Restaurants

The crouton makes it magic!

El Toreador in one sentence: Bright, cheery, always busy “sit down Mexican” place in West Portal, with bottomless bowls of chips, generous pitchers of Margaritas and big platters of comfort food.

Who you’ll see there: College students, families, couples before going to the movies.

Make sure to try: the sopa, the tasty tomato broth soup with one giant, yummy crouton floating in it. Also, the enchiladas will warm you up on the coldest, foggiest San Francisco night. Definitely go for the pitcher over the individual glasses of margaritas.

It’s okay to skip: the crispy taco plate. It’s a lot of fried, and they heat up the plate with the lettuce on it — not my favorite.

Service: The place is always busy, so they keep things moving. You’ll never have an empty plate sitting in front of you, and your water or soda will be refilled without you asking.

Average meal price:  Two people are in and out for $30 without booze, $45 if you get a pitcher.

Logistics:

• Be prepared for a line, you put your name on a list and wait
• No reservations
• It will be loud – it will not be romantic
• Kinda cramped, but in a friendly way
• Yes to credit cards

Parking:

On the street, can be tough to find, the smart move is to drop someone off to put your name on the list while you look for a spot

Location:

West Portal
50 W Portal Ave
(between Claremont Blvd & Portola Dr)
San Francisco, CA 94127
(415) 566-8104

Photos: Cat Lincoln

Try the tater tots with the chili lime aoili

Q Restaurant in one sentence: Giant portions of funky comfort food, with something for everyone, served in a friendly, low key and sorta artsy environment

Who you’ll see there: couples, families with young kids, girls night out

Make sure to try: The tater tots, with or without the mac and cheese; huge, perfectly crispy fried chicken; and all of the tasty and reasonably priced wine-pairing suggestions. Also make sure to check the specials, like the beef medallions, mashed potatoes and blue lake beans. Yum!

It’s okay to skip: Broccoli-Cauliflower Asiago Gratin – just not enough cheese to make it tasty

Best dessert: It’s a toss up between the perfectly chilled Decadent Chocolate Mousse and Brinn’s Wickedly Forbidden Apple Crisp — get both and share

The chocolate mousse is perfectly cold, and chewey rich!

Service: Friendly, attentive, your water glass is always full, honest opinions, no annoying upselling pressure

Average meal price: $10-15 entrees, Tuesday night special: $5 appetizer, $5 glass of wine, and $10 chef’s choice entree

Best time of day/meal to visit: Dinner on a week night – weekends can get crazy busy, with long waits for a table

Logistics:

• The play cool, classic rock – lots of Beatles
• No reservations
• Credit cards accepted

Location:
225 Clement Street (between 3rd & 4th Avenue)
San Francisco, CA 94118
p. 415-752-2298
Richmond District

Hours:
Monday through Friday
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
5:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Saturday
10:00 am to 11:00 pm

Sunday
10:00 am to 10:00 pm

Photos by Cat Lincoln

Hahn's Hibachi Korean BBQ @ Noe Valley

For all of you meat eaters, this is THE place for tasty Korean barbecue and other grilled delights at a bargain price! Hahn’s Hibachi serves up family style lunches and dinners at several locations in the Bay Area.  They have a huge selection of dishes including my favorite, the Korean classic Bibimbop. I am in their Noe Valley restaurant in San Francisco on a regular basis.

Hahn’s Hibachi has been a neighborhood anchor in Noe Valley for years, with its bright green awning you can’t miss it. A great spot when you are starving, cold and want warm comfort food or just need food to take home to the family. Read More »

Bistro 24 Kitchen is Open Late

Living in San Francisco many years now means that I have seen my share of restaurants open, do a bang up business, and then close. When this happens in my neighborhood I get upset for a while. Usually. This time I was happy to see a restaurant close, because its replacement has only been open two weeks and rocks! I’m speaking about Bistro 24, a new restaurant in the old Miss Millie’s location for you Noe Valley weekend brunch regulars.

Chef Pierre Mange and Stefano Coppola formerly of Lupa’s, have partnered to launch Bistro 24. They are serving up American comfort food, using local and organic ingredients, and making it available until midnight Tuesday thought Saturday!

Read More »

O'Charley's famous rolls

I don’t know why I haven’t been to O’Charley’s in nearly a year. 

It might be because I have embarrassing memories of crying my eyes out at the table while telling a friend we needed to close our scrapbooking studio or let the financial drain suck our house down with it. It could be I associate it with winter storms, as I’ve been known to skate in on the sidewalk a few times, looking for a place to escape sleet and snow.

And it could be because it’s on the other side of the township and I’m too lazy to drive over there.

But whatever the reason for the delay, I was quite happy to meet my teen-age friend there today for lunch. You see, she, too, is hurting over the death of our friend Marie and spending time with loved ones is just one of the ways to get through when the pain wells up and chokes you.

Not to mention O’Charley’s yeast rolls are probably ranked #1 on some counselor’s list of Top Ten Ways to Help With Grieving.

Read More »

RIP Marieluise Wartmann

We have since dubbed it “The Apology Tour.”

My husband and I were hit over the weekend with horrific news: Marieluise Wartmann, one of the teens who has been part of our lives for years, coloring Easter eggs with our family, laughing at pool parties, participating in paintball wars, and just hanging out for movie night, was killed in a car accident while on vacation.

It’s the phone call that knocks you to your knees. And 24 hours later, when we simply didn’t think we could handle any more emails, Twitter, Facebook and voice mail messages, we escaped these four walls to clear our heads and indulge in some comfort foods.

My husband drove straight to Skyline Chili because there’s nothing like tons of cheddar cheese piled on spaghetti and chili sauce to try to lighten your mood.

Read More »

It was a really cold night in San Francisco, and my boyfriend David wasn’t feeling so hot. What he needed was some Thai comfort food, so we hopped on the N-Judah train to check out Marnee Thai in the Inner Sunset.

Tom kha soup at Marnee Thai in San Francisco

Even though it was a Saturday night at 9 p.m., we were seated right away. The patrons were a mix of couples, a few families and some drunk spillovers from the nearby bars. The drunk spillovers made for some excellent people watching. We watched a drunken fella bump into the wall on the way to the restroom. Later, we watched his drunken date do the same thing.

Since David wasn’t feeling so well, we started with the tom kha soup with chicken. It was creamy and the lemongrass was not too overpowering. It was very warming on such a chilly night. Of course, my glass of red wine was warming, too, while David opted for the Thai ice tea.

Marnee Thai has an extensive menu with more than 60 entrees, but we were sticking to the classics that night. David was just looking for a little comfort. We got the vegetarian pad thai, which is always a crowd pleaser. It was tangy and a little salty, which is just how you want it. We also got the mixed vegetable red curry, which had a little bit of a kick to it. It was sneaky spicy. I ate a couple of bites before my lips started to tingle. Eventually, it proved a little too spicy for the sickie, but I found it to be just right. If I wanted mild, I’d get the yellow curry. If you want just a little spice, the red curry is spot on. It was perfect with the brown rice we ordered.

Mixed vegetables in red curry

Often at restaurants, I will pass on dessert. Sometimes, it’s because I’m cheap and sometimes it’s because I fret the fat content, but most of the time it’s because I’ve stuff myself with the main course. There are a few desserts that I just can’t say no to: one of them is coconut ice cream. Marnee Thai’s menu features delicious coconut ice cream served on warm sweet black rice. To say I inhaled this dessert is to be kind. I devoured it, and scraped the bowl with my spoon. I would have licked the bowl if I thought I could get away with it in a public place.

Coconut ice cream over warm sweet black rice

Marnee Thai turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. David left the restaurant feeling better than when he came in, and we had plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day, which always pleases me. I’m just a girl living on a budget in San Francisco, and when I can leave a restaurant full and satisfied and still bring home leftovers, I’m happy.

Marnee Thai
1243 9th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 731-9999
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Crave is clean and cozy

Near the Broadway tunnel on Polk Street is a stretch of lower Russian Hill that provides a steady stream of great San Francisco restaurants, shops and other local businesses.

You can find on one end a super fancy restaurant like Yabbies Coastal Kitchen and on the other, a casual place like the always delicious Little Thai.

On the corner of Polk and Filbert is a wonderful new addition to the area called Crave. This cafe is run by a very hardworking family – during my visit I saw what looked like a father with his little daughter bring more eggs into the kitchen while the mother busily cleaned tables and chatted with customers. Very cute and cozy, especially given the unsettled weather that day.

We were in the neighborhood recently when my stomach started loudly growling. Walking into this corner spot (formerly a bank then a tea shop) we discovered quite a nice menu and atmosphere – though we did have someone sitting at the next table who clearly did not get the memo about not talking loudly on a cell phone in cafes.

They offer lots of savory choices for any time of the day. I plan to go again and try the raved about mac and cheese. This is a perfect spot to bring kids too. We had breakfast burritos and they were a little on the “thin” side. However the chorizo was not too fatty or spicy which my stomach appreciated after I ate it all. They did not steam the tortillas which was my only complaint. I will definitely eat at Crave again when we are back in the ‘hood.

If you like coffee definitely try their French press coffee from Ritual Roasters – a local favorite – you will love it.

2164 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 440-FOOD (3663)

www.eatatcrave.com (website coming soon)

Big Mac attacks strike everywhere

You can’t deny it any longer: McDonalds® still reported strong sales of $983 million in the last quarter of 2008, and plans to spend $2.1 billion this year opening 1,000 new units and spiffing up the existing ones. All of that business isn’t coming from selling Happy Meals® to the kindergarten and under crowd.

Adults are also eating here, despite our protests that we hate McDonald’s, it’s not good for us, blah, blah, blah. Personally, I have specific times in my routine when only the Golden Arches will do:

• Driving down I-75 by myself from Indiana to Hollywood, Florida: Once upon a time, I tried to break this addiction by pulling into a chicken chain on the north side of Atlanta. The chicken was disgusting, the floor was dirty and when I came out, something had bit the back of my leg so hard, it swelled up and became infected. That’s not fun when your next seven days involve sand. But I was cured of trying to avoid the #1 combo with a Coke.

McGriddles for breakfast!

• At O’Hare International Airport: It’s inevitable: I land in Chicago at 7:15 a.m. with an uninteresting layover ahead of me and a powerful hunger. I walk by Burrito Beach and Corner Bakery. I’m tempted by Dunkin’ Donuts. But I get in line at McDonald’s for that sausage, egg and cheese McGriddle® with hash browns and a Coke. (Yes, I wash down with pancakes with a Coke. We like to keep our dentists in business here in the Midwest.) Call it my comfort food before I have to tuck my knees to my chest for the next three or so hours.

• When my husband surprises me with lunch: Life moves pretty fast most days, and between our Curing Cold Feet travel agency and his Toastmaster responsibilities, my scrapbooking club and his corporate job, we have been reduced to waving hi in the halls of our own house. During those times, my husband swings through McDonald’s drive-thru for the Big Mac® combo and a fish with extra tartar on his lunch break, then strolls through the door at noon bearing these gifts. I don’t know why it’s never Arby’s or Wendy’s or Rally’s or Burger King — but I’m darn grateful it’s not the Pop-Tart I would have eaten otherwise.

A familiar sight in a foreign land

Yes, I had to show you the fries

• In a foreign country. Don’t give me that look. We have a blast popping into a McDonald’s overseas because we already know the menu, so it’s easy to compare differences. Our curiosity for the McCrockett sandwich in Amsterdam damn near killed us, as that was the nastiest slime I’ve ever tasted. On the other hand, we really got a kick out of the fact the tray liners in Buenos Aires touted McDonald’s clean bathrooms. (Is it so bad elsewhere this is a selling point right where we put our food?) And I still have the receipt from our lunch in Toyko, where we were the only Westerners sitting amid a cloud of cigarette smoke, munching on fries that tasted just like home.

But here’s our real motivation: McDonald’s is the one place in a foreign country where the wait staff doesn’t stare at you when you ask for lots of ice in your Coke. They even know that translates to “more than two cubes.”

Another country, another sandwich

So, now that I’ve confessed, it’s your turn. When do you stop at the Golden Arches?

Photographer credits: McDonald’s, Julie Sturgeon

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.