6476 Washington St, Yountville
(707) 944-2487
Californian Comfort Food in Napa
People are sometimes surprised when I say that I've never been to Napa, aside from my visit to French Laundry. They're even more surprised when I say that I'm not into wine. I like food, so I must like wine, right?? Uh not necessarily. They're two completely different worlds, the oenophile world being a bit too expensive and time-consuming for me to explore right now. Also, anything palatable is so subjective, and I think it's even more so for wine.
With that said, there's no point in talking about the day's wine-tasting, because frankly, I was just down for sweet (Riesling anyone?) and free. Four wineries later, we (I?) stumbled into Keller's no longer temporary comfort-Californian restaurant that I've been waiting ~2 years to go to, since I heard of its inception.
I knew what to expect from Ad Hoc and I'm all about Californian comfort food, but I was still a bit underwhelmed. The food was solid, except for Jess's opt-out salmon since she doesn't like lamb. It was this tiny dried-out piece of fish that looked so incredibly unappetizing... I felt so bad that she had to share the $60/person price tag. Salmon aside, here's the food:
Beef skewers w/ leeks and beets, quinoa and carrot "stew" on the side of the Colorado rack of lamb pictured above
Nettle-covered St. Pat cheese course w/ red pepper jelly (sorry it's crooked!), Jess and her sad, sad piece of fish
Not pictured but what I thought was one of the highlights: Parfait with fig jam, "yogurt" (seemed to be whipped creme fraiche + buttermilk + cream), honey sunflower seed granola, and nectarines. So simple but the fattiness of the yogurt added so much flavor, yet it was so light and airy. Yum!
The red pepper jelly was also a highlight - sweet and savory with a kick, it went so perfectly with the cheese and buttered toast. Plus, the jar was just so cute!
I would definitely go here again, depending what's on their changing menu that day. Their fried chicken is supposed to be good, but I think you have to go on a weekday for that! If only I had that much time.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
An Ad Hoc Saturday
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Cheeseboard
1512 Shattuck Ave (& Vine)
(510) 549-3055
Pizza/Cheese in Berkeley
Cheeseboard is one of the true Berkeley staples (the others being Zachary's, Rick & Ann's, Gregoire, etc). If you're wondering, I go to Berkeley maybe like once a month. I'm just nostalgic like that (this time was for Arcade Fire though*). There's always a long-ass line, but it moves quickly since you don't really have to put much thought into ordering (one type of pizza, so you just decide how many
slices/whole/half you want). The space is pretty cramped, and is even more so when they have live jazz, but it's a real treat while you're waiting. If you want to eat there, however, you can easily nab a seat if there are any open tables outside, or cop a squat on the grass in the Shattuck median - just don't get run over.
Some people don't like Cheeseboard's pizza because they don't use sauce (i.e. tomato). But you see, that's what's so great about it! It's all about the fresh ingredients of the day, which includes of course, the CHEESE. An example of a typical thin crust pizza of the day would be... 3 cheeses + onions + herbs (+ olive oil). Simple, but delicious. The pizza shop is just an addition to its next door cheese shop (which also sells a lot of drool-worthy pastries...
The location is also great - prime Berkeley foodie area, close to the "gourmet ghetto" (I don't know the real name for this food court... Epicurious I think?), Gregoire, Chez Panisse, etc.
* I've tried to do the whole matching food to music thing, but I just don't have that talent. Arcade Fire, to me, is like a cheese souffle or quiche because their music is so grand and just fills the air (hence, souffle)... whereas other people might think cheese+meat, heavy Eastern European/meat+potatoes, or Guerilla Cafe (??? I love that place, but that just doesn't make sense, sorry haha). So yeah, I'm just not going to try.
** Edit: Stopped by for lunch over the weekend and they've remodeled! I haven't decided how I feel about it yet. It's definitely a glossier and more spacious shop, but I feel like some of its original charm is gone now. Oh well, still good pizza! They had an heirloom tomato + asiago pizza. I had 3.5 slices droool (pictured above).
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
A Cote
5478 College Ave (& Taft)
(510) 655-6469
Californian/Mediterranean small plates in Oakland
Technically it's Oakland, but I still think of the Rockridge area as part of Berkeley. Regardless, this is an incredible restaurant. I don't know anyone who's dined here and left unsatisfied. Maybe I'm feeling generous, and have just been on reliving-Berkeley-glory-days overload, but I just couldn't think of anything bad enough about A Cote to give it less than 5 stars. The one thing is the hostess. She's kind of spacey - on a recent visit here, my friend and I walked in without a reservation, and after waiting a good 20 minutes, the hostess asked us if we were quiet people, or planning to cause a ruckus. I don't see the relevance in that at all, because the table she took us to was in the back in their outdoor patio area, surrounded by other tables talking loudly... whatever.
Even on a Monday night there was a crowded wait, so it would probably be good to make reservations for a more popular day of the week. The staff is great - our waitress was totally chill and friendly. They have a fairly extensive drink list (separate menus for Belgian ales and rose flights), and we decided to try some Belgian ales on tap. I don't remember what they were called, but one was blonde but pretty thick (Mike really liked that one), and the other was darker and Guinness-like, which I liked, except for the slightly metallic aftertaste. I can't imagine what the $20 bottled beer tastes like.
So this place is small plates style, and the website claims it's Mediterranean cuisine... yet it's just so Californian that I don't really see a strong Med influence. Regardless, the food is amazing.
- "tango salad" w/ hazelnuts, ricotta shavings, pluots (plum-apricot hybrid): the ricotta was sparse but salty enough to contrast the sweetness of the fruit (seasonal is always the best)
- mushroom+leek tart: basically a quiche, this was amazing. I LOVE quiche, and this was not too eggy or cheesy = perfect
- pancetta-wrapped quail w/ porcini bread pudding: the quail was ok (moist, tasted like quail...), but the bread pudding was laden with mushroom and buttery goodness. I had never really had a savory bread pudding before, but I like!
- grilled pork chop w/corn, fava beans, and this cherry sauce: juicy (Mike was in love). Alice would've liked the corn.
We were going to do a cheese course, but by this time, we were both incredibly full. However, being the dessert snob I am, I had to at least try one. I recently took a pastry class on seasonal fruit desserts, and it was coincidental that we went over clafoutis and noyau, which were both on the menu. I'm whatever about clafoutis because it's so easy to make, but noyau gelato? How often do you see that? So we got a "warm peach pie" that had that as an accompaniment, and it definitely hit the spot. The gelato was definitely spot-on for the flavor - basically tastes like almond extract (different from almonds themselves). Simple, but good stuff.
*** Edit: I went here again over the weekend for my sister's birthday, and as a party of 6, we sampled practically the entire menu! Since this restaurant changes its menu seasonally (if not more often), the only familiar item was the fries (pommes frites) which my dad really enjoyed. Since we tried so many different things, I'll just highlight the good ones.
- duck sausage (Karen's fave)
- gazpacho verde (Lucy's fave)
- fig (both green and black mission varieties) & pancetta flatbread
- chanterelles with fingerling potatoes, leeks, and truffle oil * (my fave)
- pink apple galette with mascarpone filling: a tad dry (needed more sauce), but we all liked it
- mussells (dad's fave)
* Mike began his bitterness towards truffle oil after reading this times article on what it's actually made out of. I still like it! =P
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Zuni Cafe
1658 Market St (between Franklin & Gough)
(415) 552-2522
Mediterranean/Californian in Hayes Valley
I went here on a fellow foodie's recommendation, and I was extremely disappointed! The ambience is great - right on Market, with big glass windows and a woodsy feel - very classic. This place is definitely happening, and popular for its oyster bar. Yes, the oysters were good. However, the rest of the food, was not so much. I don't quite remember what we had, but I remember getting the sea bass, which wasn't anything special. Risotto was actually pretty good - not too cheesy (risottos are usually too cheesy for me), and shinie's poultry (I think it might have been hen... not sure) was nothing special, either.
Go for the ambience, but don't expect anything spectacular from the food (except for the oysters).
** Edit: I wrote this original review about over a year ago and gave this place 2 stars. However, after a recent visit, I've increased it to 3 because this time the food was very good. My friend and I shared their 1 hr chicken (roasted to perfection) served with these giant crouton-like pieces of toasted and buttery bread and some greens. Other people had veal which was amazing (but the beans accompanying it were kind of an off-putting grainy texture), and someone had the salmon which I didn't try but they liked. We also shared marinated olives where the oil was great for dipping.
The service, however, was questionable. I originally made the reservation for a party of 4, then changed it to 5, then when we got there, we changed it back to 4 because we thought one person wasn't showing up, but she decided to show up after all! So understandably, the staff might have been a little frustrated, but after that, our waiter wasn't nearly as friendly. He was almost snotty which definitely didn't make me feel at ease. It might have just been me, but despite the fact that I've been to very nice restaurants, the waiter made me feel like I didn't belong here. He even served us our chicken (which he had beforehand made it a point that it be "presented" to us) while we were in the bathroom. Rude! Whatever.
But yes, the food has been redeemed since my first visit. I really liked it and it would've been worthy of more than just 3 stars, except that I'd have to go again to actually know for sure since my first time sucked so badly.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Rick & Ann's
2922 Domingo Ave (& Ashby/Claremont)
(510)649-8538
Californian in Berkeley
It's safe to say that this is my favorite place in Berkeley. I'm really hesitant to give 5 stars, because that would really mean perfection, but 4 would just not do justice, because I enjoy my experience here every single time I visit. * I've never been here for dinner, and although they also have a lunch menu, I think I've only eaten off their breakfast menu even during lunch time (which runs until 2:30pm). On weekends there is always a wait, especially when the weather's nice.
Nothing fails here. The staff is friendly, the ambience is very country/cottage, which is quite characteristic of that neighborhood in Berkeley. The food is great. I'm more of an eggs person when it comes to breakfast (by far the best meal of the day), but their whole wheat pancakes are fluffy and divine (and healthy!). Everything is uber Californian, and yummy! I went here earlier this morning for a late brunch and had the buttermilk waffle which wasn't the best, but I wasn't complaining. Their French toast is pretty good, but when Mike had it before he couldn't really taste the Orange (they add orange extract into the egg batter - I overheard a cook explaining it to a diner). Other than those examples, just about everything here is good!
* Edit: I change my mind. This is still one of my favorite Berkeley restaurants, but I realized that I'm over-hyping it by giving it 5 stars. I still believe their whole wheat pancakes are divine though.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Rivoli
1539 Solano Ave. (and Neilson)
(510) 526-2542
Italian/Californian in Berkeley
I've been here twice - the most recent occasion was for 2 family birthdays a few weeks ago. The other was over a year ago, and although I never wrote my own review, I found Kevin's travbuddy review from way back then. It's quite amusing, and it definitely describes the feel of our meal that night - e.g. being the sommeliers that we are, we chose the wine based on the fact that we thought the name was cool haha.
This place is pretty small, but the mirrors that line the walls and the huge windows definitely create the illusion of more space. During my recent visit, we started with their signature portabella fritters (fried mushrooms? how can you not like that), cheese souffle with prosciutto (yum), and this minced scallop thing in a phyllo shell (don't really remember).
For entrees, my dad and I had stuffed veal (pictured) and it was incredibly good. I'm a sucker for veal, and this one did not fail. My little sister got the ravioli Kevin had last time which was eh (but a first for her! She just about ALWAYS orders chicken or whatever the most boring item on the menu is), my other sister got a risotto cake which I really liked, my mom got salmon (like my little sister, she gets salmon everywhere she goes. I don't know why though, because it tastes the same no matter where you go or how it's prepared), and the Joe got a big chunk of pork which was fatty.
Service this time was definitely more competent haha, and I think any waiter/waitress that can serve my family and still be really nice is always a trooper. Desserts were typical. No wine this time - my mom freaks out if I have more than one glass of wine because I'll "get drunk."
Note: I tagged this as a wine entry per the travbuddy review.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Incanto
1550 Church St. (& Duncan)
(415) 641-4500
Italian in Noe Valley
I've never really had faith in San Francisco's Italian selection, since most of the places I have been to before this have been so-so or bad. But of course, there are a lot of restaurants I haven't been to that are supposed to be good, but I just haven't checked them out yet because I've been trying to not eat out so often (which explains that lack of restaurant reviews as of late). However, I decided to go to Incanto on a whim, and I was pleasantly surprised.
First of all, I really like Noe Valley. It's a cute area that's close to the Mission and the Castro, and it's a great neighborhood to walk around in. Secondly, it was surprisingly easy to get a day-of reservation here for a party of 4 on a Friday night at 7pm! I don't know if that's good or bad, but I was very surprised (that's prime eating time... maybe more so on a Saturday, but still). The service was ok (not great, not bad, but normal), and the ambience was nice. The big windows let in a lot of natural lighting.
The Food:
- to start, we had the handkerchief pasta: the pasta itself (i.e. the noodles) was cooked perfectly. The sauce was nothing special - a ground pork red sauce that I could probably make myself.
- I had the braised pork shoulder with rhubarb and fava beans. I say any meat that you can eat without a knife is always a good indicator for tenderness. I'm not a huge fan of rhubarb, but altogether, it was a good complement to the savory (a little too sweet for my taste though).
- My sister and her fiancee had the roasted lamb, which was ginormous. It was a little too hickory-tasting that it kind of threw me off.
- for dessert, we had a bay leaf panna cotta with strawberries drizzled with balsamic vinegar. I'm more of a dessert snob that anything else, and I must say that this was a thumbs up for me. Simple and clean, this dessert was the perfect ending to a light dinner on a warm day. Bay leaves and fruit just go really well together (top chef anyone?).
We also got a bottle of red wine (sorry, I don't know anything about wine, but it was similar to a pinot) which I liked, but I'm easy to please when it comes to wine. This place is known for it's wine list, but I can't really vouch for that. All in all, this restaurant is great for a light dinner.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Citizen Cake
I've been here twice -- once for dessert, once for brunch. The atmosphere is very sterile -- the biggest detterent for me. The decor tries too hard to be ultra modern that it makes you feel cold and uncomfortable.
The food, however, lives up to its reputation. For brunch, the portions are very small, but the quality is very high. We had the french toast (very good), quiche (good but small), and scrambled eggs (you'd think that it's impossible to be impressed by scrambled eggs, but they were very good!). When I came here for dessert, I had the plum mochi cake that came with black sesame gelato. I'd have to say that it was one of the most innovative desserts I've ever had.
** Edit: I've been here multiple times since this review, and it's pretty much a toss-up. What I appreciate about this place is that it's innovative and takes risks... but sometimes to the detriment of the dish's cohesiveness (e.g. curry ice cream? gross). The non-dessert food has been lackluster since that first brunch, so in the future I would only go here to see what the pastry chefs come up with.
1550 Hyde Cafe & Wine Bar
1550 Hyde St. (and Pacific)
(415) 775-1550
Californian in Russian Hill
We had the game hen and rabbit -- game hen was a bit too salty and the accompanying risotto was funky. It was an interesting (in a good way) change to chicken though. The rabbit was good, and the accompanying pasta was very unique. Both dishes require quite a bit of work to eat, though, since both animals have a lot of small bones -- imagine trying to eat a chicken wing with fork and knife.
Service is good, atmosphere is very cute -- very popular place. Overall, it's pretty good and the food was pretty original. I wasn't blown away, but it's still good =)
Isa
3324 Steiner St. (and Lombard)
Went here for my birthday on a late Saturday night (around 9:30pm or so). Even though it was so late, there were still a lot of people there (we were the last to leave though). Sat at the patio in the back - very nice ambiance.
For two people, we shared 4 plates - the lobster broth (just ok - really just broth with like.. 3 pieces of shrimp in it... no lobster), the sea bass wrapped in potato (very good), the duck (not that good... it was very chewy and not that flavorful), and the truffle risotto (recommended by the waiter, but it was too cheesy). For dessert, we had the amaretto semifreddo, which was good - really just because I love love love anything hazelnut. =)
The service was very attentive - since we were there so late and ended up being the last ones out, towards the end they kept asking if we were done which was a little annoying, but understandable.
Overall, pretty good, but the sea bass is the only thing that really stuck out.
The Richmond Restaurant Wine & Bar
615 Balboa St. (between 7th & 8th Ave.)
(415) 379-8988
Californian/American in the Richmond
Went here for my birthday =) The atmosphere is great - total mom & pop place (homey yet elegant) located in a residential neighborhood close to my apartment! It actually looked like it was an apartment converted into a restaurant (it did!) . Since it was a Tuesday night, it wasn't that busy (we were able to make reservations in the late afternoon the day of).
The waiter was friendly and helpful, but at times had a condescending tone. There were 7 us, and none of us really know much, if anything, about wine, so we asked for recommendations... the waiter seemed a bit annoyed with our indecision =P (he wasn't very helpful at all. he didn't seem like he should belong in such a cute restaurant)
The food was good, but not worth the money. The butter for the bread was very cutely plated - a regular yellow butter coated in coarse salt, a green pesto butter, and a purple taro butter (the butter was adorable). First time I've seen that. To our surprise, the appetizers are INDIVIDUAL - i.e. the scallop (not plural on the menu) really is just one scallop! Sure, it was big and tasted good, but $10 for ONE scallop? Silly. (i know! so silly!) The entrees were the steak (nothing special) (yeah, not special at all), ravioli, cheeseburger hehe, sole + braised short ribs (ok).
Overall, this restaurant is good, but the food isn't anything special.
- k - s
Zazie
941 Cole St (and Carl)
(415) 564-5332
French/Californian bistro in Cole Valley
Cole Valley's a very Berkeley-esque area where people are out walking their dogs or brunching on weekends. Our group of 4 had to wait awhile but the neighborhood is comfortable enough to not be so bad. This place is supposed to have a cute patio (in the back), but we got a very cute window booth instead, which was actually perfect since it was raining for a little bit.
I enjoyed the food. It's no Rick & Ann's, but they have a lot of poached eggs, which you don't see very often on brunch menus. The dishes we tried: french toast tahiti (with caramelized bananas... interesting concept, but just ok), scrambled eggs grece (with feta and the like), poached eggs monaco (with proscuitto and tomato... i liked it), and poached eggs with salmon, capers, and stuff (don't remember what it was called).
All in all, it's a very cute place, cute ambience... very rick & ann's, but not as good. I'd go for the poached eggs, and next time the patio. =)
gary danko
800 North Point (and Hyde)
(415) 749-2060
Californian/French near Fisherman's Wharf
It was by the far the BEST meal of my entire life! The lamb was the best I have ever tasted... and it was the worst dish in the meal... that's how great it was! The seared foie grois was amazing, and the lobster and stuffed quail were absolute heaven! The selection of cheeses was a really cool experience, too!
Three courses per person is more than enough food. If I go here again with someone, the ideal combination would be two 3-course meals - 3 appetizers (including foie grois), the lobster, a game dish, and the cheese course. I'd skip the dessert (trio of creme brulee) just because I'm not that big on dessert and have had similar quality elsewhere. Plus, they give you chocolate cake to go.
***
I went here for my mom's birthday (as well as mine), and I actually thought it was overrated. Maybe it's because my standards have increased after having the best meal of my life, but I was actually not that impressed, especially since Gary Danko is supposed to be the best in SF!
I had the foie gras to start, and it was good and very rich... but just too much. I guess at a nice restaurant most people would be delighted to get a really large portion, but two large pieces of liver is just too much, even if I love the stuff. The lobster was really good, as was the duck (seared, and accompanied with duck hash -- REALLY GOOD. not quite like corn beef hash but with duck instead of corn beef... but rather like... a salty duck salad? i'm obviously bad at describing food, hence why i am not a food critic professionally). I had a pear souffle for dessert, which was light and delicious. The pear flavor was a bit too subtle (i.e. I couldn't taste it), but it was good nonetheless.
The service was amazing - they have a very large staff for a nice restaurant, and set everything onto the table simultaneously (top chef stephen style) which makes for fantastic presentation. They're very friendly and patient, especially considering that they did not act snotty at all to old asian parents (one of which was wearing a baseball cap) who have never really gone to a nice french restaurant.
Gary Danko was definitely classy, but I took away a star because I remember enjoying the food at La Folie more. Maybe I was also expecting too much, since it IS praised as the best in SF (which it is not, sorry).
***
Beverages
Tequila Sunrise
Two glasses of amazing (and very expensive) German champagne!
Amuse Bouche
Gazpacho soup, a gift from the kitchen
Appetizers
Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Red Onions, Peaches and Toasted Hazelnuts
Sweet White Corn Soup with Corn Truffle Ravioli and Summer Truffles
Fish/Seafood Course
Roast Maine Lobster with Chanterelles, Corn and Tarragon
Meat and Game
Herb Crusted Loin of Lamb with Summer Vegetable Tian, Mint-Sweet Pea Risotto and Salsa Verde
Cornbread Stuffed Quail with Tasso Ham, Sweet Corn and Black-Eyed Pea Succotash
Cheese
A Selection of Farmhouse and Artisanal Cheeses Presented Tableside
Desserts
Trio of Creme Brulee with Cookies
Happy Birthday Petit Fours
Chocolate Cheesecake to go
***
They have these portable hooks that they put at the edge of the table for you to hang your purse on - it was pretty neat and I had never seen that before! =) And the bathroom had a shoe buffer, which you also don't see often.
***
-m/l (guest food critic) - k