With Curbside orange salsa, served with mashed potatoes and sauteed rainbow kale. Chef Special (soup + entree) $20
Curbside Cafe, San Francisco CA
I tend to steer clear of pan seared salmon at restaurants because, more often than not, they come out dry and disgusting. This was surprising moist and juicy so I was happy. The potatoes were silky and lovely and the orange salsa was packed with flavor. Pretty yummy!
Francis Scott Key Monument, Golden Gate Park.
Broccoli de ciccio, green beans, soft polenta and parmesan. $14
Nopa, San Francisco CA
This was pretty tasty and I loved the smoky flavor of the roasted broccoli, but there really wasn’t much food in this little bowl. I was still hungry after eating this especially after the wait to get seated and then to receive the actual food. Perhaps they could considering adding a bit more food in the future because this wasn’t very satisfying.
Red-tipped echeveria (Crassulaceae), West Field Road.
Haze on Howard: Belvedere Vodka, ginger liqueur, vermouth, blackberries, lime. $12
Town Hall, San Francisco CA
Oooo, I was excited to visit Town Hall for the first time since living in SF. I can’t believe I’d never been here before. These cocktails were pretty tasty. The Haze on Howard was refreshing and bright, while the Vieux Carre was on the stronger, harder side. The first time I had a Vieux Carre was at Jardiniere and since I’m totally loving whiskies these days, this is becoming a favorite of mine.
Vieux Carre: Inventeed by Walter Bergeron, The Carousel Bar, 1938. Redemption rye, Henessey, Dolin sweet vermouth, benedictine, peychaud and angostora bitters. $10
The Diane and Alfred Wilsey Court, de Young Museum.
Yucca dumplings in mushroom medley, locatelli, homemade garlic truffle oil. 10-course chef’s tasting menu $75
Roxy’s Cafe, San Francisco CA
Yucca gnocchi?! This was pretty cool and the gnocchi tasted great. I was afraid that the texture was gonna be off, but it was very similar to that of traditional gnocchi. The mushrooms rocked and the garlic truffle oil brought everything together. Mmm…
View of the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin headlands, Land’s End.
With tarragon white wine cream sauce, served with “Gratin Dauphinois” and sauteed spinach. Chef Special (soup + entree) $18
Curbside Cafe, San Francisco CA
This was such a delicious dish at a great value! I was surprised at how moist, tender, and flavorful the chicken was. I was a little skeptical of this restaurant at first, but they really delivered on the food. The gratin dauphinois was super rich and creamy (as it should be) and the cream sauce was perfect for the chicken. This plate was definitely tasty and prepared wonderfully.
Coulter’s Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri, Papaveraceae), Land’s End.
Strawberries and honey-lemon butter, maple syrup. Half order $7
Nopa, San Francisco CA
Oh my effing god! This was probably the best French toast I’ve ever had. Sometimes I don’t really agree with the food items on the 7×7 Big Eat list, but this was frickin’ amazing! And I’m not even a French toast/pancake kinda guy! I wish I had taken a photo in cross-section because it was the interior texture that truly made this dish. The inside of the French toast was so silky and custard-y, and oh so delicious. I would brave the ridiculous brunch line again for this dish! NOMS!
7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2012, 2014
View of downtown SF during sunset from Alamo Square Park.
Sweet plantain chitarra noodles, chorizo and fresh farm hen egg sauce, cheese and flower garnish. 10-course chef’s tasting menu $75
Roxy’s Cafe, San Francisco CA
I guess that chitarra is a type of pasta cutter and not a Thundercat (I learn something new every day!), so these were definitely homemade noodles. The noodles had an interesting, soft texture that I quite enjoyed and the chorizo was delicious. I thought this was very inventive, but what do I know… 🙂
Japanese vases, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
Soup du jour. Chef Special (soup + entree) $18
Curbside Cafe, San Francisco CA
I didn’t like the color of this lobster bisque, but it was packed with great lobster/seafood flavor! I think it looked more like split pea soup, but I guess it doesn’t matter if it tasted was amazing as it did. 🙂
Dutch crunch bread. Complimentary
I rarely see this kind of bread served at restaurants as their table bread. In San Francisco, they usually serve sourdough, a baguette, or some other local artisanal variety. I liked that Curbside Cafe switched it up!
California Palace of the Legion of Honor courtyard.
Fresh shelling beans, roasted corn, tomato confit and skillet bread. $15
Nopa, San Francisco CA
This was a very hearty, filling dish and it was tasty! It would be great as a hangover cure, lol. I could easily see this served as a lunch or dinner item too. All the ingredients were delicious and the pork was tender and flavorful. There could have been more of it though. The portion was a bit on the small side.
Blooming aloe, West Field Road.
Clams, mussels, calamari, prawns and fresh fish sautéed in a tomato garlic broth. $23
Cafe Renzo, Palo Alto CA
Meh, this was ok. Definitely not the best ciopinno I’ve had. The sauce was a bit salty and some of the seafood were overcooked, but the flavors were there. I wasn’t feeling the love from this seafood stew though.
Dinner roll. Complimentary
Pigeon Point Lighthouse.
Peas, cheese, pancetta brown butter. 10-course chef’s tasting menu $75
Roxy’s Cafe, San Francisco CA
Omg, this was amazing! I loved that it had both a pea puree and whole peas. The pancetta added a wonderful smokiness, and the noodles had a beautiful texture. Noms!
House white wine.
Modern art at the de Young Museum.
Crispy fried russet and sweet potatoes, fried okra, zucchini sticks, cool ranch, spicy ketchup, bbq sauce. Happy hour $6
Nola, Palo Alto CA
When we saw that this was only six bucks on the menu, we assumed that it was gonna be a small sampler plate. OMG, this bowl was packed with food! I think my heart is constricting just remembering it. I was actually surprised at how well everything was fried though. Nothing was really greasy or limp, and everything tasted pretty good! Well done, Nola.
Lindley’s varied lupine (Lupinus variicolor, Fabaceae), Pigeon Point.
Vittle Monster 