Dining Talk 2004

[katlitish]

I am going to San Francisco this weekend for the Fancy Food show and have not been there for about 2 years. Any suggestions on interesting new places or must tries? Thank you.

[ingridsf]

How about La Folie on Polk? It's my favorite. You could have butter-poached lobster in a roasted pumpkin, roasted loup de mer, quail stuffed with fois gras, duck with a poached pear -- they give you a choice of 3, 4, or 5 courses depending on your capacity. I took a friend and his wife there recently and, let me tell you, he was a Big Hungry Boy who turned into a Big Happy Boy after he worked his way through course #5. His wife was too busy tracking down every morsel of black truffle on her plate to tell us how she felt about the place. Oh, I almost forgot the soups. Have some soup.

So, here's the deal: the food is French, the wine list is France and California, the noise level is low, and I've never had trouble getting a reservation. They act like I'm a regular even though it's usually a good 6 months between visits. Either this place isn't nearly as good as I think it is or most people genuinely enjoy bigger, more impersonal restaurants.

Wherever you decide to go, have a great trip! Please report back on The Big Decision.

[SiseFromm]

Asia de Cuba at the Clift. Here are some menu examples of their Japanese/Cuban thing:

STARTERS:

Oxtail Spring Roll

Siracha Ketchup and Black Bean, Cubcumber and Tomato Relish

Szechuan Spicy Scallops

Smoked Tomato and White Corn Salsa Verde, Chorizo-Lemongrass Espuma

Lobster Potstickers

Vanilla Bean Spiced Rhum and Lobster Coral Sauces, Roasted Sprout Salad

Ropa Vieja of Duck

Calabaza, Snow Peas, Cucumbers and Hoisin Port Sauce, Lettuce Cups

MAIN:

Miso Cured Aslaskan Butterfish

Cuban Black Bean and Edamame Salad, Tempura Shisito Peppers

Hacked Lime and Garlic Duck

Braised Baby Bock Choy, Roasted Garlic, Lime Segments

Char Sui Beef Short Ribs

Congre Tostones, Chili Orange Mojo

Honey-Rhum Glazed Pot Roast of Pork

Sauteed Shanghai Bok Choy, Fried Plantains and Enoki Mushrooms

Hunan Whole Wok Crispy Fish

Stuffed with Crab Escabeche, Red Pepper Sauce

Lobster Mai Tai

Rhum, Coconut, Red Curry and Wok Crispy Boniato

Very cool dining room.

[jschyun]

he was a Big Hungry Boy who turned into a Big Happy Boy after he worked his way through course #5. His wife was too busy tracking down every morsel of black truffle on her plate to tell us how she felt about the place.

ingridsf you've read Calvin Trillin, haven't you?

[jeffperez62]

Zuni & Delfina, both a casual and delish

[ludja]

Zuni & Delfina, both a casual and delish

couldn't agree more; Zuni and Delfina are two of my favorite places, time after time.

Two newer places; also on the casual side:

Piperade (New Basque restaurant by Gerald Hirogoyen on Battery; ate their twice and enjoyed very much)

Pesce (modelled on Venetian chichetteria--lots of different small seafood plates; large selection of wines by the glass; have heard raves about this place but have not gone yet)

also if you're in town on Sat am or *I think* Tues am; check out the newly located Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building (at the end of Market on the bay). If you need convincing; see Squeat Mungry's recent foodblog:

Squeat Mungry foodblog: stoveless in SF

Edited January 14, 2004 by ludja (log)

[Squeat Mungry]

Agree on both Zuni and Delfina, and have one more suggestion for a brand-new place that is sure to be getting a lot of attention soon.

Quince has taken over the space of the much-lamented Meetinghouse at Octavia and Bush. The chef is Michael Tusk, who worked as chef-de-cuisine for years with Paul Bertolli at Oliveto in Oakland, and was at Chez Panisse before that. The food is French/Italian and, when I was there on Christmas Eve, beautifully executed. The FOH is handled by Tusk's wife Lindsay, who formerly worked FOH at Boulevard and Oliveto.

Top-notch food (great pastas!) at reasonable prices, with a well-thought-out wine list at reasonable markups, including some interesting by-the-glass selections (though not many). The service was quite polished as well, considering how new the place is (they had been open less than 3 weeks when we were there).

Cheers and have a great trip,

Squeat

Edited to say thanks for the plug, ludja!

Edited January 14, 2004 by Squeat Mungry (log)

[sput]

Don't forget to put aside some time at the new Ferry Plaza Farmers Market,

you can always pick up some great stuff for your hotel room between the show and dinner...

[ludja]

Quince has taken over the space of the much-lamented Meetinghouse at Octavia and Bush. The chef is Michael Tusk, who worked as chef-de-cuisine for years with Paul Bertolli at Oliveto in Oakland, and was at Chez Panisse before that. The food is French/Italian and, when I was there on Christmas Eve, beautifully executed. The FOH is handled by Tusk's wife Lindsay, who formerly worked FOH at Boulevard and Oliveto.

Top-notch food (great pastas!) at reasonable prices, with a well-thought-out wine list at reasonable markups, including some interesting by-the-glass selections (though not many). The service was quite polished as well, considering how new the place is (they had been open less than 3 weeks when we were there).

Cheers and have a great trip,

Squeat

Edited to say thanks for the plug, ludja!

I enjoyed reading your thread.

Thanks for the heads up on Quince; certainly sounds promising from your experience there and the chef's background w/Bertolli.

Missed out on a trip to the Meetinghouse w/friends; I guess I'll never know...

[tanabutler]

Hey, January is the month for cheap prix fixe lunches and dinners at these places.

These are some of the best places in town...Farallon, RNM (Justine Miner's place...she did one of the best Outstanding in the Field farm dinners EVER--Patricia Unterman wrote, "Right now I would drive across town just to sit in front of Miner's calm kitchen and work my way through the menu."), Grand Café, Absinthe, Greens...tons of great bargains.

I'm headed up this week myself to cash in.

[ingridsf]

RNM (Justine Miner's place...she did one of the best Outstanding in the Field farm dinners EVER--Patricia Unterman wrote, "Right now I would drive across town just to sit in front of Miner's calm kitchen and work my way through the menu.")

I know where I'm going next. Thanks! I go by it quite often and I always think I should go but then forget.

As for the new place just opened where the Meetinghouse was -- glad it's freshly incarnated if only because the space was such a comfortable one. Hope they haven't renovated it too much. But I will always mourn the loss of the Meetinghouse's chocolate beggar's purse.

[bcnchef]

Any suggestions on interesting new places or must tries?

My list of the best things to eat in SF. It's more street food than fancy restaurants, but a good alternative to the suggestions you've already received in this post.

http://www.foodlover.com/dining/sfobest

Jordi.

[lamington]

We're going to be in SF on a Monday in May, staying a mere 9 hours... enough time to take BART from SFO into SF, eat lunch, do touristy things, eat dinner, take BART back to the airport. No car, just public transport...

So... in search of interesting US food/cooking... one light meal, one heavy, compulsive snacking if necessary . We want to come away smiling, and convinced that good eating/food can be had in the US! (yes, I'm being provocative ) What would the locals suggest for essential dining, and what shops/provendors to visit?

Not really interested in Pacific Rim fusion per se (we're Australian, so have quite enough of that at home!), and one of us doesn't eat seafood.

Had a look at Chez Panisse, but it is a little out of the way on such a short visit... haven't ruled it out completely...

All wisdom appreciated:)

Edited March 16, 2004 by lamington (log)

[marie-louise]

Zuni Cafe is closed on Mondays; that would be perfect if you were coming in on another day. Chez Panisse is too far, plus you would not make it out of there in time, even with an early seating, to get to your flight. I'm not sure if the Ferry Building Farmer's Market is there that day; that would be another fun thing to do.

For a non-food activity that time of year, I'd suggest a stroll along Crissy Field. It is a real treasure: a former military landing strip, now converted to a promenade along the water. In one direction, you are walking along right towards-almost under-the Golden Gate Bridge; turn around and you have a close up view of San Francisco and the East Bay Hills. You will a chance to get outside and feel as if you've seen the whole Bay Area. No shops or food, just gorgeous views.

I suppose a burrito prior to your walk would be a good option, unless dim sum isn't excluded. I'll let someone who knows the city details better than me tell you which Mission BART station is safer & what burrito shop next to a BART station has the best burritos.

[cookingwithamy]

Since you're taking BART, you can enjoy shopping and people watching at Union Square, Maiden Lane and a bit of south of Market. You can also go to the SF Museum of Modern Art which is a few blocks away or Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Crissy Field is pretty but you'd have to take a cab it's not walking distance. Around Union Square I would recommend Scala's Bistro or Campton Place for upscale California with more Eurpoean influence than Asian.

http://www.scalasbistro.com/

Scala's is not very expensive but fun, all their dishes with lamb are outstanding

http://www.camptonplace.com/

Expensive but one of the better restaurants in the City.

For even less expensive and more fun, check out Belden Place an open air passageway closed to traffic.

http://www.coastnews.com/restaurant-guide/belden.htm

Not "California" per se, but good Spanish, reasonable inexpensive French and Italian places. I like Plouf and B44 best. Plouf is mostly seafood though...

One more idea! Go down to the San Francisco Ferry Buidling Marketplace!

http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/

Good food, gorgeous architecture and wonderful views of the bay. This is a top spot for anyone who has even a passing interest in food. Bookstores, local food purveyors, restaurants, it's along the waterfront so you can see the City and the bay beautifully from there.

Edited March 16, 2004 by cookingwithamy (log)

[Squeat Mungry]

Good suggestions so far. I thought I'd add a few more. (BTW the Monday night dinner downstairs at Chez Panisse is an absolute steal at $50 per person, but I agree it might be a little too far away under a time constraint.)

Many of San Francisco's better restaurants follow Zuni's practice of closing on Monday's, but the following are exceptions.

Also near Union Square, Jeanty at Jacks does a good job with bistro fare in a beautifully restored space. Union Square destinations would all be the Powell BART station. If you decide to visit the SFMOMA (also Powell station), you might want to have lunch at their cafe, which actually does a bangup job.

Two stops further on BART will put you at the Embarcadero, where you could check out the shops in the Ferry Building, as mentioned. The Farmer's Market won't be there on a Monday, however. Also at Embarcadero is the celebrated Boulevard, where we will be having a Bay Area eGullet gathering in May. Another beautiful dining room, and justly praised fare.

Near the 16th Street station in the Mission are a bunch of other stops of culinary interest. Some of the best Italian in SF (my opinion of course) is to be had at the tiny Delfina. Be sure to reserve if you decide to go here, though. It's very small and very popular. The superb bakery Tartine is also in this block. 16th is also the stop for some popular taquerias, including La Cumbre and Pancho Villa. My favorite, La Taqueria, is one stop further at the 24th Street station.

Hope this helps,

Squeat

Eddittedd for speeling

Edited March 16, 2004 by Squeat Mungry (log)

[ingridsf]

Alas, Delfina is also closed on Mondays. Ya GOTTA come back on a non-Monday.

I'm going to send you afield for a sit-down lunch at the Slow Club on Potrero Hill. http://www.slowclub.com/slowclub_lunch_page.htm You can have lunch and go walking afterward on the Embarcadero, then get on the F line streetcar and head to dinner at....

Don't hate me for sending you to a fusion restaurant but it's really good. Called Ma Tante Sumi on 18th St. in the Castro. Tiny place, excellent French/Japanese food, warm service. http://matantesumi.citysearch.com/

Take a cab if you want to get around -- DeSoto is the company I use every day and if you're having any trouble hailing one, call 970-1301.

Have a great day.

Ingrid

[Squeat Mungry]

Alas, Delfina is also closed on Mondays.  Ya GOTTA come back on a non-Monday.

Hi, Ingrid!

You had me doubting myself, since I was sure I had eaten at Delfina on a Monday, so I just called them to make sure. They are, from 5:30 - 10:30. It is kind of unusual though for a restaurant of that caliber so far from Union Square to be open on Monday.

Cheers,

Squeat

[Annie Girl]

I was going to say The Zuni Cafe; too bad its closed on Monday. We also really like Rose Pistola for seafood.

Just stay away from "Fisherman's Wharf" - scads of people, too too touristy.

Have your other meal at the Ferry Building - the inside stalls are "to die for". Pick up (several) jars of "Lavender Salt" from Eatwell Farm if they are open. And some olive oil from McEvoy!

Enjoy!

PS - If you have any spare time, we are always looking for chaperones for our one and only at USF (we are in Boston).

[sara]

I did a similar swing through SF a few years back, and I highly recommend stopping at Swan Oyster Depot for a light meal of perfect oysters and dungeoness crab. http://www.epicurious.com/erg/sf/swan.html

[chaud-froid]

I actually think you will do better on oysters at the Hog Island Oyster Bar in the Ferry Building. They are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (?) seven days a week.

[Squeat Mungry]

Just beware that non-seafood options are severely limited to non-existent at Hog Island and Swan.

Edited. Man, I cannot type today!

Edited March 17, 2004 by Squeat Mungry (log)

[paul mitchell]

Get a big tub of calamari down on Fisheman's Wharf.

[ingridsf]

Still thinking...

Got a couple that fit your needs: open Monday, not too far from Market Street, open lunch/dinner, not fusion or seafood focused.

Le Charm at 315 5th Street is open for both lunch and dinner. I had a great time here. Also has a heated patio and terrific prices. (3-course prix fixe for $25.)

http://lecharm.citysearch.com/?cslink=

If you want to go to North Beach, L'Osterio del Forno at 519 Columbus Avenue is actually open for lunch and dinner. Hard to believe -- North Beach is basically closed on Mondays. Renowned for their roast pork braised in milk. Always wanted to go but haven't. Just saw it's cash only. If you do go, you MUST go to nearby Vesuvio's on Columbus and have a drink and then buy a book of poetry at City Lights Bookstore next door. (There's a holy trinity for you -- drinking, reading, eating.)

Ingrid

[ludja]

If you're near SFMOMA, can get a nice Spanish Tapas lunch at Thirsty Bear Restaurant Microbrewery. It's a nice space during the day.

Along those lines, if you go to the Ferry Building as suggested above, you're close to Gordon Biersch Microbrewery on the Embarcadero. Can enjoy a nice beer and stellar views of the Bay Bridge...

Another nice brewery is the San Francisco Brewing Company on Columbus Ave (near the Transamerica Pyramid and at the crossroads of ChinaTown and North Beach). It's a beautiful old bar that will take you back a hundred years or so...

Regarding food though, I'd only recommend Thirsty Bear among the three.