Oh Wine Bar My Wine Bar!

No clue why I ran with a Dead Poet's Society theme tonight - but I'm just gonna go with it.

Today was my first day of work at a new job. Formerly I was commuting far far away every day, away from my lovely town of SF and all of the culinary delights it has to offer. Today I stopped the commute and started a new job just a 20 minute train ride from my house.

After work, to celebrate, my friend L. and I stopped at one of my absolute favorite wine bars in SF - The Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant. Patch's mom mentioned the ferry building in her email - it is truly the foodie highlight of this amazing city. Some day I will devote an entire post to the ferry building, and its amazing farmers market, and the oyster bar, and the store full of mushrooms, and cowgirl creamery.....some day. Today we focus on the wine bar at the Wine Merchant.

The wine bar always has a flight, and goodness knows I LOVE a flight. Tonight they were sauvignon blancs, and I wasn't in the mood for that, so I passed. But I have had a lovely rose flight there before, and I have to admit that my friend L. and I have been known to order a taste of one of every red on the menu. The menu isn't THAT big....but. Its a lot of wine, lets leave it at that. The Ferry Plaza wine bar has a great selection of really interesting stuff. Tonight we had a glass of french rose champagne that was to die for - very slightly sweet, a little dry, and the nicest little bubbles I've ever seen. We moved on to a glass of Spanish red, and I really need to take better notes when i'm out drinking wine. I have no idea what this was, but the servers here are really nice and knowledgeable and can help you find something you will be sure to like. Plus they sell all of the wines in the shop behind the bar. The shop is great with a terrific variety of stuff.

Finally, I love this wine bar because it takes full advantage of the many delicious food options in the building, and serves them as nibbles with the wine. Tonight L. and I shared a big hunk of gruyere from cowgirl creamery, a twisted loaf of french bread from ACME, and some amazing heirloom tomato and garlic olive tapenade. That plus two glasses of wine is a perfect dinner for me.

This is not a rating review - but this is a fabulous wine bar. If you are in town I recommend you go there for a delicious taste of San Francisco. I don't think I ever feel quite as "at home" anywhere as I do at this little place. Now that I am working so close to it, I have a feeling I'm going to be there a lot........

drink up!

Emilia

Patch's Mom Takes SF By Storm!

The apple does not fall far from the tree, and I was reminded of this when my mom went to San Francisco this past long weekend for dad's business conference. She didn't have to attend the seminars and such, so she and some of the other ladies in attendance decided to go Emilia-and-Patch style and eat their way through the city.

Mom had rave reviews about the places she ate and sent Emilia the following excited email after she returned to the East Coast (slightly edited for privacy) which I share because my mom has impeccable taste in food and as I have learned growing up, her reviews and recommendations are as flawless as her criticisms at sub-par food or service are merciless:

From: Patch's Mom
To: Emilia
CC: Patch
Subject: Restaurants

Hello Emilia,
That ferry building is amazing. I was telling Patch about breakfast at the communal table at Boulettes Larder and how I walked around the market on Saturday and bought the most amazing "almond square" at the Heidelberg Bakery stand. Petite Lulu also has very good goat cheese and spinach croissants that they will heat up for you. I shared one with my friend. I went to Sausalito and ate at Sushi Ran which is next door to the movie theater in town, away from the tourist crowd. That was a great find.
In San Francisco, I ate at Colibri, a mexican restaurant on Geary I think and the food was very good and interesting, not mentioning their amazing range of top shelf margaritas. I also had a great lunch at Cafe de la Presse right near the doors to China Town. I had a tarte flambee which was a lavash bread with smoked salmon and horseradish cream on top. Yummie and just the right size. The Chimay beer on tap reminded me of Belgium.
We also had dinner at Bacar and it was good but too hyped up. I think that I would have liked to try Jack Falstaff instead. We had a very nice dinner at Fringale where the head waiter/manager, Andre is a French Canadian guy. The food was delicious.
-Patch's Mom

This weekend I am headed up to SF where Emilia and I have exciting things planned, including a glorious ocean-view hike, the legendary Middle East Feast at G.M.'s house, and a trip to Bourbon & Branch, an old fashioned speakeasy where you need a password to get in. And of course, a BBQ which we are throwing for many friends at Em's house, and will undoubtedly include Emilia's fabulous BBQ fixings. I can't wait!

:-P

Goat Hill Pizza - Sourdough Crust and City Views!

Goat Hill Pizza is another great place in my neighborhood, but it is also somewhat of a San Francisco institution. Its been around for....a long time. The original location is near me on Potrero Hill, but there is also a newer location in SOMA, which delivers.

There are so so many things I love about Goat Hill. First off, the pizza is delicious. I am crazy about sourdough, and their crust is sourdough, so its a match made in sourdough heaven. The crust is not too thin but not too thick - just right, crispy, with lots of flavor. Second - the toppings are terrific. They have pretty much everything you expect from a pizza place, plus some varied meat toppings and different sausages. I love that they have red and green onions. My roommate and I also adore the pesto pizza, where they swirl regular marinara with pesto. I like mine with sausage, feta, sundried tomatoes, red onions, and olives - yum.

Goat Hill also has pasta and sandwiches and salads. I have sampled the salads and they are basic pizza-place salads, with antipasti on top - nothing wrong with that. My dad had a big baked sub once and he seemed to enjoy it. The garlic bread is good and soggy and crispy all at the same time. Also Goat Hill has great, slightly cinnamony, iced tea. And rootbeer!!

The thing I really really love about Goat Hill is Neighborhood Night. Every monday evening from 5 until close is all-you-can-eat neighborhood night. You come in and sit down, order a drink, and then head over to a make-shift salad bar for a big salad with all the fixings. Then you sit and eat while waiters bring around many many varieties of pizzas - maybe a new pizza every five minutes or so. You take a piece when you want one and don't take one when you don't, and you can take more than once piece of a favorite if you like. My roommate and I are big fans of neighborhood night and go often. One thing I love about it is that the pieces they bring around are really small, so you can try quite a few different things. Its only about 10 dollars per person and I think it is soooo worth it. Just expect to wait in line if you get there after 6 - by 7:30 there will be a huge crowd and a long wait.

All in all, Goat Hill is a great neighborhood pizza place. And as all good pizza should, it almost tastes better cold the next day.

Food - (3.25)
Experience - (3.25)
Overall - (3.25)

For an explanation or our ratings system, CLICK HERE!

For yelp reviews of Goat Hill - CLICK HERE!

Emilia

Bar Bambino - Mama Mia!

Stupid title, I know. I'm tired today!!!

Bar Bambino is a new wine bar/restaurant in the Mission district of SF. Many of you may know that the mission is my favorite place to wine and dine, so when I heard of this place opening I immediately scheduled a date with another lawyer galpal to hit it up.

Located at 16th and Mission, it is not really an ideal part of the neighborhood for an upscale wine bar. For example, it is across the street from burger king. However I am of the mind that one restaurant can change a neighborhood, and it is right next to the bart station, so bravo Bar Bambino for picking this location.

The inside is very european - tiny tables, lots of people smooshed together, but its a fun atmosphere. P. and I were seated shortly after arriving on a Tuesday, though I imagine it is a lot busier on weekends. It was still packed the whole time we were there.

I started off with a glass of La Braccesca Rosso di Montepulciano Sabazio2004 Toscana. I wish I could tell you what this is, but I have no idea. I got it because I liked the name. Turns out it was a great choice - very bright, fruity, but also smooth. It didn't have much of a bite to it, which I prefer. I had two glasses over the course of the night and put it on my list of things to buy a bottle of sometime soon.

Next we moved on to eats. We started with a little plate of delicious olives. Both green and black, they were marinated until soft and served warm, covered in herbs and really flavorful olive oil. They were absolutely delicious.

Next we had a bruschette - huge slices of grilled bread covered in more of that olive oil, and served with a fresh salad of chopped-up heirloom tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Oh man. This was so simple and SO good - the combo was just the perfect summer meal. It was so good that I went home and re-created it for dinner the next night using tomatoes from my garden. Seriously delicious.

We moved on to Polpette di melanzane - Small balls of eggplant, pine nut with a touch of raisin; finished in a light tomato sauce. This was a dish Michael Bauer raved about in the Chron, which was why we ordered it. It was really good but I didn't think it was served hot enough. The little balls were very tasty though; this is on my list of things to try and re-create at some point.

We finished off our meal with a cheese plate. Unfortunately I can't tell you what we had because we just let the cheese dude pick it out for us, but they have an extensive cheese list, and you can create your own plate of 2/3/4 cheeses for a pretty reasonable price. They served it with more grilled bread and a chutney - very good. We also split a dessert, which was unlike anything I have ever had. It was a strawberry shortcake - but it was actually a dense shortbread cookie, with strawberry glaze and fresh whipped cream. VERY good and the perfect end to this meal. We washed it down with a lovely glass of Moscato d'Asti - the best I've had outside of my monthly wine dinners.

All in all it was a really nice meal. I like the ambiance at this wine bar much better then the crowd at District, and they serve more substantial food than at Yield or Hotel Biron. I will definitely be back there soon.

Food - (3.25)
Experience - (3.25)
Total - (3.25)

To view an explanation of our ratings system, CLICK HERE!

To read yelp reviews of Bar Bambino, click here!

Cara mia, Bar Bambino!

- Emilia

Out the Door - how I aDOOR thee!

The Slanted Door is sort of an institution in San Francisco foodie paradise. The Phan family opened the first location of this upscale Vietnamese restaurant in the Mission district in 1995. Twelve years later the restaurant has moved to the Ferry building, and the Phan family has opened two smaller versions of the restaurant - dubbed Out the Door. One branch was opened in the ferry building next to the restaurant, and another in the basement of the brand new mall downtown, below Bloomingdales. The Bloomies location is the one I review here.

Out the Door is one of my favorite places to grab a quick bite to eat in San Fran. The menu is varied with the seasons, and is often a slightly simpler (and less expensive) version of the menu over at the mother ship of Slanted Door. You can be in and out of there in under an hour, and I have never waited more than 10 minutes for a table, even on a busy Friday or Saturday night. Yes, it is in the mall food court, but the restaurant is tucked into a corner and you don't feel like you are in the mall until you step outside again, full of deliciously tasty and fresh vietnamese food.

Some of my favorite items on the menu:

The springrolls here are amazing. They have two types - fresh and crispy. I love the fresh spring rolls with pork, noodles, and shrimp, wrapped in rice paper and spiced with mint and cilantro. Served with a delicious peanut sauce, these are a hit with everyone, always. They offer a veggie version as well.

I think the crispy spring rolls are my favorite. The version I adore is also filled with pork, along with mushrooms and glass noodles. They are perfectly fried, and served with more noodles, lettuce, mint, and a vinegar sweet-and-sour sauce. You wrap a crispy spring roll in the lettuce with some mint and dip in the sauce and HEAVEN. Heaven in spring roll form, for sure.

One of the salads on the menu is so good that my mom is dead set on recreating it at home. It is julliened purple cabbage, jicama, and carrots, tossed with mint and cilantro and slices of grapefruit. The salad is served with a tangy sweet vinaigrette that never overpowers the veggies, and the top is sprinkled with candied walnuts - just enough to add a little crunch.

Tonight we tried delicious egg noodles, stir-fried with chicken and egg and mushrooms and other yummy things. The noodles were perfectly cooked and served extremely hot - they may have been the tastiest noodles I have ever consumed. YUM.

We also tried the heirloom tomato salad. It was pretty par for the course as tomato salads go. Fresh slices of heirloom with marinated thinly-sliced zucchini, and then some cherry tomatoes and crispy-fried shallots. Yummy though not the best thing we ate by far.

Next we moved on to a beef bavette dish - thinly sliced beef, perfectly cooked, and stir-fried with leeks and hot red peppers in a delicious broth. This was served with vermicelli rice, which I love - so fine and perfectly cooked. We ate every bite of this except for those hot little peppers.

A few other things I love when they are on the menu - the eggplant, which is spicy and delicious and perfectly prepared with green onions and coconut milk. The bok choy is also great, stir-fried with shitake mushrooms. The caramelized tiger prawns, sauteed in garlic, onion and chili sauce, are DIVINE. The sauce is so good on more of that rice.

I also love the chrysanthemum iced tea and organic sodas. Out the Door is a great place to eat. The service is generally very good, and I always leave there satisfied and happy and feeling like I had a special, nice meal. Tonight, my brother and his girlfriend and I ate there - 2 salads, 2 spring rolls, noodles, rice, a beef dish, and beverages - for 60 dollars. For as satisfied as I was after, it was a great deal.


Food - (3.5)
Experience - (3.25)
Total - (3.5)

For an explanation of our ratings system, CLICK HERE!

For yelp reviews of Out the Door, CLICK HERE!

Out the Door - go there!

Emilia

Dosa-y hooray!

So I went on a date a few weeks ago, and he suggested we try Dosa, a semi-upscale Indian restaurant in the mission district of San Francisco. I had heard great things about it and was totally down to go. I must preface this review by saying that I do not eat a lot of indian food. I like it and I'm always happy to go out for it, but it isn't a cuisine that I sit around craving all the time, like Mexican. Or french fries. Which should be their own cuisine if they aren't already.

Anyways.....Dosa. I loved it. The only indian joints I have been to are sort of mom-and-pop diner-esque places in the silicon valley where I work. The food has always been good but they aren't really good date places, needless to say. Dosa was totally different. It is a really pretty space, well-decorated with earthy colors and bright pillows. The dining room is a little cramped and there was a long wait, but my date got there early so once I was there we just sat down. Also they accept reservations for parties of 6 or more.

We sat down and started off with some beverages. He had a glass of wine, but I was in the mood for something carbonated, and chose Lindemans Framboise LambicVlezenbeek, Belgium – Delicate palate of raspberries, brisk, tart, deep opaque garnet. It was a big beer, lasting me the whole meal. Very fruity and delicious, and it cut the spice on all the foods we chose very well. They have a great list of beers from all over the world.

Next we moved onto the food. Dosa serves a small plate of spicy chips as an appetizer. Personally I thought it looked a little lackluster, this sad plate of chips, but they were decent tasting. Date and I ordered the calamari to start: Calamari, sauteed with a sumptuous, spicy coconut milk sauce, served with mixed greens. It was REALLY good. I think it was the most tender calamari I have ever had, and the sauce was spicy and delicious. Really good starter.

Next we shared a dosa and a curry. The dosa we chose was the rava masala: A wispy dosa crepe made with semolina and wheat, served with spiced Indian potatoes, onions and cashew nuts. It was REALLY BIG and really delicious - the dosa had herbs in it, and the filling was super tasty. Creamy and spicy with good chunks of potato in it. The dosa was crunchy and it was all just very very good.

The dish that really wowed me the most was the lamb curry we ordered: Niman Ranch natural lamb steeped in a sauce of fennel, tomatoes, poppy seeds, caramelized onions and a blend of other spices, served with Basmati (Indian long-grained) rice. It was incredibly delicious. Very spicy, but the lamb was tender and melted in your mouth, and the spices were terrific. My mouth was on fire in a good way!!! I would go back there just for this, as I have been craving it pretty much ever since.

Lastly we split a dessert, which I wasn't crazy about. The Gulab JamoonTwo was described as soft, lightly- fried milk balls served in a warm, cardamom flavored sugar syrup. Well, sugar syrup was right. Basically it was two donut holes sitting in simple syrup - just too sweet for me. Literally, I had one bite and I was done. I think this is more pleasing to the palate of other people, but it wasn't for me.

I didn't pay for dinner but the prices seem reasonable to me. The service was decent, though they were obviously in a hurry for us to leave. Still, I will be back to Dosa for sure. Now I'm finding myself trying to figure out a way to get back there soon....so much for not craving Indian food!

Food - (3.5)
Atmosphere - (3.25)
Overall - (3.5)

For an explanation of our rating system, CLICK HERE!

For yelp reviews of Dosa, CLICK HERE!

Dosa please!

Emilia

Just for You Cafe - JUST FOR ME!

When I moved into my neighborhood a year and a half ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I love the house but hadn't explored the small surrounding business area. No clue whether there would be decent food/drinking/grocery/entertainment options within walking distance.

It turns out that I got lucky. My neighborhood of Potrero Hill/Dogpatch is not at the top of the list of fun places to hang out, but it provides a good local grocery store, great mani/pedi stop, and lots of food options - nice french, quick french, north african, thai, chinese, (bad) sushi, several pizza options, a deli......

And breakfast. At Just for You. Maybe the number one thing about the restaurant is breakfast at Just for You Cafe.

Just for You is sort of a local institution. Its been around forever and there are many reasons why. It has a great little atmosphere - cool concert posters on the walls, lots of new orleans stuff hanging around, friendly service, no cell-phone possibility, cash only policy. Its easy and fun, and though it can get crowded after 9 on the weekends, its not so crowded that you can't get in.

The food is also really and truly delicious. Great diner breakfasts with a new orleans flair. First of all, they have beignets - pillowy little donuts of goodness, hot and covered with melting powdered sugar. Absolutely delicious. The donuts themselves aren't sweet - so the contrast is excellent.

Just for You also served great coffee, big glasses of Odwalla OJ, and huge mimosas - giant juice glasses with a LOT of champagne.

On weekends Just for You always has a few specials for brunch, which lasts from 8-3. But their menu is chock full of good things to eat as it is. Two eggs any way, with a long list of sides, including deliciously thick and fatty bacon, several kinds of sausage (hot louisiana style, chicken apple, breakfast); biscuits and gravy; ground beef patty; porkchop; catfish; or crab cake). This is all served with the delicious homefries - thick wedges of red potatoes, crispy on the outside and perfectly seasoned. Last it comes with one of several bread options. Just for You bakes its own breads - sourdough, white, wheat, or cinnamon/raisin. You can also get cornbread or a biscuit.

Another one of my favorite menu items is the frittata of the decade - A slow-pan-fried Italian omelet with zucchini, mushrooms, onion, garlic, spinach & tomato, topped with cheddar cheese. Delicious, gooey, great with the homefries. I get it with a side of the hot hot sausage.

Lately my meal of choice has been the cowgirl - two eggs sunnyside up with bacon, and two of the best cornmeal pancakes I have EVER had, drowned in maple syrup and butter. Usually, no matter what I order, I get one pancake on the side, because I crave them oh so much.

Last time I was there with patch, she had the chili scramble - 3 scrambled eggs, topped with chili con carne, cheddar cheese, and diced onions. This was all served over cornbread. She remarked that she wanted more chili, so if you like yours extra saucy, ask for an extra scoop!!

Lastly, I do love their fried egg sandwich. Can't go wrong with that. I have never tried any of the many lunch options (Salads, sandwiches, burgets, etc) because the breakfast is so freakin good. Basically, Just for You is a sure thing. I go twice a month on average and I've never had a bad meal. I like heading down there alone and reading the paper while dining at the bar. Its delicious, greasy, friendly - and best of all, just three blocks away.

edited to add - I forgot about their Mexican breakfasts! Juevos rancheros and delicious breakfast burritos. Patch mentions in a comment that she wanted more spice in the chili - order a side of their hot hot chili sauce if you like spicy stuff and pour it on, that should do the trick!!

Food - (3.25)
Experience - (3.25)
Total - (3.25)

For an explanation of our ratings system, CLICK HERE!

For yelp reviews of Just for You, CLICK HERE!

Go there. Eat beignets.

yum,
Emilia

Nuts about Betelnut

Recently, a girlfriend of mine took the California bar exam. Remembering how that felt for me last summer (and because of a computer error, again in March!!) I decided I would take her out for a nice celebrator dinner. I thought long and hard about the kind of restaurant that would be perfect for a celebration....and came up with Betelnut.

Betelnut is in the Marina district of SF. This is an area I don't frequent as often as, say, the Mission. This is partly because it is so far away, and partly because the scene there isn't so much my style. But there are a couple of good restaurants there, and Betelnut is one of them.

The theme of the place is sort of polynesian/asian fusion. They have a long bar menu of very fruity drinks with umbrellas in them. I started withe a Sake Colada - which tasted like a pina colada, only lighter. It was surprisingly refreshing and REALLY tasty. My friend L. had a Mai Tai, which came in a little barrel. I tasted it and it was very fruity and fit the CELEBRATION theme of the evening.

Then we moved on to food - SO much food, and it was really good. We started off with the pork springrolls with wood ear mushrooms, glass noodles, and szechuan mustard. The dipping sauce was nice and spicy, and the springrolls were hot, crispy, with delicious hearty filling. They were a great way to start the meal.

Next we moved on to a green salad with oranges and nuts, and an asian dressing. Simple but good, a nice contrast to the spicy spring rolls.

For our main course, we had ribeye steak, which was served sizzling hot on an iron plate with spring onions and roasted garlic. The sauce on top of the steak was REALLY good - lots of flavor, and it caramelized into the hot place. With that we ordered a side of jasmine rice, which was a little undercooked, and the delicious szechuan green beans served with fried garlic and soy sauce and all sorts of delicious things. The steak was tender and REALLY delicious, though I wish they had brought us a spoon to help us with the sauce.

Other times at Betelenut I remember having the korean charbroiled pork with scallion pepper sauce. It was sort of a misnomer, because it was actually shredded/cubed and served in lettuce cups, which it doesn't say anything about on the menu. There is another chicken lettuce cup dish on the appetizer menu, but that is clearly marked.

In general the food at betelnut is REALLY good. I do find it a bit on the salty side, and I really like salt, so I always have to drink about a gallon of water when I get home. The one other complaint I have about the place is that both times I've made a reservation there I had to wait even though I got there right on time. Then this last time, though we had a reservation, we were seated at a tiny table near the bar and the door, and right next to a couple with a baby. The tables are REALLY close together and the baby was just crawling around on the benches so it was slightly unpleasant (I have nothing against babies, but we were trying to celebrate here!). When I asked about another table they said it would be at least a 15 minute wait - go figure. Also the bar area is poorly laid out and you end up constantly standing in someones way.

All in all its a great place for some asiany fusiony food. If you are relaxed and carefree about the semi-annoying service issues, then it is the perfect place for a mai tai in celebration of....whatever!!!

Food: (3.5)3.5 -
Experience: (3)3 -
Total: (3.25)3.25 -

For an explanation of our rating system, CLICK HERE!

For yelp reviews of Betelnut, CLICK HERE!

I'm nuts about it!

Emilia

Play Ball! Food at AT&T Park

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I am a huge, huge baseball fan. Specifically, I am an SF Giants Fan. I'm a season ticket holder and I've been going to games at AT&T Park (formerly known as SBC park, formerly known as PacBell Park) since it opened. Being a foodie, I have also had the pleasure of sampling every type of food offered in the park over the years, except for the sushi because that just seems ridiculous, and any fake meat products, because why eat fake meat when there is perfectly good real meat to consume. Here are some of my favorite foods in the ballpark.

Club Level
I'll write about this first to get it out of the way. The food in club level seating is much better than the food elsewhere in the park. However the tickets are also more expensive. If you get a chance to sit here, definitely come hungry. The burgers and hotdogs and sausages are better quality, hotter, and more nicely prepared up here. Fries are fresher. All of that stuff. Some of the highlights of club level that you can't find elsewhere are fancy pizzas, really good panninis, corned beef sandwiches, DELICIOUS strawberry shortcakes, and sometimes they have really yummy perfect little sliders at the main grill area. When my parents are in town we generally get club seats. However my seats are with the real fans, in view reserve....

Third Level - View Reserve
I sit in section 310, which is really prime location for food. Right outside of my seats is a stand with the amazing gilroy garlic fries. These are thick-cut french fries, smothered in chopped garlic, salt, and parsley. In my case, also ketchup. These babies are so, so good. Sometimes all I eat are garlic fries. Because they also sort of make you feel sick....but its worth it, believe me. If you like garlic, you will love these. I'm obsessed with french fries, so these are perfect for me.

Outside of my seats are also various hot dog stands. I usually go for a normal polish sausage, which are really good here - more flavorful than your average dog. Sometimes, especially when my dad is around, we get a Sheboygan bratwurst - really delicious, HUGE in a giant bun, with tons of grilled peppers, onions, and sauerkraut. These are sold in a stand, not at one of the normal food locations. They are GOOD! You can also get grilled homerun dogs at this stand.

Close by is a Compadres mexican food stand, another one of my favorites. You can get a burrito, taco salad, or two huge tacos full of yummy spicy beef, cheese, cabbage, and salsa, in crispy shells. These are great on days when I've been to a few games in a row and I'm sick of hot dogs (it is possible to get sick of hot dogs). Speaking of hot dogs, there are also stands that sell various other kinds of sausages - italian, lemon chicken, etc.

Also on the third level, you can get your average nachos, pizza, pretzels, and normal ballgame snacks. At the other end from my seats is a fry bread stand, another one of my favorites. They have various funnel cakes and indian fry breads with toppings - SO delicious. Lastly, on the third level you can get the delicious Ghirrardelli ice cream sundaes. It used to be these were only sold on the third level, though now you can find them at field level also. Two scoops of vanilla ice cream are topped with a ladle of chocolate sauce, whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry of course. View reserve has some good food.

Field Level
There are a few things at field level that you cannot get at view reserve - just stop there on your way up to the top. One is the emerald roasted cinnamon nuts - I think you can get these upstairs at view now, but they are fresher down here. Almonds or walnuts, roasted and toasted with cinnamon and sugar. Nuts are good for you, right?

Also there are a few specialty stands down here. There is a fish and chips place, which is actually pretty good. Also North Beach Restaurant has a stand with 40 cloves of garlic chicken sandwiches, and some other yummy italian goodies. I believe there are also a few safeway deli sandwich locations down here - there might be one upstairs as well. Just sort of a normal deli sandwich, but tasty. Another thing down here (and I believe there is one of these upstairs too) is a stand that sells chili and clam chowder in big bread bowl. This is hard to eat at baseball games, I wouldn't exactly recommend it. But if you are in the mood go for it!

Center Field Pavillion
Out behind center field is a plethora of different food options. One of my favorites is the Orlando Cepeda Cha Cha Bowl. Yummy rice served with jerk chicken and a really good mango salsa. Another good option if you are sick of the basic ballpark food. Up here there is also stand that sells crab and shrimp cocktail, crab and shrimp poboys, fried fish, and calamari. There are some nice tables up here too, you can sit and relax and look out at the boats.

Below the Pavilion
Down below the pavilion used to be the only place to get the indian fry bread - now that is all over the park. But it IS the only place for one of my favorite foods - slow cooked bbq pulled pork and brisket sandwiches, with extra sauce on the side. Sometimes its hard to find your way down here, but if you are in the mood I would suggest it. These are great!

Other food and drink finds
Other foods that you can find randomly all over the park that I really enjoy - the fresh squeezed lemonade, huge delicious bags of kettlecorn, big bags of popcorn with real butter, peanuts/crackerjacks, small pink bags of cotton candy (not the multicolored stuff), and beers of course! If you come up to a counter and they have a beer you aren't fond of, don't despair. Basically, every single food counter sells a different beer. In addition there are liquor carts with different beers, margaritas, and wine all over the place. I've seen everything from pabst, to coors light, to Stella (yum!). Just walk around for a minute and you will find something you like.

Things to Avoid
The churros are atrocious. Don't waste your money. They are cold and just not worth eating. Really, that is the only bad thing I have ever consumed at this ball park.

All in all, AT&T is a great place to eat. There are tons of food options, the weather is great, the park is gorgeous, and you can see Barry Bonds hit some home runs (love him or hate him, he is fun to watch.) Come on out to the park and enjoy some.....food. And baseball too.

bye bye baby!

Emilia

Pesce - What a Catch!

Pesce is a neighborhood seafood restaurant in Russian Hill. I had never been there, but after an evening of shopping for wedding dresses (for my friend) and work clothes (for myself), she suggested it as a place to grab some dinner. I am always up for good seafood, and Pesce didn't disapoint.

It is a really cute and cozy place - sort of rustic, but still nice. Daily specials are on the walls, including oysters they have that day. There is a nice bar and a good number of people were sitting there having dinner. We had a reservation and got a table, and were seated right away even though we were early.

We started off with a bottle of something I can't remember - and since they don't have a website, I can't tell you what it was. It was a red wine and I hadn't had it before - some sort of mix of grapes that I hadn't heard of. The waitress suggested it though and it was really good.

Next we moved on to oysters. This friend and I both adore them (as does Patch), so we had a half dozen - two of each oyster they had that day. They were REALLY good - creamy, very fresh, so briny and delicious, and huge. Pesce serves them with a mignonette, and a little cocktail sauce, which I ignored because I just love the vinegar/shallot/oyster combo too much to screw with it.

Pesce is small plates meant to be shared, and that is exactly what friend and I did. Keep in mind that we are big eaters - the waitress was obviously surprised by how much we ordered. We started off with two dishes. First was a really delicious caesar salad, one of the best I've had in the city. It was heavy on the anchovies, and came with a big garlic crouton covered in an anchovy paste - yum. It was probably over-dressed, but I am a big salad dressing fan, so that was ok with me. Especially considering how good the dressing was. The other starter was not fabulous but it was solid - tuna marinated in olive oil and served with white beans and mint.

For our entrees we had two dishes as well. One was a lingiuni with fresh crabmeat. It was good - not spectacular, but very flavorful, and the pasta was cooked well. It was sort of a light dish - not too creamy. Our other entree was halibut poached in a white wine tomato sauce. That was really good, but it needed to be served with rice or pasta or polenta or something to soak up the yummy sauce. They did serve it with a big bread thing, and we made do with that.

We also ordered a side of the potatoes au gratin - one of my favorite dishes on earth. It didn't disappoint - creamy, cheesy, with a little singed crust on top. I basically polished that off myself.

The dessert was also really good, but sort of simple - basically a big brownie sundae, with vanilla gelato and whipped cream, in a tall sundae glass. It was sort of nice not to be eating fruit tarts, which is the dessert of choice in the summer time.

All in all, Pesce was good. The price was right too - for all that food and the bottle of wine, the bill was 100 dollars, which I think is pretty reasonable for a big meal AND wine AND oysters. It was nice to be somewhere with a pretty good variety of carefully prepared seafood. Its no Aqua - but thats ok. Neighborhood joint should be more casual. If I was in the area, I would go back there for sure.

Food - (3.25)
Experience -(3.25)
Overall - (3.25)

For an explanation of our rating system, CLICK HERE!

For yelp reviews of Pesce, CLICK HERE!!

Nothing fishy about it! Go to Pesce.

Emilia

Trattoria La Siciliana - Brava!

Do they say brave in Italy? I have no idea. But "hell yes" didn't seem right for this title. For "hell yes" is what I say when someone asks me if I want to go to Trattoria La Siciliana ("TLS"). I don't go there very often, because it is in Berkeley, and I live in San Francisco. And for some reason the bay bridge is a barrier over which I rarely cross, even for a great meal. But my aunt and uncle live in Oakland, and we we meet for dinner, this is one of the places we go. On this occasion my mom was visiting my aunt, so my cousin and I trekked across the bridge in anticipation for a great meal.

I should disclose that my cousin used to be a hostess at TLS, and I think we got even better service because of that. But I have been there many times without her and it has always been really fabulous.

The first thing that I love about TLS is the bread dipping oil. The bread itself is not spectacular - I wish they would start using ACME or even Grace. But it is decent normal bread. The dipping oil is what makes it fabulous. It is olive oil loaded with spices, garlic, and salt - no vinegar. It is GOOD. So good that we usually stuff ourselves with bread sopping in it before our food even comes. They sell it by the bottle, and I always mean to by some, but I think I might eat it all in a week, so I have yet to bring dipping oil home. I should probably just try to make it. But I digress......

After the bread we had an appetizer - Aspagargi e Prosciutto. Fresh perfectly grilled asparagus spears are wrapped in prosciutto, and served with a balsamic vinaigrette glaze and fresh shaved grana padana cheese on top. This stuff is so good my family has started copying the recipe and serving it at parties. The cheese is really pungent and the asparagus is still a little crunchy. We mopped up every bit of the sauce and cheese.

TLS serves family style for groups of three or more, and we opted to share two entrees. The first was a special which they have often - Linguini alla siciliana - linguini sauteed with fresh tomato sauce, caramelized eggplant and red peppers, sicilian olives, aeolian capers, imported anchovies, and basil. This is SO good. So flavorful - the eggplant and peppers are like candy. Like Patch I love salt, and this is very well seasoned. We almost always order it - and it is really really delicious.

Next we shared the fish of the day, which was salmon, marinated and grilled, served with a lemon/olive oil sauce on top of spinach sauteed in garlic, with a few roasted peppers on the side. This was crazy good. We had to send it back at first because my aunt thought it was a little undercooked, but they brought it right back and it was perfect. I think I've mentioned that I don't really like cooked greens, but I seriously ate almost all of the spinach. It was so good! I need to start making spinach like that - so flavorful, I just loved it. We were all lapping up the lemony sauce, pouring it onto our portions of salmon. The salmon was really delicious, cooked perfectly (in the end).

We skipped dessert because we had plans to hit up an ice cream shop down the street, but the chef sent us each a shot of homemade strawberrycello - like limoncello but with strawberries. It was icy-cold and so delicious - I could have guzzled a big glass, though I might not have made it back home over the bridge afterwards.

All in all it was a really great meal. We split a bottle of sangiovese, which was really perfect with the meal, even though a white might have been better (we were all in the mood for red). I would and will go back there when I'm in Berkeley (and not in the mood for chinese, because I also love King Yen next door!). A warning though - make a freaking reservation. I don't know why but Berkeley people don't seem to understand the idea of making a reservation. There is ALWAYS a line out the door at this place - but if you have a reservation, you don't have to worry about it! The yelp reviews complain on and on about the long wait - pick up the phone and CALL THEM. Also, go early. Its worth the wait!!!!!

Food - (3.75)
Experience - (3.75)
Overall -(3.75)

For an explanation of our rating system, CLICK HERE!

For yelp reviews of Trattoria la Siciliana, CLICK HERE!

mama mia - I'll be back!

Emilia

Foreign Cinema - oui, si, yes!

I must preface this post by saying that I have only ever been to Foreign Cinema for brunch. I've heard dinner is good but not as good as brunch. I've just never been. So all ratings in this review are for brunch and brunch only.

With that said, FC is my favorite fancy brunch in San Francisco. There are other places that I really love - Mabels and Absinthe, to start. But Foreign Cinema as a total experience - food + the best atmosphere + the best coffee ever = great amazing delicious brunch. I go there two or three times a year and it has never, ever disappointed me.

This past Sunday was no exception. My group of SF galpals gathered to celebrate my roommate's birthday, and the whole morning was really great. I started out with a giant cup of coffee with cream and sugar, and a mimosa. The mimosa was the perfect balance of sweet oj and bubbly - tasted alcoholic but still refreshing. And the coffee - oh man. The coffee there is like crack, but not as bad for you. Or something. It's good, that's all I can say. One of our friends had a big bloody mary which I took a sip of and it was very tasty. Water glasses were constantly refilled. Drinks were good! The bread and butter, plus little pinch bowls of sea salt and fresh-ground pepper, helped to keep us satiated.....until the pop tarts arrived.

Oh, the homemade pop tarts - the flavors on Sunday were apricot and mixed berry. SO good. They look like pop tarts, and they taste like the most delicious flaky fruity pop tart you have ever had. The four of us split two and it was a nice way to start the meal.

For my entree I had two fried eggs deglazed with balsamic, and served over a bed of wilted greens and roasted rosemary garlic potato hash. It was really awesome - my first time trying it but it was delicious. I'm not a huge fan of wilted greens (this was broccoli rabe) but these were good, and the potatoes were great. My roommate had the french toast, which was battered and served with this amazing orange marmalade. Yum, yum, yum. We all split a plate of french fries, as we are on a quest to find the best french fries in SF. These didn't place, but the waiter read our minds and brought plenty of ketchup, so we were happy - and the fries were really good. No luna park or absinthe or zuni.....but good. Another friend had a great frittata with a ton of goat cheese and crispy rosemary potatoes, and the last of us had seared tuna served with orange watermelon, which I had never seen before. She said it was great and cleaned her plate.

I ate about a loaf of bread and was SO full....but their dessert menu could not be ignored, especially since we were celebrating a birthday. We split a lavender strawberry shortcake, with orange-marscapone and whipped cream. It was heaven - the flavors were so gentle, nothing too sweet, nothing too strong. Absolutely delicious, even if I could only force down a few bites.

All in all it was a lovely brunch - per usual. And the atmosphere really pushed it over the top. FC has a beautiful outdoor patio, with some sunny and some shady spots. Inside is very quaint with lots of brick and foreign films on the back wall during dinner. The waiters are very knowledgeable and attentive - our coffee cups were never empty. And the price wasn't bad either - with tip it was about 180 dollars for four people, and one of us had two drinks (everyone else had one and coffee). If you are looking for a nice brunch spot in the city - for family, for a date, or a girls morning out - look no further. The only thing foreign about the place, besides the name and the films, is that I have nothing bad to say about it!!!

Food - (for brunch only)(4.0)
Experience - (4.0)
Overall - (4.0)

For an explanation of our rating system, CLICK HERE!!

For yelp reviews of Foreign Cinema, CLICK HERE!!

ciao!

Emilia

Alegrias - Food From Spain

Last summer I spent a month travelling through southern Spain - Barcelona, Alicante, Granada, Sevilla, and Madrid. And I ate a LOT of tapas. Tapas everywhere, along with a ton of rioja and tinto verano, and delicious cold Alhambra beer. Spanish tapas aren't the fanciest foods - they are generally hearty, rustic, but very tasty small bites that people share along with a big pitcher of sangria. They are eaten in the middle of the day and late in the night. In spain they were delicious almost everywhere - from the big famous tapas bars in Madrid, where you pay a euro or two per dish, to the tiny themed bars of Granada, where they come free with you drinks - and the more you drink, the tastier and heartier the tapas get. I loved the food there - I'm crazy about small plates. But I have not had an eating experience here that matched those tapas in Spain. That is, until Saturday night.

Alegrias is one of those restaurants I've passed a dozen times. Its in the Marina district of SF - a neighborhood I generally don't go to, and if I do, its to drink -- not so much to dine. But this weekend I had guests in town - my cousin A., her husband Y., and their baby, I. A. and Y. met in Granada when she was teaching there and he was studying there. They fell in love, got married, and then he moved back home to the U.S. with her where they had their gorgeous son. They live in my hometown, which REALLY lacks in yummy or interesting food choices - especially for two people who have lived in Europe. I really wanted to take them somewhere fun and reminiscent of their time in Spain, and Alegrias REALLY fit the bill.

We all started with a drink - sangria for me, a glass of Rioja for A., an Alhambra for Y., and milk for the baby. And then we ordered the tapas. We started with the tortilla of the day, which had cheese, spanish chorizo, and caramelized onions. It was really delicious - tortillas can be very dry, like any egg dish, if not made properly. This one was moist, the chorizo was smoky, and it was served with a dollop of really delicious aioli on top - not too strong, but creamy and perfect with the tortilla.

We moved on to the croquetas, which were my favorite tapa of the night. They were perfect - the filling of potatoes, ham, and cheese, was creamy and smooth. They were lightly fried. They melted in your mouth, and were served with more of that great aioli.

We also had the patatas bravas - fried potatoes covered in a spicy tomato sauce. The potatoes were very finely diced, I probably would have liked them bigger. But the sauce was good. The gambas al ajillo - shrimp with olive oil and garlic - were just as I remember them in Spain. The prawns were cooked perfectly and the garlicky oil was great for bread dipping. The pinchos morunos (pork loin skewers in a spicy moorish sauce) were also great. The pork was moist and juicy and they were well-seasoned. Lastly we had the palpos fritos - little fried octopus - which were crispy and delicious with lemon juice squeezed on them.

All in all it was a very good Spanish tapas experience. I've been to a ton of other tapas places in the city, and while I enjoyed them all, this was the most authentic spanish experience I've had in the city. The restaurant was romantic and cozy, not pretentious at all. It was refreshing not to be somewhere where I constantly feel underdressed. The waitstaff was amazing - they immediately appeared with a highchair for the kiddo, along with a baby book which kept him entertained for most of the evening. Best of all, the bill for all of that food and drinks was 80 dollars.

I would definitely head to Alegrias again. In a month or so my brother and his girlfriend, who is Spanish, will be in town, and I will take them there!!! While I've had better food in the city, this is the only restaurant that has made me feel like when I step outside, I will be in a cobble stoned plaza full of spaniards and funny dogs, with some impressive cathedral in the background.

Food - (3.25)
Experience - (3.5)
Overall - (3.5)

For an explanation of our rating system, CLICK HERE!

Check out Alegrias yelp reviews here!

Me gusta Alegrias!

Emilia (comida es mi vida!)

Piccino: Food - 10, Service - 3

Anyone who catches the musical lyric reference in the title gets a virtual gold star (or diamond, or whatever it is we do around here).

Last night was my second visit to Piccino, a new tiny pizza bistro in my neighborhood of Potrero Hill/Dogpatch. Both times I've been the food has been really strong, but last night the service was....weird. It was weird. I will definitely want to update this review after going a third time and also trying a main course since I've only had the pizza, but I'll tell you my impressions thus far.

Piccino is tiny little place - 3 small tables inside, counter space, and then maybe 5 or 6 small tables outside. In creating the place, the owners got the look and feel right on. Little copper tables, clean easy ikea silverware and plates, nice colors - it feels right in there (unlike my impression of another neighborhood spot, Jay's Deli, but that review will have to wait for another day).

As Patch has mentioned before, a restaurant can have great ambiance and the food can still suck. Luckily that is not the case with Piccino - the ambiance is good and cozy, and the food is better than good. The menu is small, local, and seasonal. I have only been for dinner, when it features a few starters, 4 or 5 pizzas including one daily special, three or four main dishes, and a small section of desserts - along with a wine list, local beers, and coffee and espresso drinks.

The first time at Piccino my roommate and I tried two pizzas - she had the Margherita (tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella with basil), and I had the daily special, which was garlic sausage and meyer lemon and parmesan, and some other goodies that I can't quite recall. Last night she had the Margherita again (vegetarian) and I tried the pepperoni. All three of these pizzas were very, very good. The crust is thin and perfectly crispy - one problem I have with the crust at A-16 (to be reviewed one day) is that it tends to get soggy. Not so at Piccino. The pizzas are a little on the small side, but with a starter and dessert it is the perfect dinner portion for me (and I'm a good eater. I've been known to eat disgusting amounts of lesser-grade pizza in one sitting. I swear I have a separate stomach for the stuff, like a cow. Except I don't eat grass. Whatever.). The toppings are really delicious -the garlic sausage was spicy without being too greasy, and the garlic wasn't overpowering. On my pepperoni there was a perfect slice on each quarter of the pizza, along with deliciously fresh mozarella, which also graced the roommate's pizza. The tomato sauce is well-balanced, sweet but not too sweet, and nothing needs salt or is too salty. The pizzas here are really, really good. I honestly think they (the pizzas, not the mains or starters) rival A-16 and Delfina Pizzeria for best roman-style pizza in the city; just remember that the size of the pizza at Piccinos is smaller. While I would share a starter and a pizza at the other two places, at Piccino I definitely want a pizza to myself.

Speaking of starters, they were great last night as well. I had the gazpacho, which I was so excited to see on their menu, because I had been craving it all day and planning to make it this weekend if I can drag myself to the Ferry Bldg early enough tomorrow morning for tomatoes. The gazpacho was delicious - tasted of all the great summer tomatoes that are out right now, and had a drizzle of really fruity olive oil on top. My only complaint would be that I prefer gazpacho with some chunks of chopped veggies, and this one was processed smooth, but that's just me - the taste was spot on. Roommate had a salad of greens and strawberries with a balsamic dressing - simple but tasty. I also had a glass of chainti, which was perfect with the pizza and REALLY hit the spot.

Piccino has great, yet simple desserts. Last night we tried the Plout Tart and the cookie plate (roommate thinks heaven is a place filled with cookies, she loves them, and they are great here). The tart was REALLY good - the filling was fresh tasting but not too sweet, the crust was light and buttery, and it was served with just the right amount of fresh whipped cream. The cookies were also delicious, especially the jam-filled ones. All in all it was a really good food experience.

The service, however, was sort of lacking. I feel weird even writing about it, because the server was totally nice - but odd. First of all he didn't write down our order - fine, I know people are all into memorizing orders these days. But after bringing me my wine, he came back and said "yeah, dude, I totally want to make sure I got your order right because as you were telling it to me I was like, there is no WAY I'm gonna remember this." And he had gotten it wrong. Gazpacho, one of the two salads you have on your menu, and the two most basic pizzas on the menu every day - is that so hard? And if it is, just write it down! This kid continued his antics all night; roommate and I both felt like he was high on something. He would bring us our food or pepper or a napkin and then sort of hover there awkwardly. When I asked him which tart he prefered (there was also a lemon raspberry on the menu), he told me that he hadn't tried either of them, but that pluots were "totally in season," but also that pluots "might not be sweet," and he didn't know which one would be more sweet. I almost suggested that he go ask someone who did know since that seemed the obvious thing to do, and something he should have come up with on his own, but I just went with my gut and ordered the Plout. He also forgot to bring out our cookies. The pizzas were also brought out WAY too hot - they needed at least 60 seconds to cool before they got to us, and we were not warned, and my mouth IS burned. Lastly, when I ordered a latte, he informed me that they were out of espresso drinks. But the way he said it was just odd. He kept apologizing for it over and over (and for the fact that they didn't have decaf for the roommate), and wouldn't just drop it and bring me my regular drip already (by the way, they serve Blue Bottle Coffee, which is great). Either apologize and offer me my regular coffee for free, bring me a cookie, or just leave me alone if you don't have my latte. Its hard to explain, but it was odd. I felt uncomfortable the whole night and I'm really easy going.

So - in sum, I would definitely go back there again. I'm sure I will, and often. Its 2 blocks from my house and the food rocks. Simple, tasty, nicely presented. However I hope I don't get that server again.

Food - (3.25)

Experience -(2.75)

Total - (3)

For an explanation of our ratings system, CLICK HERE!!

SF Chronicle Review of Piccino
Yelp Reviews of Piccino

also mentioned in this month's Gourmet mag, but I couldn't find a link online....

Cheers!
Emilia

Tres Agaves = Tres Malas Experiencias

So.....Tres Agaves. Before this past weekend I had only been there for margaritas and chips and salsa at the bar - which were fine. However an experience I had there previously should have set me up for the disappointment of this past weekend. A couple of months ago I was sitting there at the bar having a nice cold margarita on the rocks with a galpal from work. I remarked to her that the margarita, while good, was not the best I have ever had. Because I had margaritas with Patch when I visited her one summer in Chicago, at Rick Bayless' restaurant, Topolobampo, and it was the freaking best thing I have ever had in my life. We GUZZLED them all night - something I have never done with margaritas. It was like drinking lime-flavored heaven in a glass. And while the margarita at Tres Agaves was good....heaven it was not. I was speaking quietly about this to my friend, and the bartender overheard and came over and gave me a lecture about how Rick Bayless does x thing wrong, and the bartender did it right, yadda yadda yadda - picking a fight with me about this stupid cocktail!! And it WASN'T as good! I'm sorry! Maybe I was being a little rude, but I paid for the drink and was planning on paying for more of them until the little argument. I told him I thought his drink was quite good and I would tell him I liked it best if that would make him feel better. He left us alone and we went on to District.

So anyways, maybe after that little experience, I should have known I would be disappointed with Tres Agaves once I actually got the chance to eat there. But I had high hopes. The restaurant has been on Michael Bauer's Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants List for years. I am generally a little wary of upscale Mexican, but experiences at Topolobampo in Chicago, and Mamacita in SF (which I will write about at some point) lead me to believe that this might be a good thing.

I was wrong. Wrong wrong wrong.

I will start with the good though. We had a reservation and they seated us immediately, even without our entire party there, which I thought was great. They immediately brought us two big bowls of chips and two kinds of salsa - a chopped pico de gallo, and a cooked tomato salsa. The pico de gallo was sort of watery and lame in my opinion - especially considering the great tomatoes available right now. But I really thought the cooked salsa was excellent. Very very tasty, would give my Latina mother's salsa a run for its money (it would lose, but it would be a close race).

Another good thing - some of my friends had a special margarita made with jalapeno, which they all loved - the Sweet Heat. So I would recommend that. We ordered a couple of pitchers of regular margaritas, and they were ok. Not great. They were fine. Too expensive in my opinion - 36 dollars for a pitcher with 4 sub par margaritas. But we enjoyed them.

The food, besides the salsa, was not impressive. I wasn't super hungry, so I ordered one of the $12 ceviches - ceviche being one of my most favorite foods in the history of the world. I had the bacalao - rock cod with chile de arbol, avocado, onion, cilantro, and tomato. It was ok. It was tiny, first of all. And it was served in a tall shot glass basically - which made it hard to eat. The fish was ok. The brine was too limey and watery at the same time - needed more salt, more avocado. Patch had the Durado ceviche - albacore with lemon juice, preserved lemons, cucumbers, and habanero. I had a taste and it was better than mine, but the same tiny glass. My friend R. ordered the chicken sopes, which were absolutely pitiful looking - three tiny (maybe 2 inches in diameter) sopes with pathetically dry chicken and a little chile on top. She remarked that it looked and tasted like it had been under a broiler. Another girl ordered the queso fundido, which also did not look particularly appetizing. The server brought us a bunch of sides to the table - refried beans with chorizo, vegetarian pinto beans, cabbage salad, and tortillas. They were all just ok. I sure didn't taste any chorizo in the refried beans.

The servers also seemed in a hurry to clear our table. Once we ordered the food was out way, way too quickly - we had little time to sit and chat. Once we were mostly done the food was whisked away quickly. But then the check. never. came. Finally after about 45 minutes of sitting there we flagged down our server and made it out of there.

Part of the problem with Tres Agaves is its location. It is a block from the ballpark home of my beloved San Francisco Giants. The before and post game crowds can be very annoying, and are generally looking for their food to be quick and easy. But if that is the kind of place Tres Agaves wants to be, and the crowd they want to cater to in general, they need to lower their prices.

All in all, I was not pleased. I would stop in for a drink and some chips and salsa before a game at the bar, but I will not eat another meal there if I have any control over it. Mamacita across town is just too good - not to mention the deliciously cheap and authentic Los Jarritos.

Food - (2)(1.5 for food, but it gets a boost because of the yummy Sweet Heat cocktail)
Experience - (2)
Total - (2)
* For an explanation of our rating system, CLICK HERE!


Yelp Reviews for Tres Agaves
SF Chronicle Review for Tres Agaves

Sebo: Sidenote

Just a sidenote from me on sebo - while patch has been lucky enough to enjoy sushi in japan, I myself have (Sadly) only consumed it here in the good old u.s.of.a.....in NYC, Seattle, LA, and San Fran. And I will say that it was probably the nicest fish I've had ever. Definitely by FAR and away the best sushi I have had in San Francisco. So please, if you are in SF, go there, eat fish, be merry. And if you have a favorite sushi place in the bay area, comment and let us know!!!!

Em

Sebo: A Bastion of Unilicious Serenity

SEBO.

It was wonderful! We had such a great, fun time and the sushi was very good.

The physical place is serene and simply decorated, with green tea ice cream colored walls, lots of shiny wood and dramatic lights glowing behind white screens along the wall. The outside is very simple and understated. We came in and easily sat at the sushi bar, which is thoughtfully designed with the fish storage recessed so you can watch the preparation of the sushi up close and without obstruction. We asked one of the chef/owners, Dan, to serve up whatever he thought we might like until we cried uncle, and ordered a bottle of cloudy Kizakura sake. (A little sweet for my taste, but still refreshing.)

Dan served us up a couple of different sushi and sashimi combinations, including wild big eye tuna (ruby red, lean and delicious), sardine (looked like little Lexuses on our plate, so shiny and pretty!), blue banded sprat which was also lovely, amberjack, horse mackerel, super fresh sea urchin (a.k.a. uni), wild scallops that were tender and tasty, big fin reef squid that was a bit chewy, monkfish liver (a first for me!) and perfectly fine ikura (I am an ikura freak, as I told Dan...I'll put salmon roe on anything...but that is another tale for another time.) Noticeably quality pickled ginger and wasabi was served on the side. Dan also served each of us a delicious charred-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside piece of Neiman Ranch beef in a bowl on top of garden-fresh sliced golden tomatoes and perfectly ripe avocado, with a tiny bit of some kind of ponzue-esque balsamic drizzle on it. I liked that the little piece of beef was sliced up in the style of a piece of fatty sushi, like toro. It was really different and very delicious. Em couldn't stop raving about it.

The sushi was very good. It was not the best sushi I've ever had, but it was up there and very respectable. It passed the have again test: I would definitely go back. Standouts were the uni and the monkfish liver (a.k.a. ankimo, as my native Tokyoite friend Mari recognized it when I was telling her about the meal). The uni was from Hokkaido and Dan told us they get it maybe a dozen times a year, and it is really special. It was smaller and browner than any uni I've ever eaten. However, the texture was perfect, like eating a creamy feather, and the flavor was really intense and wonderful. It was probably the best uni I have ever had, and I have had some serious uni in my time! And apparently uni is not even in top season right now. Lucky us. I ordered another piece at the end of the meal, it was so good, even when I was nearing my stomach capacity limit. Em was an uni virgin until last night (chicka-woh-woh) and now has set a high bar for other uni to hit, which gratifies me greatly. She was fascinated by its flavor, which is so unique the only thing I can compare it to, when it's good, is canteloupe and oysters have a musky baby. When it's bad, uni is BAD: unpalatable, mushy, and tastes like vaguely sweet, slimy dirt. This one was perfect and put me in a state of urchin-induced bliss.

The ankimo looked like a liver from high school bio class, which I found simultaneously exciting and sketchy. I made Em eat her piece first, even though I am not usually intimidated by eating viscera. Dan sliced it up really thinly, placed it gently on the little pad of rice, and wrapped it with a strip of nori (the seaweed wrap on sushi). It was sooo good. It was incredibly creamy, melt-in-your-mouthy, and had a really meaty, light flavor. Loved it. Sort of like a foie gras's Japanese cousin.

We finished up with a big bottle of Orion beer and a small bowl of cherries they gave us. (And later, hit up Citizen Cake for a rocky road cupcake to split later over a very nice Taz 2004 Zin, whose remainder glass I am now sipping on post-hike. That's how we roll!)

Dan made the experience for us, we both agreed. He was so charming and witty, and he gave us lots of great information about the various dishes we ate. He was just super nice and lovely. If you go, he is the one who looks a lot like Paul Rudd-- just add some hipster black square-frame glasses, beautiful Japanese countryside arm tattoos, and impressive knife-yielding skills. He got into sushi when he became friends with sushi chefs while working in fish wholesale on the East Coast. He also is a culinary school and Cornell grad. He was very welcoming and knowledgeable. Clearly, he and his business partner, Michael, have worked really hard on making Sebo work-- and it has definitely paid off.

Overall, Sebo was a delightful experience. I would definitely recommend checking it out. The icing on the cake: the bill was very, very reasonable for all the nice things we ate.

Food: (3.5)
Experience: (4)
Overall: (3.75)

For an explanation of our ratings system, CLICK HERE!

Reviews:
Yelp Review
SF Chron Review

:-P

Los Jarritos

I was blessed to be born into a family of Mexican heritage. My mother is Mexican, and she's an amazing cook. My brothers and I grew up eating her delicious tacos, tostadas, burritos, enchiladas, tamales - the works. She's a healthy cook - she didn't cook anything especially greasy. But it was fresh, well-seasoned, and delicious.

Growing up in Los Angeles and central California, I was also blessed to be surrounded by tons of amazing Mexican food. The population in my hometown in the central valley is mostly Mexican/Latin American. There are tons of great places to get a delicious taco. My test of a good Mexican restaurant is whether they have good beans and good carnitas. The beans have to be fresh, not too heavy, not too salty. The carnitas have to be greasy enough but not too greasy, not too salty. Carnitas are basically porked braised in pork fat. So they should taste bad for you, but without making you feel ill.

When I moved to Los Angeles for college, I was once again surrounded by tons of terrific Mexican food. My favorite place there was called Los Jarritos II. I went there all the time and took family and friends there. Great delicious carnitas, great chips, hot salsa, quick, cheap, great. I hoped when I moved to Palo Alto for grad school that I would be able to find a place as good. But no dice. There is NO good mexican food in Palo Alto. Nothing. Not even worth trying.

San Francisco however.....San Francisco is another story. There is an entire neighborhood in San Francisco that has a heavy latin influence - lots of Mexican, Central and South Americans with great restaurants. I knew it wouldn't take me long to find "my place" for Mexican food in SF - and I was not disappointed. But I was surprised to find that its name, as well, was Los Jarritos.



The mission is full of taquerias and little crowded places where you can grab a quick bite. But the thing I really like about Los Jarritos is that you can sit down, have a relaxing dinner, and its still delicious and inexpensive.

The chips and salsa at Los Jarritos are pretty good. The salsa they serve before you eat is a cooked salsa - tomatoes, onions, and spices and lots of jalapeno blended until smooth and cooked before its served. The chips are always fresh, made from the corn tortillas that the restaurant makes and uses in all its recipes. My favorite things to order are the tacos - you can get them crispy or soft (I go for crispy). They put a little beans, and then your choice of delicious chicken, spicy beef, carnitas, or just rice if you are a vegetarian. The guacamole is fresh and super tasty, and made spicier if you ask them. The beans - oh man. They are pure heaven. And they are vegetarian, which means no lard - but they are so freakin good you would never know it. And the carnitas are perfect - greasy but not gross, tender, tasty, YUM.

I go to Los Jarritos once a month or so. I like to take people there. My parents have gone with me and my mom gave it her true Latina stamp of approval. I took my friend from high school, L., there for 4th of July dinner. She had the carne asada and said it was amazing. I believe her - but the carnitas are so good that I'm not sure I'll ever be able to try anything else.

So if you are in town and want good authentic Mexican food, in a cozy atmosphere, in the heart of SF - Los Jarritos is it!!

Food - (3)
Experience - (3)
Total - (3)

For an explanation of our ratings system, CLICK HERE!

Check out Los Jarritos Yelp! reviews HERE.

I dig it!

Em