Archive for Category ‘Sonoma‘

Johnny Garlic’s – Santa Rosa, CA

Love him or hate him, you all know who Guy Fieri is. Guy has been one of the heavy hitters in the super-celebrifying of the chef, and I am definitely guilty of going out of my way to stop at places featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. My girlfriend’s parents are fans of the show, and enjoy visiting featured places when they are traveling as well. So naturally they wanted to check out one of Guy’s own restaurants when they came up to visit.

So up north, beyond the outskirts of the Bay Area, is Johnny Garlic’s. It’s called a pasta grill, but the dishes are pretty all over the place, especially for its location. The menu has something for everyone on it, including vegetarians and generally picky eaters. But then it also has bison burgers, and some exotic animal as the Hunter’s Special. I’ve actually been a few times, and had things like the pizza, and everything has been pretty tasty. The bread they bring out is always a huge hit too. But that is not why we are here. We are here for this.
Burger and Destroy - Johhny Garlic's Burger

Checking their website and menu now, it looks like this burger has been updated. I had the Snake River BBQ Burger, but now it appears to have been replaced by Guy’s Big Bite Burger. They have added a pretzel roll (one of my personal favorites), and swapped the pepper-jack for cheddar. The BBQ burger was really good. Should this be surprising or not, I don’t know, but it really was solid. The bacon is thick and crispy, breaking apart cleanly with each bite. There’s some onion straws on top for some added crunch, though not overwhelming. The bun was actually really good, with a little bit of crunch to it. Almost a bummer that they went to a pretzel bun, when their regular buns were already rather good, and so many other places would benefit much more from it. What really pulled this burger together though was the BBQ sauce. Definitely a top notch and delicious sauce. It was sweet enough where it balanced the kick of the pepper-jack and brought the whole thing together. They use higher quality ingredients, and its definitely noticeable.

Burger and Destroy - Johhny Garlic's Burger

This messy burger caught me off guard, as it was a bit better than I was really expecting. I figured it would be good, albeit standard, but everything worked really well together. It’s a bit higher priced at 13.95 with a side of fries, but that is most likely a balance of local meat and a sprinkle of unicorn dust for that bbq sauce. As a whole, the restaurant is a good place for friends or family; it’s a little loud, there are tv’s up, and the waitstaff is pretty consistently great. The onion rolls they serve with oil and vinegar get devoured plate after plate, and if you can survive for dessert they have some pretty decadent options as well. Prices seem a couple dollars too high on some items, but it is good food and a good time.

Rating:
★★★★☆

You can get more info at http://www.johnnygarlics.com/

Lombardi’s BBQ – Petaluma CA

Lombardi’s is a great barbecue spot, and it’s quite apparent from when you drive up. The front is lined with large oil-drum barbecues, and you often have to walk through a wall of smoke just to get inside. Inside its a pretty typical deli market, with plenty of barbecued meats. They also have a good selection of obscure root beers and other sodas, a great compliment for any meal there.

Lombardi's BBQ burger

My girlfriend swears by the BBQ chicken sandwich, and I always rotate through the menu. Although it’s only around 45 minutes away from San Francisco, Petaluma has that country essence, which is probably why the bbq is much better than anything nearer to the city.

This time we came with a bunch of friends, and since it was my birthday I decided to give the burger another shot. It had been awhile and I couldn’t remember what I thought about it. They have one burger, a BBQ cheeseburger

Lombardi's BBQ burger

with pepper-jack and a side of potato salad, for $7.99.

The kicker for this burger is it comes on a soft and crusty Dutch Crunch roll. The bun can make or break a burger, and the crunch elevated this burger. My burger was real simple; meat, cheese, and bbq sauce. The cheese was melted to absolute perfection, and a long strand stayed attached to the paper, a la in-n-out. This is a real pepper-jack, where you can see and taste the peppers. It’s not too spicy, but combined with the sweet bbq sauce it’s a winning combo. The flavors aren’t too strong and it is not going to blow you away, but it is a simple and delicious burger made by guys who know how to run a barbecue. This is a burger I will definitely look forward to eating again.

Rating:
★★★★☆

http://www.lombardisbbq.com

Lombardi’s BBQ
3413 Petaluma Blvd. North,
Petaluma, Ca 94952