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• Yummy fare in Fairfax

If going to Point Reyes, or visiting the San Rafael area, Lydia's Kitchen is well worth a meal/snack visit. Lydia's ambiance is real relaxed: walk-up counter to order, pick up your food, and communal tables. They do have a cute little corner table towards the end of the hall under a "tree", and what seems like a private area to relax near the food prep area. As of May 8, 2011, the menu on their website differs from the cafe. They do offer vegan burgers and the one I ordered was fantastic! The vegan burger came with a cashew spread and instead of a normal bun, the bread patties were two round pieces of crepe. Innovative and delicious! One pays extra for additional items like a house salad and these homemade seasoned kale crunchy tots, but it was worth it. My dinner date had the Pesto crepe and while I'm not a fan of shitake mushrooms, I enjoyed what I tasted. Service was quick, casual and friendly. And the best part was I felt like a regular even though it was my first time visiting. The pricing: It's comparable to other similar cafes/restaurant. My only hesitation is how much of what's on the menu is organic/local. I'd be willing to pay extra for the organic/local food, but none of it is indicated on the menu. My burger, side salad and kale chip-things were a total of $16 (including tax). Seems a bit steep, but compare this delicious "burger" with one from the Iron Springs Pub in Fairfax, and the total prices are similar. Last, the San Francisco Chronicle recently had a nice review on Lydia's. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/10/NS0J1H2FBH.DTL If I'm in the area again, I'll make a point to visit and try some other food/drink offerings.