Andy’s Orchard is definitely “worth the trip” as is said in Europe of treasured restaurants and attractions. Andy’s Orchard is a small business: its fruit is artisanal, tree-ripened fruit grown, harvested, packaged and handled with special care right at the ranch. Andy Mariani grows numerous heirloom as well as modern varieties of stone fruits -- peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, cherries -- so there are many mouth-watering varieties available throughout the growing season. In the winter there are several varieties of persimmons available in the farm store as well as popular gift packs of nuts, dried fruits, and freshly made candies.

Andy’s Orchard is where one can buy much more than just the ubiquitous, nationwide, supermarket style white peach or yellow peach. This summer, I took a cooler packed full of Andy’s apricots, ‘Panamint’ nectarines, ‘Baby Crawford’ and ‘Silver Logan’ peaches, ‘Inca’ and ‘Green Gage’ plums to share with my Arizona neighbors who now expect me to make regular trips to supply them with Andy’s Orchard’s rare, gourmet treasures. As a California resident, I have similar responses. My California friends and former neighbors willingly make the trip to Morgan Hill to buy the best.

During winter months, Andy’s Orchard sugar plums, dried fruits, and holiday confections such as rocky road and chocolate covered Blenheim apricots are ideal for gifts. This is a time when the store looks especially festive and inviting.

Here are comments from journalists:
Gourmet’s fruit correspondent David Karp said of Andy Mariani, “He’s the only three-star fruit grower I know of. There’s nobody like him in the U.S.”
Locally, Sarah Ruby, staff writer for south Santa Clara Valley newspaper, The Pinnacle, wrote, “Andy Mariani’s Morgan Hill heirloom wonderland keeps fans nationwide drooling.”

Andy’s Orchard is located at 1615 Half Road in Morgan Hill, and is open all year. Visit his website www.andysorchard.com or call 408-782-7600 for available varieties and for business hours.

Reviewed by Nancy Goebner

Dittmer’s family owned and operated wurst-haus offers more than 100 specialty meat items, including sausages, smoked meats, fresh meats, and lunch meats. Some favorites include chicken spinach Parmesan sausage, German salami, paté de canard, and smoked turkey. For the more adventurous meat lover there is thuringer bratwurst, smoked liverwurst, and blood sausage. Dittmer’s also offers an interesting assortment of imported specialty items which will make a visit to this traditional delicatessen and meat market enjoyable even for the non-meat lovers in the family.

Reviewed by Susan Odell.

The Flea Street Café takes it name from the Spanish street on which it lives—Alameda de las Pulgas—avenue of the fleas. An inviting oasis of calm, easy comfort and delicious tastes on this busy neighborhood thoroughfare, the café has been offering a California bistro-style menu for over 22 years where seasonal changes reflect the freshest, local, and sustainably produced ingredients available. An outdoor deck area shaded by trees and market umbrellas adds an al fresco dining option to the serene and more intimate interior rooms. Whether the occasion is a romantic dinner for two, or a small business or family gathering, the ambiance invites diners to savor both the company and the cuisine. Executive Chef/Owner Jesse Cool is a pioneer in bringing fresh and locally grown ingredients, especially all manner of vegetables, to her guests’ table.

From your first friendly greeting, the service is thoughtful and unhurried, yet attentive. The à la carte menu offers choices for “little plates from the bar” and starters such as a delicious beet, arugula and pistachio-encrusted goat cheese salad; wild salmon and trout cakes; or seasonal soups. Entrée options can include a vegetarian portobello-mushroom and goat-cheese Wellington, grilled Niman Ranch meats (leg of lamb or pork chops), as well as locally harvested seafood and organic poultry. Then, there are the desserts—be sure to save room for one of these. Little plates and starters ($7 to $12), entrées ($17-30), and desserts ($7). The wine list offers excellent choices in all categories, including several organic labels.

Reviewed by Judee Humburg.

Our Slow Food South Bay convivium held its 2nd monthly dinner Tue, Nov, 14th in Redwood City on Broadway at the New Kapodokia (usually spelled as ‘Cappadocia ‘ by we in the U.S.; it’s an area in Central Turkey renowned for natural rock formations and subterranean cities) Fourteen of us (or thereabouts…I can only count up to 10 without help) assembled at one table and chose among appetizers such as eggplant salad, hummus, babaganus (Turkish spelling, I presume), a delightful red colored spread made of ground walnuts and other ingredients called Cevizli Ezmi, fried zucchini (also combined with other key ingredients that would take a more knowledgeable or inquisitive reporter to properly describe), dolmas (too pedestrian for any of our crowd to order) and sigara boregi (shaped, of course, like a cigar).

My sense is that most couples would have probably ordered one appetizer between them, in a normal setting, as the plates were certainly large enough to share, but as good, curious, semi-serious eaters, almost every individual ordered one appetizer, doing our convivium’s name proud, and each person then happily shared with neighbors. If you haven’t yet been to one of our dinners, please come, because it is a truly cordial, accepting, atmosphere . These monthly dinners are promising to be an important instrument in creating a feeling of community and purpose for our South Bay Slow Food group.

Entrees consisted of standard items like Shish Kebob, Stuffed Eggplant, chicken or Doner (a pressed meat recipe often seen in gyros) kebobs and some not so standard (a nice ravioli-like dish, with a garlic- yogurt dressing comes to mind) dishes. A flavored rice was the accompaniment to many of the dishes, but I don’t remember seeing any variety of vegetables or fish (not counting a shrimp scampi-like appetizer). Our extremely accommodating host, and the pleasant, knowledgeable waiter, described Turkish cuisine as the worlds 3rd most varied, behind only French and Chinese. The reason for this is the vast multi-cultural heritage of the Ottoman Empire and the strategic trading position of Turkey at crossroads of three continents.

The flavors of the appetizers I tasted (and because of the generosity of my neighbors, I tasted almost everything) rather shone, a step up in freshness, and cooking skill, from the same dishes served at restaurants geared to faster eating. There is a website for New Kapadokia, and it’s simply www.newkapadokia.com, and a menu search on that site will reveal all the details you hoped for in this report and failed to find.

At this dinner, we missed our leader, Randy Robinson, due to demands at his own café, Vino Locale, so Chris Holt stepped in, helping the proprietor organize such items as separate checks for individual parties and the next monthly dinner, which will most likely happen in January due to the demands of the holidays on most of us.

With time, some names are becoming familiar, and it’s fun to watch our group getting to know each other. As Chris conducted a very brief, round-the-table self-introduction session, I think the impression was that a lot of knowledge and talent resides in our convivium and there’s almost no question it would be fun to both share and benefit from that talent. That will undoubtedly come in time as we grow more comfortable with each other. With such a strong interest in good, healthy, well prepared food, it will be almost impossible to deter a cohesiveness that will come from our common bond.

Nobody left hungry, or disappointed, so please keep your eyes peeled for the next invite to your Slow Food South Bay monthly dinner. Without your participation, it’s that much less of an event.

Review by Marty Pulvers

Sicilia In Bocca is tiny, but it feels like Chef Toto’s home, a place to bring dates or children. Brightly colored tiles clash pleasantly with matronly floral print curtains. The service is informal, but warm—you're waved to a table, but then promptly greeted with a complementary bruschetta. The first impression is promising, with large chunks of fresh tomato, basil, and just the right amount of garlic.

The menu isn’t long, but it takes time. There are so many delightful surprises—you pause and wonder where you are. Live lobster in Morgan Hill? Every dish—even veal—is under $20. When the server begins to sing to himself while arranging menus, his baritone voice fills the room and the illusion of being abroad is complete.

The Sicilian salad is a bounty of fresh spinach, anchovies, oranges, and rich black olives. Pounded fresh to order, the veal saltimbocca is creamy and tender in a sauce that is a perfect balance of thick, meaty broth and wine. The house-made pansotti has a light chicken- herb filling surrounded by thin, toothsome pasta.

A short wine list covers a respectable range. Italian gems include Vermentino and Brunello di Montalcino. Rustic Nero d'Avola pairs well with the tart, fresh tomato sauces that are typical of Sicily. Guglielmo winery, less than a mile from the restaurant, supplies most of the Californian wines on the list, including the final surprise glass of port you’re invited to linger over.

Reviewed by Molly Fleming.