The MaiTai Tom Dining Guide:
In Search Of Excellence In Restaurants
MAITAI’S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
If there’s anything that Tracy and I like, it’s a good meal. We will share our restaurant experiences as we discover new restaurants and revisit some of our old favorites. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, we’ll give you some ideas to chew on.
July 18, 2026
Hidden Gem Restaurant In A Hidden Gem Town Underwood Bar & Bistro – Graton, CA Visited July 2026 As we (especially me) grow older, Tracy and I yearn for the ambiance and good food of classic restaurants, so when friends Kim and Mary told us about just such a place […]
May 27, 2026
Mai Tai Tom & Tracy’s Best Burgers 2025/2026 After our Best Burgers of 2021/2022 post, we took some time off from posting about this food item we love, however in the past year we’ve come up with some new favorites to help harden those arteries. Sadly, one hamburger you will […]
April 19, 2026
Charming Capitola Hideaway Shadowbrook Restaurant – Capitola, CA Visited January 2026 While on a mid-week holiday to California’s central coast with friends Kim and Mary, they asked us if we wanted to have dinner at Shadowbrook in the tiny beachside town of Capitola, Having never heard of Capitola, I was […]
March 23, 2026
Three Restaurants – One Great Outdoor Space Linden Square – Carpinteria, CA Visited – Summer & Fall 2025 Tracy, Garbo and I frequently head north towards Santa Barbara county for a dog-friendly outing and lunch after exploring some local paths and trails. Lately, we have been dining in Carpinteria at […]
February 17, 2026
I Love L.A.’s Tacos Villa’s Tacos – Highland Park (Los Angeles), CA Visited: February 2026 While watching the energetic and entertaining Super Bowl LX Half-Time Show, we were thrilled to see local taquería, Villa’s Tacos, on stage with Bad Bunny. Villa’s Tacos keeps popping up as one of the best […]
February 7, 2026
Rolling In The Dough Churrería El Moro – Echo Park (Los Angeles), CA Visited: February 2026 In late-January 2026, our favorite churro and hot chocolate place from our 2023 trip to Mexico City (CDMX) opened its second location in the United States in Echo Park (Los Angeles) near Dodger Stadium. […]
January 25, 2026
California Coastal Dining Oasis Nepenthe – Big Sur, CA Visited: January 2026 During spring break my senior year in high school, I joined friends on a road trip north on Highway 1 in California. There were many memorable events, including nearly being hit head-on by a huge truck on a […]
January 3, 2026
Holy Mole! Guelaguetza – Los Angeles (Koreatown), CA Last Visited: February 2026 (Review from a previous visit. It is still outstanding) Proof positive that Los Angeles is a melting pot of cultures: Tracy and I dined at a James Beard award-winning Mexican restaurant, located in Koreatown, which had been recommended […]
September 7, 2025
Français Fantastique Brigitte Bistro – Petaluma, CA Visited: August 2025 Friends Kim and Mary have joined us for many dining experiences in France, so when visiting them recently in Northern California, they took us to their favorite French bistro in Petaluma, which is located in the heart of Sonoma wine […]
July 26, 2025
Middle East Feast! Bavel – Los Angeles, CA Last Visited: July 2025 (Review from earlier visit, but not much has changed) One great feature of living in Los Angeles these days is the influx of restaurants offering innovative cuisine from all parts of the world. Tracy and I had heard […]
July 19, 2025
Southern California Icon Gladstones Malibu – Pacific Palisades, CA Visited: July 2025 Gladstones restaurant has been nestled between Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and the Pacific Ocean in Pacific Palisades since 1972. With a fabulous deck overlooking the beach, I have downed many a meal and cocktails on this deck. Our […]
February 14, 2025
Parisian Vibe La Marine – Paris, France Visited: September 2024 La Marine, a charming bistro nestled along the Canal Saint-Martin, turned out to be our favorite dinner spot in Paris on this trip. Combining great food, an attentive staff and a Parisian atmosphere that many people seek, La Marine checked […]
February 12, 2025
A Tasty Surprise In Montmartre Armande – Paris, France Visited: September 2024 I had plotted a morning walk from Basilique du Sacré-Cœur down Butte Montmarte to the Moulin Rouge when we were tempted by the aroma emanating from a tiny cafe along with what looked like mouthwatering pastries in the […]
February 5, 2025
Our Home Away From Home Home Restaurant – Los Angeles (Los Feliz), CA Last Visit: May 2025 We love breakfast, and Home Restaurant in Los Feliz is without a doubt one of our favorite spots to have it. We love the location near Griffith Park (for hiking with Garbo), and […]
December 21, 2024
Right Down Our Alley Restaurant ‘t Hofke – Antwerp, Belgium Visited: September 2024 Our favorite restaurant on our trip to Belgium in 2024, was Restaurant ‘t Hofke located in Antwerp. It was so delicious, we dined here twice, which doesn’t happen very often on vacation. t’Hofke is a family-run restaurant […]
December 10, 2024
Well Worth The Drive Teddy’s By The Sea – Carpinteria, CA Last Visited: March 2025 You know it has to be a good restaurant for Tracy, Garbo and me to hop in the car and drive an hour and a half to eat. Teddy’s By The Sea has become our […]