Okay perhaps despise is too harsh a word. But I don't like it and I won't go back. Here are my thoughts from when I went:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6784...

Also, understand that I am in the vast minority on this one. So unless my article hits some of your personal hot-button issues, you may just want to ignore my opinion here. :-)

And I most certainly would not.

I prefer Yuzuki, Kiss, and Kappou Gomi to Kappa. Went to Kappa once and have not returned.

Kappa does have fans. Dustin (another fan) and I have been through this on another thread.

Perhaps I should try it again...

Not chowhound worthy. But fun.
Ish.

For what it's worth, I ate at Wakuriay once and absolutely loved it. I would *not* regard it as modern or california style. The chef worked at Kitcho Arashiyama in Kyoto, and to me Wakuriya is closer to that style than anything I've tried in the bay area. It was wonderful and the only reasons I have not returned are expense, distance, and difficulty in acquiring a reservation. But certainly not because of the food!

I absolutely disagre. Poesia makes some excellent house made pasta. I live in the area and it's entered my semi-regular neighborhood rotation.

That said, if I were coming from out of town, I would not make it a destination.

As others have said, nothing in the castro is a true destination, with the possible exception of L'Ardoise (keeping in mind that I despise Frances.)

Ame restaurant is 3 blocks away by foot.
I like it. :-)
To me, the killer meal there is to order the "Taste of Ame Sashimi Bar" as an appetizer (it's listed as a main but it's by no means too much food) and then the "Broiled Sake Marinated Alaskan Black Cod and
Shrimp Dumplings in Shiso Broth" for a main.

This is interesting. I'm not a fan of Zuni, never understood its allure beyond a good martini and oysters. So if it's the younger generation's Zuni, that is not a selling point.

And regarding the broad appeal that absc mentions, that's not a selling point either. I'd rather go somewhere my parents or a picky child would a problem with. :-)

And many of the restaurants in that article that I've visited are places I don't really get, even though others love them: Chez Panisse underwhelmed me.
as did Quince and Limon. I do like Slanted Door and A16 though.

So my suspicions about Nopa may be true...

One more question:

What is the appeal of Nopa?

We may go there with a larger group the night before, but I've never been and I'm having a tough time 'getting' what's good about them. The info on their site does not really call to me.

So, any Nopa fans out there? What do you love about the place?

An update...

We are going with Sons & Daughters.
In the end, we've dinged Commis, Manresa and Hachi Ju Hachi because they are outside the city.

And we've dinged Bar Tartine and Nopa because they are not 'special occasion' style places. (But see my next post on this thread for a followup question)

Keiko is more formal than we feel like doing (I feel I'd need to dress a bit) and Sons & Daughters sounds a bit more creative. We left out Campton Place and Luce because I could not really find any endorsements for either.

And, while dustin did not recommend Sons & Daughters, he was there a little while ago and there have been some very recent rave. Plus the place seems to be getting steadily better response since it opened. I like the idea of going to a place on its way up.

I'll report back after, but the meal is still a few weeks away.

Well, if we are going to introduce restaurants that are not strictly Kaiseki, then Izakaya Yuzuki must be mentioned. Their food is at once soulful and refined. And, if you order properly from the menu and request that the courses be brought one at a time, you can cobble together your own near-kaiseki meal quite nicely. They have preparations that fit all, or nearly all, the requisite course styles.

Investigating the Keiko a Nob Hill website, I find that they have 3 levels of wine pairings.
Wine pairing -- $85
Grand wine pairing -- $125
The 'Magnifique' wine pairing -- $290

I am curious if anybody has feedback on any of these three levels.

The levels are actually kind of off-putting without any further description. $85 is not cheap, but knowing that they are holding back from two entire other levels, it makes me wonder how good it could be.

Is the $85 level swill?
Is the $290 level actually worth it?

Try it! Worked for me.

It's not that there is a Danish twist. It's just that the whole menu is not Danish.

There is one section only, but the things they make blow Plaj out of the water, with bigger portions for less money, in a friendlier atmosphere.

Lighthouse is definitely not a fine dining style place; but their food is better.

Their herring (and herring is my favorite!) two ways is incredible, better IMO than Plaj. Plus it's cheaper and there's at least twice as much fish maybe more.

I found Plaj very precious and not that great and quite pricey, so I don't really intend to return.

Uh oh I've headed into a nostalgia death spiral, now I'm craving Chin Chin's chinese chicken salad. Can someone tell me -- is it actually good? It's been like 25 years since I had it...

Oops! I was joking -- used to go to Bistango on La Cienega in the early 80s. It was an after-work place for us. But I just googled it and looks like there is a Bistango on Irvine. Anyone know if it's related?

I dunno, ever since Bistango closed, LA has lost its luster for me.

I was there last year after about a 6 year gap. Admittedly, it was for one of their Monday price fix dinners. But my feeling was that it had plummetted and I will not return.

Thanks folks!

So far looks like Commis, Manresa, Keiko are getting the love for high end.

Sons & Daughters & Campton place have detractors.

Nopa and Bar Tartine -- I wil consider for a larger group another night.

No feedback on Luce or Hachi Ju Hachi -- anybody been?

Plaj should not be on there. Lighthouse Cafe in San Rafael is better.

Not sure if it's open past 2AM (yelp says the close at 2 but I am pretty sure I've been there much later) but...

I love 'Crepes A Go Go' on 11th Street between Folsom/Harrison.
This is a little truck set into a parking lot in the middle of a block that has lots of clubs.
(While it's a truck, it's been there since way before the current age of food trucks)

I maintain that their crepes are good even when you are sober.

To be clear/fair:

I don't think I've ever been to La Folie when Passot was *not* there. It's part of what I like about the place; he seems very hands on, is incredibly talented, and seems more concerned with running a great restaurant than with becoming a celebrity chef.

But I don't know what might happen if he were to take the night off. :-)

And, jaiko -- while I am not a big dessert fan in general, (generally impervious to all offering but cookie plate or assortment of sorbets) I absolutely love the souffle at La Folie.

For a special occasion, I recommend La Folie without hesitation.

It's definitely French, compared to other high end more modern-foodie-sf (coi, benu, saison), 'california' (Chez Panisse), current-sf-homey-farm-to-tabley (Rich Table, State Bird)

It's not a tasting menu kind of place. Rather, you'll order 3 to 5 substantial (portions are large) courses. Each course will have enough going on that by the time you're done with a 5 course meal you'll have had as many 'components' as another place's tasting menu.

The food and the flavors, to me, are outstanding.

A note about L'Ardoise: L'Ardoise is around the corner from me, and I like it very much. But L'Ardoise is not a special occasion place. It's good, solid, French (Bistro?) food. That's where I go for pate followed by duck confit. Or for their very excellent filelt mignon. But for a special occasion I'd go with La Folie.

Thanks, Dustin.
What about sons & daughters makes you say to leave it out?

I was to Chotto on a Tuesday. I was assuming that, since it was in the Marina, a Friday would be considerably more crowded/loud.

Regardless, my friends are well behaved and will fit in most any atmosphere. :-)

I still may shoot for Nopa on the Friday for the bigger group instead of Chotto -- but it's to early to reserve there at present.

Thanks bnb!

We won't be loud, so any of these venues is okay in that regard. This night is more about the food.

(The night before I'll be going out with a larger group to Chotto, which will be a tad more, um, boisterous).

Why do you ding Campton Place? I know little about it...

Trying to select a place I have not tried for an upcoming dinner for 4.

Here's my current wish list.
Which would you recommend, or strike, from among the following?
-- Commis
-- Manresa
-- Campton Place
-- Keiko Nob Hill
-- Hachi Ju Hachi
-- Luce
-- Sons and Daughters
-- Nopa
-- Bar Tartine

Wakuriya is fantastic. I was there once. They are, though, hard to reserve as they book up quickly.
I have not yet been to hachi-ju-hachi so I cannot compare.

How about Japanese kaiseki?
This place in Saratoga is high on my list of places to try, but I have yet to see reports of their kaiseki option. If anybody knows, chime in?

http://www.hachijuhachi88.com/
http://www.hachijuhachi88.com/menu/me...

If you go this route, perhaps Bourbon and Branch? They have a very cool vibe, are walkable from Union Square, and have excellent cocktails.

TAKOYAKI
OKONOMIYAKI