Restaurants

San Francisco Landmark Tadich Grill

Another “must see and eat at” for any San Francisco visitors or new residents, is Tadich Grill in the Financial District.  I read somewhere that Tadich was referred to once as, “It’s kind of like the Peter Luger’s of Seafood”. Having eaten at both The Palm Restaurant on Second Avenue in New York and Peter Luger in Brooklyn, I have to agree.

When you dine at Tadich Grill be prepared to be served large portions by sometimes grumpy but always no-nonsense waiters. This is not your trendy super-friendly chain restaurant, this is a piece of San Francisco history that has survived a hundred trends. If you close your eyes, the atmosphere is a little Nick and Nora in The Thin Man, especially if you hear a cable car clang its bell on the up/down California Street outside the restaurant.

Now for lunch but especially for dinner, you have got to try the Cioppino, white bib around your neck and all. Read More »

Captain D's two-piece fish

Apparently my emergency excursion to Long John Silver’s earlier this month has set off seismic cravings for cheap, greasy fried fish sticks, because this week I found myself in the parking lot at Captain D’s Seafood.

I tried to excuse my new habit by saying it was only fair that I review both competitors in the interest of good journalism technique. The problem with that lie is I’ve never really stopped eating at Captain D’s over the years, especially if they had a coupon. Still, I could objectively compare the chains’ quality and experience just as I did Moe’s and Chipotle, right?

Wrong. You see, to my complete surprise, I have yet to figure out the difference between my meals.

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From Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Kauai Sheraton's Menehune Magic

Need a vacation? Close your eyes and picture a cool tropical drink in your hand, complete with fresh pineapple and a paper umbrella.

Listen for the gentle waves of the pacific ocean as they break along Kauai’s Poipu Beach.

Sniff in the salt air and taste the fresh, local ahi and kajiki sashimi that is served outside, lit only by the light of the moon and tiki torches.

Bring on the hula dancer and que the Hawaiian music while Chef Ben Takahashi of Naniwa Japanese restaurant at the Sheraton Kauai brings out a platter of Opakapaka, otherwise known as pink snapper, blanketed in local west Kauai rock salt.

Dreaming of Kauai

Chef Ben Takahashi, Naniwa at Sheraton, Kauai with Opakapaka in west Kauai rock salt.

This doesn’t have to be a dream, especially if you happen to live in California. Fans of Hawaiian vacations should be able to find some great hotel and lodging values in Kauai, especially before the Thanksgiving holiday and after winter break.

I recently stayed at the Kauai Sheraton as a guest of the property and the Kauai Visitors Bureau. I hadn’t been to the island since my honeymoon, over 23 years ago. The garden island is as lush and beautiful as a I remembered it to be.

On this island visit, my palate, along with my waistline, has expanded and  is open to new dining experiences such as fresh sashimi and sushi. Chef Takahaski does a good job of utilizing the best in seasonal, local seafood. If, like me, you haven’t been a fan of raw fish, Naniwa at the Sheraton is the place to give it a whirl. Aloha.

Island Fresh Seafood Specialties, Naniwa at Sheraton Kauai

Photos by Nancy D. Brown

Sheraton Kauai Resort 1 (800) 782-9488

2440  Ho’onani Road, Kola, Hawaii 96756

It’s not especially fun to be female when your birthday rolls around. Oh, I couldn’t give a fin flip about my age — but as the organizer, scheduler and event planner in this house, it means I have to coordinate my own party.

Mouth-watering salmon at Bonefish

The calls usually start at the beginning of the week: “So, where are we going to celebrate your birthday on Friday?” Now this is a tricky proposition, because you never want to name something out of your guests’ budget comfort zone. On the other hand, they looked rather aghast when I threw out the idea of ordering some pizzas and whooping it up in the back room at Donatos. After all, since my teen-age friend landed a job there, we’ve done that on plenty of ordinary nights.

I had already eaten at On the Border this week (uh, twice), and I spent a few minutes considering Famous Daves, because nothing says happy birthday like BBQ stains on your jeans. Still, the fact that we were looking for dinner at 6:30 in Indianapolis on a Friday all but required me to choose a restaurant that takes reservations. Once I realized that, the dilemma was over. We were heading to Bonefish Grill.

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Goggled eyed fish?

When traveling internationally, translating a menu can be somewhat daunting.  And add a Greek or Cyrillic alphabet and you may be willing to just chuck eating locally and find yourself a hotel or a friendly McDonald’s to provide your grub.  Luckily, most restaurants in tourist-friendly destinations offer an “English” menu.  I put this term in quotes because often it’s kind of in English – scattered with words from other languages and creative misspellings that will often leaving you scratching your head in wonderment.  I remember fondly a little cafe in France that offered “beef buttockal” and still curse a little for not ordering it just to figure out what it was.  Flank steak?  Something more sinister?  I’ll never know.

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Fried scallops and chips at the Inn at The Tides snack bar in Bodega Bay.

When my boyfriend David and I went to the wine country in Sonoma for a little romantic weekend getaway, we made a little side trip on the way back to San Francisco: Bodega Bay. The film buffs that we are, we had to check out the schoolhouse used in the Alfred Hitchcock film “The Birds”.

With our little dachshund Homer in tow, David and I paid our respects to “The Birds” and then strolled along Bodega Bay. After a lengthy walk in the sun, we were all hungry and thirsty. So, we hopped in the car and searched for a restaurant with outside seating that would be Homer friendly.

The infamous schoolhouse from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds."

Located across the street from the Inn at the Tides and right next to the Tides Wharf restaurant is the Inn at the Tides snack bar. The Tides Wharf restaurant is a tasty establishment, but we had my little dachshund Homer with us, so we needed to sit outside, which made the Inn at the Tides snack bar ideal. The affordable, little lunch spot serves all the Bodega Bay staples: fish and chips, clam chowder, fried shrimp, etc.

I had no intention of reviewing this tiny place. We really were just hunting for a quick snack and glass of water for Homer; however, I enjoyed the fried scallops and chips so much that I felt an overwhelming urge to share. The scallops are sauteed and then deep fried and served with fries and tartar sauce. On top of serving up an affordable, tasty dish, the Inn at the Tides snack bar allows you to sit outside and right on the wharf, BUT, watch out for the birds.

Inn at the Tides snack bar
800 Highway One
Bodega Bay, California 94923
(800) 541-7788

Capannina in San Francisco

Capannina is a wonderful Italian restaurant with the freshest seafood, in the heart of the Cow Hollow neighborhood in San Francisco.  They have a fixed price menu everyday for $25 from 5:00-6:00 with rotating selections.  Fixed price menus are a great way to try a new restaurant in an economical way and something you rarely find in this city.

Capannina is great for large groups celebrating special occasions, like graduations or birthdays.  The chef turns out amazing dishes that are perfect for sharing.  We had a group of four and shared our pasta course and the desserts.

We had friends visiting from out of town recently.  They wanted to have Italian food but assumed we would have to trek over to North Beach for restaurants.  Instead we went half the distance and had one of the best dinners.

As I mentioned we love pasta but like to save room so we can try other menu items, especially at restaurants we are trying for the first time.  We started with their Calamari Ripieni Con Granchio, fresh Monterey Calamari stuffed with Crab and Potato.  They came out with one order, with four pieces which was perfect for us to each taste.  We also shared the Pappardelle con Funghi e Sugo di Cinghiale, Pappardelle with Mushrooms and Wild Boar Ragu.  Loved the meaty taste along with the perfectly cooked noodles.

Perfect Portions: Wild Boar & Calamari

My main course was the Misto Griglia di Pesce, Mixed Seafood Grill with Lemon Caper Sauce and Spinach, which I loved.  The seafood was so light and fresh, I was very impressed.  We all ended our meal with a killer Creme Brulee with Blueberry & Lemon.  We are definitely going to return soon, I know we have more celebrations to toast. Salute!

Creme Brulee

1809 Union St
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 409-8001
www.capanninasf.com

Mon., Wed-Thu. 4:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Fri-Sun. 4:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Hog Island in San Francisco

Want to grab a bowl of clam chowder or enjoy one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the world for lunch? Take yourself to the Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street, and walk directly to the granite-topped counters of Hog Island Oyster Company and pull up a chair.

This amazing seafood restaurant can get pretty popular on sunny days with tourists and locals alike, but it is worth the wait. Be sure and find either someone inside with the clipboard to put your name down or at the podium outdoors along the window. If you do have to wait, grab something to drink and go outside to watch the ferry boats come and go across the bay, it is so relaxing and postcard perfect.

When you are ready to sit down, this is the place to enjoy a dozen oysters and a bottle of champagne on a sunny Friday or a grilled cheese sandwich and soup on a cold and foggy day.

When it is cold outside, it is fun to sit around the circular counter inside and watch them shuck the oysters from the enormous pile they work through during the afternoon shift.  I’ve been there eating when someone has come up to buy oysters to take home for their dinner too.

Hog Island is one of my favorite lunches in the city and a gorgeous location to share with a special someone or visiting family.  Of course if like my family, you have more meat eaters than fish eaters, Hog Island Oyster Co. is just a short walk down the hall from “tasty salted pig parts“.

1 Ferry Building
Shop #111
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 391-7117
www.hogislandoysters.com

Mon-Fri. 11:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 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.

Glass of wine and neighborhood hospitality

San Francisco has quite a few original restaurants that have consistently been part of our “destination dining” experience for decades, like John’s Grill or the Buena Vista Cafe near Ghiradelli Square. Another wonderful place to share with you is the Pacific Cafe, a classic seafood restaurant near Lincoln Park and the California Palace of the Legion of Honor.

This wonderful city original has been serving fresh fish every day for dinner since 1974. It is the perfect place for a family dinner or a nice date night out.

They have a large chalkboard on the wall above the kitchen with all the fish that they have for the day. They list the way each will be prepared: fried, grilled, poached or sauteed. Every dinner comes with soup and salad.

You also get a choice of classic dinner fries or baked potato but I often just a big piece of steamed broccoli instead – then steal a few fries off of my husband’s plate. They serve local ice cream from Mitchell’s and usually have other desserts like lemon tarts. You won’t go home hungry that is for sure.

Scallop Salmon Combo

What starts the whole dining experience off though is the service. They open at 5:00pm but because they do not take reservations over the phone, by 5:30pm a line forms inside and out. However, more often the reason for the line is that spending time waiting is half the fun. After you write your name down on the clipboard inside, a waiter comes up with full glasses of white wine – on the house!

They will refill your glass as long as you are waiting for your booth. A very nice touch. Street parking can be tricky but we almost always find space on Clement Street, one street over.

Cozy warm booths

7000 Geary Blvd
At 34th Avenue
(415) 387-7091

Mon-Fri 5:00-9:30pm
Sat-Sun 5:00-10:30pm