Restaurants

Here in Palo Alto, the UpTake office has been suffering through a major construction project around the corner. This means large trucks block all the good parking spots and we are subjected to loud banging and vibrating jackhammers on a regular basis. But, just the other day, we realized there is a tremendous up-side to all this chaos…where there is construction, there are also lunchtime taco trucks!!!

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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 »

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

Bloggers Hawaiian Lunch Date

Is the rain getting to you these days? Need a mini-vacation? Come feel the warmth of Hawai’i by taking yourself over to Geary and Masonic Avenue in San Francisco.

Thanks to the powers at Uptake and our wonderful sponsors at the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (promoting their campaign, Hawaii: AThousandsReasonsToSmile),a great mix of bloggers got to experience a brief Hawaiian holiday recently at the San Francisco outpost of Hukilau.

Hukilau is the type of restaurant that you will find on any Hawaiian island filled with a relaxed atmosphere and the “spirit of aloha”. They pride themselves on being the laid back “plate-lunch” kind of restaurant found in small towns, like Old Koloa Town on Kauai.

We had about 20 people there for lunch and it look liked everyone sampled something different from the menu, including the macaroni salad and Spam Musubi (grilled teriyaki coated Spam wrapped with rice and seaweed nori).

Our entire table started with warm and salted edamame and fresh Ahi Poke (dressed with savory shoyu and sesame oil). Many, including myself, enjoyed the Hukilau Chicken Salad and all got to have their dressings on the side.

$5 Daily Special Cocktails

This was a great venue for a large group because though we took up quite a bit of space, they still had lots of window tables and covered outdoor seating for other customers.

This is a definitely a place I would come back to for a weekend brunch, and to try more dishes like the Kalua Pork. Hey you might even find me here for Mai Tai Mondays bruddah…

5 Masonic Ave
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 921-6242
www.dahukilau.com

Mon. 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.
Wed-Fri. 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.

UpTake is offering you the chance to win an easy $250. All you have to do is share the perfect springtime photo with us and have it be selected as our homepage photo for the next several months. UpTake changes its homepage photo with the seasons and spring is almost upon us (no matter what that damn groundhog says!). So, venture over to the Travel and Industry News blog for the details.

Photo Credits to Borman818 and Noel Zia Lee from Flickr