Illustrations by Ben Engle
Pleasanton isn’t a fly-fishing destination per se. It’s more of a starting point for most folks headed to the Sierras or Cascades or even on a further expedition. Every year, the folks from the fly-fishing world in California, Oregon, and elsewhere travel to Pleasanton for The Fly Fishing Show, where Pleasanton becomes a fly-fishing destination.
In all my travels around the world in my 54 years, I haven’t found a more diverse selection of eateries than in and around Pleasanton. Often, we’ve found these places by word of mouth; friends and family lead you to great places to eat. Sometimes it is just by chance that you stumble into a joint that becomes an all-time favorite of yours. Pleasanton is that spot for us.
TRI-VALLEY BISTRO – $$
519 MAIN STREET
PLEASANTON
925-523-3815
Open: Tuesday – Friday from 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday open from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Owner Erdal Akdeniz and executive chef Kursat Akdeniz have this joint hopping with great food. I wouldn’t quite call this an Italian eatery; it is a fusion of all different varieties of food. Whatever you like to call it, it’s a winner.
Kirsten and I found this place after a long day at The Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton. We had made no reservations, and we couldn’t find a place to eat. We were walking on Main Street, and I looked at Kirsten and said, “Chick-fil-A?” Kirsten pointed at a little bistro, and I walked in to see if they had a table for two. They did. It had to be cleared, but we had a table. It was meant to be.
We ordered a couple of drinks and we started with an appetizer: the arancini, deep-fried risotto balls stuffed with mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes, with a sprinkle of balsamic reduction over them. They were super.
For dinner I ordered a grilled rack of lamb, and Kirsten had the grilled prime-cut ribeye steak. I guess we both were starving. These entrées didn’t fail us. My lamb was spot on. Herb-crusted, with a pomegranate reduction sauce served with sauteed seasonal veggies and a nice hot baked potato loaded with everything. Kirsten’s steak had an excellent herb gorgonzola butter sauce served with the same fresh seasonal veggies and a loaded baked potato. I hate to say this, but Kirsten’s baked potato dinner was my lunch at the show the next day.
For dessert, we had the salted caramel cheesecake. It was creamy, sweet, and salty—almost like kettle corn with a creamy cheesecake center. It was the bomb!
HAP’S ORIGINAL – $$
122 WEST NEAL STREET
PLEASANTON
925-600-9200
Open: Sunday – Monday, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Tuesday – Saturday, 5:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Every year, Kirsten and I try to go out to dinner on Thursday night before the Fly Fishing Show. Thursday is when all the exhibitors get to the show and set up their booths. We talk to folks we haven’t seen in a while and basically try to relax. Usually, we have dinner reservations at Barone’s, but since they retired and closed their doors, we had to find a new first-show-night dinner spot.
Last year, we picked Hap’s. We picked right. It was an elegant, relaxing, quiet atmosphere. We always need a night like that to diminish the stress of travel and setup.
The dinner at Hap’s was amazing. We started with an appetizer: a prawn cocktail. It was four huge prawns hooked on a large goblet with Hap’s homemade cocktail sauce adding a nice garlic and horseradish bite. Kirsten and I both ordered the Iceberg Wedge Salad, which came out cold iceberg wedge with creamy and chunky Point Reyes Blue Cheese dressing that you try to soak up with every bite of the salad. You know it’s great when you cut the salad with a steak knife with a crisp cut.
For the entrées, I ordered the sesame crusted ahi tuna with ginger Aioli served with fresh seasonal veggies. Kirsten had the center filet mignon (medium rare) with a baked potato and fresh seasonal greens. I have had tuna all over the West Coast, including Mexico, and this was fantastic—my favorite ever. Cook perfectly matched with the ginger Aioli sauce, it was a pleasure just to be able to put it into my mouth. Kirsten never complained about her meal. She was too busy enjoying it. She loved it so much that I didn’t get the leftovers. I did have a bit of the filet, and it was great.
I hate even to admit this, but we shoveled down dessert as well. We ordered one of Kirsten’s favorites, New York-style vanilla cheesecake with mixed fresh berries and a berry coulis. It was refreshing, rich, and creamy, and you had to roll me to our car afterward. Our reservation for this year’s show will be made soon.
ANDY & YU’S – $$
348 ST. MARY STREET
PLEASANTON
925-750-8888
Open: Monday – Thursday and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Friday – Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Kirsten and I make it a point to make it to Andy & Yu’s every time we are in the Pleasanton area. Years ago, we were introduced to this eatery by Kirsten’s brother, Kevin, and his wife, Rachel. Ever since then, well, I’ve made a point to go there. I even visited during my stint at the Santa Maria Correctional Facility when we (the Butte County Sheriff’s Office) evacuated the Butte County Jail inmates to the Santa Maria facility during the Oroville Lake Spillway incident in 2017.
My last time at Andy & Yu’s was during The Fly Fishing Show last year and it didn’t disappoint. This time, Kirsten and I invited Brian and Terresa Adams to join us for dinner, and we had a ball.
To order, Kirsten and I recommended Andy & Yu’s Family Dinner. The dinner comes family-style with an appetizer, soup, and one choice of entrée per person. For appetizers we had pork potstickers, cream cheese Rangoon, and vegetable egg rolls, plus either wonton or hot and sour soup. Brian ordered the crispy chicken Peking spareribs, I ordered the General Tsou’s chicken, Kirsten ordered beef and broccoli, and Terresa ordered the lamb in Mongolian curry sauce.
Every portion of the meal was delicious and cooked wonderfully. Terresa and I commented that their soy sauce was terrific. When we asked the waiter, he said it was “just the normal stuff.” Later, I emailed the manager and asked. She responded that it was Kikkoman Soy Sauce (regular, not low sodium), and the trick is to keep the soy sauce cold for the best flavor.
NONNI’S BISTRO – $$
425 MAIN STREET
PLEASANTON
925-600-0411
Open Sunday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Friday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Open daily for dinner 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Nonni’s is a small, quaint, upscale eatery with top-notch food. At this very creative bistro, the textured dishes work together perfectly.
Kirsten and I always wanted to try Nonni’s, but every time we tried to make reservations they were always full. This is a good problem to have. Last year, we had dinner with Bob and Jean Fujimura. Bob and Jean beat us to the restaurant, and we sat right up in the front window so we could people-watch while folks walked up and down Main Street.
It was a cool night, and Bob and Kirsten ordered soup. Bob got the french onion soup, and Kirsten ordered the soup of the day, which was cream of carrot. I was fascinated with Kirsten’s choice. When the soup came, I had a couple of spoonfuls and, to my surprise, it was creamy, buttery, and delicious. It tasted like butternut squash.
For our entrée I ordered the grilled barramundi (a.k.a. Asian sea bass) with a red pepper puree, fingerling potatoes with cucumber relish, and fresh vegetables. Kirsten had the bistro steak salad with grilled flat iron steak, fresh greens, tomatoes, feta cheese, and onion relish. Bob had the cobb salad with fresh greens, roast turkey, tomatoes, bacon, eggs, blue cheese, and avocado. Jean had the grilled fresh salmon salad. The salmon is served on a bed of fresh greens, onions, hard-boiled egg, capers, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and basil vinaigrette. Every last detail when it came to our food was wonderful. Chef Jon Magnusson even came out and asked us how the meal was. He is a very nice man, and his taste buds are spot on.
JIM’S COUNTRY STYLE RESTAURANT– $$
5400 SUNOL BLVD STE #1
PLEASANTON
925-426-7019
Open: Monday – Sunday 6:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
If you walked in and sat down at Jim’s and started talking to folks and ordering your food, you would feel that you were in any mom-and-pop breakfast-and-lunch joint in the United States. The folks are down home, and the food is great.
I have to admit I have only been here for breakfast, not lunch. I have heard that their lunch is just as good as their breakfast. Kirsten and I try to plan our trips around stopping at Jim’s for breakfast if we are heading to Santa Cruz or even farther south down Highway 101.
Most folks name their omelets after Lassen, Shasta, or Denver, but not this place. Their names are for folks they know, like Doug, Sue, and Dina. I love it. It reminds me of Kirsten’s favorite omelet, Mary, named for a waitress who worked at Carol’s in Prattville.
I ordered the Genevieve Omelette the last time I was at Jim’s. I have been eyeing it for the last couple of trips. The Genevieve is an omelet that has onions, chicken fried steak chunks, and cheddar cheese on the inside. It is smothered with Jim’s homemade country sausage gravy and served with your choice of home potatoes or hash browns (I had the hash browns). It’s a true cardiologist’s nightmare of a breakfast. It was fantastic, like a chicken fried steak and egg breakfast all in one. Great idea! Kirsten ordered the Dustin Omelette which has bacon, onions, tomatoes, avocado, and jack cheese. She loved it. I liked it, too, when I ate it later in our hotel room in Pleasanton for a midday snack.
Jim’s is always busy, but it is worth the wait.
OYO RESTAURANT AND JIVE BAR – $$
680 MAIN STREET
PLEASANTON
925-249-5936
Open Sunday – Wednesday 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Kirsten and I have always been the type of folks who love to try new experiences: fishing, travel, drinks, and of course, food. Expanding our taste buds, or palette, has always been at the top of our list. We love good food. I love it a little too much!
Oyo was recommended to us by one of the hotel workers at the DoubleTree at Pleasanton a couple of years ago. We have fallen in love with their Guyanese cuisine, which is infused with Caribbean, Eastern Asian, and South American influences.
The first time Kirsten and I were there, we asked the waiter what he would recommend for folks like us. Kirsten doesn’t like hot and spicy food; as for me, I am like my lab Ruger: I will eat anything once. The waiter recommended to Kirsten the tropical salad of bibb lettuce, red oak, jackfruit, mango, avocado, green olives, papaya, and watermelon radish with a toasted coconut-lime dressing. Kirsten added the option of jerked shrimp. For me, the waiter thought long and hard. (I got scared for a minute.) He finally pointed to this item on the menu: the calypso ceviche. Ceviche is one of Kirsten’s favorites at Elenita’s Restaurant in Willows, CA. Oyo’s ceviche comes with scallops, shrimp, swordfish, octopus, citrus juice, tomato, scotch bonnet pepper, bamboo shoots, Bermuda onion, and honey and is served with plantain chips.
Kirsten and I shared our meals and loved Oyo’s food. We have been back many times to explore Oyo’s menu. Hats off to the owner, chef, Maurice Dissels, and his wonderful staff.
