Restaurant and Food Guide
Food scene
This is a great place for veggie burgers and fries, and other great American bistro icons. It has a surprisingly spacious and airy inside with big windows and vines climbing them. Best of all, you can stroll home! It’s two, residential, hilly, tree-lined blocks away. It makes for a pretty little walk to enjoy that blissful all-is-good-in-the-world, pint-and-burger satisfaction.
Smokey Oaks Tavern
9634 Fair Oaks BlvdThis is a great place for veggie burgers and fries, and other great American bistro icons. It has a surprisingly spacious and airy inside with big windows and vines climbing them. Best of all, you can stroll home! It’s two, residential, hilly, tree-lined blocks away. It makes for a pretty little walk to enjoy that blissful all-is-good-in-the-world, pint-and-burger satisfaction.
Personally, I love a good spicy curry with a side of jasmine rice. It’s my soul food. And paired with a glass of white wine it cannot be beat, in my humble opinion. My daughter the Picky Eater, can be relied on to eat her chicken satay happily so this is a favorite. Another bonus, it’s a neighborhood walk! Enjoy the evening and return home via Magnolia Ave. You can turn left on Orangewood, right on Deborah, and get back on New York to get to Mount Diablo Court. I like this little variant because you walk past an enormous fruiting cactus! An exotic sight on a bucolic walk. I’ve also spotted a little red fox coming home this way one night. And that’s just cute!
Siam Patio Thai Cuisine
9830 Fair Oaks BlvdPersonally, I love a good spicy curry with a side of jasmine rice. It’s my soul food. And paired with a glass of white wine it cannot be beat, in my humble opinion. My daughter the Picky Eater, can be relied on to eat her chicken satay happily so this is a favorite. Another bonus, it’s a neighborhood walk! Enjoy the evening and return home via Magnolia Ave. You can turn left on Orangewood, right on Deborah, and get back on New York to get to Mount Diablo Court. I like this little variant because you walk past an enormous fruiting cactus! An exotic sight on a bucolic walk. I’ve also spotted a little red fox coming home this way one night. And that’s just cute!
This is a great place for a celebration. It’s on a hill, with big windows and comfy spacious booths, and the food is fresh and good. They serve all the Mexican favorites and a range of cocktails and margaritas. I like the ceviche and the fish tacos best. They serve churros for dessert so really, can you ask for more?
This is another restaurant that you can walk to from my place using mostly residential tree-lined roads. It’s under 20 minutes and you’ll likely see feral chickens hanging out in front. A sure sign you’ve crossed Sunrise Blvd. into old Fair Oaks Village.
14 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Carmelita's Mexican Restaurant
4071 Howard StThis is a great place for a celebration. It’s on a hill, with big windows and comfy spacious booths, and the food is fresh and good. They serve all the Mexican favorites and a range of cocktails and margaritas. I like the ceviche and the fish tacos best. They serve churros for dessert so really, can you ask for more?
This is another restaurant that you can walk to from my place using mostly residential tree-lined roads. It’s under 20 minutes and you’ll likely see feral chickens hanging out in front. A sure sign you’ve crossed Sunrise Blvd. into old Fair Oaks Village.
For French desserts, coffee and brunch O Cafe is the spot. It’s in the main drag in Old Fair Oaks and feels like you’ve stepped into another simpler time. Get stuffed on buckwheat crepes then stroll down to the plaza park and soak up some sun. The chickens walk around free and easy here. It feels like a village and offers instant decompression from modern life.
7 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
O Cafe Bakery Bistro
10131 Fair Oaks BlvdFor French desserts, coffee and brunch O Cafe is the spot. It’s in the main drag in Old Fair Oaks and feels like you’ve stepped into another simpler time. Get stuffed on buckwheat crepes then stroll down to the plaza park and soak up some sun. The chickens walk around free and easy here. It feels like a village and offers instant decompression from modern life.
For authentic Japanese drive 10 minutes to Yui Marlu. It’s a hole-in-the-wall mom n’ pop, its got the requisite waving cats and painted silk art, it’s not super fast, but the food is consistently good. The noodles, dumplings and agadashi tofu are a hit with my picky-eating-daughter. Having a taste for citrus, the Heather roll is my favorite here. The lemon slices atop the Heather are paper thin only the way a veteran sushi chef (and Yui Marlu owner) could produce. Once you taste the difference you won’t accept substitutions.
Yui Marlu
6720 Madison AveFor authentic Japanese drive 10 minutes to Yui Marlu. It’s a hole-in-the-wall mom n’ pop, its got the requisite waving cats and painted silk art, it’s not super fast, but the food is consistently good. The noodles, dumplings and agadashi tofu are a hit with my picky-eating-daughter. Having a taste for citrus, the Heather roll is my favorite here. The lemon slices atop the Heather are paper thin only the way a veteran sushi chef (and Yui Marlu owner) could produce. Once you taste the difference you won’t accept substitutions.