Blog - Souza Realty - California Lots & Land, Custom Construction

Bijan Restaurant - Fremont, CA (Alameda County, California)

Bijan Restaurant is located a couple miles west of I-680 on Mission Blvd. in Fremont. It's in the Lucky Shopping Center behind the ARCO gas station and you need to make a u-turn at the next light if you're coming from the 680 freeway. Bijan Restaurant has belly dancing on Friday nights and it's pretty cool when the belly dancer balances a sword on top of her head while she's dancing!

If you feel like eating Persian food in Fremont, I recommend going to Bijan Restaurant...they have good food, good service and a clean restaurant. They also have outdoor dining with a covered patio, which is a nice option.

The last time we ate at Bijan Restaurant, we shared a Hummus ($5.95) and it was a generous portion for two, which we both really enjoyed. I ordered their Koobideh Kabob ($10.95) with rice, a grilled tomato and veggies...mmm! My husband tried their Prawn Kabob ($16.95) with grilled onions and green bell peppers...it was also delicious!

Bijan Restaurant
39935 Mission Boulevard
Fremont, CA 94536
(510) 440-1755

Vinoteca - Danville, CA (Contra Costa County, California)

Vinoteca is located in downtown Danville on Prospect Avenue, just around the corner from Starbucks Coffee on Hartz Avenue. Vinoteca features live music several days a week and they have a romantic "wine bar" type atmosphere...a perfect fit for charming downtown Danville.

Vinoteca offers "small plates...big tastes...great wine!" During our first visit to Vinoteca, we decided to try their "swimmer of the day" fish called "Walu" in Hawaii and Fiji, otherwise known as escolar or butterfish...or super white tuna when served raw as sushi or sashimi. The side dishes we sampled were: french fries (light, crispy and served in a cone-shaped paper-wrapped iron basket), creamed spinach (excellent) and sauteed veggies (delicious). Pardon the poor quality food pics, but it was the best my iPhone could achieve in such low light conditions...only a single tea light lit the table!

Vinoteca
148 E. Prospect Ave.
Danville, CA  94526
925-743-8466

Chevys Fresh Mex Happy Hour - Livermore, CA (Alameda County, California)

Chevys Fresh Mex in Livermore, CA is located at 4685 First Street, next to IHOP and just a stone's throw off I-580 at the First Street exit. We just went to the Pleasanton Chevys a couple of days ago (for the first time in months) and I think I caught Margarita Madness...so this afternoon, we went to the Livermore Chevys for Happy Hour! We enjoyed complimentary chips and salsa and I had three magnificent mango margaritas!

Chevys Happy Hour, Monday - Friday from 3pm to 7pm (in the cantina only)

$3 Drink Menu

• Original Frozen Margaritas
• Domestic Draft Beers
• House Wines
• Well Drinks
• Seasonal Fresh Fruit Margaritas (add 25 cents) - Strawberry, Peach, Melon, Mango and the seasonal flavor, Cranberry

50% Off Appetizer Menu

• Crispy Chicken Flautas - my favorite...ask for extra dipping sauce!
  
• Red Chile Pork Taquitos - this is a yummy trio that comes with guacamole!
  
• Original Fajita Nachos - you can order chicken, steak or combo and each chip is topped individually
  
• Nachos Grande
• Spicy Wings
• Chile con Queso

Chevys Fresh Mex Happy Hour - Pleasanton, CA (Alameda County, California)

Chevys Fresh Mex in Pleasanton is located off Hopyard and I-580, next door to Mercedes-Benz of Pleasanton. Chevys Happy Hour is Monday to Friday between 3-7pm in the cantina (bar) and they offer half-price appetizers and $3 drink specials. Chevys during Happy Hour is a perfect place to come for your Tex-Mex and margarita cravings on a budget!

Chevys Happy Hour, Monday - Friday from 3pm to 7pm (in the cantina only)

$3 Drink Menu

• Original Frozen Margaritas
• Domestic Draft Beers
• House Wines
• Well Drinks
• Seasonal Fresh Fruit Margaritas (add 25 cents) - Strawberry, Peach, Melon and the seasonal flavor, Cranberry

50% Off Appetizer Menu

• Crispy Chicken Flautas - my favorite...ask for extra dipping sauce!
  
• Red Chile Pork Taquitos - this is a yummy trio that comes with guacamole!
  
• Original Fajita Nachos - you can order chicken, steak or combo and each chip is topped individually
  
• Nachos Grande
• Spicy Wings
• Chile con Queso

Leo's Chinese Restaurant - Danville, CA (Contra Costa County, California)

Leo's Chinese Restaurant is located in Danville, California and it's my favorite Chinese restaurant in all of Contra Costa county! The previous restaurant in this location was called DeMing's Asian Restaurant. Their dining room is decorated in the traditional upscale Chinese restaurant decor with "good luck" bamboo and a soothing water fountain at the entry. Service is excellent and their food is yummylicious!

My two favorite dishes at Leo's Chinese Restaurant are their Tangerine Beef and Seafood Combination. If you're ever in the Danville area and craving Chinese food...I highly recommend Leo's Chinese Restaurant!

Leo's Chinese Restaurant
105 Town & Country Dr.
Danville, CA 94526
(925) 820-8887

Doce Lunas Restaurant - Kenwood, CA (Sonoma County, California)

Doce Lunas Restaurant is the perfect place to stop for brunch before a day of wine tasting in Kenwood and/or Glen Ellen. It's located in Kenwood Village (where you will also find the Kenwood Market and the Kenwood Post Office) in Sonoma County, California amidst many of the wineries and tasting rooms.

Doce Lunas Restaurant makes an excellent traditional eggs benedict as well as a hot links eggs benedict, both served with home fries. They have an outdoor dining area if you prefer dining al fresco. Service is very friendly and attentive, so I look forward to our next visit to Doce Lunas Restaurant...before an afternoon of wine tasting, of course!

Doce Lunas Restaurant
8910 Sonoma Hwy
Kenwood, CA 95452
(707) 833-4000

Coconut Grove - Milpitas, CA (Santa Clara County, California)

Coconut Grove is a restaurant located next to Century Theatres at the Great Mall in Milpitas and they serve Malaysian, Singaporean and Thai cuisine. Bob and I have never tried Malaysian food before, so I randomly selected a variety of menu items and hoped for the best!

Here is my review on each item we ordered at Coconut Grove in Milpitas, along with their menu description:

A.B.C. Ais Batu Campur
Shaved ice, sweet coconut milk, red bean, sweet corn, rice crispies and jellies
I absolutely LOVED this beverage! Just think of it as a version of halo-halo or boba tea with lots of goodies...but Coconut Grove's ABC is much better!

Roti Parada
The famous "flying bread" hand tossed and grilled with our house dipping sauce (red curry)
We both weren't sure what to expect from the "flying bread" description, but thankfully it didn't fly away. Coconut Grove's Roti Parada was so good, I would have chased it down if it did! :)

Coconut Milk Rice
This is the perfect accompaniment to a Malaysian meal...it's SO delicious!

Red Curry Chicken
Sliced chicken breast, tofu and freshly selected veggies cooked in mild Malay curry with a hint of coconut milk
We really enjoyed the Malay curry in this dish (after dipping the Roti appetizer in the same curry) but the chicken breast itself was a bit bland. Perhaps it needed to be in order not to compete with the curry flavor? This was a very tasty dish, but I wouldn't hesitate to try something else at Coconut Grove next time.

Penang Sizzling Scallops
Scallops cooked in a creamy coconut milk sauce with bell pepper and a hint of sambal belachan chili
This is what I would call Coconut Grove's Signature Dish! The scallops came out sizzling (just like it said) and the sauce was one of the best flavors I've ever tasted...the entire dish (scallops, sauce, bell pepper and onions) was magnificently yummylicious!

F.B.I. Fried Bananas & Ice Cream
Fried Bananas and Fried Ice Cream topped with Hersey's Chocolate syrup and whipped cream
At this point, we were no longer hungry but since everything we had at Coconut Grove so far was fantastic, we decided to try their dessert. This was recommended by our server and we both thought this was an excellent way to end our meal!

Coconut Grove
129 Great Mall Dr.
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 263-1882
coconutgrove-usa.com

Kanpai Sushi - Livermore, California (Alameda County, CA)

After many dining experiences searching for the best sushi in the Tri-Valley (San Francisco East Bay, California), Kanpai Sushi is the winner! Kanpai Sushi is at 1510 N. Vasco Road, Livermore, CA and they're just two minutes off the 580 freeway at Vasco Road. They're located in the PW Market shopping center between Starbucks and Carl's Jr.

Kanpai Sushi serves the freshest fish and in generous portions. They also have the most magnificent nigiri sushi I've ever had called "Escolar" which is Japanese for "Butterfish." The servers at Kanpai Sushi even remember our "usual" - 5 orders of escolar! Kanpai Sushi also has excellent "Sake" ("Salmon") and "Hamachi" ("Yellowtail") as well as a variety of sushi rolls. Our favorite sushi roll is called "Snow White" and it's main ingredient is...you guessed it...escolar!

Kanpai Sushi - Hours of Operation:

• Monday - Friday, 11:00am - 3:00pm (Lunch)
• Saturday - Sunday, noon - 3:00pm (Lunch)
• Sunday - Thursday, 5:00pm - 9:30pm (Dinner)
• Friday - Saturday, 5:00pm - 10:00pm (Dinner)

Kanpai Sushi - Price Range:

• Lunch ($8.00 - $9.50)
• Dinner ($10.50 - $16.00)
• Nigiri Sushi ($3.00 - $6.50)
• Sushi Rolls ($3.00 - $13.95)

First Street Ale House - Livermore, California (Alameda County, CA)

First Street Ale House is the busiest restaurant in downtown Livermore...it seems no matter what time of day it is, people are there eating, drinking and/or talking. Their outdoor patio fills up very quickly as Happy Hour approaches and stays packed pretty much for the rest of the night. Service is very friendly, their burgers aren't bad...and their garlic fries are awesome! I'm not a beer drinker, but Bob is and he loved their Pyramid Apricot Ale. First Street Ale House has 20 beers on tap.

First Street Ale House has a variety of pub food items from burgers and sandwiches to salads and all the typical appetizers like chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, nachos, jalapeno poppers and their famous garlic fries. Their prices are also very reasonable and most menu items are between $6 to $8.

First Street Ale House - Hours of Operation:

• Monday - Wednesday, 11:00am - 10:30pm (kitchen closes at 10:00pm)
• Thursday - Saturday, 11:00am - midnight (kitchen closes at 11:00pm)
• Sunday, 11:00am - 10:00pm (kitchen closes at 9:30pm)

First Street Ale House - Specials:

• Happy Hour - $1 off all pints (Monday - Friday, 4:00pm - 6:00pm and all day Tuesday)
• Pint Night Thursday - $5.25/first pint and $3.25/refills (you keep the glass)
• Tootsie Roll Lollipop - free with every meal!

Simply Greek - Pleasanton, California (Alameda County, CA)

Simply Greek is simply the best Greek restaurant in the Tri-Valley area of the San Francisco East Bay, California. They are located at 4220-C Rosewood Drive in Pleasanton, just two minutes off the 580 freeway at Santa Rita Road. They have another location in Oakland at 4060 Piedmont Avenue.

My favorite menu item at Simply Greek is their gyros, but they also have excellent chicken, pork and lamb souvlaki! Service is always friendly and fast, you order and pay at the register then they bring the food out to your table when it's ready. The owner is Greek and he's a lot of fun to talk to if you run into him while you're there. Prices are very reasonable and the food is delicious, so I recommend giving Simply Greek a try for lunch, dinner or takeout.

Simply Greek - Hours of operation:

• Monday - Thursday, 11:00am - 8:00pm
• Friday - Saturday, 11:00am - 9:00pm

Simply Greek - Menu: