highflyingbird

I have to go to Mary's a lot (in Napa and sometimes Sonoma) for kiddie events, etc, and I used to dread it until I discovered the Napoletana. You're right! It's very good. ← It's beyond good! To answer one of the other posts above, here in Glen Ellen it is slim pickings. Fig Cafe is definitely the favorite. Their no corkage policy is a big plus for us locals, who can eat out more often without spending a lot. Their menu is nice, with a lot of choices. The fig arugula salad is always great (they have that in Sonoma, too). They make a great pizza now, too. It is thin crust and really crispy. They also have brunch Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which is great because we have had some bad breakfasts at Garden Court. We haven't been there since they moved from Hwy 12, where we had a few lame meals in a row...the last being horrible huevos rancheros that seemed prepared in a high school cafeteria. Just awful. I haven't been to the Oyster Grill yet. I will give it a try. Saffron? Not if it was the last restaurant on the planet. It has gone DOWNHILL. The food is a real mixed bag now, and they have bad, terrible, awful service. The last time (and believe me, it was really the last time) the server had never, ever worked a table before and didn't have the common sense to. He should have never been left unaccompanied on the floor. The service was ill-timed, interrupting, and awkward. At the end, when we asked for our leftover beef to be wrapped up, he put the other dirty plates right ON TOP of that plate, stacking them on the beef. Wow. They just don't seem to do well enough to keep a good staff. There are problems there. We really miss Mucca (they had a fire a few years ago and the space is still empty). Olive and Vine, which is in the Jack London Village, has really good sandwiches, salads, and a lot of choices in their cold case. They are only a daytime operation, though. There is supposed to be a wine bar going in that building, too, but the sign said it was to open in May, and nothing yet, so I don't know what's going on.

We went to Alinea on August 25th and we both thought it was the best meal we've ever had. And we are harsh critics! After having reservations at Moto, then Trotter's, we finally pulled the trigger and decided to go for Alinea. (It was a tough choice: we had only one night in Chicago). We'd been to Trotter's in Baja before (very good) but the Chicago branch seemed a little heavier than we wanted, and Moto sounded like it might be too gimmicky. We took a cab from downtown...and once we were in the door we knew it was going to be great. That entry described in other posts, really sets the vibe. It is at once sophisticated and playful. Just like the food, it turns out. We found the food to be consistently surprising. They served a couple things, Skate, and Lamb Cheeks, that I don't like and would never seek out. But both were like new experiences: different then they had ever been, and really wonderful to eat. The skate was unlike anything I'd ever had. Paired with bananas? Worked beautifully. We did the 12 courses, with the wine pairings. We thought about the tour, but were worried that it might be too much, and too rich to do. More on that worry later. The flight of palm was not only fantastic, diverse, and a big WOW (I did think the pedestals were a little awkward - I kept thinking I'd lose a palm to the floor), but the wine pairing they did worked with all five palms...a tough thing considering the vanilla pudding is sweet and the prune is strong, and the truffle pungent. That pairing was killer. The wine pairing was good not only for the wines, but also for the informative wine service (we didn't get his name). Our server, Peter, was gracious and funny. We had litchi with horseradish gelee, oyster cream and caviar. That might've been our favorite dish all night. It is better than FL's Oysters and Pearls. So sublime, creative, great tasting, and fun. Exciting just to think about. It was really a peak experience. Unforgetable. The bacon just made us giddy. In fact so many dishes did. The bison was some of the best red meat I've ever had. Cooked perfectly. Great flavor. The sweet corn dessert was awesome. The chocolate on the spoon was killer. We were very surprised that the meal was not heavy at all. We've had a lot of tasting menus and usually leave feeling too full. Or you can't sleep that night cuz your body is trying to digest the 200 ingredients you just ate, not to mention all the wines. (French Laundry always kills me. This is so much better). We not only didn't feel too full, we slept great. And no food hangover in the a.m. We didn't want it to end! I'm trying to go back in January. Two small knocks: When you reserve, they ask you what meal (8 or 12 courses or the tour) you're going to want to have. It's a little hard to totally know in advance, isn't it? Depends on how you're feeling that day. I know they probably need to plan the tables out, esp. since the tour takes so long, but that's an awkward question to be asked. I had to call back the morning of our dinner once we agreed together on what we thought we wanted. I told them the 12 course, but then once we sat down and had the menu in hand, we toyed with going for the tour, but the server said he'd need to check to see if it was available to us. That is strange. If that's the case, that should be stated at reservation: if you don't pre-book the tour, you might not be able to get it once you sit down. The other thing was that one bathroom appeared to be out of order (we were upstairs) and the one available was dirty, with a bad smell and urine splashed on the floor like a ballpark. It was gross and not watched over as carefully as it should have been. But we walked out of there on cloud nine, and I still think about that meal daily.

I've been to Delfina four or five times and I've never been impressed. And this opinion is shared by some other locals I know. It is really overrated. The way some people talk about it, you'd expect it to be mind blowing. It just isn't. The last time I was there four of us had about 15 dishes and a few of them were just bad. Off flavors, poor seasoning. The service has always been cheerful and fun, though. I wouldn't commit to a full meal there again. I'd do the bar for a few things that i like (the squid and white beans, soups, apps) and move on. When you sit at the bar, you can see the salad prep, and they really take a lot of care with the food, so I've never understood how the overall quality of food is so unimpressive. Try Range just around the corner. It is new and very good. rangesf.com

I will try General's Daughter. Sounds like it is quite good.

I live in Glen Ellen, and wish there were more places I loved. But here goes: Cafe LaHaye is very good. Great ingredients, always super fresh. Consistent and reliable. Nice service, too. The only bump here is sometimes it's a little rich. Too much butter. But they are the nicest people, and they do so much in a teeny kitchen. It's fun to sit at the bar and watch them cook...it's almost totally silent. They are so in tune together. Girl and the Fig is up and down to me. Sometimes really good, sometimes a little dull. Nice back patio. OK service. El Dorado Kitchen is still getting somewhere, just not sure where. I've had some good food there, and been disappointed, too. Service is not that great. Inattentive and unprofessional management. Nice outdoor area, and you can sit by the pool. Ledson pretty much only has their own wines, and they aren't that great. It's a lot of small plates there that are good, but I don't like the stiff vibe there. Mary's Pizza Kitchen (two locations in Sonoma) actually has very good pizza and pasta. The Napoletana (without cheese) is incredible. Marinated tomotoes, basil, olive oil, and a tasty crust. I ordered lunch take out from here for a photo shoot I was working on and the crew could not stop saying how good it all was (and that was after it had been sitting a little while - it was still fab).

la folie is pretty rich, if you like that kind of thing. high quality though, and a nice room. maybe do a tour of north beach: enrico's smoked salmon with cucumber jam osteria del forno's thin crust pizza michaelangelo's pasta with clams dessert at moose's or monkey bar in seattle: don't miss lampreia and wild ginger (excellent!!!)

la super rica rocks. the great thing about it is they have different things than most taquerias. yeah, the tortilla with the cheese and peppers is awesome. never had anything else like it. the salsas are all really good, too. i've been there three times, and twice seen rob lowe there...looking like he goes there to cure hangovers. not pretty!

I know what you're saying about the espresso granita. It is excellent. Like a lot of the previous posts, the experience there is always a little bit of a crap shoot. Indifferent service, especially the bartenders, who I find the worst in the city...or anywhere else for that matter. I stopped going there for a long time, because I found it so frustrating. Between the uneveness of the food, and the lame service (not to mention the awful wine glasses - they are almost crooked!). but came back with some clients from out of town who wanted to go and had a pretty good time. The oysters are better there than anywhere. The chicken is great, (but after getting the book, I make it better at home - way more crispy.) The bloody mary is fab, as are the fries. It is weird - they have this hallowed reputation, but it is still hit or really miss. The burger is a disaster - on focaccia? It immediately falls apart. It is great meat, but not on the right bread. I hope they get some better glasses to go with their stellar wine list! There is a nice article in today's SF Chronicle on their prep cooks, who have been there for years.