The Prospector

We keep coming back and love it every time. This evening we had au gratin potatoes and pan seared flank steak. Soooo good! We are from Texas and come for dinner whenever we make it to Sonora!!!

So, I just finished reading all of the reviews and I’m trying to formulate my review to spell out our experience after dining at The Prospector last night. I was born and raised in San Francisco, and spent much of my adult life on the SF peninsula while working in Palo Alto. Once on the peninsula, I didn’t get to the City as much, so exceptional pizza was difficult, if not impossible, to find. Being Italian, I missed North Beach and the many downtown restaurants. I missed good pizza. When we arrived last night, the parking lot was empty, and I foolishly assumed that perhaps the food wasn’t good which explained the lack of patrons. My son was treating me to dinner, so as to not hurt his feelings, I said we could eat there anyway. I didn’t know what to make of the owner at first. I could tell this was not a typical restaurant. He seemed a bit distracted but I quickly realized that he was doing all of the preparations and cooking, and was solely responsible for ensuring that everyone had the gastric explosion they were hoping for. I also didn’t understand that reservations were necessary (my son made them), so the other patrons started arriving after us. Since we were the first ones to arrive, the owner, Robert, introduced himself to us. We learned that he is very skilled in multi cultural cuisine. His explanation and confidence in the quality of food he prepares sold me on the spot, and I looked forward to trying out the Caesar salad and our two pizza choices. We were not disappointed and almost ordered a third. The crust was not only crisp, it was delicious. The sauce and toppings were very well executed, and we were pretty blown away. I knew I was eating authentic gourmet pizza that was not going to be found in this county or any of the surrounding counties. So now let’s talk about the atmosphere. Nothing fancy as it’s in an old cabin, but charming as all get-go, umbrella covered tables on a large deck near the brick pizza oven and outdoor prep kitchen, nestled in the pines with lights strung above the deck. The smoky smell of the indoor fireplace and surrounding trees reminded me of my summers at Russian River as a teenager. The special ambiance wasn’t anything remotely expected when my son said he was taking me out to dinner. Robert was the perfect host. He was very friendly even though he was busy, and he took the time to make us feel welcome. Again, we were the first to arrive, so maybe he had more time for us.People slowly filtered in and the tables became full. I went there with zero expectations. We weren’t in a hurry, and I prefer to take my time when I’m in such beautiful surroundings anyway, so the pace was perfectly stretched out. What a gem of a discovery! I simply do not understand the few negative reviews I read. Any so-called negatives were in fact the things that I LIKED about the owner and the place - why would I want a run of the mill experience that I can get at 95% of the restaurants out there? Most people don’t understand what it takes to run a restaurant - the many hours involved each day, every day - sourcing and shopping ingredients, food prep, cooking, serving, cleaning. Sometimes there’s no time for pampering the ones that need extra attention. I enjoyed everything, the food was amazing, and I advise that this restaurant not be compared to or categorized like any other restaurant. It’s unique, as is it’s wonderful and skilled owner/chef Robert. Don’t show up if you’re going to look for imperfections. When we got there, Sinatra’s “My Way” was playing on the outdoor speakers. Very appropriate, as Robert is clearly doing it “his way,” and it’s a formula that works. He delivered on his promise to give us the best food in town! Thank you Robert - we will be back!

Awesome food! And a great fresh take on the dining experience! I hesitate to say check it out...becuase if too many people do I think it may ruin what's happening here...but it is too good to keep secret!