Finding a good restaurant in the Napa/Sonoma wine region is not difficult. But what happens if you forgot to call French Laundry three or four months in advance to make a reservation?

For me the answer is one of Thomas Keller’s other restaurants, Ad Hoc, which combines fine dining with a relaxed casual atmosphere. Like the better known French Laundry, the philosophy of Ad Hoc is to use the freshest, highest quality ingredients, often grown in Yountville at Keller’s own property. These are combined in unique ways to provide the diner with a meal befitting the ingredients and the chef.

There is a catch, however, and it’s one that made me a little nervous at first; they have only one menu each night – a four course meal that is served to all diners. While this may sound a little off putting, remember we are talking about Thomas Keller, not Denny’s. The first time I went to Ad Hoc, two of the four dishes were items that didn’t necessarily rank high on my list of favorites and certainly were things I would not have ordered if I were able to choose. In the end both items were delicious and opened new horizons.  

The staff at Ad Hoc also deserves mention. With the world famous Culinary Institute of America at Greystone just a few miles away to draw from, the staff at Ad Hoc is well trained in all aspects of fine dining. Often times your server is a chef-in-training at the Culinary Institute, something I’m guessing you won’t find at many other restaurants.

On one visit I first learned about the sous vide method of cooking from our waitress/chef-in-training. She explained sous vide is French for under vacuum. In the sous vide method you vacuum seal the meat, fish or poultry in a plastic pouch and cook it in a specific low temperature for a much longer period of time. Instead of cooking a steak 500 or more degrees in a broiler for a few minutes, you set the temperature of the water bath for the desired temperature of the meat, perhaps 131 degrees, and cook it in the bath for hours. The meat is cooked slowly and evenly, and because it’s vacuum sealed the flavors and juices can’t escape during the cooking process.

Sometimes it’s good to take the decisions out of play by letting someone else make the choices for you. This is particularly true when it comes to food and the person making the choices is Thomas Keller.

Ad Hoc is located at 6476 Washington Street in Yountville. Phone number is (707) 944-2487. The website is www.adhocrestaurant.com

Santoro’s Submarine Sandwiches serves the best sub sandwiches I’ve ever tasted. If you are in or around Burbank, Glendale, Los Feliz or the east end of the San Fernando Valley, Santoro’s is more than well worth stopping by.

Santoro’s has been a fixture in the City of Burbank for more than 50 years. The restaurant is nondescript and the inside is sparse, with just a few tables, and some counter space and bar stools. Some historic photos of the restaurant through the years adorn the walls.

As for the food, it’s the sandwiches. There are cold and hot submarines and a variety of side dishes. When it comes to sandwiches, I’m a purist and a “simplist”. The ingredients matter and if they are good there is no need to muddy them up and hide them.

My favorite sandwich, and the one that I’ve been ordering since I was 7 or 8 years old (my grandparents lived nearby) is the Italian Cold Cut. The bread is good and made fresh daily and no sub sandwich can be better than the bread on which it is made.

When it comes to the meat, they give generous portions of high quality Italian deli meats. While the meat is excellent, it’s the seasonings that set a Santoro’s sandwich apart from every other sandwich I have ever had. The topping consists of chopped pickles, tomatoes and onion, again in generous quantities. The finishing touch is the oil and a couple of shakes of herbs and pepper to top it off.

That’s it, no mayonnaise or mustard to get in the way, no lettuce, olives or anything else. It almost sounds too simple to be that good, but the Italian meats are uncluttered, and absolutely delicious. I have had a few of their other sandwiches over the years or tasted those of friends and can attest to the quality of the meatball sub as well as the turkey and pastrami, all served on a French roll. However, for me it all comes back to the Italian Cold Cuts sandwich.

Santoro’s is located at 1423 W. Burbank Blvd. in Burbank. The phone number is (818) 848-8888. The web site is www.Santorossubs.com

By Lloyd Levine -

If you are an aficionado of Japanese food and happen to be in Sacramento Kru is the place to go. Kru won’t win the title of most well known sushi/Japanese restaurant in town, but it can make a very legitimate claim as the best.

I love Japanese food and in my opinion there are really two types of Japanese restaurants, originators and imitators. Kru is an originator. It’s a small place with an intimate feel with a focus on details, Kru reminds me of many of the great, unique sushi restaurants in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. but as far as I can tell this is the only one in Sacramento.

The décor at Kru is authentic and elegant but modern. Both the sushi and the plated dishes are beautiful and delicious and utilize only the best ingredients available. The menu changes regularly and specials abound, but if it isn’t on the menu and isn’t a special that day, just ask and if they have the ingredients you can get it. When you go, go with an open mind because if you let them, the chefs at Kru will amaze you.

Kru is located at 2516 “J” St. in Sacramento. Phone number is (916) 551-1559. The web site is www.krurestaurant.com