O'ANNE AND O'DAVE RESTAURANT RATINGS (* means we rated on Yelp)

How we rate restaurants and hotels:		General total score :
We walk in with zero points and an open mind. If an aspect is not remarkable, it gets zero points. If any aspect is remarkable, it gets one point, either way. Add up the points. Simple.		- = we will not return 0 = We won't return unless we are desperate 1 = We will return if in the area 2 = We will go out of our way to return 3 = We plan entire trips to return

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Beirut Falafel Hut - super casual
2917 Yosemite Blvd, Modesto, CA 95354 / 209.557.9454

* Standard Middle Eastern food, gyros, falafels, hummus, swarmas, but GOOD, GOOD, GOOD. We will plan a day trip to Modesto to eat here.

Branding Iron, 640 W 16th St, Merced, CA 209.722.1922 - white tablecloth, old ranch family
Mon-Fri: 11:30 - 2:00 and 5:30 - 9:30
Saturday: 5:30 - 9:30   Sunday: 5:00 - 9:00
Website: http://www.thebrandingiron-merced.com/
One of the most popular, more elegant places in town, based on the old Merced farmer's, cattle ranchers and their brands.  A rich wood style, white tablecloths, local cattle brands encompass the walls. Includes a garden courtyard, unfortunately, right next to the train tracks. Since we are a small town, most people are not bothered by this, especially if you smoke. The service is always impeccable.
Our favorites: salmon, scallone, scallone, and scallone, prime rib, and their Bleu Cheese is to die for. Joey is worth his weight in gold, for his service, attitude, and the extra mile. Cheryl, Sarah and Pam are equally wonderful!

Visit		#1	#52
Food		+1	+1
Atmosphere		+1	+1
Service		+1	+1
Prices
Total		+3	+3

For the hotel rating, you must go here.

Brookdale Cafe,  Brookdale, CA - Cafe casual
Open 7 am to 2 pm, I think? (I lost the menu!)
* Plain, no-nonsense cafe with plenty of room. Even when bustling full, the girls, Kim and Annie, are cheerful and treat you like you are neighbors, can take a ribbing and dish it back delightfully. The food is excellent, home grown standard breakfast and lunch with standard prices. This place saves the day when at Brookdale Lodge. Kim gets an extra smile for noticing David hardly ate his soup and sincerely asking if it was ok. (His stomach was at odds, the soup really was wonderful!)

Food		+1
Atmosphere
Service		+1
Prices
Total		+2

2005 note: we planned an entire weekend around this place only to find it closed, can't BELIEVE this place closed!! 

This is now closed. What a disappointment!

Castagnolas - very white tablecloth on the wharf
286 Jefferson St, San Francisco, CA   415.776.5015 -website
* Very exclusive place, usually very good food, service can vary. A large room with windows overlooking the ocean, white tablecloths, elegant waiters, some of which have attitudes, a full bar. Pricing is a bit steep unless you don't mind paying for where you are. They USED to have scallone. Possibly have eaten there for the last time.

We do stop by the bar after walking the wharf in the wind for a drink and to warm up. The piano player comes by about 5, we like to be gone by then. He's pleaseant, just loud and we aren't exhibitonists.

Colosseo Ristorante & Bar - white tablecoth casual
414 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133 / 415.398.1300 - website
Between Vallejo and Green, North Beach

* We wandered into this establishment off the streets while looking for someplace new, our beloved Gold Spike was closed forever. Marble floors, column painted on the walls, echoes galore, Venice atmsphere, the entire staff speak with a heavy Italian accent (creepy! It was like they all just got off the boat!) The tables were crammed together like sardines, they didn't have O'Douls and some idiot put a lemon slice in my Drambuie. Prices ranged from $14 for lasagne to a $30 Kobe burger. David had chewy chicken, I had salmon with capers. Potato pave, pear & balsamic vinegar. It was way too loud for a romantic evening, the french bread was hard, the salmon sauce was pure lemon, we had to flag down a waiter to ask for Parmesan, the negative list goes on and on.

Friendly local service.

Visit		#1		#2
Food		+1		+1
Atmosphere
Service		+1		+1
Marisa		+1/2		+1/2
Prices
Total		+2 1/2		+2 1/2

2013 note - back to being our favorite place now that they moved to what used to be the Eagle's Nest.

Sept 2014 note - D'Angelo's closed. Merced is severely lacking in decent restaurants, and we are all puzzled as to why.

Note: We bought a cabin in Mi Wuk, walking distance to Diamond Jim's - life does not get any better. THEN, Diamond Jim's closed, the rumors abound. The bar re-opened in 2013, but no sign of dinner. How we mourn this place.

2017 note: We stopped going a few years back when the food declined in quality (so sad!!), the chili rellenos were too hot to eat and the guacamole was thinned with way too much lemon.  Noticed a "New Owners" sign last week.

2014: We managed to go again and remember to go upstairs to the 'adult' section. The service is austere and proper, prices are a bit steep. $8.50 for a Drambuie! But again, the only place on the wharf we have found scallone. Crab already shelled runs almost $40.

A second visit years later proved to be as delightful. The service was superior, thank you, Melissa. The salmon and steak were perfect, and the vegies were not useless! The full bar adds to my delight, the music is nice, just a tad loud for my old ears now.

2017: SOOOOO good to be back. Service is wonderful, the mood is private and relaxing. Drambuie (yesssss) and Becks. Then crab cakes with exquisite garlic aioli, their incredible slaw (dare you to try and figure out what's in that), yummy salads (spinach and romaine, carrots, cucs, kidney beans, crumbles, what more could a goddess want?) New York steak (smothered in herbed butter) and salmon (on a plank smothered in herbed garlic butter),and while a tiny bit pricey (you get what you pay for) it's a delight all the way around. Thank you, Julie!!!!!!  

* Classic diner, can be busy. The hash browns are cooked in butter. Somewhat reliable food and service, the locals hang here. Once in a while, the waiter is, well, less than fun. It felt like a burden to ask for anything, and you oft times have to ask twice.

2013 note: Our last trip was a bit of a surprise.  I ordered a patty melt and it came so crispy and burnt I could not eat it. We returned the sandwich and asked for another, which came once everyone else was done eating. It looked okay until you cut into it, perfectly, completely raw. I was stunned, and left hungry. I was even more angry when a few days later, a friend who eats there assured me that was a flip off from the cook. An apology is in order. It took everything I owned not to call the management. We will not be back.

Second visit included a long wait between being seated and being approached for anything to drink. Our server said, and I quote, "I guess I am your server," to which we should have replied, "I guess we are your paying customers." Dave's turkey club was fair, Anne's crab melt was blah, but the salads were good. Even another woman waiting in line for the restroom was astounded by the Sunday late morning delay.

Visit	#1		#2
Food	+1
Atmosphere
Menu	+1		+1
Service			-1
Prices
Total	+2		0

2013 Note: They now serve lunch!!

Lovejoy's Tea Room - quaint & sophisticated high tea
1351 Church Street (between Clipper and 26th St, Noe Valley area) San Francisco, CA 94114 / 415.648.5895

* A must experience. British tea room at its finest, crowded and jam packed, always busy. Take two dozen tables with chairs, place them as close together as you can, fill the room with everything victorian and high tea, antiques, wall hangings, brocades, pillows, overstuffed chairs, fireplace, boudoir room dividers, classy, ribbon and lace finery, tea cozies, biscuits, tea sandwiches, tiny details, delicate plates, marvelous cups and saucers, and not one thing matches. It's a bit overwhelming at first, and requires a few hours to take everything in. There is a tea shop across the street where you can browse the delightful fancies while you wait for your name to be called. Even my gruff cowboy husband loved it and cheerfully stuck his little finger in the air as he raised his porcelain tea cup. The baths are a riot, don't miss them!

Lumberjack's - family casual
1740 South Main Street, Willits, CA 95490 / 707.456.0300 website
* This is a chain restaurant with a Red Lobster type of appearance in an old Perko building. Total tree and, log decoration theme, extensive menu, standard fare and reasonable prices. This was our first vist, will not be our last. $7 to $15, $10 average, breakfast, lunch, dinner.

A third or fourth (?) visit was Januray 2015. We were in a hurry and late, the waitress obliged us by taking ur order 'right away', but left the table without David's order. Had it been a less stressful day (headed to a family wedding and late!!) it would have been almost funny. Still a reliable, good meal.

Lupita's Eproson House - casual Mexican - CLOSED!! Now the Eproson House
Twain Harte Dr, Twain Harte, CA 95383 / 209.586.3700

* Standard Mexican fare, rustic log cabin atmosphere, a few tables on the patio dining with animals welcome on leads. Full bar next door. The guacamole is to die for, the chili rellenos with green sauce is worth driving there for. Winter of 2012, Lupe closed, telling us he would be back in May, and never came back. We mourn the loss terribly. $8 to $16

Magpie's Coffeehouse - Casual, pajamas ok - possibly moved to Main Ave, Durango?
15 North Market Street, Cortez, CO /  970.564.8595
Great CA funky style coffee house with a wide selection of coffee, comfy bar seating and a bathroom worth visiting. Wish she had smiled a bit!

National Hotel,   - White tablecloth
18183 Main Street, Jamestown CA  95327 / 209.984.3446 - Website

* Elegant and quiet, excellent food and service in an grand old building. They have a wide variety of appetizers, from steamed clams to a shrimp melt and baked brie and escargot. Five salads, four pastas, two pork dishes, four chicken, two veal, seven fish, five steaks, and a garlic prime rib. A full bar, two rooms with only tables, an outside patio and quiet, elegant service. The bleu was bland at first, absolutely yummy now, the salmon a tad skimpy in size but the potato was perfect. David's filet was also perfect, the burgundy sauce alone was worth the trip. $75 for two on average including drinks from the bar. Thank you, Steve, Sara, for each dinner on the patio with the cat and the garden. And thank you for the Drambuie!

Paul's - Casual home style
2991 G St, Merced, CA 95340 / 209.723.1339
* This used to be one of our favorite places, reliable food, fair prices, reasonable service. Family atmosphere, always open, a decent variety on the menu, the owners are usually milling about, repeat locals are greeted cordially. We keep going back because the other choice for a standard meal in town is Denny's, but after six years, and possibly the last meal there, we are going to Denny's or cook at home.  We waited for a half hour this morning for our breakfast, watched others seated after us finish their meal before we got ours, overdone, inedible, and cold. Never once, if our food is openly uneaten when we pay for the meal, does anyone ask why. Very sad.

2013: Paul's has reopened after a kitchen fire, and we should try again, but I am not holding my breath.

Red Robin - fancier burger joint - casual
2031 Bronze Star Drive, Woodland, CA 95776 / 530.661.7470  
* My first Red Robin. It was good for a 'burger joint' with delicious steak fries. The bacon aioli was ok. We will be back when we crave greasy, heavy, fried food.

2017 Note: After watching this place closed and empty for years (rumors abound said he owned everyone from the Mafia to the IRS), we had a few months where hope sprung eternal, and Phil opened up, when we wanted to, which was not on any regular basis. Today, it is boarded up, looking rather permanent. I have figured out the absolutely best Minestrone recipe and buttered rum mix, so he won't be missed after all.

Rizzonelli's - family casual - CLOSED!!!
591 Bellevue Rd, Atwater, CA 95301 - 209.357.1955
* We waited too long to find this superb restaurant, run by the owner, Susie. The menu needs hours to read, from steaks to pizza, and all the Italian classics. 1940 Italian family finally had to close the doors. Sad.

The Rock - Twin Harte, CA
23068 Fuller Road, Twain Harte, CA 209.586.2080
Open 11 to 9 weekdays, to 10 weekends
* Lunch and dinner, beer and wine, sports bar in a log cabin atmosphere, bar and a few tables inside. Spacious patio picnic table dining, pets welcome on leads. Standard appetizier, salads, burger variations, with a build your own feature. French dip, fish & chips, steak sandwich, ribs, tri-tip, salmos, steaks, pastas, vegies, grilled cheese, ice cream. Always crowded. Garlic fries are yum!! $8 - $21.
Our second trip was not so wonderful. We sat outside as usual (after poking our heads in the doors to say we were sitting down) and waited over twenty minutes for someone to even take our drink order (three other cars in the parking lot, 5 pm on a week day) and we just gave up and left. I am sure they didn't even miss us. 

Rosemary's Cafe - Country cowboy casual
3rd Avenue and Fourth Street, Gustine, CA
* Cheery little place with a sign that says:
"Make sure you have the cow manure wiped off your boots."
French toast & eggs, Beef dip and mac salad

Silvers at the Wharf - Semi casual white tablecloth
32260 North Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg, CA / 707.964.4283 - website

* Very nice, typical wharf windows, relaxed formal dining with a local flavor.

Trip two was awful. A classic wharf seafood place with white tablecloths and napkins, reserved waiters, windows and tables to the water. This had an interesting menu, very different, included oyster shooters, of all things. I settle for my standard salmon, David finally chose chicken marsala. The bleu was good, the salad plain, the salmon burnt (I could not cut it with a bread knife, I left it uneaten on the plate and received no comment) and David's dinner was unremarkable, all for the tune of $100. We will not be back.

Stinking Rose  - Casual tourist, white table cloth
325 Columbus Ave bet Vallejo & Broadway, San Francisco, CA  415.781.7673 - website
After years of passing by to see lines that go around the block, we made in on a Thursday night. Superior food, garlic, prime rib, garlic, chicken , garlic, salmon and garlic. Everything incredible, the garlic appetizer was out of this world. Full bar, friendly people. Dinners are from $18 to $57.
We made it again, on a Monday, and got to see the rest of the restaurant, and took home their cookbook. A rare three star rating for us, wonderful in light of our favorite place, The Gold Spike finally closed. Read a longer description here. A third visit was as excellent except for the service.
The last visit included raw salmon that wasn't done well the second time either, the garlic chicken was overdone and dry, and service was poor. The staff might have been apologetic, but their attempt to repair the dinner came far too late to have made a difference, and we left hungry. The only good point was that they removed my salmon from the bill.

August 2008, a few months later we return to the patio where Paul remembers our last visit and selection details! The only reason Strings does not get a higher rating is because there is no bar for such a  nicer dinner place. Paula takes care us on another visit, and she is another gem!

2013: Trish, Amanda, Michael, Laurie, Erin, Hector and Eddie have taken wonderful care of us over the years. Never does their food or service disappoint.

Visit		#3	#4	#52
Food		+1	+1	+1
Atmosphere
Service		+1	+1	+1
Price				+1
Total		+2	+2	+3

Sweetriver Saloon - wood bar casual - CLOSED!!!!!!!
851 W Olive, Merced Mall, Merced, CA    209.383.5542 - website
* A grand wood, cozy booth, stained glass and old sign atmosphere completely ruined by horrific service. The menu and the food are good to fair, but flagging down a server is like trying to glue jello to a tree. I almost called the restaurant on my cell to let them know the couple at table eight would really, really like some water. By the time we wanted to leave, procuring the bill was equally difficult. The servers give you the impression you are imposing on them. To be fair, we have returned several times and have decided the service, really, depends on the crew working at the time. Choose your timing carefully and you can enjoy your visit.

2013 note: Service has improved, Katrina and Trish was wonderful.

Toni's Courtyard Cafe - Casual classy
156 W 18th St, Merced, CA    209.384. 2580 - website
* A cozy small place that has proved it's stamina for several years now, one of our two favorite eateries for breakfast or lunch, a smaller place, and most always heavily occupied, includes a lovely fenced garden courtyard  with a fountain, tables with umbrellas, great friendly staff and excellent food, all of which have a special flavour to them. Not your run of the mill cafe food.. The turkey avacado or the California scramble is my favorite, David loves the soups and sandwiches, recently discovered the Godfather. The garlic aioli is so special I can't get the recipe. Bright indoor booths and tables with local artwork, but our favorite seats are on the small, high walled, Monterey flavored patio covered in umbrellas and trees. As the website says "Organic whenever possible, but always fresh and natural." They cater to Merced's business crowd very well, and Toni admits she never would have guessed her place could become this popular. Home sweet home for breakfast for lunch, but get there early if you want a seat. Thank you, Toni, Scott, Jarvon, Melissa and Michelle, Antonio, Jane, Tessa, Paula and anyone else we forgot.

My notes look like this:
David had:
Split Pea Soup    A = : ) D = : ( 
Hot Pastrami Bleu Cheese    D = : )
  
Anne had:
Quiche   : (
Salad   : (
GREAT one piece S & P shakers

Villa D'Oro - white tablecloth
23036 Joaquin Gulley Rd, Twain Harte, CA 95383 - 209.586.2182
* They are supposed to be the 'best place to dine in Tuoluymne County. I would not go that far. It might be the fanciest and most expensive restaurant in the area, but the are nearly as elegant as they think they are. They have been so rude it was hard to stay seated. They refused to serve us if we did not have reservations and there was one table occupied. We made reservations for my birthday, and it was ok. We were also the only people there. One more experience with a dear friend visiting was fair, but the last visit was that, our last. We sat for over an hour before we even got our salads, it took over twenty minutes just to get someone's attention. The manager treated the matter too lightly, the dinner was horrid and cold.

Wool Grower's Inn - Family casual
609 H Street, Los Banos, CA 93635 / 209.826.4593
* As with every Basque restaurant we have been to, it's impossible to stop eating the incredible food. We do not go as often as we like because of the distance. If we were local, this would be a mainstay. Food is nothing short of superb and reliable. Service can be sketchy based on how busy it is, but never ever are you neglected. Ever. It is an experience with the family style eating, sometimes you make friends, sometimes it a people watching night. Do bring cash, they dont accept cards.

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