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!
Fountain in front of the California Palace of the Legion of Honor.
Herbsaint spinach puree, Zoe’s bacon, preserved lemon. $15
Town Hall, San Francisco CA
Please forgive the poor pic quality. I had my friend snap it with my iPhone and they’re a Galaxy user and not familiar with the iPhone camera, lol! Anyway, these oysters were delicious and super juicy inside. The flavors were great and I loved the presentation using the shells.
Contours in the Air sculptures, Ruth Asawa, de Young Museum.
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.
Ukiah 75: Germain-Robin brandy, honey, lemon, Gloria Ferrer sparkling wine. $10
Haiku II: Hibiki whiskey, amaro Montenegro, fresh squeezed lemon juice. $11
Nopa, San Francisco CA
These cocktails were delicious and a wonderful way to begin our lovely brunch at Nopa. This place is POPULAR so be prepared to wait if you don’t have a reservation. We came early to get on the list, and luckily I think someone cancelled so we got seated at the end of the first seating. The bad part was that by that point, the kitchen was slammed with all the orders so it took a long time to actually get food. Thank goodness for cocktails!
Rodin’s The Thinker cast, California Palace of the Legion of Honor.
Ginger Julep: Bulleit bourbon, house made ginger syrup, Evolution lemon juice, muddled fresh mint, Bundaberg ginger beer. $6
Nola, Palo Alto CA
You never know how a bar is gonna pour when they have happy hour cocktails, but these drinks were quite large and actually had alcohol in them! Score! The bartenders at Nola were super nice and made great, tasty cocktails. Perhaps the sangria was a bit sweet, but I can forgive that for the enjoyable experience.
Saucy’s Sangria: a refreshing house infusion of red wine, apples, oranges, lemons, limes, pineapples, agave nectar and fresh fruit juices with a brandy float. $6
Pink flower that I can’t seem to identify by appearance (Vasona Reservoir). Help, anyone?
1 scoop 3€
Raimo Kiosk, Paris FR
I guess this flavor won some contest in Paris for the best sorbet in the city. Hmm, I’m not convinced, lol! This was a little too tart for me, and it was too icy and melted quickly. We went to the kiosk at the Jardin de Plantes so it was at least a really pretty location.
Raimo napkin.
The Pantheon, Latin Quarter. This building now functions as a secular mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens. It was under construction during our visit.
Marin Sun Farms beef brisket, cherry tomato conserva, lemon aioli. $10
Il Cane Rosso, San Francisco CA
Mmm, I really liked this sandwich. All the ingredients were SO tasty, but I just wish they had used a slightly softer bread. This one was really crispy and dense and it took quite some effort to chew through. But paired with a yummy beer and sitting outside on the water, I really couldn’t complain too much! 🙂
7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010
Rayon Vert Belgian-style pale ale. $5
Lamb’s ear flowers (Stachys byzantina, Lamiaceae), Embarcadero with the Bay Bridge in the background.
Flash fried, lemon chips and basil. $13
Solaire Restaurant + Bar, Santa Cruz CA
These were SO disgusting and I’m annoyed that a restaurant kitchen would actually send these out. The calamari was way overcooked to the point of being hard and super dry. They tasted like they were freezer burned before being fried; they definitely didn’t taste like they were made from fresh squid. This dish was overpriced for such poor quality. LAME!
Car covered in Mystery Spot bumper stickers.
Whiskey, apple, lemon and bitters. Served on the rocks. $9
Oswald, Santa Cruz CA
I liked this cocktail especially since it wasn’t too sweet. The apple flavor was a nice counterpoint to the whiskey.
Red fuschia flowers (Onagraceae), The Mystery Spot.
Santa Cruz 75: bubbles, elderflower and lemon. $8
Bubbly Berry: bubbles, berry, lemon, pomegranate and hibiscus. $8
Solaire Restaurant + Bar, Santa Cruz CA
I don’t know why I think that soju cocktails are ever going to please my palate. I always have a false sense of hope that I’ll finally like how they taste. Well, I was wrong yet again! Solaire doesn’t have a proper liquor license so they’re stuck with serving hard liquor replacement cocktails. Both of these were especially sweet and nauseating.
Solaire menu.
Hotel Paradox pool area.
Harissa sausage, yellow eye beans, broccoli rabe, preserved lemon jus. $22
The Alembic, San Francisco CA
Mmm, this was such a hearty dish and it tasted delicious! The harissa sausage was my favorite component, but the lamb was also very tender and juicy. I appreciated the cute Nasturtium leaves too, hehe!
Parsley, shallot, capers, lemon. Happy hour $9
Comme Ca, Las Vegas NV
Wow, I wasn’t expecting the oxtail jam to end up being a full-on stew of sorts. I expected it to be more of a spreadable accompaniment to the marrow. The roasted bone marrow in this dish was so rich and perfect! The oxtail jam, while hearty, was a little on the tart/sour side. I thought there was too much going on with both items so I could have done without the oxtail jam.
Flamingo Hotel at night.
Vittle Monster 