Carolyn Tillie

Aziza -- there is nothing else like it anywhere. After that, my favorites in the city are Ame, Piperade, Koo Sushi, Bar Crudo, Anchor & Hope, and Canteen. For cioppino, I would recommend Sotto Mare, Rose Pistola, or Tadich. The standards that I believe get continually over-rated include Bouelvard, Gary Danko, Slanted Door, and Michael Mina. I'm afraid I don't eat Mexican food in the Bay Area, but that's only because I was a San Diego girl and the further away from the border I moved, the less I liked it (I will eat it in Los Angeles, though).

Beautifully written. I was just in Los Angeles and supposed to go as well but my dining companion became ill and it just didn't feel right going without her. I kind of regret that now, but made up for it with an amazing meal at Bazaar (will write that up shortly).

Meadowood is very good and all that, but hardly in the same league. Do you have FL reservations? You know they are difficult to get? Personally, I am an avowed Ubuntu fan, but I do understand some people have the sensibilities that a meal is not complete without meat. Ubuntu is hands-down my favorite restaurant west of the Mississippi at the moment, so I can't praise it highly enough.

A decade ago, I used to live in Redondo Beach. And I return at least once a year – usually for business – and still dine with an old foodie friend who always keeps me apprised of new and interesting restaurants. There was some local buzz of a French/Japanese fusion restaurant on the pier, Maison Riz, which had only recently set up shop, complete with a very large, glowing sign. We called to make sure we could be seated and was told that if we arrived within 15 minutes, there would be room. When we arrived, we could see that more than ¾ of the restaurant was entirely empty. There was some quandary about the menu as we wanted to try as many dishes as possible. The restaurant offered a six-course Riz Tasting menu which we ordered along with some additional dishes. Our waiter was young and energetic (maybe just legal to drink) and although he tried to exude sophistication. The first course was a quiche-like something. It was barely warm and made with a puff pastry that was extremely rubbery. The dish was flavorless and piled atop a mound of over-dressed, limp lettuce. This dish arrived before we had an opportunity to even place a drink order. We were pondering the wine list and asked if they had a sommelier. We asked three different people several times if they had a sommelier. The bus boy was not sure what we were asking for and asked a waitress to help us. We repeated the request a number of times and without admitting ignorance of the word, she responded that she would check with the kitchen. Pondering a sparkling sake, there was a chance that it was dry or sweet, but no one seemed to know and our waiter’s only response was that someone had tasted it last week and enjoyed it. The second course was a small tasting of crudo. However, under the two raw seafood preparations, was a puddle of spinach, a few pink peppercorns, and citrus oil. I know that one of the fish offerings was tuna, but I can’t tell you what the white fish was. On top of the two fishes was uni and caviar. It was layered far too high to gather all of the ingredients, but even with those I did get in my first bite, my initial reaction was “train wreck.” It was extremely reminiscent of the sickly-sweet perfume I wore as a nine-year old. There were too many disparate flavors and the muddled, strident tones of the ingredients conflicted with each other. Served alongside was a tuille of parmesan cheese studded with sesame seeds, but the cracker was woefully stale. Thankfully, our order of individual glasses of champagne arrived to help cleanse the palate. The dish was piled so high as to be laughable with the ¼ teaspoon-sized utensils offered. I believe this was intended to be more along the lines of an amuse, but instead of amusing, I was aghast. I made a comment that I would not be remotely offended if we wanted to cut bait and leave, but we agreed to give them one more try. As we looked at each other in horror as the bread basket arrived. What looked to be potentially beautiful, crusty bread was in fact bread that had either been steamed or microwaved. I’m not sure this was the straw that broke our camel’s back, but it definitely showed an astonishing lack of professionalism on the part of the kitchen. Our third course was a salad that was described as “Crab Ceasar.” The travesty which was offered was yet another multi-layered concoction of discordant components; intensely strong pesto underneath fried, greasy shoestring potatoes, under overly-dressed miso/Ceasar greens, under a salad of crab meat which was gloppy in its mayonnaise-based dressing, which was under some shredded vegetable of indeterminate origin. Yes, you read corrently: Three different dressings in one “salad,” none of which were balanced or remotely appetizing. And to have all three composed in one dish was atrocious. It was here that we started calling for servers to tell them to stop the meal. We were just on the border of the evening being early enough to salvage some potential dining time and we needed to make our escape soon if we were going to have an opportunity at another establishment. Unfortunately, another course arrived. It was in an oddly useless piece of service ware; a deep, oblong bowl on top of which was a two-handled, ceramic “spoon” which kept it from lying flat on its own. In the bowl itself was crab ravioli garnished with two over-cooked, ruby prawns. The ravioli dough was gummy and the sauce akin to Chef Boyardee. In the spoon-like attachment were two prosciutto-wrapped cherry tomatoes. For whatever reason, they call this “prosciutto maki” and garnished it again with the horrendous pesto. The manager had arrived as my companion explained that the meal was just not working for us. I was reaching for my purse to escape, when the manager begged the indulgence of continuing the meal. I will grant that the restaurant is new and that it takes some time to iron out problems, but with the short time I have to visit, I was in no mood to be anyone’s guinea pig. To his credit, the manager pleaded for a return visit and while it seems obvious the chef has had some formal training, he seems to be one that is newly graduated from cooking school with the idea that good food must be a complicated mélange of flavors, but it seems shockingly evident that the chef has little experience with taste components or flavor matching. Looking at their website, the mystery continues in presenting themselves as offering “French-Japanese inspired cuisine featuring European culinary traditions and ingredients indigenous to Japan.” I was unaware that pesto and fried shoestring potatoes were indigenous to Japan. Their website promotes “a distinctive wine list highlighting petite vineyards.” When was Beringer’s White Zinfandel’s vineyards ever considered petite? Well, they didn’t mislead in one regard; they state that their “goal is provide all the necessary elements that will result in an unforgettable dining experience, creating memories that will last a lifetime.” Man, there is no chance of me EVER forgetting this dining experience. I wish I could. Pictures on the blog (if you dare look….)

Ummmm.... Providence is in Los Angeles so that would be quite a haul to the hotel after dinner!

You are not going to believe this, but haunt Open Table. Because of the economy, there have been a number of last-minute reservations which have been showing up. I've tried a number of times for others with great success.

I guess it is because I am spoiled on Boccalone's salume. There are so many restaurants in the city that are making their own fabulous, house-made charcuteries that when I am in North Beach, going for deli food is just not something I bother with.

Cioppino is hardly for tourists, but Fisherman's Wharf IS, so that is not where you would want to go for it... In North Beach, I recommend Rose Pistola if you have an unlimited budget (it is about $35, I think for theirs). Less expensive but equally as good (although without a giant crab leg) is Sotto Mare on Green Street. It is not a tourist place because it is off the main drag in North Beach. The other famous Cioppino place in the city is Tadich Grill, which will require a wait but is an institution. San Francisco is not known for its Italian delis, so I won't even go there. Bakery-wise, you might want to consider a visit to Tartine in the Mission or La Boulange on Pine & Fillmore. For Dim Sum, if you have a car than you cannot do better than to drive to Daly City's Koi Palace. In the city, I prefer Ton Kiang way out on Geary (not in Chinatown). Hope that helps.

Extremely hot pans with gas burners that have a significantly higher BTU than most homes can get...

It was about $120 per person, including tip, but each of us had a little alcohol (sometimes a full glass, sometimes a taste).

That's it. For me, there is no restaurant that continues to thrill and excite me the way Ubuntu does. It has become a religious experience and after a 4 1/2 hour lunch on Sunday, I feel as though I am worshipping at the Temple of Vegetables with High Priest Jeremy presiding over the liturgy. U.E. and A Life Worth Eating and I drove up yesterday, having specifically requested a tasting menu before our arrival. You'll be able to see U.E.'s pictures later, but here is the recap (those items in caps are from Ubuntu's own biodynamic garden). Amuse - Vellutata Selvaggio, enriched with NETTLE - BORAGE condimento, foraged SORRELS, BLOSSOMS, etc... - stunningly composed soup spoon bite of creaminess goodness with a bit of crunch and the tease of the garden goodness we were about to explore. 1. Spring BRASSICAS and mushrooms a la grecque - LION'S RUN "bordelaise," BORDEAUX SPINACH, preserved lemon. The preserved lemon was barely detectable, but if that was the only complaint, than big deal. The bordeaux spinach was intense and paired well with the spicy brassicas. 2. 2x-shucked peas and GOLDEN SHOOTS in a consommé of the shells - white chocolate, 'CHOCOLATE' MINT, macadamia, PURPLE PEAS in the pod. This dish has changed a bit since I had it a year ago. Now with the consommé added tableside, there is a bit less of the clear broth to drench the fresh peas. Still studded with bits of chocolate and macadamias, the joy of this dish is that the specks of white chocolate melt in the back of your throat and provide a sense of creaminess without an overt chocolate flavor. Brilliant. 3. Seven degrees of 'FORONO' BEETS - hazelnut "soil," avocado, FICOIDE GLACIALE, rhubarb pickle. There is an cylinder of "tartare-looking" beets topped with what looks like a quail egg, but it isn't. And then there are quenelles and a dark gritty "soil." It is all so unctuous and rich and engaging. 4. Carta da Musica, our crisp Sardinian flatbread - topped with Ubuntu SPRING GARDEN, truffled pecorino. A standard dish, a beautiful hunk of paper-thin flatbread topped with all the colorful, bounty from the garden and long shavings of the pecorino, the truffled flavor from which gives a second layer of earthiness to the beautiful vegetables. 5. 'PURPLE HAZE' CARROT crudité with mimolette - spiced "crumble" of dried carrot pulp, peppery NASTURTIUM salad. A long log of orange carrot, topped with the beautiful Purple Haze carrots and bits of mimolette. The bit of heat from the nasturtium flowers gave a pleasant bite of heat which contrasted nicely with the sweet, sweet carrots. 6. 'REDHEAD' RADISH stew, roasted & raw - LEMONGRASS & creme fraiche broth, SOI RABE, sweet HERBS. Our first hot dish of the day and our second dish with a table-side pour of a broth. I thought the broth was based on coconut milk, but it was pure creme fraiche and the lemongrass which threw me. So intensely rich, the juxtaposition of the cooked and raw radishes not only provided complementary mouth feels, but showed just how varied the vegetable can taste in its different cooked forms. 7. A Savory expression of 'ORION' FENNEL scented with our vadouvan, 'DELFINO' CILANTRO, local citrus. Quite possibly my dish of the day. I am SUCH a fennel fan that to have it accentuated with their delicate vadouvan made for 8. Cauliflower in a cast iron pot - roast-purée-raw, our vadouvan, 'DELFINO' CILANTRO, brown butter toast. We asked to have this added as cauliflower is U.E.'s favorite vegetable. It was similar enough in taste to the fennel, but still well-loved and welcomed. 9. Arbuckle grits, our goat ricotta and the whey, "Midnight Moon" - Napa strawberry soffrito, FRAISE DE BOIS, assorted BASILS. First, we were happy to see that this was made with something other than Anson Mills grits. Not that Anson mills is bad, but Chef Jeremy told us that Arbuckle is being locally sourced (less of a carbon footprint) and ground to their specifications. Sitting on top of the bowl were beautiful little miniature fraise de bois but it was really when you scooped through to the bottom to pick up some of the strawberry soffrito did the richness of the creamy grits and cheese make one's head spin. 10. Strawberry Pizza "Margherita" - Napa strawberry soffrito, burrata, assorted BASILS, saba. A Life Worth Eating insisted on adding this in our tasting and we all wanted to taste the burrata. It had enough cheese and soffrito to be similar enough to the grits course, but it was still well-enjoyed and made me appreciate what a really good pizza could be. 11. A sweet expression of 'ORION' FENNEL - the garden's first 2009 HONEY, yogurt whipped with MEYER LEMON. Now I'm hard pressed to decide which fennel offering I liked more, the sweet or the savory. The shade of anise that exists in the fennel seemed more concentrated in the sweet version, but I have a feeling that it was because it was more on its own versus being accompanied by the vadouvan. 12. the SPRING FLOWER POT - LAVENDER custard, bee pollen crumble, rhubarb. A lovely version of Deanie's cheesecake -- instead of being served in a Mason jar, it arrives in a terra cotta flower pot and topped with fresh flowers. So amazingly beautiful and tasty. The service continues to excel but what cannot be described and only seen in person is just how stunningly beautiful each dish is; in color and composition. Take a look at Ulterior Epicure's FLICKR account later as he is the one who took pictures. But I am thoroughly convinced that if I had only one restaurant to choose from for a last meal, this would be it.

That's my favorite.

I'll remember that for next time!

Dinner on Thursday night -- my first visit in some time and my first since Michael Bauer gave Patterson four stars, so I was curious if it had changed much since my initial visit. Of the four of us dining, two of us had the wine pairings, but we all shared. Amuse. Milk & Honey. A mouthful of concentrated milk flavor and honey flavors. Lovely. 1. Pink Grapefruit. This is the opening dish, served with the essential oil and paired with the Coi Cocktail. No change and still a nice palate cleanser for what is to come. 2. Earth and Sea. New harvest potatoes, cucumber, borage, sea beans, ice plant flowers. Served with Domaine de la Fruitiere Muscadet, France 2006. An interesting dish which was colored with squid ink. Creamy potatoes and grassy greens were brightened with the ice plant. Fabulous wine, but I'm not sure it did anything for the dish. 3. Inverted Andante Dairy Goat Cheese Start with black olive, vadouvan, preserved lemon, and wild arugula. Served with Gutzler Blac de Noir, Germany 2008. This was a beautifully-prepared dish and exciting to eat. The vadouvan was barely detectable as the goat cheese predominated in flavors. Creamy and well-complemented with the tang of the preserved lemon, the paper-think black olive start provided an exciting crunch. The wine pairing was too strident to work well with the goat cheese. 4. Winter Into Spring. Chilled English pea soup with buttermilk snow and mint. Pired with Ostatu Rioja Blanco, Spin, 2007. Heralding spring, what could be better than a bright green, clean pea soup? The soup itself was delightful but it was studded with almost frozen fresh peas. I thought it distracting and masking the flavor of the peas. They did "pop" in the mouth, which I imagine is what Chef Patterson was striving for, but I think it shut down the flavor of the peas. The buttermilk snow added a nice tang and was light enough to not fight the creaminess of the soup. 5. Fried Chicken Consommé. With artichokes, fava beans, radish, and green garlic. Paired with Coenobium Blanco, Italy, 2007. This was a very odd dish; four round fried "fritters" which I can only assume was aspic. Breaking one open, I half expected it to be liquid on the inside, but it was not. Not a very memorable dish for me and the wine pairing made the entire dish taste a lot more earthy than I believe was intended. Intercourse - Tofu Mousseline with Mushroom dashi, yuba, kelp, pickled daikon, and ginger. Paired with Hitachino Nest White Ale. The last time I had Chef Patterson's yuba, I was not that thrilled as it was a bit too thick and gummy. He has certainly got it down significantly better, but I found the dish a bit overall too salty. There was barely any detectable ginger and I never did find any tofu mousseline. The pairing was spot on and made me chuckle a bit; the only other time I've had this ale was at a pairing at Bin 8945, by David Haskell. 6. Sautéed Monterey Bay Abalone. With Escarole, caper berry-sea lettuce vinaigrette. Paired with Domaine Tariquet, France 2007. My dining companions made a point of saying that Chef Patterson Twittered about getting the abalone that day so they were excited about the dish. I found it intensely mediocre; chewy and unbalanced, it tasted incredibly salty and almost unfresh in its overt "bottom-of-the-ocean" flavor. 7. Morels with burnt rice, ash, smoke, and pine. Paired with Louis Latour Marsannay, France 2006. I was most excited by this dish as I am quite the mushroom fan. And, sadly, it was the most disappointing dish of the evening (with the abalone a close second). In an opportunity to showcase morels in their whole, glorious state, they were chopped up in to small bits. The rest of the ingredients provided no color so the dish was muddy looking. The texture was pasty and many at the table indicated that the dish was too reminiscent of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup -- thick and gloppy. Great wine though! 8. Marin Sun Farms Goat in Different Forms with sprouted seeds, nuts, beans, and wheatgrass. Paired with Chateau Rayas 'La Pialade' France, 2005. Very well executed protein; rare and tender, showcasing the gamy quality of the goat. Quite frankly, though, I'm not sure how preparing the meat four different ways really showed off Chef Patterson's talent or the ingredient, as they were all piled together on the plate. We had no way of knowing which piece was prepared in which fashion. 9. Comte (Marcel Petite) with spring lettuces. 10. Olive Oil Shortcake with strawberry rhubarb, lemon balm, and long pepper, paired with Elvio Tintero Moscato d'Asti Sori Gramella, Italy, 2008. I could eat TONS of this cake. Moist, light and delightful. 11. White Chocolate, semi-frozen with Brooks cherry, lime, and thyme. Paired with Mas Amiel, France, 2006. I would like to think that even those who are not white chocolate fans would appreciate this dish. Creamy and rich without being too cloying, it lied on a bed of "crumbles" which were mostly indeterminable, but added a nice crunch. The wine pairing worked with the cherry elements in the dessert. Vanilla Milkshake -- I guess this has replaced the much-loved warm malt drink. The new offering is topped with olive oil which made for a very bright mouthfeel. Petit Fours - Chocolate truffles with finely ground cookie crust. I could eat these all day. Now, reflecting on this meal a few days later, I am more unimpressed than impressed. It is the mediocrity of the abalone and the morels that I am remembering more than the successes (which, quite frankly, were the desserts). By and large the meal was too heavily salted and a bit ponderous in its seriousness. There seemed no attempt at levity in the intent of showcasing fresh, raw ingredients; uncooked items were mere garnishes or -- in the case of the peas -- frozen as a "trick." Too many bells and whistles without letting the ingredients speak for themselves.

10+ course lunch there yesterday with Ulterior Epicure and A Life Worth Eating -- I'm hoping they will chime in on all the courses, but this is just a quick recap: 1. Beat salad with fresh ricotta. Damn fine fresh ricotta. 2. Fried brussels sprouts. They are still over-salting this dish. 3. Tuna conserva, puntarelle, garlic, anchovy and mojama; they have added garbanzo beans to this dish and I seem to prefer it the older way it was presented. 4. Beef tongue with pickled horseradish crema. Fabulously tender and rich. 5. Zuppa with porcini mushroom bread dumplings, chives, and pecorino. WAY too salty. Inedibly so for me. 6. Bay scallops with agreeti, preserved lemon and chilies. Couldn't taste the chilies, but I didn't care. Perfectly prepared morsels of goodnes. 7. Sweet potatoes with pancetta, fried chilies, and pecorino. Easily my favorite dish of the day (well, 'cept maybe dessert). 8. Tripe with fennel, chilies, pickled onions, mint and parsley. I could taste these chilies -- almost too spicy for me. 9. Jones Farm rabbit with frisée, carrots, pancetta and mustard. Still a great dish. 10. Ricotta fritters with orange marmalade and crema fresca. OH.MY.GOD. 'Nuff said. We were seated early and tended to well in the beginning, but as the restaurant filled up, there were LONG spans of abandonment which was surprising considering there were people waiting for tables. If you have customers waiting, it would seem to me you want to get the tables turned. The busboy was amazing though. He must have filled my water a dozen times and was on top of cleaning our table and getting left-overs boxed.

Because of a recent promotion, I got a WHOLE BUNCH of discounted coupons from Restaurant.com (something like $250 worth of coupons for less than $30). Tonight was the beginning of the coupon adventure with food-buddy, Lisa. We started with a cocktail at Pisco, the neighboring bar, as Destino was not quite ready to open. I had a lovely "Pisco Cosmo" which was very bright and tangy and Lisa had a classic Pisco Sour which could now be one of my favorite drinks. While we were pondering the menu, we were given an amuse of a sliced, fried plantain served with a green parsley sauce. I could have eaten a dozen of these easily and both Lisa and I were dipping our fingers in the green sauce. We ordered four small plates to share: a salad of Mexican papaya, greens, toasted pumpkin seeds, and hearts of palm, skewers of beef heart, a chicken empanada served with queso fresco and Andean black mint, and a ceviche of yellowtail tuna, ginger, sesame oil, and Fresno chiles. Of the four dishes, the salata and the ceviche were easily far superior. The salad was fresh and points were given for not being over-dressed. The ceviche had large chunks of fish (I hate it when its almost ground) and was also not overdressed but quite rich and well-balanced. The other two dishes were more wanting; the empanada's dough should have been brushed with egg before baking and it was a fairly chewy dough. It was served with a very spicy, yellow chili sauce and we were both pleased that we had kept the green sauce from the amuse to moisten it up. Made me miss the empanadas from Empanadas Place in Los Angeles. The beef heart skewers were well-seasoned, but sadly overcooked to the point of being very tough and chewy. Huge points are given for the great service. After our cocktails, we sat down and ordered Sangria. Being slightly undecided, the waiter suggested one each of the white and red and when we found them too sweet for our tastes, the bartender very graciously took them away and discussed other cocktail options for us. Secondary cocktails that we shared was a Pisco-based Mojito and a Caipairinha, made with a most interestingly smoky Cachaca. We were debating a dessert and knew of the fame of the Alfajores cookies. On the Destino menu, they only list the cookies by the dozen but the bar, Pisco, has them individually. When asked about dessert choices, we indicated we would go back to the bar for a cookie, our waiter offered us several small dulce de leche caramel-filledcookies which was the perfect ending. Based on other dishes I saw being served and the attentive service, I would definitely return to try other dishes.

Considering that California's unemployment rate is more than 11% and that there are news reports of stalwart restaurants like Aqua losing 80%-90% of its staff, I would be hesitant to recommend anything this far in advance, but I'd hazard to guess that my consistent top five will still be around: Aziza Coi Ame Swan's Oyster Bar Canteen ← Yikes, so does that mean that Aqua shouldn't be considered at this moment? ← I was supposed to go last Thursday. And I didn't.... Even if they have been successful in replacing their staff this quickly, it is going to take them some time to iron out the wrinkles and get them working as a cohesive group. I'll reconsider going in the Fall, but not now.

Considering that California's unemployment rate is more than 11% and that there are news reports of stalwart restaurants like Aqua losing 80%-90% of its staff, I would be hesitant to recommend anything this far in advance, but I'd hazard to guess that my consistent top five will still be around: Aziza Coi Ame Swan's Oyster Bar Canteen

Yeah - Boulevard is the place that tourists go to be impressed with atmosphere, great service, and passable food. I think the food is very mediocre, but I know myself to be in a minority regarding Boulevard. Perhaps it is because it hasn't held up for me on multiple visits. But it is more along the lines of a 3-star -- not 1 or 2. In the 1- and 2-star range, I would recommend Lulu.

I never hit Carmel without going to Casanova... Highly recommended.

It would really help to know what kind of food you like and what you don't. Also, if you are coming from an area (like the Chesapeake Bay) that is known for seafood, I might not bother recommending places like Ame or Anchor and Hope. Price range would help as well -- if you want to stay under $100 a person, I won't recommend Coi, Fifth Floor, or Aqua (all exceptional restaurants, but a bit pricey). One of the best around Union Square for any price is Canteen. It only seats 20 so you have to have reservations; you have your choice of the 6:00, 7:30, or 9:00 seating. And if you don't want to have to take a cab outside of the neighborhood you are in, I won't recommend Aziza, my favorite restaurant in the city. Give us more guidance, please!

I go once a quarter and am looking forward to yet another trip on Memorial weekend. And, yes, for me Fox was the clearly the most deserving of the Beard accolade.

The new location is on Fillmore and Post, not downtown. It is a beautiful building and great ambiance, yes. My favorite cocktail is the Curried Gimlet. They have over 25 kinds of gin and the cocktails are stunning.

Interesting point Mitch; in the other topic it got two slams. I've always found it to be inventive and good, even though I think I've eaten at three different locations. ← Not a place you want to go to if you want to have a conversation. WAY to loud.

I don't think we will hear anything for a while -- they are still scouting locations...