Noci Gelato, Dessert, Mill Valley
May 28, 2016
P:
Sweet cream and black cherry
J:
Milk chocolate and salted almond
Notes:
Where do you go on a hot, sunny day in Mill Valley? Plenty of places, I'm sure, but we stumbled across this gelato place and had to give it a try.
The first time I ever had gelato, I was in Italy with my family. It was very warm, we were there in late spring, I believe, and we came across an ice cream a gelato shop. I was drawn to the hazelnut flavor, nocciola, over a more familiar one like chocolate or vanilla; perhaps I liked the challenge of a foreign word, or maybe I had Nutella in mind at the time, who knows. But, when I took that first bite, ice cream frozen dessert as I knew it changed forever. This was richer, creamier, and more full-flavored than any ice cream I'd ever had - and I knew good ice cream - I grew up eating fresh strawberry ice cream right out of the churn during hot Kansas summers. After returning from Italy, I was on a mission to find gelato, but couldn't. It wasn't until I moved to California about 10 years (?) later that I found anything that came close (at Gelateria Naia).
Surprisingly, gelato is actually less rich in fat than ice cream. It uses more milk than cream, but it's churned at a slower speed resulting in a less airy, more dense texture. Because it's lower in fat, it's served at a warmer temperature, ready to melt in your mouth. When it does, the flavor is more intense, since there's less butterfat to coat your palate and interfere with your taster. Don't get me wrong, ice cream is still an amazing thing, but gelato can beat it at its own game.
Except this stuff at Noci; I was pretty disappointed with this place. They did not have hazelnut flavor (WHA?!), so I settled for salted almond (which sounded perfectly delicious) and milk chocolate. The salted almond had an unpleasant, grainy texture and no discernible salt or almond flavor; the milk chocolate tasted like frozen chocolate milk, lacking body and richness. Patrick's choices were more successful; both the sweet cream and black cherry had a nice flavor and texture, though in my view, it still didn't compare to what I know it can be. And surprise, it was expensive.
Next time we're in Mill Valley on a beautiful, hot, sunny day, we'll probably try to find an ice cream shop (or..?) before we'd come back here.
Joe's Taco Lounge, Lunch, Mill Valley
May 28, 2016
P:
GRILLED CHICKEN w/ spicy chipotle salsa, lettuce, cilantro & onions
AGUA FRESCA, strawberry
J:
MARINATED GRILLED FISH Pacific snapper w/ salsa fresca, habanero mayo, cabbage & lime
Notes:
We decided to spend a day wandering around Mill Valley, and came across this taco joint on our way into town. "Fish Tacos" was painted on the front window, and that was enough for me.* Joe's is a curious little place with bottles of hot sauce and religious paraphernalia lining the walls, little faux-crystal chandeliers, colorful plasticized table cloths and a horseshoe-shaped bar in the center where the cashier greets all who enter.
There was only one choice for fish tacos, and I took it. They were surprisingly good. I love fish tacos, but for some reason I haven't found any in California worth talking about, until these. The grilled fish was heavily seasoned, moist and flaky topped with just enough chopped cabbage and finished with salsa and a nice drizzle of spicy mayo. We're talkin' taco harmony - hot and cold, tender and crunchy, light yet filling. Okay, this wasn't the best fish taco I've ever had, but it's pretty good for what I've had in California, so far.
Patrick was less pleased. The grilled chicken was heavy on the char and overbearing. The salsa was watery and caused the tortillas to fall apart in his hands. The chipotle salsa was nice, but couldn't save the day given everything else.
It's hard to say whether we'd go back since we don't find ourselves in Mill Valley very often. but if we did, and I had a fish taco craving, this would be the place (and Patrick would happily order something different).
*Fish tacos were a thing in Austin, or at least, that was where I first heard of them; and I thought it sounded like one of the worst ideas, ever. To me, tacos were crispy shells with seasoned ground beef; taco night at our house when I was a kid was a special time, and that's all I knew - crispy shells and seasoned ground beef. And fish, well that was something you ate fried or broiled and with steamed broccoli. It took me years before I would even try a fish taco. But once I did (I think with the very same friend who got me to try cilantro - which I also love), I was hooked. Grilled (not fried), seasoned fish in soft corn tortillas with some sort of crispy cabbage slaw and spicy condiment - there are endless options, and I like it all kinds of ways. It is one of my absolute favorite things. I feel like I say that often, but it's always true when I do.
