My Sister and Dad sent me this skull from their meal at Taco Jane’s.

Antigua -Sliding Glass Mexican:

Tyler, Michael, and my Mom used to go out to eat once a week when Tyler was living in Marin. He returned home for Christmas and they invited me to be a part of one their meals. My Mom chose Antigua’s, a new Mexican restaurant in Mill Valley.

Have you ever been to a restaurant that’s entrance was an automatic sliding glass door? I had never seen such a thing in my life. Crazy. Next thing I noticed as I sat down were the foam ceiling panels like you’d see in an office building. I am completely puzzled as to what kind of business was in this location before Antigua who required these design elements.

If someone can identify either man in the framed photo please let me know. The man in front must be some sort of celebrity because he signed the picture. Beyond that I am clueless. He looks really creepy.

The food was fine. I had the pastor and chile relleno combination plate. The waitress recommended the pastor because the carnitas were too dry. The pastor was too dry so I can imagine the carnitas was like jerky. Also notice the puny dollop of sour cream on top of my lettuce. Looks like someone was getting lazy in the kitchen.

I won’t be returning here to eat again. The food was not bad ,but there are lots of places in Marin I like more for Mexican food. I didn’t hear anyone complain about their food and we all enjoyed each other’s company.

Cheesecake Factory:

I went to lunch with my Mom at the Cheesecake Factory in Marin. I had been eating so much over the past couple of days that I wanted to see if I could get a light lunch. It also had been a while since I stepped foot in a Cheesecake Factory and I wanted to relive that experience.

Cheesecake Factory is all about excess on a reasonable budget. A place where anyone can afford to have all the options in the world and then enough food for leftovers. This is why there menu resembles a spiral bound notebook one would use to take notes for a semester in college. The menu also features advertisements for things like Alberto Men’s Pants and Coca Cola. I don’t know of any other restaurants who run print advertisements in their menu’s. Cheesecake Factory may be onto something revolutionary here with the advertisements and I hope that it doesn’t catch on anywhere else. Also if anyone has seen Alberto Mens Pants in a store please let me know.

As far as my light lunch was concerned I got the Thai Lettuce Wraps. Cheesecake Factory offers “Weight Management” items on their menu which means the dish is less than 590 calories. My Lettuce Wraps were not a weight management item even though it was just lettuce, chicken, and some sauces. I enjoyed the Lettuce Wraps. The chicken was cooked just right and the three sauces were fun to alternate bites with. My plan for a light lunch was foiled by a case of heartburn once I got in the car to go home.

It was fun to go to Cheesecake Factory for lunch with my Mom. The food wasn’t bad and the conversation was good. I don’t know if I ventured into other areas of the menu if I would feel the same way and I don’t want to find out. I don’t like the idea of eating at a factory.

Marin Joe’s:

Marin Joe’s was not the type of restaurant I went to with my family growing up. It is a classic American chop house. The type of place you go for prime rib and a whiskey. The nail in the coffin for my family not going to Marin Joe’s was my Dad’s objection to the ten dollar hamburger. Keep in mind this was in the 90’s and most hamburgers in Marin didn’t cost that much. Funny that all these years later their hamburger is only $10.75.

It was late on Black Friday so the dinner options in Marin were few and far between. In my mind there was nowhere to go but Marin Joe’s. I ordered the dish you see in the second photo, the “Marin Joe’s Special”, consisting of hamburger, spinach, and eggs. I know that it sounds gross and it was. I figured if I was going to eat at Marin Joe’s I should order what they do best. With each bite I kept wondering when the flavor was going to kick in. Even the parmesan cheese they sprinkled on top got lost in the mush on my plate. I should have poured a bottle of hot sauce on top but Marin Joe’s is the type of place that only serves Tabasco.  The Joe’s Special is well known dish in the Bay Area but this was my first encounter and my last.

Walking into Marin Joe’s was a time warp. Nothing about the aesthetic, atmosphere, or cuisine is found in newly opened restaurants. As the baby boomers and their parents die off I wonder what the future holds for a place like Marin Joe’s. I can see myself making an annual pilgrimage but can’t see my generation filling the place every night. I just hope that with the success of a show like Mad Men we don’t get a Freeman’s version of the American Chop House. Some things should remain the way they are.

My first full day home and my Mom wanted to take me to a new Mexican restaurant, Marinitas, in San Anselmo. (Google: I am not going to give away my real address but the one you have listed is wrong.) Heidi Krahling, who also own’s Insalata’s, runs this upscale Mexican restaurant. She is definitely making her mark in the upper class dining circles of West Marin.

At home I always feel like I need to pull the trigger due to overeating, so I opted for a lighter entree, the Marinita’s salad. The salad consisted of butter lettuce, avocado, pumpkin seeds, grilled chicken, and a creamy lime vinaigrette. The salad was really good and I would order it again when I return. For dessert we had the pot de creme which was prepared just right. As long as the consistency of pot de creme is right you know the chocolate won’t let you down.

I hate always comparing things to La Esquina but that is what this salad reminded me of, as well as the decor. Marinitas was decorated like a brand new version of La Esquina’s downstairs. Neither restaurant’s decor feels organic which gives the experience’s a “gringo” feel. I don’t say this to deter anyone because Marinitas and La Esquina are both good at what they aim to do. I enjoy Mexican food in almost any form so I am sure I will return but it will be when I am with a group of people who don’t want the authentic experience of the taqueria down the street.