Try some sandwich platters from Subway

We’re getting close! Are you ready?  Let us give you a hand.

Snacks: CVS has everything you could possibly need for game snacks – sweet or salty – and drinks. Don’t forget the paper plates, napkins and silverware. It’s all here.

Dinner: It’s going to be a long afternoon and you want to be prepared. Check out Don Pancho’s for catering trays of your favorite Mexican dishes. Don Pancho’s is located at 285 N McDowell Blvd. Phone: 775-2474

Or how about grabbing a pile of hamburgers and fries from Burger King? Did you know that they will be giving out free onion rings during superbowl weekend? Visit The Plaza North Burger King located at 211 N. McDowell for more details. Phone: 765-0240

Did you know that a large Old Chicago pizza weighs 5 pounds without the toppings? Yummy for Superbowl Sunday!

Subway Sandwiches has a fantastic catering menu – including sandwich platters and giant subs.  February is also Subway’s FebruANY month, so all foot longs are only $5 each. The Plaza North Subway is located at 221 N. McDowell. Phone: 765-0240

Pizza Lovers will want to belly up to Old Chicago Pizza – and you don’t even need to leave your house – they deliver! Add in some fresh Old Chicago cookies and salads, and you have it made. Old Chicago Pizza Takeout and Delivery is located at 203 N. McDowell. Phone: 766-8600

Dessert? Not a problem. Brain Freeze Frozen Yogurt has you covered. Grab a couple of cartons of frozen yogurt and some favorite toppings and enjoy your own private frozen yogurt party at home. Brain Freeze is located at 231-B North McDowell Blvd. Phone: 789-9813.

Wait – you can’t watch the game because you don’t have a TV? Not to worry! Kmart has plenty of them! Come on down and get yours!

May the best team win!

In a Dragon year, everything is magnified tenfold. And after the rather meat-and-potatoes Metal Rabbit year we just lived through in 2011, we are in for the ride of our lives. Commotion, turmoil and general hullabaloo will characterize the Dragon year ahead. As of January 23, 2012, better get ready to rock and roll — or else crawl under a rock until it’s over. Chinese New Year Astrology

Are you ready for some “general hullabaloo”? We are! The Year of the Dragon is kicking off in the next few days – hold onto your seats!

Why not start celebrating with some truly outstanding Chinese food? And where better than at Hunan Village, right here in The Plaza North.

Savvy diners have already discovered Hunan Village – delicious, well prepared food, great staff, and a beautiful, calm setting .

Here’s what they’re saying:

Best tasting chow mein in Petaluma- just like my childhood days in San Francisco Chinatown.  Friendly staff too. G. “Gilligan” W.

Second time return for togo. Love the food I ordered. I love spicy food and they made it spicy the way I like. Soup still hot when I got home. Price is decent and very generous portion. Will definitely return again or order for delivery. Strongly recommend this place for anyone who likes Chinese food. MK B.

love it, love it….no need to say more when you got the right food you ordered everytime. Will put this place on one of my favorite place for togo or dine in. Strongly recommended this place for Chinese food lover.  Price is right, too.  Miranda W.

Celebrating the New Year at home? No problem! Hunan Village does takeout.

Here’s the Hunan Village Menu.

Hunan Village is located at 295 North McDowell Boulevard (next door to CVS). Phone: (707) 763-7156

Let’s start at Afendi’s Turkish Grill, where you can find the Wedding Dress Soup – a hearty red lentil soup perfect for these winter days.  Ask for some of Afendi’s signature home baked bread to make your meal complete. Afendi’s is located at 299 N. McDowell Boulevard (between Bank of the West and CVS). Phone: (707) 763-1998

At Hunan Village, soup is on the menu year round.  At last count, Hunan’s menu included 14 different soups. Ranging from familiar favorites such as Won Ton Soup and Hot and Sour soup, Hunan also features noodle soups, beef soups and seafood and chicken soups. Hunan Village is located at 295 N. McDowell Boulevard.  Phone  (707) 763-7156

Don Pancho’s has a hearty soup menu of its own.  Served in deep bowls filled with meat, fish or chicken, these flavorful Mexican soups warm the stomach and the soul. Don Pancho’s is located at 285 North McDowell Boulevard (between CVS and Kmart)  Phone: (707) 775-2474.

At Fuji, the Japanese Miso soup is delicately flavored and delicious. Eat in or take some home for a fragrant meal. Fuji is located at 255 N McDowell Blvd (between Kmart and Hobbytown). Phone: (707) 778-8600.

For quick soup on the go, try Subway.  Every day the soup menu changes for a fresh and interesting variety. Subway is located at 221 N. McDowell, near Starbucks. Phone:  (707) 765-0240.

Every meal at Afendi's starts with a complimentary glass of Turkish tea

Every meal at Afendi’s Turkish Grill starts with a glass of hot tea.

But this is not your ordinary cup of tea. Imported from Turkey and fresh brewed at the restaurant, tea at Afendi’s signals the beginning of a magical and delicious escape from the world outside.

Here’s what happens: You enter the restaurant and remove your coat. You sit down and get yourself comfortable. Soon after, the tea arrives in delicate gold rimmed glasses with matching saucers. After adjusting the cup you carefully drop the sugar cube into the hot liquid. Then stir gently with the small Turkish teaspoon until the sugar melts.

The first sip. Then a sigh of relief. Real sugar, real tea, real dishes. Amazing what this small ritual can do. It immediately removes the diner from everything that has happened up to that moment.  All cares are left at the front door, all worries are calmed. Nothing exists except the hot sweet tea and beautiful relaxing world you have just entered.

Chef and Owner Serdar “Joe” Besir pulling some freshly baked bread out of the oven

Afendi’s Turkish Grill is the creation of Serdar “Joe” Besir, a master chef who has 30 plus years of experience cooking in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Germany, New York, and now – Petaluma.  Afendi’s is not just a labor of love for Joe in the kitchen, but also an opportunity for Joe and his staff to showcase their legendary hospitality. Guests are treated well and attentively, and often Joe will come directly out of the kitchen to visit diners and to see how the meal is going.

Both elegant and comfortable, diners can choose from tables and chairs or banquette seating. There is a sense of privacy for the diners and we have found that Afendi’s is a good place for quiet relaxed conversation. Middle Eastern music plays in the background and adds to the pleasant, relaxed atmosphere

It's hard to go wrong with Afendi's Chicken and Rice

The two biggest roadblocks to trying a new restaurant – especially one that has an unfamiliar cuisine are usually:

1) “what am I going to order?”

2) “what if I don’t like it?”

These are valid concerns. At Afendi’s, the descriptive menu and helpful staff makes it easy to put together a pleasing meal, even for a first timer.  Are you a chicken lover? There are at least five different chicken dishes, including a chicken pot pie and chicken kabobs with rice.

Meat lovers will find plenty to enjoy at Afendi’s. In addition to chicken, diners can also try the lamb and beef or go for all three at once and order the mixed grill. Additionally, the Turkish food at Afendi’s is not particularly spicy unless clearly indicated.

The Kanafe comes to the table warm in its own pan

Afendi’s also has plenty of choices for non-meat eaters, including the salads, vegetable pies and our personal favorite, the Special Combination Appetizer Plate, which features an assortment of  Middle Eastern favorites, including homemade hummus and dolmas. Served with Joe’s signature homemade bread, it is a complete meal in itself, usually with leftovers to take home.

On our latest visit to Afendi’s, we tried the Kanafe. This melted cheese dessert arrives warm from the kitchen in its own pan. Sweet, thick, and slightly chewy, we couldn’t stop eating it, even while protesting that we were already too full for one more bite!

Afendi’s is located at 299 N. McDowell Boulevard (between Bank of the West and CVS). Phone: (707) 763-1998

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Here's the Fuji Express Lunch Bento

Fuji Japanese Restaurant has just rolled out their $7.95 Express Bento Lunch

The Bento Box includes 4 pieces of California roll, chicken teriyaki, soup, salad and Rice.

This special is available at lunch only!

Fuji is located in The Plaza North at 255 N McDowell Blvd (between Kmart and Hobbytown). Phone: (707) 778-8600.

Starbucks makes for the perfect gift.

Gift cards can be easily mailed in a Christmas card or stuffed in a stocking.

For a great hostess gift, how about grabbing a couple of pounds of some of their famous Christmas blend?   Or a box or bag of their other beverage choices?  Throw in a mug or some brewing equipment and you’re good to go.

Check out the Starbucks Christmas 2011 website for merchandise sale dates.

The Plaza North Starbucks is located at 205 N. McDowell Blvd. Phone (707) 763-2741. Come by, get a hot drink, and sit for awhile in the fireplace lounge.

Yummy!

OK.  The oven is full of turkeys, potatoes, stuffing, side dishes and pies.  Plus you’re exhausted!

Let Old Chicago Pizza in The Plaza North handle dinner this week.  They deliver, so you don’t even need to leave the house – the food comes right to your door.  Check out the Old Chicago online menu for inspiration. Don’t forget that Old Chicago also has salads and fresh cookies.

Here’s a coupon from Valpak to sweeten the deal.

Old Chicago Pizza and Delivery is located at 203 N. McDowell (next door to Starbucks). Phone (707) 766-8600

Old Chicago's vegetarian pizza - fresh ingredients cooked to perfection

Every year the Petaluma Chamber of Commerce brings a select group of local business leaders together for a 10 month leadership course.  Once a month they meet for a full day and explore community topics such as agriculture, education, the arts, public safety and so on.

October’s leadership meeting was at the Petaluma Recreation Center on North McDowell.

We were honored to be asked to provide lunch for the event and thought that our Old Chicago Pizza would be the perfect fit.

Owner Dave Weinstock and his staff prepared vegetarian, sausage and pesto chicken pizzas, green salad and a delicious variety of their signature hot cookies.

The verdict from the Petaluma Leadership class? Delicious!

Try out Old Chicago Pizza for yourself and see – ideal for the cool winter evenings ahead.

Old Chicago Pizza and Delivery is located at 203 N. McDowell (next door to Starbucks). Phone (707) 766-8600.

Fajitas come to the table sizzling!

Don Pancho’s has been a Plaza North and Petaluma fixture for the last ten years. This family owned and operated restaurant offers the best of Mexican food with pricing that’s affordable for every budget.

At The Plaza North, we have had many staff lunches at Don Pancho’s.  We can get six or seven of us in one of the deep booths and for bigger events, we have shoved several tables together.  There are also smaller, more intimate booths alongside the wall facing the open kitchen.

Meals at Don Pancho’s start with their signature chips and green and red salsas. Drinks come in tall glasses and are the perfect compliment to the irresistible tortilla chips. The trick is to stop eating the chips and salsa long enough to order food!  For a preview of the great dishes available, here is the Don Pancho Menu. There is truly something for everyone – Don Pancho’s even has a children’s menu, so the whole family can enjoy a meal out together.

Don Pancho's piles the plates high!

This last time, Daphne ordered her favorite dish of the moment, the tostada de mariscos.  A crisp tostada is piled high with seafood and avocado slices and at under $5, it’s a delicious bargain and good for a smallish appetite.  Amy ordered the beef fajita – which arrives sizzling hot on its own platter, along with flour tortillas and a separate plate piled high with beans, rice, green salad, sour cream, and guacamole. There was enough for her lunch and she shared the rest for dinner with her grown son.  A Don Pancho’s regular burrito is big enough for two and their largest burrito – the muy macho burrito – could possibly feed a small army!  Other staff favorites include the steak tacos, hamburgers from the Don Pancho’s Specialty Burger Menu,  quesadillas with shrimp, and huevas rancheros.  I tend to drift seasonally, ordering the taco salad or the seafood tostada in warmer weather and the beef soup in the winter.

It doesn't get any fresher than this!

When Amy and Daphne were at Don Pancho’s last week, we were treated to the world premier of Don Pancho’s new dessert, the Capalina Sundae.  A scoop of vanilla ice cream in a deep fried flour tortilla, with your choice of fudge, strawberry or caramel syrup.  If that wasn’t enough, two dollops of cinnamon dusted whipped cream surround the ice cream and tortilla.  Delicious!  Don Pancho’s is putting together a new menu, and the Capalina Sundae will be making its official appearance in September.

Don Pancho’s also has a full bar.

Don Pancho’s is located at 285 North McDowell Boulevard (between CVS and Kmart)  Phone: (707) 775-2474.