Restaurants

I look forward to those times when my husband is out of town at dinner. Likewise, he’s always asking when my next trip to Chicago falls on the calendar.

Let’s face it: Saying “I do” doesn’t mean you just signed on to wear the same clothes, agree on all sports teams or like the same restaurants. When left to our own devices, here’s how it usually shakes out:

Bread wins the day

She Likes: Jimmy Johns, specifically the #2 Big John with cheese, please. Yes, the sandwich ingredients are fresh (these folks even find decent tomatoes in January), and the service is freaky fast as they advertise. But it’s that chewy bread that has me addicted. The smart-alec chatty marketing messages don’t hurt, either.

He Likes: Subway because of the bazillion ways to customize a sandwich at its counter. None of my husband’s will involve the healthy eating selections.

She LIkes: Baja Fresh, and will drive to the other side of town to get one of their bean and cheese burritos, made on a grill so that the cheese actually melts and the beans soften. I thank this particular fast-casual chain for teaching me the joy of  both black and pinto beans in the tortilla.

A common listing on our Visa

A cheesy feast

He Likes: Qdoba, originally because they offered queso when Baja Fresh didn’t. Today, I can’t begin to explain the fascination, but my husband earns more free entrees from his Q card than any other diner on the planet.

She Likes: Domino’s Pizza, mainly because it’s less than a half mile from our house and I can order online and monitor my pizza’s progress electronically, right down to the name of the guy who is boxing it.

He Likes: Pasquale’s Pizza, located one block down from Dominos and featuring a thin crust with spicy ingredients. So spicy, I use Pasquales as a verb.

Dinner and a show

Hot wings my ...

She Likes: House of Tokyo, where I’m sure my husband would appreciate the delicate flavors of their Habachi-style filet mignon … if he weren’t allergic to Japanese sauces. It’s so bad, he carries an EpiPen on vacations in case he accidentally eats something that also causes his body to swell like a toad. Which is sad, of course, but I console myself with the thought that eating there solo means the bill is only half what it would cost if he were along.

He Likes: Hooters, supposedly for the hot wings. Uh-huh. See if I’m headed out of town any time soon.

Photography credits: nateOne, Qdoba, House of Tokyo, Flirty Kitty

Dining behind the screen

We all have secrets. Many of mine revolve around food. In this case, my secret is a fabulous Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood. I wasn’t going to write about this place but keep my little secret.  I’ve reconsidered after thinking about all the superb restaurants like this one suffering because of the recession.

Chinese restaurants in San Francisco often have steam tables in the front for their “to go” customers. Steam tables are handy for grabbing soup for a sick friend, “fast” food for dinner or the midday barbecue pork snack. Hmmm meat snacks.

Tung Sing Restaurant has a great steam table. The steam table clearly shows through the window facing 24th Street. Any hunger pains you might have are likely to respond to the yummy barbecue pork, steam buns and other goodies displayed in their steaming stainless trays.

A big secret is that if you have the time, the food tastes even better when you grab a table behind their carved teak screen. We’ve been going here every other week since we moved to the neighborhood. Sitting down and enjoying a nice hot bowl of won ton soup is so satisfying on a cold day.

My Favorite Roast Duck Won Ton Soup

We enjoy both lunch and dinner here and have found lots of menu choices like the sizzling beef platter and the crackling prawns from peeking at other diners! Their noodles dishes like the sam see chow mein is another dish we discovered only after our waitress confirmed what a neighbor was eating.

Tung Sing offers delicious Chinese dishes for lunch and dinner whether you decide to get yours to take home or if you decide to stay and sit down behind the screen.

4015 – 24th Street (near Noe)
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 648-8582

Open Everyday 11:00am – 9:30pm

Photo credit: sfcphotography

South Food and Wine Bar on Townsend

Australian celebrity chef Luke Mangan brings his ModOz cuisine and wines from the Southern Hemisphere to South Food and Wine Bar on Townsend Street in South Beach, an up-and-coming culinary center in San Francisco.

Along with partners Liz O’Connell from Australia, and Anna Weinberg from New Zealand, Mangan has created a taste of “down under” with seasonal specialties such as Tasmanian ocean trout and barramundi. Their rotating selection of boutique wines from the Southern Hemisphere, including South Africa, comes from their personal relationships with wine makers.

Liz O’Connell’s parents own the Mandalay Estate Winery, a small boutique winery in Mumballup, Western Australia. That’s half-way between Yabberup and Noggerup. My husband and I found the winery while on a Zinfandel quest in Australia. That’s when we were told about South, which was still in the planning stages.

The restaurant has been open now for over a year. Mangan, who is chef/owner of Salt in Tokyo, and Glass Brasserie in Sydney–two upmarket restaurants–is also author of three best-selling cookbooks. He has earned his bragging rights as one of the world’s top chefs.

South Food and Wine Bar was designed to reflect the modern antipodean culinary lifestyle, and the 16 foot Jarrah wine bar from Australia is unlike any other bar in San Francisco. The decor has a definite feel of down under.

Whether you choose to share a South platter at the wine bar, or have a full lunch or dinner, your tastebuds are sure to sparkle. Pair your food with a good bottle of wine from a hemisphere away and enjoy the intimate feeling of a neighborhood restaurant.

South Food and Wine Bar
330 Townsend Street #230
415-974-1911
www.southfwb.com

Armstrong’s Fish Market and Seafood Restaurant isn’t in itself worth the ferry ride to Catalina Island, but it makes for a pleasant, relaxed lunch during a day trip or vacation on this large California channel island. Plastic checkered tableclothes inside point to the informal atmosphere, as do the best-selling fried fish tacos, slowly enjoyed mugs of beer, and friendly, chatty waitresses.

Located quite near the ferry dock in Avalon, Armstrong’s has one of the best views of any of the Catalina Island town’s restaurants. Outside dining affords full-on views of the water, and people-watching galore. I recommend it for lunch, when the daytime sun sparkles off the water. It’s instantly relaxing, and even in winter the weather is balmy (it’s probably a little too chilly to sit outside for dinner during the winter months). Lunch at Armstrong’s is a lovely way to spend an hour outside.

The seafood here is fresh, therefore some choices are only seasonably available. The South Pacific mahi-mahi, grilled in lemon and butter, was very nice. The shrimp kabobs are a popular favorite. Also on the menu are lobster (the Pacific, spiny-tailed version), sea bass, sanddabs, and whatever else was in the catch of the day.

There are other, non-seafood options here (salads, burgers and the like). The Children’s Menu assures that picky eaters can still get their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and the otherwise seafood-averse can try the steak sandwich – this goes great with a cold beer. However, Armstrong’s isn’t solely a casual, quick seafood restaurant – it’s also a fish market. The specialty is seafood, the view of Avalon Bay is great, and if you’re eating there, you’re probably enjoying a Catalina Island vacation. I recommend staying with the ethos of the place, and ordering seafood. It’s what Armstrong’s does best.

Armstrong’s Fish Market & Seafood Restaurant
306 Crescent Ave, Avalon Bay
Santa Catalina Island
(310) 510-0113

Interior at Orson Restaurant

From UpTake’s very own: Thomas Brown

The website for Orson matter-of-factly states they “play seriously with their food.”  They aren’t kidding:  On two recent visits, I was by turns bedazzled with whimsical presentations of traditional favorites, given a crash course in chemistry, and pleasantly startled by playful little surprises tucked away in unexpected places.  But the playing is indeed serious:  As celebrity-chef Elizabeth Falkner’s newest entry in the crowded San Francisco restaurant space, Orson showcases the best of local Bay Area foods, coupled with some impressive culinary science.

Ho-hum, you say – what’s new about local, fresh, ingredients?  We’ve reached an evolutionary plateau wherein we’ve become jaded about culinary matters such as these, so rather than fixate on the happily ubiquitous organic produce, local wines  and  house-cured meats , consider what sets Orson apart:  The playful , oftentimes artistic presentation of the high-quality ingredients we’ve come to expect.

Caeser Salad at Orson

In short, Falkner “conversationalizes” the food in unique and thought-provoking ways.  The Caesar salad was abstract deconstructionism on a plate – leaves of romaine alongside a  Kandinsky-esque tower of Parmesan, with elegant spheres of dressing that released their egg-yolk and anchovy goodness only when prodded with the tines of one’s fork.   The humble burger is elevated to lofty heights, served as it is with an elegant trio of Cobb relish, house-made steak sauce (with  a  kick) and foie mayonnaise.   That’s right, foie.   An Andouille sausage dish (better than any I’ve had in Louisiana) was topped by a playfully-poised crayfish, who looked for all the world to be doing a breast-stroke.

Sound over-the-top?

Maybe, but it illustrates the attentiveness with which Falkner lavishes on each dish.    Consider the blood orange “caviar” nestled alongside my olive oil gelato (which in turn was nestled alongside an orange sorbet, both of which accompanied a delightful dessert “risotto” – not even listed on the menu’s description, it took my palate by surprise, and the resulting visual/tactile confusion provoked a delightful game of name-that-ingredient with my companion.

There were a few disappointments on my first visit, but they aren’t worth mentioning here.  Why, you may ask?  They had vanished from the menu on my second visit, which was only five days later.  Coincidence?  I’d like to think not.

a dramatic dining experience

If the artistry on your plate isn’t enough, Orson serves up a veritable gallery of paintings and visual images.  Falkner’s father is an accomplished artist, and his paintings grace the wall.  And if you sit near the bar, you can witness a digital and video arts installation on the “Korean Wave” sponsored by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.  Think of is as a free art show between courses.

As an erstwhile New Yorker, I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to service.  Too many San Francisco restaurants take the California “laid back” ethos to extreme, and in so doing overlook those subtle  refinements that can make the difference between a merely good meal and a phenomenal experience.  On my first visit, our server was a walking encyclopedia of culinary science; but more importantly, he hit all the right notes service-wise, having perfected the ever-present yet unobtrusive balance.  On my second visit, the host, Scott, recognized me immediately and not only welcomed me back, but even humored me with a brief tour and a description of the restaurant’s genesis.

After my meal,  Ms. Falkner  herself came to my table to say hello.    She shared some of her thoughts on the California restaurant scene, and was also kind enough to explain some of the more abstruse techniques she employs.  “Spherification,” it turns out, results from a chemical reaction between compounds that occur in many  foods; namely, calcium chloride and sodium alginate.  Huh?!

My message to Ms. Falkner:  I was never any good at chemistry, which is why I didn’t become a doctor like my family wanted.  I did, however, become a foodie – and you have won my heart.

Orson Restaurant
http://www.orsonsf.com
508 4th Street
San Francisco
(415) 777-1508
Tuesday-Saturday 5-10pm

Photo Credits to Orson website

Boys will be boys

This week’s after-church victim — I mean, restaurant location — was the other steakhouse chain where you throw peanuts on the floor. My brother will choose Texas Roadhouse every time we ask him for a suggestion. This time he had a powerful craving because the sermon had just begun when he passed me a note that read, “Texas R.?”

Thanks, bro. I spent the next 40 minutes fighting off unholy visions of country fried chicken smothered in white gravy. 

So we piled into our booth — three adults on one side, my brother and the 7-year-old niece and 4-year-old nephew on the other. You already know that putting siblings next to each other in a restaurant is a blueprint for chaos — or fun, if your last name is Sturgeon. 

This party kicked off when two of the adults on our order requested their filets butterflied and served well done. It’s not a matter of taste, mind you, but how long it takes to accomplish this feat. It’s plenty of time for two kids to start elbowing each other, fighting over who goes first on the iPhone tic-tac-toe game, and pulling every string to work bodily functions into the conversation.

“Aunt Julie has loud tooters!” “Uncle Ron has smelly tooters!” “Anybody want to eat a tooter?” Three guesses which child started this, and if you don’t pick the 4-year-old male, you’ve obviously never been around little boys for more than 30 seconds. 

It was clearly time for a diversion of the creative version, and I wasn’t feeling particularly inspired. Instead, I went with the “what weird combination of food can you eat at this table” while my sister-in-law quietly hid the A-1 steak sauce, salt and pepper. The winning entree: Peanut Rolls. Let me share the recipe with you, courtesy of a preschooler:

Before the experiment

1. Tear a little hole in the roll. No, bigger so you can see the inside.

2. Now put the peanut in there. No, Aunt Julie, you have to crack it first. We don’t eat the shells, we just lick the salt off.

3. Eat it!

And then I ruined the moment by taking a big bite … and missing the peanuts completely. Just a mouthful of bread. No butter. No honey. No impromptu peanut butter.

But I did get that sweet sound of laughter I was truly hungry for. And it didn’t require a single tooter.

Worth the wait

Texas Roadhouse

10340 US 36 East

Avon, IN 46123

(317) 209-9352

Come in early Monday thru Thursday from open until 6 p.m. and choose from 10 dinners priced at just $7.49.

Photographer credits: midiman, jeffk,

In Cono (AntyDiluvian, via Flickr)

Mention Beverly Hills, and most people think of Rolls Royces, Rodeo Drive, and other signs of conspicuous consumption. However, as with most places, the public perception and the reality may be two different things. Yes, Beverly Hills is one of the nation’s centers for extreme wealth, botox, and fancy breed dogs whose collars cost more than a monthly mortgage payment for most of the rest of us. No argument. But there’s also the casual side of the Hills, even near Beverly Boulevard. Here, some fun and unpretentious stores mix with the swanky Mikimoto, Tiffany & Co., and Hugo Boss shops. It feels like a more manageable world than Rodeo Drive. One of the best gelato restaurants in Los Angeles, Il Cono Gelateria, is well worth venturing south of Santa Monica Blvd. Well, one block south of it, anyway!

(Gelat'amo, via Flickr)

Some gelato places mess up the formula by using modern ingredients or offering a fat-free “diet” twist. The texture is often gummy at those (unnamed) restaurants; true gelato should be light and fluffy, with a less creamy mouthfeel than ice cream. Il Cono Gelateria is just about perfect, including the “light” offerings (a few flavors can come fat-free). The right blend of flavor and texture make Il Cono’s gelato reminiscent of the best gelato this enthusiatic taster enjoyed in Italy. Il Cono is authentic – the real deal – and proves itself every day: Each morning, all gelato is made on site, from scratch. Fresh, and frozen. Cool, right? (Pun intended.) My favorite flavors are hazelnut, vanilla – boring, I know – and pistachio with nuts intact. My family also loves the tiramisu and watermelon gelato at Il Cono.

A small selection of crepes are also available at Il Cono Gelateria, but I haven’t sampled them. When a customer comes to one of the best gelato places in Los Angeles, it feels extraneous to get anything besides what it’s known for. My kids have been angling to try the Nutella flavored gelato at Il Cono. Next time we go, I think we’ll all get it. After all, Nutella has Italian roots just like gelato. If it’s as authentic as the rest of the menu, Nutella gelato at Il Cono is sure to be a perfect treat.

Il Cono Gelateria
9461 Little Santa Monica Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 285-2045
ilconogelato.com

Domo in San Francisco

We are all trying to save our money these days while looking for the right balance between an inexpensive meal and healthy foods when we eat out. Having menu items like Firecracker Balls and Sexy Mama Rolls is a nice touch to the experience. Check out the sushi bar called Domo in Hayes Valley.

We found Domo while wandering the neighborhood looking for something healthy to eat that wasn’t too expensive.  While standing in front of Suppenkuche, we noticed a small billboard near the telephone pole highlighting the lunch specials at Domo. We followed the sign then grabbed a seat at the window.

I was immediately tempted by the a la carte choices like nigiri sushi and the appetizer menu. I love the fresh and vinegary taste of cucumber sunomono, and real Hawaiian style tuna poke is the best!

Sashimi over rice

We kept to our budget and went for the lunch special. For $10 we had our choice of sushi combo, sashimi salad, maki (roll) combo, open face dragon roll (eel, tempura shrimp and avocado over rice) or sashimi over rice. These all came with miso soup and a salad. We also had delicious real ocha (green tea), not the stuff in a tea bag.

For San Francisco this is a bargain. We ate plenty of food that was fresh and healthy. I would definitely go back for dinner. The more exotic rolls like the Spicy Hulk, the Kobe Beef, the Fire Cracker Balls and the Sexy Mama (broiled asparagus topped with sliced lemon and salmon) looked delicious.

Don’t forget to try their seasonal specials highlighted on their wall near the bar and ask the waiter for help if you like sake – our guy recommended a cold sake that went perfectly with our lunch!

511 Laguna St
(between Fell St & Linden St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 861-8887
www.domosf.com

Mon-Fri. 12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

The teaser

Wouldn’t it be nice to have an hour in your day that isn’t about economic doom and gloom? Even if they’re in a chipper mood, I’m tired of hearing folks tack “in today’s economy” or “with the way money is these days” onto their conversations.

Sure, it’s in the background of every waking moment for Americans in 2009. Affordability is one of the reasons we chose to meet friends at Logans Roadhouse last night: 2 full meals for $13.99 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays is downright appetizing. We’re talking main entrees like sirloin steaks, grilled salmon, southern fried catfish, grilled pork chop, tilapia and teriyaki grilled chicken, two sides, yeast rolls and all the peanuts you can throw on the floor, so it’s not cheap food on a plate.

Who would pass up a deal like that in any environment?

And heaven knows the company was good — best friends have a way of turning any meal into a celebration. But this evening stood out because our waiter, an older gentleman named Boyd, went the extra mile to make a weeknight dinner an upbeat experience.

He started out with a deadpan delivery on Logan’s menu specials: “Pay attention, there will be a quiz when I come back and I’m writing down your answers.” It took a second for that to soak in. After collecting our dinner choices, he proceeded to read them back so obviously wrong we knew it was a joke. Every time he walked past our table with a Coke refill, more bread, extra dressing, he’d lean over to confide in us:

Bob Newhart

“I just got back from a pleasure trip. Took my mother-in-law to the airport.”

“My new book is available at Borders. It’s called I’m a Schizophrenic and So Am I.”

“A buddy asked me to pick up a shipment of magnets while I was downtown last week. So I piled the boxes in my trunk and now I can’t open it.”

“How many people with ADD does it take to change a light bulb? Let’s go bike riding!”

And all these lines were delivered with this same stoic look, a quiet voice, no hint of frivolity. It was like having Bob Newhart stop by our table for 90 minutes. Now I don’t know a thing about Boyd beyond his entertaining personality — it would be easy to speculate that waiting tables at a casual steakhouse hasn’t been his first career choice in life. Maybe he’s trying to make ends meet with a second job after putting in a full 8 hours at the office. The fact I don’t know the answer is refreshing — here’s someone who understands how to create that atmosphere of escape we crave more than a side of rice pilaf and cinnamon apples.

Next time I want to forget my day-to-day pressures, you better believe I’m driving over to Logan’s and asking for Boyd’s section!

Logan’s Roadhouse

600 Greenwood Park North Dr.

Greenwood, IN 46142

(317) 865-7399

Photography credits: npmusikchild, Alan Light

Not your typical soup kitchen..

Hayes Valley is an area in San Francisco that offers some of the best choices for great dinners whether casual or fine dining. It is a hip neighborhood that caters to those looking for delicious but reasonably priced dining options.

When I want to indulge in some hearty food, Suppenküche is one of my favorite places to go. I love the vibe and having been to both Germany and Austria, the place and food taste very authentic to me.

And given that Suppenküche means soup kitchen in German, yes they indeed serve delicious soups everyday.

It can be a bit noisy and not the best place to bring kids but its lively atmosphere goes well with the first-rate draft German beers available in two-liter boots!

They serve excellent Wiener schnitzel (giving you two large pieces), savory wild boar and Spätzle that goes with any of your dinner choices. The Spätzle I have tried is always mouth watering – a sort of German comfort food, with lots of flavorful gravy or sauce. These were some of my favorite foods in Vienna and Suppenküche doesn’t disappoint.

The service is amazing considering how busy they get and it can be pretty noisy, but a great spot to unwind after a long day.

I’m definitely going to return for brunch next time.  If you are looking for a lively atmosphere and casual crowd with authentic German food and an amazing selection of beers – Suppenküche is the place to go! Ja! Ja!

525 Laguna St
(between Fell St & Hayes St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 252-9289

Mon-Sun. 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.