Restaurants

Black Angus, wow that’s a blast from the past. We used to go there when I was a kid. We even went there the night I graduated from high-school. Our friends always made fun of us because we called it Stuart Anderson’s like we knew him or something.

The reason we went back this time was for a solid meal after being in the hospital all day at my dad’s bedside. We needed a meal we felt was going to sustain us and this was the place to go.
Read More »

Chloe's Cafe - a Noe Valley Destination

There are lots of places to have weekend brunches in San Francisco. You can choose a posh brunch at the luxurious Campton Place Restaurant at Union Square, or instead try a neighborhood hot spot like Chloe’s Cafe in Noe Valley.

Recently I tried Chloe’s Cafe for the first time, to see what all the fuss was about.  I met a friend there mid-week because there always seemed to be lines for their weekend brunches.  Given the persistence of the lines every time I drove by, it was my mistake to think that the food was going to be that great. Everyone I spoke to in the neighborhood, shoot even the lady waiting in line when I arrived raved about the menu and how the wait was worth it!

Maybe it was an off day, or maybe I should have ordered the breakfast items rather than the sandwich – but both my friend and I had a so-so experience. Read More »

Are you a big sports fan? Can’t wait until football season starts? If you live in San Francisco then you can’t miss the Kezar Pub & Restaurant across from Kezar Stadium near Golden Gate Park.

Kezar Stadium is a legend among locals. Originally built in the 1920’s (before being replaced with a smaller version in 1989), the stadium back then still holds the attendance record for a high school football game in Northern California, with over 50,000 showing up for a game between big rivals Lowell High School and San Francisco Polytechnic.

Did you know that both the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers began their professional NFL existence in the original Kezar Stadium? Given this legendary status, it is no wonder that the Kezar Pub and Restaurant opened its doors across the street. Read More »

Oldest bar in Indiana

Eventually, everyone who reviews restaurants in central Indiana will write a column (read: old-fashioned word for “blog post”) about the Slippery Noodle Inn in downtown Indianapolis.

The fact that it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places seems to really impress folks, and the menu devotes a chunk of space to taking about the fact the ceiling is made from pressed tin installed circa 1890. The Tiger Oak bars are more than 100 years old, and gangsters (yes, we’re talking John Dillinger — this is Indianapolis) used the building in back for target practice and other shady characters made whiskey in the basement during Prohibition. Before that, the road house and bar was a way station for the Underground Railroad.

The roll call of celebrities that have stopped in for a meal and the joint’s famous live blues music includes a lot of nostalgic has-beens like Brett Favre, Billy Joel, Gregg Allman, David Hasselhoff, Linda Gray … although I did smile when I saw Walt Willy has graced the place (that’s Jackson Montgomery to we All My Children fans!).

Still, none of this says a thing about the food. Read More »

Posted by Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Grotto del Parco

If you are a foodie like me, you’ll want to add Lugano, Switzerland to your bucket list. Believe me, your taste buds will thank you.  In no particular order, here are my top 10 best food and drink recommendations for your next visit to Lugano, Switzerland.

1. Best Fancy Dinner with a view of Lake Lugano: Villa Principe Leopoldo Hotel My meal of artichoke, avocado and asparagus salad followed by leek and merlot risotto with lobster and finally lamb loin roasted in potato crust with wild garlic was simply superb. The local Tenimento Dell OR Pinot Noir Ticino 2007 recommended by Somellier Gabriele Speziale was an ideal match with the lamb.
2. Best Breakfast/Sunday Brunch: Restaurant Ai Giardini de Villa Sassa Once again Lake Lugano takes center stage, offering a lovely backdrop to a gorgeous garden setting with a wide array of foods to match. The dining room is enclosed in glass sliding doors which open onto a floral accented patio.
3. Best Lunch: Restaurant Olimpia has been a mainstay in Piazza Riforma since 1845. The restaurant is best known for its steak tartar. The housemade foccacia bread and pizza are tasty.
   

   Gran Cafe Al Porto

4. Best Espresso and Pastry: Located in Via Pessina 3, just a few steps from the finicular station, Grand Cafe Al Porto’s Confiserie Al Porto is as beautiful to the eye as it is to the taste buds. The hand-made baked goods such as the desiderio al cioccolato (chocolate’s dream) will send you to heaven.
5. Best Swiss Chocolate: For the best quality swiss chocolate, Laderach can not be beat. As it is made without preservatives, the shelf life for this chocolate is only two weeks. New Yorkers take heart, there is a  Confiseur Laderach in New York City.
6. Best Gelato: With four locations in Lugano, La Gelateria has Italian-style gelato. My personal favorite, chocolate, of course, but the sorbets are light and flavorful.
7. Best Bread: Il Fornaio. Bring your camera when you stroll the gourmet street of Via Pessina. Mr. Gabbani is the hard working owner of multiple shops in the area and is responsible for the artisian products in each store front. I appreciate his commitment to keeping the old ways.
8. Best Wine Shop: Bottega del Vino offered a wide selection of wines.
   

   Mr. Gabbani

9. Best Meat Market: Salumeria Macelleria
10. Best Grotto Lunch: Grotto del Parco in Morcote offers a fantastic view and typical local cuisine. Accessible by ferry, this was my first experience dining in a grotto with a regional menu of Lake Lugano perch, twice baked mushroom polenta, boiled potatoes (nothing special) and a local white merlot wine.

Photos by Nancy D. Brown

I’ve been to a good number of festivals in my time and I always enjoy myself. Attending festivals though, always puts me in a quandary as to what to eat.

This past weekend we attended the open house at NASA/JPL and were once again lost as to what to have for lunch.

There were booths of burgers, chicken strips, icees, tacos and burritos. UGH… What to choose?

We went with the tacos and burritos from the “Healthy Mexican Food” booth. We got the boys chicken tacos no salsa or pico and got chicken tacos with everything and an asada burrito burrito to share. I think the chicken wad cooked in enchilada sauce, so at least it was a little moist. The tacos also had cabbage in them, which was surprisingly nice, because it added a little crunch to the meal.

The burrito wasn’t bad, the whole wheat tortilla was stuffed with carne asada, rice, beans, cabbage, cheese and was topped with guacamole. As an idea it was great, but the meat was just a little tough.

I want this kind of festival food

Maybe I’m just a little picky about my festival food, or food that multiple people have touched, which is usually the case in a festival booth. I would so much rather have waited until I saw the polish sausage booth. You know the kind where you actually watch the guy pick it up off the grill with tongs and put it in the bun that’s already wrapped in foil. The kind you dress yourself with as much mustard, onion and sauerkraut you can fit in the bun.

What’s your favorite festival food? I really like roasted corn on the cob and cotton candy. You know the kind of stuff you normally couldn’t get in your local strip mall.

Check out your State’s list of Festivals, there may be one that you just don’t want to miss. For some reason I keep missing the chocolate festival in California. I know, sad right?

My Favorite Person

We, my husband and I, wait all year for the Festival of Books to make it’s way to the UCLA campus and Saturday was the day. Woo hoo, we were excited. We like to make a day of it and consider it to be a “date” kind of a thing. We drop the kids off at Kiki’s house and head out, never looking back.

We enjoyed the day and needed to grab a snack before heading to a dinner party a few hours later. We decided to go to the P.F. Changs in the Sherman Oaks Galleria, it’s on the way home.

First off, it wasn’t busy, which was nice for us. They were getting ready for their dinner rush so our 4 o’clock snack was not a big intrusion. Our server Luke, was a nice guy, we took bets on whether he was from New York or New Jersey, but then forgot to ask him.

We ordered the Pork Dumplings, pan fried, as a starter. They were pretty good, though I think I’m used to a dumpling that has vegetables in with the pork, I like the combination of textures.

YUMMY!

Luke recommended the Changs Spicy Chicken as a choice between the three items we were torn between. We’re little piggies and ordered Chicken Fried Rice instead of steamed white or brown rice because do I need to say it. YUM! We like fried rice so much better.

The chicken was spicy as advertised. I’m a glutton for punishment and love the feeling of cleared sinuses that hot Chinese mustard can give you, so I threw a couple of spoonfuls on my rice.

We had plenty of food, we probably didn’t need the appetizer, but we were on a “date” so we splurged on one. Everything was well seasoned and the chicken in the rice was plentiful, I hate when they only give you a tiny bit.  Everything was better because our server was nice and attentive, which makes all the difference in the world.

Check out your local P.F. Changs, take a friend and share an entree and feel good about the sticker price.

P.F. Changs

Ireland Forever

I’m going to give up more secrets about the city of Saint Francis. Here are the names of the very best Irish Bars and Pubs to be found. This list includes the classics located all over town, not just in the Richmond or Inner Sunset neighborhoods where most of the Irish folk reside.

These are Irish bars and pubs that don’t just serve Guinness – they are bars without food, pubs with kitchens and bars that still allow smoking, a quite lively bunch indeed.

Whether you want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the massive crowds downtown or just enjoy a nice pub meal, you will find a place that is just your speed.

(Photo credit Seamus Murray)

The Plough and Stars – This is one of my favorite places to go for the great music – live and on the jukebox. Definitely an authentic Irish feel and a place to grab a pint or three on your way home.

116 Clement Street
(between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 751-1122
www.theploughandstars.com

O’Keeffe’s Bar – This place is for people who don’t mind indoor smoking, want to hang out with Irish folk and enjoy good, cheap drinks. A wonderful group of people. Known as Annie’s to regulars this is a find for those of us who are too old for college hangouts, but want a nice dive bar to have a drink or two and listen to some fine Irish music.

598 5th Avenue
(at Balboa St)
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 751-1449

Irish Bank Block Party

The Pig & Whistle – I’ve been going to this place – known as the P & Wee in our circle – since they opened in 1991 and it is truly a gathering place as much as it is a bar or pub.

They have a professional darts board in the front and a pool table in the back. You’ll find the occasional Irish painting or moving crew eating some lunch here or grabbing a pint after work.

Their kitchen puts out good food, though sometimes it can be a bit on the “Stouffer’s Frozen Dinner” side when it comes to the Shepherd’s Pie, meaning it is not as fresh as some of their dishes. Both the fish and chips, and the bangers and mash are delicious every time.

They have a huge selection of draft beers which I appreciate because I love Boddington’s and that is hard to find sometimes. The P & Wee have a decently priced happy hour every day. They are also conveniently located across the street from the Landmark Bridge Theater, which is perfect for grabbing food before heading into the movies.

2801 Geary Blvd
(between Collins St & Wood St)
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 885-4779
www.pig-and-whistle.com

The Irish Bank – This is a favorite downtown lunch spot but also great when you want to grab a bite or drink after work. Located in a short alley off of Union Square, you will find a good crowd mixed in with some yummy pub food. Love their menu especially the fish and chips, the cheddar fries, and the Heinz Baked Beans served with their bangers (they use local San Francisco sausages).

Lots of outdoor seating on their patio, if you can stand the cold temperatures since you won’t get any sun if it’s out. They will have their first block party on Saturday March 14 after the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, then again on Tuesday St. Patrick’s Day they will start their annual St. Patrick’s Day Block Party at 6:00am and go until midnight.

10 Mark Lane
(between Bush St & Harlan Pl)
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 788-7152
www.theirishbank.com

Harrington's before the crowds

Harrington’s Bar & Grill – A classic gathering place for the downtown workforce every St. Paddy’s Day. Harrington’s along with the other bars and restaurants in the immediate area close their block off to traffic and sponsor a huge block party for St. Patrick’s Day. This event can get wild but if you go early, you can enjoy some great food first at Harrington’s. Their pub menu includes some delicious salads and one of my favorite burgers!

245 Front Street
(between California St & Halleck St)
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 392-7595

(Harrington photo credit to Rebecca Kristeen)

(Irish Bank photo credit Dan Harrelson)

Red Lanterns

Having lived in Japan for a few years, I certainly ate my share of sushi and noodle dishes. These are the dishes that locals and tourists alike enjoy wherever they are, whatever time of year it is. A unique way to know if the restaurant is inexpensive are distinctive red paper lanterns hanging at the doorway. My katakana is rusty but these say “Sapporo ramen”.

Here in San Francisco, with its share of Japanese restaurants, whether you are a visiting tourist or a local, Sapporo-Ya is a restaurant (really a traditional ramen shop) in Japantown that will satisfy your cravings for authentic Japanese food.

Besides the Sundance Kabuki Cinema, Japantown has lots of restaurants to choose from, including sushi, teppanyaki (think Benihana), and noodle shops.

On a cold or rainy day nothing is better than hot soup. At Sapporo-ya, one of my favorite dishes is their miso ramen with chasu. The broth is made with miso, a fermented bean, rather than shio which is a salted broth. The miso broth is a bit richer in taste and a little heavier than the salted. I love it.

Homemade ramen noodles

Miso ramen

The ramen noodles are homemade and very substantial tasting. Nothing like those noodles that we ate in college and can still find on sale 10 for $1.00 at Safeway in the city.  Sapporo-ya makes noodles that hold up and don’t disintegrate.

The soup broth comes with bits of bamboo (yummy fiber), green onions, sliced hard boiled egg and the savory slices of roasted pork or “chyasu”. Dee-lishh.

This noodle shop is a wonderful spot to head to anytime, and a great excuse to walk through the Japantown mall.

Check out the Kinokuniya bookstore for anime (or its stationery store for gifts and cool paper), a kimono shop, a taiko drum dojo, several authentic Japanese street food stalls, and more. This time of year you can also find really pretty cherry blossom themes everywhere, which is nice given it has been a dreary winter.

1581 Webster Street
(between Geary Blvd & Post St)
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 563-7400

Monday-Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Nobu New York (Photo credit: Excalipoor via Flickr)

Considering that Nobu is generally considered to be a best place in the US to have sushi, it gives me a bit of cognitive dissonance to think of it as a chain restaurant. But I’ve been to three Nobu restaurants (two in New York City), and had remarkably consistence experiences at each. I’m not sure this is a good thing.

Sushi at Nobu (Photo credit: Shoko via Flickr.com)

Nobu Fifty Seven on W 57th St, and Nobu New York on Hudson St in New York City, both offer mouth-watering Japanese food in a high-end atmosphere. The Nobu in Malibu is similar, albeit with more of the “California casual” ambience. Nobu New York is Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s flagship restaurant, with a Michelin star rating and a certain amount of prominence in its Tribeca neighborhood. The chef’s modern style and creativity with sushi standards is known throughout the world; I understand that the Nobu London also does fantastic business. I’m of the opinion, though, that a world-class restaurant ought to reflect a sense of place – be it NYC, Southern California, or by Hyde Park in London, England. The similar experiences and consistency of the menu options at the three Nobu restaurants I’ve dined in, suggest a homogeneity that I’d expect at Starbucks – a traveler hoping for that unique New York experience should consider herself warned.

Don’t get me wrong; the sushi and Japanese entrees really are delicious. The signature Black Cod with Miso is succulent and sweet, and Nobu’s Yellowtail Tuna with Jalapeno is mouth watering and savory (it packs a spicy punch, too). As with all top-notch Japanese restaurants, the appetizers and entrees at Nobu are beautifully presented. In fact, the soft shell crab rolls, tuna tartare and salmon skin salad are presented the exact same way in each restaurant I’ve been to. I can’t speak for all the dishes of course, but this is telling, regardless. Fantastic Japanese entrees and sushi meets a sense of sameness from one Nobu to the next. The flagship Tribeca restaurant also feels a little sterile.

The sake list is impressive, and the waitstaff at each Nobu seems to have favorites to recommend. However, a restaurant – no matter how stellar the quality – that risks uniformity for the chance of ubiquity, risks a great deal indeed.