Chicken neck – Nojo

Chicken neck - Nojo
Tare. $3.50
Nojo, San Francisco CA

Chicken neck – did I read that correctly?! Of course I had to order it. It was the thin muscle lining around the neck that they fold together and grill. It tasted like normal chicken meat with more connective tissue attached, but I just think it’s cool that it was from the neck.

Accordion gate
Accordion gate, Mission Street.

Brandon’s grass fed beef burger – Grub

Brandon's grass fed beef burger - Grub
Housemade bacon, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and sriracha aioli served on a toasted pain de mie bun. $13
Grub, San Francisco CA

Mmm, this burger was pretty tasty! It was well cooked and had lots of flavor. I loved the soft, toasted pain de mie and the thick slices of bacon. The sriracha aioli could’ve had more kick though.

Spiral aloe
Spiral aloe with emerging inflorescences (Aloe polyphlla, Xanthorrhoeaceae), West Field Road.

Frisco benedict – Kitchen Story

Frisco benedict - Kitchen Story
Chicken mango sausage, avocado, cherry pepper, meyer lemon hollandaise served on levain toast with rainbow potatoes and fruit. $13
Kitchen Story, San Francisco CA

Omg, Kitchen Story has redeemed itself with brunch! My experience here this time around was night and day (literally) compared to the time I had dinner here. The food was really good and the service rocked! A friend and I sat at the counter and we were never made to feel like we needed to leave even after were had finished all our food. I felt kind of bad because there were so many people waiting to get seated, but the servers just kept refilling our bottomless mimosa and we kept drinking them, lol. Thank you Kitchen Story for proving me wrong!

Banksia sp., Proteaceae

Weird looking young spike inflorescences (Banksia sp., Proteaceae), West Field Road.

Lemongrass pork and beef skewers – Region

Lemongrass pork and beef skewers - Region
Served with tamarind sauce. $12
Region, San Francisco CA

These were ok, but I wasn’t expecting them to be ground meat served kebab style but using Japanese kushiyaki skewers. Hmm, perhaps they have their cuisines mixed up? Or maybe I’m just ignorant when it comes to skewers. Oh well…

Jaguar artwork

Jaguar(?) artwork on doors, Mission Street.

Lobster mac and cheese – Grub

Lobster mac and cheese - Grub
Maine lobster, fusilli pasta, creamy blend of white and sharp cheddar topped with grana padana parmesan breadcrumbs. $13
Grub, San Francisco CA

The mac and cheese was ok, but I would have preferred larger chunks of lobster. The small pieces got lost in all that pasta and cheese.

Alcatraz Island
View of Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay from Fisherman’s Wharf.

Artisan salumi mixed plate – Beretta

Artisan salumi mixed plate - Beretta
Lardo, sopressata, hot coppa, prosciutto di parma, mortadella, with giardiniera and grilled bread. $18
Beretta, San Francisco CA

If you didn’t know that I love salumi, here’s proof! Hehe. Omg, this meat antipasti boards makes me SO hungry. Suffice it to say that every piece was joyfully devoured. NOMS!

Pink daisies
Pink daisies (Asteraceae), Noe Street.

Crispy Chao Zhou rolls – Region

Crispy Chao Zhou rolls - Region
Shrimp and pork filling, sweet and sour sauce. $9
Region, San Francisco CA

Omg, these little rolls were SO hot (temperature-wise), and they stayed hot for a long time. It was difficult to eat them without burning your mouth. They did taste pretty good though, and I loved the multiple layers of the thin, crispy wrapper.

Pink succulent
Pink succulent (Crassulaceae), West Field Road.

Grilled duck breast – Nojo

Grilled duck breast - Nojo
Napa cabbage and daikon pickle, apple-soy sauce. $17.50
Nojo, San Francisco CA

I’m a huge fan of duck, and this dish was cooked perfectly! The duck had a great grilled exterior while the meat remained moist and tender. The nice layer of skin fat gave the breast such an amazing flavor. And you can never go wrong with pickling some napa cabbage?!

Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach, Great Highway.

Lamb chops – Beretta

Lamb chops - Beretta
With arugula and organic yogurt. $15
Beretta, San Francisco CA

Wow, these lamb chops were SO good! They were perfectly cooked, tender with a great lamb flavor. The lightly dressed arugula helped to cut the rich fattiness of the lamb, and the yogurt with basil chiffonade was a good flavor neutralizer. Noms!

Bart station art installation
Bart station art installation with avian and floral theme, 16th Street Station.