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I ate last week with Suvir Saran (Indian chef in NYC) at Bocadillo's, which is a few blocks from the Embarcadero. I would highly recommend it for lunch, even though a couple of our dishes were not spectacular.

Bocadillo's

My review at Yelp:

I am pretty sure they're capable of five stars, based on the report my chef friend and his fiance gave me after they went here for dinner. (They utterly RAVED.)

We came in for a late lunch, and maybe some of the dishes were a little past their prime. I was with a chef who is fond of ordering a LOT of dishes, to sample everything, and that's what we did.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: the patatas brava (!!!!!), the roast beef bocadillo with goat cheese and onion marmalade, the salad with Green Goddess dressing, the cheese plate (four artisanal cheeses, all very well balanced), and the daily special soup (tomato basil: absolute perfect July soup). Their flan was, without question, perfect. The best I've ever had, and my chef friend praised its structure, flavors, and all the elements of perfection. I loved the "warm chocolate cake with sauted bananas crme Catalan," he, not so much.

Medium okay: the bean salad with pickled onions (needed some salt to balance) and the pineapple bread pudding.

Would not order again: the pistachio ice cream with macaroons. These disks were as hard as bricks, seriously, and were inedible. The pistachio ice cream was preternaturally green and, well, "eh."

Would not order again: the spinach with pine nuts and golden raisins. It looked good on paper, but failed in execution. It was just too tasteless. It could have used a shot of something tangier than a few raisins: some kind of vinegar and even some salt.

Would not order again: either the serrano ham bocadillo (WAY dry, WAY WAY WAY not enough of the supposed tomato sauce stuff they said was on it...barely a rub of it, and the bread, by 3PM was a little too stale), or the roasted vegetable bocadillo, in which the olive flavor simply overwhelmed everything else. The eggplant tasted like olives, the zucchini tasted like olives, and the bread tasted like olives.

Overall: great place, great service, and not a shred of that self-conscious "look how cool we are" vibe, even though it is a very cool place. The waitress's recommendation of cava over champagne was a good one, even though the cava was cheaper. I love when they don't upsell you for a couple of bucks. I thought the value for the dollar was quite high, and would recommend Bocadillos to anyone. I'll be back soon.

Pictured: patatas brava, salad with Green Goddess, flan, nice interior, cheese platter, and The Best Flan I've Ever Had.

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Very good stuff.

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I ate last week with Suvir Saran (Indian chef in NYC) at Bocadillo's, which is a few blocks from the Embarcadero. I would highly recommend it for lunch, even though a couple of our dishes were not spectacular.
I let him know about this too. I don't know what he'll do for lunch today.

Last night he went to The Globe, on the recommendation of someone I know in SF. It was pretty full, but he was able to get a seat at the bar and enjoyed his meal. (Hearts of romaine with buttermilk dressing and hand-cut egg pasta with duck ragout, citrus and almonds.) It's odd that the web site makes it look like they don't do Friday or Saturday dinner, but they do :angry:.

Thanks again for the responses.

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I spent some time in Berkeley and the Oakland area.

The Cheeseboard across from Chez Panisse on Shattuck is a classic. Bought two scones, the classic with currants and the scone of the day hazelnut chocolate. These aren't those crummy dried out scones that you find at most coffee shops. These are the traditional British scones, moist and tender, almost biscuity. Also some very good hazelnut shortbread.

If you're looking for a nice occasion restaurant, my friend's rehearsal dinner was Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood in Emeryville. It is on a narrow peninsula that sticks out into the Bay, so that you're pretty much surrounded by water on the sides. The seafood was also pretty tasty, and the Peking duck was flavorful though maybe a little sparse on the meat. Yummy lobster, shrimp and other things.

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Anyone with recent experiences to recommend? Heading back out west for a few days next week and wondering where to go (aside from my already planned and much-anticipated return to Swan Oyster Depot)...
I was out last month for business and ate at SPQR, Range, Ame, and Zuni. Zuni was by far the worst meal, but I would not hesitate to recommend SPQR for a great, casual dinner in Pacific Heights, or Range for an extremely well priced "new american (ish) meal with one michelin *. Ame was also excellent, but probably qualifies as a splurge for those not travelling for business (with a generous per diem).
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Was in San Fran last weekend for a wedding, and thought to give a quick report... Since it was a wedding, though, and we were busy both Friday and Saturday night with that, we only had breakfast and lunch... sigh... need to get back!

Ferry Building - spent an entire morning here wandering around and loved it... Why can't Eastern Market be more like this? Had the oysters from Hog Island, which were delicious and the people were very friendly. Had some wine and chocolates at the wine bar, and fish tacos at another walk-up place... Free chocolates too. ;)) Though, I must say, the fish tacos were not as good as to be hoped for.

Tartine Bakery - Oh so good. Giant gougeres, candied orange zest cinnamon buns, light-fluffy asparagas quiche, and another item I am blanking on were all tried, and loved. Very good, and one hopes they win the Beard award finally this year! But go early, there is a line out the door, and only a few tables inside.

In-n-out burger - I know. But I just had to try one after all the hype. And it was "fine," but I guess I couldn't say that it was phenomenal as my Californian friends seem to think it was.

City View - Dim Sum on the outskirts of Chinatown. And I really enjoyed it. Lots of locals, and the waiters barely spoke English, and the place was bright and airy! Favorite was the sticky rice. And maybe the pork bun.

Red Blossom Tea Company - also in Chinatown. Not a restaurant, but an amazing tea shop with small tables and chairs for you to try any of their many teas before you buy them. And so you can be shown proper brewing times and temps for each one. And I somehow walked out with multiple cakes of pu-erh. Oops.

Oh, and a delicious new cupcake shop near Ghiradelli Square. Moist-as-anything cupcakes. With a perfectly fluffy, and not too sweet, frosting.

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Home is now known as Palmetto. Nothing appears to have changed though. Similar menu and the web site [for Home] is still live. Weird.

I neglected to post about my brunch at Home. It's funny: I didn't love what I personally ordered, but overall I just really liked the place. Before I forget, we dined at the Union Street location (Marina).

I just wasn't crazy about my French toast; thick slices of brioche were coated with tiny bits of something very crunchy (semolina? I didn't ask). YMMV but I didn't like it. But our server was great, the setting (we were seated in a glass-enclosed front room with a view of the street) was comfortable, I had a good latte, and the mac & cheese we ordered to share among the three of us was fan-freakin-tastic.

In other meals...I greatly enjoyed dinner at Poggio in Sausalito. When I picked it, I was merely trying to steer my friend (who lives in San Francisco and spends a lot of time in Marin County) away from taking me to a touristy spot with a water view. Water views are nice and all, but I know that views often equal overpriced, undistinguished fare. Plus it was getting dark.

Poggio was a complete treat. I really didn't know what to expect. At the "could be bad" end of the spectrum, I noticed the aging crowd and huge dining room. At the "could be good" end, we noticed the bustling crowd and cheerful staff, as well as a menu with lots of appealing choices. We put our name in with the host and was told the wait could be 90 minutes for a table for two. Hmm. We made our way to the far end of the bar, near the door to the kitchen, and were pleased when two bar stools opened up.

Deciding to dine there instead of the dining room worked out very well for us. We chatted with various members of the staff as they visited the bar area, as well as our fellow bar diners, all of whom were very welcoming, cheerful locals. By the end of our meal, we felt like part of the crew of regulars. To start, we shared the burrata appetizer with sun dried tomato pesto and grilled bread (not the burrata preparation presently noted online). My friend's entree was the perfectly al dente bucatini alla amatriciana, and mine was the polpettone, a terrific braised meatloaf that I'm going to be trying to replicate for the rest of my life.

We passed on dessert, intending to get ice cream at one of the two shops we had seen on our way in. Sadly, both were closed by 9:30. I suspect businesses close later during the summer--Sausalito was a ghost town as we walked to my friend's car.

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I was looking for a deli to grab a sandwich, but imagine my delight when I found a restaurant that was still serving breakfast at 1pm. I didn't have to wander the streets of San Francisco very far from my hotel when I happened onto the Taylor St. Coffee Shop today, where the walls are adorned with photos of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Audrey Hepburn.

The kitchen is placed in the front of the restaurant, where ten tables await hungry patrons. The portions are plentiful, and I especially enjoyed an omelette bursting with mushrooms, cheddar cheese, green onion, avocado, and sausage accompanied by a fruit medley: delectable morsels of juicy strawberries, canteloupe, honeydew, banana, apple, grapes, watermelon, and orange.

Prices are reasonable, and their product is delicious. This was the perfect spot to dine solo and plan the rest of my day in the city by the bay.

Taylor St. Coffee Shop

375 Taylor St.

Open 7a-2p every day

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I'm looking for some recommendations: I'll be in SF in December and am looking for someplace utterly delicious for a decadent lunch with one hitch: we'll have a six month old baby with us. My friend and I are staying in Nob Hill but we're both very familiar with the city and won't mind traveling a bit.

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I've just returned from a veritable bacchanalia in San Francisco over the weekend. Before I retire to my bed for the next week to dry out and detox with water and celery...

Sociale in Laurel Heights was described to me as a "little old lady restaurant," and the tiny interior is indeed quiet and cozy and sweet. But there's nothing "little old lady" about the food, which is both interestingly conceived and thoughtfully executed. I would be a happy woman if I could start every meal with the fried olives, served breaded and stuffed with fontina, and the Berkshire pork chop is the best pig I've had in a while, topped with a unique salsa rosa. If the olives are the best way to start a meal, the chocolate chip cookie--baked in a ramekin like a little cake and served with vanilla ice cream--is the best way to end one.

In my humble estimation, the Slanted Door in the Ferry Building has lost some of its edge. The table service is still quite good (and the room is still deafening and factory-like), but the legendary shaking beef and noodle dishes, while good, just aren't what they used to be. Perhaps the kitchen is becoming a bit scattered, as they start to open up takeout branches around the city (named Out the Door), but whatever the reason, it is a bit disappointing. The jicama, cabbage, and grapefruit salad with candied nuts, however, is da bomb.

Yank Sing, on the other hand, hasn't lost a step. Dumplings, dumplings, dumplings. Szechuan chicken. Chinese broccoli. Dumplings, dumplings, dumplings. Schedule a long walk and a short nap immediately after your meal.

Epic Roasthouse on the Embarcadero specializes in dry-aged steaks, but they also offer an interesting range of raw fish and charcuterie starters and fish, fowl, pork, and sausage entrees. The heirloom apple salad with cashews, cranberries, aged cheddar, and greens vies with Sociale's fried olives as one of my favorite starters of the year (and is large enough to split). The bread basket includes some fabulous gougeres, which are pretty dangerous because you can have as many as you want as long as you can manage to flag down the bread dude. I ordered the petit filet, mostly because it was the only steak on the menu that was less than 20 ounces, but I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of meaty flavor, which you just don't get anymore in a tenderloin. My friend's New York strip was also a top-notch model of that cut of beef, gorgeously earthy and flavorful. Sides of caramelized brussels sprouts and mac and cheese were very nice. If you can only make it in for a drink, do. The bar is a warm, leather-and-wood kind of place on the second floor that has a stunning view of the water and the Bay Bridge.

But I'm saving the best for last: Yum Yum Fish at 23rd and Irving has to be some of the best sushi I've ever had. This joint looks so divey and sketchy that there is no way in hell that I would ever even think about eating raw fish there if it weren't recommended so strongly by people I trust; even with the recommendation, we hesitated. It's really a fish market that happens to serve sushi; there are only three tables and a sushi "bar" that is actually a ratty old, bent metal table with three mismatched chairs adjacent to where the fish is prepared. And the fish is flawless, expertly sliced at the perfect temperature and of the highest possible quality. My dining companion, a sushi nerd from his time in Japan, who is usually endlessly talkative, was speechless throughout the meal. After every piece, we could only mutter something like, "Dear God. THAT'S what that's supposed to taste like." I haven't been able to stop thinking about the hamachi toro ($2 a piece!) or the red snapper that tastes perfectly of the ocean. Three rolls, ten pieces of nigiri, pot of tea, $36. Go. Now.

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Epic Roasthouse on the Embarcadero

Thank you for this tip in particular, I was looking for a lunch spot in this area, and this looks like it will hit the spot. I am sorry to read that you feel like Slanted Door has slipped, I have reservations for the first evening that we will be there, hopefully your experience was simply a fluke.

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Thank you for this tip in particular, I was looking for a lunch spot in this area, and this looks like it will hit the spot. I am sorry to read that you feel like Slanted Door has slipped, I have reservations for the first evening that we will be there, hopefully your experience was simply a fluke.

Don't fret too much. It hasn't gotten bad, and you will still have a good meal; it just doesn't have that edge or oomph that it used to. I'd like to think it was a fluke, but a few San Franciscans said that my impression was not off-base.

I hope you enjoy Epic--let us know what you think!

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I'd forgotten to note this before, but Fog City News is one of my favorite stops in SF. They have one of the most interesting and diverse collections of chocolate bars I have never seen before. One of the most interesting is Zotter, which has flavors that are unique even compared to the Vosges bars, and were doing them much earlier. I was always too caught up in perusing the chocolate to notice that it appears they also have a number of interesting old fashioned soda pops. I will definitely have to check it out again on my next visit.

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Don't fret too much. It hasn't gotten bad, and you will still have a good meal

Well, umm it was not very good, more on that in a minute.

I had originally planned on going to Slanted Door for dinner on my first night in San Francisco, but when my wife's aunt bailed earlier in the week I decided to change the reservations to A16. First I have to say that I love the cork flooring, but it held nothing on the food. I started with a plate of prosciutto and speck, which was OK, but was far too lean, could someone please explain to me the recent fascination with over trimming of the luscious fat of prosciutto, that shit needs to stop' Anyway, my wife had roasted sunchokes with caramelized onions, arugula, and pecorino, they were by far the best sunchokes I have ever eaten, with a creamy texture, and the onions, and greens really matched well with the nicely prepared tubers. For entrees we split a margarita pizza and the meatballs that were on special. The pizza was a bit flat flavored, but a touch of salt really brought it to life. This was one of the best Neapolitan pizzas I have had on this side of the Atlantic. The meatballs were flavorful but a tad dry, the delicious tomato sauce really helped negate the dryness. The meatballs came with a side, having just read the recipe for the Cannellini beans in the newest Gourmet I figured I would give them a try. The beans were a mixture of whole and mashed beans with some sort of crust on top. The flavor was exquisite, hell, I am not even that much of a fan of beans, but this is a dish that I could eat several times a week.
For dessert, I choose a chocolate budino tart with olive oil and sea salt, and I am convinced there could not have been a better choice on the menu. The only sweetness in the dish came from a dollop chocolate mousse on an intensely chocolate yet savory filling. My wife's gelato was not a highlight, the cherry and lemon was too tart, and the hazelnut crunch reminded me more of decent chocolate gelato than hazelnut. All-in-all this is a place I would love to have in my neighborhood, and if there were not so many different places to eat in the Bay area I would make it a must visit on each of my future trips.

We decided to bypass the free continental breakfast at our Inn, and instead get coffee and pastries at Stella's in North Beach. The coffee was quite good, but I drink about a cup a month so I am by no means an expert on that subject. But what I really loved were the croissants, these have a buttery yeast dough flavor and the crust has delightful crunch, each bite reminded me of the best croissants I have had in Paris.

We spent the morning tooling around the Ferry Terminal Market wishing I had a kitchen where I could cook some of the wonderful fresh produce and meats. After a morning of mostly window shopping, we went to the Slanted Door for lunch. I should have been a bit leery when I noticed that there were only two Asian people working in the restaurant, but I figured at the worst it would be a decent meal. We started with the Slanted Door Spring Rolls and the Hue Rice Dumplings. The spring rolls were memorable only because of how bad they were. Every element of the actual rolls were dry and flavorless, had it not been for the decent peanut sauce these would have been completely inedible. On the other hand the rice dumplings were the dish of meal. The only issue is that you must eat them whole, if you bite them in half the texture is rather unpleasant, but eating them whole allows the mung bean puree and the rice wrapping to meld in a delight way. My wife decided to go with the Niman Ranch Flank steak noodles for her entrée, a very forgettable dish. I decided to give the Caramelized Tiger Prawns a try. The shrimp tasted like they were right off the farm, and the chili oil was visible on the plate, just not on the palette. By far the best part of this dish were the delicious onions, too bad nothing else on the plate were its equal. I just wish that the Vietnamese gentleman that sat down next to us as we finished our meal had done so before we started, because he looked at them menu and said to his daughter "this is Vietnamese?" He did not look pleased, and I am willing to bet his lunch did not get any better.

For dinner we splurged and went to Aqua in the Financial District. This was the meal of the trip, not only because of the quality of the dishes, but service on par with some of the best in the world. We were greeted with an Amuse that included three elements; a fresh sardine (one was more than enough), a small cup of turnip cappuccino (a soup that would have been right at home at Corduroy), and a small dungeness crab cake. For an appetizer my wife had more west coast crab, this time wrapped in painfully thin slices of cucumber and topped with a curry poppy seed vinaigrette. Not only was this was a beautifully looking dish, but was equally as tasty, the pop of the meyer lemon cucumber caviar went very nicely with the crab - when is faux caviar going to be moved to the trite list? My appetizer is the never trite, at least not when done well, Tartare of Ahi Tuna, and this was done very well. The plate arrived with a small quail egg yolk perched on top with pureed lemon confit and a harrissa like spice mixture on the side. After showing me the plate the waiter mixed it before me, and what he left behind was simply sublime. The slight heat of the spices, and the meatiness of the fish matched quite nicely with the slightly off-dry German Riesling recommended by the Sommelier (I don't have the name in front of me). For an entrée my wife had Warm Scottish Salmon that was served with a delicious rye gnocchi, and crispy yet gelatinous piece of pork belly. I think that I liked her fish more than she did, it was cooked perfectly medium rare, something that she is still getting used to with fish. My entrée was John Dory that had been poached in goats milk, and served with Serrano ham, pickled vegetables, and a smoked paprika vinaigrette. The milk added a nice coating of fat to what is usually a lean fish, and the vinaigrette cut right through it. My wife finished the evening with a peanut butter My wife finished the evening with a peanut butterclair, a small strip of pate choux topped with dollops of peanut butter mousse. The dish was not very sweet, but was incredibly flavorful, a dessert that I put up with the chocolate tart at A16 as being the best desserts of the year.

Our last meal in San Francisco was at Yank Sing. It was a mixed bag from the sublime (the soup dumplings) to the mediocre (the crab claws), to the just not very good (the flabby and flavorless Peking Duck). Actually, to be fair, the only misses were the last two, I particularly liked the summer roll which is basically the components of a spring roll kept whole, the wrapped, and fried. But nothing touched the soup dumplings.

We spent Christmas and the intervening days until we left in Sausalito visiting my mother-in-law. When I had to run an errand I decided to grab a burger at the Mill Valley In & Out. It has been some years since I have had one of their burgers, and either this was an off day, or my tastes and expectations have changed, but this was not a good burger. It was simply a flavorless grease bomb that was no better than any other fast food joint. To make matters worse the fries became hard when they cooled.

If you do find yourself in Sausalito looking for something non-touristy and not so "California" I recommend Thai Terrace. It is a small family owned and run Thai place across from the Marina, but away from the tourist area. They have a short menu, something my wife's pain-in-the-ass aunt was complaining about, but once we started eating she kept raving about the freshness of the ingredients, and how it was better than her neighborhood place.
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5 days in SF/Napa.

Day 1: breakfast at Swan Oyster Depot of six Kumamoto oysters and six cherry neck clams. Walked up and saw the view from Coit tower. Light lunch at Yank Sing To Go. I didn't read the the comments above closely enough...the takeout was ok, but clearly I should've spent the time and gotten sit-down dim sum. 1 steamed pork bun, 1 potsticker, 1 siu mye (also spelled shaomai, among others). Started the beer afternoon at 21st Amendment, with their 563 Imperial Stout (nicely balanced at 7.8%, on nitro) and a Brew Free or Die IPA (sticky cascade hops, quintessential west-coast IPA). Met up with a friend at Hotel Utah, a cool little dive bar, and had a Speakeasy White Lightning (simple american wheat). Followed with wine tasting at Press Club, an swanky multi-winery tasting facility. Large, underground, interesting. Tried wines from Montelena Estate, a Riesling, a Zin, a couple Cabs, and a Cab Franc. Takeout burgers from a mediocre joint out in Oakland, and that was that.

Day 2: lunch at Zuni Cafe before leaving SF. Mini-sandwiches of preserved tuna, hard-boiled egg, capers, pickled veg and two Olympia and two Kumamoto oysters with a dry-ish Italian white wine whose varietal escapes me. Burger with house pickles with a Granache/Syrah blend. The first course(s) vastly overshadowed the greasy, slightly overcooked burger. Out to Berkley, where stops at Jupiter and Triple Rock brewpubs yielded two very nice IPAs (18 barrel and IPAX, respectively). Bought some big bottles at Ledger Liquors, lots of Port Brewing, some Russian River, weird Anderson Valley stuff, etc. Good beer shop. Then off to Napa.

Day 3: Napa.

Day 4: Napa. Drove down after dinner to SF, and hit Monk's Kettle, a new-ish beer bar in the Mission neighborhood. Lots of good taps, with a mostly Belgian focus, but unfortunately super-crowded. Had a Port Hop 15, the most over-the-top hoppy beer of the trip, just incredible aromatic, sticky, citric. Might need a little age to settle it down a bit, but still delicious. Walked over to the Haight to Toronado, which proved once again that it is the best place to drink beer in the US. It's a bit dive-y, cash only, and doesn't serve food. The bartenders can be more than a bit surly. These things somehow make it even more dear to me, and the beer list is just stupidly good. They were coming off a Stout festival and thus still had several of those great beers on draught in addition to the wide range of west-coast, Belgian, and German stuff. I had a 13oz Deschutes Abyss for $4.50. 'Nuff said.

Day 5: Back to Napa, then back to SF. Beers at Thirsty Bear brewpub, a curious bar that has 9 house beers, a stellar liquor selection, and an extensive tapas menu for food. Only in SF. Enjoyed their IPA, and to a lesser extent, a Sweet Baby Jesus (Buffalo Trace bourbon, Averna Amaro, Maple Syrup, Meyer Lemon....great flavors, but the barkeep didn't strain too well and the drink had big chunks of ice floating on top). Walked over to the Bourbon and Branch speakeasy, where showing up just after 6pm (on a Friday, nonetheless) meant we were able to score two barstools. Being prime-time on a Friday probably didn't help our bartender's demeanor and openness, but the drinks were still delicious. A Rye Fizz, Bols Genever Old-Fashioned, and a Rolls Royce (Perfect Martini w/a bit of Benedictine). Trekked back out to Oakland to hit the Trappist, a great little neighborhood Belgian beer bar. I stuck with the west-coast beers, enjoying the hell out of a Drake's Denogginizer and a Lost Abbey Serpents Stout.

Fin.

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Light lunch at Yank Sing To Go. I didn't read the the comments above closely enough...the takeout was ok, but clearly I should've spent the time and gotten sit-down dim sum.
After reading the recent posts on this thread, I went over to the Chronicle's website and found, as part of a "reorganization," the 28th was their last Wednesday Food Section. Fortunately, the final edition had Amanda Gold's dim sum roundup for all time detailing favorite restaurants across the Bay Area and complete with Craig Lee's photos:

fd-dimsum28_lede_0499660597.jpg

I have to admit I'm posting this here as a bookmark for my next Bay Area trip.

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Whew. We crammed so much into our short trip to California, it took me a whole week to recover and even THINK about posting. We did go to The French Laundry, and I'll post a menu/report in the Napa thread one of these days, but we also ate at some good places in San Francisco proper.

After our flights landed (at about 10 PM), we were definitely ready for cocktails and snacks. Enter Absinthe, a cool little brasserie in Hayes Valley whose executive chef is Jamie, from this most recent "Top Chef" season. We were too late for full dinner service, but they have a fairly extensive bar menu and a VERY impressive selection of spirits. I opted for the Croque Monsieur (with an added egg, of course), with black forest ham, gruyere, and Dijon mustard. Served with a large green salad, it was a LOT of food for $12.50, and it definitely hit the spot. The house-made hot dog with Guiness mustard, chili ketchup, and sauerkraut, was just fine--but the yogurt-dill potato chips were crunchy, full of flavor, and the star of the plate. The fries were just okay, but the cocktails were all really interesting and tasty. Service was attentive and friendly. Our experience was somewhat marred by our fatigue and the incredibly loud and annoying middle-aged women cackling at the bar, but I still left with a positive impression of the place.

Lunch the next day was dim sum at Yank Sing. We tried a LOT of stuff (which resulted in a LOT of numbers on the bill), with the highlights being the soup dumpings, the pork sticky buns, and the sauteed green beans. I did not care for the chicken feet or the turnip cake, but all of the other offerings (we had a few types of dumplings, spring rolls, and Peking duck) were tasty. The tea was actually surprisingly good as well. Not a cheap lunch outing, but we didn't have to eat for the rest of the day.

I had to get a little bit of regional fast food while I was out west, so we stopped at In 'N Out Burger on our way back into the city after our wine country jaunt. I tell you what, for my money, In 'N Out kicks Five Guys' ass. That was a tasty burger! The fries were just meh (Five Guys does have most joints beat on that count), but I really enjoyed my double double, animal style. The sauces and toppings had lots of flavor, but I could also taste the meat (which was surprisingly non-greasy). And the bun was fresh and soft! I don't know if I would take In 'N Out above Whataburger (tough call), but I'd definitely take it over anything we have here in GA.

Toward the back end of our trip, we had lunch at Monk's Kettle, a cute little joint in the Mission with a great beer selection and an interesting take on bar food. We had wanted to visit on a Friday night, but we were told that it was WAY too small for four people to get in during busy times. It IS really tiny, with a maximum occupancy of no more than 50 or so, but it was lunchtime on a weekday and we practically had the place to ourselves. We started off by sharing a soft pretzel, served with house-made beer cheese sauce (really good) and stone ground mustard; it was a chewy, salty, perfect start to the afternoon. My fiance opted for the grilled chicken sandwich with house-cured pepper bacon, herb aioli, and brie. It was HUGE, but it was so tasty, it disappeared in no time flat. I chose the lamb burger, which came with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and a cucumber tzatziki sauce. YUM. The meat must have had some cinammon in the seasoning mix, as it had a sweet-salty-spicy taste that really wowed me. The fries that came with both sandwiches were excellent--crispy, hot, tender, and well-salted. We really enjoyed our experience, and we had a great time talking to the bartender about the various beer offerings. No wonder this place gets so crowded on the weekends!

On our way back to the airport after a lovely trip, we had to stop for some tacos and burritos in the Mission. Every San Franciscan has his or her preferred Mexican joint, and I find that folks are pretty loyal to their favorites. My sister and her boyfriend swear by Taqueria Cancun. The first time I went, I really didn't enjoy my burrito--I asked for a lot of modifications (my fault), and most of them got screwed up (their fault). This time, I opted for marinated pork "super" tacos, served on corn tortillas and topped with salsa, sour cream, fresh avocado, and cilantro. Much better! The meat was tender, the salsa was spicy, and the balance of flavors was spot-on. I don't usually love corn tortillas, but these were obviously homemade and delicious. What I found was that, unlike a burrito (which can get stuffed in such a way as to segregate ingredients), the taco allowed me to taste every component in each bite. I enjoyed it mucho.

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I've done some serious eating while in San Francisco. Here are some of the highlights:

I started off at Sushi Sam in San Mateo - a recommendation from a good friend, and a favorite of my cousin. It isn't too far from SFO, and is the only sushi place in SF that does the more interesting type of omakase. Most places usually just serve up the pieces of fish, while here each piece of sushi had its own sauce. She said that for more of this style it is better in LA. This was also the first time that I understood why tuna is held in such high regard - I've always found it slightly mushy and bland. Great blue shrimp with fried shrimp heads alongside are fantastic. The seared toro with a sauce of yuzu and great little bits of sea salt was amazing. A fish that was new to me - alfonsino - was excellent. This was also the first time I tried monkfish liver. It wasn't really my favorite - a bit like firm tofu in some sauce. The sushi chef's daughter is a pastry chef, and I had a great almond tofu in lychee syrup, and my cousin had a brown rice panna cotta with brown rice pate de choux.

Dinner was at House of Curries in Berkeley (has other locations), where the chicken tikka masala and tandoori chicken were standouts. Vindaloo, biryani and chole chicken were less memorable.

Another dinner was at SPQR - a new Italian place from the folks behind A16. The best dish of the bunch was the fried sweet potato chunks with pancetta. The other dishes I tried were fairly unremarkable. I tried the maccheroni with artichoke hearts, fava greens and pecorino - a Calabrian dish.

After we headed to Bi-Rite Creamery where I tried their salted caramel ice cream. Though a bit salty I found the caramel more notable for its burnt flavor. The malted vanilla with brittle was also fantastic.

I met up with ferment_everything at the Ferry Terminal Building for lunch. We had some oysters at Hog Island, and then made our way to Boccalone, the new characuterie spot by Chris Cosentino of Incanto. We got a platter of five different types of charcuterie - lardo, brown sugar and fennel salami, head cheese, prosciutto, and something else that I can't remember. It comes with grissini and a small tub of marinated olives. The lardo was fairly subtle, and it's hard to imagine anyone eating all the pieces they provide - we left behind two slices of the five or six. The brown sugar and fennel sausage was sweet and lovely. The head cheese was beautiful - you could see bits of the ears interwoven and little bits of herbs wedged inbetween bits of meat and cartilage. The prosciutto was way too salty and a little disappointing. We really needed real bread to break up some of it.

Later that night we were joined by a friend at Incanto. Despite a downward trend in Yelp ratings, we were wowed. The menu changes constantly and was fantastically seasonal.

We shared all the plates and started with strawberries, fava beans and pecorino. Nice, light and fantastic way of taking some nice in-season ingredients and keeping it simple. We progressed to a half portion of spaghetti with cured sardinian tuna hearts and a full portion of rabbit liver ravioli. Tuna hearts were too small to be noticed, and had nice little bits of fried bits of garlic. And rabbits beware, because I want to shove grain down your throat for your delicious livers.

Entrees were asparagus risotto with parmesan, whole sardines with chili, capers, and parsley, and Arctic char with cardoons. Asparagus was maybe a little overwhelmed by the risotto, but was good risotto by itself. The sardines were yummy salty delights with a nice contrast from the other ingredients. Arctic char was a pleasing little seafood dish.

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Just enjoyed a week in San Francisco wrapped around a big conference at the Moscone Center, and despite all the parties and bashes associated with the conference, I still got out into foodie land. I'll be brief, because the story I want to tell is at the bottom of this post.

Swann Oyster Depot -- Outstanding Combination Salad, with sides of oysters and calamari salad.

Takara (in the Miyako Mall in Japan Town) -- Incredible sushi, especially the Rock-n-Roll (Eel and Avocado).

Scoma's (Fisherman's Wharf) -- Best Cioppino I've ever had, in a bowl that probably holds about a half-gallon.

Medjool (2522 Mission) -- Hip, trendy, "Mediterranean Tapas" with very good baba ghanouj and excellent grilled meats.

Allegro Romano (1701 Jones St.) -- A gem, a real foodie destination, some of the best Italian I've ever eaten.

But here's the story. For lunch one day during the conference, I wondered past the Taste of San Francisco right off Yerba Buena Gardens on 4th St. It's a little mall called the Metreon, with a few restaurants. I stopped into Buckhorn Grill for a sandwich and ordered the Big Buck -- 6 oz. of perfectly grilled tri-tip, sliced thinly, served with au jus, for $7.95. Oh....my....God....! I have eaten sandwiches all over this country, and nothing compares to quality and heartiness of these babies. Best lunch nosh I've had in memory, and I'm definitely going to check into franchising this place for the Washington DC market.

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I forgot to note this before... but the San Francisco airport See's candy shops have all been replaced by Ghirardelli. You can still find See's in some of the newsstands, but the selection isn't nearly as good. They have some of the standards, but the more interesting stuff like pecans with vanilla caramel (kinda like Almond Royals) are in the regular stores.

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Recent trip to San Fransisco for the first part of our honeymoon just thought I would post some thoughts:

R&G Lounge- So I am trying to get into Chinese food, when I was little I had a couple really bad reactions and it has taken a while, but we ordered a bunch of stuff and I had a good time trying things. I had XO chicken with snap peas (I know pretty tame but again you walk into the pool before you dive in) that was very good. And I have to admit I ordered spring rolls as they are pretty safe in my book, and found the ones there very fresh and crispy and not huge in a good way. Unfortunately with all the other stuff we ate I can't remember all the dishes. I know we started with a bit of bbq too (again safe) and it was served with these beans that were brown and a little hard in a good way I really liked those. I am trying to remember what hubby got it was more adventurous but I tasted some and liked it... I should have taken notes or more pictures. I wish I had more people with us for the meal so I could have tried more things because the plates flowing to the tables around us all looked good and I just wanted to go around and sample to see what I liked.

We also had gone to a Chinese Bakery on Grant St. Golden Gate Bakery (I found out later this place is normally packed but jetlag had us up early that morning) we got a moon cake, pineapple bun, egg custard and a bbq pork bun. I liked all of those very much. Those are things I could get more used to.

Top of the Mark- we arrived pretty late our first evening and stayed at the Fairmont so this was across the street and kind of romantic for a first night honeymoon. On our way up a nice gay couple told hubby that my rings were gorgeous and he did a great job so he was in a very good mood. We ordered cocktails- I just got a gin and tonic, he got a martini. The view was really nice. We had seared tuna there that was very good- seared perfectly nice crust of sesame seeds, nicely but not overly sauced. It was a nice late night snack. We also had the cheese plate, which didn't have very adventurous cheese and two blues of which hubby isn't a fan of so I had a lot of cheese, but it was nice for a late night just to unwind after a huge wedding and flights. I know it is a touristy thing to do, but it is nice and rather relaxing and they don't make bad cocktails so I am not complaining.

The next day we headed to the ferry building and did some nibbling- The roast beef sushi from Delica rfi was really good, good marks to cowgirl creamery of course. We were on an off day so it was a little slow and we were leaving to go to Napa for the French Laundry so we just wanted to graze some. We sat down at the Market Bar because my puppies were tired had charcuterie, dugenese deviled eggs and smoked salmon bruschetta with goat cheese. The deviled eggs were so-so, meat was very good and the smoked salmon bruschetta stole the show. The salmon was almost creamy and wasn't so smokey that it overwhelmed the fish. The goat cheese had nice balance with the relish and it was toasted so that the textures and flavors came together quite well. I had wanted to go to the slanted door but life's a compromise.

We then headed out to Napa and Sonoma. Dinner at the French Laundry was worth it. It was an experience not just a dinner. I browsed the garden across the street and sat in the lovely flower garden waiting for them to order as we had 5:30 reservations. We were greeted with Champagne and congratulations. We ordered the tasting menu alternating the choices. What was incredible is that they incorporated flavors from individual things hubby and I are not crazy about into dishes in ways that we liked them (beets, caviar, mushrooms- mostly hubby dislikes but I am not huge on beets). Every dish was memorable in a different way. The pearls, oyster and caviar was rich with a tiny tang and the texture in your mouth with the salty and savory flavors really came together to make this exotic dish almost homey. The salad of hamachi was cool, crisp and refreshing while the fatty fish had nice texture and flavor as it melded in your mouth. The lobster with leeks and beets was rich but the texture of the lobster was perfect and the beet used here just added a fresh flavor and cut a bit of the salt flavor to make it very balanced. The beef dish gave you the perfect portion and in each bite I tried to get a bit of everything as it was just very balanced. The chocolate dessert was decadent and hubby had a very fruity dessert that was a good combination of sweet and tart. We were then overloaded with a whole box of other assorted goodies and then sent home with shortbread cookes that made the plane to Australia very tastey. I won't go through every dish there is no use anyway someone else I am sure has. I know some people say it is overrated, but for us the balanced flavors and perfection of smell, texture, taste and balance paired with absolutely impeccable service that was in no way over the top really made the experience for us. We both commented that we had as much fun as we did at Minibar, which in essence is a fun food experience where the French Laundry just doesn't try to play up the fun as much. So if you get a chance do go. We were lucky Amex plat called as soon as they started taking calls at the first day out they would take reservations for our date we needed so it worked out. I think if you are contemplating going, don't rule it out because other people say it is underwhelming. But I wouldn't go to see something you have never seen before. It is still food on a plate. It will taste like the ingredients in it. But I do think the almost science of perfecting flavor if you really taste it is quite nice.

Anyway those are my thoughts. Hope this may come in helpful for someone.

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I have an impromptu trip coming up. Any recent recommendations for dinner? Not too worried about price. Thanks.

1550 Hyde or Nopa for classic seasonal Cali cuisine. Jai Yun for fantastic fixed-menu chinese (caveat: I've only been for lunch). Incanto for offal.

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I forgot to note this before... but the San Francisco airport See's candy shops have all been replaced by Ghirardelli. You can still find See's in some of the newsstands, but the selection isn't nearly as good. They have some of the standards, but the more interesting stuff like pecans with vanilla caramel (kinda like Almond Royals) are in the regular stores.

I KNOW!!!! I was so sad when the change happened and especially miss the full-service create-your-own-box store in the United terminal. It's where I always got my sorry-I-abandoned-you-for-a-week-of-fantastic-eating guilt present on the way home. If I want Ghiradelli, I swing by the factory to get check out the bulk seconds (and sometimes trials!) in Oakland, but everything else you can get pretty much anywhere.

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Also worth noting: they just re-opened with a new chef. I haven't been since he took over.

I was at A16 last month for lunch. I think Nate Applemnan had just recently left that establishment to focus more on SPQR which i last visited two years ago and wasn't as impressed. I would look at RN74. That was a lot of fun.

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Also worth noting: they just re-opened with a new chef. I haven't been since he took over.

Hmmm, looks like I'm late to the party. Should I still try it? I'm in town next week and really like the menu. Also it's more more per diem-friendly that my usual one-dish-or-maybe-two at the bar at Gary Danko.

If not, where to go? Apparently not A16, either.

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Hmmm, looks like I'm late to the party. Should I still try it? I'm in town next week and really like the menu. Also it's more more per diem-friendly that my usual one-dish-or-maybe-two at the bar at Gary Danko.

If not, where to go? Apparently not A16, either.

I just got back from my trip here is a list of places that I visited with a quick comment for each:

Incanto -- very good overall, offal is a specialty here

Flour+Water -- apps and pasta were excellent, mains less so

Delfina Pizzeria -- some of the best pizza we have eaten anywhere, yes JoeH anywhere

BiRite Creamery -- excellent (across and down the street from Delfina, Tartine is very close too)

Dottie's (breakfast and lunch) -- fun and worth the wait in line

Bourbon & Branch (speakeasy across the street from Dottie's)

Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market street food -- I wish our markets had that kind of food available

Zuni Cafe (that chicken is damn good!)

Toronado -- beer! many taps and 4 on cask

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The SF Michelin Guide was released yesterday complete with links to Open Table.

Warm memories of a past birthday dinner at Cyrus.

http://www.michelinguide.com/us/sf_stars_2010.html#

Hmmmm, thanks for the suggestions. There are so many choices in SF! I still want to try SPQR (unless someone can warn me off!) or A16 (ditto!), and maybe I'll actually get the chicken at Zuni (have only stopped in there for a quick bite once before). Will report back!

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Delfina Pizzeria -- some of the best pizza we have eaten anywhere, yes JoeH anywhere

BiRite Creamery -- excellent (across and down the street from Delfina, Tartine is very close too)

I joined mdt at both places and man were these great picks. BiRite had some of the best ice cream I've ever tasted.

Liked Luce. I wasn't aware of it until I saw a poster at the restaurant, but chef Dominique Crenn is one of the chefs on the current The Next Iron Chef.

Wish I would have avoided Fish & Farm.

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Lunch the next day was dim sum at Yank Sing. We tried a LOT of stuff (which resulted in a LOT of numbers on the bill), with the highlights being the soup dumpings, the pork sticky buns, and the sauteed green beans. I did not care for the chicken feet or the turnip cake, but all of the other offerings (we had a few types of dumplings, spring rolls, and Peking duck) were tasty. The tea was actually surprisingly good as well. Not a cheap lunch outing, but we didn't have to eat for the rest of the day.

We were in the mood for some exquisite Chinese food, but then found out that Yank Sing is lunch only :( !!! So a quick trip to google and a quick confirmation from a local food-loving friend, and we headed out to Koi Palace in Daly City (started south of the city, so not very far at all). OH MY GOD. Fan-freakin' tastic food. Chinese banquet food, indeed. Every other dish is abalone this and shark's fin that. The assorted seafood swimming/inching around in the front all look remarkably perky and large. We had the pea shoots (adult, not baby, with garlic, still very tender), xiao long bao (soup dumplings - so cunning, they serve them steamed in wee tins that catch the soup should it break open before reaching your month), pan fried noodles with chicken and scallops (kid food, really, but perfect - crispy, generous with the noodles, light brown and rich gravy), this ABSURD dish with what tasted like BEEF BACON (actually short ribs and enoki mushroom spicy clay pot casserole with a sauce based on Korean red bean paste) that somehow managed to be seared done with all the FAT IN. SO GOOD. We had a plate of extremely tender jellyfish and funky as its suppoed to be thousand year old egg. They started us off with dishes of pickle and peanuts tossed with salted dried tiny fish, and finished us off with slices of melon and these ridiculously eggy-rich, yet incredibly light, airy, fried dough puffs rolled in sugar. Positively a magical ending.

It's a typical banquet hall, with lots of round tables and rich drapery, and there were only a couple of caucasian faces (none on their own) swimming in a sea of Chinese (mostly older) folks. It's pricy for Chinese food, but amazing. They serve dim sum for lunch (at least one local thinks their dim sum is better than at Yank Sing). We're going back tomorrow.

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As tough as it was to top Thanksgiving dinner at my brother's house (three words: foie gras stuffing), we were in San Francisco, so we damn well had to try!

How do you bypass the two-hour wait at the uber-popular Burma Superstar? Walk three blocks to Mandalay--you'll get seated in five minutes and your meal will be ten times better. Seriously, this place is phenomenal. I could not stop eating the tea leaf salad, despite it being spicier than I'm comfortable with and the knowledge that it was just one of about 12 dishes we ordered. The fish chowder (with ground catfish? I'm in!) is one of the best Asian soups I've had, full of fish flavor and not a whiff of fishiness. The half fried chicken was crisp, greaseless, and tasty (though a bit dry). And the Mandalay special noodles with shrimp were a tiny wee-bit gummy, but again, the flavor was glorious. Inexpensive, lovely service, nice room. Highly recommended.

I don't usually enjoy brunch because the omelet/pancake offerings bore me. But Maverick actually has some different choices on the menu. I had the sauteed wild mushrooms and fried bread cubes with arugula and goat cheese served over a bit of soft scrambled egg. JUST what I wanted--a bit light but substantial, creative enough to keep me interested but comfy enough for brekkie. The andouille benedict was also seriously tasty and is just what the doctor ordered if you happen to be laboring under a touch of cocktail flu.

Despite Annabelle's losing its freaking awesome GM (AKA my brother), it's still the best casual restaurant in the area. After a few hours of Black Friday shopping (what was I THINKING??) I stopped in for a late lunch. The salad with tuna confit, arugula, carrot vinaigrette, and carrot chips with a side of broad beans totally filled the bill after the insanity of the previous evening (three words: foie gras stuffing)--light, filling, balanced, and way tasty. And though I drank beer with lunch, I happen to know that the bartender is an excellent mixologist. (He is, in fact, the reason I had to start slowly with beer that afternoon...)

Jackson Fillmore? Meh. Really don't bother.

Drinks at Michael Mina Clock Bar? HOMINA. Relampago, Uptown Manhattan, Sage Advice, and something special made with habanero (!)--all were off the freaking HOOK. (And NO, my memory isn't all that fuzzy. I only drank the first two and traded sips on the other two.)

I left my heart in San Francisco. Because by the end of the weekend, my arteries were too clogged to fit in my luggage. God I love that place.

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Huh. It's telling, I think, that I completely forgot that we also went to Chez Panisse (cafe) for dinner. It was perfectly fine (the bread was excellent, as was the pizzetta with tomato sauce and [not bacalhau, but that saltfish-potato combo whose name is completely escaping me at the moment]). But, aside from the history, there's really no compelling reason to travel across the bay for it if you're not already there.

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Okay, places I went while visiting last week:

John's Grill - I had the lamb chops. One of the rare times I didn't feel ripped off by them, and they were $30. My coworker had some kind of SF specialty seafood stew and loved it.

Alembic - My coworkers and I all loved our food. Two of them got rockfish sandwiches which surprised them as to how good they were; another was very happy to see his banh mi came out in newspaper and thought it delicious as well. I had duck hearts and some smoked-salted peppers which were quite tasty. Drinks were great. The bartender was a bit distant.

Smuggler's Cove - Went there twice. Kicked butt.

Annabelle's - Across the street from our hotel they have a 'second happy hour' from 11-12:30 at night. $5 appetizers such as a small olive-laden pizza, roasted pork tenderloin skewers, and others were quite tasty and $3 beers.

4th Street Bar and Deli - hit it because it was basically sort of in our hotel. Meh. Food wasn't good.

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We were in San Francisco for three days back in August. And, while in this food mecca, I can pretty much say that we didn't spend a lot of time or attention on what we ate while we were there. For me, this is an outrageous statement, even when I get sent to Timbuktu for a day for work, I always try to find the best place to go eat, but since we were headed to Napa for four days after our time in San Fran, I figured that we would just play it by ear while in the city.

With that being said, we still stumbled across some pretty great places to eat. The first of these places was Pizzeria Delfina. Very affordable, especially the wines, with perfect pizza and a very good pasta special. I equate this place to 2 Amy's without the maniacal children and more consistency (although it is tough for me to say that since I only went here once). I also have to give HUGE props to the Ferry Building Marketplace on Saturday morning and all of the amazing vendors that are there. I relate it to Reading Terminal Market in Philly, one of my favorite places in the world, but better. Granted, the amazing weather and the by-the-water location gives it a major advantage, but I really loved the variety of vendors that they had there. Obviously, the varying climates in California make this possible, but I couldn't imagine living there and not trekking down to the market every weekend, it was simply that good.

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I hate to bury this so deeply in a mega-thread, but the opportunity of two conferences in San Francisco has me out here for two weeks. I contacted our fearless Board leader for advice, he introduced me to a DC star who used to work out here, recommendations were made, and my interim report follows.

First, I hit Luce last night because it was in the hotel I where was staying. It received a Michelin star and Chef Dominique Crenn has appeared on the Next Iron Chef and a few other TV shows. I had the beef marrow appetizer and followed it with the pork three ways -- jowl, belly and tenderloin. It was simply an excellent meal, and I am returning with a small group on Sunday night to provide a more thorough commentary.

Today, girlfriend and I hit La Taqueria for lunch. Based on Chef's recommendations, we had the beef head quesadilla and the tongue taco. They were honest, fresh, genuine, flavorful and just plain good. And because I mentioned to the guy at the cash register that we were from DC and had never been there before, out came a complimentary carnitas pork quesadilla. Again, this is darned good fare, and quite inexpensive. I would wreck this menu on regular occasions if I lived out here.

Merely five or six hours later, we were in San Mateo at Chef's recommendation for the finest sushi meal this side of Koji at Sushi-Ko. The place is called Sushi Sam, and we sat at the counter in front of Sam. We ordered omakase, about 14 plates, and from start to finish it was frikkin' awesome. From the impeccable seafood and precision preparations, to some unusual items like baby shrimp and wataniya beef, or lightly seared toro, or sea urchin and baby squid, all the way to the green tea tiramisu and blood orange soup, this meal was a no-holds-barred feast. Of all the sushi restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area, this is the one Chef recommends and this is the one I would travel cross-country to eat at. And on either side of us for at least two seatings, there were hard-core foodies with stories about the French Laundry (and pictures on the iPhone of each course there) and adventures to Boulud and Robichon in Vegas and all manner of recommendations for the SF foodie scene, yet each one would take Sushi Sam over any other meal in the Bay area. After tonight, so might I...

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Next day report ... perfectly forgettable lunch in Chinatown. Rule no. 1, never eat at a place where they have the hawk the place with flyers a few blocks away, and never eat Chinese in Chinatown when you're in San Francisco. Next topic.

Dinner at RN74 on a Saturday was OK. It's the newest of the Michael Mina group restaurants and boasts the best of the wine lists. We arrived for a 9pm reservation and were seated by about 9:20, poured water and then forgotten for a while. The place was packed and noisy, and I really loathe a dining experience where I cannot hear the people I am dining with or I have to scream to be heard over the din. The din was magnified by the all-too-trendy techno-throb music in the background. We placed orders by about 9:45 and were eating appetizers by 10:00. I must say, the food was pretty good. I tried girlfriend's beet salad appetizer and my own Manila clams with pork belly, and both were quite good. My girlfriend's grilled loup de mer was nicely done as was my free range chicken breast. Really nice chicken flavor on the latter. So I have to sum this place up as being too noisy, with spotty service but an excellent wine list and very good food. I would probably recommend it on a Tuesday evening....

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Last night featured a return to Michelin one-star Luce, where four of us cruised the menu a bit deeper. We learned that Chef Crenn was in New York cooking for a large group, so the kitchen was in the able hands of the under-staff.

I decided to taste my way through the appetizers, so I ordered my own tasting menu of four of them. In pairs, I had the following:

Local Sardines, Babe Farm Baby Beets, Chickpeas and Basil $14

Sweetbread and Beef Tongue, Egg, Pancetta Jus and Potato “Espuma” $15

Black Ink Trofiette “Carbonara”, Baby Squid, Smoked Pancetta, Slow Cooked Organic Egg $16

Bone Marrow And Gnocchi, Lobster $16

All were good, but the sardines tasted a bit too "fishy"....the Black Ink Trofiette was incredibly good, and in all dishes the combination of flavors, textures, mouth-feel and presentation were precise. This is most definitely one-star cooking.

Girlfriend had the Thai snapper with baby shrimp, and declared it one of the best meals she has ever eaten. One other companion devoured the venison like he hadn't eaten in days, and commented that it was tender and flavorful.

This is a restaurant worth placing on a can't-miss list of San Francisco restaurants. I would like to try it again when Chef Crenn is in the kitchen, and the tasting menu that runs from Sunday through Thursday and requires the entire table to participate would be my next adventure here.

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At one-star Quince last night, we had a simultaneously spectacular and disappointing meal. The spectacular part was the food, but the disappointing part was that it was s-l-o-w....we were seated at 8:15pm and didn't get out of there for a good three and a half hours. Yikes. We were completely worn out by the end, and I had to get up and stretch a few times toward the end.

But the food was superb. We went with the Chef's Spring Tasting Menu, and everyone agreed that the highlight was the lamb three ways. It was really incredible. The service was worthy of a one-star restaurant as well, with coat-and-tie waiters marching out of the kitchen in lockstep and placing the plates for each course down in front of the diners in a precision sequence.

But after four courses, a few of us went with a cheese course -- nicely artisanal, including a blue goat cheese and a really runny and stinky one I enjoyed a lot -- and were pretty much finished at that point. But then out came a pre-dessert palate cleanser, then a dessert, then a plate of finishing sweets, all about 15 minutes apart. Talk about overkill....

This is a beautifully appointed restaurant, with a precise staff and wonderful ambiance. But it overdoes the California 'slow food' concept a bit too much, and it can be a tiresome experience. Nonetheless, the food here is quite good, and if it weren't for the slow pace, this would be the meal of the week so far.

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