9 posts tagged “dining”
Last month I celebrated a friend's birthday at Michael Mina. It's been on my list of 'must try places" for the last two years but has been slipping down the charts in favor of more affordable restaurants. The benefits of eating with a large group (there were 12 of us) are the number of dishes that you can try. But large sittings generally mean larger bills. My grand total was $260, which was thankfully less than my meal at French Laundry.
Located in the Westin St. Francis hotel across from Union Square, you can ride the hotel's glass elevator to the top floor and look over all of downtown. Or well, at least one side of downtown. The atmosphere at MM isn't as stuffy as French Laundry, in fact the noise level can get pretty high in the open areas. Men aren't required to wear jackets but you can always find a few suits that have come in after work. It's the type of place where men talk business, couples celebrate anniversaries, and girls get way too dolled up in organza skirts.
They serve a three course prix-fixe menu as well as a chef's selection tasting menu. The tasting menu is easier for those that hate making decisions. But when you're paying a hefty price for it, might as well do the work yourself. Within each course there are several selections, of which you can choose only one. Each selection has one core ingredient and is prepared in three different ways. There are also "classics" to choose from, which are dishes that the chef is known for but those are only prepared in one way.
Confused? So was I.
For my first course, I chose the the Hudson Valley foie gras served hot to cold with huckleberry gastique, pickled strawberries, poached rhubarb and pistachio crumble. It was amazing but there was so much of it. I ate half and gave the rest to Katie who proceeded to wipe down two other plates of extra foie gras.
The dishes came out so slowly that by the time course number two arrived, most of us were kind of full. Eep. This was disappointing since my trio of premium beef was so, so good and I couldn't really enjoy it. The first preparation was grass-fed rib-eye in a sauce au povre with creamed spinach, second was American Kobe short-rib with horseradish whipped potatoes, and the last was Misami Kobe sirloin in a bordelaise sauce with marinated mushrooms.
Dessert wasn't really memorable except for the caramel flan and green tea bon bons served with toothpicks. By the time the bill came, it was almost midnight and I was falling asleep at the table. No better way to end the meal I suppose.
Annie treated me out to a wonderful evening at Local Kitchen & Wine Merchant on 1st & Folsom Street. She's one of the few people I know that is always on top of new restaurants in and around the city. Open just four months now, the restaurant packs it in even for a weeknight. Hidden between large gray condos and a brick office building, I drove by twice without seeing it. It's nondescript steel and glass doors reminded me of a supermarket or...um, a raw foods cafe. But once inside, the place was warm and inviting with low lighting and dark wood tables. And noisy. Really noisy.
But I dismissed the part where I was yelling at the top of my lungs for three hours after seeing the prices on the menu. Nothing over $20 and the small plates are between $8-12. How refreshing is that? The food was so tasty too. I highly recommend the onion jam and blue cheese pizza. Our bill came out to $100 in champagne (they had Henriot by the glass) and only $32 in food. A bit embarrassing but the owner was pleased that we enjoyed the drinks and gave us additional wines to taste for free. I found out our gracious host was Mark Bright, the previous sommelier from Michael Mina. He's one of the youngest sommeliers in the industry, starting his training at just 17 years old under the master sommeliers at Aqua in the Bellagio hotel. Now at only 25, he's running his first restaurant.
I was surprised that this came out as one large sardine, instead of several small sardines. It was delish nonetheless. We probably enjoyed this part of the meal more than the sushi. Kind of disappointing but Kirala's sushi really hasn't been as good as it was in the past. We had grilled sardine marinated in spicy roe with lemon and radish, alongside stuffed mushrooms and shiso wrapped chicken in a teriyaki glaze. I finished off the roasted scallops before we could take this picture. Those were way yummy too.
House of Prime Rib is one of those restaurants in San Francisco that I come back to time and time again. It's a good place to take family or friends, with solid service and not a lot of frills. It's almost always guaranteed to be packed even on a Monday night like tonight. While you can order a la carte, getting the main entree will give you everything from the salad, to the yorkshire pudding, to a specific cut of meat. And they have a fantastic pure horseradish (you have to special request it from the server) that really knocks your socks off. No joke, that horseradish made me cry the first time I tried it. I've been coming here for years to celebrate birthdays, holidays and promotions at work. It brings a smile to my face each time I step foot inside. (Hrm, just noticed how the meat looks really bloody in this photo. Kinda gross.)
The wait was over an hour long, they ran out of the mac&cheese pie (*whine*), the fried chicken was dry and flavorless, but the atmosphere was wonderful and I adored the stamped tin ceilings. Plus we got to drink wine out of a box and champagne from vintage glasses.
I surpised Nick with Sunday Jazz brunch at the Ritz Carlton. At about $100 per person including tax and tip, it's best saved for special occasions. But the relaxed atmosphere and friendly wait staff turns the meal into something you'll want to do again and again.
They serve a full buffet brunch including complimentary champagne (along with refills!). There's a great selection of seafood prepared both chilled and warm including lobster, crab, oysters, scallops and shrimp. The grilled dishes might differ from week to week but the chilled selection is always consistent. There's a caviar stand with three different varieties served alongside diced herbs, red onions, capers, and creme fraiche.
The breads and pastries were plentiful but I saved myself for the savory and sweet crepes made on the spot. Yummy. All with a choice of toppings and sauces. I tried the cheeses, truffled pate, roasted chicken and rack of lamb. Not sure how I packed it all in but I definitely did. I went back for the lamb twice even. If you're vegetarian, you probably won't be satisfied by the food unless you spend most of the time at the dessert stand. The desserts were heavenly. The tiramisu actually tasted like rum. Enough said.
I just had a wonderful dinner with Ada at Farina in the Mission. Reviews on the place are lukewarm and a bit all over the place. But I like the restaurant regardless of what others say about the overpriced Italian dishes. I'm a sucker for trendy decor and fattening foods.
They make the walnut bread and fresh pasta in house. The cream sauces, especially the black truffle sauce, are delish. Plus if you're without reservations, there's walk-in seating on the red stools by the kitchen, where the chefs will hand you slices of warm foccacia just out of the oven.
I spent Saturday afternoon slicing food into tiny morsels and trying not to slouch in my seat. I felt like a kid sitting at the grown-up table wondering when I could run out to play. After years of reading and hearing about the acclaimed French Laundry, I finally had the opportunity to dine there. The NYTimes once wrote, "...this discreet restaurant regularly ranks as one of, if not the, best restaurant in the world", and Anthony Bourdain of 'Kitchen Confidential' describes the experience as nothing less than phenomenal, "My knees were shaking going to meet Thomas Keller, going to eat in that restaurant [The French Laundry]. I felt like I was going to the prom, like a kid in a powder blue tux sweating through my fluffy shirt. It's hero worship and wonder..."
My experience however was well, underwhelming to say the least. Admittedly friends had warned that this would be the case as their experiences were just so-so. The atmosphere was too stuffy, brought on by the other patrons and not necessarily the suited wait staff who seemed to enjoy the joking and smiles that came from our end of the room. Laugh too loudly however and we'd elicit frosty stares from the tables nearby.
The appetizers and desserts were delicious but the small plates and main entrees weren't memorable at all. My favorite was the foie gras, served as a cold mousse with toasted brioche, truffle creme and orange glaze. The log of foie gras was huge and we were continually brought warm brioche until we were wiping down the plates with toast.
The panacotta and caviar took a few bites to warm up to, but the combination of flavors in the end were wonderful. My small plate of bluefin tuna was very ordinary. As were the lobster mitts with pomegranate seeds in a curry reduction sauce. The duck came out too firm for everyone at the table. Bleh. The lamb was soft and tender, raised on a special diet by a small farm in Virginia. The special diet supposedly cleaned the gamy flavor out of the meat. Though I kind of feel like something's lost when lamb doesn't have a bit of gaminess to it.
Overall I was disappointed by the food, especially because it came with such a hefty price tag and a two month advance reservation. $350 to be exact. But the meal ended sweetly enough with a second dessert of truffled chocolates, verona and caramel covered macadamia nuts, marscapone pineapple cakes, creme brulee and lemon custard.
I discovered a new sushi restaurant. Or well, Yelp helped me discover it. It's tiny, drive too fast and you'll likely miss the red and black signs adorning the side of the building. It doesn't help that it's partially hidden by a bus stop and located on a particulary barren block in the Tenderloin. But not to fear, it's close enough to the Phoenix Hotel and Bambuddha Lounge, that you have safe havens if the crack dealers come after you.
For a Saturday night, the place was surprisingly empty except for another couple and three people at the sushi bar. We couldn't believe our luck! While it's not as good as Ebisu or Kirala, it's location is prime if I'm coming from the SOMA, Mission, or downtown. And it's cheaper than Tokyo Go Go, Blowfish, or Sushi Groove.
Everything that came to the table was really fresh. Halibut nigiri arrived with a sprig of mint over the rice - a very unique and totally unexpected twist. They serve good quality sake for cheap and the special rolls are decently priced. The firecracker balls are a must try if you love fried foods covered in sriracha and mayo.
