Posted by: tinecho | February 14, 2008

Santorini, 02.14.08

santorini
753 Laurel St
San Carlos, CA 94070

(650) 637-8283

Aw, doesn’t it look romantic?  Right on Laurel in the heart of downtown, this little Mediterranean restaurant has a familial feel.  With only 11 tables (13 if you count the two oustide), Santorini boasts a generous portion of lemon chicken soup and really darn good grilled veggies and flavorful chicken.  The nice thing about Valentine’s Day, among others, is getting complimentary baklava with complete with milk chocolate frosting.  Here’s to your loved ones, whomever wherever they may be.  Happy Valentine’s Day.

Chances of coming back?: If you’re a resident to San Carlos, pretty darn good.

Why here?:  Because it’s not pretentious, but the food is so flavorful.

Belly buster: Warning to those whose eyes are bigger than their stomachs, the mixed sampler platter followed by the generous portion of soup probably means you’re taking home the rest.

(Umair)

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Posted by: tinecho | February 9, 2008

Canton Dim Sum & Seafood, 02.09.08

canton dim sum

655 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94107

(415) 495-3064 or 3065

Kang hae fat choi.  Anyone who wants to offer a better phoenetic spelling, please do so…but Happy Rat New Year!  There’s plenty to celebrate, and wanting to do it properly, the waitress is quickly handed a cell phone to talk to a Cantonese-speaking mother on the other side of the country.  What follows is a clay pot of pork and eggplant, a “lucky” tofu dish, a “lucky” noodle dish (noodles = long life, duh), and finally a complimentary red bean based “lucky” dessert.  Though the rather entertaining dinner conversation is under wraps, rest assured that the hysterically giggly group of girls are not much of a disturbance, seated apart from the rest of the diners, closer to the half of the giant space that is empty (pictured here).

Chances of coming back?: For quality dim sum, without having to schlep to Chinatown, heck yea!

Why here?: The large space can accommodate wedding parties…and since it is in SoMa, there is plenty of free parking after 7. 

Belly buster: Just perfect for a Chinese New Year feast.

(Karen, Bonnie, Lucinda)

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Posted by: tinecho | February 5, 2008

QQ Noodle, 02.05.08

qq

3625 Thornton Ave
Fremont, CA 94536

(510) 713-0228

Well, if you were planning on teaching your child how to read menus like a true foodie, this is probably not the place for you.  But, here is a page out of the picture-book menu.  This dish, by the way, is pretty darn satisfying, if you don’t mind separating off the fat from the real deal.  Appalling as it may sound, you can just leave your scraps directly on the table…thus implying, you may not want to eat anything that falls out of the bowl.  At least it’s not as crowded for lunch as it is dinner…

Chances of coming back: Never say never after a second visit

Why here?:  Need comfort food now…or crave a soupy noodly dish on a serious budget.

Belly buster: Despite the carbo-loading, some will inevitably be hungry soon thereafter. 

(Lucinda)

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Posted by: tinecho | February 4, 2008

Coco500, 02.04.08

coco500

500 Brannan St (at 4th)
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 543-2222

The concept sounds good: duck prosciutto.  In theory at least…little gamey, little strong for some people’s taste, but hey, they probably don’t have it in Texas so get your fill here.  Coco500 is the kind of place you’ll eventually try since people are always curious about it.  The menu is fresh, the decor minimal– four paintings reminiscient of the seasons remind you that this is a cozy place where you can eat at all year round.  The wood paneling is lovely and overall, there’s a nice warm feeling that pervades.

Chances of coming back?:  Pretty good fine dining experience.  Maybe if someone else is treating…like the boss. 

Why here?:  It’s the perfect intersection of neighborhoody yet nice for all those SoMa employees out there waiting for their friends to return from the peninsula. 

Belly Buster:  They won’t hound you for ordering light tonight, just one appetizer, salad, and pizza, please, to share. 

(Anne)

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Posted by: tinecho | February 2, 2008

Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant

sflocal

330 first street, (between folsom and harrison), 415-777-4200 

Oh to have lived walking distance and never even have known it was there!  A relative newcomer to SOMA, this place is modern, elegant, and interestingly enough, full of more counter space than tables.  Think marble.  Think crystal.  Think white.  Think clean and modern.  Think about impressing someone.  And think about how the lighting would change with each meal.  What a great find.  Come quick, before the One Rincon residents move in and it becomes a 2-hour wait.  Thanks for making SoMa a little more hip.

Chances of coming back: Want to try breakfast and lunch next!

Why here?: Because you want breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Because there is that table that seats 12 that is hidden from view.  Because you need to impress your boss.  Because you love hidden gems with easy parking.  Because you need to stock up on wine and they have a shop attached to the dining space.  If nothing else, because you possibly feel like buying a magazine…yes, they sell the most recent editions at the front.

Belly buster: Great 3-course pre fixe set-up for large groups.

(Jean and almost 20 other people)

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Posted by: tinecho | February 1, 2008

On the Bridge, 02.01.08

On the Bridge

 1581 Webster St # 206, San Francisco – (415) 922-7765

Eclectic little cafe, but cute nonetheless.  Be careful not to pour your soy sauce on the books and magazines that surround you within these tight walls.  Despite it’s un-original name–as it’s named after it’s physical location in Japantown–this spot offers a good weekday dinner full of rather interesting creations.  From traditional donburi to spaghetti?? concoctions, the cook nevertheless aims to please.  Special note, if you insist on extra sauce; the cook may come out and lecture you that he knows his stuff better than you as he reluctantly delivers.

Chances of coming back: Quick and easy dinner if you make it inside.  Sure, why not.  Especially if you’re feeling too lazy to make a decision on any of the usual spots.

Why here?: Japanese spaghetti…just for fun.

Belly Bust Factor: You’ll leave with the perfect level of fullness…but probably craving dessert.

(Amy C. with an “e”)

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Posted by: tinecho | February 1, 2008

Sophie’s Crepes, 02.01.2008

Sophie’s Crepes

1581 Webster St # 275 San Francisco CA

415-929-7732

Chances are, you just ate in J-town, so you probably just finished a light and healthy dinner.  Time for a little indulgence.  Walk across the bridge to the very end of the more crowded side of Japantown and turn left; by now you’ve burned off enough calories to warrant the treat…perhaps not.  But it’s a light treat.  Buy a crepe.  Fill it with ice cream, or fruit, and/or gooey goodness.  Watch the magic as the crepe forms before your very eyes.  And then sit on the benches outside and just let the happiness fill you.  Yum. 

Chance you’ll come back: 100% 

Why here?: An easy late night treat for anyone of any age, this is like the beacon guiding you home as you wander the dimly lit corridors of J-town.

Belly buster?: messy but delectable treat; perfect for sharing

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Posted by: tinecho | January 31, 2008

Azie, 01.31.08

Azie

 826 Folsom St at 3rd
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 538-0918

With no conception of the venue, we arrived (one of us a little bit late…mind the grueling SoMa bridge-backup traffic please).  Azie was a surprisingly large space–two stories, apparently able to accommodate 100 sit-down guests–but the unique lighting and curtained booths evoke a cozy feel.  The 2 oz. wine tasting menu was a happy discovery for the lightweight, but it’s the giant football-sized roast at the adjacent table that we’ll really remember.  We’re pretty sure that the line chef from Lulu next door was just being spoiled as a regular, but the dish was a conversation piece nonetheless for two city girls, including one vegetarian, to admire extensively while contemplating culinary careers of our own.  Well, maybe we’ll start small by just taking cooking classes.  But there’s something about seeing a chef dine out at his neighboring restaurant to make for a satisfying conclusion to the 2008 Dine About Town 2008.  Thank you, San Francisco, for being such a friendly city to dine in.  (Kavita, Dine About Town)

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Posted by: tinecho | January 29, 2008

Les Amis, 01.29.08

Les Amis

568 Sacramento St. at Montgomery
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 291-9145

Les Amis is French for “the friends.”  And in this tiny downtown dining room, three “co-workers” bonded in a way that denotes true friendship.  You know, all dressed to the nines, having just come from the office, but with nothing work related to discuss and only fun observations to be had.  Such as, if this is a French restaurant, why are there so many da*n Asians in this place?  (over 90%  and more at the door makes for an embarrassing / amusing statistic).  Who knows, the experience was still fun for a weeknight!  Thanks, Asian people, for helping us make fun of ourselves tonight.  (”Amy”, Sandra for Dine About Town).

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Posted by: tinecho | January 27, 2008

Koh Samui and the Monkey, 01.27.08

Koh Samui

415 Brannan St
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 369-0007  

Koh Samui and the Monkey has some unique decorative pieces, if you actually notice them.  There’s the “See no evil, hear no evil, do no evil” bench at the door, caged goldfish (yup, in a cage), and this waterfall, which is hard to notice unless you are actually looking straight at it.  It’s a beautiful piece that deserves quality face-to-face time on your way to or from the restroom, as you can’t see it from the main dining space or even the bar for that matter.  There’s not too much good cuisine open late on a Sunday night, but luckily, our local Thai produced the perfect level of spicy duck curry to satisfy our German visitor, who was just passing through on his way back from the world and home to Germany.  Yes, we will come visit you next time.  Thanks for sharing your worldly adventures with us.  (Markus, Matt) 

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