A couple weeks ago, I wrote about Kokkari.
I neglected to mention that we went somewhere else for dessert. Nua is a wine bar and restaurant in North Beach that also features some delectable desserts.
The design features lots of woodwork and clean lines. We had a dessert wine and a chocolatey creation whose name escapes me at the moment. Very friendly people.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
French bistro
We had come from Wine - where we had appetizers with a variety of great wines - and were on our way to Burma Superstar. However, the wait would be over 90 minutes, so we decided to check out what else Clement Street had to offer.
Tucked behind some trees on Clement Street between 2nd and 3rd lies Clementine, a warm inviting restaurant that specializes in French fare. We were welcomed by the Dutch hostess (yes, we ended speaking with her at the end of the meal) and decided to take some seats at the bar where the French bartender looked after us.
He generously poured our wines (we went with some Burgundy and Cotes du Rhone) and took our order. They had creamy butter and warm French bread for while we waited. As we had just had appetizers, we went with the main dishes.
As I was drinking a pinot noir, I went with the duck breast (try that sometime: FIRST order your wine and then figure out what you'll have to eat with it). There was a rich, creamy sauce that accompanied it. I believe other dishes ordered were steak and pork, although I don't remember exactly how they were prepared.
What I do remember, though, is that everyone raved about their food - this is classic French cooking. As we continued to dine, a group of French people walked in and were greeted boisterously by the bartender who soon summoned the chef. Chef came out and it was a true Gallic reception.
Their dessert menu looked tasty, but we headed down the street to Toy Boat.
Tucked behind some trees on Clement Street between 2nd and 3rd lies Clementine, a warm inviting restaurant that specializes in French fare. We were welcomed by the Dutch hostess (yes, we ended speaking with her at the end of the meal) and decided to take some seats at the bar where the French bartender looked after us.
He generously poured our wines (we went with some Burgundy and Cotes du Rhone) and took our order. They had creamy butter and warm French bread for while we waited. As we had just had appetizers, we went with the main dishes.
As I was drinking a pinot noir, I went with the duck breast (try that sometime: FIRST order your wine and then figure out what you'll have to eat with it). There was a rich, creamy sauce that accompanied it. I believe other dishes ordered were steak and pork, although I don't remember exactly how they were prepared.
What I do remember, though, is that everyone raved about their food - this is classic French cooking. As we continued to dine, a group of French people walked in and were greeted boisterously by the bartender who soon summoned the chef. Chef came out and it was a true Gallic reception.
Their dessert menu looked tasty, but we headed down the street to Toy Boat.
Tawan's Thai Food
One evening we had Thai food. I had been meaning to try a place I'd heard very good things about: Tawan's Thai Food (no website, 4403 Geary Blvd between 8th Ave & 9th Ave).
Tawan is the owner's son. He was a little kid when they opened the place and his drawings adorn the walls and the menu. While he gets pushed front-and-center, his mom is the real star here. My mom commented that with her cheery demeanor and pleasant voice, how could anyone ever possibly get upset with her? She's just constantly smiling while taking our orders.
We had a meal of excellent satay with a sweet peanut sauce. Then, we had a panang curry filled with veggies and chicken that was the right balance of sweet and spicy (we went medium). We also had a portion of sauteed pork in a sweet/sour/spicy sauce that came with fruit and vegetables.
You can order sodas or the ubiquitous Thai iced tea, or go next door and pick up some beer as they allow you to BYO.
For dessert, you can't go wrong with the FBI: fried banana with coconut ice cream.
Excellent, well-priced place that deserves multiple repeat visits.
Tawan is the owner's son. He was a little kid when they opened the place and his drawings adorn the walls and the menu. While he gets pushed front-and-center, his mom is the real star here. My mom commented that with her cheery demeanor and pleasant voice, how could anyone ever possibly get upset with her? She's just constantly smiling while taking our orders.
We had a meal of excellent satay with a sweet peanut sauce. Then, we had a panang curry filled with veggies and chicken that was the right balance of sweet and spicy (we went medium). We also had a portion of sauteed pork in a sweet/sour/spicy sauce that came with fruit and vegetables.
You can order sodas or the ubiquitous Thai iced tea, or go next door and pick up some beer as they allow you to BYO.
For dessert, you can't go wrong with the FBI: fried banana with coconut ice cream.
Excellent, well-priced place that deserves multiple repeat visits.
Bar Crudo Revisited
We went to Bar Crudo one night and it was as good as it had been before. This time, we sat upstairs rather than at the bar. Click on the link for my previous review.
Florio - bistro on Fillmore
The wait at SPQR was going to be 45 minutes, so we walked back up Fillmore and went to Florio, which I've been to several times and they are always consistently good. The name suggests Italian food - and there are hints - but think gourmet bistro:
For appetizers, we had
-chicken liver pate with crostini
-melon with prosciutto
-marinated olives
-virgin olive oil to dunk the bread in
For mains, we had
-steak frites
-seafood stew
-a corn rissotto
-roasted chicken
They have an excellent wine list and we had a bottle of the Navarro Pinot Noir.
Everything was fresh, well executed.
We skipped the dessert menu and instead walked down the street to Tango Gelato.
For appetizers, we had
-chicken liver pate with crostini
-melon with prosciutto
-marinated olives
-virgin olive oil to dunk the bread in
For mains, we had
-steak frites
-seafood stew
-a corn rissotto
-roasted chicken
They have an excellent wine list and we had a bottle of the Navarro Pinot Noir.
Everything was fresh, well executed.
We skipped the dessert menu and instead walked down the street to Tango Gelato.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Wine Bars and Restaurants
Pretty good article about wine bars in SF by the NY Times. Also, the Tablehopper posted an entry about her favorite dishes at 20 restaurants. Both good guides.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Kokkari!
I've been wanting to go to Kokkari for more than 2 years. For some reasons or another, I never made it until last Thursday.
I was taken there as a surprise, and the experience is fantastic. The restaurant is located in Jackson Square. You enter through an extremely high door, which hints at the high ceilings inside. Very comfortable chairs, white linen on the table offset by lots of wood set an elegant-but-rustic and comfortable scene.
The food is gourmet Greek and we made sure to try a lot of the dishes on offer. There are various fruit-and-cheese appetizers (we tried the watermelon with feta). We bypassed the crispy zuchini cakes and opted for the phyllo dough stuffed with spinach and cheese. We also opted for some excellent octopus (the worry is always that it may be tough/chewy, but this was succulent). There are a host of other appetizers to share that all looked excellent. We chose to have the lamb chops, which the restaurant is known for and deservedly so.
The wine list is phenomenal, hitting all the key spots around the world. We opted for a glass form Burgundy and a glass from Cotes du Rhone. There are plenty of bottles to choose from as well. We skipped dessert (we headed off somewhere else), but the desserts looked delectable.
This is one of the best restaurants in San Francisco and I'll be back soon!
I was taken there as a surprise, and the experience is fantastic. The restaurant is located in Jackson Square. You enter through an extremely high door, which hints at the high ceilings inside. Very comfortable chairs, white linen on the table offset by lots of wood set an elegant-but-rustic and comfortable scene.
The food is gourmet Greek and we made sure to try a lot of the dishes on offer. There are various fruit-and-cheese appetizers (we tried the watermelon with feta). We bypassed the crispy zuchini cakes and opted for the phyllo dough stuffed with spinach and cheese. We also opted for some excellent octopus (the worry is always that it may be tough/chewy, but this was succulent). There are a host of other appetizers to share that all looked excellent. We chose to have the lamb chops, which the restaurant is known for and deservedly so.
The wine list is phenomenal, hitting all the key spots around the world. We opted for a glass form Burgundy and a glass from Cotes du Rhone. There are plenty of bottles to choose from as well. We skipped dessert (we headed off somewhere else), but the desserts looked delectable.
This is one of the best restaurants in San Francisco and I'll be back soon!
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Tinderbox is Excellent
Tinderbox opened August 31. I've had a chance to eat here twice already: once before it officially opened and once two days after it opened.
The concept behind the restaurant is local / organic. Therefore, you'll find cheese from Cowgirl Creamery and other provisions from local farms such as Marin Sun Farms and other nearby places. The entire design of the place is also local / organic, so you will see cork on the walls, local artists featured, and recycled materials used throughout. However, when you look around, what you will see is not a hippy-dippy green cafe, but a very sexy, elegant space.
Some favorites include the following:
-Rabbit Hot Pocket
-Tikka Masala Shrimp
-Squid with Prosciutto
-Fried Plantain Game Hen
-Pork Love
The chef shines in his creations, which highlight a mix of different flavors and textures. It's definitely a place that allows you to play around and find out how different tastes work together. For example, the game hen fried with the plantain gives a chewy/crunchy/tender mixture while at the same time giving a creamy/spicy/sweet mixture.
I think by now I've gone down the wine list and tried all the wines by the glass. Here, they decided to not simply stay local, but find reasonably priced wines from around the world (including of course local wines from Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, etc). The wines are very aromatic and pair well with the bold flavors.
Desserts that we've tried:
-Chocolate Cake with Blue Cheese
-Blackberry Beignets with Iced Tea
-Almond Cannolis with Strawberry/Cheese filling
Here again are the mix of tastes/flavors/aromas/textures. The chocolate cake with blue cheese center is the boldest example of that. Rather than the usual chocolate cake with molten center, the molten center is still creamy but now a pungent blue cheese. The amazing flavors contrast well.
The service is great, with friendly waiters and waitresses. The kitchen is open, so you can see into the kitchen how everything is prepared. The wine consultant/sommelier will help you pair wines with your dishes. The maitre d' / part-owner / musical consultant has good tunes spinning at all times.
I've been here twice and will be back again. I highly recommend checking out this restaurant, especially if you have not yet made it over to Cortland Avenue: an exciting part of Bernal Heights.
The concept behind the restaurant is local / organic. Therefore, you'll find cheese from Cowgirl Creamery and other provisions from local farms such as Marin Sun Farms and other nearby places. The entire design of the place is also local / organic, so you will see cork on the walls, local artists featured, and recycled materials used throughout. However, when you look around, what you will see is not a hippy-dippy green cafe, but a very sexy, elegant space.
Some favorites include the following:
-Rabbit Hot Pocket
-Tikka Masala Shrimp
-Squid with Prosciutto
-Fried Plantain Game Hen
-Pork Love
The chef shines in his creations, which highlight a mix of different flavors and textures. It's definitely a place that allows you to play around and find out how different tastes work together. For example, the game hen fried with the plantain gives a chewy/crunchy/tender mixture while at the same time giving a creamy/spicy/sweet mixture.
I think by now I've gone down the wine list and tried all the wines by the glass. Here, they decided to not simply stay local, but find reasonably priced wines from around the world (including of course local wines from Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, etc). The wines are very aromatic and pair well with the bold flavors.
Desserts that we've tried:
-Chocolate Cake with Blue Cheese
-Blackberry Beignets with Iced Tea
-Almond Cannolis with Strawberry/Cheese filling
Here again are the mix of tastes/flavors/aromas/textures. The chocolate cake with blue cheese center is the boldest example of that. Rather than the usual chocolate cake with molten center, the molten center is still creamy but now a pungent blue cheese. The amazing flavors contrast well.
The service is great, with friendly waiters and waitresses. The kitchen is open, so you can see into the kitchen how everything is prepared. The wine consultant/sommelier will help you pair wines with your dishes. The maitre d' / part-owner / musical consultant has good tunes spinning at all times.
I've been here twice and will be back again. I highly recommend checking out this restaurant, especially if you have not yet made it over to Cortland Avenue: an exciting part of Bernal Heights.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Biggest Upset Ever!
I always enjoy when Michigan loses. It's even better when they lose in arguably college football's version of Biggest. Upset. Ever.
Heading into the game, Michigan was ranked #5 in the country, picked to win the Big Ten, and some people were even talking potential national championship.
They played the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Never heard of them? That's because they are not even in Division I. They are a Division I-AA team! (Wait, they are no longer Division I-AA as that's the old designation, they are now the much more catchy "NCAA Football Championship Subdivision").
When you lose your first game, you have to blame that on the coaches. When you read this blog at the Detroit Free Press, the author even mentions the words "Fire Lloyd Carr." It's headlined APPALLING! Dan Shanoff also calls for Carr's firing (and calls it the upset of the decade update: revised to "greatest upset EVER").
Here's the AP writeup, Deadspin's take on it, and here's a link to the Appalachian State newspaper, although currently the lead article is about a public hearing regarding a creek; once the students get over their hangovers from partying all weekend I'm sure the lead article will change. (update: it has been - here.)
Over at AOL Fanhouse, they ask the question "Would Michigan Can Lloyd Carr" and link to Mgoblog where the boards are heating up and calling for Carr's head. He's done. Toast. (update: Brian at Mgoblog has lost it as at this point, it's all pictures of kittens).
Note: I just texted some friends who went to Michigan. They not too happy and thinking Carr should go too.
You can listen to the last part of the Appalachian State radio call here and watch it here:
Heading into the game, Michigan was ranked #5 in the country, picked to win the Big Ten, and some people were even talking potential national championship.
They played the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Never heard of them? That's because they are not even in Division I. They are a Division I-AA team! (Wait, they are no longer Division I-AA as that's the old designation, they are now the much more catchy "NCAA Football Championship Subdivision").
When you lose your first game, you have to blame that on the coaches. When you read this blog at the Detroit Free Press, the author even mentions the words "Fire Lloyd Carr." It's headlined APPALLING! Dan Shanoff also calls for Carr's firing (and calls it the upset of the decade update: revised to "greatest upset EVER").
Here's the AP writeup, Deadspin's take on it, and here's a link to the Appalachian State newspaper, although currently the lead article is about a public hearing regarding a creek; once the students get over their hangovers from partying all weekend I'm sure the lead article will change. (update: it has been - here.)
Over at AOL Fanhouse, they ask the question "Would Michigan Can Lloyd Carr" and link to Mgoblog where the boards are heating up and calling for Carr's head. He's done. Toast. (update: Brian at Mgoblog has lost it as at this point, it's all pictures of kittens).
Note: I just texted some friends who went to Michigan. They not too happy and thinking Carr should go too.
You can listen to the last part of the Appalachian State radio call here and watch it here:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
