INDEX OF STORIES

» Welcome to Lodi
» City offers a world of charms, attractions
» When you think Lodi, think of wine
» For wine lovers, Lodi’s charms are many
» Wine tasting: Basic rules every beginner must know
» Lodi-area wineries
» Lodi’s gateways to adventure await
» Love to tour and eat? In Lodi, you can do both
» What to see, fly, do
» Lodi — a nice, clean place to stay
» A tourist’s eye view of Lodi
» Festivals, music events fill Lodi’s calendar
» Local museums offer something for everyone
» For the Lodi-bound tourist, there are some must-sees
» Lodi can satisfy everyone’s appetite
» Lodi: The place to breakout — outdoors that is
» Grab your clubs and come out swinging
» Looking high, low for that something very old

By Jana Saastad
Lodi Living editor

Looking for a quick bite, a cup of coffee or a romantic repast? Look no further than Lodi and the surrounding area to fill your hunger needs. The following is a list of favorites found in the area.

Breakfast: Without a doubt the Flying J (15100 N. Thornton Road) is the best deal on the west side of town. Besides a bevy of breakfast bargains, the restaurant offers a daily morning buffet. When hunting and gathering morning fare on the Eastside, check out Felten’s Topaz (215 N. Cherokee Lane), Lodi’s oldest restaurant. Village Coffee Shop (416 W. Lodi Ave.) serves lots of tasty morning meals for a fair price, and is the best place to pick up local color.

Brunch: There’s no beating Wine & Roses (2505 W. Turner Road) for the best in high end Sunday brunch. Serving a menu that would make Martha Stewart smile, the restaurant offers prime rib, honey curd ham, omelets made to order, fresh salads, fruit and gourmet desserts such as the chocolate raspberry truffle.

Chef de Cuisine John Hitchcock, along with Leland Gardner, prepares one of the many dishes which has made Wine & Roses among the most popular restaurants in Lodi. (Jana Saastad/News-Sentinel)

Biscuits and gravy to die for: Two restaurants share this distinction: Cozy Corner Café (322 N. California St.) and Eileen’s Country Café (13140 E. Highway 88, Lockeford) sell the warm, rich meal made as good as mom’s.

Bodacious Barbecue: Salisbury’s (2401 Turner Road) sells fork-tender, delicious tri-tip.

Romantic meals: Once again, Wine & Roses Hotel and Restaurant (2505 W. Turner Road) is hands down the most romantic place for a candlelight dinner in its upscale dining room. Before you sit down to a candlelight meal with that special someone, sip wine in the restaurant’s piano bar on Friday and Saturday evenings. Hazel’s Restaurant (28 S. School St.) is another romantic favorite with its low-lighted atmosphere and contemporary motif. Hazel’s offers the soft sounds of a piano bar as well on Friday and Saturday nights.

Best crab legs: Woodbridge Feed & Fuel (18939 N. Lower Sacramento Road) sells San Francisco-fresh crab legs piled high on a plate, served with hot butter. Order a glass of Mondavi chardonnay with this delightful cuisine and you’ll be in heaven.

Lunch hangout: Try the Guild Street Café (171 S. Guild St.) which offers well-presented and sumptuous food amid a comfortable ambiance splashed with Old World charm and urban overtones. Choose from sandwiches, salads and soups. Great coffee and gorgeous desserts. Don’t overlook the beignets. Crepevine, Etc. (114 W. Pine St.) offers a taste of France with its meal and dessert crepes. The vivacious owners also offer a fresh and varietal salad bar and meaty sandwiches. Eat al fresco in the heavenly patio garden.

I scream, you scream: In Lodi, it’s Blewett’s Ice Cream Fountain & Restaurant (221 S. Sacramento St.) which carries on an 80-year-old tradition of crafting the dessert by hand. Some 16 flavors, including those bearing fresh regional fruit, are sold.

Cup of Joe: Who can resist whiling away the hours with coffee and talk? House of Coffee (239 Lakewood Mall) and Tillie’s (21 W. Pine St.) are best bets. Both are brightly decorated and filled with local folks solving the world’s problems. Tillie’s sells a bounty of food, while House of Coffee keeps the menu abbreviated with just java, tea and desserts.

Best Burger: For high-end burgers, the following three share the honors: Avenue Grill (506 W. Lodi Ave.), Country Kitchen (1327 W. Lockeford Ave.) and Phillips Farms Restaurant.

Pizza: In this category, Pizza Works (100 W. Turner Road) gets a nod for its pesto pizza and its Mornay sauce pizza. Rick’s Pizza (1320 Lakewood Mall) get all-around kudos for good pizza, an awesome lunch special, sports television and plenty of room for the crowds. Rick’s is everything a pizza place should be. For exotic gourmet pizza, try Cottage Bakery.

Asian persuasion: There’s plenty of places in Lodi to whet your appetite for far east fare. King Tsin (121 S. School St.) has the best atmosphere and good food. The Rice Bowl (408 W. Lodi Ave.) serves refreshing Cantonese and Mandarin dishes. Matsuyama (235 Lakewood Mall) proffers the art of sushi at a reasonable price and served in a friendly environment.

Tastiest taco: You don’t have to run for the border for there’s Mazatlan Café (125 N. Sacramento St.) offers a version of a taco made with ground beef simmered with potatoes (just enough to give it texture), cheese, lettuce and a homemade sweet tomato sauce in deep fried tortillas. El Rinconcinto (301 E. Pine St.) is a favorite for soft tacos filled with stewed meat (choose from chicken, beef, pork or tongue) and traditional accouterments.

Pie: Pies are plentiful in Lodi, but only a handful of restaurateurs make them fresh from dough and hand-picked fruit. Phillips Farms (4580 W. Highway 12) and Alexander’s Bakery (1100 W. Lodi Ave.) share this distinction.

Where’s the beef? Lodi is beef country. It’s easier to mention who doesn’t have a prime rib or filet mignon special than the restaurants that do. Among the best and beefiest deals are Hotel Del Rio’s (First St., Isleton) prime rib (so big, you might ask yourself: Do I eat it or ride it?) and the steak Jessica. Woodbridge Inn (18878 N. Lower Sacramento Road) specializes in beefy deals. A favorite is the blue cheese prime rib.

Bread: Like manna from heaven, Alexander’s Bakery’s “baked on the bricks” French and sourdough is baked to perfection with a soft middle and a hard, crunchy crust. Cottage Bakery sells a variety of breads, the best is its European line. The bakers at Phillips Farms create mouth-watering fruit breads (the zucchini orange nut bread is a local favorite) that are fresh, moist and brimming with fruit flavor.

Quirky and fun: It’s guaranteed that the Golden Ox (410 W. Kettleman Lane) gets this distinction for offering a drive-through window even though it’s not fast food and for taking credit cards/ATM at the window. Add to that owner John Padronas’ awesome toy train collection. Plus, who else sells Hungarian goulash amid hamburgers and other standard fare? Al the Wop’s (downtown Locke ) sells great steaks and burgers, the atmosphere is friendly, the decor funky. But peanut butter with steaks? Yeah, it’s not half bad.

The Lodi A&W Rootbeer — in the city where it was created — is a veritable museum to the fast-food’s past. Mugs, cars and toys of yore bedeck the art deco spaces at the hamburger joint. Carhop service is still available. And the juke box plays rock ‘n’ roll oldies.

American/Continental
Applebee’s Grill and Bar. 2442 W. Kettleman Lane, 369-6657.
Avenue Grill. 506 W. Lodi Ave., 333-8006.
Country Kitchen. 1327 W. Lockeford Ave., 368-6350.
Cozy Corner Café. 322 N. California St., 366-1461
Crepe Vine Etc. 114 W. Pine St., 366-2737.
Eileen’s Country Café. 13140 E. Highway 88, Lockeford, 727-5745.
Felten’s Topaz. 215 N. Cherokee Lane, 366-1888.
Flying J. 15100 N. Thornton Road. 339-4066.
Golden Acorn Restaurant. 805 Crystal Way, Galt. 745-2978.
Golden Ox Restaurant. 410 W. Kettleman Lane, 333-0146.
Hollywood Café. 315 S. Cherokee Lane, 369-4065
Lay’S Roadhouse. 18830 E. Highway 88, Clements, 759-1606.
Lockeford Inn. 18700 Highway 88, Lockeford, 727-5841.
Lodi Airport Café. 23987 N. Highway 99, Acampo, 369-6144.
Omega Restaurant. 1800 S. Cherokee Lane, 367-0496.
Richmaid Restaurant. 100 S. Cherokee Lane, 368-4279.
Rocky’s Restaurant. 14659 N. Thornton Road, 369-1973.
School Street Café. 116 N. School St.
Uj’s Family Restaurant. 700 E. Victor Road, 368-7593.
Village Coffee Shop. 416 W. Lodi Ave., 368-1929.

Barbecue
Greyan’s Grillicious. 13356 E. Highway 88, Lockeford, 727-5254.
Salisbury Market. 2401 W. Turner Road, 333-1177.

Burgers
A&W Rootbeer. 216 E. Lodi Ave. 368-8548.
Foster’s Freeze. 315 N. Ham Lane, 368-6398.
Johnson’s Drive-In. 24335 N. Highway 99, Acampo, 369-0449.
Snowhite Drive-In. 1210 W. Turner Road, 369-5314.
Texas Sized Burger. 550 E. Eden St. 368-4781.

Chinese
China Chao Buffet. 1040 W. Kettleman Lane, 369-1375.
Chinese Deli. 1301 W. Lockeford St., 368-8823.
Pineapple. 2314 W. Kettleman Lane, 333-5252.
King Tsin. 121 S. School St., 334-0599.
King Yin. 10 S. Main St., 369-4448.
Jade Fountain Chinese Restaurant. 2401 W. Turner Road, 367-3502.
Rice Bowl. 408 W. Lodi Ave. 369-8396.
Wong’s Mandarin Restaurant. 119 E. Pine St. 369-7098.
Yen Ching Restaurant. 1110 W. Kettleman Lane, 334-2002

Coffee/Tea
Coffees, Etc. 1040 W. Kettleman Lane, 365-1775.
House of Coffees. 239 Lakewood Mall, 368-2611.
Java Stop Drive Thru. 321 S. Hutchins St., 369-9381
Mocha My Day. 22 S. School St., 365-7915.
Roadrunner Coffee. 13429 E. Highway 88, Lockeford, 727-0354.
Starbuck’s. 2431 W. Kettleman Lane, 366-0457.
Tea Cozy. 105 S. School St., 366-2450.
Tea Cottage. 317 W. Lodi Ave., 369-8329.
Tillie’s Coffee, Tea, Etc. 21 W. Pine St., 365-6644.

Dessert
Cottage Bakery. 203 S. School St., 334-2595.
Jan’s Sweet Treasures. 18 W. Elm St., 368-4581.
Phillips Farms. 4580 W. Highway 12, 368-7384.

Ice Cream
Baskin Robbins. 480 S. Cherokee Lane, Lodi, 369-8164; 135 Lakewood Mall, Lodi, 334-3100; 301 Pine (in the Chevron service station), Galt, 745-8847.
Blewett’s Ice Cream Fountain & Restaurant. 221 S. Sacramento St., 369-3519.
Rod’s Serendipity Family Creamery. 2401 W. Turner Road, 339-1557.
Cold Stone Creamery. 115 W. Elm St., 369-1233.
Velvet Creamery. 1421 S. Ham Lane, 369-8231.

Italian
Maria’s Italian Restaurant. 840 W. Lodi Ave., 367-5907.
Pietro’s Italian Restaurant. 317 E. Kettleman Lane, 368-0613.
Strings. 2314 W. Kettleman Lane, 369-6400.
Wholey Ravioli. 1067 C St., Galt, 745-5109.

Japanese
Matsuyama. 235 Lakewood Mall, 368-3888.
Shi Ra Soni. 1420 Kettleman Lane, 366-2525.

Mexican
Angelo’s Mexican Restaurant. 28 N. School St. 366-2728
Antonio’s Mexican Foods. 710 S. Beckman Road. 339-9371.
Cactus. 18961 N. Lower Sacramento Toad, Woodbridge. 367-1632
Coyotes. 14015 E. Highway 88, Lockeford. 727-5900.
Habanero Hots. 1024 Victor Road, 369-3794.
Happy Burrito. 226 W. Kettleman Lane, 368-1669.
Mazatlan Café. 125 N. Sacramento St., 334-0364.
El Pajaro. 212 S. School St., 334-1888.
El Rinconcito. 301 E. Pine St., 334-6076.
El Rodeo Taqueria. 550 S. Cherokee Lane, 368-9617.
El Rosal. 728 W. Kettleman Lane, 369-4989.
Porfi’s Mexican Food. 910 S. Cherokee Lane, 369-2416.
Taqueria Diaz. 121 E. Pine St. 333-8470.

Pizza
Cottage Bakery. 203 S. School St., 334-2595.
Franco’s Pizza Restaurant. 100 N. Cherokee Lane, 339-0775
Rick’s New York Style Pizza. 1320 Lakewood Mall. 339-9411.
Pizza Works. 100 W. Turner Road, 368-8808.
Tony’s Pizzeria. 514 W. Lodi Ave., 333-9295.

Thai
A Taste of Thai. 116 W. Turner Road, 369-6409.

Fine Dining
The Back Bay. 100 N. Cherokee Lane, 334-3565.
Cottage Bakery. 203 S. School St., 334-2595.
Hazel’s. 28 S. School St. 369-0470
Wine & Roses. 2505 W. Turner Road, 334-6988.
Woodbrdige Inn. 18878 N. Lower Sacramento Road, Woodbridge

Sandwiches, soups and such
Alexander’s Bakery. 1100 W. Lodi Ave. 369-2225.
Blasting Blenders Smoothy Bar. 145 Lakewood Mall, 366-0631.
Butcher Shoppe. 400 W. Lodi Ave. 334-4121.
Café Woodbridge. 18815 N. Lower Sacramento Road. 334-2080.
Downtown Market & Deli. 8 N. School St., 334-3320.
Guild Street Café. 171 Guild Ave., 333-4661.
Keys’ Kitchen. 101 N. Guild St., 367-1925.
Legend’s Eatery. 27 W. Elm St., 365-1043.
Phillips Farms Café. 4580 W. Highway 12, 368-7384.
Rod’s Serendipity Family Creamery. 2401 W. Turner Road, 339-1557.
Rollin’ In Dough. 425 N. Sacramento Road, 367-0884.
Soup Ladel. 312 S. Fairmont Ave., 368-9587.
Travis Café. 904 W. Lodi Ave. 369-1190.
Tillie’S Coffee, Tea, Etc. 21 W. Pine St., 365-6644.