elnap29

Have you ever been on the road and STARVING and not known where to stop for food? Yes, you know there is a great place in Berkeley, but you are hungry NOW and can't wait!

Let's start a list of restaurants between Oakland and Truckee off Interstate 80 (no more than 1/2 mile or so off the freeway) - easy access for travelers, not fast-food or typical chains).

My first contribution:
El Sobrante/Pinole Area
Exit: Appian Way
Restaurant: Ristorante Due Rose
Directions: Take Appian Way toward El Sobrante, turn right on Fitzgerald Dr (stoplight). Turn left into shopping mall parking lot (at the first entrance). Head left to the Appian Way side of the mall parking lot. Rist. Due Rose is a corner building across from the Dollar Store
Food: Italian
Very fresh ingredients, wonderful fresh veggie pizza, soups, all sorts of main entrees and pastas, an undiscovered neighborhood gem

Suzie

Auburn: Exit Maple Street turn right on Park Street & left on Washington. Auburn Alehouse

http://www.auburnalehouse.com/

LoveItaly

OK, I will play. If you arrive at Vacaville and need breakfast, lunch or dinner take the Davis St. turnoff. Turn left onto Davis St. at the bottom of the offramp. Continue on Davis St., cross Mason St. A couple of blocks down on Davis St. you will reach Main St. Straight ahead is the Creekside Grill and Bar. There is free street parking. This is located in the old historical town of Vacaville. You can get in and out if in a hurry or relax and take your time if you need to relax. Gourmet it is not but it is always consistant good food. It is very popular, always quite clean including the restrooms, pleasant service etc.

http://www.creeksidebarandgrill.com/

dmlove

I'll play too even though mine are all the way IN Truckee, both on the main drag:

Pacific Crest
Moody's

Parrothead

In Roseville, exit at Eureka, head southeast. Just after the Sunrise Ave. intersection turn left into the complex that looks like a row of townhouses:

Paul Martin's - American bistro (my favorite in this complex)
Blue Nami - high end sushi/japanese
Ruby Tuesday - small chain, good burgers
Bravo Pastaria - made to order Italian cuisine
Plus 4 other places to choose from

Or continue to the next intersection at Eureka & Rocky Ridge:

On the right before Rocky Ridge is:
Crush 29 - excellent dining with high end wine selection (think Highway 29 as in Napa wine region)
Ruen Thai - good Thai, quiet dining

On the right just past Rocky Ridge is a locally owned Chinese/American place called Fat's which is similar to a PF Changs. Loud, draws a big crowd but can be pricey since you order small plates which usually adds up quickly.

Next intersection is Eureka & Lead Hill. On the left is:
Mas - Mexican cantina style
Greenhouse - Organic, sustainable type of place, nice patio dining
Mikuni - Sacramento "famous" sushi place

You could also turn right on either Sunrise, Rocky Ridge or Lead Hill and hit lots of places within 2 blocks like Outback, Piatti, Parker's Hot Dogs, Texas West BBQ. All within half a mile of I-80.

elnap29

Thanks for all the recommendations so far! Let's try to add more, if possible, including Oakland and Truckee of course.
Here is a link for Ristorante Due Rose in Pinole: http://www.ristoranteduerose.com
I am planning to keep a copy of these in my glove compartment!

Another addition:

City of Davis
Restaurant: Little Prague Bohemian Restaurant
Exit: Central Davis/Richards Bld. Head toward downtown Davis under the RR bridge and turn R immediately. You will end up on G St. parrallel to RR tracks. It's on the R side of the street at 330 G St.
Pleasant outdoor seating
For fun, try a shot of Bekerovka before dinner.
http://www.littleprague.com/

Suzie

Mikuniiiiii yum


In Roseville same exit - Eureka. Go straight at the end of the off ramp (you'll be on Taylor Road) and turn right at Roseville Parkway go past Sunrise and stop in at Paradise Grill.

Tahoe Joes is on the corner of Taylor & Roseville Parkway.

iamq

Anyone remember the Milk Farm? We'd stop there for dinner on our way up to Tahoe when we'd go up for our summer vacations. It was the one that had the neon cow jumping over the moon. They had great chicken fried steak and milk shakes.

Thanks for excusing my excursion into nostalgia.

Underhill

In Davis, take the Richards Blvd. exit/overcrossing. Just as you come down from the ramp you will see on your left the Caffe Italia, a venerable Italian place that does excellent pasta, pizza, hot and cold sandwiches, and daily specials. Also good for breakfast.

If you keep going through the stoplight, then the underpass, you will be at the edge of Beautiful Downtown Davis, which is packed with restaurants--many Asian (Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Indian).

Everything is within about half a mile of the freeway, Caffe Italia considerably less.

Underhill

Oh...and if you turn left at that first stoplight you will quickly arrive at Redrum (formerly Murder) Burgers, famous, of course, for burgers but also purveying great hot dogs and shakes.

Bisbee

Ikeda's California Country Market
13500 Lincoln Way
Auburn, CA 95603
(530) 885-4243

http://www.yelp.com/biz/ikedas-calif...-market-auburn

crefloors

Nostalgia...how about the Nut Tree? That WAS THE place year ago.

LoveItaly

It sure was crefloor. The NutTree has been reinvented. It is nothing like the original. Just sort of a bunch of boring stores and some chain restaurants. One can get something to eat there of course. The complex is not doing well. Partly because of the economy, partly it seems from mismanagement and scaling back of the original plans (blamed on the economy) and because there is not anything to real draw people to it.

elnap29

How about some Sacramento I-80 suggestions as well as some off Business-80?