felice's Profile
Healthy, walkable North Beach?
I would definitely second (or third or fourth) Il Pollaio. Don Pisto's would also fit the bill for fresh wholesome food if you go with tacos, tortilla soup, etc. I also like Tuk Tuk Thai, as another post already mentions.
Joy Rest. in Foster City still good?
I was there about six months ago and thought it was excellent! Same as ever.
Hand pulled noodles and knife cut noodles? Best options in SF (or BART accessible)
I really like Shan Dong in Oakland and usually order their pork chow mein or combo chow mein. It is a few blocks from both the 12th ST station and the Lake Merritt Station.
Banh beo & banh cuon, Tay Ho, Oakland - any reports?
This is my favorite Vietnamese in the area. Their Vietnamese crepe is delicious and not greasy, just add the nuoc cham. Their noodle soups are great too - so far I've had their seafood noodle soup and bun rieu, both have excellent flavor that makes you want to drink every last drop of the soup. I also like the house special #10 that you reported on. Next on my list of items to try is Bun Cha Ha Noi. I haven't had any bad dishes yet, so I'll continue to explore their lunch menu.
SF Dogpatch & Bayview places to eat
Their pupusas are yummy, but I recently started to try some their other offerings since their menu is so broad. Their panuchos are excellent, larger than the ones in Mexico, but also more flavorful. They do not use achiote rub on the chicken, but it is otherwise an authentic rendition. They are my favorite version, better than the version at Mi Lindo Yucatan IMHO.
Also, they serve breakfast all day, and their chilaquiles are great. Two eggs over saucy tortilla chips with cheese and salsa and crema. Refried beans are good too.
Txoko
I've eaten dinner here twice now and greatly enjoyed it both times. I am a big fan of Naked Lunch and Txoko's food is similarly flavorful and even more sophisticated on a plate instead of between two slices of bread. I would not hesitate to order to foie gras pinxto again and again. We also recently had a squid pinxto and an anchovy pinxto that were fabulous. On the small plates side, the seafood items have been my favorite. There is usually a seafood dish garnished with pea sprouts - I usually order it. What can I say, the chef has a knack for with pea sprouts in combination with seafood. After trying 3 seafood sandwiches and 2 seafood small dishes, I've never been disappointed.
At some point I want to try the main dish, usually steak, but thus far I can't tear myself away from the variety and flavors of the pinxtos and small dishes.
I noticed during my most recent visit that they've turned up the lights, which allowed me to see my gorgeously plated food. Can't wait for a third visit!
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Txoko
504 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133
Where Can I Find Pink Pearl Apples (or something close)?
I bought some from McEnvoy Ranch at the ferry building 2 weeks ago.
asian groceries in Paris
Perfect! I'm staying in the 17th and that is only one metro stop away. That was the golden nugget of information I was hoping for. Thank you!
asian groceries in Paris
Thank you both - looks like I need to plan for the possibility that some of the harder to find ingredients may not be available. I was thinking of smuggling in one or two leaves...
asian groceries in Paris
Thank you Parigi! Have you seen Thai basil at these markets? I'm trying to decide whether a curry should be on the menu, and Thai basil is a key ingredient in most Thai curries.
asian groceries in Paris
I'm visiting friends in Paris and am planning to cook a nice asian dinner for them. I'm planning the menu before I leave so that I can bring all the necessary spices/sauces from my pantry. However, I'm not sure about the availability of fresh asian ingredients in Paris. Are there markets that carry Thai basil, galanga, cilantro, ginger, chilis, and lemongrass? Where are they located and are they easy to access by Metro? Thanks for your help!
Maza, North Beach
No, it's not a buffet, I ordered at the counter and sat down. They promptly brought a plates/silverware along with water and plate of onions, chilis, cucumber, tomato, and lemon.
Maza, North Beach
This Indian/Pakistani place opened up last week in North Beach where Pasta Pomodoro had been located. They are somehow related to Naan N Curry, although I don't know the exact relationship. I stopped in over the weekend for a hearty lunch and was pleasantly surprised - the food seemed to be a step or two above Naan N Curry's, although the last time I ate at Naan N Curry was perhaps 3 years ago and my memory could be fading.
We had karahi gosht, ghobi gosht, tandoori chicken leg, and chicken seekh kebab. All were delicious and more flavorful than your garden variety tendorloin Indian dive. The naan was fluffy and extremely fresh. I'm definitely going to be getting takeout regularly.
Their current hours are 11am until 2:30 on weekends. In case anyone is out drinking til 2am...
Zare at Fly Trap open for weekday lunch
Yum! Went there last week and had a delicious lunch. Lentils were super flavorful and delicious. And their baklava's definitely my favorite of any that I've had.
Italian meatballs
I haven't tried Pasta Gina, but Tony's in North Beach has great meatballs. You can get takeout - 6 big meatballs for $7 or $8.
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Pasta Gina
741 Diamond St, San Francisco, CA 94114
Showing a lifetime NY'er California for the first time
House of Prime Rib should fit the bill.
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House of Prime Rib
1906 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94109
Lers Ros Thai restaurant (Tenderloin)
Wow, what an old thread! I can't believe it's only been two and half years since they opened. The other soup I like on their menu that you don't see a lot is their stuffed squid soup. It is more Chinese in style than tom yum soup, but I like it and wouldn't want to do all the work to make it myself.
Naked Lunch - wished I lived near Northbeach
I'll have to add the crab cake to my list of sandwiches to try there. This summer I had their "pigs and peaches", which included pork tenderloin, bacon, peaches, aoli, greens, and it was phenomenal. I hope they stay open for at least another 7 months so I can have it again.
what NOT to get at Lers Ros Thai
I really like this one too. I had similar noodles in Thailand, where it was translated to me as hot and sour dry noodles. The version at Lers Ros was more hot than sour but it was great to mix up all the ingredients and enjoy each unique bite.
Meatball Sandwich Hunt
Tony's Deli/Pizza has great meatball sandwiches. Between theirs and Mario's, I prefer Tony's.
great pad see ew - [Chabaa Thai]
Ooooh, crab fried rice. I'll have to try that next time. As for tom yum noodle, I find that restaurants can serve perfectly spicy/sour tom yum soup, but when you order the tom yum noodle, the broth is too sweet. I'm not sure if it's because they expect you to add a ton of chili or vinegar to balance out the sugar (as a standard condiment for noodle soup), but I tend to avoid ordering this dish at most places.
Tony's Coal-Fired Pizza & Slice House, SF (Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich)
I forgot to mention, their meatballs are excellent. They are available at both the restaurant as well as the slice house. The best thing about the slice house is that it's easier to get an order of the meatballs to go. The next item I'd like to try is their pastrami sandwich. If anyone has tried this, please post!
Tony's Coal-Fired Pizza & Slice House, SF (Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich)
The sandwich is indeed huge - I had their standard beef sandwich. It doesn't quite compare to the beef sandwiches I had in Chicago, mainly because the beef wasn't sliced thinly enough. Perhaps you can request extra thin slices of beef. I would also recommend getting one of the juicier versions, since you can request the level of wetness. Worth a try although I still prefer the cheesesteaks at Buster's when deliberating between the two north beach beef sandwich options.
great pad see ew - [Chabaa Thai]
Our original destination, Katana-ya, was packed with a line out the door, so we ended up walking into Chabaa thai restaurant next door. I'd read the posts/sfweekly article about their pork neck, but the waitress said this smaller downtown location has a more limited menu and no pork neck. Still, the gai gra prow was just as good as at Thai House Express, and their pad see ew was excellent. Not too greasy (although this dish is far from being oil free), perfect chewy texture, and good wok char. Probably the best version I've had at any bay area Thai restaurant, and goes great with the vinegared serrano chilis offered as part of the condiment selection.
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Thai House Express
901 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Peking Duck/Thanksgiving
It's not in the city, but I like the peking duck dinner at Coi Palace. Their other dishes are excellent as well.
Bologna
I don't have much time these days for writing long detailed reports, but I'll start with our amazing meal at Da Amerigo and maybe post on other places later if I have time.
Da Amerigo has a traditional tasting menu, the seasonal tasting menu, and dishes a la carte. Since we had already tried many of the items on the traditional tasting menu, we decided to branch out and go for the seasonal tasting menu at 50 euros per person. While perusing the menu, we were brought several cubes of fried chickpea batter and a bit of prosecco, a nice way to start the evening.
First course was carne cruda cylinders capped at both ends with a thin round of black truffle, and then covered with black truffle shavings. Of all the various raw uncured meats I've tried from varying cultures, Italian carne cruda is my personal favorite. It's extremely flavorful yet simple, and the addition of the black truffle doubled my enjoyment of this dish. I ate this as slowly as possible, making sure I cleansed my palate with bread or wine after each bite so that the next bite would be just as stunning as the first.
Then there was a vegetable dish, all of which perplexed me during this trip because the vegetables (eg green beans, squash) were cooked until very soft. As someone who prefers crunchy, stir fried vegetables, I didn't particularly enjoy any of the cooked veggies on this trip.
Third was risotto with canaroli rice and porcini mushrooms, which was excellent but not out of this world.
Fourth was capreto, baby goat. Between this dish and the carne cruda, I was floored. The goat will likely be the best goat I'll ever eat. Served three ways, the leg and back were roasted until all the sinewy parts were gelatinous, particularly in the crevices between the bones. The goat must have been roasted for 5-10 hours. By the time I was done, the bones were pulled apart and dry. A subtle combination of herbs enhanced the gamey flavor of the goat. The second preparation was the rib chop, seared and served rare. This was definitely a treat. For anyone who like lamb chops, I would highly recommend baby goat chops. The third preparation looked like a sausage patty, and the waitress rubbed her stomach when describing it. I would guess it was a patty made from innards. It was very lean and had a springy texture and clean taste. Perhaps intestine. It was accompanied by a small piece of liver skewered with a toothpick.
For dessert I simply had some gelato topped with balsamic vinegar.
2 New Orleans Foodies headed to SF
The menu at Boulette's Larder is small and seasonal, and you can't really go wrong. I would recommend getting a cannele as you leave or for dessert - they are the best in town.
Updated recommendations for eating in Piedmont in October
I just returned a week ago and our favorite meals in that region were at I Bologna, La Piola, and pricier and modern Locanda Nel Borgo Antico. Particularly, the agnolotti at I Bologna was the best of the several versions I tasted on the trip. And I'd give up the existence of steak tartare for more of La Piola's carne cruda. At LNBA, it was the rabbit that was perfect.
Bologna
I just returned a week ago from Bologna. Gigina was not as good as I was expecting, both of our pasta dishes were overly salty. The best meal the entire trip (2 weeks in Piedmont, Liguria, and Emilia Romagna) was at Da Amerigo in Savigno, near Bologna.
Late Night Italian in North Beach
Tony's Pizza would be open at that time. There might not be a gigantic line for a table at that time at Tony's, which is rare.
