese and grilled onions on sourdough served with seasoned fries" $8.49. Excellent...although the fries were plain, not seasoned.

Asian Chicken Wrap (hers): "Chicken breast, mandarin oranges, crispy wontons, rice noodles & toasted almonds, with fresh lettuce & our sesame dressing in a large flavored flour tortilla served with fruit" $9.99. Excellent...but the almonds were not toasted as described. The pineapple slices served on the side were delightfully sweet...yum! He ate my cantaloupe and watermelon. I'm from Hawaii. The fruits I eat are pineapple, guava, passion fruit, lychee...not cantaloupe and watermelon. :)

Note: I just joined Boardwalk Grill's e-mail list since their website enticed me with a "free" appetizer. Now I'm reading their confirmation e-mail and not only did their attached coupon expire on April 1, 2009 but it also requires a $30 minimum food purchase. Thumbs down to that.



















Sourdough Melt $8.49


Asian Chicken Wrap $9.99

Fuzio - Dublin, CA

Fuzio
4930 Dublin Blvd
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 833-7124
fuzio.com

My last review on Fuzio was a weak 5...but this one's a solid 5! I'm not one who can typically handle a lot of spice, but tonight I was a brave girl and ordered the same dish that DH ordered last time and LOVED:

Fuzio Firecracker Pork Fusilli: Ginger-braised pork, firecracker-hot habanero pesto and sour cream---give it a stir to mingle heat and flavors together. $5.13 at 50% off.

He ordered it again (of course...now I understand why once you have this dish, you can't order anything else on the menu!) and I asked for the habanero pesto on the side (so I could control my own heat) and extra sour cream to douse any fire! Just want to share a couple of things I thought of from tonight's dinner:

1. Variety and taking risks is the spice of life. I'm so glad I ventured far away from my typical "safe" non-spicy dishes...this was MUCH better than the Cambazola Rigatoni I had last time!

2. There is a fine line between pain and pleasure. I crossed it many times during the course of my meal...and I can't wait to come back for more next Wednesday...and be served by Lisa, who is kind enough to make sure I never run out of ice water!





His


Hers


Definitely hers...extra sour cream!

Amarone Cucina Italiana - Pleasanton, CA

Amarone Cucina Italiana
680 Main St
Pleasanton, CA 94566
(925) 270-0500
amaronepleasanton.com

Tonight was the perfect evening to dine al fresco as the hot afternoon began to cool off, so we returned to Amarone, home of the best gnocchi alla bolognese in the San Francisco Bay Area. We started out with focaccia bread served with an olive tapenade...delicious!

Insalata Noci e Gorgonzola: Fresh mixed greens with arugula, gorgonzola cheese and caramelized walnuts in a light creamy dressing. $9.95. We split this salad, which was good, but just a little sparse on the walnuts and gorgonzola.

Gnocchi alla Bolognese: Fresh potato dumplings in a fresh veal, pork and beef Bolognese sauce. $16.95. This was exactly as divinely comforting as I remember the dish to be...it's almost as if I had a nonna cooking for me! 5 stars for that...and for the service...and for the owner Matteo!









Insalata Noci e Gorgonzola (split plate) $9.95


Gnocchi alla Bolognese $16.95


Dinner for two including tax and tip: $35.32
(courtesy of a $25 Restaurant.com gift certificate)