Ricatoni's - Morgan Hill, CA

My mom and I had some downtime one afternoon so we made a few stops shopping and then got hungry for lunch. She suggested Rosie's At The Beach so we wandered into town. As we parked we notices, Ricatoni's - I had never been there so we decided to give it a try.

The bread was fine, just bread really... More on that later.

I ordered the Seafood Grill with salmon, lobster and prawns. All grilled to perfection and served with a saffron lemon risotto. It was a nice blend of all my favorite things. There was asparagus too, but i was more preoccupied with everything on my plate.

My mom was feeling like a baller too so she ordered the Lobster and Prawn Mafalda. Think mushrooms, scallions, lobster, prawns, garlic and tomatoes served in a chardonnay cream sauce. She said it was amazing, the pasta was fresh and everything flavorful. I decided to dip some of the comped bread into the sauce and I agreed - it was very tasty.

I would recommend Ricatoni's for a nice lunch or casual dinner. The restaurant is not formal, in fact very casual but the food placed before you will be very pleasing. 

Ragoots - Morgan Hill, CA

My Mom and I had to go shoe shopping for my sister's upcoming wedding so we made our way to Morgan Hill. It took us seriously 5 minutes to find the perfect pairs so we decided to head to downtown...

After eating we dinner we indulged in a Mixed Berry Crumble and a glass of Jason Stephens Chardonnay. Isn't life just grand?

Sangria's Restaurant - Morgan Hill, CA

How happy do I look at BINGO? Sheesh! What a day. Jennifer won big however, I did not. Onto the food...

So we went to this place Sangria's in Downtown Morgan Hill after our BINGO experience, and let me tell you it was an experience. Enough said. Located 17415 Monterey Road, you have to walk upstairs, through a hall and make a left. Kind of strange to get there but once your in, it is nice. "Would you like a glass of our homemade Sangria" they ask as you walk in. "Yes, yes I would." I was excited to try it but was disappointed when it tasted just like punch. $8 for punch!

They brought out some tortillas and salsas. Have you ever tried to dip a corn tortilla in salsa and not drip it across the table and then into your mouth? I am pretty sure it is impossible. We saw tostadas on the menu so we asked her to please bring us out some of the crispy shells. Much better. The red salsa was good, the green one not so much.

Guacamole! The photo kind of looks like an action photo right? It kind of was, it was made table side. After the our waitress left we added the red salsa to it because it needed something. It needed a lemon squeezed into too. But it was still tasty - I love guacamole.

I ordered the Pescado del dia: Pan seared whitefish served with a roasted garlic sauce, capers, chorizo and vegetables. I like all fish and I like all cream sauces. But this one, seemed off. Was it the fish? The texture, maybe it was a touch undercooked. I don't know, it just wasn't me.

My mom's order was next, she selected the Chile stuffed with Seafood: Fire roasted Poblano stuffed with shrimp, red snapper and chayote squash. I know poblanos are not to be too spicy but this one was, even for my standards. My mom can barely even have Mild Sauce at Taco Bell so she struggled with this one.

This is Jennifer's order of the Salmon Tacos. A pretty dish, she said it was ok. Kind of hard to mess this simple dish up! I think she also put more of that red salsa on it though!

Sangria's was an interesting experience. The building is pretty, it had a beautiful wooden bar area - I liked that. The idea of serving just corn tortillas with a drippy salsa is a challenge for all involved though. The actual sangria actually bummed me out - I think it was going to be a Signature Drink! Anyhow, if you want to check out something different, try it - you be the judge.

Hanami Sushi - Morgan Hill, Ca

After a spa evening with the girls, plus John, in Morgan Hill we all declared we were famished! I knew of a sushi joint right up the highway so I directed our vehicle there. If in south Morgan Hill, travel North on the 101 to East Dunne. Get off the exit, stay right and pull into the strip mall located by Taco Bell. There you will find Hanami Sushi. Yes! Sushi...

Excited for spa treatments and sushi! I just love it!

How Hanami Sushi greets their customers. It really was a beautiful building.

Wasn't too crowded on a Monday evening now was it? Usually restaurants are closed Monday nights however, Hanami did not disappoint.

Complimentary Edamame was appreciated and gobbled up quickly.

I shared this Chicken & Candied Walnut salad with my mom. Actually, I ate most of the candied walnuts! :) The dressing was light. Very refreshing.

Jennifer ordered Gyoza... I am not sure if they were delicious or not - I did not get to try one. There were not any left over so I assume they were edible.

This was Kathy's order - Shrimp Tempura Roll. Not sure why she ordered something so basic, she usually goes for the big ticket items with fancy names... but she was content with it so I am sure she was happy.

Oooo la la! This was my order. The photo washes it out a bit but it was very beautiful. The Spicy Josh Roll was very delicious. Crunchy tempura bits over shrimp, mayo, masago, crab meat and avocado. Yumtastic! I would order this little delight again!

Another one of Jennifer's orders - an Unagi Hand Roll. She said it was good but the eel stopped at the surface level. One bite and it was just a Rice Hand Roll. She just should have realistically ordered a piece of Unagi on the side.

Tempura Udon was the last order to come to the table. Japanese noodles in seasoned broth, tempura shrimp with vegetable and a poached egg! Yum. I tasted the broth and got a portion of the egg. It had cooked in the broth and soaked up the flavors of the soup. I enjoyed it very much.

The entire experience was a pleasant one. The waitresses are friendly and really aim to please. I would return to the restaurant if I was in the area. The restaurant itself is clean and well-lit, with tasteful decor and the music set at a level that you can hear it but still quietly converse with your table-mate. I give this cute little joint 1.33 thumbs up!

Siam Thai Restaurant - Morgan Hill, Ca

I have only had Thai food a couple times in my life. The first time I had it I was a young 20 year old when Villa de Jerez in downtown Hollister was the Thai Restaurant. Does anyone remember when that was there? The second time was in Downtown Salinas before my sister's fashion show. And so I had to make it a third! I researched all things Thai food and decided Siam Thai Restaurant located at 17120 Monterey Street in Morgan Hill might do the trick.




The entrance to the restaurant is quite welcoming, open the door and the place is PACKED! Every table is full in the front room so we are led to the back. I don't mind, it is quiet and less overwhelming. I order a glass of wine to try and decipher the menu. Hundreds of things to order! With descriptions of ingredients I had never heard of before! Oh my....


Out came the soup I ordered: Tom Ka Seafood. The serving dish sure was pretty! It was a extremely flavorful coconut milk soup with prawns, scallops, calamari, mussels, galangal, mushrooms, fresh lime juice, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, cilantro and chili paste! Between two of us we shared the small order and that was plenty. I could only stand a small bowl of this, not because it wasn't good it just was so rich! At first, I didn't think it was spicy but by the bottom of the bowl I was starting to sweat!



Next up was the Prig Khing Beef, ordered to be "Medium" on the spice level. Ok, so I learned that Thai translation for Medium = Atomic Hot! Omg. Besides the heat the dish was extremely flavorful. The beef was sauteed with garlic, roasted sweet chili sauce, red curry paste, bell pepper and green beans. Next time, I am thinking MILD! The rice selection was Pineapple Fried Rice. I chose this mostly because it sounded like it would be tasty without scorching my taste buds. The fried rice was a delicious blend of prawns, chicken breast, Chinese sausage, garlic, onions, broccoli, tofu, raisins, cashews and pineapple. What a treat! I would definitely order this dish again. A meal in itself!

All in all my Thai experience was an educational one. I learned that I cannot tolerate spice like I used to! I used to be able to handle any kind of heat, now not so. The Pineapple Fried Rice was a treat, a recommended order to Thai food newbies. The restaurant seemed like a real favorite - I mean it was packed with people! I would like to return to try out more entrees. In fact they gave me a frequent dinner card with two entrees stamped... the 13th entree is free! That is pretty cool! Melissa Good Taste says 1.75 thumbs up.

Fuzia - Morgan Hill, Ca

While driving through Morgan Hill on Saturday I stumbled across Fuzia Restaurant. I was intrigued by the sleek facade. I parked the Yukon and wandered in for a late lunch at the 17340 Monterey Road location.





As we walked in we were greeted by a hostess who seemed to be learning her way around. I overheard talk of this being a newly opened restaurant. Exciting! A fresh place for me to review! Yahoo. We were seated in front on the window that faced the street, a great spot to soak in the afternoon sun. The wine menu featured AliCats Syrah from Hollister, so you know I had to order that. I love AliCats. They currently have only their beer and wine license so a Peroni was ordered as well.


The waiter came by and told us that the soup of the day was Cream of Celery Root. It sounded weird, so of course I ordered it. And, I am sure glad I did! That soup was delicious! Who knew celery root was so good? I mean really?! The only complaint I had was the size of the bowl, I kind of only wanted a cup... creamy soups are so filling.




The entrees came up next and they sure were beautiful. I ordered the "Tower of Ahi" which was served avocados and papaya, then drizzled with a pomegranate-orange sauce. It was served with four delightfully crisp wontons, my favorite part. I was kind of underwhelmed by this dish as a whole. The tuna was just tuna. Nothing tasted bad, just one note. The next entree up was the Pappadelle Pasta - chicken, butternut squash, spinach, shallots bathed in a sage cream sauce. Wow. This serving was huge! The dish was a cream fest. Too rich! After all that Cream of Celery Soup and then this heavy pasta we were just creamed out.

There are only a few things that make me angry when I go to a restaurant. One of those things is when the hostess/waitress is rude to the fellow workers, in this case the bus boy. It is just disturbing. I felt like saying something to her, I will get the guts someday to speak up. She really turned my stomach. Between all that cream and the not so nice girl, I was ready to scram. I enjoyed the new, beautiful setting but when I saw that my bill was $63 for lunch I freaked. Time to go, and time to go now! Wow. bring your pocket book if you want to try this place out for yourselves. 1.25 thumbs up.

-MD

Red Robin - Morgan Hill, Ca

"Red Robinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn... yum." Red Robin's clever little television commercial gets stuck in my head sometimes. Anyhow, my sister and I were on a mission in Morgan Hill yesterday, trying to find the Trader Joe's but we stumbled on Red Robin instead. So, we figured God must have led us here, on purpose, to try out the brand new restaurant. Thanks God - owe you one buddy!


The restaurant was awesome! Cool stuff on the walls - mostly USA stuff which I love. I think there should be more American flags displayed throughout our country. We need more pride! Anyhow...

The Absolut Lemonade was great! The pleasing potion was a refreshing blend of Absolut Citron, amaretto and lemonade. Please ignore the not so cute photo, it was Sunday - my relaxing day of holiday and rest. Not glamour, obviously.

For my entree I got the Cheeseburger Con Queso, normally an appetizer, but you are dealing with an abnormal character - ME! Ay-caramba!!! The spicy cheese dip with ground beef, topped with salsa and fresh cilantro is perfect! Very tasty. I would definitely order this again and maybe bathe in it. That good, seriously.


Next up, the 5 ALARM BURGER! Crank up the heat with pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, salsa, tomato, lettuce and chipotle mayo. After watching many commercials on TV with smoke shooting out a guys ears after eating this famed burger I had my camera on stand by as Jennifer took the first bite! Muaaahhhhhaaaaha. She took her first bite, no smoke. Second bite, still waiting for the smoke. Third, nothing-nada-zilch. So, she said it was just okay, nothing special. I was hoping for something entertaining.

All in all, Red Robin is fun. It is a lot like Chili's though, which is weird because there was a Chili's right next door. I like Red Robin better because of the proud USA decor. I counted 24 employees during my short stay there, and who knows how many were in the back! Wow. Thank you Red Robin for supplying our youth with jobs! City of Morgan Hill, you better send a thank you card! I give Red Robin 1.5 thumbs up, you know what you are getting every time and I can appreciate that!

-MD