By Kathy Chouteau
Everywhere you turn in El Sobrante, it seems a new business is opening up. So for this edition of “Rich Dish,” the Standard spoke to its business community to get the scoop on where they like to eat.
Clayton and michael Price-Brown of Cass’s Closet, who relayed that the younger set in El Sobrante refer to the enclave as “El Sob,” had numerous recommendations, starting with La Strada in San Pablo, a short jaunt from the neighborhood. There, the married couple orders the Lasagna, Pollo Cordon Bleu, and Salmon with Lemon Dill. A client likes La Strada’s Monte Cristo sandwich on the restaurant’s brunch menu, michael also shared.
PJs Restaurant & Cocktail in El Sob, which the Standard recently profiled, also got some love from the local business owners. “The bar area was absolutely gorgeous” and the “chef [Sergio Nic] that they hired is outstanding,” michael and his friends thought.
Clayton recommended PJs’ Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, known on the menu as Capellini Pomodoro, which he found “delicious,” while their friend Nicole Donn, president of the El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce, had the Shrimp Scampi “and can’t stop talking about it,” according to michael. The steak michael ordered was “cooked perfectly,” while their other friend, Helen, had an unidentified appetizer that she loved. The atmosphere was “very old town friendly,” he said approvingly.
The duo has found their way onto the Richmond food scene as well, highly recommending Mi Casa Grill’s Carne Asada Burrito, ordered by Clayton, as well as their Carne Asada Quesadilla, loved by michael. Clayton said the burrito plate’s meat is “tender and delicious” and also gives a thumb’s up to their homemade tortillas. The local foodie additionally likes the Mexican eatery’s selection of non-alcoholic drinks, particularly the Vampire, which is a carrot-based beverage.
The El Sob foodies also gave a shout-out to two fellow local new businesses: A Taste of Safari, which michael said he hasn’t tried yet but has a menu that’s “so tempting to me,” and The Good Table Café, which he said is good for quick coffees and as a meeting space. He remarked that it has “a really nice space” and that “we love Melinda and Colleen.”
Speaking of Rev. Dr. Melinda McLain of The Good Table Café, who michael and Clayton work with on El Sobrante PRIDE, she also weighed-in on her own favorite eateries, with a hyper local focus.
“My favorite right now is The Copper Mug,” said Rev. Dr. McLain of the Indian fusion eatery and bar nearby her own business. And then “there’s Kay who is the coolest bartender,” she said of proprietor Kay Sandhu. Her go-to order is the Veggie Delight/Sabji Curry with Rice and also likes the Momos (Nepalese dumplings with mild or hot sauce). She said on any given day half the staff of The Good Table is there and that they convinced Kay to put Guinness on tap. “In Ireland, many pubs have Indian food,” she said in cheeky explanation.
Rev. Dr. McLain’s other recommendation? PJs. Her go-to order there is the Linguine Alle Vongole, which she said is “basically linguine in a broth with fresh clams, garlic and parsley.” She said the broth is “absolutely delicious” and that she loves sitting at the bar at PJs. During one visit, she recalls Frank Sinatra’s song “My Way” coming on, and by the end of it the whole bar was singing along.
And finally, Don Lau, well known throughout Richmond, but who lived in El Sob for years, gave his valued two cents for this edition of “Rich Dish.”
Like others in this article, Lau’s love runs deep for La Strada, where he said “you can’t go wrong” and he orders the Linguine Cozze o Vingole, or Linguine with Clams.
Turning to Pinole, Lau enjoys Uncle Chung’s Szechuan on Appian Way and usually orders the Chinese eatery’s Sizzling Pepper Beef. And he was quick to give a shout-out to Yolanda, a friendly worker there, while emphasizing that it’s great for families. Also in Pinole, Lau loves King Valley Tea House, a Chinese restaurant where “on weekends they have the Dim Sum cart.” He also said the “dumplings are really good.”
Rich Dish asks Richmond residents where and what they like to eat in the city and beyond. Want us to stop by your business to dish? Contact newstips@richmondstandard.com.