Blackened trout – Alamo Square Seafood Grill

Blackened trout - Alamo Square Seafood Grill
With green peppercorn sauce (red wine reduction and green peppercorns), roasted brussels sprouts, vegetables, and rice. Daily 3-course prix fixe $14.50
Alamo Square Seafood Grill, San Francisco CA

I enjoyed the trout. It was a small, thin piece with not a lot of meat but it tasted good and was prepared well. I wasn’t a fan of the green peppercorn sauce though. The color was off-putting and I didn’t think that the sour taste did anything to elevate the trout.

Esperance bordeaux - Alamo Square Seafood Grill

Chateau Moulin de l’Esperance, bordeaux, 2009. Half off bottle $18.50

Esperance bordeaux - Alamo Square Seafood Grill

Quesadilla de pibil – El Techo de Lolinda

Quesadilla de pibil - El Techo de Lolinda
Braised pork shoulder, oaxaca cheese, cilantro, salsa. $9
El Techo de Lolinda, San Francisco CA

Finally, a dish from El Techo that was actually good and priced approriately! Actually this was pretty large so I wouldn’t have minded if it had cost a few more bucks. The pork was tender and really flavorful, and I like their smokey salsa. I thought the oaxaca cheese was going to be the white, crumbly kind but I was happy to see that it was thick and melty!

San Francisco Bay at dawn
San Francisco Bay at dawn, Upper Market.

Lacinato kale and little gem lettuces – Ragazza

Lacinato kale and little gem lettuces - Ragazza
Salad with avocado, radish, farro and green goddess dressing. Banquet-style dinner
Ragazza, San Francisco CA

I haven’t really gotten into the whole kale salad revolution, but this was delicious! I guess almost anything can taste amazing when tossed in green goddess dressing though, hehe. The addition of farro and avocado was a smart moved!

Aeonium haworthii
Aeonium haworthii ‘Kiwi’ succulent (Crassulaceae), West Field Road.

BBQ Gulf shrimp – Town Hall

BBQ Gulf shrimp - Town Hall
Worcestershire sauce, scallions, sprouts, garlic herb toast. $15
Town Hall, San Francisco CA

This tasted good, perhaps way too salty, but it still had great flavors. You would think that a nicer place like Town Hall would know better than to over-season their food, but maybe they were having an off night. Nicely cooked shrimp has to be one of my favorite things especially with the heads attached. I’ve always been surprised at how many people won’t try sucking out the heads because they’re afraid or disgusted. But that’s where all the favorite is! Mmm, shrimp heads are SO amazing, NOMS!

Game still life
Game still life, de Young Museum.

Yeah Nah cocktail – Waiheke Island Yacht Club

Yeah Nah cocktail - Waiheke Island Yacht Club
Monkey Shoulder whiskey, Creme Yvette, PX sherry, smoked plum, sliced lemon garnish. $12
Waiheke Island Yacht Club, San Francisco CA

This pop-up restaurant was really cool, partially because everyone who worked there was Kiwi and their accents rock, lol! Actually the cocktails and food were awesome so they were definitely doing things right. Add to that a relaxed setting on a SF Bay pier and you have a winner!

Legion of Honor fountain
Fountain in front of the California Palace of the Legion of Honor.

Baby field green and fine herb salad – Alamo Square Seafood Grill

Baby field green and fine herb salad - Alamo Square Seafood Grill
With sliced radishes and croutons. Daily 3-course prix fixe $14.50
Alamo Square Seafood Grill, San Francisco CA

This salad doesn’t look very interesting, but it was actually pretty good. It was lightly(!) tossed in a basic vinaigrette which I kinda liked. Overly dressed salads are the worst! And for a very affordable pre fixe, this salad was better than expected.

Pesto and olive oil with bread - Alamo Square Seafood Grill
Pesto and olive oil with bread. Complimentary

Hunters Point
Open Studios at Hunters Point. I love this event because you get to see artwork from a lot of local artists, and you can usually find some good deals. I can’t afford super expensive art so this is a great alternative.

Guacamole – El Techo de Lolinda

Guacamole - El Techo de Lolinda
Cotija cheese, tortilla chips. $7
El Techo de Lolinda, San Francisco CA

This guacamole was good, but just because you add a little cheese on top of a small bowl of it doesn’t mean it’s worth seven bucks! I think most of the food items on their menu are overpriced, and all their tortilla chips were greasy. Not running back here to eat again any time soon.

Chips and salsa - El Techo de Lolinda
Chips and salsa. $3
Kinda lame that they also charge you for chips and salsa when most restaurants provide it complimentary. It’s not even listed on their menu so most people assume that it’s free.

Castro houses

SF houses on a hill, The Castro. I like the obvious delineation of where the former neighboring house used to be.

Butter lettuce and Fuji apple salad – Town Hall

Butter lettuce and Fuji apple salad - Town Hall
Candied walnut, radish, Pt. Reyes blue cheese dressing. $12.50
Town Hall, San Francisco CA

Mmm, this salad was pretty tasty with all the classic flavor combinations. I’m a huge fan of Point Reyes blue because this local cheese company produces great products. And the dressing that Town Hall created with the blue cheese was delicious!

Golden Gate Park Music Concourse
Spreckels Temple of Music “Bandshell”, Golden Gate Park Music Concourse.