I am always learning protocol when doing reviews, and how some owners want my reviews to work, but what I don’t understand is why an owner would be controlling in what I can and can not sample. What they don’t get is the more menu items I try the more I can write about. So it would make sense that I should always be served their most popular dishes… Right! In the case of Mary’s Home Plate Café, Mary forgot to offer me what most people drive long distance for, their hamburger and milkshake. Hence I never got to sample and talk about their most ordered items…boo hoo!
But I was able to sample a few dishes, here’s what I tried:
Pulled Pork Sandwich, Veggie Burger, Fish and Chips.
Tri Tip sandwich, Lentil Soup and Onion Rings.
I would recommend the fish and chips and the pulled pork sandwich, everything else was marginal.
The fish and chips are moist and better fried very crisp with lots of great flavor, but above all not greasy!
The pulled pork has a nice tangy BBQ sauce cooked in it and its very meaty and tender, a really good choice.
I was not given any real history of the place, other then Mary lived close by and when the place became available she bought it and has had a successful breakfast lunch and dinner spot ever since.
I met 2 different gentlemen at two different tables, both in the wine industry. They both told me that this was their go place for a great inexpensive burger. With all of the upscale eating places there are not many that can offer home cooked hamburger stand type food at affordable prices.
So even though I did not try their burger or milk shake, from looking at the customers faces eating them at the time, this is what I would recommend. However don’t be upset if you don’t like these recommendations, these items never touched my palate, but they looked pretty darn great.
Home Plate Café
2448 Foothill Blvd.
Calistoga, CA 94515
707-942-5646
http://maryshomeplate.com/
