Restaurants

Contigo San Francisco Jamon Serrano

The Noe Valley neighborhood in San Francisco has another new restaurant that is so good, when you add in the recently opened Whole Foods Market; the area seems to be turning into a destination for foodies. The area can definitely support more good restaurants, and when the menu is created with local and organic products and sourced from humane farmers, ranchers, fishermen and artisans; locals applaud and line up at the front door.

Contigo Kitchen + Cava is a fabulous restaurant that serves only dinner and they do not take reservations. It is worth arriving early but if have to wait, they have a counter you can stand at sipping wine while you watch their kitchen cook everything from scratch.

Contigo is the only restaurant in San Francisco where you can sample the fabled jamón iberico de bellota — and an assortment of Catalan coques (flatbreads) from the wood-burning oven. Having had this ham in Barcelona, what we tasted at dinner was a flashback to our amazing trip years earlier. Read More »

Best Burgers at Royal Exchange in San Francisco

Remember the movie Swingers, with a young and lanky Vince Vaughn? Remember how he used the phrase “you’re so money!”, whenever he complimented his friend Jon Favreau or just tried to boost his ego? In the 1990’s this phrase became the hippest way to tell your friend that they were cool or make them feel important.

Now think about the locations where you might find these guys hanging out. In downtown San Francisco, you would find them very likely at the Royal Exchange sitting in a booth after work smoking.

The Royal Exchange in the 1990s was  one of my favorite place for after work drinks. Lots of cute guys from the investment firms would start showing up at 2:00 after the stock market closed.  And though the prices are higher today, their happy hour is still a fun spot that I recommend to my single friends and to visitors staying at Le Méridien Hotel.

Though I am not in the area as often as I used to be, I still like to stop here for lunch whenever I can. Read More »

Spicy Vegan Pad Thai @ Loving Hut in San Francisco

Though my dislike of vegetables evaporated decades ago, I cannot really say that I search for vegetarian restaurants for my meals when I’m hungry.  However today I was with a girlfriend looking of a nice clean spot offering noodle dishes for a good bargain.  Not only did I walk into a delicious restaurant, but now I have a great recommendation for my vegan friends and family!

The Loving Hut is a relatively new addition to Chinatown in San Francisco.  This corner restaurant has a 100% vegan menu.  They cleverly disguise their meat or seafood with soy shaped substitutes.  I had Pad Thai for $7 that was out of this world. Spicy but not hot, and a huge portion!  The “shrimp” included was actually soy though it totally looked like medium size ocean shrimp. Read More »

Sweet Crepes @ Savor San Francisco

One of the most consistent restaurants in my ‘hood is Savor, on 24th Street in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco.  Savor is also an apt description of our recent dining experience. We savored every bite!  We stopped in for brunch recently and were cheered to see that the food and service is still outstanding.

As I mentioned before, Chloe’s Cafe around the block on Church Street is a very popular brunch spot, with a line present most weekends. However popular it might be, one of my favorite lunch or brunch destinations is Savor. They offer homemade corn beef hash to start with. Real homemade. Not many places do that anymore and the difference in flavor is immediately noticeable. Read More »

$7.50 for 2 pieces Chicken + Waffle @ Little Skillet in SOMA

After the gym today I was looking for a place to grab some food. My criteria was simple. I wanted good food and it needed to be somewhere close. My problem? I was south of market (SOMA), surrounded by a lot of downtown high-rises, industrial businesses and lofts.

Using my trusty iPhone, I found that I had “an app for that” problem and soon was on my way to Farmerbrown’s Little Skillet.  It turned out to be a cool “to go” outlet of Farmerbrown’s Restaurant located in the Tenderloin district.

The Little Skillet, as it was cutely referred to by a hipster in front of me to their friend (yes, I’m a known eavesdropper) wasn’t that hard to find once I saw it on my map.  If I was new to the city or visiting, finding Ritch Alley might be difficult.  However it’s worth the hunt, if you want some really tasty southern comfort food. 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 »

Beautifull in one sentence: Healthy, clean, mostly organic prepared food that you can pick up on the fly and not feel guilty about eating.

Who you’ll see there: Neighborhood moms, after-work professionals, after-workout couples, the occasional girlfriends at lunch.

Make sure to try: The red quinoa and edamame salad, tea smoked salmon, turkey meatballs and always check the daily specials.

It’s okay to skip: Trying to sit and eat in the cafe which can get busy, loud and crowded.

Best dessert: Yummy and kinda guilt-free cookies, especially the chocolate chip cookie made with cocoa nibs.

Service: Friendly counter help, polite cashiers and attentive managers.

Average meal price: Deli prices, in the neighborhood of $8 sandwiches, $7-10/lb salads, $10-12/lb entrees.

Beautifull Logistics: You can do pick up, delivery, or curbside – as in you call in your order, and they have someone standing on the corner, ready to toss it through your window as you drive by. Located at the Laurel Village Shopping Center, so you can grab dinner, shop for kids’ clothes or drop by the bookstore.

Parking: A big and beautiful free parking lot in the back, meters in the front

Location: Laurel Village

3401 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 728-9080

Hours:

Open 7 days a week
9:00am – 8:00pm

Photos: Cat Lincoln

Ceviche Mixto @ Fresca

Fresca serves up some of the tastiest Latin American food I have eaten.  The owners brought the flavors of Peru to San Francisco many years ago with the opening of their Fillmore Street location, followed by restaurants in both West Portal and the Sunset neighborhoods.  A few years ago they finally arrived in Noe Valley, one of my favorite areas of San Francisco and opened on 24th Street across from the new Whole Foods Market.

This particular location of Fresca showcases beautiful blue mosaic tiles and deep rich wood details.  They created a cozy layout for the tables so that you walk in and realize that the room stretches from the vibrant street, all the way back into intimate seating areas.  The window seats in the front are great for lunch, and for lots of people watching along 24th Street.

We stopped in on a sunny afternoon to check out their well known ceviche, and wow!  We had the Ceviche Mixto for $13 and had our socks knocked off by the incredible flavors and pile of fresh fish! The citrus flavor, the fish with the crunchy corn kernels along with the red onion shavings were amazing. Yum! 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 »

Celia's Mexican Restaurant in SF is #1

Come for the delicious south of the border food, stay for another margarita! Celia’s Mexican Restaurant is a favorite neighborhood destination.

This neighborhood restaurant is locally owned and located in what is affectionately called the “Outer” Richmond District of San Francisco. That means you will likely only head to Celia’s if you live in the area, surf everyday, have family in the area or are lost. We fall into the “have family in the area” category and are quite familiar with this wonderfully foggy part of town.

If you like to bring the kids and dog to Ocean Beach then Celia’s could already be on your radar. We like driving along the Great Highway which is how we found Celia’s the first time, it is only a few blocks from the beach near the end of the line for the N-Judah trolley.

This time we stopped in for lunch and some neighborhood visiting. We were not disappointed by either. Did you know that Celia’s owner makes the house margarita mix from a secret recipe? If you like killer margaritas that pack a wallop then you should stop by early. Local regulars swear by its taste and grumble when it runs out early in the evening.

For lunch they started me out with complimentary chips and salsa and house made cole slaw. Yum! Then I had the chicken taco and chili rellano combination platter. Listening to the N-Judah trolley rumble by every few minutes, hanging out in this family run restaurant makes for a great meal.

Celia's Combination Platter w/Margarita! Ole!

If you like an old school sixties style Mexican decor and listening to ranchero music playing in the background, this is your place. For those who like to go head down south to Baja, Celia’s Mexican Restaurant will give you a kind of an Ensenada vibe without having to cross the border.   Now that is my kind of summer staycation!

4019 Judah Street
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 564-0662