El Epazote - Hollister, CA

Hey Melissa Good Tasters! I am finally home but have loads to blog about on my vacation home. One of the places that was recommended to blog about was El Epazote. My sister likes the owner and place so I was down for a visit. With a Mexican Coke in my hand and a menu set in front of me I was ready.

The chips and salsa come with ordered entrees and it is not for the weak. The salsa is spicy! It gets your motor running that is for sure.

My sister swears by the Green Enchiladas, filled with chicken. She loves every tangy bite. The bites of rice and beans are nice too. The portion for lunch is a hearty one.

They serve Pozole everyday! that is so rare for a mexican restaurant! Normally they only make it on Sundays so I was so pumped up. The soup comes out hot temperature wise, and spicy taste wise. I loved it! The tostadas served on the side added crunch and allowed me to dip as the broth cooled. Everyone finished their meal watching me sip my soup so I felt bad about that!

The lunch was lovely and worth a visit for all you Hollister folks!

Running Rooster - Hollister, CA

Before I headed back to Ojai from San Juan Bautista I had lunch with my parents and sister. Some of us were craving sushi but my dad isn't necessarily a fan so I suggested we try the re-vamped Running Rooster. I thought it looked great inside. Modern, fresh and really neat addition to Hollister. Jim Good Taste wasn't ready for his photo! I was happy to be there!

My mom and dad both ordered burgers. I know Running Rooster is high on their burgers but they didn't seem too impressed. They didn't complain but they weren't handing out any awards either.

I ordered the Cedar Plank Salmon and it was solid. A healthy option in house is always a good thing. I also had an order of "Outlaw Fries" that are not in the photo. Think spicy, salty fries - in my mind, they were delicious!

But this was the real winner, the Napoleon Pizza. My sister ordered this and I was extremely jealous. The thin, chewy crust was topped with terrific sauce, mozzarella, capers and anchovies. I love the briny, fishy taste so this pizza really appealing to me. I think next time I come my sister and I would share this pizza. 

I was only in Hollister that afternoon for lunch and then made my way back down south. There is never enough time to visit everyone and feel completely ready to go back home. 

Consistency.

Hey foodies! As you know, I love trying new restaurants and then posting my experience to my blog. I had heard that a new restaurant had changed it's menu prices on me from my first post. That really bummed me out! I had to find out if it was the truth!

So, I did my due diligence and researched it myself.

Welcome back, Monte Carlo...

This is the same exact menu I ordered from on my first visit and the exact same prices. (Click on the menu to make bigger so you can see the prices yourself.) Nothing over $18.95 - and that being Filet Mignon. My favorite order - Salmon a mere $12.95. Everything looking good to me.

First noticeable difference: They served the butter in a plastic tub instead of the original metal container.

My beloved Salmon dish - just as delicious as before.

Second noticable difference: Less "green" on the plate, the chopped up fancy stuff to make my plate pretty wasn't there. Did I miss it? Nope, less stuff to eat around!

And the Monte Carlo Chicken still absolutely a steal at $10.95.

All in all, this second visit may have been better than my first. They cranked up the heater, which was nice. Maybe they didn't notice how cold that building really can get! It is huge! The service was fine. A nice gentleman who knew when to come and clear dishes and fill up waters. And when the bill came I was thrilled. A beautiful meal and completely affordable. Try it for yourself. I am proud to say this place has stayed pretty much consistent thus far.

Paine's Restaurant - Hollister, CA

I have been meaning to blog this place for quite sometime now! I have gone to Paine's many times but either not had my camera, not felt like blogging or just plain forgot I was a food blogger - imagine that! Sunday afternoon after the Cookie Party my Mom and I stopped by my grandma's to drop off some of the cookies we collected. She had gotten back from Mass and was up for an early dinner. We were hungry for something other than sugar.

I know Paine's looks completely empty from this photo but I wanted to tell you how nice they were. They start serving at 4:00pm on Sundays and wandered in just before 3:30 - so when we opened the door they said, "Come on in..." and served us anyway. That was very nice of them.

We looked over our menus and ordered. With our meals came a choice of soup or salad. My Mom and I chose - soup, which was Clam Chowder. It was very good! The best chowder I have had in a long time. Not too creamy, and a nice amount of clams. My grandma had a salad with the Greek dressing. She liked it, such a pretty color dressing!

Grandma's entree is up first. She got the Spaghetti and Ravioli Combination with Meat Sauce. She even got a Manhattan to celebrate her Sunday! She put a pretty good dent in the meal but took more than half home. She said it was very tasty. My mom's meal was the Chicken Marsala and she loved it. She usually always orders it when she comes to Paine's and never is disappointed. Now my order - the Veal Picatta! I bet you thought I was going to order fish! Ha! The veal was amazingly tender, the sauce was wonderful! Think lemon, butter and capers - oh my!! The potatoes were a scoop of pure heaven. A wonderful meal was had by all!

Thank you Paine's for opening up for us! That was sure nice of you since not a lot is open at 3:30 on a Sunday in Hollister! The menu is pretty diverse - a lot of things Greek! I have ordered the Saganaki and it is everything fried cheese should be - fabulous! I have ordered the Red Snapper special, as well as the calamari and I have always been impressed. The soups have always been on point. They have a back and side room that can be rented out for meeting or bands! A lot of fun has been had at Paine's! If you haven't gone, check it out!

Monte Carlo - Hollister, CA

When I heard that The Vault was closing and that the Monte Carlo was taking over I have to admit, I was a little skeptical. I was worried it was just going to be a nightclub and the beautiful building would be lost forever. I was happy to hear that they were keeping it a restaurant. So off I went, Melissa Good Taste to seek out the new eats in San Benito County.

Please excuse my terrible photos, I hate it when my camera produces spots! As you can see they removed the half walls from the middle of the restaurant. They did add a upper level around the perimeter which I thought was pretty cool.

The bread was great - warm and toasty. The butter soft, bonus points for that.

Off the menu I ordered the Salmon. It was cooked perfectly and a chimichurri sauce just took it to the next level. You are given a starch choice of baked potato, Mediterranean rice or Mashed. I chose mashed - a very hearty portion was served. Vegetables come with and they were cooked wonderfully. The Monte Carlo Chicken was the next entree and it tasted delicious as well. A perfectly moist chicken breast topped with a mushroom white wine sauce really worked.

There are a lot of things on their menu that I am very excited about! Appetizers of Black Mussels and Clams in white wine sauces. Calamari Strips always get me going as well! Entree wise there are plenty of perfectly priced things: Grilled Prawns, Madagascar Steak, Ribeye, Filet Mignon, a Mixed Grill Plate that includes: Pork loin, beef, lamb and chicken for only $14.95 and that includes a starch and vegetables - Holy Moly! A few pastas caught my as well, Seafood Pasta and Penne with Salmon.

There is nothing over $18.95 on the menu!

In fact there is an: Early Bird Special from 5pm -7pm that includes a green salad, choice of Monte Carlo Chicken, Grilled Salmon or Goulash, and then a dessert of Vanilla Bean Gelato for $11.95!!! That is an amazing deal.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with the Monte Carlo. The Vault is a good memory but I think the people at the Monte Carlo really want to please. The waitress was a doll, very sweet and willing to make it the best experience possible. I will return because of the quality of food and the price! You really cannot beat it. 1.75 thumbs up for a great evening in Downtown Hollister.

Downtown Hollister Farmer's Market

So Melissa Good Taste finally made it to the Downtown Hollister Farmer's Market with her trusty camera. There are so many things to take pictures of - I just went snap happy! In all fairness to all the vendors, I took a lot of photos but missed many booths! This is just a taste of what is there every Wednesday from 4-7PM on a blocked off Fifth Street. I will be back and I will bring my camera! Enjoy...

Please remember that these photos are owned by Melissa Good Taste. If you would like to use one of them please email me first! Thank you.

The Elegant Touch - Hollister, Ca

I went on a house search on my lunch break today and had only about 20 minutes to grab something to eat back at my office. I was driving downtown and decided to pull into The Elegant Touch located at 601-A San Benito Street.

Desserts!

I don't normally go to The Elegant Touch for lunch for one reason and that reason only - the lack of available parking! There is bank located on the corner, and there are several other buildings surrounding the restaurant taking up all the available spots! You have to really luck out to find an open parking space around noon time. But, they seem to always have a special and today was no exception.

Click on the Photo to read the Weekly Specials!

Yum yum - Tomato Basil.

I ordered the Half and Half to-go. My half sandwich was a Tuna Melt and my half soup was Tomato Basil - available everyday. The sandwich was nothing to write home about, the bread was barely toasted and cheese barely melted. The tuna salad mixture was nice though, it had huge chunks of celery making it a nice crunchy texture. The soup was excellent. Hands down best Tomato Basil I have yet to have anywhere else in Hollister. They included Saltines and a juicy dill pickle in my to-go package, that was really nice!

All in all, The Elegant Touch is a fine place to drop in and order your meal, whether you take it to-go or sit and eat in. It does tend to be extremely busy during the lunch hour and it fills up in a hurry because there is limited seating. I don't mind that you have to stand in line and order your meal at the counter either, in fact I think it helps you receive your order faster. The dessert display is conveniently located where you stand in line where you order - forcing you to drool profusely and then order as many sweets you can get your hands on! For the price of $7.50 - the Half and Half gave me enough energy to get me through my day, and write this post! Melissa Good Taste gives it 1.50 thumbs up!

-MD