Big Boy's Buns and Burgers

Hospital food, I'm here to tell you, is every bit as awful as you've heard. Having just spent four days and nights in the pediatric ward, BiteClub would have traded a bed pan, four grape drinks, a slightly used IV bag and a several luxurious nights on the floor for a real hamburger. The distance between jubilant relief and ungrateful revulsion is only a hospital meal away.

Having recently been sprung (everyone is fine, thank you), it became mission critical to readjust my cholesterol and fat levels to their previous levels. Stat. Enter Big Boy's Buns and Burgers.

Around since 1963, it's got a local following that borders on rabid. Larkfield locals frequently line up at the walk-up windows, waiting patiently for their half-pound Big Boys and beer-battered onion rings for as long as it takes.

Worth the wait? Let me lay out the pros and cons. On the plus side are fresh patties, crisp fixins (tomatoes, lettuce and pickles), J-Lo sized buns and, of course, the special sauce. Minuses: An almost mess-free burger in need of a juice transfusion and a poor burger to bun ratio--too much of a good thing (in this case the bun) isn't always a good thing. Other minor annoyances included a lack of toast on the undersize of aforementioned bun and a serious lack of grilly goodness. Hey, those little crackly, crunchy bits off the spatula are what I'm here for.

The thick-cut fries and onion rings at Buns and Burgers are highly respectable companions, served up with plenty of salt. If you're going all out, I recommend indulging in a small order of each, or the chili-cheese fries if you really want to get that old heart beating triple time. Also on the menu is the bacon, ham and cheese burger, bbq cheese burger with onion rings, patty melt with swiss and grilled onions, fish and chips, chili cheese dogs, BLT sandwiches and daily specials (today's was pastrami).

Don't miss handmade ice cream shakes so thick you'll get a headache from sucking the straw. Just for good measure, take home a quart of co-owner George Fiori's minestrone soup, passed down from a special family recipe for generations. People swear by the stuff.

Despite the imperfections, its a hard act to follow, especially for the newcomers at Thumbs-Up Burger down the road in Windsor. Prior to our health fiasco, BiteClub and family stopped in for dinner, along with about half of Windsor. Already a popular spot on weekend nights, the deli-style restaurant serves up a decent burger in a hurry though it lacks serious inspiration. Paper plates and a lack of napkins make for a messy meal. Clearly they're still in start-up mode, and we'll give them a lilting thumbs-up for effort.

Overall, I've still got a soft spot for the now-defunct Chippery's Jesse James burger as the ßmeasure against which all burgers are, uh, measured in my all-beef patty world. But who can complain, really, after a week of Jell-O and beef broth?

Big Boy's Buns and Burgers, 406 Larkfield Shopping Center, Santa Rosa, (707) 546-6835, open daily from 7am to 7pm, Friday and Saturday until 8pm.

Thumbs Up Burger and Deli, 8465 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 300, Windsor, 707.837.7443. Open Monday through Sat., 6:30am to 9:30pm; Sunday 6:30am to 8:30pm.

PS. BiteClub wants to give a special shout-out to the awesome ER and pediatric staff of Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, including Rick, Gloria, Penny and all the super cool folks to made our stay comfortable--including bringing me the food that I've been so ungrateful for. Regardless, Miss Lucy and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts. If you ever find yourself stuck in the hospital, may I recommend take-out from Sushi To Dai and Sea Thai Bistro which my man McNibs mercifully brought me during my incarceration. Thanks McNibs!

Tres Leches

In a fit of mommy-guilt, I once spent twelve hours constructing an edible tableaux of the pyramids at Giza for my son's fifth birthday--layer upon layer of homemade yellow cake and chocolate butter cream. It was a masterpiece, complete with brown sugar sand, plastic palm trees and camels. Even better, it tasted divine.

He, of course, hated it.

Okay, that's not really fair. He actually remembers it rather fondly. But at the time, we both knew he would have been much happier digging into a store-bought cake with fluorescent green frosting an a plastic Mutant Turtle on top.

I had felt the need to save his little untrained palate from certain disappointment. I had failed.

Such is the fate of parenthood. Homemade cakes give way to semi-homemade cakes, which give way to store-bought monstrosities so laden with shortening and sugar that the actual cake seems an afterthought. Maybe it's just hiding in shame.

But there is salvation to be found, and it's name is tres leches. Well-known to the fiesta-set, this creamy, dreamy, milk-laden cake is a homemade(ish) antidote to industrialized desserts.

The recipe goes like this--a pan of sponge cake gets jabbed and poked within an inch of its life, then doused with a mixture of evaporated and condensed milk, along with heavy cream (three milks=tres leches). Let soak, then cloak the whole thing in a n inch of whipped cream. Purists prefer their cake unadorned, though I think adding a layer of fruit makes for a better party.

The cakes ends up a bit like a thoroughly soused rum cake, minus the rum: Sweet, spongy and insanely moist--sometimes almost wet. The whipped cream frosting is rich, but goes down a lot better than heavy buttercream or (shudder) shortening-based frosting. !Ole!

No one's quite sure where this confectionery marvel got its start, although popular belief places its origins in Central America. More specifically, it's thought to have come from a recipe on the side of a sweetened or condensed milk can somewhere in Nicaragua--not such a wild theory due in part to the prevalence of canned milk in hot climates (where the fresh stuff doesn't last long).

The recipe remains popular in Latin American countries and, like flan and dulce de leche, has kindly infiltrated US food culture. You'll find it everywhere from local Mexican bakeries to the dessert menus of upscale restaurants (Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena frequently has it on the menu.)

Don't expect to walk up and get a slice, however. Cakes usually need to be ordered in advance from local Mexican bakeries (as BiteClub found out the hard way), but high-traffic spots like Lola's Market and (BiteClub's fave) Pasteles Fiesta usually have a selection on hand for walk-ins. Pasteles also has slices available with or without fruit for dabblers and lunch-breakers.

And yes, you can even get them decorated with green frosting, pink flowers and nifty toys. Making everyone happy.

If you go: Pasteles Fiesta offers a variety of authentic Mexican cakes, along with tasty individual-sized flans. A small tres leches cake will set you back about $20; the mini flans are just $2. 443 Dutton Ave, #1, Dutton Plaza, Santa Rosa, 707.568.7051.

If you want to make Tres Leches cake yourself (you ambitious cook, you) can check out the recipe that got me all inspired in the first place, courtesy of Alton Brown and the Food

Chloe's French Cafe

It’s rare that I’m speechless after a meal. Even rarer when that meal comes out of a take out box. But consider Ms. BiteClub stunned into a reverent silence for the now decimated container of Boeuf Bourgogne from Chloe’s French Cafe. Je suis dans l'amour.

Tipped off by a reader (thank you! thank you!), Chloe’s has been open for just a few weeks in the most unlikely of spots--the Landmark Executive building off Airway Drive in Santa Rosa. Both a sit-down cafe and take-away spot, there’s no exterior signage to tip eaters off to this bonanza of French brasserie-style fare: homemade croissants, brioche, sandwiches (including a hearty Nicoise and zut alor, Croque Monsieur--Béchamel sauce, baked ham and Gruyere on bread) and soups.

But it’s the weekly specials you’re here for, the Bourgogne this week, and at the whim of the chef, things like Coq au Vin and more, usually under $10.

The Bourgogne, which is basically a long-simmered beef and vegetable stew with a heavy dose of red wine, is served on a square of gratin potatoes. I usually really dislike the stuff, because the meat can get tough and gamey and the veggies mushy. With chunks of still-intact mushroom and carrot comingling with beef that literally falls apart in your mouth, BiteClub has is rethinking Bourgogne altogether. The dish should be on the menu through the week and will hopefully reappear throughout the winter.

It should come as little surprise that behind the restaurant are two French brothers, Alain (the pastry chef) and Marc (the sommelier) Pisan whose family have been artisinal bakers for generations. Alain’s wife, Renee (an American) heads up the café and catering kitchen, having immersed herself in the art of French cuisine.

With the remnants of a hazelnut crème puff still on my fingers, BiteClub can confidently report that desserts are Parisian-quality. Alain whips up feather-light éclairs, tarts and cakes each day, most under $3, and some under $2. Raspberry mousse tart? Please.

Marc is putting his wine skills to go use by offering up a happy hour each Friday evening from 4 to 6pm, featuring French and local wines. There are plans for cooking and wine pairing classes in the near future. Sign up for their newsletter at chloesco.com.

So okay, you have your marching orders, eaters. Get steppin’ to Chloe’s. Rapidement! I’ve still got some pastry-eating to do.

If you go: Take the Mendocino exit off 101 and head down Hopper Avenue (look for the Kohl’s Department Store). Make a right on Airway Drive (you think you’re headed for a dead-end) and turn left into the Landmark Executive Center. Go to the far parking lot and enter through the main entrance. Chloe’s is on the left, just use your nose.

Chloe’s French Café, 3883 Airway Dr., Suite 145, Santa Rosa, 707.528.3095. Open 7:30am to 5pm weekdays. Closed on weekends.

Do you have a favorite restuarant you'd like me to know about? Email me at biteclub@pressdemo.com

Rosso Pizzeria & Wine Bar

You had me at burrata.

With a menu that reads like a Sicilian love letter, former Tra Vigne Chef John Franchetti's newly opened Rosso Pizzeria & Wine Bar ain't your average pie shop. The remodeled space in Santa Rosa's Creekside Center focuses on paper-thin prosciutto, fresh-made tapenades, signature salads, antipasti and bubbling wood-fired pizzas.

No ravioli. No manicotti. No frozen breadsticks. No crap.

Instead, Franchetti sticks to fresh, simple piatto that let the flavors of his painstakingly-chosen, organic and sustainable products shine through. Like Franchetti's house made burrata--a fresh milk mozzarella stuffed with ricotta.* Sourcing the curds from an award-winning local cheese maker who learned the craft from his Italian grandfather, Franchetti forms the fresh, pillowy cheese by hand and serves it with nothing more than a wink of olive oil, salt and pepper. It's heaven on a plate.

In fact, the SR-native actually gets contagiously giddy talking about his organic salad mix from Sebastopol, the reverse-osmosis water used for the dough (which he makes several times daily) and signature veal and pork meatballs with marinara. Franchetti even cops to the fact that after reading Jeff Cox's recent rail about imported olive oil, he decided to use locally sourced (and definitely not cheap) McEvoy Ranch oil exclusively. Both on the menu and in the kitchen, he pays homage to his producers--Rafter Ranch, Redwood Hills, Love Farms and Point Reyes-- rather than the usual lip-service to distract from the SYSCO truck pulling up out back.

Opening standouts include fritto misto made with calamari and local organic veggies with a green chile aioli; $3 "snacks" of crispy pizzetta and fresh made tapenades (don't miss the creamy 'pesce' spread made with fish, lemon and mascarpone); salads (like the Rosso Caesar with chopped Sonoma romaine, lemon anchovy dressing, gorgonzola and Calabrian chilies, $8.50); 'piadine' flat breads with salads piled on top; or fresh pizzas with toppings of Sonoma white corn, roasted peppers, red onion, arugula and Redwood Hill goat cheese.

Plans are in the words for an expanded prosciutto and salumi menu, with more locally sourced meats. The wine bar offers up a large list of well-chosen organic, sustainable and biodynamic wines from Sonoma County and beyond. Kids get healthy treatment, too, with their own menu of pint-size pizzas, roasted chicken, salads and fried house-made mozzarella.

So despite one slight word of caution--Franchetti doesn't go easy on the garlic--this is truly one of the most promising restaurant openings in the last year. So, uh, you'll know where to find me for lunch over the next few weeks. Pass the burrata, please.

Rosso Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Creekside Center, 53 Montgomery Dr., Santa Rosa, 707.544.3221.

*Okay cheese nerds, here's the deal: Burrata typically refers to fresh mozzarella stuffed with cream and bits of mozzarella. Historically the cheese is wrapped in fresh leeks to signify its freshness (if they're not still green, it's too old) and consumed within days of being made. The real Italian stuff is near impossible to find in the states unless it's flown in. Some refer to Franchetti's version of burrata as 'burricotti', since it is filled with ricotta rather than cream.

Na Thong

Located in the hinterlands of south Santa Rosa Avenue, Na Thong is too good a secret not to let BiteClubbers in on. Sandwiched between a coffee/BBQ shop and a tattoo parlor in, er, a rather colorful part of town the month-old restaurant is serving up some solid Laotian and Thai cuisine to those intrepid enough to find it.

The menu has a number of familiar favorites (egg rolls, satay, tom kha gai soup, pho and pad thai), but what really got my attention were the not-so-familiar items like crispy deep fried quail ($7.95), yum talay (calamari, mussels, scallops and prawsn with lemon grass, citrus leaves, onion, mint leaves and roasted rice with smoked chili sauce, $9.95); and a tamarind-infused peanut curry (kang musmun, $8.95). Laotian-style dishes like shredded green papaya salad ($6.95) and several larb dishes (larb is the national dish of Laos, and is usually made from minced meat--duck, beef, pork or chicken--mixed with spices like lemon grass, mint, onion and chili sauce.) Plus, green, yellow and two types of red curry.

Though the spot isn't fancy, service is attentive and gracious with attention to small details--ornate rice serving bowls, attractive dishware and little plastic flowers on each table. Not the kind of thing you usually find in this neck of the woods.

Need more incentive? Sticky rice, warm peanut sauce and Thai karaoke Thursday through Saturday nights.

Na Thong, 3446 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707.206.0884

Sky Lounge opens: Houston, we have a problem

After months of anticipation Sky Lounge has opened for business in the Sonoma County Airport.

The second area restaurant for Shiso's Ed Metcalfe (who runs a popular sushi-centric spot in Sonoma) the in-terminal eatery is primed to nab both hungry travelers and nearby office park workers starved for a decent lunch-break spot.

Jammed to capacity just a few hours after opening, Sky Lounge could easily become the next Jonesy's--the Napa Airport's popular steakhouse/meet-up spot. That's the good news.

The bad news: At today's liftoff the kitchen had yet to earn its wings.

Knowing Metcalfe's passion for seafood, my instinct was to head straight for the shellfish. My instinct was wrong. Hold out for the sushi chef who arrives next week. Three of the six oysters I ordered off-menu were barely big enough to slip onto a fork and their $13 price tag wasn't the only thing that left an unpleasant aftertaste in my mouth. I also made incorrect assumption that I'd be getting big, plump, local Hog Island oysters, but got a bill for Fanny Bays (which usually hail from the Pacific Northwest). Either way, disappointing.

The Soft Shell Crab BLT ($15) also sounded enticing with applewood smoked bacon, fried soft shell crab and wasabi mayonnaise on toasted brioche. It too left me cold and searching between the slices of bread, lettuce and tomato for the tiny bits of crab that ended up tasting bitter and fishy. The flavors just didn't meld and the burned bits of toast clearly didn't help.

Passing burgers looked solid, though they were as unimpressively plated as my own sandwich (white plate, no garnish) and with equally bland stacks of diner-worthy fries. I'll accept that at $7. But not at $12 to $15, especially from someone like Metcalfe who clearly knows better. One bright spot was a beautiful dish of salmon (the day's special) that passed by on the way to a lucky guest who'd ordered better than I had.

I also didn't try the large plates of rib-eye, filet mignon, hangar steak and porterhouse. Prime cuts will run you between $24 and $32 with sides that include the aforementioned fries, mashed or roasted potatoes; creamed spinach, Brussels sprouts or carrots. That's a heavy chunk of change for lunch and the sides seem deadly dull. I get the retro-chic of a blue cheese lettuce wedge. Brussels sprouts lack that clever irony.

But the news isn't all bad. Even on the first day, wait staff were eager to please and well organized despite understandable opening snafus. I'm hopeful that the arrival of a sushi chef and the daily influx of more fresh seafood (there's little on the opening menu) will bolster oceanic offerings and presentation will improve as the kitchen gets more comfortable with the menu.

In the end, I'd recommend giving Sky Lounge a little more time for some pre-flight checks. If you go, stick with the basics and enjoy the view--never mind a little engine spluttering.

Fro Yo A Go Go: From Pinkberry to Golden Spoon, frozen yogurt is, like, soooo back

Along with ballet slipper flats and safety pin fashion, frozen yogurt has resurfaced as one of the summer's hottest recycled '80s trends. Like totally. But hold onto your mall bangs, sister, we've evolved way beyond TCBY. Enter Pinkberry.

Raging through SoCal like an acidophilus-fueled wildfire, Pinkberry has elevated fro-yo to an art form by, well, making it actually taste like yogurt. And at only 25 calories per ounce (before topping it with Fruity Pebbles and Cap'n Crunch, that is), it's a sweet treat that is gentle on the waistline. Unlike that carton of Ben & Jerry's you're hiding in the freezer.

Only two flavors of the hip soft serve yogurt are available--plain and green tea--and reports from rabid fans describe it as creamy, tangy and absolutely dream-like (the Le Klimt designed space doesn't hurt those happy feelings, either). A particular obsession is the shaved ice Pinkberry, intermingling condensed milk, fresh fruit and a "top hat" of plain frozen yogurt. Commence salivation. Fork over something like $7.25.

Sadly, no Pinkberry stores are slated for NoCal in the near future (NYC and Europe get first dibs), though knock-offs abound. Local Chowhounders report that Mangoberry at Michelle's Yogurt on Durant Avenue in Berkeley is a close approximation and Honeydoo is slated to open this fall in SF. Meanwhile, some say the Pinkberry craze was actually pilfered from Korea's Red Mango, now building their own West Coast fleet of shops in SoCal, Washington and Nevada. (We'll cross our fingers they get here soon.)

Need your fix, now? Golden Spoon frozen yogurt recently opened in West Santa Rosa (in addition to the location in Windsor), offering a mind-numbing number of flavors and toppings in a more traditional bent. Styling itself as a flavor-twin to soft serve ice cream (and only 17 calories per ounce!), Golden Spoon comes in vanilla and chocolate as well as an ever-changing line-up of monthly tempations including cake batter, pumpkin pie, boysenberry, coconut and root beer float.

Like, totally awesome.

Golden Spoon Santa Rosa, 1791 Marlow Rd., Santa Rosa, 707-523-1119
Golden Spoon Windsor, 8828 Lakewood Dr., Windsor, 707-836-1119. Open daily 11am to 10pm.

Are you an addict? Can't understand all the fuss? Wikipedia Pinkberry