Exploring The Lot Through Food

The infamous hangout spot, the City Center Bishop Ranch, also known as The Lot, is a common place for family, friends, or even a solo date to eat. The popular space is usually packed all days of the week, even until midnight, as it is located in the heart of San Ramon. This one-stop shop is filled with clothing stores for all ages, dance classes, and plentiful restaurants. 

Here is a review of three restaurants you should visit the next time you are at the Lot:

1. Chow

Recently opened, Chow has both indoor and outdoor dining areas, allowing customers to feel like they are in a garden. With a variety of healthy foods, including organic vegetables, locally sourced seafood, poultry, and meats, and a wide range of options for those with dietary restrictions, Chow is the perfect place to go on a Friday night to enjoy a comfort meal with family and friends. 

With an open-pit style fireplace serving as a conversation-starter setting, their open bar is the perfect place for chit-chatting and enjoying delicious drinks, finger foods, and bar snacks. 

Chow was originally a small chain restaurant in the city with locations in Inner Sunset and Mission Dolores. However, in 2019, the restaurant was closed when the company filed for bankruptcy. After 3 years, the restaurant reopened with chef Tony Gulisano to produce a new interpretation of Chow. 

Their prosciutto, pear, and arugula appetizer is a must-try. The prosciutto was one to remember as the fattiness of the meat perfectly balanced the saltiness. The meat was so soft, almost melt-in-your-mouth feel, which perfectly paired with the sweet European pear. The arugula added a freshness to the dish, and the drizzle of olive oil was the perfect piece to top it all off.

Chow has a wide selection of pasta, pizzas, and even tacos. Their Fusilli pasta, which is composed of a creamy mushroom base, had generous handfuls of chicken. The pasta was cooked al dente, and had a rich, cheesy sauce.

One critique is that some of their dishes were very plain and did not stand out as much as their names suggested. For example, their ceviche, which was served alongside regular tortilla chips, simply tasted like salsa and chips, as the fish taste was not present. 

All-in-all, this restaurant is definitely one for a nice family meal, as the ambiance and vibe are perfect for an evening dinner or a simple lunch.

2. C Casa

C Casa is a Mexican restaurant with a twist, mixing Western and Mexican cuisine. They offer a wide variety of indoor and outdoor seating areas, including a fire pit in the center. Starting with appetizers, their dos taquitos were a hit. Each was filled with chicken, aioli sauce, and cilantro and topped with guacamole, onions, tomatoes, and lettuce. The crunchiness of the taquito shell and the combination of rich ingredients made it full of flavor. 

The C Casa wings are a new addition to their menu. The outer layer of the wings had a perfect amount of crispiness while maintaining a soft and tender inside. It was topped with red chili for presentation and parmesan cheese, which made a great difference to the flavor. Overall, out of the four appetizers tasted, the dos taquitos stood out most.

The duck taco is a main dish to try. With a soft corn tortilla as the base, it was stuffed with well-seasoned duck, lettuce, mandarin, onion, cilantro, and aioli. The sweet flavors from the mandarin and the saltiness from the duck were a unique combination that complemented each other well. Overall, one should definitely give this restaurant a try as a place to eat with friends and family and to experience their different take on Mexican cuisine.

3. Bamboo Sushi

Bamboo Sushi is a restaurant that facilitates lower environmental impact while still maintaining quality. Bamboo Sushi’s mission is to be a restaurant of purpose, and in 2008, they were named the world’s first certified sustainable sushi restaurant. This restaurant contributes 1% of its annual revenue to environmental nonprofits that are spearheading the way to preserve and restore fisheries and marine ecosystems. 

The San Ramon location’s dining room reflects the company’s commitment to the environment, as all of the chairs and decor were made of recycled plastic sea waste and fishing nets.

The roasted maitake mushroom was a whole roasted mushroom that was separated by hand to retain the structure of the mushroom itself and was stuffed with wakame butter, chives, and lemon zest. The edges of the mushroom were crispy from the grill, which added a touch of smoky flavor. The flakiness of the salt that lay on the edges of the mushroom nicely complemented its umami flavor.  

Finally, the spicy tuna crispy rice was a nice way to end the meal with something slightly warm. The first bite of the rice was rich and decadent, with a nice nutty flavor that infused well into the rice. The outer edge of the rice base had the perfect ratio of crunch and chew. With the tuna partially minced and placed on top, the contrast in textures was easy on the palate, and one texture did not overpower the other. This dish was topped with finely chopped green onions and drizzled in a truffle eel sauce.