pauliface's Profile
Great Casual Omakase??
At Fisherman's Wharf you are not far from Zushi Puzzle.
I went there once (make sure you sit at the sushi bar. I think you can reserve but I forget) and had a great time. The chef is a real character, very talkative, and it's very informal.
I should say that my favorite 2 sushi omakase places are Ino in Japantown (but the place is very dour and the chef not very talkative) and Yume in Alameda (which you can get to by car. They don't take reservations and I've only gone at like 6PM so I wouldn't have to wait. If you go there make sure to get his giant scallop sushi)
Suggestions for lunch only M-F restaurants
It's all the same location:ra
Before it was TinPan, it was the Scandinavian Restaurant (something like 1943-1990something)
I'm pretty sure there was one other restaurant in the chain between Scandinavian and Baraccurda as well
"A man's drink of choice , tells volumes of one's character"-- need help..
Rye is my new favorite spirit, and the Sazerac my cocktail of the moment.
"A man's drink of choice , tells volumes of one's character"-- need help..
Ha. My friend showed me his new resume on Sunday. It had a green stripe between sections. I mentioned your post to him. That green stripe was like wearing a pink tie to a business meeting or ordering a lemon drop at the business lunch. I suggested changing the stripe to navy or black. He chose black....
Suggestions for lunch only M-F restaurants
If only we could rewind 10+ years -- I'd recommend the Scandinavian Restaurant in the Castro. It's now Barracuda. How the mighty have fallen.
Reviews of Michelin-Starred Restaurants in Tokyo
Ah!
It's good to hear from someone who has been to both Mikawa and Kondo.
I have been to Mikawa and loved it. The next trip, I thought of going to Kondo but I loved Mikawa so much that I went back there a second time.
Strictly in terms of the food, do you have a preference between the two?
Top 10 Must-visit SF Eateries - The Budget Version
Swan's appeal to me is the old-schooliness, the fact that you can buy other seafood to take home, and the fact that they have louie salads as well as things on the halfshell.
Hog Island is lovely as a kind of 'fabulous moment' -- you're at the ferry building, you sidle up to the bar, get a dozen oysters and a glass of champagne, and your transported for a short while. It's a beautiful spot.
Anchor Oyster bar is more of a local restaurant that serves seafood. It's in my neighborhood and I have friends who love it but it's just never spoken to me. The food is fine but for some reason I always get fidgety there. Plus, they do often have a line.
I'd also consider Bar Crudo. They have a more modern and diverse menu than Swan's, are relatively low hassle. But it's not so much an oyster bar as a seafood spot (same is true for Anchor Oyster Bar, in spite of the place's name).
Restaurant Mitsunobu in Menlo Park
Has anybody reading this been to both Mitsunobu and Wakuriya?
I went to Kaygetsu years ago and liked-but-did-not-love.
Wakuriya, on the other hand, I found transcendent.
So I'm curious how this new place compares to Wakuriya...
Saison switches to prepaid ticket system
To me, all this was a bigger deal when they had that $150 price hike from $498 to $651 which just seemed absurd, arbitrary, and unjustified. While $498 is still very high, it's at least believable, we're back approximately where we started, and I don't particularly care about the details.
Now that it's just merely incredibly expensive, I'm back to my debate about whether to actually try them or not over Atelier Crenn. :-)
Berlin itinerary, plus some questions
Tango night! I'm so in (as an observer I'm afraid.) What time does one go? Is this an after-dinner option?
Don't be amazed that I have not heard of KaDeWe. This is only my second time in Germany. First time I was in Berlin for only 72 hours (1998. LOVED THE CITY and vowed to return) and then off to Paderborn for a conference.
We'll defnitely try to hit up Yarok, Rogacki, Mercan and/or KaDeWe during the day. Next task for us is to work out our daytime itineraries, and we'll likely plop those on days when we are sightseeing in their neighborhoods, if possible.
Again, I can't thank you enough for your help. If you ever need tips for San Francisco or New York city, let me know. (Is there a way to diretly message someone on here? hmmm)
Berlin itinerary, plus some questions
Thanks again, you really are a fountain of information.
I do love Turkish food as well, so if you have a recommendation, I'd love to know.
Of Yarok, your Turkish recommendation, Rogacki, RP, Jolesch -- do you think any of these should knock out any of our evening selections? Every night does not have to be a tasting menu festival, but you had so many places that appealed, and these were the first things I was attracted to.
And would you say Rogacki is a good lunchtime option?
Also I had not heard of KaDeWe. I just googled it. Forgive my ignoranc,e but Is this a famous department store? Is a visit here a fun daytime activity? The whole store or just the food department? (I'm not a big shopper, but still my friend and I lost an entire day at Mitsukoshi in Tokyo, half of it in the food department, with a similar experience at Harrods, so this is not out of the question.)
Lastly -- the Ballhaus. Is this a dinner experience, an after-dinner place, or what? I'm totally unfamiliar with the concept, and the site is in german so I can't understand. Does one go to watch? Participate? Please explain to the degree that you can, it sounds very intriguing...
Best Kyoto restaurants
I was not going to comment initially but I could not disagree more with Dustin about Ryugin. I've been twice, and Ryugin is on my permanent list. Unless they suffer some horrible slide, I will go there every time I visit Tokyo. The food is sublime, the sake pairings amazing, the service wonderful, the experience glorious. True, the decor is modern, but even so I believe all those dragon plates on the wall are the result of years of collecting.
For tempura I need to bring up Mikawa once again. I love the place. True, I have not tried Kondo and can not compare.
As for Kyoto Kaiseki, I've been to Kitcho twice now (not tried kikunoi or hyotei). yes it's expensive but there is simply nothing else like it in my experience.
Berlin itinerary, plus some questions
Thanks again, linguafood! Tartane now makes more sense now that you've explained it.
I wouldn't doubt the freshness of seafood at Fritz, of course. I was thinking more of Ganymed. Those types of big shellfish platters can be a favorite for me, but they've got to be beautiful and fresh. I guess they must be, if they are such a specialty of the house.
As for cuisine: I'm very open. I do love German food, especially anything that comes with that wonderful cooked red cabbage. But often the traditional stuff is very heavy to me, so I figure we may hit more traditional places for lunch when there's walking before and after.
Thai cuisine happens to be the one thing I'm not crazy about. My very favorites are Japanese, French, Italian and Moroccan. I did a brief search and did not see anything especially enticing that was Japanese. Do you have one to recommend? Or a wonderful Moroccan place?
Ah. Thanks for the pointer to your blog. I've taken a look. Some very interesting stuff there. Some comments/questions...
Tell me about these dance halls! Just seeing the phrase there puts me in mind of a piece by Pina Bausch's company (which we plan to see once more on a side trip to wuppertal).
We do hope to hit Renger Patsch and/or Jolesch for lunch one day.
Rogaki sounds intriguing -- I love smoked and pickled things.
Yarok: I also love lebanese food, and San Francisco (my home) does not really have much of this. Worth seeking out?
Italian: yup, Noi Quattri seems to be everybody's favorite so we're definitely heading there.
Your comment on "Gourmet" -- yes, I hear you and I understand your view. But what can I say, I do love this sort of food I've always loved it (when I was a child, my friend and I used to play a game "hors douvtres" where we'd spend hours lining up bites of food along the counter, changing the order around, and when it was ready we'd eat them in sequence). Since trends come and go, and the tasting menu phenomenon is blossoming right now, I figure take advantage while I can. And I would hope that at least there is a local/German spin on the concept at some of these places? (That's another reason I left out Fritz -- from the site it appeared to have no trace of Germany in it., like it might as well be Paris) Plus, I'm not traveling with my boyfriend so that last activity you mention is not of importance on this trip. :-)
Berlin itinerary, plus some questions
Thanks, linguafood and shekamoo.
Yes, I did notice that in 2012 there are 3 michelin 2-stars.
I picked Reinstoff because it seemed more adventurous and also less of a formal atmosphere than the other two, even though the reviews are a little uneven.
linguafood -- if I were to add Fisther's Fritz, which existing choice would you remove to make room? Am I correct in saying it's a bit more formal than the others I've chosen? Do you feel it's a cut above most of the others?
Beth cafe look like a charming location -- thanks for that. Possible lunch stop.
Brechts and Brasserie Ganymed both look nice. Ganymed has a lot of shellfish plates on their menu -- have you tried these and would you recommend them? Berlin is fairly inland....
Very little interest in Thai food here. And what's the reason for bringing in Tartane? Not close to Berliner Ensemble, right? Is it just a place you like? If so for lunch or for dinner?
Quick help, please? Looking for Frenchy, Bistro-ish for tonight
The chef at L'Ardoise used to be at Fringale, when it was better. His wife is the chef at the equally good Le Charm!
Quick help, please? Looking for Frenchy, Bistro-ish for tonight
I do like it, very much. Not over the top. Solid, delicious, traditional French food at fair prices. Last time I believe I had pate followed by duck confit, and they were excellent. My friend had a fillet mignon which was also excellent. Delicious potatoes if I recall.
Quiet enough for conversation. I am a fan.
Les Creations de Narisawa or Nihonryori Ryugin?
If you are still unsure about where to go in Tokyo -- maybe consider an amazing tempura experience at Mikawa? You'll want to go to the Mikawa in Monzennakacho ( the one run by Saotome-san). Saotome-san is the original Mikawa master, though I have not tried the other -- I believe the chef at the original location is his son.
Saison switches to prepaid ticket system
I hear ya.
Feels like a 'dot crumb' bubble.
:-)
Saison switches to prepaid ticket system
It no longer includes wine. Very unclear on the site, but I saw that this morning and called to clarify, because it it was going to be $400 all in I was going to buy me some tix. Sadly, though...
Note that the first paragraph refers to wine, but later paragraphs state that the price is inclusive of food, tax, and service. And that wine pairings are not included in the price.
It's clear to me that they've balked and now there message is not pure. Initially, they tried to spin it that they wanted to provide 'a seamless experience' without the mention of dirty dirty money once you arrived. But the price was high, and the service charge especially egregious. So to try and make it look better (and remove the 5% on top of the wine) they've removed the wine from the prepay price, bringing it to $400. But of course, now that means that if you are going to have any beverages, the experience will not be 'seamless'. So only sober water drinkers will be without seam.
Saison switches to prepaid ticket system
To be clear. I'm not endorsing the behavior at all. The only way I'll reduce a tip is if a server is hugely rude. Even incompentence won't do it, as lack of ability can't necessarily be helped.
I was just saying that *if* he was going to do this, it would be a good idea to let the server know it was not their fault.
Saison switches to prepaid ticket system
@Dustin -- that seems very indirect If what you are after is for worker dissatisfaction to engender revolution, I would suggest that you tell the server. That way they'll know that their tip is less because of protest, not bad service on their part.
Berlin itinerary, plus some questions
By the way, other restaurants I was considering strongly, in this order...
-- Facil
-- Tim Raue
-- Margaux
-- Die Quadriga
-- Hugo's
-- Fischers Fritz
-- Lorenz Adlon
--
Day Trip to San Fran - tell me your Must-Trys!
They still sell fish earlier. It's just the counter that's changed to 11.
Berlin itinerary, plus some questions
Hello!
I am working up a Berlin itinerary.
I've looked at some previous threads regarding dining in Berlin, and have come up with the following.
We will be in Berlin a total of 8 nights.
6 nights can be focused on having a nice dinner.
So far, I'm targeting these 6:
Thursday -- (see below)
Friday -- Hartmann's
Saturday -- Reinstoff
Sunday -- Horvath
Monday -- (headed for an overnight to see wuppertal tanzteater)
Tuesday -- Remake
Wednesday -- (see below)
Thursday -- NoiQuattro
Friday -- Weinbar Rutz
Questions:
[1] Do those 6 look like a good lineup? We'd like to have the 'two best' be the first Saturday and last Friday. Reinstofff and Weinbar Rutz look pretty special. Sound good? Changes you would suggest?
[2] The first thursday and the wednesday, we hope to be seeing the Berliner Ensemble perform. The first performance is short, ending 8:45 or so, the second ends at 9:30. We'd want to get something light or simple, either in that area or near Potsdamer Platz (where we are staying). suggestions?
[3] Jewish Restaurants? My heritage is easter european Jewish. In Prague last year we found some wonderful places that served the food of my ancestors. Are there such places that you can recommend in Berlin? This could be for lunch or dinner.
Thanks for any help you can provide!
Day Trip to San Fran - tell me your Must-Trys!
Great to know!
They used to open at 8:30, and I'd only ever been there in the early morning until my recent Friday debacle!
Day Trip to San Fran - tell me your Must-Trys!
A couple of people have mentioned Swan's, and said to get there early. However, Swan's is no longer opening up the counter until 11. So it's going to depend what day of the week you're talking. If you only have one day, I would not include Swan's on a Friday itinerary. It's going to blow too much time. But I think a Tuesday or Wednesday would work.
I don't know what's the best time or how to work the line -- all I know is last time I went on a Friday at 12:30 and the line was too long so we bailed. We had lunch down the street and 75 minutes later when we were done, my spot in line was just reaching the door.
Does anyone know the best method given the new setup whereby the counter opens at 11, not 8:30?
Saison switches to prepaid ticket system
@Dustin:
I have been to R&G and thought it was great. Of the others located in SF what's your first pick? It's time to try one! Remember, I love crab and lobster!
I was to Fleur de Lys a looong time ago, 1992, and it was a favorite up to that point. My best friend went more recently and was a little disappointed compared against La Folie. I have not been to Masa's or Campton Place. Next on my list is Atelier Crenn, though...
@JoLong
I totally agree about 5%. 5% of $700 is $35 for a processing fee? For that they should carve your bill in ebony.
Saison switches to prepaid ticket system
Mind you. Tweezer palace from me is *not* an insult, if the food is fantastic. Otherwise it does imply a hollow showiness...
I must try Gary Danko. Tadich is my new recent-discovery-of-an-ancient place favorite. I'd love to hear your high end chinese seafood favorite places, I don't have one. Don't know sawa or jai yun. I was hugely disappointed in Kappa. But I love Kiss, and Wakuriya is worth the trip south. Ino and Yume for pure simple sushi.
As for La Folie, here's a prior post of mine from last june:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/790167
I recently had a similar duck egg at Plum and it absolutely paled in comparison to what I had at La Folie. Rather than make me want to return to Plum, it just caused me to make a mental note that I really must return to La Folie.
Some of the dishes at La Folie are complicated, but I *like* complicated when the food is good enough to support it.
Saison switches to prepaid ticket system
Well, when this sort of thing is good, it's one of my favorite types of experience. Unfortunately, no restaurant in SF has yet come close to matching Alinea, Jardin des Remparts, Saam's, Momofuku Ko, Ryugin, or Moto,
But in SF, I'd rather go to La Folie. They are consistent and to me, way better than the tweezer palaces that seem to get the hype...
