Category Archives: Restaurant

Artisan cheese – The Alembic

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Artisan cheese - The Alembic
With marcona almonds and assorted bread. $4
The Alembic, San Francisco CA

The waitress, after confirming with the kitchen, told us that this was a Camilla soft goat cheese. We were VERY skeptical because it had the flavor and texture of a cow’s milk soft cheese like brie. There is no way in my mind that this was a goat cheese. I tried Googling the brand/variety afterward and came up with nothing comparable. I hate
it when you’re given false information at restaurants!

Yellow yarrow flowers
Yellow yarrow flowers (Achillea millefolium, Asteraceae), West Field Road.

Crispy pork street tacos – Velvet Cantina

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Crispy pork street tacos - Velvet Cantina
Cilantro chimichurri, tomato tomatillo salsa served on soft corn tortillas with pickled cabbage. $4
Velvet Cantina, San Francisco CA

For a small bite, this street taco definitely packed a punch. It had lots of flavor and the chunks of carnitas were tender and delicious, noms!

Colorful cactus mural

Colorful cactus mural, Potrero Hill.

Pimentos de padron – Canela

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Pimentos de padron - Canela
Flash fried organic spanish padron peppers with chunky sea salt. Tapa $10
Canela, San Francisco CA

Mmm, I LOVE padron peppers. They are readily available here at farmers’ markets and grocery stores and they’re super easy to prepare. I love cooking them at home, but I’ll still order them at restaurants because they’re that yummy!

Dolores Park
Dolores Park on an overcast day.

Bourbon old-fashioned – The Alembic

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Bourbon old-fashioned - The Alembic
“The oldest cocktail, and still one of the best. Nothing more than a slug of good whiskey on the rocks, with a couple of dashes of bitters, a little sugar, and a twist of lemon peel to take the edge off. Sometimes the simplest things work best. We make ours without the “garbage” – the fruit salad with wich the noble old warhorse is so often weighed down.” $11
The Alembic, San Francisco CA

The cocktails here are really good. Standard, simple, and delicious! I really liked the atmosphere as well. There’s a small bar area in front and a few tables in back for diners. The service was nice and laid-back but still attentive.

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010

Seasoned popcorn - The Alembic
Seasoned popcorn. Complimentary

Ochagavia litoralis
Pink flowers of Ochagavia litoralis (Bromeliaceae), West Field Road

Chicken Korean taco – Namu Gaji

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Chicken Korean taco - Namu Gaji
“The Real” Korean taco with chicken, kimchee salsa, kimchee remoulade, seasoned rice, toasted seaweed, and nori. Happy hour $3.50
Namu Gaji, San Francisco CA

Chicken Korean taco - Namu Gaji
March 9, 2014.
Chicken, seasoned rice, daikon kimchee salsa, kimchee remoulade, toasted kim, nori, $3.50

I love the Korean tacos at Namu Gaji and at the Namu food stand previously. They’re packed with flavor and are a great departure from the typical Mission tacos. I will say that the nori was really hard to chew through this time around.

Golden Gate Bridge

Approaching the Golden Gate Bridge, southbound on the 101.

House margarita – Velvet Cantina

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House margarita - Velvet Cantina

100% Agave Dos Manos, triple sec, fresh citrus juices. Pitcher $27
Velvet Cantina, San Francisco CA

I’ve been to Velvet Cantina several times now and I haven’t been all that impressed with their margaritas. They’re decent, but nothing special. They’re not cheap so I would expect more “wow”!

Chips and salsa - Velvet Cantina
Chips and salsa. Complimentary
I do love their chips and salsa though. The chips are extra salty and their salsa is a bit different from most restaurants.

Agave Blue Glow
Agave “Blue Glow” plant (Asparagaceae), West Field Road.

Boston clam chowder – Mission Street Oyster Bar

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Boston clam chowder - Mission Street Oyster Bar
With green lip mussels, black mussels, clams, and shrimp. Cup $3.95
Mission Street Oyster Bar, San Francisco CA

This chowder was pretty good, but I still couldn’t get over the fact that they charged for bread and butter especially when the price point of their entrees was $20 and up. And as you can see, they only give you a few slices. I don’t think I’ve experienced this at a San Francisco restaurant – kinda un-classy.

Bread - Mission Street Oyster Bar
Bread and butter. $1.75

Robert Howard sculpture
Creepy heads sculpture by Robert Howard, Phoenix Hotel.

Wild mushroom omelet – The Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant

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Wild mushroom omelet - The Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant
Bloomsdale spinach, goat cheese, fine herbs, breakfast potatoes, sourdough toast. $14
The Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant, San Francisco CA

Meh, this omelet was pretty boring even though it looked like it had pretty good ingredients. The filling was dry and bland and the eggs were under-seasoned. The toast was the best part. Boo!

Pinkish tree mallow flowers

Pinkish tree mallow flowers (Lavatera arborea, Malvaceae), Point Lobos Avenue.

White tortilla soup – Velvet Cantina

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White tortilla soup - Velvet Cantina
Mildly spicy chicken jalapeno broth, shredded chicken, tortilla strips, sour cream empanada. $6.99
Velvet Cantina, San Francisco CA

Mmm, this was delicious and I loved the fun sour cream empanada floating on top. That’s a new one for me! The soup had a lot flavor – it could have been spicier for me but that’s a minor complaint.

Velvet Cantina mural
Mexican themed mural outside the restaurant.