A Bit Saucy Podcast

22/02/2022

It's Redemption Time! We are giving a second chance to a place we rated a little low at first. We return to Gott's Roadside in St. Helena California! Vanessa wanted to try the Crab Louie Salad, and Sergio went with one of their classic California Burgers! It was a near-perfect experience, except for one major flub on their part... Tune and find out what happened! Also: A Vanessa's History Hive update for Nick's Cove, Vanessa reviews Butcher Crown's Seoul Bowl, and a small review of KC's American Kitchen in Windsor (and find an unfortunately-described item on the menu!), and Sergio reviews Kosho's Sesame Chicken dish! Listen in and find out what makes it to the brand-new Best of 2022 leaderboard!

Gott's Roadside

Sergio's Order:

California Burger (Fried egg, Cowgirl Creamery’s Wagon Wheel cheese, Zoe’s bacon, arugula, balsamic onions & mayo on a toasted sesame brioche bun), Garlic Fries, Cherry Coke

Vanessa's Order:

Crab Louie Salad, Strawberry Milkshake

KC's American Kitchen

Sergio's Order:

WaHaKa Fish Tacos

Vanessa's Order:

Asian Crispy Chicken Salad

02/02/2022

We had a beautiful seaside dinner at Nick's Cove in Marshall, California! It's a quaint old restaurant with its own boat dock right on Tomales Bay. Does the quality of the seafood match the quality of the superb atmosphere? Tune in and find out!

We're doing something new for our reviews: We are doing away with our number rating and introducing a new segment where we will categorize our meals and nominate them for Best Of's when appropriate! We explain why we're making this change in the episode. Hope you dear listeners understand and enjoy the new addition to the show!

Sergio's Order:

Lagunitas IPA Beer-Battered Fish & Chips

Vanessa's Order:

Dungeness Crab Louie Salad

Both: Tomales Tonic (Gin and tonic with lime)

21/01/2022

To ring in the new year, we bring to you a special episode: The Best of 2021! Just like the food magazines do, we recap the year by giving out awards for many important categories of restaurant dining. We re-live all of our finest bites and experiences (and a couple the opposite!) And for the grand finale, find out who wins the prestigious Sparkling Plate Club Awards!

Here are all the awards we gave out in this episode:

Most interesting history • Most creative • Most excited to go back • Most pleasant surprise • Most underrated • Most memorable • Biggest disappointment • Place you want to give another chance • Where you want to try next year • Favorite podcast moment • Favorite episode to record • Best dish we didn't review on the show • Best Breakfast • Best side dish • Best sandwich • Best drink • Best alcoholic drink • Best salad • Best sauce • Best service • Best takeout • Best treat • Best atmosphere • Best cheap meal (under $40) • Best new restaurant • Best fancy restaurant • Best presentation • Best Vegetarian Dish • Best Seafood • Best value • Best dish • Best meal

Happy New Year everyone! Keep dipping it in and saucing it up!

08/01/2022

We spent the holidays saucing it up in style! We spent Christmas Eve having dinner at John Ash & Co. at the Vintner's Resort (Santa Rosa, CA) and our annual Christmas dinner celebration at Stark's Steak and Seafood (Santa Rosa, CA). There were some touches of Holiday spirit in each venue. Who was the fancier one? Which one did we like more? Was it worth the money? All this and more when you tune in! As always, we give our number rating out of ten, and talk about what we would order for next time. Happy New Year everyone!

John Ash & Co.

Sergio's Order

Hobb's Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin (Special), Old Fashioned



Vanessa's Order

Pan Seared Diver Scallops, Peach Bellini

Shared: Housemade and Journeymen Charcuterie with Cheese

Stark's Steak and Seafood

Sergio's Order

Medium Rare New York Prime Steak

Vanessa's Order

Medium Rare Bone-In Rib Eye

Shared: Roasted Cremini Mushrooms

23/12/2021

Nothing like the cold of the late autumn/early winter to make A Bit Saucy want to cozy up with some good ol' comfort food! We revisit Butcher Crown Roadhouse in Petaluma, Izakaya Kou in San Francisco (now Izakaya Hashibiro Kou), and Vanessa gets a salad at 4th Street Deli!



Sergio's Order:

Roadhouse Burger, Old Bay Fries, Prickly Pear Cider

Vanessa's Order:

Brisket Tacos, Sangria

Izakaya Kou

Shared order: Tako Yaki, Chicken Karaage, Square Beef, Okonomiyaki

4th St Deli

Cobb Salad

09/12/2021

Hey Sauceketeers! We are back after hiatus. We had a lot to do, but we also had a lot to eat! We review locals night at Rivers End in Jenner, have lunch again at Korbel Deli in Guerneville, try a new-for-us pizza at Kin in Windsor, have a quick snack at Amy's Wicked Slush, try the relatively-new O&C China Bistro in Sebastopol, and buy a giant cheesecake for Thanksgiving from the College Confectionista! We didn't give number ratings for these because they weren't full reviews, but we do give our honest takes on all of the orders! In order to be more consistent and save some money, we are switching to putting out episodes every other week. Stay saucy folks!

River's End (01:18)

Sergio's Order:

Quesabirria

Vanessa's Order:

Mushroom Pasta

Both: Sweet Basil Martini

Korbel Deli (15:37)

Sergio's Order:

"Bohemian" Sandwich

Vanessa's Order:

Harvest Salad w/Chicken

Both: Pomegranate Bellinis

Kin (20:38)

Sergio's Order:

Pizza Al Fun Guy

Vanessa's Order:

Truffalo Wings

Amy's Wicked Slush (26:39)

Sour Mango Slush with vanilla ice cream

Pretzel Bites With Cheese Sauce

O&C China Bistro (36:46)

Sergio's Order:

Szechuan Pork

Vanessa's Order:

Orange Sesame Chicken

Both: Egg Rolls, Dancing Prawns

College Confectionista (42:38)

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cheesecake

06/11/2021

We finally visit Kosho! This is a place that has been on our radar since we first saw it in the Barlow shopping center of Sebastopol. It always looked a bit fancy which was a little intimidating for us, but we actually found out the prices were reasonable enough! We had a hankering for sushi, so we decided to try it out. Was it worth? Tune in and find out! As always, we gave our number rating out of ten, and talk about what we would order for next time! We also touch on another visit to Dave's Hot Chicken, a preview of Kinsmoke in Healdsburg, and Vanessa's fun day at Martin Ray Winery!

Sergio's Order

Grilled Trumpet Mushrooms, Red Dragon Roll

Vanessa's Order

Machi-Bon, Pork Belly Donburi

28/10/2021

We review "Dave's Hot Chicken" a new small fast food chain with southern California locations and one northern California location that happens to be in Santa Rosa! It got high-profile when Drake became a backer of it, but what about the flavor? Is it worth checking out despite the hype? Tune in and find out! We also check out Penngrove Market, a small boutique corner market that makes wood-fired pizzas AND stocks Mariposa ice cream!! We mainly review the pizza but were so charmed by the shop overall that we had to talk about it as well. We give our number rating for both places and also talk about what we would order for next time.

Dave's Hot Chicken

Sergio's Order

#3 (1 Tender, 1 Slider) with large Hi-C

Vanessa's Order

#3 (1 Tender, 1 Slider) with small strawberry shake

18/10/2021

The newest offering from the Osha restaurant group is now in Petaluma! Tucked away in a small hidden strip mall in Northern Petaluma, this place is not the easiest to get to. But it packs a lot of flavor within its small walls! How does this place measure up to its San Francisco restaurant as well as Torsap Thai in Walnut Creek(Episode #35)? Tune in and find out! As always, we give our number rating out of ten and talk about what we would order for next time. We also review some new Khom Loi dishes!

Sergio's Order

Spicy Basil with Minced Chicken and Steamed Rice

Vanessa's Order

BBQ Pork, Tom Kha Soup, Thai Iced Tea

09/10/2021

07/10/2021

A Bit Saucy is on the road again! We celebrated our anniversary in SLO County (and in style), and we return to many of our favorite spots. First, a local favorite (Sweet T's, Windsor CA) gets a few new salads we try out. We also try the Memphis BBQ Nachos for the first time! We then head south and stop at The Alchemist's Garden (Paso Robles, CA) where we retry the duck chalupas, and try the new-for-us fondue, as well as some new drinks they offer. The next day we drive on down to Taco Temple's Morro Bay location and have some tried-and-true favorites! That evening we have some unassuming food at Sensorio Kitchen (Paso Robles, CA) after checking out an amazing outdoor light installation. On our drive back up through Big Sur, we go to one of our new favorites: Cafe Kevah! We try the lunch menu this time. And finally, we try the Hula's Island Grill Santa Cruz location, which has a totally different feel than the Monterey location. Which places hold up on second visit? Anything get a thumbs-down? Tune in and find out! And keep us in mind next time you drive down the coast! If you take our recommendations, please let us know!

Additional order lists:

Sweet T's: Chicken Tostada Salad, Caprese Burrata Salad, Kentucky Tea, Hurricane

The Alchemist's Garden: "When Faustus Met Krampus," "Proclus Finds Clarity", "Theurgy of Passion"

Sensorio Kitchen: Pretzel Fries, Sensorio Dog, Sensorio Burger

Cafe Kevah: Black Forest Ham Sandwich, Reuben Sandwich

Hula's Island Grill: Tiki Torch Chicken Wings, Macadamia Nut-Encrusted Mahi, Lilikoi Pie

25/09/2021

After spending lots of time painting around Marshall, we decided to check out Tony's Seafood, a restaurant we recently discovered got the prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand award! After thinking about checking it out for a while, that was the nudge we needed to check it out. A few years ago this place was bought by the Hog Island Oyster Co. We had been here separately years before this happened so we were curious to see if it held up. Well... did it? Tune in and find out! As always, we give our number rating out of ten, and talk about what we would order for next time.

Sergio's Order:

Fish Tacos, New Ridge Lager



Vanessa's Order:

HIOC Clam Chowder, HIOC Grilled Cheese, HIOC Coastal Cooler

18/09/2021

As Sergio competes in a plein air painting competition in Sonoma, we also eat our way through the week! We first stop at El Brinquito Market, a colorful Mexican market with a popular taqueria inside of it. We got a couple of cocktails and poke nachos at Palooza in Kenwood. Then on Tuesday we had bruschetta from a farmer's market pop-up stand called Bruschetta Bar (hope they up their social media game soon; this place deserves to be better-known!). Finally, we returned to Tasca Tasca off the Sonoma Plaza square with a new friend! After two visits, is this place a true keeper? Tune in and find out! This is a quick episode so we didn't give number ratings or talk about the menus too much, but we did give a quick summation about if we would come back or not.

Our Tasca Tasca Order:

Piri Piri Wings

Salt Cod Cakes

Crab Empadas

Fried Piri-Piri Potatoes

Smoked Duck Breast

Linguica Caseira

Chocolate Piri-Piri Ice Cream

12/09/2021

We went to the historic Washoe House this week! This place has quite the history (Google the Battle of Washoe House, or listen to Vanessa's History Hive ;)) It's got a very old-Sonoma-County vibe to it, and a pretty meat-and-potatoes menu. Is this place a great old-school throwback dining experience or does it need to get with the times? Tune in and find out! As always, we give our number rating out of ten and talk about what we would order for next time. Shout out to the great happy hour prices!

Sergio's Order

Hamburger with fries

Vanessa's Order

Deep-Fried Prawns, House Salad, fried cheese curds (shared)

07/09/2021

We've got a double-header for you guys! We spent Sergio's birthday on the coast at Ocean Cove Lodge where we had two meals and Ocean Cove Bar and Grill (Jenner, CA). We continued the birthday party by returning to Ramen Gaijin, our first time eating inside the restaurant together in about two years! Bonus review of Tacos Tijuana, a food truck that was parked at Shady Oak Barrel House. We ate some Tijuana Fries while kicking butt at trivia night :) We rate our experiences at Ramen Gaijin and Ocean Cove Bar And Grill out of ten, and talk about what we would order for next time.

Ocean Cove Bar And Grill

Sergio's Order

Old-Fashioned Burger (meal 1), Fish and Chips (meal 2)

Vanessa's Order

Cod Po' Boy Sandwich (meal 1), Cod Tacos (meal 2)

Ramen Gaijin

Sergio's Order

Spicy Tan-Tanmen, Strawberry Sorbet, Basan Buck (alcoholic)

Vanessa's Order

Shoyu Ramen, Peach Mochi Cake, King Louie (alcoholic)

Shared: Hitodama for two, Karaage, Okonomiyaki.

01/09/2021

We finally return to reviewing our local restaurants! First off we start with Vanessa's review of Brewster's, a return to El Gallo Negro, and our third trip to KIN (Mark and Hojin got the Shinebox!). We then do a full review of Tasca Tasca off the downtown Sonoma Square! This is a Portuguese tapas bar with a great menu of Portuguese delights. We got the seven-dish option with an extra dessert at the end! We took a chance on a exciting and new place, did it delight or disappoint? Tune in and find out! We give this place our rating out of ten and discuss what we would order next time!

We ordered:

Linguica Mac And Cheese

Crab Empanadas



Potatoes Ao Murro

Piri Piri Chicken Wings

Pork Sliders

Serrano Redondo

Passionfruit Mousse

Sergio's Drink: Passionfruit-Pomegranate Sangria

Vanessa's Drink: Lisbon Libation

24/08/2021

We're finishing up our trip through the West this week! Here is the list of places we review:

Chiba Bar (Colorado Springs, CO)

Sapporo (Rock Springs WY)

Super Tortas Mina Taqueria (Rock Springs WY)

Red Baron (Afton WY)

Bangkok Kitchen (Driggs ID)

The Branding Iron (Alta WY)

Trap Bar (Alta WY)

Warbirds Cafe (Driggs ID) (Look up menu)

Big Hole Bagel Company (Driggs/Victor ID)

Traveler's Oasis (Eden ID)

Johnny Rocket's at Grand Sierra Resort (Reno NV)

The Pool at Grand Sierra Resort (Reno NV)

Old Town Tap (Truckee NV)

We give a thumbs up/thumbs down/sideways review to all of these places since there are just too many to do full reviews of, but we do give the highlights and lowlights for each. Plus we wrap it up with previews of our upcoming restaurants!

13/08/2021

Sauceketeers! Sorry about the long hiatus. We had so much to do and so many places to eat! Since there is so much to cover, we did bite size reviews of the many places in Colorado Springs we went to. We cover Rudy's Country Store and BBQ, finally eat at Colorado Mountain Brewery (was it worth it??), Monse's Pupuseria, Mediterranean Cafe, Wafflerita and Gyu-Kaku(Denver, CO), Old Colorado City Creamery, Thunder & Buttons, and Highlands Alehouse (Aspen, CO).In the last half hour of the show we do a full review of Mona Lisa, a fancy fondue restaurant in downtown Manitou Springs. Cheese bomb on poor Sergio! Was it worth it for us? Tune in and find out! We rate Mona Lisa out of ten, and talk about what we would get for next time. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming!

15/07/2021

Episode 65 is live! Sorry for the late posting folks. A couple of quick updates for EIM Thai and Chiba Bar (Congrats on making it into the Clean Plate Club!), then we do a thorough review of Sonic Drive In! A rare fast-food review for the podcast. We picked up some sweet treats! We also went to Mining Claim 1899 Saloon in Victor, CO. What a dive! But how was the food? We conclude with the main event: Savelli's, a highly rated pizza/Italian joint in Manitou Springs. Great reviews, but how did it stand up to the discerning palettes of A Bit Saucy? Tune in and find out! As always, we give our number rating out of ten.

Sonic Drive In (Colorado Springs, CO)

Sergio's Order:

Sonic Double Cheeseburger Combo with Cherry Limeade Slush

Vanessa's Order:

Strawberry Shake (visit 1), Classic Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Red Bull Dragonfruit Slush

Mining Claim 1899 Saloon (Victor, CO)

Sergio's Order: Chicken Strips With French Fries, Red Rocket Pale Ale

Vanessa's Order: Fried Chicken Sandwich, Rum & Coke

Savelli's (Manitou Springs, CO)

Sergio's Order: Calzone with Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Bacon

Vanessa's Order: Savelli's Cheese Bread, Caprese Salad

03/07/2021

From a cyberpunk izakaya to an hour-long hike in the rain to a cantina, we're eatin' our way through the neighborhood! It's only been a week but we have sampled a lot of what West Colorado Springs has to offer. How does it stack up to what we're used to in Sonoma County? Tune in and find out! As always, we give our number rating out of ten, and talk about what we would order if we go back to the joint! We return to Santa Rosa in August.

Oka Ramen

Sergio's Order: Yakisoba

Vanessa's Order: Chicken Katsu Bento Box

Dickey's BBQ

We both ordered the Smokehouse Salad

Crystal Springs Cantina

Shared: Pitcher of Strawberry Margarita

Sergio's Order: Tostada Chopped Salad

Vanessa's Order: Baja Fish Tacos

EIM Thai

Sergio's Order: Pad Prik Pow

Vanessa's Order: Garlic Salt Shrimp

Chiba Bar

Sergio

Takoyaki, Gyoza, Shiso-jito J-Type(alcoholic), Bitter Cup(alcoholic)

Vanessa

Warm Unagi Rice Bowl, Cucumber Salad, Miso Soup, Razorgirl(alcoholic), Colorado Sake Chiba Yuzu DRAFT

26/06/2021

Episode 63 is live! A Bit Saucy is taking the show on the road... Literally! We ate our way to Colorado Springs via the Great Southwest. Before we did that though, we had a few loose ends to tie up here at home. We did quick reviews of Russian River Vineyards' happy hour menu (Forestville, CA), a long-anticipated review of Steele and Hops (Santa Rosa, CA), and a quick mini-review of Dinucci's (Valley Ford, CA). In between fast-food stops (hey it's a road trip, sometimes that's all there is) we ate at the Yavapai Lodge Restaurant (Grand Canyon Village, AZ), sandwiches at Goulding's Gas and Convenience Store (Oljato-Monument Valley, UT), Yaks Cafe (Blanding, UT), and the Rocky Mountain Tacos food truck (Avon, CO). Many more exciting places for us to try in Colorado Springs so please stay tuned!

Steele and Hops:

Sergio's Order

Alright Alright Alright (alcoholic), Fungi Misti

Vanessa's Order

Bright Lights Big City (alcoholic), Apple & Prosciutto Salad

Yavapai Lodge:

Sergio's Order

Summer Citrus Salad, Blue Moon Beer

Vanessa's Order

"CBR" (Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad), Boysenberry Sour Beer

Note: The other restaurants we gave smaller reviews to, so we opted not to list our orders for every review.

24/06/2021

Sorry for the delay in posting! We have traveled halfway across the country to temporarily relocate to Colorado. More on that soon! The Sauceketeer President joins A Bit Saucy once again to review the new Petaluma restaurant Cafe Bellini! We ordered delivery to the "mansion" and had a nice sit-down dinner at the table... not before relaxing with Bellinis! We then had a smorgasbord of a dessert when we sampled all the rest of the ice cream flavors and ice cream bars that we had not yet tried. Nick gives us all his opinions on the icy treats! Was he as blown away as we were with the full Mariposa experience? Tune in and find out! We give our number rating for Cafe Bellini out of ten, and talk about what we might order for next time.

Sergio's Order

Chicken Madeira, Rossini Bellini

Vanessa's Order

Bacon Jam Chicken Club, Bellini Martini

Nick's Order

Cabernet Braised Short Rib, Bellini Martini

12/06/2021

Episode 61 is live! You've seen the iconic big letters on Van Ness Ave. if you've ever driven to downtown San Francisco. We found ourselves at Tommy's Joynt, a true SF classic! Great meat, great prices. We stopped in for lunch and took in the old-school atmosphere. After all these years, is this place still the classic worth stopping in for? Tune in and find out! As always, we give our number rating out of ten, and talk about what we would order for next time. Also, we unofficially review Bear Republic in Rohnert Park, and Vanessa gives a quick run-down on Amy's Wicked Slush and The Rooftop at Harmon Guest House in Healdsburg, and Hippizzazz in Sebastopol!

Sergio's Order:

Meatball Sandwich on Sourdough Roll

Vanessa's Order:

Roast Beef Sandwich with Spicy Mustard

08/06/2021

We have a very special episode for you this week! Through the magic of podcasting and the advantage of networking, we were treated to a private tasting of Mariposa Ice Creamery! If you didn't remember, we were introduced to Mariposa through Butcher Crown Roadhouse. One thing led to another, and before we knew it, we were treated to one of the best most unique experiences we've ever had on the podcast. First we tasted so many different flavors of ice cream, then we sat down with Pilar, the owner of (and Brenda of with the assist!) to interview her about her ice cream and her business. We then bring you an update from our second trip to Butcher Crown. Guess what? New pickles! Special patch-in from the Sauceketeer president himself, Nick Mattos with a bonus review. We tried the Totchos - amazing! Honestly, we could tease the food, but this was a ten-star experience all-around and I would urge all ice cream-lovers to reach out and find Mariposa. It's seriously some if not THE best ice cream we've ever tasted. Listen and take notes to learn where to find it. Happy treating!

-cream

29/05/2021

We visit a Sebastopol mainstay called Handline, a casual family-style restaurant that is heavily influenced by California beach culture. That means they offer both a variety of seafood options along with California-style hamburgers! It's a place we have both been to often, but let's make it podcast-official! As always, we give our number rating out 10 and talk about what we would order for next time. Plus, we check out the brand-new Santa Rosa location of Johnny Doughnuts, and return to El Gallo Negro where Sergio tries the Chimichanga! We also check out a liquor store offering Cooper's Fried Chicken in Monte Rio!

Sergio's Order:

The Inglewood Burger, French Fries, Root Beer

Vanessa's Order:

El Coronado Tacos, Root Beer, Vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream

22/05/2021

We spent almost a week camping in Carmel, but that doesn't mean that we didn't find time to go check out some local restaurants in the area! We had a pair of eggs benedicts the cafe at the legendary Nepenthe restaurant in Big Sur, had a last minute date at Pangaea Grill in downtown Carmel, and found a fun tiki bar near Cannery Row in Monterey! We also update with our second visit to Khom Loi, redemption for Rio Nido Roadhouse via Mother's Day brunch, the apricot beer from Shady Oak, and finally we share some chocolates from Fleur Sauvage! We rate the Monterey restaurants out of ten, and discuss what we might order for next time.

Cafe Kevah at Nepenthe (Big Sur, CA)

Sergio's Order:

Eggs Benedict

Vanessa's Order:

Cafe Kevah Benedict

Pangaea Grill (Carmel, CA)

Sergio's Order:

Grilled Spicy Pork, "Poppy Hills" (alcoholic)

Vanessa's Order:

Two Asian Tacos, Lobster Ravioli, "Farmer's Market" (alcoholic)

Hula's Island Grill (Monterey, CA)

Shared Order: Seared Ahi Wontons, Kona-Style Chicken Wings, Basket of Sweet Potato Fries, Hula's Pan Fried Fresh Mahi, Lilikoi Pie

Sergio's Drink: Hawaii 5-0

Vanessa's Drink: Hula's Mai Tai