Restaurants

I’m probably dating myself here, but the first time I was in London, I considered a visit to Hard Rock Cafe on par with the other tourist attractions like the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace or climbing to the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

A legendary burger

The story of how two homesick American boys opened a restaurant devoted to the cheeseburgers they craved and wound up with Eric Clapton’s Red Fender Lead II guitar and the international limelight fascinates me as much as the stories of beheadings at The Tower.

Unfortunately, my husband’s business meetings in Basingstoke ran over the night we’d planned dinner at at this American icon in London, so I hung out in Picadilly Circus for hours, torturing myself with thoughts of eating at nearly every restaurant I saw. But the aura of the original Hard Rock was strong enough I hung in there until my other half rolled in on his train and we could fly over to Park Lane on the Tube. The restaurant was nearing closing time, and we had a fabulous burger, fries and chocolate shake in the corner of a nearly deserted dining room, all on the company tab.

Big thumbs up for the experience — and the bear I collected from the gift shop.

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Curlys Coffee Chop in North Beach

Say what you will about this place but Curly’s Coffee Shop in North Beach holds a special place in my heart. First of all, I have always loved their classic American breakfasts with a Japanese twist. I used to walk over from Sunday services at Sts. Peter and Paul Church at Washington Square Park, often getting their french toast almost every week.

Secondly, I appreciate any cafe that can stick around this long in San Francisco without going under financially or being closed by the Health Department. And thirdly, I think they also kind of kick *ss for being such a long time North Beach “non-pasta related” merchant in a sea of excellent Italian cafes and restaurants. I mean, I think I have followed them around to at least three different addresses in a two-block radius of Columbus Avenue.

Today was a nice reminder that though I can’t walk here for breakfast anymore, I can still drive over and enjoy classic menu items like the french toast or one of their delicious omelettes!

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MacArthur Park in Palo Alto, CA

We were at a high school graduation recently on the Peninsula and needed a nice dinner spot for a group that included parents, grandparents and kids.  At the last minute we remembered MacArthur Park Restaurant was still open in Palo Alto, having eaten at their sister location in San Francisco for years before it closed – next door to Kokkari Estiatorio, on Jackson Square.

We booked a table for six people after the ceremony. Because of its location, parking can be difficult unless you choose their valet parking for $5.  They don’t allow self parking at the restaurant because the lot is so small. Read More »

Airplane Food

My kids can’t stand airplane food. They’ve flown on a bunch of different airlines, and have never been happy with what’s been offered (there was even that time that US Airways charged for a cup of water, but that’s another story). Airline food really is something of a punchline – although air travel is no joke – and like most travelers, we now buy our meals at airport restaurants beforehand. Our favorite, merely in terms of convenience and lack of cabin-filling smell, is the array of sandwiches from Starbucks. We’ve found that there’s nearly always a Starbucks near a cluster of gates at major airports. There’s usually also a fast food chain like McDonald’s, but burgers and fries stink up a plane.

Now, terrible airplane food is not the worst thing that

United Airways Snack

can happen to a child during air travel, but that can of lemon tuna at American Airlines really has to go. Nasty stuff. And it’s (at this time) five bucks! I’m talking about coach class meals, by the way; business and first class meals come with little tablecloths and wine and real silverwear and (I imagine) a professional massage. Well, maybe not the massage, but warm nuts before the meal and warm cookies after typify the business class flight experience.

For the rest of us, herded like cattle into the less comfy seats of coach, I recommend leaving enough time before departure to stock up on whatever snacks you’d like from Hudson News and other kiosks, as well as those Starbucks sandwiches. I’m partial to turkey pesto, myself. In the meantime, if you’re flying on United, American, or US Airways, keep this in mind: A poll by SeatGuru had those three airlines ranked as having the rudest flight attendants AND the worst food. What a combination! So, foodie travelers, pick your airline wisely. It’s worth the extra time it takes to do a little research.

Enjoy "old school" atmosphere at Presidio Social Club in San Francisco

As you can guess from my previous writing here, I love “old school” restaurants, bars, hotels and other destinations here in San Francisco. We are fortunate to live in a city that has survived fires, storms and earthquakes and thrived.

An incredible area of San Francisco that has thrived is the Presidio of San Francisco, built in 1776 and now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  Many of its officer’s housing, airfield and barracks have been either restored or converted to commercial or residential uses.

In Building 563, across from Lucas Digital Arts on Letterman is the Presidio Social Club, located in converted barracks. With its large bank of windows and open floor plan inside, this old school restaurant is perfect for dinner or a large group event.

We stopped in for an early dinner on one of the hottest days this spring and had a great time. They have a long bar underneath a row of fans, combined with the sound of cold drinks being shaken and it felt like we could have been in Hawaii or a plantation setting.

We started with an appetizer of grilled baby squid with artichokes that were fabulous. We ate them way too fast. We skipped salads to go straight to our entrees, though we did get a side of roasted tasty Brussels sprouts. I had their daily special of mashed potatoes and meatloaf while my husband had the grilled hangar steak.

Savory Meatloaf with Brussels Sprouts side

Though we were definitely full, the dessert menu was too tempting to pass up so we shared the home made ice cream sandwiches, served with hot liquid chocolate to pour over them, along with a killer banana cream pie that was out of this world. Easy parking as well makes this a cool place we will return to with friends and family.

Killer Desserts

563 Ruger St
San Francisco, CA 94129
(415) 885-1888
www.presidiosocialclub.com

Photo credits to my iPhone.

(Photo credit: Virgilsbbq.com)

Virgil’s Real BBQ is right in the middle of NYC, on 152 West 44th St – steps from Times Square. The Times Square area has been cleaned up considerably since since its famously grittier heyday, but it’s still often a congested mess. New Yorkers rush by in car or by foot, barking on their cell phones, while out-of-towners stroll and gawk at the neon sights (annoying those rushed New Yorkers). It’s quite a scene. How fun, then, to find such a great Southern-themed barbeque joint in the midst of all this madness. Virgil’s Real BBQ is one of the best American barbeque restaurants in the city.

Tourists and New Yorkers alike have a great time at Virgil’s Real BBQ. This is not the place to diet or even try to be reasonable – it’s a fun, calorie-filled night out, with a boisterous atmosphere that welcomes kids and messiness. My favorites here are the brisket, ribs, fried catfish, and chicken fried steak, while others rave about the Carolina pulled pork and Owensboro lamb. Virgil’s signature barbeque sauce is tangy, tomato-based, and not terribly spicy. Sides include what you’d expect at a Southern-themed BBQ restaurant: collard greens, mashed potatoes, biscuits, macaroni and cheese, etc. I’ve never been incredibly impressed by the sides, but they don’t detract from the entrees. Well, except for the hush puppies. They are delicious!

(Photo credit: Virgilsbbq.com)

The atmosphere is part of the equation here (as with all the best restaurants in NYC). While plenty of people do come here for lunch during work, or right after work wearing sports coats and ties, decorum is somewhat abandoned for a casual approach to dining. It IS barbeque, after all. Coats slung over chairbacks, ties flung over shoulders, and everyone dives right in. The noise level is notable here, even for a casual BBQ joint. On the whole, I’d say that Virgil’s is as much a tourist attraction as restaurant. Please choose another restaurant if you want a quiet, sophisticated dining experience. However, loud and happy parties are handily accommodated at Virgil’s Real BBQ. It’s big; two stories, in fact. This is unusual for a restaurant in the heart of New York City, but highly useful. The longest I’ve had to wait to get seated was 15 minutes on a weekend (reservations are a good idea).

If you can make room for dessert, I recommend the peanut butter pie. Decadent, sure, but the rest of the meal hasn’t exactly been a model of moderation, has it? You can be healthy tomorrow. Virgil’s Real BBQ is worth it.

Bouley (davidbouley.com)

New York City – that city of dreamers, of high aspirations, of soaring successes and tragic failures – well, it’s the most visited city in the United States for obvious reasons. Many of us trace our family immigration to NYC, and today it remains a polyglot of cultures. Little wonder, then, that New York City has the highest concentration of the best restaurants in the country. After all, us tourists gotta eat, right?

When I lived in NYC, I honestly didn’t think much about these top-rated restaurants. They were there, yeah, but if my family took a vote, they’d want to go to the corner diner where the waitresses knew my kids (this meant extra french fries; I pretended not to notice). Now that I live on the other side of the country, a visit to New York City practically necessitates dinners out at at least a couple of my favorite high-end joints – it helps that my NYC-based family usually picks up the tab! Here, then, are my picks for the best fancy restaurants in New York City.

Best Upscale Restaurants in NYC:

French - Le Bernardin, Per Se, Bouley, Daniel, Cafe Boulud

Italian - Babbo, Felidia Ristorante, Osteria del Circo, Gusto Ristorante e Bar Americano, Esca

Steakhouse - Porter House New York, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, Dylan Prime, Peter Luger Steak House, Old Homestead

American - Gramercy Tavern, 21 Club, Blue Water Grill, One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Virgil’s Real Barbecue, Craft

Indian - Dawat, Sapphire Indian Cuisine, Tamarind, Tabla

Japanese - En Japanese Brasserie, Hamachi, Nippon, Sugiyama, Nobu, Masa

This list of the best high-end restaurants in New York City is, of course, subject to change. Let us hear about your favorite places to eat in NYC, and I’ll do my best to try them out next time I visit Manhattan.