a geek

Redd is definitely overrated in my book. The chef was fascinated with foam (how many dishes need to have a foam?) and presentation and missed the basics of technique and flavor combinations. It's a decent fallback when you need a Yountville dinner with little advance notice, but that said there's a good reason tables are always open. It's definitely not in the top tier of napa.

The super-early arrival is perfect, actually. You will probably be entering the city when Tartine opens ( http://www.tartinebakery.com/ ), one of the best bakeries on earth. If you had arrived much later you'd probably be stuck waiting for a table or waiting in a long line. Eat everything they offer and enjoy the caffeine options. Bathe yourself in the butter-enhanced air. I do like boulangerie bay bread on polk/bush/etc. but they're not in the same league as Tartine. If you're a coffee nut, be sure to swing by Ritual Coffee Roasters (just down the road from Tartine) or the Blue Bottle kiosk in Hayes Valley for the good stuff.

Danko never disappoints me. I've had the tasting menu a few times, sat at the bar a few times, and always have felt the food, service, and wine have been top notch. In addition, I've not seen a better cheese cart in San Francisco. Everything at Danko is executed in a very exact fashion - the staff never falters and the food is always cooked perfectly. The food is never daring or wildly different from exectations or description- but it's perfect. It's somewhat hard to describe but the best I can do is to say I have never come out of Gary Danko wishing some aspect of the meal was different. I'd say Gary Danko is to Californian cuisine as La Folie is to French in this city (which, incidentally, is one of my favorites in town). I'd highly recommend a visit - if you can't get reservations the bar is just as good.

They didn't seat anyone in the depressing looking alcove on the Sunday that I visited- I agree that it looked very bad. Also, the night I went it was quite a bit colder up towards the front of the restaurant. We actually scooted our whole table backwards so that the folks towards the aisle could avoid the cold breeze that seemed to be blowing from there. For the person who asked about service- it was very good. As I would expect at this price point, every person on the staff delivering dishes could describe the courses fully and answer questions appropriately, which is no small feat given the variety of food. Special accomodation for one person who wanted changes to some a la carte menu items was done without complaint. The hostess at the front seemed slightly snooty/stressed to me but I imagine working at a just-opened restaurant in NYC is tough. On the omakase pricing - if you are seated in the dining room, you have the option of the table omakase, which is really a tasting menu, at $125ish. If you are seated at the small omakase bar, the price starts at $200. Reservations for the two are separate and the waitress indicated they had recent had quite a few nights with open seats available at the omakase bar. When I return in March I'll probably check it out. I'd just try calling ahead on the night you want to dine.

This might be off-topic for this thread, but I actually ate at Morimoto's two weekends ago. Three of us went the table Omakase route (which really ought to be termed a tasting menu given that it appeared to be fixed for all tables on a given night). One went with an a la carte selection. We all found the food and experience to be excellent. Highlights included the toro tartare that oddly Andrea Strong didn't get along so well with and the steamed chicken, which was served with a strong and divine sesame sauce. Some absolutely delicious wagyu beef was served as part of the tasting menu, but I can't recall the exact preparation at this point. The tasting menu was a lot of food. One course included a buttery/creamy lobster tail and claw which I felt was too large and rich for the rest of the menu, as well as a bit pedestrian (though well prepared). Unfortunately I waited a bit too long to post this - as such, I can't remember much about the meal (the great wine and cocktails also have something to do with that). I wanted to at least put a positive word out there as we truly enjoyed our experience.

Last night I had a wildly disappointing dinner at Babbo. I am a huge fan of Batali's cookbooks and his interpretation of the foods and tastes, so I really wanted to love Babbo. However, everything about our meal with one exception was poor. We started off with a few different appetizers - Neci con funghi misti, the five vegetable salad, and the goat cheese truffles. All were good but uninspired, and the three different preparations of the truffles were not explained upon presentation. For mains we all tried to go with the strength of the kitchen- pasta. These were extremely poor. The black pepper pappardelle with wild boar ragu was dry and without sufficient salt or seasoning. Freshly grated cheese was added at the table without asking whether it was preferred (it was, but I found the move odd). Another main, the celebrated beef cheek ravioli, was OK but as someone else mentioned previously tasted of a cafeteria's beef stroganoff. The ravioli were overcooked and mushy, the overflowing fats completely overpowered the black truffles, and the beef cheek itself was only of so-so quality. Desserts were an absolute success. The date and walnut budino combined the very distinct flavors of dates and walnuts in a way that seemed incredibly natural. The presentation of this dessert was beautiful as well. Biscotti and cookies were plentiful and memorable. The intense flavor of a small sesame cookie is still in my head. Finally, a trio of gelati and sorbetti were all delicious, but again presented without any description of the flavors presented. Service was very mixed at Babbo. I found that my water glass was always filled whereas my wine glass was frequently empty. My coffee cup would not have been refilled if I had not flagged down someone to go retrieve more. Our waiter seemed more like a used car salesman as he constantly attempted to speed us along, often interrupting conversation at the table without notice or providing extremely brief descriptions of dishes. Someone ought to tattoo "tip me and get the hell out" on his forehead. I found the restaurant itself to be very beautiful and not as chaotic or noisy as I had expected. I can imagine that experience to be true in the bar area/walk-in area, but otherwise the restaurant was fairly subdued. I imagine the page on the Babbo website stating: WHERE ARE MARIO AND JOE NOW? Follow Babbo owners Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich through their various appearances Should have been an early warning that this restaurant was not much of a priority for the crew that once made it great, but live and learn. I'm going to try to squeeze in a better Italian restaurant here in the city before I head back to San Francisco to help me forget this meal.

Picked up a bag of the Mayakoba beans last week at the Village market and made them very simply using the simple instructions on the Rancho Gordo website (onions, garlic, carrots and slow cooking). Served them next to some tasty steak. These beans are excellent - probably could have made a meal just of the beans. They tasted lucious and rich and cooked to a plump and perfect texture. Next time I'll probably do something a bit more daring with the beans, but to begin I wanted to be able to taste the beans mainly by themselves. I also picked up a bag of the Jacob's Cattle that I haven't used yet - any suggestions for those?

Any recent thoughts on Masa? Bourdain's review two years ago left a longing in my brain for the food and I have a few trips to the city planned. How hard is it to get into Masa these days?

Ame provided a unique and delicious experience this weekend. First, the food: Starters: “Tuna Five” - Tataki, Zuke, Tartare, Bottarga and Mojama - 18.50 Outside of Hawaii, I have not located tuna of the caliber served at Ame. Five small preparations were provided - seared, dried over egg, tartare, sashimi-style, and another dried preparation over garbanzos. First, let me tackle the sashimi style - it reminded me of the tuna I've only seen at Mama's Fish House in Maui in the Ahi Sashimi appetizer. It glowed an intense red and was bursting with moisture. If I could eat only one food in life for the rest of my life, this would be it. Second, the two dried preparations were new to me but very good with concentrated tuna flavors- one was truly dry while another was almost gelatinous. The tartare was, like the sashimi, out of this world with a pronounced sesame taste. Salad of Heirloom Beets and Epic Root Farm Mache with Goat Cheese Ranch Dressing - 13.50 What can I say here- I'll need to work on my wife a bit. First she ordered this but secondly she asked for the beets to be excluded. Loved the goat cheese. Mains: Broiled Sake Marinated Alaskan Black Cod and Shrimp Dumplings in Shiso Broth - 29.50 A perfect crisp was formed on the perfect piece of cod. This provided great contrast with the texture of the shrimp dumplings and stood up well to the shiso broth. This dish is how I picture Japanese comfort food, almost. The dish was so light you felt healthier for eating it. Matelote of Eel and Grilled Sonoma Foie Gras On Matsutake Mushroom Risotto - 34 On the other end of the spectrum was my main. The dish was layered with creamy and well prepared risotto (which had a different mushroom on the night I went) first, grilled eel next, and a generous cut of foie to complete on top. Each bite was pure luxury as you can imagine given the ingredients. The sharp and strong taste of the two meats was countered well by the risotto. Dessert: Frozen Yogurt Soufflé with Mango Sauce and Black Sesame Florentine - 9.50 Honestly not too excited about this one - it consisted of a flattened scoop of frozen yogurt, a crispy sesame/sugar combo, and a nice mango sauce. Nothing wrong with it but nowhere near the caliber of the rest of the meal. I have a feeling this and a basic pork chop are on the menu to provide simple options for hotel patrons who are not adventureous. I had a great cocktail called the Hiro-tini to begin. This consisted of a cucumber-infused vodka, sake, sugar, and ginger. The wines available by the glass were almost all new to me and were well chosen for the unique tastes on the menu. A positive aspect of service here is that tastes are poured at the table for sampling in the case one would want to change a selection. Recommendations from the staff were solid. Service all evening was excellent- everyone on staff was able to explain the composition of dishes. Requests for food and drink recommendations were well received and led to discussion rather than quick mentions of popular items. The room is well laid out. Tables are spaced out enough that conversation at other tables is not bothersome and the room is L shaped, making the restaurant feel smaller and more personal. Dark woods and wall coverings are used with soft lighting. I believe Ame will be seen as one of the must-try San Francisco dining experiences as the word gets out. The fusion of Californian and Japanese tastes is done extremely well. Go as soon as you can - reservations can be made via opentable and have been going fast since the Bauer review. There is a sashimi bar in the restaurant that was largely empty despite the full restaurant the entire time I was there - I am not sure if they serve the full menu or just the heavenly tuna there. Ame Restaurant http://www.amerestaurant.com/home.html 689 Mission Street @ 3rd (in the St. Regis Hotel), San Francisco 415.284.4040

Had another good though not great meal at Incanto last night. I started with a braised duck and date ravioli in a duck broth which could have used a bit more zip in my opinion. I adore dates but couldn't make out enough of the taste. The duck broth was absolutely delicious. For my main I tried pork braised in milk with what seemed like polenta. The pork was spoon-friendly tender and perfect for a cooler night. I think I might have enjoyed something other than the polenta/starch that was served with it. To finish I tried the olive oil gelato with a bit of salt - 3 absolutely delicious scoops of heaven with just the right amount of salt on top. A richer preparation of what Picco Pizzeria is doing with soft serve (HIGHLY recommend a trip to Picco). I'll return, but probably in a few months when spring and/or summer produce is available.

I actually enjoy Maya quite a bit - I just wish they'd improve the margaritas some. Maya is nuevo latino for sure, not traditional. I think Maya has been forgotten a bit as many new places have opened. Initial feedback I've heard on Tres Agaves is that it's good for drinking but bad for eating.

Agree with you both on the desire for no impact when the owner/chef is offsite. However, given Aziza is a new restaurant from a promising chef, I'll give them the feedback in the hopes that it helps them out and these kind of things don't happen in the future. Brioche, I'll see if Mourad responds or not first- there was an email address for him which was separate from the main restaurant email address so I hope it'll go to him.

Good idea Carolyn- I just found his email address on the Aziza website and dropped him a note. Thanks for the thought on this.

I just called at around noon yesterday and had no problem picking up a table for 4 at 6:30p on a Friday (wanted a bit later, but 6:30p is fine). The number was busy so I just used auto redial.

I have just returned from what I hope is only an off night for Aziza. My previous visit was great but this one may prevent me from going again. We had a reservation for 8:00p and wanted to come early, but everything was "booked"- upon arrival, 30-40% of the restaurant was empty. By the time we departed, 75% was empty. After being seated it took 10 minutes or so for a server to appear. Drinks appeared in a relatively normal amount of time and we ordered with very little help from the waiter. Bread/olive service was good and on time. The first courses were mixed. The spreads were most excellent. The giant lima beans (in a tomato ragu) were undercooked. Nobody enjoys woody beans. We then waited and waited for our main course- around one hour in fact. Our waiter stopped by around 45 minutes through that hour to let us know he'd check in on the kitchen and finally took a second round of drink orders after our glasses had been empty a half hour or so. The wild mushrooms in phyllo were unimpressive- felt like something one would find in the freezer section of a grocery store. The pastries were greasy and felt reheated rather than fresh. The couscous aziza would have been perfect had it not been for the almost completely raw lamb sausage. I've never in my life seen sausage so undercooked (and I am happy to eat rare steak). The couscous, stewed lamb, and prawns were phoenominal. As our server never stopped by again after delivering entrees, we ate what we could and flagged down a busboy to go find our waiter so we could get our check. We skipped dessert given the quality and length of meal to that point. I can't imagine I'll go to Aziza again anytime soon. I'm sure this was an aberration, but there are too many great restaurants in this city to risk another night like this.