nutmeg's Profile
Heading to BA - Need Help Narrowing Restaurant List
Excellent! Will I'll be there in a month and will post back what I find. Hopefully, someone else will respond before I go so the list will be narrowed a little more.
Heading to BA - Need Help Narrowing Restaurant List
I've spent a fair amount of time reading posts for BA and have put together an initial list of places. I’m starting to feel a bit overwhelmed on selection. Also, several of the posts were about a year old so not sure if the quality of some of these places are still good.
Any thoughts in helping to narrow the list would be greatly appreciated.
• Thymus
• La Cabera
• The Standard
• Mot
• Sirop
• Novocento
• Las Cholas
• Carlos Calvo
• Social Paraiso
• Olsen
• Casa Cruz
• El Obrero
• Sucre Restaurant
• Grand Bar Darzon
• Rodrigo Toso Café
• El Trapiche
Outside/garden seating in SF/Peninsula (like @ Brix)
Madera at the Rosewood Resort in Menlo (Sand Hill Rd and 280) has a great terrace with views of the Santa Cruz Mtns.
Help! What do I serve with my 2001 Phalmeyer Merlot?
Reporting back... in the end, i decided that the marinade on the Fred's steak was just going to be too much for the merlot (really called for a zin.) Did duck breasts and dinner was fantastic! I seared the duck then finished in the oven and served it atop orzo with pine nuts, arugula, basil and dried bing cherries. Had some pomegranate juice to top it off. The Pahlmeyer was fantastic and showed its true form! Delish.
Help! What do I serve with my 2001 Phalmeyer Merlot?
Excellent tip... I forgot that I can get American-Kobe Fred's steak! I think that softness in the meat is the added "nugget" I was looking for.
And thanks for the reminder to decant. I almost forgot about that part...
Help! What do I serve with my 2001 Phalmeyer Merlot?
OOOPS - so embarressed at my typo! Meant Pahlmeyer
Help! What do I serve with my 2001 Phalmeyer Merlot?
I have a 1.5 liter of 2001 Phalmeyer Merlot that I'd like to share with some special friends tomorrow evening for dinner. My dilemma is what to server in order to complement the wine the best. I was originally thinking I'd do grilled steak (Fred's steak for those of you who live in the SF Bay Area) but now I'm wondering if that really would be the right pairing. Any suggestions would be really helpful.
Dog Friendly S.F. Restaurants With Great Food?
I've only had the ahi tuna burger and sweet potato fries - both which i thought were really good. I agree it normally wouldn't be the top of my list, but I was just going for the "dog friendly" part of the deal.
Dog Friendly S.F. Restaurants With Great Food?
It's all about outdoor seating...
Taylor's at the Ferry Bldg let's you sit at the outside tables with a well behaved pooch.
Samovar Tea Lounge at Yerba Buena Garden has wonderful outdoor seating
SF MOMA also has nice outdoor seating
No ramen in Palo Alto
What about Lime Leaf on University Ave? (I guess it's becoming Mint Leaf) I haven't been there yet (opened before the holidays) but I know they serve up pho. Apparently a blend of both Vietnamese and Thai traditional dishes.
Naminami in Mt View - Indeed OUTSTANDING
After reading much ado this week about Naminami on the board, I made my way there tonight. This place is really outstanding. The chefs are from Kyoto and the cuisine is Koryouri style (small plates.) Each dish we had seemed better than the last in a steady crescendo throughout the evening. Not only was the food outstanding but the presentations were lovely.
The place is well appointed with simple but elegant furnishings and beautiful dishware. The service is warm, friendly and relaxed.
Here is a list of what we had. You really only need 4 dishes for 2 people but since the food was so good, we wanted to try more... so we ordered 2 more plus dessert! We ended up incredibly full but well satisfied.
• Crab and mizuna greens spring roll: great fresh crab with clean creamy taste. Great balance in quantity of crab to mizuna. If I had one complaint about the whole evening it is that this dish was just a little too cold.
• Duck and mango with mustard cold plate: soft duck, beautiful mango complemented with spicy mustard. Delish.
• Ume shiso ochazuke: lovely tea based soup. Clean tastes punctuated by wasabi and sweet/sour ume.
• Grilled black cod marinated in miso: soft, luscious and melts in your mouth. Served with a side of oshinko. Outstanding.
• Tofu and Napa cabbage soup: oden broth. Clean and rich tastes. The tofu was mashed and then formed in balls and fried. Crisp cabbage. Way, way yummy.
• Beef tongue: I thought the black cod was going to be my favorite dish but this one really takes the cake. This dish was simply mind blowing. The beef was stewed untill so tender it was easily cut with chopsticks. The beef was served in a rich and savory sauce – perhaps marrow of sorts – and topped with thin slices of fresh onions. If you’ve never had tongue, this is the place to try it. This was dish was beyond outstanding.
• Strawberry and red bean roll: Really, really wonderful flavor. One order came with two rolls and was the perfect amount to share. We only wished we had more room for the green tea blanc mange. That really looked fantastic.
This place is definitely my new favorite restaurant. A fantastic menu, great execution, nice list of sake and shoju and really warm service.
New: Kyoto-style Japanese food at Naminami in Mountain View
do you need a reservation for this place?
Greens menu??
I had a wonderful lunch there right before Thanksgiving. The food was fanstastic and service was excellent. Given the range in service and the fact that the view is outstanding during the day, I would go but only do lunch. There are so many other amazing restos for din din.
good eats in los altos?
It's been awhile since I've been there, but I've always really liked Los Altos Grill. It's related to Houston's in SF and I can't remember the other Napa outlet. It's not cheap but I do love the rotisserie chicken, artichokes and garlic mash. I've also had some great steak there, too.
Fringale - Anyone visit recently?
Just wanted to let everyone know that I did end up going last weekend and ended up having a wonderful meal. I started with the simple mixed greens and then had the chicken breast that was accompanied by brussel sprouts and butternut squash in a lobster sauce. (I know, it sounds sort of strange but it was delish!) The chicken breast was cooked perfectly. Others at the table started with the frissee and lardon salad and mains included steak frites (great frites!) duck confit on lentils (fabulous) and salmon (also reported as very good.) As for wine, we had the Gigondas which was fantastic.
Fringale - Anyone visit recently?
I just did a search on the board for Fringale and didn't see anything recent. I've heard that it's gone downhill but thought I'd check with the experts - anyone?
best cafe` in or around union square?
For espresso and pastries at Union Square, I actually really like Emporio Rulli il Caffe right on Union Square esp on a sunny day. http://www.rulli.com/caffes/ilcaffe/index.shtml
Sometimes I like to duck into the Neiman Marcus Rotunda (top floor)for some civility and a great view looking down on Union Square. http://rotundarestaurant.com/page/nxue/Home_Page.html
A little further afield is Samavar Tea Lounge at Yerba Buena Gardens, which I LOVE. http://www.samovartea.com/
Near there (by the Marriott) is Beard Papas. They are known for their cream puffs. Vanilla and milk tea are my favorites.
Chocolate/Gourmet Food/Wine events in S.F. Bay Area?
K&L Wine Merchants put together some really nice events - though can be pricey. Check out:
http://www.klwines.com/local_events.asp
Need a restaurant near Yerba Buena Center
Samovar Tea Lounge (above the waterfall). I LOVE this place. The Moorish tea set is fantastic.
Restaurant recommendations for a vegetarian
Oh Yeah - Medicine Eatstation! I'll second that.
Oola - anyone been>?
I found that the apps and sides are the way to go at this restaurant. The Foie Gras Torchon was really good and i loved the truffled fries!
Restaurant recommendations for a vegetarian
I would say that you'll be in luck in most restaurants in the Bay Area. However, one of the oldest and still really wonderful truly all vegetarian restaurants in SF (and one of the best in the country) is Green’s at Fort Mason. They use seasonal organic produce and still maintains a strong relationship with the SF Zen Center. For more info:eens Restaurant
http://www.greensrestaurant.com/
Btw, not only is the food good but the view is outstanding.
Jaimaican Food in the Bay Area
Ditto, Ditto, Ditto! Absolutely outstanding. Make sure to get the corn festivals but eat them before they get cold (even if that means in the car on the way home!)
HELP! Looking for restaurants in the Palo Alto area
PS - And speaking of steak, since you live here now and will presumably be cooking... MUST go to Schaub’s meat market at Stanford Shopping Center. Your mission is to order up a local legend known as "Fred's steak." Don't be alarmed that the meat is strangely black --- the extra double super secret marinade makes it so. And if you don't have what it takes to cook a full tri-tip, pick up some Fred's steak burgers. (Paling by comparison, but they'll still satisfy that urge.)
HELP! Looking for restaurants in the Palo Alto area
I couldn’t resist adding to the list. Here are my favorites, several already mentioned...
• Zibbbibo (Kipling) – Cal/Med cuisine, good bar, nice wine menu, nice brunch.
• Quattro (4 Season Hotel) – Great bar, yummy aps, nice brunch
• Bistro Elan (California Ave) – Nice French bistro.
• Marché (Menlo Park, Santa Cruz) – upscale. One of the best French restaurants on the Peninsula.
• Keygetsu (Menlo Park, Sand Hill Road/Sharon Heights Shopping Center) – Outstanding sushi. (Hands down THE best.) Get the kaiseki with sake pairing.
• Brix (Menlo Park, El Camino) – Great basic burgers and fries.
• Cool Café (Stanford Univ, Cantor Center) – Great lunch spot in Rodin Sculpture Garden esp on a sunny day. Same owners as Flea St. Café in Menlo Park.
• Tamarine (University Ave) – Excellent upscale Vietnamese. Nice bar.
• Amber India (El Camino, Mountain View) – Fantastic Indian.
• Coupa Café (Ramona St.) – Great coffee. Nice Panini. Great salads. (free wireless)
• Los Altos Grill (3rd St, Los Altos) – LOVE the grilled artichokes. Millionaires steak is the best!
• Grill on the Alley (Fairmont Hotel, San Jose) – Fantastic rib-eyes. Delicious creamed spinach. Great shrimp cocktail. Excellent dirty martinis. Feels like NY.
• For dim sum... Nothing in PA. Make the trip to SF. Ton Kiang (Geary Street) or Koi Palace (Daly City just South of SF) are my favorites. Alternatively, you can drive to Milpitas to Mayflower for dim sum.
iTapas in Palo Alto - the horror of it all
Sounds like this place has gotten better with a bit more time. I was there in the first week and a good month passed before you visited.
New Yorker Coming to San Fran for a Few Days
Hog Island Oyster Co in the Ferry Building.
What to put together for a great, reasonable meal for two without cooking
Another couple of thoughts...
Below Macy's at Union Square is a food court where you can get a wonderful slice of Wolfgang Pucks pizza and a side salad. I can't remember how much it costs, but memory is that it's reasonable and, of course, quite tasty.
Back at the Ferry Building... another WAY tasty bite is the Ahi burger (with side of sweet potato fries) from Taylor's. It really is fantastic. I haven't been able to get past that to try other things on the menu!
At Whole Foods, I'm a big fan of their rotisserie chicken. YUM! At Whole Foods, I'm a big fan of their rotisserie chicken. YUM! Their other prepared foods, while looking beautiful, I find are always just a little lacking in taste.
As previously mentioned, Beard Papa on YBG Lane is totally worth it. I find the Vanilla puff outstanding. Also a big fan of the milk tea when it’s available. And I LOVE Samovar. Not really cheap, but way good. The Moorish tea set is my favorite.
Welcome to SF!
Where can I find great steaks or beef on the Peninsula or in South Bay?
The Grill on the Alley at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose. GREAT steaks. GREAT martinis. GREAT red wine. GREAT shrimp cocktail.
