Snippets

I've lived in SF for a long time, but here are some overdue firsts that I've had within the last month or so:

Sanddabs and cioppino at Tadich

Cap + NYT at farm:table, popovers and afternoon tea at Nieman's

Chicken pho at Turtle Tower, $45 porchetta prix fixe + wine pairing at Jardiniere (ok meal, incredible value)

Nopalito
Primo Patio
Liang Mama's House
Chinese banquet at Kirin
Drinks at Trad'r Sam
Emmy's Spaghetti Shack
Sandbox Bakery
Sightglass

[MORE...]

[CLOSE]

Anchor & Hope

Time flew by so quickly and the month of January is over. The only Dine about Town restaurant I went to this year was Anchor & Hope. We actually didn't end up ordering the DAT menu because there are other stuff that we wanted to try. There are some interesting stuff they have on the menu, but the overall experience was ok.

Smoked Salmon with potato cakes.

Breaded Catfish Sandwich with Sweet Potato Ribbon Fries


Lobster Roll


Steamed Mussels with Herbed Ribbon Fries

Creme Brulee with homemade Oreo

So here's the load down: The salmon was a bit fishy. The catfish sandwich reminded me of Filet O Fish, but the sweet potato ribbon fries were good. Even though they were sliced so thin, u can still taste the sweet potato. The lobster roll was better than expected - balanced flavor, u can really taste the sweetness in the lobster meat, not like the overloaded mayo ones that you usually find. Kathy and Stacy really like the brioche as the roll. Mussel was good, the herbed ribbon fries were not as good as the sweet potato. The creme brulee was good, but Kathy didn't approve the Oreo so I didnt try :).

[MORE...]

[CLOSE]

Bar Crudo

I pass by this tiny nob hill "modern raw bar" every day on my way to work. It's been in the Chronicle's Top 100 for the last two years, and my friend suggested going there after reading some positive reviews. Taking some queues from yelpers (despite my disdain for yelp in general, I still skim reviews to see any ordering trends), we ordered the crudo sampler (left), the lobster + beet salad (right), and halibut cheeks (not pictured). They actually gave pretty fair pieces of fish in the sampler, but the flavor combinations weren't anything astounding. The halibut was quite impossible to eat - bones everywhere and barely any meat.

I think the only thing worth going back for would be the lobster and beet salad - light and refreshing, even with the chunks of buttery burrata. Sharing the salad between two people, with some $9 (seriously) Hitachinos would be a nice afternoon snack!

[MORE...]

[CLOSE]

Ketchup

Things have been so busy so I haven't really been able to blog, let alone filter through my feeds! There has been a lot going on, including another wedding (post to come). Busy busy busy!

In this post: dinner at Pizzaiolo, brunch at Bouchon, and Gigi's 4-year anniversary at Swan Oyster Depot!

I've been wanting to go to Swan Oyster Depot for a really long time - basically since I moved to the city. My old roommate Shinie used to work near there and would always talk about it, but since it's only open for lunch and weekends are a madhouse, I just have never been able to go over the years.

Thank goodness for foodie managers heh, because we took a nice long lunch on a Monday to celebrate Gigi's accomplishment of bearing with our company for the last 4 years. Good God!

We got almost everything - clam chowder, oysters, seafood salad. The seafood salad is deceptively filling - doesn't look like much, but man I was so stuffed afterwards. Like all seafood places, this wasn't cheap. It was definitely good to try, but I don't think I would go out of my way to return... especially with the wait! My only complaint is that they don't have purse hooks under the counter. I mean, you're sitting on stools and the only place to put a bag is on the floor or on the hooks behind you where people can easily steal it without you noticing.

---

Awhile ago (i.e. before my trip to nyc), Cyn, Elvie, and I went to Pizzaiolo in Oakland's temescal neighborhood (up and coming gentrified borderline Berkeley on Telegraph area near Bakesale Betty and other restaurants). As a frequenter of Betty's fried chicken sandwiches, I've passed by many times since it's only down the block. It didn't click that it was the same place that Michael Bauer has lauded until Mike mentioned that he heard mixed things about it.

Elvin and I are good eaters, so we got 2 pizzas and a main. The space is surprisingly large - open kitchen, sunny with tall windows, and a large party area in the back. The ambiance was very family-friendly... very Californian, if you will... laid back, casual, and welcoming. The food, amazing. Do I say that often? Not at all! But it was! The clam pizza was so flavorful and juicy... a bit on the salty side, but I like salty. It doesn't look like it's on the menu anymore, but if you go there you should keep an eye out. Their braised pork entree was also very tasty (also not on the menu now). The other pizza we got (rapini and sausage, topped with an egg) was ok - not for those who don't like bitter greens. Definitely would go back! We were raving about it for the rest of the evening.

---

After my trip to nyc, I went straight to Vegas for a bachelorette party. Our last day there we had a nice brunch at Bouchon, which was actually my first time aside from bakery visits. Aside from a classy play on chicken and waffles (bacon + chive waffles with roast chicken), their strawberry croissants were really interesting. They really didn't look like croissants at all... and I wish I tried them dangit. Another time. But here's a picture that boggles my mind.

[MORE...]

[CLOSE]

Catching Up

Here's a list of places I've gone to in the last few months but just haven't gotten around to posting about.

- Red Crane
- Beretta
- Q
- Spruce
- Fresca
- Koi palace
- Umbria
- Lobster shack
- House of Prime Rib

Brief "reviews" after the jump! (Useless yelp-style?)

Beretta: Italian in the Mission
Like SPQR, this new restaurant got a "blow job" by Michael Bauer (my old pastry chef's exact words). And just like SPQR, this Italian joint was just OK for me. I definitely enjoyed my meal there... but it was also quite forgettable. Pizzas are aiight, apps are decent, drinks are whatevs.

Q: Diner/Comfort Food in Inner Richmond
Slightly upscale diner food - add blue cheese to the burger and it's not even close to the Spotted Pig's, but it's still satisfying. Eat all the accompanying garlic fries and you'll definitely pass out. Definitely a must if you like tater tots.

Spruce: Contemporary American Fine Dining in Laurel Heights
Really upscale for the neighborhood - who would've known! Very pricey for what it was. Had the charcuterie, fries, lobster, some kind of med fish, and palmiers for dessert. Those heart-shaped cookies should NOT be on the menu. They have a side-bakery so I don't see the point in wasting a menu spot with those. We only got them because we didn't realize what they were. Doh!

Fresca: Peruvian in Lower Pac Heights (there are other locations too)
Why did I eat Peruvian right after coming back from Peru? Honestly, I didn't know until I got there. My friend invited me to join her double date (5th wheel!) and I just went in blind. I like Limon better, but honestly... it's hard for me to even think of spending $35 on a meal that would be less than $5 in Peru!

Red Crane: Japanese Asian Fusion in Cupertino
Despite its identity crisis of a location, this restaurant actually has very very good food. Although the sashimi plate (pictured to the right) looks very impressive, it isn't worth it. However, every single other dish we got was fantastic. The only drawback is the location - very Asian suburbia....

Koi palace: Dim Sum in Daly City
If you want to know where all the Chinese people eat, wake up at 9am to get here by 10am on a Saturday morning.

Umbria: Italian in SOMA
bsze wanted to bid SF adieu by going to Baron Davis's favorite restaurant. Olive Garden anyone?

Lobster shack: Seafood in North Beach
$20 sandwiches? (pictured at the top) They do leave you pretty comatose. They actually weren't very big, but they were generous with the lobster meat. I don't think I like lobster enough to justify the cost though.

House of Prime Rib: MEAT in Nob Hill
Four years ago HOPR used to be $30 total... those were they days.

[MORE...]

[CLOSE]

Aqua

252 California (b/w Battery & Sansome)
(415) 956-9662

French/ Seafood in Financial

My tastes in fine dining have evolved since I first started getting really into eating out. My very first fine dining experience was at La Folie, which still to this day I remember as being amazing... but was that just because I didn't have any other restaurant really to compare it to? I bring this up only because I wonder... had this meal at Aqua been my first fine dining experience, would I have been just as blown away?

Aqua is definitely very good. Impeccable service, extremely knowledgeable wait staff, beautiful plating, and good quality food. I went here with my family for my mom's and my birthdays, and we all opted for the 3-course since that was already a good amount of food (as opposed to the tasting menu, which is... 9 courses? I'm too lazy to look it up). Their amuse was a trio of minis that didn't really go together, but their mushroom soup had a kick of hazelnuts, which I am widely known to be a sucker for.

L: Amuse bouche - Monterey sardine over celery root salad, mushroom soup w/ creme fraiche & hazelnuts, smoke ahi tuna croquette w/ roasted bell pepper sauce
M: white sturgeon + veal cheeks, served with cremini and hollowed potato w/ marrow (very cute)
R: Atlantic cod w/... stuff

They're known for their tuna tartare, which was ok, but honestly, I'd rather taste the fish than all those spices. I had a trio of foie (one poached, one in sweet bon bon form - not my fave, and one cured). For entrees, everything was ok, but I must say that I really liked the cod. The plating looked so time-consuming, but it really was the best dish of the evening by taste.

L: Apple tatin w/ green apple sorbet M: Pineapple medley, including ice cream, "caviar," foam, etc. R: cookies and candy

I was really disappointed with their dessert menu. My friend used to work there, and she always described the desserts as so amazing... but on this occasion, they just.. weren't! Maybe my expectations were too high, but the only thing that really intrigued me was the "Fall Composition," which turned out to be the one that only Joe ate (he eats everything). "Le Kit Cat" did make an appearance and it was very well done, and the pineapple medley was beautifully adorned with a dried, thin slice of pineapple that looked like a snowflake/flower... but in the end, the never failing Grand Marnier souffle was the winner. Their plate of cookies/candies (I forget the French term for it) was also kind of a let down. I can't even really remember what was on it because it was so unmemorable - sad! Maybe fall just isn't this pastry chef's best season....

L: Chocolate mousse dessert w/ Le Kit Cat (they didn't actually call it that, but that's basically what it was), roasted bananas (SWEET), & a lime caramel sauce
M: "Fall Composition" - from the bottom up, huckleberry compote, some other fruit I forgot, maple creme I think, quince gelee, gingerbread cookies, some other stuff I don't remember... there was a lot going on
R: Grand Marnier souffle w/ candied (?) citrus

All in all, this was a very solid meal, but nothing particularly blew me away. I think I'm over eating out, but that's a whole other post....

[MORE...]

[CLOSE]

plouf

40 Belden Place
415.986.6491

Seafood in Financial

what a delightful restaurant! it's location, in cute little belden alley, takes you away from san francisco and makes it seem like you have actually travelled to another place just to have dinner. dining outdoors adds to the non-citylike atmosphere (though the tables are a bit close together).

the food was delicious. i had the "new zealand bass en croute with haricot vert, caramelized onions and truffle glaze" while my friend had the "ahi tuna au poivre with jerusalem artichokes, escarole and sauce beurre rouge." the sea bass was one of the best that i've had (my favorite has to be the sea bass in chicago), the fried and breaded outside was light and tasty (fried stuff, so good!) with the inside sea bass perfectly flaky and tender. the ahi tuna was, as ahi tuna almost always is, delicious. nearby, a pile of mussels were stacked high on another diner's plate - next time, i'm trying those.

the waiters, when present, were all very friendly; they answered all our silly questions and helped us with all our pronunciation difficulties. service however, was only average; it was sometimes difficult to get the waiters attention. moreover, near the end of our meal, it seemed like the waitress was trying to free up a table just so she could seat one of the many people waiting in line; when she asked us if we needed a dessert menu, she mistook our "yes why not?" for a "no thanks."

although the portions are a little on the small size and the service is only average, for the atmosphere and for the food, i would come here again. (i would also come early just to beat the crowd that begins to form later on at night.)

-s

*** Edit: I've been here a couple of times for lunch during work and I think it's just average. I think the only things worth getting are the mussels with different types of sauces (and you can just get a side order of fries for dipping). - k

[MORE...]

[CLOSE]

Pesce

2227 Polk St. (and Vallejo)
(415) 928-8025

Italian/Seafood in Russian Hill

i thought that the food here deserved more than four stars, but the friend i was with didn't like one dish, so it must not be a five star restuarant. it's a small little italian seafood restaurant that serves both small plates and regular entrees. (i've decided that i really like small plate restaurants because you get to try more more dishes.) because of its small size and really good food, i would have expected it to be more crowded than it was. most likely it wasn't as busy because of the weekdayness of our reservation. i actually went there on a saturday night, and it still wasn't that crowded. it wasn't empty; just not packed.

the service is okay (i thought the hostess was HORRIBLE! she didn't even show us to our table! she just said "you can sit at that table right there" and pointed. if our waitress wasn't so nice, i would've skimped out on the tip =P) as is the ambience, but the food is great. i would recommend every dish that we tried - oyster shooters with a cool hint of cucumber, braised octopus salad with potatoes, celery, and garlic-lemon vinaigrette, seared day boat scallops in a creamy sauce (the scallops were the best i have ever had!), swordfish rolls (these were just ok... a bit dry), and a smoked platter of salmon, sturgeon, and another fish. the only questionable dish was the squid-ink risotto which i really liked but my friend did not enjoy (this was pretty good - not too cheesey like most risottos, which was nice). (i liked this place so much i was almost tempted not to add that there was a questionable dish, but i guess i must warn other non squid-ink risotto fans.) we also had a main dish - sole - which was ok but nothing special.

come eat here (and bring me along too, i still want to try the crab cakes). This is also a good area to walk around before or afterwards (around Polk and such in Russian Hill), so you can work off your meal =)

- s - k

[MORE...]

[CLOSE]