Strangely enough I would skip any Mexican here in San Francisco, Chicago Mexican restaurants far outpace anything you can find here. This comes from an alum of Chicago.

mtyf and I celebrated our engagement at Cyrus in Healdsburg (Sonoma County) about a year and half ago, and it is still the best meal we've ever had. The food was amazing and the service was also incredible. The truffled red wine risotto was hands-down the best dish I've ever eaten.

Having lived in Chicago for about a year after 7 years in San Francisco, I don't agree that Mexican is better in Chicago. The burritos in San Francisco (ie., "Mission-style"[/url]) are definitely different than what you typically get in Chicago. They even have their own entry in Wikipedia. I wouldn't go out of your way for Mexican, but if you find yourself in the Mission, you can't go wrong with Mexican for a casual lunch.

When I recently went back to San Francisco for a weekend, my must haves were dim sum and sushi. We ended up having dim sum at South Sea Seafood Village in the Sunset, and dinner at Sushi Main Street in Half Moon Bay in the same day. I'd also recommend Yo's Sushi Club.

[Begin rant] As an aside, Yank Sing is possibly the most over-rated restaurant in the bay area. I think you can probably find 100 dim sum restaurants in the bay area with superior food, all of which charge less than Yank Sing (usually much less). [End rant]

Hi, BJY,

Cyrus is definitely on our short list, especially because we're likely to spend a few nights in the Russian River area and because the French Laundry doesn't have any availability. Good to read the solid report.

So, if we don't go to Yank Sing, what are your top few dim sum spots? Is South Sea the best in your view? (We're staying at a B&B in the Western Addition, but will have a car.)

Thanks so much,
Ronna

So, if we don't go to Yank Sing, what are your top few dim sum spots? Is South Sea the best in your view? (We're staying at a B&B in the Western Addition, but will have a car.)

South Sea is definitely one of my favorites. The food is great, but it's also much more conducive to groups than most dim sum restaurants. (It's large and clean, they take reservations, and parking is relatively easy.) They also have a pretty good selection of live seafood; I went there once for a work holiday function, and we supplemented the dim sum with geoduck sashimi. One thing to consider is that dim sum at South Sea is primarily ordered off a menu (as opposed to cart service, which some people prefer). Basically, it's a smaller and cheaper version of Koi Palace in Daly City, which also has great dim sum, but tends to get very busy resulting in worse service.

From Western Addition, I would also recommend almost anywhere along Clement St in the Inner Richmond (especially if you're on your way over the Golden Gate Bridge). For tremendously cheap takeout, Good Luck is a great option. I also remember going to Happy Garden a few times and being quite satisfied (also ordered off a menu).

I've heard good things about City View Restaurant (edge of Chinatown), but I have never been there myself. Also, if you're on your way to/from SFO, Hong Kong Flower Lounge and Fook Yuen (along with Koi Palace) are popular options.

As an aside, Koi Palace has a great Peking Duck Dinner: 3 courses of peking duck, xiao long bao, steamed crab, and steamed fish for ~$70. Easily feeds 4 people.

Off-topic beyond being similarly in the Bay Area:

Does anyone have experience with Flint's BBQ in North Oakland? It sounds like it was a real institution in the 70s and 80s, disappeared (so far as to close down between about 2002 and 2006) and is now back. I'm trying to find a review online not tinged with nostalgia, and I'm figuring that somehow someone on LTHForum will know...

-Benj

This is so helpful. I was about to post a thread asking for suggestions in San Fran as I'm going there in January. I'm sooo excited - I hear the food is amazing!

chewonthat wrote:This is so helpful. I was about to post a thread asking for suggestions in San Fran as I'm going there in January. I'm sooo excited - I hear the food is amazing!

The grub is great and there are so very many options that this thread alone doesn't even scratch the surface.

Anyways, I was there on Monday night of this week, in town for only a meal, and still managed to pull something scrumptious off.

Izakayas are probably best left for the South Bay, but if you're without a car and still feeling a little hankering for some beer and/or sake and Japanese pub-grub, I found Sozai to suit the occasion quite well.

Kurobuta pork belly dusted with shichimi was fantastic -- nice, big, 2-inch cubes, that danced with a flame long enough to get a good crust, yet maintain an almost molten center, think toasted pork marshmallows. Not sure of the entire prep, but I'm guessing these are fried and/or braised for a while before getting some fire.

Sesame miso eggplant, also off the kushiyaki side of the menu, was very simply prepared, with varying sizes of eggplant that offered textures ranging from toothsome to fall-apart tender.

Hamachi kama, one of my favourite comfort foods, was very simply prepared yet expertly executed. Lightly marinated, good char in all the right places, and slipping right off the bone. A simple spritz of lemon and I was in a good place.

Sake selection is nicely varied, and Gil, the owner, is gracious and hospitable and certainly well-versed enough to guide the sake-smatterer (like me) to something good.

Sozai
1500 Irving St
(between 16th Ave & 17th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 681-7150
http://www.sozaisf.com

chewonthat wrote:This is so helpful. I was about to post a thread asking for suggestions in San Fran as I'm going there in January. I'm sooo excited - I hear the food is amazing!

There are a number of good threads on San Francisco here:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=17762&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=san+francisco

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=14977&hilit=san+francisco

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=15038&hilit=san+francisco

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=14999&hilit=san+francisco

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=14941&hilit=san+francisco

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=13895&hilit=san+francisco

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4483&hilit=san+francisco

Any recent intel on San Francisco?

I have 2 lunches and 2 dinners of expense account dining. I was thinking Swan Oyster Depot for one lunch and Slanted Door and Town Hall or Gary Danko for dinners unless anyone has better suggestions.

Thanks

iblock9 wrote:Any recent intel on San Francisco?

I have 2 lunches and 2 dinners of expense account dining. I was thinking Swan Oyster Depot for one lunch and Slanted Door and Town Hall or Gary Danko for dinners unless anyone has better suggestions.

Thanks

If you'd like something intimate and chef-driven, consider Canteen. Chef Leary left Rubicon to open the restaurant. It only has about 20 seats, and would be a great place to dine solo at the bar, if that's of interest. We were there on a Tuesday, when they offer a fixed-price, three course menu chosen by the chef only that day. The mussel soup starter was one of the best things we ate during our 10-day trip to the Bay Area last November.

Have fun,
Ronna

Personally, I would skip Slanted Door. Its packed and seems to have seen its better days. |If the dumplings I had from its takeout stand at the Ferry Building Saturday were any indication of its current status, the rumors of its free fall are quantified.

I was just in SF today and was planning to hit Swan. They weren't open, so I tried a nearby Thai place, just down Polk Street called Modern Thai. Polk is really an interesting Street that probably deserves more attention as a culinary destinatrion than it gets.

The staff of Modern Thai was celebrating Thai New Year today by handing out these beautiful little fruits and vegetables made from bean paste and then air brushed to look wonderfully realistic.

Any place that makes that kind of effort to celebrate its real culture will get my business. So, I headed in and sampled a wonderfully robust yellow curry with roast pumpkin and duck served with a pretty combination of white and brown rice.

I'm sorry that I literally discovered this place on my way our of town because I would like to have explored its menu in more depth.

Modern Thai
247 Polk St. @ Bush
San Francisco, 94109
Phone: (415)922-THAI (8424)
http://www.modernthai.com

REB wrote:If you'd like something intimate and chef-driven, consider Canteen. Chef Leary left Rubicon to open the restaurant. It only has about 20 seats, and would be a great place to dine solo at the bar, if that's of interest.

Not only did I consider Canteen, I loved it and it was a highlight of a culinary grandslam in San Francisco over the past few days. Thank you REB, Canteen is a GEM that I would have never discovered without your intel. Chef driven, market inspired menu that changes weekly and sometimes daily depending on whats available locally. We started out with house made halibut gravalax and smoked duck appetizers. The gravalax was served with a very light vinegarish sauce that was a nice counterpoint to the exquisitely prepared fish. The smoked duck was equally good topped with lentils and just a touch of sweetness. I have no idea how the chef is smoking anything in his microscopic kitchen, but he is doing it with a deft touch that would make GWiv proud.

For entrees we had the braised lamb and the Niman Ranch schnitzel topped with a poached egg (my absolute favorite way to eat this dish) WOW. Desserts, including a deconstructed chocoate pot du creme and and the vanilla souffle were to die for. What a find. BTW this place is priced very reasonably, which was nice considering the rest of our dining experiences.

We also hit the Tadich Grill for lunch. For those that haven't been the Tadich is a San Francisco institution, and for good reason. The Tadich is California's oldest operating restaurant, dating to 1849, and is the first to grill seafood over mesquite charcol. It is fabulous. We started with an assortment of oysters and crabcakes which were perfect. I had the cioppino and my buddies had the grilled sea bass. All were outstanding. Of particular note was the massive loaf of sourdough bread served at the table which allegedly is made with a starter that is as old as the restaurant itself. The Tadich is a power lunch spot in the financial district with a massive oak bar and an old boys club atmosphere, waiters in white jackets, etc. Prices are 2009--lunch for 3 was north of $200 without drinks.

Another lunch was at the Swan Oyster Depot. Much has been said about the Swan so I will not wax on about its merits. I am satisfied in saying that it is still The Swan and I am happy that some things do not change all that much.

Our final dinner was at The Slanted Door. I have not dined there since they moved to the Ferry Bldg but I can state that reports of its demise have been overstated. This is no longer cutting edge dining--they have been open for quite a while, but Chef Phan is still rocking locally sourced, creative vietnamese inspired food. The restaurant is a real scene and we had a blast.

Finally, we had a great night of drinking at The Buena Vista Cafe. In all my visits to SF I had never been, and I am sad that it took me this long to finally make it. The Buena Vista is famous for Irish Coffee where they claim to have mastered it, and I cannot disagree. They say that if you stay at The Buena Vista long enough you will run into everyone that you have ever met. I see how this could be true.

I can really get behind business travel on those occasions when I can get to San Francisco!

Canteen
817 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA
415-928-8870

Tadich Grill
240 California St
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 391-1849

The Slanted Door
1 Ferry Building #3
San Francisco, CA 94111
415.861.8032

Swan Oyster Depot
1517 Polk St
(between California St & Sacramento St)
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 673-1101

Buena Vista Cafe
2765 Hyde St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 474-5044

Thanks for the updates on this thread, folks. I'll be in SF in July, and this is all very helpful.

iblock9 wrote:

REB wrote:If you'd like something intimate and chef-driven, consider Canteen. Chef Leary left Rubicon to open the restaurant. It only has about 20 seats, and would be a great place to dine solo at the bar, if that's of interest.

Not only did I consider Canteen, I loved it and it was a highlight of a culinary grandslam in San Francisco over the past few days. Thank you REB, Canteen is a GEM that I would have never discovered without your intel. Chef driven, market inspired menu that changes weekly and sometimes daily depending on whats available locally. We started out with house made halibut gravalax and smoked duck appetizers. The gravalax was served with a very light vinegarish sauce that was a nice counterpoint to the exquisitely prepared fish. The smoked duck was equally good topped with lentils and just a touch of sweetness. I have no idea how the chef is smoking anything in his microscopic kitchen, but he is doing it with a deft touch that would make GWiv proud.

For entrees we had the braised lamb and the Niman Ranch schnitzel topped with a poached egg (my absolute favorite way to eat this dish) WOW. Desserts, including a deconstructed chocoate pot du creme and and the vanilla souffle were to die for. What a find. BTW this place is priced very reasonably, which was nice considering the rest of our dining experiences.

. . .

Canteen
817 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA
415-928-8870

So glad you liked Canteen. I get a little nervous recommending places that I've been to only once, especially when the person I'm recommending to has a limited number of meals. But, I felt pretty confident about Canteen. It's a special place and one that I'd definitely return to, even on a short trip to San Francisco.

Ronna

In a quick search I don't think this was mentioned, so I'll say that I have been in many corners of Europe, but the single most transcendently impressive pastry I have ever eaten was two weeks ago at Tartine, in The Mission at 18th and Guerrero. They have incredible croissants, and they use the dough to make Morning Buns with orange zest and orange caramel. Unbelievably wonderful.
Also delightful is the Market at the Ferry Building - especially Cowgirl Creamery (fantastic handmade local cheeses), the charcuterie cones at the meat curing stand, and the crabcake sandwich at the fish stand (sorry don't recall the names, but both of those are on the same side of the market house very near Cowgirl).

Had a great time on a recent trip to SF. Here are most of the places where we dined and some quick notes.

Lahore Karahi– Indian/Pakistani in the Tenderloin – we were the first customers to arrive at 6:30pm and were a little apprehensive when no one else showed for 15-20 min. A couple came in but quickly left. I’m glad we decided to stick it out b/c their lamb vindaloo was delicious. The flavors were so deep and complex and had a nice kick to it when we asked for it be prepared spicy. We debated between the chicken boti and the butter chicken, but since it’d been awhile since we had butter chicken, we went for it. It was very good, but I think we missed out on the chicken boti as almost every other table that arrived after us ordered the boti. It arrived on a sizzling platter, and smelled delicious. A very filling meal for 2 for only $20!

Dottie’s Blue Café – brunch in the Tenderloin – the line was already 20 deep when we arrived around 8:40 on a Saturday morning. It took about an hour for 2 stools at the counter. I enjoyed a sweet potato, gruyere and carmelized onion tart. The crust was flaky and peppery. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was quite pleased. It was served with 2 biscuits, 2 eggs, and a huge bowl of fresh fruit – blueberries, strawberries, red grapes – no bland melons here! My boyfriend had the smoked salmon scramble w/potatoes and toast.


Ferry St. Market –This market is amazing. There are tons of vendors and a wide variety of fruits and veggies available. Lots of delicious looking prepared foods being cooked to order as well. I am so envious of this market – it’s just so much bigger than GCM. We picked up some amazing blueberries and bing cherries. The blueberries were so sweet and firm. I wish the blueberries here tasted this good! These all stayed fresh from Saturday to Tuesday w/almost no refrigeration and I even washed them on Sunday. Inside the market, I picked up a chocolate lavender macaroon and strawberry macaroon from Miette. The lavender was just the right amount, but I didn’t like the texture on the chocolate macaroon. Thus, I much favored the strawberry macaroon for it’s delicate flavor and proper texture.

Kara’s Cupcake – We stopped by for a snack after our bike ride. We split a chocolate cupcake w/raspberry buttercream. The cupcake was light and moist. The buttercream was light and not cloyingly sweet, just the way I like it. Not really worth $3.50, but needed some sugar.

Boudin Bakery & Café – Split a turkey & gruyere sandwich on a sourdough baguette. The ingredients were fresh and the baguette had a nice crusty exterior and chewy interior.

Zuni Café – Started with the cremed polenta and marscapone. Could’ve done without as it was nothing special. Loved the chicken for two. The skin was so perfectly crisp. Each piece of chicken was so deliciously moist. Bread salad was so good – loved the contrast of being both crusty and soft.

In a hurry to start our drive down highway 1 to the Big Sur, we tried to get some baked goods to go from Tartine. The line was just too long, so we opted for Dynamo Donut instead. We went with the maple bacon apple and the candied orange donuts. Wow, these really exceeded our expectations. They were so good. They really know how to make the flavors pop, and the donut is so light, although a little on the greasy side.


Café Fina, Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterrey – I opted for the fish and chips, and he went w/the salmon sandwich. My fish had a nice beer battered exterior, but they were very delicate. His salmon was poached and mixed with mayo for a salmon salad on a gorgeous ciabatta. The tables have a nice view of the harbor and we could see plenty of harbor seals in the area.

Big Sur Bakery and Restaurant – I was starting to feel nauseous from the winding road and elevation changes, so I needed a Sprite/7-up/Ginger Ale. They gave me a bottle of Bubble Up. I really liked it, but we were in sticker shock when we saw the bill. The pop was $4.50. Anyway, onto the food...Started with the mache salad with avocado, grapefruit, toasted almonds and golden balsamic. This was one of the best salads, I’ve ever had. The mache were so fresh, tender, and delicate. They had a slightly grassy taste. The almonds were amazing! I wish I could’ve bought some of their almonds to bring home w/us. They were nicely smoked and small, but just oh so good. For the main, we had a wood fired thin crust pizza with fresh tomato sauce and hand sliced pepperoni. The crust was incredibly thin under the toppings, but once you reached the outer crust – just fantastic. The food here is very good, and there were a number of other things that caught my attention. However, service was painfully slow and not especially attentive. The staff is nice, but it just took forever to pay the bill as we wanted to start heading up toward Santa Cruz before it got dark.

Tartine Bakery – I finally made it, and it was not too crowded! I ordered a chocolate hazelnut tart, tres leches cake, and chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. The tres leches cake was the highlight of the three. I can’t wait to get my hands on their cookbook to see what other goodies I might attempt at home.

Burma Superstar – Our friends were impressed with our choice in Zuni Café, that they wanted to make sure we ate somewhere good and unique to SF. For our table of four we waited an hour, and it was worth the wait. We started with the tea leaf salad and the salt and pepper calamari. The tea leaf salad had so many ingredients in it, I couldn’t even begin to guess w/o looking at a menu. It arrives at your table with each ingredient in distinct piles. The server points out each ingredient , squeezes lemon juice over the salad and tosses it for you. This was delicious and unlike anything I’ve ever had. For our mains, we had lamb curry, chicken curry noodles, and sesame beef. The curries were amazing. The sesame beef and calamari were good but nothing special. Everything on the menu looks delicious so it is very hard to choose. The servers are really nice and helpful in guiding you w/their recommendations.

Mama’s on Washington Square – Even on a Tuesday morning, the wait was 30 min before getting to enter to place our order. Previewing the menu outside, I was set to have the shrimp and avocado benedict, but once I was inside and saw the baked bread and the preparation of the French Toast sampler, I knew it had to be mine. Banana bread, cinnamon swirl, and lemon blueberry loaf cake were used for the French Toast, and it was piled with seasonal strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries and sliced banana. Oh, how I wish the berries here were as good as these! My b/f ordered the Washington Square m'omelette with Italian sausage, peppers, tomatoes, and cheese. He declared Mama’s his favorite brunch spot.


Golden Gate Bakery – Just before boarding a flight home, I picked up some egg custard tarts. They were still warm from the oven. The crust was so flaky and buttery. The custard was light, milky, and delicate. The only ones that might rival these are the fresh Portuguese tarts from Macau, but I have to say that these were better given the crust to custard ratio.


SF is now in our regular rotation with NYC, and we can’t wait to return. We had such a fun and memorable trip, I was sad to leave.

Breather - Greens - San Francisco

After a hectic culinary week in San Francisco, it was time for a last lunch. So many choices, so little time. Before heading off to a four-hour flight in a sardine tin, I needed some mellowing out. And in the Bay Area, Greens marries bliss with upstanding cuisine. One realizes the possibilities of a robust and creative vegetarian cuisine while relaxing at the edge of the Bay. Greens captures the ethical soul of near-fine dining. This is no veggie-shack, but green cuisine.




Having had a warm bath of calories the past week, I chose two cool and light plates. Both were generous – and humane – first courses. Grilled nectarines with fromage blanc, watercress, and Snyders sage honey was as tempting as any fruit salad that I have been served in, well, close to ever. It was summer sweet while the crunchy watercress added a slight peppery intrigue. Perhaps it could have been dessert given the honeyed depth, but for a small meal it was a fine starter.



The second plate was ricotta corn cakes with jalapenos, scallions, cheddar and smoked cheese, served with crème fraise, fire roasted tomato and pumpkin seed cilantro salsa. The ingredient list on the menu makes the dish sound more pretentious than it was in person, but those allergic to pumpkin seeds and smoked cheese have been duly warned. These griddle cakes were a fine success, reminding us that (pace Michael Pollan) corn is not necessarily a four-letter word. These cobby-blinis were complex without being precious. Had I the stomach I could have eaten a baker’s dozen.



And so from the bustling calm of Fort Mason, I left with memories to consume on the (thankfully) foodless flight home.

Greens
Fort Mason, Building A
San Francisco
415-771-6222
http://www.greensrestaurant.com/

Vealcheeks

CrazyC wrote:If you are up for a Japanese kaiseki-style meal, try Kiss Seafood, near Japan-town.

Kiss Seafood is a tiny, cozy little non-descript place buried in a residential neighbourhood of Japantown. The place is staffed solely by a husband (itamae) & wife (FOH). I imagine it was probably quite a special little secret before it found fame and turned into a bit of a circus with camera flash constantly going off on one side of me and out-of-towners soaking sushi in wasabi-soy paste on the other. Nevertheless, watching Naka-san dance around the closet-size kitchen ladling dashi from one pot to another to slicing sushi with samurai skill precision is really quite a show to get lost into. I'd gotten into a discussion of Japanese cuisine in the US with the ex-pat seated next to me, who very kindly took the liberty of ordering an off-menu omakase from Naka-san on my behalf (two other omakase options appear on the menu, as well).

All of the cooked dishes come in the form of one soup or another, as it is impossible for the chef to cook much else a la minute, but he has a delicate touch with dashi and puts it to great use. The chawanmushi (with clams) was a particular highlight, the ethereal egg custard topped with rich broth put me right into a snuggie on this cold, rainy night. The CrazyC-recommended ikura is truly a worthy standout, and I won't soon forget chewing through the sweet sea notes of fresh abalone. All of the sushi - toro, amberjack, clam, squid, halibut fin, snapper, shad, etc - was in a word, perfect. The relatively small, but well thought out list of sake is near top-notch. In the end, I find myself yearning for a trip to LA ... or Japan. But it's still pleases me to see a place like this, practicing the art of Japanese cuisine, and doing a very respectable job of it.

Quick business trip to San Francisco found me at The Swan Oyster Depot and Boulevard, which I haven't found previously mentioned on LTH. My dinner at Boulevard was one of the best I have ever had in the Bay area, and given the quality of the eats in Northern California, that is saying something. Beautiful French inspired and decidedly Northern Californian, my dinner consisted of an excellent special crab and papaya salad starter and a sublime piece of locally caught sole stuffed with a scallop and lobster mousseline and served with roast fingerling potatoes, spinach and artichokes. I cannot adequately describe the dish in words--it was easily the best thing that I have eaten in a long long time. For dessert we enjoyed a delicious butterscotch banana creme pie and washed the whole thing down with glasses, thats right glasses, of 2005 Montrachet.

Swan Oyster Depot was as usual.

Boulevard
1 Mission Street
(between Steuart St & The Embarcadero)
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 543-6084
http://www.boulevardrestaurant.com

I think the problem with Boulevard is that it's been so good for so long, its apotheosis pre-dated LTH. On the other hand, it's not 100 years old or an ethnic place with no PR and thus isn't in the main bandwidth of LTH. It is a great place. Out of dumb luck I was there within a month of it's opening. Must have been 15 years ago by now. Good to hear it's still strong.

I had a very satisfying meal at Boulevard some ten years ago. It was not so good that I ever was motivated to return, but that simply is a function of all of the terrific San Francisco restaurants. It was really a very pleasant three star restaurant, as I recall it. A little more informal than the very top SF places.

[quote="iblock9"]Quick business trip to San Francisco found me at The Swan Oyster Depot and [b]Boulevard[/b], and washed the whole thing down with glasses, thats right glasses, of 2005 Montrachet.

Boulevard
1 Mission Street
(between Steuart St & The Embarcadero)
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 543-6084
http://www.boulevardrestaurant.com[/quote]

I don't really want to be the one to rain on your Montrachet parade, but I think you probably forgot the word Chassagne or Puligny.

I get out to San Francisco once a year for work, and I just got back from my annual trip.

Wanting to try something that I can't get in Chicago, I took a friend's recommendation and ate at La Mar Cebicheria Peruana.

La Mar is a Peruvian place right on the Embarcadero (a couple of piers away from the Ferry Terminal Building). The restaurant specializes in ceviche (there's a ceviche bar) and a bunch of other Peruvian specialties like causas (little dollops of mashed potatoes topped with seafood or veggies), tiraditos (sort of like crudo), and skewers.

I was by myself so I didn't get to explore the menu as much as I would have liked, but what I did have was very good. I started with a mixed ceviche of octopus, calamari, and mahi mahi. As I was expecting, all of the fish tasted incredibly fresh. The marinade was a little thicker than what you'd usually see in a ceviche, it was almost juice-like. There was some habanero involved so the whole thing had a really nice kick.

Next I tried the causas. Usually these come in orders of 4, but you can also order them individually. I got two - the first was regular mashed potatoes topped with dungeness crab, quail egg, and tomato; the other was mashed purple potato topped with raw tuna that had been mixed with some sort of sauce. Both were served in little dollops of different mildly spicy sauces. Once again, some spectacular fish, and the potatoes made for interesting delivery devices. I should also add that all of the causas are very impressive from a purely visual standpoint.

For a main course I had the lomo solatado. Stir fried beef tenderloin with soy sauce, cilantro, onions, and tomatoes. This dish sort of bridged the gap between the Latin and Asian influences that were evident throughout the meal. The dish was tasty, although not really that interesting. Probably the best two parts of the dish were the french fries that were swimming in the sauce-filled bowl this was served in and the side dish of rice that had what looked like huge kernels of corn mixed in.

As you probably guessed from the location, this isn't exactly a hole in the wall ethnic joint. The decor and atmosphere are a bit on the trendy side, but in a laid back sort of way. Service was friendlier and more knowledgeable than what you might expect from a similarly-situated restaurant here in Chicago. In addition to what I ate above I also had a cocktail and dessert and my check was about $80 after tax but before tip. So it's not cheap, but I was certainly happy with my first taste of Peruvian food.


La Mar Cebicheria Peruana
Pier 1.5, The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 397-8880

http://www.lamarcebicheria.com/web/

I also had a great lunch at the Hog Island Oyster Co. in the Ferry Terminal Building. Outstanding as usual. A dozen oysters, their grilled cheese sandwich (served alongside some tremendous housemade pickled vegetables), and a great view of the Bay always makes for a wonderful afternoon in a wonderful city.

Just got back from a long weekend to attend Family Winemakers, a great tasting at Ft. Mason. As usual, we ate like kings. Here are the highlights.

RN74 is the newest restaurant by Michael Mina with French influences but quite contemporary. It's not quite as expensive as his more formal places.
Great meal. The appetizers were so good we just ordered a slew of small plates.
Grilled Monterey Bay Sardines with cauliflower,celery, capers, and aged balsamic. Crispy soft shell crab with celery root remoulade, citrus, and ginger. Burgundian escargots in puff pastry, herb butter, and tomato. Roasted marrow bones with bacon marmalade and grilled bread. Sauteed pork belly and stuffed squash blossom with heirloom tomatoes, bacon, basil, and lemongrass. Maitake mushroom tempura with yuzu salt, and green onion mousseline. Dessert was an order of beignets with burnt caramel sauce and creme fraiche.

http://www.michaelmina.net/restaurant.p ... tion=menus

Lunch the next day was dim sum at Yank Sing, which is now the gold standard since the demise of Ton Kiang.

http://www.yanksing.com/home.php

Dinner was at Bodega Bistro, a Vietnamese restaurant touted as a better, less expensive, easier to get into version of Slanted Door. We thoroughly enjoyed papaya salad, garlic noodles, Goi Cuon-pork & shrimp in summer spring rolls, Banh Xeo-pancake stuffed with shrimp, pork, and soy sprouts, Shaking Beef, and finally Chim Quay-glazed roasted squab with caramelized onions and raisins in seasoned sauce.

http://sanfrancisco.menupages.com/resta ... ga-bistro/

Flour and Water is a new downscale Italian joint with a wood burning oven and Italian food as good as any I've had in Italy. It was so authentic we ate like Italians.
We shared braised local squid with summer pepper puree, roasted eggplant, and peperonata, pork trotter scarpinocc with caciocavallo, horseradish, and watercress, and then had a pizza that could be straight from Naples with heirloom tomatoes, stracciatella, and wild arugula. Dessert was warm polenta cake with strawberries, corn ice cream, and basil.

http://flourandwater.com/menu/

Next stop was lunch at La Mar, serving contemporary Peruvian cuisine.
We shared a mixed ceviche platter, a variety of empenadas, and a skirt steak skewer with a wonderful marinade. All were delicious.

http://www.lamarcebicheria.com/web/index.php

Our final meal was at Prospect, the newest restaurant by Nancy Oakes and Boulevard Restaurant. It's a bit less formal and pricey, but wonderful cuisine.
We started with Seared Octopus & Calamari – venetian black rice, mussels, moritz-saffron broth and Soft Shell Crab–green tomato tartar sauce, jalapeno-corn relish. Entrees were Crispy Pig Trotters– maine lobster relish, lobster aioli, summer squash, mint and Northern Halibut– green tomato cutlets, tomato hollandaise, zebra tomatoes, petite capers.

http://www.prospectsf.com/#

Time to hit the treadmill.

I was in San Francisco for a long weekend for work. Usually with these kinds of trips, I get roped into dinners at non-descript chains (Pappadeux, anyone?) but given that San Francisco is such a great food destination, I made sure to escape for a few good meals. Highlights were Burma Superstar in outer Richmond (boy, did I luck out--got there about 3 minutes before it got really crowded), brunch at Canteen (lamb loin with muhamarra and and roasted eggplant which prompted a not-nearly as good but still quite good copycat attempt upon my return) and Zuni cafe (bruschetta with burrata and lemon-olive-caper relish, skirt steak and a surprisingly terrific 'piccola meringata' with strawberries'. I thought the dim sum at Golden Mountain had some hits (particularly the baked Char siu bao which I only selected because they came around first and I was starving but were really flaky and delicious), some misses. I was also motivated to stop at The Wok Shop and pick up some garnish cutters (in the shape of a fish and a dragon) and another wok (number #3, hand hammered carbon steel--hard to explain why I need another one when I got home) after hearing Grace Young recommend the store at Culinary Historians the week before. Just seasoned her this weekend.

My attempted knock-off of Canteen's lamb dish made with loin chops:


Golden Mountain dim sum


The new wok (post-oven-seasoning):



Thanks everyone for the suggestions!