Rangie

Tipsy Pig

2009-05-26T10:15:00.049-07:00

Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
2231 Chestnut St(between Pierce St & Avila St)
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 292-2300
www.thetipsypigsf.com

Since the first day this place opened, this restaurant has been packed with people. On Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, we took a risk and attempted to walk-in for dinner. It's a bit deceiving when you walk by cause once you walk in through the front door, is the bar - and it was packed with Lakers/Nuggets fans! Surprisingly when we told the hostess "party of 4" she welcomely said "follow me". She took us to the back of the restaurant which we were amazed how big this place really was (there's also an outside terrace/patio that extends all the way out). needless to say, food was amazing (i mean, what more can you expect when it's the same owners as mamacita???)

Bruschetta - not your typical bruschetta but so delish! i've never had burrata cheese before, but i think i am in love with you!
Sweet Potato Fries - better than Pacific Catch (sorry PC)
Tipsy Sliders - i was expecting pulled pork with loads of sauce. not so. dont be fooled by the appearance of dry pulled pork cause these suckers will surprise you! damn good....
Pork Chop - a bit on the salty side but they sure do know how to cook these bad boys - perfectly tendor and moist.
Hamburger - you can tell that it's fresh ground chuck!!! didn't try it but K was raving how it was the tastiest burger he has ever had...

Il Borgo

2009-04-20T13:10:00.004-07:00

Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
500 Fell St(between Buchanan St & Laguna St)
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 255-9108
www.usmenuguide.com/ilborgo.html

great (authentic) italian restaurant!

can't go wrong with the pizzas and for first timers, must get their lasagnetta (not your typical lasagna for all you lasagna eaters)

Naked Fish

2009-04-20T13:08:00.005-07:00

Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
.2084 Chestnut Street(between Mallorca Way & Steiner St)
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 771-1168
www.nakedfishsf.com

Not the best sushi, but you can't complain about their happy hour

Monday - Thursday till 6:30pm; Friday - Sunday till 6pm

Baker Street Bistro

2009-04-20T12:58:00.030-07:00

Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
2953 Baker Street(between Greenwich St & Lombard St)
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 931-1475
www.bakerstbistro.com/

for those who do not live in the marina, this is truly a hidden gem. Ironically, our friends have lived on Baker and Filbert for almost 5 years and we've walked by this restaurant everytime we see them (at least once a week). Not till they moved out we finally tried this place and i can't believe it has taken us this long to eat here.

this is a family owned french restaurant.

roy got the prix fixe menu which includes:
Soup du jour (carrot ginger)
Entree of the day (grilled flank steak in challot sauce over mashed potatoes)
Salad
Dessert (homemade bread pudding)
prix fixe is served all nite monday - thursday and Friday and Saturday till 7pm for only a whopping $16.95!

I ordered off their menu - Mussels a la Provencale with pomme frites. the Mussels were fresh (the owner even showed me how to eat mussels the french way) and the fries were divine with the white wine/garlic sauce! after i ate all the mussels, i (accidentally) dropped all my fries in the sauce (that's how the french does it!!!)

Healdsburg - Engagment

2008-11-25T12:29:00.000-08:00

Roy (finally) took me to Healdsburg where he proposed.

I've always wanted to go to Ferarri Carano. The Vineyard is absolutely beautiful and I am in love with their Fume Blanc. Roy originally wanted to propose here, but I got so fidgety in the gardens as i was having bug bite attacks (or so I thought).

8761 Dry Creek Rd
Healdsburg, CA 95448
(707) 433-6700
www.ferrari-carano.com/

We then headed off to Stryker Sonoma (randomly passed by). the view of the vinyard is just amazing. If you like Reds (and want to get plastered), this is the place to go as they have a galore of reds and FREE tastings!

5110 Highway 128
Geyserville, CA 95441
(707) 433-1944

Of course Roy, the planner that he is, made no reservations for dinner after he proposed. So we asked the people at the wineries for recommendations to eat. They pretty much all said the same 5 restaurants:

Cyrus
Scopa
Ravenous
Willi's Seafood and Raw Bar
Barndiva

So we call all 6 restaurants and of course, on a Saturday nite, none of them take reservations. So we attempted to walk in. Luckily the only one that would take us is Willi's...but at the bar (not how I expected for an engagment dinner). Needless to say, Willi's was spectacular.

403 Healdsburg Ave
Healdsburg, CA 95448
(707) 433-9191
www.willisseafood.net

We didn't really know what to eat so we had to ask the girls sitting next to us who pretty much listed EVERYTHING on the menu.

Hamachi Ceviche
Maine Lobster Rolls (i thought these were sushi rolls given i've never been to "new England"). DELISH!
Baby Back Riblets - Fall off the bones!
French Fries - perfectly fried and goat cheese?!? yum!
CRAB cakes - ALL Crab!!!

and then we went to Bovolo for homemade gelato. We got the rum and raisin which pretty much tasted like....RUM! it was the perfect ending!

Recipe: Harvest Vegetable Whole Wheat Pasta

2008-08-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

I was watching a rerun of the Rachael Ray Show and she inspired me to want to cook. SO i ran (physically) to the store and grabbed what i needed. although Safeway is only a few blocks from my place, it was definitely a handful to carry back home-especially with all those veggies! Makes a hearty pasta! Next time I will make it for Roy and add grilled chicken!

Ingredients:
1 pound whole wheat penne (i actually used regular penne as whole wheat pasta tastes like cardboard to me)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large or 4 small zucchini, chopped into bite-size chunks
1 yellow squash, chopped into bite-size chunks
1 red pepper, chopped into bite-size chunks
1 red onion, chopped into bite-size chunks
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
1/4 cup sliced almonds, blanched and toasted
1 cup basil
3/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup mint
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1 to 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (i didn't top it off with ricotta cheese)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring up to a boil to cook the pasta. Once at a boil, add some salt and the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Right before draining, remove and reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain pasta thoroughly, return to the pot and reserve.

3. While the pasta is cooking, place chopped zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper and onion on baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables with 3 tablespoons EVOO, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes or until tender and golden brown.

4. While vegetables are roasting, place the almonds, herbs, garlic, some salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse the processor while drizzling in the 1/4 cup EVOO. Transfer the pesto to a large mixing bowl and mix in the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add the cup of reserved pasta-cooking liquid to the bowl and mix it to combine. Add the pasta and the roasted veggies to the bowl and give it a good toss to coat everything with the pesto.

5. In a small mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

6. Spoon pasta into 6 dishes and top each dish with dollop of the peppery ricotta mixture.

Recpie: Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken

2008-08-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

I altered the recipe in BOLD (this is a 6 serving recipe - I cut the recipe in half to make 3 servings)

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup of dry bread crumbs (garlic and herb flavor)
2/3 cup of parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 skinless, boness chicken breasts halved
1 teaspoon oregano

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking dish
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper (i used tonys)
3. In a bowl, blend the olive oil and garlic.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano and pepper (i also added some cayenne peppers to add some hotness).
5. Dip each chicken breast in the oil mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish, and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
6. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Kincaid's Bayhouse

2008-08-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

60 Bay View Pl
Burlingame, CA 94010
(650) 342-9844
http://www.kincaids.com/

Saturday was Roy's mom's birthday and she chose to dine at Kincaid's. We've been here several times and this place has yet to disappoint. I mean, how can you possibly go wrong with fresh, warm bread, drenched in garlic butter. I think i pretty much ate a loaf as my meal as i hardly ate my entree.

Appetizers:
Calamari - perfectly fried little morsels but i dont think the calamari was very fresh this go around.
Hot King Crab and Artichoke Dip - Probably the worst thing you could ever consume, but how could you NOT order this delicious dip. we get this everytime and it goes great with the bread!

I ordered the Rack of Baby Back Ribs. These weren't as tasty as I remembered. I think they used a different BBQ sauce, or I must have liked Town's ribs better. The Ribs came with a side of Sweet Potato Fries that were devoured by Roy's parents...I was pretty much drooling, watching them eat MY fries.

Roy ordered the daily special grilled Iron Flat Steak. He's had better.

Roy's mom ordered Asiago-Almond Crusted Scallops. She said they were good!

Other entrees that are good that i had in the past were: Lobster Mac N Cheese (my fav) and the king crab cakes. the side mac n cheese with bacon is pretty awesome as well.

and for dessert, roy's mom got a complimentary creme brulee for her bday (can't really go wrong). Ronn ordered the key lime pie and i had the most spectacular fresh fruit cobbler EVER. the fresh fruit of the day was blueberry and peaches and it was devoured by ALL. The crust was light and flakey and the fruit was sensationally sweet.

And how could you possibly go wrong with their 1st seating 3 course dinner for $25. you get a choice of soup of salad, entree (menu is limited though), ice cream, and tea, coffee or soda.

FYI - you can buy 2 $50 gift certificates at Costco for $79 and use both at the same time!!!

Happy Birthday Mrs. Pimentel!

Muracci's Japanese Curry & Grill

2008-08-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

307 Kearny St (between Bush St & Pine St)
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 773-1101
www.muraccis.com

One of my favorite magazines is 7X7. It tells you all the latest and greatest restaurants in San Francisco and it also informs you of any events that are going on in the city. As I was reading an article on the "SF's Best Cheap Eats: Chow Down", I stumbled across a Japanese Curry House that's literally 1.5 block away from my work. Last Friday I decided to try this place. Everything you read (from 7X7 and Yelp) is absolutely true: hidden, long wait (both ordering and picking up), small and stuffy, cooked to order....

After reading all the reviews and when NOT to go (11:45-1:15), my stomach couldn't wait any longer so I left my office at 1:30. I can definitely see why people could easily walk by it and not realize it as there's no real obvious sign (other than a long line out the door). With a huge sigh of relief (for my stomach's sake), I was the 5th person in line to order. However, no big surprise that i had to wait 5 minutes just to place my order. As I was waiting, it was pretty amazing to watch the old man frying up the tonkatsu, placing rice in the to go containers/plates while the old woman was making the curry, as ordered, in individual pans AND cooking the grilled meats/fish.

15 minutes later i hear "number 60" and quickly ran out and back to the office to eat this so-i've-read-delicious curry!

As I opened the to-go box, there was a fried to perfection pork katsu with crispy panko flakes lying on top of a bed of rice. this katsu pretty much stretched from one end all the way to the other end of the box. But what i like most about this place is that you get to order how hot you want the curry (mild, medium or hot) and they put it in a separate container so you can pour as much as you'd like over your rice and katsu (i liked to dip my katsu in it). The curry had a great depth and complexity of flavor - it was spicy, but not too spicy and had clearly been long simmered.

Despite the long wait, there's a reason why people keep coming back for more....

Cinderella Bakery

2008-08-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

436 Balboa St (between 5th Ave & 6th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 751-9690
http://www.cinderellabakery.com/

Once a month, a group here at work meet up for lunch to catch up. This month's luncheon was different as one of my coworkers is pregnant and is leaving for maternity leave at the end of this month. Since she's the guest of honor, it was her choice to pick where to eat. She picked this Russian restaurant located in Inner Richmond (we had to order in). And let me just tell you, the food was so tasty, I can't imagine what the food would have taste had it been "fresh".

Salad "Vinaigrette" - boiled potatos, carrots, beets, and finely chopped pickles tossed in a vinaigrette
Borsch Soup (veggie kind) - chopped vegetables, shredded cabbage, cubed potatoes, and beets in a tomato broth...the parsley and herbs definitely pinched my taste buds up a notch. a light and hearty soup!
Pelmeni - some type of russian style dumplings filled with meat. it pretty much reminded me of wontons.
Potato Vareniki - veggie dumpling filled with potatoes and fried onions
Cherry Vareniki - fruit dumpling filled with sour cherries. these were my favorite-you probably wont taste anything that's half unique as these dumplings
Piroshki with meat - think a pastry stuffed with ground meats. We got them baked but man, i can't imagine how good they would be if they were fried!
Piroshki with spinach and feta cheese - meats were my favorite
Mushroom Stuffed Blinchiki - this was my favorite dish. it's pretty much a rolled crepe stuffed with mushroom.

Dessert:
Napoleon - just melts in your mouth!
Almond Cake - rich, moistened layer cake with something that tasted like amaretto? or kahlua? or maybe even rum? regardless, these were amazing
Eclair - i dont care much for chocolate so can't really comment on these.

I guess it helped that she was Russian herself and knew what to order.

All in all, the food was phenomenal.

B Street and Vine

2008-08-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

320 S B St
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 347-8463
http://www.bstreetandvine.com/

On Saturday, I took Christina and Kevin here after we went to Bay Meadows. The boys, obviously, wanted more "substance" so they went to a taqueria across the street while Christina and I dined at this wine bar. I never understood why wine bars dont sell food as wine goes great with food...

anyways, needless to say, we went to a wine bar to EAT, not to drink.

we ordered the brushetta, of course (in order of preference):
Brie with Apples
Roasted Peppers with goat cheese
Olive Tapenade, feta, cucumbers and tomatoes
Gorgonzola and honey

and then we shared a tri tip salad. although the meat wasn't like what we are use to seeing, it was quite good...and they even split the salad on two separate plates without us requesting it.

the boys finally joined us and ordered a 2 cup french press coffee...with a side of whipp cream that was just deliciously whipped!

The atmospher is quite cozy. there's a live jazz band on fridays and saturdays (possibly other nites as well) and on a beautiful day like saturday, we had the opportunity to sit in the back patio.

On a side note, a bottle of wine is only marked up $5 more from the retail price.

I will definitely be back for more....

Harris' Restaurant

2008-08-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

Neighborhood: Nob Hill
2100 Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 673-1888
www.harrisrestaurant.com

I'm not much of a meat eater, and if i could, i would opt it out of my diet. Roy, on the other hand, can eat meat any second of the day. So that's what he did on his bday...i took him to Harris'.

Usually when we go out, we'll order our entrees with drinks and dessert. We decided that rather than getting our usual drinks and dessert, we'll just order 2 appetizers.

Appetizers:
Steamed clams marinière - perfectly cooked and the sauce is excellent for dipping breads (you'd think they'd be shady on the portions...not so at all)
special of the day scallops that just melt in your mouth

i don't eat a lot of steak, but when i do eat it, i'm picky about it. I pretty much like it well done. i had the filet mignon rossini (medium plus), and it was absolutely the most decadent hunk of meat i've ever consumed. i mean, filet mignon topped with foie gras and black truffle, cabernet sauce?! although i only ate the outside of the filet (as the middle was too rare for my likings) it was PERFECT.

Who knew i would have fallen in love with red meat?!

Happy Birthday Roy!

H(ouse)O(f)P(rime)R(ib)

2008-08-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

Neighborhood: Nob Hill
1906 Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 885-4605
houseofprimerib.net

I'm not sure what's the point in making a reservation if they dont seat you until 30 minutes later...nonetheless, make a reservation.

I dont come here to eat prime rib, I come to eat their sides, mainly, their yorkshire pudding.

Immediately upon seating, you are served with a delicious, hot out of the oven loaf of bread that only rookies will dive right in. But it's hard not to resist. Stay clear of the corn bread.

would you like some salad with that dressing???? The salad is a trademark of the restaurant that is so drenched in the house dressing (for better or for worse) it's bound to appeal to the most "anti-salad" eaters (like myself). The fresh crushed peppers and beets definitely adds flavor to the salad.

The creamed spinach/corn and potatos are yummy side dishes while the Yorkshire pudding provides a great vehicle for soaking up the extra juices and au jus.

I opted for the City cut prime rib which was thinly sliced and excellent with the creamy spicy horseradish. By the way, this meal would have fed a small village in a third world country so I suggest fasting before you partake of this gluttonous feast.

Roy chose the English cut which he finished right to the bone (as well as half of mine as i was stuffed off the sides). I was impressed that he could have polished off, well, a cow in one sitting. The HOPR folks apparently recognize this as a rare talent so their policy is to give you yet another small FREE serving of prime rib to reward this feat. And, to no surprise, he gulped it down.

Lemongrass Thai Cuisine

2008-07-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

Neighborhood: Russian Hill
2348 Polk St
(between Green St & Union St)
San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 929-1183
http://www.lemongrasssf.com/

This past weekend EK was in town and she specifically asked to eat Thai food. Well, i've heard several people rave about Lemongrass, so i figured that i would take her there (both mine and roy's first time). Here's what we ordered:

Apps:
Thai sticks-pretty good minus the fact that i can't eat shrimp. imagine a shrimp skewer
Thai Toasts - let's just say that i wasn't quite sure i knew what i was eating.
Chicken Wings-mmm, i've had better

Soup:
Tom Kah Gai - not a big fan as it was very coconut milk-y than normal...

(yes, we were hungry. or shall i say roy and clint were)

Entrees:
Kang Ka Ree aka Yellow chicken curry - there was too much chicken, potatoes and onions in it and not enough curry sauce. i like to drench my rice with the curry...and that wasn't happening for me that nite.
Gai Kraprow - ground chicken sauteed with basil, bamboo shoots and hot chili sauce. (clint calls this the Thai sloppy joes)
Pad See-ew with Beef - let's just say that we've had better. there's something about it that was just off and i can't pinpoint it. too salty?!?

and i would definitely not eat at that restaurant again. not only was it difficult to find parking, it was so small, crammed and stuffy! they had these weird pillows on the booths that separated the tables that it was very difficult to get in and out of your seat (especially for someone like me who has a big arse or like roy who has to get up every hour or so to use the restroom).

I have yet to find a thai restaurant in the city that beats bangkok garden in Daly City.

verdict: most likely wont go back

Boon Fly Cafe

2008-07-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

The Carneros Inn
4048 Sonoma Hwy
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 299-4900

We started our meal off with the "bakers dozen", shared amongst 5 girls. These "donuts" were gone in 3 minutes. These perfectly fried morsels of goodness is slightly sugared and unbelievably soft on the inside. I can't believe these have been missing in my life for the past 27 years.

I got the fried eggs in a whole. deliciously buttery! and the hash browns are to die for. fresh shaved potatoes, fried to perfection, yet soft in the inside.

a friend got the eggs benedict and that was highly recommended by her.

so, all in all, if you are in the neighborhood but not hungry, definitely stop by and order a baker's dozen to go. could be a great cure to a wine hangover???

Alegrias of Spain

2008-07-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
2018 Lombard St
(between Fillmore St & United States Highway 101)
San Francisco, CA 94123

I actually came here for a bachelorette party. The service was absolutely amazing. SO amazing that we were in and out in 30 minutes....and yes, the food was still fresh, and there was a long wait out the door.

To order again:
empanadillas
patatas aioli
calamari
Prawns in Garlic sauce
sauteed spinach - surprisingly good (cooked with raisins)
Pepper stuffed with meat - i could eat a thousand of these!

Not too crazy for:
Tortilla a la Espanola
crab cakes

Sangria - a bit on the sweeter side.

NExt time i will for sure get the paella as all the tables around us were eating them. Smelt SOOO good!

Sushi Bistro

2008-07-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

445 Balboa St
(between 5th Ave & 6th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 933-7100
sushibistro.com

Sexy Scallop Roll
The New Legend
Poke Salad
Tempura Udon
Assorted Nigiri

This is not like your typical sushi place. The restaurant has a hawaiin theme that blares island reggae music

Size matters and the nigiri here are the biggest I've seen in the city. The rolls and fish were high quality, not a total standout or ultra authentic, but on par with other solid sushi spots in the city.

the poke salad never disappoints.....marinated tuna, creamy miso dressing, chunks of avocado, and topped with crispy noodles. YUM!

and the tempura udon. i dont know what it is but the broth is full of flavor. it doesn't matter how full you are, you just keep eating!

Thanks Holls for taking us here!

parAgon

2008-07-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

701 2nd St
(between King St & Townsend St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 537-9020
http://www.paragonrestaurant.com/

Wine: Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc, Sonoma
Appetizer: Mac n Cheese
Entree: Hanger Steak

I dont think we could have started the meal any better: vino con mac n cheese. The wine had a "crisp freshness and a subtle oak character that adds great complexity and depth". But it's the Mac n Cheese that steals the show. The pasta is cooked to perfection and then baked for a crunchy cheese topping.

delish.

Hanger steak was mediocre. It was more well done than a medium well and didn't care too much for the ketchup based sauce and salsa.