Shrimp chips – Hot Joy

Shrimp chips - Hot Joy
Served with Thai dip. Happy hour $3.50
Hot Joy, San Antonio TX

I loved this place! It was fun, hip, and the food was delicious. And the snacks during happy hour were super cheap! These freshly fried shrimp chips were hot and SO flavorful. They really didn’t need the Thai dip to add any more flavor. The dip was definitely salty, but I guess that’s intentional to get guests to drink more.

Lone Star beer - Hot Joy
Lone Star tall boy. Happy hour $1.99

Turkey panini – Zocca

Turkey panini - Zocca
Applewood-smoked bacon, tomato and onion jam, spinach, rosemary aioli with side salad. $10
Zocca, San Antonio TX

This was GROSS! It can out within a couple minutes of ordering so it was probably sitting around as part of conference food or something. The bread was already soggy from the condiments liked it’d been sitting around for awhile and just reheated. SO frickin’ LAME!

Beef ragu amuse bouche – Restaurant Gwendolyn

Beef ragu amuse bouche - Restaurant Gwendolyn
Roasted onion, savory muffin. 3 course tasting menu (earlybird) $35
Restaurant Gwendolyn, San Antonio TX

This was tasty and fun to eat. It reminded me of a very fancy sloppy joe in the best way possible. The flavors were great and the savory muffin was yummy.

Bread with poppy seeded butter - Restaurant Gwendolyn
Bread with poppy seeded butter. Mmm, this bread was delicious

Jewish-style artichoke – Locanda

Jewish-style artichoke - Locanda
Each $8
Locanda, San Francisco CA

I wasn’t sure what made this artichoke preparation “Jewish” but I’ve read that it’s because they’re deep fried – a preparation originating in the Jewish ghetto in Rome. Anyway, I liked the resulting texture and flavor, but I thought that the artichokes they used were too mature and the long leaves were difficult to maneuver through. I wasn’t sure if you were supposed to eat the brown curls, but I found them inedible. The whole thing was one the greasy side as well. This was NOT a winner in my book.

7×7 Magazine’s Big Eat SF: 100 Things to Try Before You Die

Water - Locanda
Water.

Clam chowder – Fog Harbor Fish House

Clam chowder - Fog Harbor Fish House
Cup $6
Fog Harbor Fish House, San Francisco CA

Mmm, this chowder was very tasty! It isn’t the best version in San Francisco, but it’s pretty damn tasty especially for a restaurant in the tourist trap that is Pier 39. I would definitely order this again if I was at the Pier.

Sourdough bread and butter - Fog Harbor Fish House
Sourdough bread and butter. Complimentary

Blue Moon draft beer - Fog Harbor Fish House
Blue Moon draft. $7

Roasted octopus – Liholiho Yacht Club

Roasted octopus - Liholiho Yacht Club
Curried raisins, castelvetrano, butterball potatoes, cilantro. $16.50
Liholiho Yacht Club, San Francisco CA

This was very good. I thought the combination of ingredients was fun and tasty, between the sweet golden raisins, the savory potatoes, and the smoky octopus. Mmm!

7×7 Magazine’s Big Eat SF: 100 Things to Try Before You Die

Blood Orange Gose beer - Liholiho Yacht Club
Blood Orange Gose, Anderson Valley Brewing. $6