Food Awards

You voted for your favorite restaurants, and Diablo's judges rated them for food, ambience, and service - out of a possible 90 points. Find what the judges had to say about them, starting with our number one: Pizzaiolo. Visit all 17 of the top restaurants and be your own judge.

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Uncle Yu's       

Food: 21 points, Ambience: 24 points, Service: 25 points

FINAL SCORE: 70 points out of 90 points                             

What they’re doing right: Something for everyone is offered—even a chef’s tasting menu. It’s Chinese food for the suburban American palate, with some innovative spins on the classics—without being weird. The terrific wine list has lots of three- and six-ounce pours.

Defining moment: The Peking duck. Remember when the only way to get it was to have at least six people in your party and make your reservation 48 hours ahead? That’s how it was in San Francisco in the old days.

Thanks for being green: They purchase sustainable ingredients.

Quirks: It’s really interesting to see wine flights in a Chinese restaurant. We had fun eavesdropping as the sommelier spoke with a guest about what wines work with soy sauce.

Flavor we can’t forget: The amazing tea-smoked duck. Can’t wait to go back for more.

Best dish: The East-meets-West shrimp and corn dumplings. The broth was delicious, and the sweetness of the corn worked well.

Strangest outfit seen: A young man in a rainbow Mohawk crossing the street, visible from our patio table. Livermore sure has changed.