International
Pop Up
Randy’s Bistro spices up Monday nights in Lodi
By Brandy Collins
Randy Anzaldo has always wanted to own his own restaurant. And, in May of 2023, he realized that dream, opening Randy’s Bistro in the former Denis’ Country Kitchen spot. “I’ve been in the restaurant [business] since I was 10 years old,” he explains, purchasing Denis’ because it was a well-established restaurant in Lodi for over 31 years.
Despite its long legacy in the region as Denis’ Country Kitchen, Randy has put his own stamp on the space. His Monday night pop-ups offer a different experience completely.
Some of the details still represent Denis’ at its core, including original menu covers and some signature breakfast items such as the crab benedict. “A lot of people are used to the old kind of habits, but they actually like Randy’s Bistro because I’m actually introducing a unique meal that they haven’t tried before,” he says.
To invigorate the palates of Lodi, the restaurant has a specialty menu on Monday nights serving international cuisine from 4-8 PM. Each week, the menu rotates to highlight a new region and its specialties, including Asian, Italian, and Latin fusion.
“People that come in are very excited because they like to be surprised what’s going to be next on the menu,” Anzaldo says. The menu of the week is posted on the Instagram page (@randysbistro.lodi). While the menu is always changing, Randy’s personal favorite is seafood night when he treats customers to fresh Dungeness crab, cleaned and prepared by Randy and roasted with one of the restaurant’s signature dips. Randy’s also serves a whole Dungeness crab with signature garlic noodles for those with a heartier appetite.
“When I see the enjoyment of customers coming in and seeing that while they’re getting a whole crab,” starts Anzaldo, “that brings joy to me knowing that those customers will come back.” And while crab may be Randy’s favorite, the most requested meal is a classic Filipino dish called pork adobo. The secret to his success? Cooking the pork in Sprite to keep it tender.
With less than a year under his belt, Randy still has more up the sleeve of his white chef’s coat. In February, he introduced afternoon tea service with required reservations on the first and last Sunday of the month. He’s also expanding his hours to include more dinner service and eyeing a happy hour service. If you want to see what’s next, keep a close eye on Randy’s social media where he divulges new details and offerings to followers.
Randy’s Bistro
1327 W. Lockeford St., Lodi
(209) 368-6350
@randysbistro.lodi