Kauffman Says Original Joe's is Nostalgic, Miller Likes MBC's Vegan Burger, and More

For one of his last reviews at SF Weekly, Jonathan Kauffman files his thoughts on the new Original Joe's. He notes that the place is packed with natives who have "white hair" and describes the front room as something "like a Hyatt restaurant." As for the "classic and simple" food, Kauffman finds the strip louie "coated in a too-sweet pink mayonnaise;" the veal piccata "wasn't the tenderest;" and the ravioli with meat sauce tasted like it could have been from Costco. He does enjoy the sweetbreads, which "had the texture of a just-baked meringue." He gets a kick out of the atmosphere and diner camaraderie and believes that the interactions at Original Joe's "don't seem to happen at State Bird Provisions or Benu." [SF Weekly]

Over at the Guardian, Ms. Miller heads to Mission Bowling Club, which she describes as "one badass bowling alley" that's "squeaky clean hipster all the way." She says the $15-burger is "beloved" and is "shocked to find that the vegan burger is almost as exciting." The only disappointment was the "hard small" everything pretzel. [SFBG]

In Berkeley, the Chron's Nicholas Boer enjoys the family-friendly pizza spot, Divino which "does much with little." He likes the artwork that's "energetic, yet somehow calming," and the "tastefully empty" shelving. He recommends the "lively salads, starters, and desserts" and the gluten-intolerant brown-rice penne for its "pretty good chew." The pizza crusts are so-so and he runs into "some service bumps," but his final verdict is two stars for the "good neighborhood restaurant on its way up." [Chron]

THE ELSEWHERE: Luke Tsai of the EBX thinks the food at Homeroom Racing Cafe is "home-style" and he enjoys the brightness of the papaya salad. The Merc finds the garlic prawns at Danville's Santorini unlike anything they've ever had before.