August 18, 2007
New York, NY
What we came to love about New York was that we never had to wait more than 15 minutes for a table and one outside - something we never find in San Francisco. We were wondering around the West Village one morning and found Extra Virgin. We really stopped because there was an adorable little dog sitting outside but then we found these incredible smells coming from the restaurant, so, we put our name in. We ordered a couple cups of joe and a Bellini (after all, I am on vacation!!). The coffee was hot and the Bellini hit the spot - cool, refreshing and bubbly! For breakfast we decided on the Morocccan Scramble and the Eggs Benedict. Both dishes arrived piping hot and looking fantastic! The scramble had a nice assortment of Merguez sausage, chickpeas (L. loves them) and it was served with a Romesco sauce. The sausage gave the dish a nice somewhat spicy taste and the chickpeas added a really great, a little crunchy texture to the eggs - not what you would expect! Now, I am a very picky Egg Benedict eater - I like the sauce made properly (butter and lemon, not chicken stock or wine or from a package), I always ask for a sample before ordering the dish. As well, I like the eggs to be on the running side, not hard-boiled and not spongy or over running .... just right! This was a FANTASTIC dish - the sauce was perfect, the eggs were cooked just right and there was a really nice smoked bacon served on the egg muffins instead of Canadian bacon as well there were some really out of this world spicy fries and a nice little green salad served with it. I give Extra Virgin 4 forks and if I lived in New York I would be having brunch there more often! They would had gotten a 5 Fork but our waitress was a bit on the snooty side.
August 17, 2007
San Francisco, CA
Had dinner tonight with my friend, K. We had intended to go somewhere else when we stumbled upon Pescheria. We were very pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful dining room that decorated in a minimalist tone with beautiful blue and green tiles, as well it is very casual - very "neighborhood chic"! Unfortunately, we did not have a reservation (highly recommended) and could not get a table; lucky for us, there were two seats at the bar, which is simple and very cozy . We normally hit the wine list immediately but this time around, we noticed everyone was drinking cocktails so we decided to go that way. I ordered a Processco cocktail which was favored with a bit of orange bitters, very refreshing! K. ordered a limoncello cocktail - she was worried it may be too sweet but was pleasantly surprised that it was not, as well it was very refreshing. We both started with the Insalata di spinaci - which was made with Bloomsdale farms organic spinach, oven-dried tomatoes, black mission figs, Lauren chenel goatcheese. The spinach was slightly wilted and the fresh figs added a nice texture and taste with the dressing. K. ordered the Halibut d' Alaska con patate tartufate e fagiolini, which was a Pan seared halibut, with a truffle potato puree and served with baby green beans. I ordered the Butterfish al Cartoccio with Chanterelle mushrooms, baby spring vegetables and a lemon/herb butter, this dish was cooked in parchment paper. Both dishes were very fresh. All meals are cooked with organic vegetables and they grow their herbs in the back - you definitely can tell the difference with the freshness. I did prefer the Halibut over the Butterfish, as it had a lot more flavor as well the texture was a little more firm. The Butterfish was good but I found it a little on the bland side and a bit overcooked. For dessert we ordered the Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp and the Chocolate Panna Cotta. The crisp was fantastic - cooked perfectly and still crispy! The Panna Cotta was lacking in the chocolate department and the texture was that of a jello product as well it was served with some cherries which were soaked in something particular - did not go that well with the chocolate. The espresso was fantastic! I did look at the wine list and was very pleased as there is a nice assortment of wines and red covering just about all wine regions as well they are reasonably priced. Overall, I was very happy to find a new restaurant to eat at in Noe Valley and one that is considered fine dining but also very casual, as I said, "neighborhood chic". I will definitely go back there and highly recommend that you do as well, you will not be disappointed. I give them a 4 fork rating!
August 1, 2007
New York, NY
We were so excited when we found out about the Little Owl on Food and Wine. I was looking for somewhere special to take L. for his birthday while we were in New York and I did not want it to be over the top; but, instead I wanted it to be small and intimate with outstanding food. After stumbling on the piece on Food and Wine, I started searching the Internet for other tid-bites about this place and was pleasantly surprised to read about how fantastic it was. I had a feeling that I found a gem but we would never be able to get in. So, I took it upon myself to email one of the owners, Gabriel, and he replied that it would be a pleasure to have us. So for the next month we talked about the Little Owl and about how excited we were to eat there!
We arrived to find the Little Owl in a quaint part of the West Village on a corner in a special little neighborhood. We were pleasantly surprised to find out how small it was and we loved that the kitchen was somewhat exposed to the dining room - the brick and timber style was right up our alley, we actually dreamed about how we would love to claim it as our own kitchen at home. Upon sitting down, we immediately asked the waitress for a suggestion for wine and the only stipulation was that it was not from California (I do not like to order wine from CA when I am traveling - we have it all the time at home), she suggested one from the Chinon region of France and since we were recently there we went for that as well as a order of the ever-so-famous sliders, to nosh on while we looked over the menu. The wine and the sliders arrived just in time as we were starving and we had made our final decisions. We ordered the Heirloom Tomato Salad and I ordered the Broiled Halibut and L. ordered the New York Steak and the Spiced Fries. The wine was flavorful upon the first few sips unfortunately, it did mellow out more than I would had liked it, too. It was not big enough for the steak that was going to be arriving shortly and I had wished we would had been told this upon ordering. I did mention that I like big and juicy wines as well that L. was particular to merlots so if we could get something inbetween that would be great - my opinon this was not inbetween - oh, well next time! By this time, though, we were half way thru the bottle and knew we could not say anything. The sliders were out of this world - very nicely flavored and the little buns with asiago cheese on top were light and fluffy - a great combination! I LOVED my halibut which was served with a corn and pea salad and a pesto vinaigrette. The Corn and Pea salad was incredibly fresh and flavorful and the crunchiness of the broiled halibut really added a nice bite to it, the vinaigrette wrapped it all together into a nice little package - I am hungry for it just thinking about it! The New York steak was cooked to a nice medium rare perfection and the radicchio, pancetta and balsamic reduction definitely complimented the meat, as well the spicy fries were a very nice recommendation - definitely a new and fresh twist on one of our standard Steak Frite loves! We were definitely too full for dessert; but, being L.'s birthday we knew we had to have something sweet to celebrate, so we opted for the warm chocolate brownie cake served with espresso gelato. It arrived at our table with a nicely lite birthday candle and looked incredibly pretty in the dimly lite Little Owl. Dessert definitely did not disappoint us and even though we were very full from dinner we managed to finish every last drop! The cake was moist and full of dark chocolate flavor and the espresso in the gelato complimented the chocolate very well! Overall, we loved our meal, the wait staff, the atmosphere and the Little Owl. I give it a 4 1/5 fork rating only because we were ultimately not happy with the wine. We talk about how we need to fly out there again soon, if not for anything else but a wonderfully romantic and satisfying evening at the Little Owl - you must hurry there before everyone else hears of it as well! A definite gem tucked away in the West Village!
June 29, 2007
San Francisco, CA
Dined with our friends A & J at this happening new sushi spot. It use to be the spot of Tin Pan. Still is a lively little spot which is dimly light and great house music playing in the background, not to mention the hunky waiters .... so, the Castro! We started the evening with a couple bottles of warm sake and a couple orders of the crazy crab roll - the sake was warm and went down nicely with this crazy crab which was pretty darn good as well. Very fresh crab tempura, which was not overly fried and the roll finished with a bit of a garlic bite to it - unexpected but nice touch. Then we ordered the gyoza, which I normally do not like, but thy were not too large, nice bite size, again not fried but still crispy on the outside and the dipping sauce was delicious! We then moved to a couple platters of the Pink Lady which was a lobster roll - out of this world! A little spicy and the lobster was succulent! Then we moved onto a couple orders of the super spicy tuna roll, which had a nice hamachi topping with sliced jalapenos - very yummy! We finished off the platters the sizzling steak tower, which was strips of steak, cooked medium rare and served over a bed of steamed spinach with a light teriyaki sauce. Everything was really fresh from the fish to the veggies and the service was equally as great from the bartenders all the way to the bus boys! We had a great time and will definitely go back!
I give this a 5 fork or 5 chopstick rating!
June 20, 2007
San Francisco, CA
I have driven by TAO on a daily basis for the past 5 years, but have never eaten there. Last night we wanted to meet our friend B for dinner somewhere casual, reasonable and good, where we could focus on catching up. In all honesty my moment of excitement was crushed when B said he was not really that impressed with TAO but that he would go along as company was more important. I arrived with low expectations at this point. The spot is really nice and very cozy – dimly light with soft yellow colored walls it really warms up the atmosphere. I loved the round tables with high backed straw chairs - not only great looking but very comfortable. As well you can't beat listening to Serge Gainsbourg in the background. The wait staff was very friendly as well as funny - always making these subtle little jokes during conversations. We started with the crab wontons - they were served on a bed of shredded carrots with a slightly spicy sauce. They were crispy on the outside and warm and flavorful on the inside - in all honesty, L loved them more than I did but they were tasty, I just was not in love with them. For our entrees, I ordered the Veggie Spicy Garlic noodles with zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, tomato & onion, L ordered the Lemongrass-crusted bass fillet, plantain banana, light curry sauce with white rice and B ordered the Spicy Fresh rolls of grilled beef with lemongrass, ginger & green onion with tamarind sauce. I loved my noodle dish - spicy but not overwhelming, the veggies were still slightly crunchy and the garlic and chili sauce was bursting with flavor - I was very happy. L's dish of Lemongrass-crusted bass was outstanding as well. The fish was little fried, but not oily at all, a little crunchy on the outside and very moist and flaky on the instead and lightly seasoned the yellow curry sauce served with it was really delicious and brought out the flavor of the fish very well. The Plantain banana served on the side was a nice sweet surprise - sort of like dessert with dinner! B's dish - well, he did not share, he said it was okay and I think he just really wanted to eat somewhere else. We did not have dessert but they do offer anything from ice cream to tarts - something for everyone! I give it a 5 fork rating for pleasant atmosphere, friendly wait staff and an outstanding meal full of wonderful Vietnamese flavors with a French flair! Definitely a nice addition to our neighborhood meal picks!
June 18, 2007
San Francisco, CA

Le Zinc ~ 4063 24th Street, Tel : 415 647 9400
Last night we dined at Le Zinc. I had the impression Le Zinc would be very casual. I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived to find that it was casual but also romantic - very French and charming. Our waitress was French, very pleasant and knowledgeable about the menu. Even though I wish she would had began by telling us what they did not have on the menu; you will see why. We started with a couple glasses of Lillet. The Lillet was served over ice with a swirl of orange peel - I had never had Lillet served this way and I really enjoyed how refreshing it was. It was the perfect way to start the evening especially since it was warm outside and it seemed to be the perfect summer cocktail. We had wanted to order a Crab and Avocado dish only to find out, they did not actually have it this evening. So we ordered the Special Shrimp appetizer and a Warm Goat Cheese Salad to start the evening. The shrimp was very interesting as they wrapped the shrimp around a very small pepper, which only had a small amount of fire to it, just enough to really enhance the grilled shrimp flavor. The Warm Goat Cheese Salad was very simple - a blend of mixed salad greens with light vinaigrette, along the side was a small slice of goat cheese on the top of a toasted piece of baguette which was then drizzled with some honey. Now I loved the combination but I was disappointed in the size of the goat cheese and the fact that it had been warmed awhile back as it was not as soft as it should be. For our main course we ordered the Steak Frite and the Lamb Special with a 2003 Margaux. The Margaux was beautiful - full bodied with lots of jammy flavors which exploded in your mouth on the first sip. We knew this was going to go very well with the full red meat dishes we had ordered. The Steak Frite was a big disappointment mainly because the cut was terrible. They used a hanger cut and this particular one was very small, not the size of what you usually get in a French restaurant neither in the states nor in
June 10, 2007
San Jose, CA
Sousa's Restaurant ~ 1614 Alum Rock Avenue, 408.926.9075
Lazy Sunday afternoon & we decided that we wanted to have a nice early dinner, Portuguese style. We at here about 3 years ago, not much has changed. The atmosphere is simple and clean, nice white linen table clothes and napkins and Portuguese music playing in the background. My boyfriend is Portuguese so he took the liberty of ordering for us. We started with a steamed clam dish. It was good but lacking in real authentic flavor. The sauce was too watered down and definitely was missing something - salt? He ordered the Octopus. Now I love octopus for sushi but could not bring myself to trying this one - he said it was good, not spicy enough and not like mom's but very good. I had the Beef da Casa, which was a very nice cut and cooked just like I like it, medium rare. As well it was not as spicy as I like but it was very flavorful and enjoyable! Both dishes came with french fries, which were good but needed some salt. We had a half bottle of the house red. Pleasantly surprised that it was a good table wine as well the bread they serve when you sit down was very very good! For dessert we decided to go down the street to one of our favorite cafes, Cafe do Canto. The service was nice, the place was pleasant and the food was "good"; but, it was too far to go for a $60 lunch. I give Sousa's a 3 fork rating.June 1, 2007
San Mateo, CA
Aldo's Pizza ~ 600 S. Norfolk
We heard about Aldo's when we went to a Portuguese Festa in South San Francisco, a couple weeks ago. We were bidding at an auction on some very good homemade chorizo as was another gentleman. Who we came to know was Manny, the owner of Aldo's. We were told that we had to check out the pizza. So, after a long week we decided to make the drive down to San Mateo for a pie! All the way down L was dreaming of Chorizo - he is Portuguese and misses the food - as I was also looking forward to having a pizza with some of the spiciness of the Chorizo with it!
Aldo's is located in a small shopping center right on the street side. Nothing fancy, small pizza place with a dozen tables and a small bar. The place was packed with families, couples and people you could tell are regulars. We were disappointed to find that there was no pizza that would be considered "Portuguese" nor any that had chorizo, so we opted for the next best thing, the Classic Italian with Prosciutto, De Parma, Italian Sausage, Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic and Romano - we ordered a large pie as well as a Carafe of the House Burgandy. Let me just say these few words about the pizza - I only got two slices as I was yapping to much and L devoured it - it was a GREAT pie! The crust was thin and crispy, we are still talking about it. Just the right about of toppings and not too much sauce or cheese. Cooked to perfection! Actually, it was so good that we sat for awhile and thought about ordering another one! The wine, well, let me say this - there is a reason they call it House Burgandy. If you are looking for a inexpensive way to forgot your troubles then go for the House Burgandy.
I definitely recommend Aldo's for a low-key pizza dinner, skip the wine, order a pitcher of beer! I give Aldo's a 4 fork rating (only because they did not have a chorizo pizza)!
May 17, 2007
San Francisco, CA

Bi-Rite Creamery ~ 3692 18th Street
I was so excited when I heard that one of my favorite markets was opening an organic creamery!! I drove by weekly to see when it would open. I will never forget the day we drove up, got parking across the street & unloaded our crew, M (5 yrs old), E (3 years old) and M (8 months old) - they were so excited to finally be tasting possibly the best ice cream in San Francisco! So, we bound into the store ..... only to be told they were not open yet. Major bummer and disappointment on their no longer smiley faces. The guy there felt so bad that he offered to give them a cone each of the only ice cream he had ... pumpkin. I am thinking to myself - BONUS points for the soon to be creamery but at the same time how am I going to talk them into Pumpkin ice cream - they hate pumpkin. Well ... they loved the ice cream and I mean loved it, slurped it up and could not stop talking about this place! I knew in my heart this place would be worth the wait! Well, they were! I stop by at least once a month and I always get the same thing Roasted Banana Ice Cream - it is out of this world. Super rich and creamy and not to sweet. You can tell it is organic from the first lick - just melts on your tongue with creamy goodness!!! I finally stopped by and picked up a pint for dessert at home last night. This time I strayed from my all time favorite for one that I have been hearing about and reading about everywhere - Salted Caramel. Now, I love Caramel but salt added to that??? Kind of weird and I was suspect. Let me say this get it while it lasts! Sweet, creamy and succulent with a little bit of tartness to it! An explosion in your mouth! 5 fork rating, definitely!
They also sell the pints in the frozen section of their market, on the same street.
May 13, 2007
San Francisco, CA
After a long bike ride Saturday morning, we decided on our way back into town that we could go for some grub at Toast! Once again, the wait was minimal but this time we did sit inside. We got a different waitress, she was just "Okay" - Leonard is the best! L ordered a greek scramble which had tons of feta, spinach, olives, tomatoes and artichoke hearts. It came with a side of fruit which had some very favorable pineapple, almost as sweet as the ones I had in Thailand. I ordered a Greek Salad. The eggs were as good as always! And the salad was GREAT! The dressing was perfect, just enough olive oil and balsamic to make it a little creamy and the seasonings were so tasty!!!! The drawbacks were that she forgot my baguette that went with the salad and she tops off your cold coffee with hot coffee - we are spoiled by Leonard, he gives a fresh up every time! We still give it a 5 forks rating and will go back - back to Leonard's section!
May 6, 2007
San Francisco, CA
TOAST ~ 1748 Church Street, 415.282.4EAT
We never go out for Breakfast/Brunch - well I should never say never, we occasionally do but then I hear about it all day, how one should not have to pay $15+ per person for a plate of eggs! Two weeks ago we discovered a new place in our neighborhood - Toast! We loved it and it was not your traditional $15+ per person for a plate of eggs. Instead it was great service and exceptional eggs. Now, before I even thought about writing about it or even really telling anyone about it we decided to give it a whirl this past weekend. Let me say they lived up to all of our expectations! WE may start eating Breakfast/Brunch more often. We arrived at peak eating time and only had to wait 10 minutes for a table outside. We even got our same waiter, Leonard, who is fantastic. Not over the top and in your face, knows just the right time to come up and ask if everything is okay (not when your face is stuffed full of food)! And the biggest bonus point for me ... instead of topping off your cold coffee with hot coffee as you watch the cold cream try to float back up to the top of your cup, he brings you a fresh cup every time - FANTASTIC! The food .... really good, fresh ingredients and the portions are perfect. I hate when you go to a place and order eggs and there is enough on just your plate to feed 5 of your closest friends and you end up stuffing yourself silly or tossing it all out. We had a veggie omelet (we both had this last time) which had a nice easement of stuff: mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, black olives, artichoke hearts, onions and cheddar. It comes with potatoes or fruit, we had fruit and it was a big bowl of fresh fruit! I opted for a slight sugar rush and had the Coco Loco, which is a full stack with sliced bananas, macadamia nuts and coconut. I expected all of these goodies to be thrown on top - NOT. Instead the nuts and the coconut were baked inside and sliced bananas scattered on the top. They were really yummy and hit the spot! I definitely give Toast 5 forks and it will become our new favorite neighborhood breakfast spot. Hurry in before everyone hears about it!
San Francisco, CA

Weekend O' Food
As you can tell from the start of this blog, I do not get out to eat as much as I like or am I a bit lazy at keeping up on writing! Anyhow, here I am and I want to tell you it was a weekend of GREAT food! Maybe it was the weather or something in the air but everything tasted fantastic ~ and the company during the meals was as equally stimulating!
MAVERICK ~
I have been dying to go here and have had to cancel 5 other reservations - there was no way we were canceling again! We arrived a little early to wait for our friends over a glass of Prosecco. There was not any room at the wine bar so they were kind enough to seat us at our table instead of making us wait for the rest of our party. (Bonus points!) It was a really nice evening, warm and balmy for a
February 11, 2007
Paris, France

Just back from the city I am in love with! We had four wonderful meals at my new favorite restaurant in Paris. We dined at Au Gamin for lunch and dinner. Twice for lunch and twice for dinner. I have to say, we never had one bad meal.
Au Gamin de Paris ~ 51, Rue Vieille-du-Temple, 75004 Paris, France, Tel : 01 42 78 97 24.
From the moment we walked through the doors until we got up to leave, everything was spectacular from the service to the dessert! Lunch time it is your classic french bistro. Long leisurely meals while enjoying great food, wine and company. The evening is the same but highlighted by spectacular candle light and romance throughout the restaurant. Romantic date, request a table for two in the back room! I highly recommend the grilled salmon as well as any of the steak dishes. All are cooked to perfection with the right amount of simple seasonings. The vegetable puree they serve along side all the entrees is wonderful and full of mouth popping flavor. The house wine is full bodied, smooth and very delicious - request a carafe. Be sure to save room for dessert. The apple tart w/a caramelized topping is to die for!! I do not even care for apple desserts but this is a little bit of heaven!! Just enough tartness and sweetness on a very light pastry dough and finished off with a burnt Carmel topping! Petite and full of flavor - you will want it all the time after the first bite! Be sure to request it before even ordering your meal, it sells out!! You want this tart! If it is already gone, then go for the chocolate cake .... rich, dense and very smooth! Goes very well with an espresso! You will not be disappointed during your experience at Au Gamin. No reservations required.
August 16, 2006
Real Reviews 4 Everyday People
check back soon!!