Lodinews.com Visitors Guide 2003

Visitors Guide 2003

Love to eat? Then Lodi’s the place


	JERRY R. TYSON/News-Sentinel Water flows gently behind the lettering of the sign near the Turner Road entrance to the Wine and Roses Hotel and Restaurant.

By Tricia Tomiyoshi
Lodi Living Editor

Lodians love to eat. With a population of about 58,000, Lodi boasts more than 100 restaurants and more keep cropping up every year. In the past year alone, nine restaurants have opened, further enriching the town’s culinary landscape.

Here are some favorites in the area:

Breakfast: At Woodbridge Cafe (18815 N. Lower Sacramento Road), you can enjoy a plate of french toast, blueberry pancakes, fresh fruit or homemade granola on the outdoor patio. If you are hankering for a hefty plate of biscuits and country gravy, a breakfast quesadilla or a three-egg omelet, the Avenue Grill (506 W. Lodi Ave.) is a relaxed breakfast nook, which also offers al fresco dining.

Mexican: Cactus (18961 N. Lower Sacramento Road, Woodbridge) serves not only the best chips and guacamole in town but it also offers some delightfully daring dishes like Camerones Rancheros, which features succulent jewels of shrimp and brandy wine mushrooms, sautéed in butter, wine and garlic, served over a pile of jalapeño pasta. If you want to add some spice to your life, check out Habañero Hots (1024 E. Victor Road). Eat a habañero pepper and be immortalized on the Wall of Flame. Try the spicy table salsas, which are made on the premises twice a day. Families will love the Tuesday night family special which features four burritos, enchiladas, tacos, rice, beans and a dinner salad for $25.85.

A spot for romance: With its crackling fireplace, candlelight, delicious gourmet fare and an impressive selection of Lodi wines, you have all of the necessary elements for a cozy meal at Wine & Roses (2505 W. Turner Road). Rosewood Bar & Grill (28 S. School St.) is also a romantic indulgence, with live jazz nightly and California fare like chipotle hollandaise sauce on cedar-plank salmon. For a perfect ending, try the baked Alaska.

Lunch spot: Tasteful Wonders (1012 W. Lodi Ave.) is a Lodi newcomer which has become a popular lunch hangout. Sandwiches are piled high with fresh ingredients, homemade aioli or dijon mayonnaise and includes a side salad of your choice, a dill pickle and even a mint. Scooters (121 W. Elm St.) has mastered the concept of upscale fast food, providing homemade soups, sandwiches, gourmet wraps and salads for those who want a quick lunch in a cheerful environment. Take a seat at the marble counter by the window and watch the world go by.

Burgers: For the most innovative burgers, Moo Moo’s (113 N. School St.) takes the prize. They have 14 different burger choices and all are made with one-third of a pound certified Angus beef patty, cooked to order. Sit in the cow-themed environs and try the chef’s signature dish, the Monster Moo, a triple-decker burger on toasted white bread with American cheese, special sauce, bacon, lettuce, tomato and red onion. You can’t visit Lodi without getting a juicy burger and a root beer at A&W (216 E. Lodi Avenue), birthplace of the original root beer. Go inside to check out all of the historical A&W paraphernalia or stay in your car. With the car hop service, someone will bring the food to you. You will feel like you just stepped into a scene from “American Graffiti.”

Bread: Lodi offers a few choice spots to get fresh baked bread: Phillips Farms (4580 W. Highway 12) makes Lodi’s best fruit breads including its famous zucchini orange nut bread, and Cottage Bakery (203 S. School St.) does artisan loaves (think Kalamata olive, Asiago cheese or Italian ciabatta) like no one else.

Asian fare: Matsuyama (235 Lakewood Mall) is the place for reasonably priced authentic Japanese fare in a comfortable setting. The sushi menu consists of more than 20 choices like the House Roll (tempura fried asparagus, green beans and imitation crab meat). Yen Ching specializes in Szechuan, Peking and Hunan cuisine and you’re sure to find your favorites on the menu from beef with broccoli to kung pao prawns. If you care to sample a lot of different dishes, try the set meals. Busaba Thai (480 S. Cherokee Lane) boasts a menu of satays, curries, noodles and specialty items like the chef’s favorite, pra rad prik, pan-fried salmon fillet topped with chili sauce and Thai herbs. Don’t leave without trying a cool glass of Thai iced tea, a smooth sweet milky concoction that can double as dessert.

Coffee: Lodians like their coffee fix. If you’re on the run, try the Java Stop (321 S. Hutchins St.) for a local drive-through coffee experience. It’s here that you can pick up a “Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks” bumper sticker. For java lingerers, sit a spell in Tillie’s (21 W. Pine St.) or House of Coffee (239 Lakewood Mall). Both offer espresso-fueled beverages and attract a faithful crowd of regulars.

Best desserts and sweets: Taste of Heaven (106 W. Oak St.) takes the cake here. This dessert haven also serves pies, cookies and fudge, all of which are made fresh on the premises. Sample one of their 30 flavors of gelato like tiramisu, green apple or peach for a frozen treat. Go to Cafe Yogurt & Sweets (24 N. School St.) for frozen yogurt, saltwater taffy and bulk candy like gummy bears, candy corn and jelly beans. It’s a sweet spot to hit before or after catching a movie at Lodi Stadium 12.

Comfort food: Since 1945 Hollywood Cafe (315 S. Cherokee Lane) has provided Lodians with rib-sticking fare like chicken fried steak, biscuits and gravy, chicken soup and other comfort food favorites. You’ll also find a slice of nostalgia in the old photos of Lodi and Stockton residents that line the walls. Dee Dee’s (1170 S. Cherokee Lane) also makes a mean chicken fried steak in a rich, creamy sauce, but they’re also know for their tri-tip and Angus burgers. Finally, as truck drivers are notorious for knowing where to find good, solid American grub, you won’t be disappointed at the Flying J (15100 N. Thornton Road). You won’t find any fancy nosh here — just no-nonsense options like their 24 oz. tenderloin steak and their all-you-can-eat buffet.

Unique: Its decor is quirky (toy trains everywhere) and its menu includes an eclectic mix of 99 items including enormous BLTs, Greek salads and goulash. Golden Ox (410 W. Kettleman Lane) is a Lodi favorite that is not to be missed. If you’re pressed for time, you can even use its drive-through. At the Crepe Vine (114 W. Pine St.), you can have a serving of live jazz along with a spinach, garlic and jack cheese crepe. Owned by jazz percussionist Mombo Hernandez, the Crepe Vine routinely hosts live music evenings with some big names in jazz like Peter White, Greg Vail and Frank Bailey. With peanut butter and marmalade on every table (dabble some onto your steak for a taste sensation), Al’s Place (formerly Al the Wop’s) (downtown Locke) continues its unique Delta tradition. You’ll find dollar bills tacked to the ceiling, a lively bar and a colorful cast of regulars where the steaks are served with Al’s signature side of toasted bread and jars of peanut butter and jelly on the table.

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Love to eat? Then Lodi’s the place