Restaurants

Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.

Next to myself and music, my husband Andy’s favorite things in the world are yummy pizza and tasty brews. So when the kind staff at the Grove Park Inn referred us to Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. during a recent visit to the area, I’m pretty sure Andy thought he was in heaven. Read More »

City of Movies is Cinecitta

On a gorgeous sunny afternoon in San Francisco, we walked into an Italian restaurant for some lunch, a cozy new place in the heart of North Beach.  Cinecitta Bar and Roman Pizza is a new Italian restaurant, only four years old, compared to the nearby Fior d’Italia – America’s oldest Italian restaurant.

We walked into the place and immediately loved its atmosphere. It reminded us of the many cafes and small restaurants in Rome, Italy that we’ve enjoyed in the past.

Years ago, we used to come to this same location for the roast chickens served up by Gira Polli.

Today our lunch included trying out their namesake panini, Cinecitta made with salami, prosciutto, roma tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. It was so delicious and fresh tasting! And the best surprise was they actually used Buffalo Mozzarella mozzarella di bufala which is much tastier than its cow’s milk cousin, and more expensive. That little touch made such a difference in flavor and showed us that the owner certainly cared about what she served.

Cinecitta Panini

We also had their individual pizza. I chose the Trastevere with prosciutto, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and arugula. They make it with a thin crust and lightly spread the sauce, along with a drizzle of olive oil across the base.  Like the thin pizza in Rome, this style keeps other toppings from getting mushy and keeps their flavors alive. With the peppery taste from the arugula on top, it was molto bene!

Great Thin Crust Pizza at Cinecitta

This savory little restaurant is located in the heart of North Beach, across the street from old school favorite Mario’s at Washington Square Park. Parking is on the street or at two near by garages, otherwise easily located by public transportation. Casual enough to drop in and bring the kids too. Cinecitta is a real find. And don’t forget to try a glass of their Chianti with your meal, delicioso.

663 Union St
(between Columbus Ave & Powell St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 291-8830

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

Pho Garden - Great Outer Richmond Spot

I love noodles and last month I wrote about a favorite pho noodle house. Yesterday we discovered a new place for lunch and delicious savory noodles and cold beer.  Pho Garden is a very clean and fresh looking place, and its look matched the freshness of the wonderful bowl of seafood pho that we both had.  Lots of fresh and clean tasting fish in abundance. Yum!

Our stomachs were very happy because the freshness of the fish is sometimes questionable at other local spots we walked into before. We were not disappointed this time but pleasantly surprised. The noodles had a very tasty broth served piping hot. 

My husband was in the mood for a beer, and the waiter came over and mentioned that he was “out of 33 beer”.  “It was caught up in customs!”  My husband chose a Stella.  Not your typical Asian beer, but crisp and clean, to go with his seafood noodles.  He asked the waiter to make sure that his beer was ice cold.  Our waiter brought out a very frosty bottle and a frozen mug.  ”You can’t get it any colder than this!” he proclaimed.  ”I’m a beer drinker too, so I know how it’s best,” he added. My husband was a very happy man.

Coldest Beer and Hottest Noodles

The pho and consistency of the noodles was very good, and since we both ordered the same dish, I will be going back again to give you an update on other dishes off of their menu.  The location is way out there, but they try very hard.  And actually, in this part of the Outer Richmond neighborhood they are close to the local 4 Star Theater, an independent movie theater that shows a lot of cool alternative movies with many from Hong Kong.

If you live in the area or plan to see a movie in the neighborhood, Pho Garden is definitely worth a stop. We’re certainly going to try them again.

2109 Clement St
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 379-8677
www.phogardensf.com

Open Everyday 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Except Wednesdays.

Oscar Season!

With the Oscars coming up, there are a lot of movies to see between now and the end of February. One of the best this year, in my humble opinion, is Slumdog Millionaire. I wouldn’t say it is perfection, but, it is a fun movie that at times is incredibly beautiful and poignant – plus it has a kick-ass sound track. The portrayal of the growth, poverty, color and energy of modern day India was fascinating. It made me want to visit – or at the very least, go eat some Indian food!

Living in the Bay Area, I would head to the Kabuki theater in San Francisco where they are showing Slumdog on their biggest screen (Theater 1). Theater 1 also happens to have full bar service if you sit upstairs in the comfy, over-sized balcony seats. Drink some Bombay Sapphire and tonic while you are transported to the streets of Mumbai.

over the bar at Dosa

After the movie you might want to extend your sojourn into India a bit longer. Head to Dosa on Fillmore. Just down the street from the Kabuki, this Southern Indian, eco-friendly restaurant has a warm yet sophisticated atmosphere and savory authentic dishes. Try one of their signature “dosa” dishes. They serve this savory “crepe-like” creation, made from rice and lentils, with many tasty fillings.

You’ve got to see this movie before the Academy Awards. So, why not turn the whole experience into a savory journey to India!

Dosa Restaurant
1700 Fillmore Street
(between Post St & Sutter St)
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 441-3672