whiner's Profile
Looking For Restaurant With Great Bone Marrow / Marrow-Based Dish
Hi all,
Strange request, but my friend is pregnant and craving it... Anyone know of good braised meats with bone marrow (eg. Osso Bucco, short rib with marrow crust) or marrow, itself dishes at a nice, not super expensive restaurant in West L.A, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Agoura, Westlake, or Thousand Oaks? Thanks!
Good, Fresh Fish Restaurant
Title pretty much says it all. Can anyone recommend a nice restaurant, (apps anywhere from $8 to $20, mains anywhere from $25 to $40) that has excellent, fresh fish choices. It doesn't need to be a fancy restaurant or fancy preparations -- even something as simple as sole meuniere or a baked ono with a tropical slaw would do. Just a nice restaurant with, as I just said, excellent fresh fish options. Malibu, Agoura, Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades would be the areas I'm looking in, primarily. TIA.
Plate Malibu
Sorry if this is a duplicate post, my internet is the current bane of my extistance.
I had a lovely dinner here last month... except for the food.
I don't normally write reviews for underwhelming restaurants, but I'm beginning to creep about Malibu and the surrounding locals on extended hiatus from SF and figured I would write up a review or two.
My friend and I walked right in at around 6pm on a Tuesday night. The restaurant was nearly empty. The lines are very clean and modern and the atmosphere is quite casual but elegant. The lighting is a bit dim but nifty flashlights are provided to patrons to peruse the long menu.
It is quickly apparent that this is, at least, a somewhat health - conscious restaurat with plenty of grilled and lighter fare. The salads are noted as having light, excuse me, "lite," dressings. The main courses are divided into both an Italian-inspired section as well as a Modern American section. There is also an extensive non-alcoholic beverage selection which we took advantage of. I had pomegranate green iced tea. The high school girls who wound up sitting at the table behind us shared some sort of tower of non-alcoholic something which looked fascinating.
We ordered and were brought decent flat bread. Then the salads came out. My roasted pear and blue cheese salad was off. I found the dressing watery and the point reyes blue cheese too conservatively incorporated into the salad. This is one of the more dissapointing blue cheese and cooked fruit salads I've had. For my main course I had the special mixed grill which contained an unispired bratwurst -- fine, but just a nice hot dog, really; as well as two rib lamb chops (one rare, one medium well -- I had ordered them medium rare) and a well seasoned petite filet (medium, I asked for medium rare). The $36 price of the mixed grill was also a bit off putting seeing as how most of the main courses at other, better, Malibu restaurants are in the upper twenties or lower thirties. I had a forgettable dessert. Literally, I had this meal just a couple of weeks ago, I never forget a course after years, and I've forgotten what I had.
Overall, I found the place lovely, and my company great, but I would look elsewhere for good food in the area.
Napa - Spring Mountain Wineries - Recommendations?
Ritchie Creek is an interesting experience, I don't think they charge a tasting fee at all. It really is just a shack in the woods. I don't love their wines, but I'm definitely happy I've visited, so maybe try that.
Napa - Spring Mountain Wineries - Recommendations?
>>If you had to pick 3 what would be your top choices? I have appointments at several but want to narrow down, as we also want to go down to the St Helena area as well.
Thanks!<<
Pride. You go there because it is Pride. Also, they do have some good juice.
Apart from that, there are a lot of 'hard to get into' places up there that people sometimes can get into. Paloma, Behrens and Hitchcock, for example. Most notably I would try to make an appointment with Sherwin Vineyards and Realm, I believe Realm is operated out of Sherwin.
I had a lot of fun at Schwaiger when I went tasting there. The wines weren't the best (though their Zinfandel Port was excellent) but I just thought the people were great and inviting.
I found Barnett beautiful but underwhelming, Guilliams was too bretty for me, overall...
Just my $0.02
Delarosa
I've wound up eating through at least half the menu here over the past week and a half. Long story.
Anyway, this is a vibrant, inexpensive 18yo to early-40's-believing-they-are-still-32 hang out in the Marina, open until 1am with mostly excellent Italian-inspired food. The one dud for me was the polenta with gorgonzola. The highlights have been the meatballs in spicy marinara ($6), the goat cheese and red pepper pannini (with onion and roasted garlic) ($11), the garganelli (a type of pasta) with porcini, pancetta and sage ($11), and the large arugula salad served exactly as it ought to be -- with a little shaved fennel, some regiano parmesan, salt, pepper, lemon juice and evoo and that is it. ($10 for the large, $6 for the small). Very accommodating for to-go orders. Excellent beer list, and reasonable wine list, though not nearly as impressive as the beer list.
For a place that you can walk in for dinner, get a $6 appetizer, an $11 main course (the most expensive thing on the menu is $16), feel stuffed to the gills, and have had terrific and, frankly, nourishing, food... this is really quite incredible.
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Delarosa
2175 Chestnut St, San Francisco, CA 94123
Food : Wine
I really like and respect Navarro. I think they make just about the best Alsatian white varietals in CA. (Martinelli would be the only one I think might sometimes do a better job -- but a different style, too.) The cluster select late harvest wines are exceptional.
It is definitely harder to prepare the menu than the wine. If I want to serve a braised lamb shank with polenta and roasted root veggies, that takes hours of planning and work. If I want to pair it with a Cote-Rotie, that takes a trip to the cellar or, worst case scenario, wine store.
Birthday dinner wine pairing help
I suppose it depends upon the chilis. I was not thinking particularly hot chilis. You are right, if there is significant heat, the White Bordeaux would not work.
Birthday dinner wine pairing help
Dry white Bordeaux up to the tenderloin, then red Bordeaux.
Pairing help, please.....
Austrian Muskateller or Riesling. Cru Beaujolais would also work.
Best sommelier in the Bay Area 2011
I forget her name, but the second-in-command at Perbacco takes my vote for best experience this year.
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Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Restaurants near the Wharf?
rworange, I completely agree with you that there seems to be a double standard re: authenticity on these boards when it comes to European and Mediterranean food v. "Asian" food. (Chinese, Vietnamese, etc.) And I agree with Robert below that it has an outstanding wine list, location, and for many seats, view. My only complaint is that in the past 2-3 years prices have gone up 15-20%, and, as a local, that means it is not, for me, the value it used to be.
Restaurants near the Wharf?
FWIW: I have no problem recommending Slanted Door to a tourist. It is excellent, interesting, and has become an SF institution. Plus the wine list is very well thought out. My only problem with it is (if you are ordering the red meat main courses) that it is getting dangerously close in price to restaurants like Boulevard and Ame -- both in walking distance. And it is certainly more expensive than several restaurants in SF that I think are a bit better, as well.
So... (a) I think it is a great restaurant and worthy of a strong recommendation depending on a tourist's parameters.
(b) I don't eat there too often because I feel I can find equal or slightly better food and service for the same price or lower elsewhere.
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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111
Restaurants near the Wharf?
If you MUST eat at the Wharf, Ana Mandara, hands down. Otherwise, run.
Any food, any budget covers a lot of ground, here is where I eat within about 2 miles from the Wharf:
*The Good*
Delarossa (Inexpensive, loud, young, Italian)
A16 (Moderately priced, loud, young, Southern Italian)
Blue Barn Gourmet (Take out salads and sandwiches for lunch)
Helmand Palace (Moderately inexpensive Afghani)
Piperade (Moderately expensive Basque)
*The Great*
La Folie (Very Expensive, Provencal French in an unusually relaxed atmosphere for the type of restaurant it is)
Perbacco (Moderately priced, my favorite Italian in town, inventive Piedmontese cooking)
Barbacco (Moderately inexpensive little sister to Perbacco)
Ame (Expensive, Japanese/Italian fusion with some French accents)
L'Osteria del Forno (Inexpensive, no reservations, cash only, pizza and roasts -- for what it is, imo, it falls under "great")
Boulevard (Expensive, Cal/French)
Coi isn't far by but very very expensive and more of an intellectual experience.
Slanted Door you mentioned. Excellent, imo, but the prices have gotten disproportionate to the restaurant. So, on a pure value basis I cannot recommend it, except to say it is excellent and a real SF experience... just overpriced for me right now. The same could be said of Gary Danko, right near the Wharf. Awesome restaurant, just not as good as the asking price.
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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111
Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
A16
2355 Chestnut St., San Francisco, CA 94123
L'Osteria del Forno
519 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
La Folie
2316 Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109
Piperade
1015 Battery St., San Francisco, CA 94111
Gary Danko
800 N Point St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Helmand Palace
2424 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109
Blue Barn Gourmet
2105 Chestnut St, San Francisco, CA 94123
Barbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Favorite restuarants?
I haven't been to Fringale in 2 years. I know it changed ownership, is it still excellent? Over the past several years there, I've had some good meals there, and some outstanding meals there.
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Fringale Restaurant
570 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
Here for a week from Miami
Actually, you are only a few blocks from one of the best values in the city -- an Afghani place called Helmand Palace. Unique and very tasty food. I actually think the seafood scene here isn't what visitors think it will be -- if you are willing to pay some bucks, I think the best restaurant for seafood in town is Ame. (It is also remarkably creative while still being comforting.) Otherwise, Pesce, also very easy walking distance from you, is very good and a good value. Slanted Door is excellent, way overpriced, not authentic to Vietnam, but a true SF experience.
Honestly, I think the thing San Francisco does best is authentic regional Italian food. I know, I know... visitors wouldn't think that is where they should be looking, but it is.
Perbacco (Piedmonte)
Delfina (Tuscan)
A16 (Southern)
La Ciccia (Sardinian)
SPQR (Roman)
are all worth looking into. FWIW, I think Perbacco and Delfina, probably in that order, are the best of the bunch.
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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111
La Ciccia
291 30th Street, San Francisco, CA 94131
Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
A16
2355 Chestnut St., San Francisco, CA 94123
Delfina Restaurant
3621 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Pesce
2227 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
SPQR
1911 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
Helmand Palace
2424 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109
Favorite restuarants?
Within their respective price categories and styles of dining:
Perbacco
Delfina
Ame
La Folie
NOPA
But those are all VERY different from one another in pretty much all aspects (though both Delfina and Perbacco are Northern Italian, just different parts).
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Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
La Folie
2316 Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109
Delfina Restaurant
3621 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Italian Dinner with old friend in SF
Delfina. Perbacco, if you cannot get into Delfina.
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Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Delfina Restaurant
3621 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
SF steakhouses 2011
My (limited) wisdom on this remains unchanged. I don't generally go to steakhouses, but if I do go, Harris' is the spot for me.
Recommendations for dad’s birthday dinner in the South Bay?
Kingfish. Not fancy at all, but I've never been with anyone who didn't like it. Also in San Mateo, Central Park Bistro -- a little more "prepared" menu as opposed to "a nice piece of steak or fish", also a little more elegant, but not necessarily better.
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Central Park Bistro
181 East 4th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401
Romantic Restaurant - Help Please
I am replying without reading the other replies first, so this is fresh. If money is not an issue and you can get in, I would *STRONGLY* recommend La Folie based upon your parameters. My second choice for you might actually be La Ciccia -- it is very "family" oriented, if you find that romantic.
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La Ciccia
291 30th Street, San Francisco, CA 94131
La Folie
2316 Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109
foodie, mid-priced & great atmosphere dinner recommendations in city?
I'll second Nopa as another possibility.
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Nopa
560 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Looking for Excellent Mid or Up Scale Mexican
Yep. San Francisco. Why Mexican? Long stay, I know the city pretty well but never been to a nice Mexican restaurant there so I decided I might check one out. No reason beyond that.
delicious, not-trendy, family-friendly places to eat
Helmand Palace really should be on your 'to-do' list.
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Helmand Palace
2424 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109
foodie, mid-priced & great atmosphere dinner recommendations in city?
Perbacco
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Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Looking for Excellent Mid or Up Scale Mexican
Thanks for the replies. The menu at Empellon looks excellent and versatile. Both Hell's Kitchen and Toloache are easy walking distance from my hotel (51st at 7th), so this is very helpful. Thank you.
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Toloache
251 West 50th Street, New York, NY 10019
Empellon Taqueria
230 W 4th St, New York, NY 10014
Looking for Excellent Mid or Up Scale Mexican
I'll be in town for a couple of weeks around Thanksgiving and I'm curious what NYC has in these regards. I'm quite familiar with the city, generally, but I've never been to a real Mexican, or even Southwest, restaurant there. I'd love to read thoughts.
"X% of wines are corked."
Veggo,
Most recently purchased corked bottles can be returned at the distributer / winery's expense. Having worked in wine retail I can assure you that the majority of reputable distributers refund, in full, corked bottles of wine.
That said, obviously older bottles do not work this way and the question may become dicier.
So long as both the customer and the retailer have the same understanding from the outset, I don't think there is a problem.
"X% of wines are corked."
5% is low. I would say at least 8 to 10% of wines using traditional cork closures are obviously corked to me. There are always those "threshold" bottles, though, where it seems a bit off, but you cannot be sure why...
