Toby Tullis

45 Degrees Kitchen

March 30, 2016 by Toby Tullis 1 Comment

This month’s installment combines two of my “feels.” Granted to actually eat here is a bucket list thing, or at the very least, a “when in Rome thing.” Nevertheless, I truly hope that this might create a moment when we find ourselves in Nairobi, Kenya engaged in the universal conversation of “I don’t know, where do you want to go?” and then we get stricken with the thought….aha! Remember what Toby was “having.” Let’s backup a bit first.

Show of hands: who remembers my love of Kenya? Those that raised, thank you, but I can’t see you, so I will assume everybody thrust their digits skyward. That’s right, I lived in Nairobi for three months and the experience changed my heart. But wait, I am not writing about some “local’s only” mom and pop in the heart of the city center; I am writing about an endeavor that has its roots right here in Pleasanton and Danville.

I was lucky enough in the first stage of my food and beverage career to be mentored by a genius Chef, Harold Sena-akoto. I was not “back of the house” (kitchen staff), but this man took the time to teach me food costs, wine pairings and management styles that I still use today to lead flocks.

Harold was the Executive Chef at Ruby Hill Country Club in Pleasanton. On a nightly basis he would create masterpieces for the same people with an infectious smile and energy that could not be rivaled. He was the exact opposite of the knife and temper wielding chefs that I had come to expect, and would later be personally subjected to.

Harold is a Nairobi native, and last year, after a stint heading up the food program at Choice Lunch and Choice Kitchen in Danville (another one of my articles), he packed up his girls (wife Rose and beautiful daughter) and headed back to his family’s plot in Nairobi Kenya to open his lifelong dream: 45 Degrees Kitchen.

45 Degrees Kitchen is a rugged structure built on an old poultry farm in Garden Estate. The rustic interior décor and flow to the natural African surroundings put the emphasis on nature, whereby gentle sounds from the outdoors form the backdrop to your evening. The tall Eucalyptus trees in the distance and rustic surroundings are comforting and put guests at ease, making it easy to focus on the work to be done for your dining experience. The fine dining restaurant features a sustainably and organically grown ingredient-driven menu, utilizing produce from the restaurant’s organic garden. The menu is influenced by modern Californian, provincial French and Italian cuisine.

Chef Harold is the type of man with an inviting aura that leaves everybody he comes in contact with feeling better about the interaction they just had. Along with his equally as positive energy wife Rose, they are doing what everybody longs to do at least once in their lives—they are taking their passion and creating something from the ground up.

45 Degrees hosts private events, caters off-site parties, does cooking classes and offers the outdoor/indoor African experience that was once reserved only for safari but from a culinary standpoint.

Our local loss has become Nairobi’s gain, and generally speaking, in any other circumstance I would feel the pangs of loss when a friend moves worlds away, however with the Sena-akotos I feel their presence daily through Facebook (www.facebook.com/45degreeskitchen) and know that they are simply giving me one more reason to return someday.

Bookmark this culinary adventure for your next trip to Africa and tell them Toby sent you, although you would get the same incredible hospitality no matter who you are.

Garden Estate, Nairobi Reservations 0705151086/0705150898

Sri Ananda Bhavan

March 6, 2016 by Toby Tullis Leave a Comment

I have succumbed to the fact that a part of me will always long for 2012. This was my jet-set year of traversing the globe for my work where I installed and trained local medical staff on cloud technologies. My work was done primarily in developing countries, and often times much farther than where the sidewalk ends. I saw some amazing things and met some beautiful humans but my longing is guttural.

The most wonderful thing about spending serious international time far off the tourist path was the food. There were no Subway sandwich places or McDonalds to fall back on as a way to cope with the miles between America and me. I ate what the locals were eating and this forever changed the way I will interpret food.

I long for the Nyama Choma (grilled meat) of Nairobi, the Nihari of Pakistan (bone marrow and brain) and the Dosa (fermented crepe of rice batter and black lentil) from Southern India. I am pleased to report that I have located a place in Pleasanton that serves REAL Dosa and it is wonderful.

I left Kohl’s after procuring my dress shirt ahead of my schedule that day. With a few moments to kill and an angry gut I headed to the small strip mall across the parking lot for the sign that said Hawaiian BBQ. Not my first choice, but I needed substance NOW and most Hawaiian BBQ places have menus as long as Manute Bols wingspan, so I figured I would be okay. Right next-door was a “Grand Opening” sign for “Real Southern Indian Food.” (“Grand Opening” on an Indian restaurant could mean anything from three weeks to three years). The sheer thought of actually finding real Dosa filled me with excitement but doubt. I headed in.

Within two steps in the door, I knew that I had found my India connection. First of all I was the only one not speaking Tamil—a great sign; secondly, the metal plates and cups on every table were right out of Andhra Pradesh (my home in India on two separate occasions); thirdly the loud Carnatic music, and finally the bowl of Saunf (fennel seeds) awaiting me after my meal at the counter, all meant that pinching myself was no longer necessary—this was real and it was about to go down.

I quickly ordered the Kara(Spicy) Masala Dosa and poured myself a cup of the tepid tap water from the metal pitcher. Within minutes it came. A large segmented cafeteria metal tray with four colorful sauces, a metal bowl of Sambar (vegetarian lentil stew) and my 18” rolled Dosa. It was light, warm, thin and crisp with visible pieces of jalapeno. I tore into it at once and immediately revisited the small shack on the streets of Hyderabad where a man and his 12-year-old daughter first prepared one for me with a propane tank and hot plate.
Dosa is just as much about the dipping sauces as it is about the crepes and the sauces are as follows: The pink sauce is peanut based, the red is tomato, the green is cilantro and the white is a coconut chutney. You eat with your hands. When you go, please be prepared to sit across from somebody that eats in a way that you are not familiar with. To truly enjoy Dosa is to dip your fingers in sauce up to your elbow and make no apologies.
The most wonderful thing about eating true Southern Indian cuisine is the non-bloated, yet fed, feeling of good food. The flavors jump off the plate and you are left with the euphoria that eating true vegetarian food brings.
In a short 20-minute visit I had come and gone from my temporary home in India and with my mouth full of Saunf on my way to my car, I was already planning my next trip.

4515 Rosewood Dr Unit 700, Pleasanton, CA 94588.

The Organic Coup

February 2, 2016 by Toby Tullis Leave a Comment

Okay friends, you have been with me long enough to know my love for “good food.” This is not just savory, sweet, spicy or even umami. This is food the way nature intended us to eat. Wholesome (organic) free of GMO and pesticides, ready to eat and ready to make a healthier you. With the rise of farmers’ markets and Super Markets with organic sections, the challenge has never been how to eat that way at home or even predominantly in your life, but rather the ability to get that type of food with trust and on the go. The wait is over.

The Organic Coup is the very first American USDA Certified Organic fast food restaurant. The very first—and they have done it right!

I met the restaurant’s founder, Erica Welton, when I wondered into the first location in Pleasanton behind Pick 6 Sports Bar. In conversation she quickly told of her epiphany while making her child’s baby food, that she and the rest of us were eating all wrong. Of course my love affair with her concept and food began right there, as my wife had the same epiphany that resulted in our forever- changed eating habits.

As with most business formed out of the passion to move masses to a better way of living, food was only the catalyst for Erica to spawn a movement of consumers she lovingly refers to as “Coup National Ambassadors.” Hence the name “Coup” (not coop), and yes, the chicken reference was intended. She believes her customers ”are changing the status quo by transforming the conventional and unsustainable food system through vision and action and the simple act of buying a certified organic sandwich makes you an agent of change.” It goes deeper than that. She believes in her staff and pays them a “livable wage” so they are free to speak about being part of the movement with natural passion.

Here is what struck me first about my times here: They kept it simple to start. Getting Certified Organic is no easy task, and once done, could (and often has) led to proprietors bombarding the public with 100 choices. This is counter-productive. When a patron wants to experience something new, the last thing they need, or want, is 100 choices of how to do it. Show us one way. Erica has done this. Same chicken, same slaw prepared as a sandwich, wrap or bowl. Perfect!

The soda fountain is stocked with all natural sodas and the various sauces, so your meal prep is lip smacking. The side dishes are as un-complex as the menu: Tenders (for the kids) or popcorn—again, perfect!

So what does it mean to be USDA Certified Organic? That means the food served has none of the following: GMO’s, antibiotics, added hormones, pesticides or chemicals. It means that the fuel for your body is clean and will result in maximum results.

Her expansion plans are huge; and mark my word: We will see The Organic Coup all across the nation soon—but for now, you must visit her in Pleasanton. Go now and be an agent of change. Your body will thank you and your taste buds will cheer for you!

4825 Hopyard Rd, Pleasanton, California 94588

Peet’s Coffee Alamo

January 5, 2016 by Toby Tullis Leave a Comment

There is a special place in my heart for coffee shops in general. You see, I am an artist and coffee shops are where I go to feel the buzz. In any given coffee shop there is palpable energy flowing from every fingertip that rattles a keyboard, every meaningful long-distance stare to the ceiling depicting a momentary lapse of “what to say” and every connection being made by people waiting for their favorite beverage.

I am also well versed in the art of locating the best spots to promote creativity. Much like Goldilocks (mind you I am bald), I tried out many local establishments to find the right fit. This one is tooooo cold, this one’s Internet is toooo slow, but this is one is just right!

The one that became the best fit for me was Peet’s Coffee in Alamo.

We had just started our long dreamt about company that specializes in social media management. I was/am the creative henchman that scoured the internet and custom created content to blast out on our clients’ Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and Instagram profiles. At the time, I was posted up in a different shop across town but quickly deduced that they were intentionally freezing me out as soon as I stopped buying refills. There could have been some conspiracy theory here, as I did not have the physical proof, but my caffeine limit was directly proportional to their AC system. It was time to move.

At first I was apprehensive about going to Peet’s simply because my one sister-in-law was the manager there forever and had recently handed the reins over to my other sister-in-law (shout out to Shannon and Chloe…you’re the best!). Then my senses returned and I knew that having family there would probably negate any passive aggressive tactics being brought against me. So I took my laptop and headed over.

It took me a while to find the right table. I didn’t get anything done when I worked next to this one lady because we talked all the time and this table was too close to the front door. Finally I found the back table (where I am right this minute out of nostalgia). From this big table I made Peet’s my office. I met wonderful people…ALL OF THEM, and enjoyed the speed of their public Internet. I discovered the array of healthy and wonderful snacks they provided like the Vegan Scones, Lentil Salad and my go-to lunch, the Cheese and Fruit Box. I was welcomed everyday by the same smiling faces that were genuinely happy to see me, where they asked about my family and said things like, “Say hello to Kristen for us.” Seasonal beverages that toppled my previous understanding of “coffee” sucked me in and held me captive. I wrote some of my most poignant prose and created some of my proudest graphics. This became my home away from home and I was excited to get there everyday.

Today, I often work from home, but every now and then I need to log off and push my laptop aside to go down the street, see good old friends and have a Cheese and Fruit Box.

Alamo Plaza Shopping Center
215 Alamo Plaza
(925) 791-6163

I’m Hot for Peppers

December 7, 2015 by Toby Tullis Leave a Comment

In the true nature of “I’ll have what he’s having”, let’s take a trip away from particular establishments, and take a look at individual ingredients.

I have never shied away from spice and heat; in fact, I have gone out of my way to seek it out. As with most things that one consumes on a regular basis, a tolerance begins to form and the rush get’s sought out at higher levels.

I was first introduced to BhutJolokia, or the Ghost Pepper, while managing the Walnut Creek Yacht Club. Proprietor and Executive Chef Kevin Weinberg had been making his own Habanero Hot Sauce for years, and wanted to make a small batch of atomic sauce to push the envelope (another thrill seeker looking for the next level). He mailed away for the illustrious ghost pepper and the day it came was like Christmas in the kitchen. If we were going to touch it, we were required to wear gloves and quickly the $5 bets were flying around. Put it on your lips, nibble the stem, etc., we all had a great time testing the level of spice for the first time.

What is the BhutJolokia and where does it rank on the spice meter?

Also known as BihJolokia, U-Morok, Ghost Pepper, Red Naga, Naga Jolokia, and ghost chili, it is cultivated in India and certain parts of Hawaii. In 2007, Guinness World Records certified that the ghost pepper was the world’s hottest chili pepper. The ghost chili is rated at more than 1 million Scoville heat units. The Habanero pepper is 100,000-350,000 scovilles and the Jalapeno is only 2,500-10,000. TheJolokia is still not the world’s hottest pepper. In 2011 a pepper called the Naga Viper Pepper was created as a hybrid of the three hottest peppers in the world and tops out at 1.382 million units!

Since that fateful day six years ago when I was introduced, I have seen the Ghost Pepper pop up in unsuspecting places. As fast as the world is moving these days and as numb to almost everything that media has made us, we seem to all be looking for some new thrill. In my head, I am repeating the melancholy quote, “I just want to feel something…”, but perhaps that it is a bit dramatic.

Restaurants are using the Ghost Pepper sparingly as an ingredient so they can oversell it on marketing. It is not uncommon nowadays to find Ghost Pepper Cheese on sandwiches. Norm’s Place in Danville has it on their Garden Burger and currently Eddie Papas in Pleasanton has a Southern Spicy Chicken Sandwich on their special menu that showcases the cheese! Just because the pepper is cased in the anti-agent (dairy) of spice certainly does not negate the effect. In fact, I was unaware that Norm was putting it on my “go-to” sandwich until half way through I found myself inexplicably using napkins for my running nose.

Even Ace Hardware in Alamo has gotten in on the action. They have a BBQ section that hosts a variety of rubs and sauces and a few of their selections have the, once illusive, Ghost Pepper as their marquis ingredient.

Shortly after my introduction to my new spicy friend, I became obsessed with learning as much as I could, and one of my more uncomfortable, yet highly entertaining moments came from watching people self inducing a Ghost Pepper Challenge to themselves on YouTube. In a couple of instances, people were taken to the hospital for eating as little as three of the one-inch firecrackers. Let the record show that generally when ingested orally, the Ghost Pepper will not create a medical condition, but rather induce a panic attack from the thought that your insides will never feel normal again. You will be fine, but uncomfortable, for a little while.

Go try ONE, but stop there!

Quick, Easy and Cheap

November 4, 2015 by Toby Tullis Leave a Comment

I was in line at Safeway the other day and asked the twenty-something clerk, as we do with almost every social interaction, “How are you?” This is a polite gesture and unless posed to a close friend in time of need, requires very little outside of “Fine, how are you?” But she decided to answer, “I am sooooo tired.” I wanted to grab her and explain that we are ALL tired and you will be tired for most of your life. Honestly have you ever had somebody reply, “Very well rested, thank you.”

We are a people on the go and moving at often break neck speeds. The sheer area that we live in require us to be busier than most, simply to stay here. Here is a quick list of why I am personally tired: 1) I started a new company this year. 2) I have a three year old, an eighteen month old and one on the way. 3) I am moving 4) I have two jobs…but I love the station that I am in right now. My life is full. The problem often is, getting my belly to match.

We all know that 2 pm feeling of, “I can’t believe I haven’t eaten more than an Altoid today,” and we start to panic. I need food and I need it now, but I have no time. Unfortunately our programmed minds drift immediately to the Golden Arches or the King, and that is wrong on many levels. So here is what I do in different “need food now” scenarios:

Pre-Packaged

I often work from Peet’s Coffee in Alamo and at that haunting 2 pm hour, nothing pleases me more than getting the Cheese and Fruit Box for $5.95. Three different cheeses, apple slices, sesame crackers and a handful of almonds. Perfect—it keeps me good until dinner.

Trader Joes in Danville has a host of amazing pre-packaged salads for under eight dollars. Oddly, most have chicken so vegetarian is hard to do, but they hit the spot in the time it takes to check out.

Hot and Served

This is a really bizarre lunch option but I find myself doing it more and more often. Costco for lunch, and no not the free sample circuit, although that is wonderful and inexpensive but requires time invested. I don’t even go into the full store part but opt for the enormous slice (or two) of cheese pizza for two dollars a slice. The most time you are going to spend is finding parking.

Sandwiches

Jersey Mikes recently opened in Danville and I am excited they did. It is a conveyor belt operation that serves quality sandwiches for under ten dollars. In this town, you can easily spend thirty on two deli sandwiches that are created by Vincent Van Gogh himself and take a month to make. Jersey Mikes builds, wraps and rings, and you are out the door.

Sweet Tooth

Esin Restaurant was created on the dessert prowess of owner/operator Esin. Her dessert menu is second to none and if you know what you want you can call ahead and have it all bagged up, waiting. Sauces are always separated in plastic ramekins and the cost is under seven dollars. This is something I get for my wife on the way home from my Costco Pizza.

Yannis Taverna has, hands down, the best baklava that I have ever had, and larger than most tiny squares, but you are still going to want to get two.

So there you go. Just a couple of quick ideas to get quality food into your empty tanks without creating a “dining out” budget and proof that there is no need to get fries with that or supersize anything.

Eddie Papa’s American Hangout

October 3, 2015 by Toby Tullis Leave a Comment

Today we take a trip into Pleasanton and discover a building dripping with Americana. It is not very often that I find myself completely bowled over by a concept, and certainly not very often that I encounter a person like Eddie Westmoreland that has not only put all of his heart into a concept, but passionately seeks ways to keep the product and message fresh. Eddie Papa’s is the most unique restaurant that I have ever set foot in, and allow me to remind you that I have eaten freshly harvested goat off an outdoor table in Kenya.

Before any of my spy-savvy readers have a chance to blow my cover, allow me to expose the platform from which I write this month. As of earlier last month, and on select days, you can find me tending bar or even waiting the occasional table at Eddie Papas as my business partner and I fight tooth and nail to side step those pesky small business loans and I prepare for the March arrival of my baby girl. Eddie has just built an amazing front patio off of the bar area and was looking for seasoned veterans to help carry the bar message to the throngs of patrons that will come to discover us, some for the first time and some again because we already know their name. I printed my resume and headed out looking for Seth Thurman, the Bar Manager. I met Eddie right inside the door and we quickly grabbed a table to talk.

Eddie explained to me that he created the restaurant as an homage to the large family he continues to build, the rich culture of the Country we are lucky enough to wake up in everyday and most importantly his grandfather that came here via Armenia to live this American Dream. Eddie has nailed all that he has set out to accomplish.

Eddie Papa’s American Hangout is built on the G.F.U.N.D.: Genuine, Fun, Uncommon, Nostalgic and Delicious. The menu is a culinary history and geographic lesson from around the country boasting items like the real Hollywood Cobb Salad, Kansas City Ribs or Louisiana Jambalaya and Beignets, all made to the letter of where they originated. He has quarterly specials that pay homage to regions like the West Coast Korean Tacos (a tip of the hat to the food truck scene in LA). He even has S’mores with house-made marshmallows and open flame for their guests to prepare, and at the end of every meal, the guests (with child or not) gets hand spun cotton candy to cleanse the palette. This is the sheer definition of unique and nostalgic. These touches have put him at the top of rated family friendly restaurants in the Bay Area.

Then you head over to the bar. The concept here is Pre-Prohibition Era Bartending where bartending was an art form involving hand squeezed juices, fresh ingredients, infused syrups, fresh herbs and bitters. Couple all of this with showmanship and the requirement for the men to behave as gentlemen and the women like ladies and you really do have a bar that would have thrived in the early 1920’s.

Seth is a Cicerone. For those unaware, Cicerone is to beer what Sommelier is to wine, and Seth knows his beer! He hosts a remarkably well balanced and predominately local beer selection on draft in either 16oz or 24oz pours. Labels like 8 Bridges, 21st Amendment and Drakes drive the beer program and if you have spare time, get Seth talking about his whiskeys. This man knows his stuff and his back bar proves it.

I am truly honored to be a part of the happiness that Eddie is turning out from this location and my only desire now is that you stop taking my word for things. Come down and let me shake you a Broken Spoke!

4889 Hopyard Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588
(925) 469-6266

The Hopyard American Ale House and Grill

September 10, 2015 by Toby Tullis Leave a Comment

While I believe in small town living and small town enterprise, I am not very quick to label a restaurant as an “institution.” There are many places in our small corner of the globe that would certainly fall into that category because they are nostalgic, have history, and our families have been going there for a while, however the word “institution” is personal, and defined usually by individual tastes and memories. I won’t even hesitate when I say that The Hopyard American Alehouse and Grill is an institution, and for two distinct reasons.

First of all, the concept was born from the 100 year old history on which the property lies in Pleasanton. Directly under the floorboards used to lay 1900 acres of the worlds largest hop farms in the 1880s, belonging to the Pleasanton Hop Company. This swampy marshland turned out such premium hops that most were exported to London for the highest prices. The business fell out in 1913 because of the war and prohibition, only to be realized once again when local boys Eric Otis Nostrand, Barry Just Barry Mori, Rob Hilde Hildebrand, and Erik Big E Heth started brewing beer and creating food based on the community that raised them.

Second is community. The doors to the Hopyard were opened with a community-first nostalgia as the foundation. With the Pleasanton sports fields visible from the backdoor, The Hopyard has become the destination to commune before, after and between adult softball games, kids sporting parties, or any other situation that calls for the comfort of wood-grain, sports on TV, and a beer-on-tap selection that can’t be beat.

Every Tuesday night is Brewery Night, where the doors are opened to a different brewer to come and educate and showcase their product. On a personal note, this was the event where a friend and I sat and reminisced about good times in the past and people we missed. Realizing that one of our very good friends from the past had moved to San Diego, we made the gunslinger decision to pack up our food, grab our souvenir pint glasses and drive the eight hours to see her at 9:00 pm. Note: we were not drunk, simply nostalgic.

With 30 beers on tap and just about half of them rotating on a weekly basis, you can bet they have a Beer Club. The Hopyard Harvester Beer Club issues an index card to be stored behind the bar that allows you to taste and drink the different beers as they come in. When you reach 30, you get rewarded for your efforts with t-shirts (we love t-shirts), glassware, hats and more! As a member of the club you are bound to get first word of when Pliny The Younger is coming in. For those unaware, this is one of the most sought after beers in the world, and only select places get ONE keg every year. Both Hopyard locations get TWO kegs every year. There are so many tickets issued for this event that, literally, lines form out the door in February every year. As for Pliny the Elder (one of the top five in the world), they get two kegs every week!

On another personal level, The Hopyard has employed two of my three siblings and both still say it was the best job they ever had. When everybody else in their 20s were wearing their gray college sweatshirts, I was proudly rocking my gray Hopyard Ale House Sweatshirt and literally wore it to shambles over the years.

So this is why The Hopyard American Ale House and Grill is an institution. Yes, the term is personal, however I would never throw that term out if there was not a legion of other faithful followers that agree with me—and there is not just a legion, but armies of people that already do. Are you one of them?

Bridges Restaurant

July 31, 2015 by Toby Tullis Leave a Comment

There is always a need to dine finely, and in our quaint corner of the bubble, there are quite a few choices to make when the occasion calls for white linen tablecloths and place settings with more than one fork. As some of you may recall, I have had a couple of our local upscale eatery’s as my home from the management side of things, but my love for our topic today goes deeper.

Let’s take a trip back to 1993. I have always wondered if Bridges is tired of living and re-living that year, but then I put back on my managers coat and realize that the type of publicity they received that year may very well still be putting people in the seats today. Heck, if you won a gold medal in the 1990s Olympics, wouldn’t you still be proud of showing it off today?

I was one of those community college kids a year out of high school taking up valuable space at the smoking booths in Lyons Coffee Shop on a nightly basis. We would spend our time flapping our gums about how misunderstood we were and how nothing ever happens in this town.

Then one night, right down the street there was a great to-do happening. There were big lights, and security blocking the driveway to Bridges every late night for quite a few days. We would huddle around as close to the tape as possible to try and catch a glimpse of Robin Williams in action, and then the movie was released. There was our small town represented by some serious Hollywood names on the big screen, and they didn’t even change the name of the restaurant. Oh yeah, and Lori Hales back of the head had a cameo—she was my girlfriend in first grade—BOOYA!

But the story doesn’t stop there, and for very good reason. Bridges could have enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame and slipped off into oblivion, but they did the un-thinkable. They built off of their good fortune and created something else to talk about and revisit for years: A superb product with amazing people!

The reason that Bridges stands out to me is simple—they have fine dining down to an art form, but wrapped up in a cozy local tavern feel. As soon as you enter the property with a vine covered trellis and natural granite waterfall you feel calmer than you did when you got out of the car. Then you see it, arguably the best patio in the area. Inside is soft lighting and hard surfaces, softened by the décor of linen, glass and pictures of bridges. You feel oddly sheik but comfortable, even on a budget. That’s their thing: you don’t need to take a second out on the house to dine here. Their happy hour in the bar is ALL DAY and the $29 three course Prix Fixe menu is inspired. But honestly there is zero sticker shock here.

Executive Chef and Partner Kevin Gin is California educated, French trained, and Japanese inspired and brings all of this to the menu at Bridges. The “Partner” piece carries a lot of weight. You want that kind of ownership in a Chef. Along with Wine Director David Gibson, they have created more than a night/day out—they have created an experience—the type of experience that reveals what food and wine is supposed to be about.

Mrs. Doubtfire may have put Bridges on the map, but they decided to make the most of it, and that they did. They have created a private club feel available to everybody that comes through the door.

Whether you are there for Happy Hour, lunch or to close a major job prospect while also satisfying your family time under two different genders, you will be treated as though you are family and will leave looking forward to your return.

44 Church St, Danville, California 94526
(925) 820-7200

Chef J’s Pizza Shack

July 3, 2015 by Toby Tullis Leave a Comment

From time-to-time I find myself going to, or through, Pittsburg. Either on the way to float the day away on the Delta, take in some incredible golf and even on occasion, to visit my sister-in-law. I am often stricken with the thought on the way home, “damn I’m hungry.”

Finally, I have found a spot that not only welcomes, but offers a culinary experience—a spotless and warm, lamp-lit, wooden environment, with a price point that is far lower than the product.

This is one of those rare instances where I had a pre-existing relationship with the owner, and he knew I was there to (hopefully) write about his restaurant. He is Chef Jourdan of Chef J’s Pizza Shack, and I am as bowled over by his food as I am by his story.

Jourdan deSanctis is a baker by trade. He went as far as planting a small vineyard in his front yard to harvest the yeast from the grapes in which to create a “starter” that can not be duplicated or matched. After some time renting space in various kitchens, he and his long time friend from culinary school, Chef Dennis O’Shia, knew they needed to bring this bread to the next level. Oddly enough it was the Irish sounding heritage that suggested pizza to the Italian, and the idea of Chef J’s was born.

In February of this year a corner spot on Railroad Avenue in Pittsburg opened up, and Jourdan leapt at the opportunity. While the restaurant is still an infant, they have made great strides in making their visions a reality. There is a large menu painted on the wall like a chalkboard, advertising the six different pies they have by the slice, ½, ¾ , or (largest in town) 20” pie! Currently there is a “secret” menu that houses available veggie options and other goodies (and by “secret,” I mean painted on a different wall above the expo kitchen). But these are just the modest beginnings.

Both chefs are already expanding the menu to include Farmers Salads, Grillin’ It Food, Munchies (apps) and expanded pizza choices. As long as they don’t mess with the dessert options that are already there, I will be fine.

Not only are the food options growing, but also their space. Soon they will take over a small store-front in the same shopping center to have as a full functioning kitchen for their ridiculous bread and catering. Oh yeah, they cater too! Everything from small backyard get togethers to whole roasted pigs! The day I was there, they were prepping for the Chamber of Commerce Mixer and asked if I would mind trying the six-cheese mac-n-cheese with toasted panko…MIND? A little of me feels like I cheated on my wife, it was that good!

The pizza is East Coast style, and that suits me well, but their dough is so out-of-this-world light and airy that the toppings seem to be cooked on top of a cloud.

As always, I look for service. I was treated like family despite my pre-existing relationship, because so was everybody else. Veronica Flores was working the counter and the floor, and I swear to you, this girl was smiling when she cleaned the computer screen. I am sorry that I didn’t get a chance to meet the rest of their/my family!

The Chefs are joined in this venture by Jon Fink, ex Head Chef of Piattis and Hilarie Hsu who heads up the catering and sales, and when I asked Jourdan what the big picture plans were, I nearly jumped out of my seat when he said they were tying to expand to our side of the hill. This is a power team that can make that happen, but until then, I’ll be stopping there every time I’m in Pittsburg!

2227 Railroad Ave., Pittsburg, Ca. 94565
(925) 431-0530