Frugal Foodie

Food is one of those things that I *always* have money for. Those cute little asterisks? I'll only spend money that I don't have on really yummy food.

You know, for celebrations and the such, I can't think of a better way to hang out, catch up, and get your grub on than hitting up a fancy joint and paying a $600 bill. Seriously. But if I can't afford The Melting Pot, or Pasha's or TJ's Matini Bar, or just don't have an excuse to go, here's my favorite spots to chow down in Marin, for under $10.

1. Ping's (San Rafael, near Office Depot). Absoulutely de-lish Chinese food. And their lunch specials give you a massive amount of food (I'm talking roll-me-out-the-door-I'm-so-damn-full, plus leftovers), which was of course the best when I was preggo and needed to eat every hour or so. It's especially good if you catch it on the right day, Fridays, I think, and you get those little crab puff things and hot and sour soup. Yum! Also, unlike a lot of Chinese places, you can get rice or chow mein with your food. Plus, the waiters are always super-nice, and the food is fast, perfect for lunch breaks.

2. Sonoma Taco (Terra Linda, near Safeway). I love this place. Not only is the food healthy, they give you a good portion without making you feel too full, perfect if you're not trying to pack on the pounds. The tortas are so FN good, I'd sell my soul for a lifetime supply ... actually, pretty much everything is damn delactable. And I love the salsa bar so much I could make a meal out of just that. Only downside, some of the cooks are ... creepy. But they have Jarritos, which only sucks if you try to bring it back to work un-opened, and don't have a bottle opened. Oops.

3. Jhan Thong (Northgate mall). Okay, so I know, mall food? But this place is Thai, and it's close to the best I've had. The lunch special gives you three choices, and even though I'm digging most of the extensive menu, I pretty much always order the same thing: pad thai, noodle salad, and ginger chicken. Everyone who works there is super-nice, and the make your food fresh off the menu, so you might wait a bit, but it's not stale and greasy like a lot of other places that just scoop and serve. And for less than $7 I ususally have leftovers, obviously a plus in my book. Even the ice water is freshly poured and served. Quality, see?

4. In-n-Out (Tiburon? I don't know, but right off the freeway). I'm not a huge fan of fast food, in fact, I probably eat it maybe once every few months by choice (besides pizza, but that's another story). But this place is super-yummy, if not a bit far from my house. I'm not a huge fan of the fries, they are a bit too all-natural tasting for me, but if I'm stranded on a desert island and have to eat one meal for the rest of my life? Cheeseburgers (animal sytle) and the strewberry shake from this place would let me die happy.

5. Pasta Pomodoro (Novato and San Rafael). I love Italian food, and this place may or may not be real Italian, but it's good. I'm digging the garlic cream sauces (like on the Rigatoni) and they give you a lot of meat and veggies in your pasta, not just noodles like some other places. Plus, if you're really broke you could actually split a plate and fill up on the free bread, it's enough food. I haven't had any baked pasta dishes, but I've seen them and the look fantastic, I'm just so in love with the two pasta dishes with chicken, muchrooms and that cream sauce I haven't been able to order anything else. Plus, the waiters are generally pretty nice, except the time they prepared fettuccine with "crutons" instead of prawns.
Dim-witted youngin'.

6. Original Buffalo Wings (Novato and San Rafael). Okay, I know a lot of people don't like this place, but let me break it down for you. The cheesesteaks are pretty decent, the best I've been able to find in California besides a little place in Santa Monica that P and I ate at every day (sometimes twice a day) on our honeymoon. Yes, I've been to Philly and had a few real ones, and nothing compares, but these are close enough to satiate my desire since I can't afford to go back to get the real thing. Also, the sauce on the wings is damn good too, nice and hot, though I admit the wings are some dinky little pieces of nothing that would get you shot in Atlanta. But you can get the sauce by itself, and cooking it at home with your own chicken is a good option to make a little go a long way. Plus, the guys always give me extra wings without being too nasty about it. Always appreciated.

So there you go. Know any other good places in Marin? Let me know, I'm always looking to add to my list of favorites.