Ten. Dollar. Phở. Sure, it’s not in San Francisco, and okay, it’s a dine-in-only weekday lunch special. But the portion is incredibly generous, and a $10 lunch feels downright retro. The deal is running at Simmer in Rohnert Park Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it applies to phở made with thinly sliced round-eye steak, beef meatballs, shredded chicken breast, or mixed veggies. The meat in my chicken phở was a little on the dry side; I’d check out one of the beef options next time. In addition to the phở special, there are also vermicelli bowls and rice plates topped with your choice of barbecued meat — including a sweet, smoky pork — for $14.
Simmer. 6358 Commerce Blvd., Rohnert Park. simmerfamily.com
In 2024, my colleague Elena Kadvany named a chubby, mousse-filled mochi dessert from East Bay popup Mochi Koubou her best bite of the year. Elena, after sampling one at Soba Ichi, I get it. The mochi wrapper encases the dome of mango/passionfruit/raspberry mousse somewhat imperfectly, with the edges of the seams poking out like little feet, while the filling is ethereally light, like spritzing Reddi-whip into your mouth straight from the can. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to devour Kirby, here’s your chance…