http://www.chow.com/boards/1 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 20:02:31 GMT Keep track of the lastest threads on Chowhound http://www.chow.com/topics/585356#4303083 Athena Grill sounds like the type of place you're looking for, with very nice Greek cuisine in a nice but informal setting - in a Silicon Valley industrial park! It's pretty close to you as well. Zafran is also nearby with great Pakistani food. The better South Indian places tend to be a bit closer to Sunnyvale rather than closer to SJC. Madras Cafe has awesome dosas and just started opening for breakfast at 8:30. But that type of round-trip is probably pretty risky before a flight out of SJC. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:41:31 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585356#4303083 http://www.chow.com/topics/585649#4303082 I'm a big Velvet Cantina fan. The margaritas and food are both solid and they take reservations. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:41:29 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585649#4303082 http://www.chow.com/topics/585791#4303068 For your Thursday night, I wouldn't go to either Farallon or Aqua. If you want to be in the Union Square area, I'd go to either Canteen (very San Francisco, tiny place, not upscale at all, excellent food), Bar Crudo (great seafood, fun environment), or go just outside Union Square and head over to Zuni, which is a great introduction to San Francisco eating. I love Chez Panisse, and I think you'll have a fantastic meal there. Some great places to go to that are near Cal or easy to get to from Cal (and open on Sunday): Wood Tavern (right down College Ave on the Oakland/Berkeley border), Oliveto (just a little farther down College), Corso Trattoria (on Shattuck in Berkeley) or Cesar (in Berkeley, right next door to Chez Panisse, though I like the Oakland location better). I would pick Ame over Boulevard for your Monday night meal, but it would also be fun to try another part of the city -- head over to the Mission to go to Bar Tartine or Delfina, both near the 16th and Mission BART station. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:33:23 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585791#4303068 http://www.chow.com/topics/584825#4303062 Hey! You must have sat at the table we sat at! But at different times, of course. :-) Our food and services experiences were similar to yours, and despite my protestations, my husband keeps wanting to go back because he's a ninny. He loves Santana Row for the atmosphere and will eat anything anywhere - definitely not a CH! Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:28:59 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/584825#4303062 http://www.chow.com/topics/585706#4303048 Thanks, Ruth. I remember trying to find a place that had exactly that on the Peninsula, but nobody had any suggestions. I was hoping for good carnitas plus housemade tortillas, so you have got my mouth watering. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:11:41 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585706#4303048 http://www.chow.com/topics/557509#4303020 it's Finally open per EaterSF: "Pacific Heights: Getting back to the city, Joanna Karlinksy (of the shuttered Meetinghouse fame) has finally debuted her new food court on the ground floor of the JCCSF. The project contains six self-contained kiosks (see the lineup above): Jo-Jo-To-Go (prepared foods... to go), Confections (bakery), Luck Dawg (ice cream), Lulu Drinks (juice/coffee bar), Pressed (sandwiches), and Emma Peel's Pizza Pie. 3200 California Street, at Presidio; (415) 292-1200" http://sf.eater.com/archives/2009/01/06/the_dish_reposado_jccsf_food_court.php#more Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:43:56 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/557509#4303020 http://www.chow.com/topics/584326#4303011 I was scarred for life after trying it in the 80s. Is it really worth visiting now? Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:33:08 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/584326#4303011 http://www.chow.com/topics/585750#4302957 Matnani is one of the major suppliers of kimchee to South Bay Korean supermarkets. I think you can find their stuff in Kyo-Po, Galleria, Hankook, and maybe some of the chinese markets like Marina and 99 Ranch. My preferred brand is Manna, which has a label so similar to Matnani that I wonder if the two are related. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:57:34 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585750#4302957 http://www.chow.com/topics/584994#4302954 Nopa would probably still be really fun for you all. Range is a good suggestion, and is in a fun area of the city, though your niece might be the youngest person there. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:56:03 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/584994#4302954 http://www.chow.com/topics/585479#4302940 Yes, that is the case, but there are two new restaurants in the area -- both at the new complex by Princeton Harbor: Crab Landing and the Mezza Luna Cafe. The latter is run by the same people who own Mezza Luna restaurant just down the road. This place is more casual, with pizza and panini, etc. and lots of dessert options including house-made gelato and traditional Italian pastries you can't get just anywhere. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:47:56 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585479#4302940 http://www.chow.com/topics/585513#4302933 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/469166 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:44:16 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585513#4302933 http://www.chow.com/topics/582219#4302932 So glad to hear you had a good time. As far as the "barkering," they've been doing that for a while... Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:43:39 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/582219#4302932 http://www.chow.com/topics/585270#4302904 It's one thing keeping beans for ten days from roast, that is borderline OK. It's a whole other issue storing the beans in an open air bin. That in my opinion is a huge no no. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:30:03 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585270#4302904 http://www.chow.com/topics/585290#4302903 Is it the old Whole Earth Access location? Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:29:45 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585290#4302903 http://www.chow.com/topics/585721#4302868 The first thing that came to mind is Perbacco -- it's just a couple of blocks down the street from the Omni, the food is good (upscale modern/California Italian), and it has a lively urban vibe. It's big enough to handle a group your size easily. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:13:28 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585721#4302868 http://www.chow.com/topics/585768#4302762 I would love to hear a few other posts before I drop my top ten reasons. Born and raised in Oakland 48 years ago to double Chef parents. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:17:55 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585768#4302762 http://www.chow.com/topics/562901#4302760 Thanks for reporting back. Given some of your SPQR comments, have you tried Chez Panisse yet? Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:16:35 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/562901#4302760 http://www.chow.com/topics/330616#4302759 Correcting the phone number for Los Mares, 433-4138, and adding the link: Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:16:07 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/330616#4302759 http://www.chow.com/topics/585724#4302756 To be fair to Marcia Gagliardi, the Tablehopper has been tracking this development since at least last August. Today's column simply updated the story with a firm(?) opening date. http://www.tablehopper.com/newsletter/080819/index.html Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:14:30 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585724#4302756 http://www.chow.com/topics/476489#4302742 Just bumping this thread up to say: I had the burger here last night and thought it was really very good. Best burger I've had so far in SF, which may not mean that much, since I haven't tried Zuni, Slow Club, or some of the other real contenders, but I definitely thought it was better than Street's, for instance. Particularly good char flavor from the grill, and nice thin, crispy fries. Beer, which is obviously the main attraction, was great too, and since the beer/burger combo is a staple of my diet (that sounds bad, doesn't it?), I'll be back. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:07:18 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/476489#4302742 http://www.chow.com/topics/585269#4302715 Has anyone tried "Pho Ga" at 2112 Monterey Hwy? I've read a few good reports on Yelp, so I tried to go on a Monday once, but found it closed. Apparently, it's a karaoke bar at night. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:53:05 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585269#4302715 http://www.chow.com/topics/585446#4302667 Food is good at Cyrus & I recommend going at least once. Favorites: breads, cow butter, duck w/ foie gras, & Wagyu beef. Correction: Canapes -were the small bites of sweet, salty, sour, bitter flavors: cups of soup, warm pretzels.-nice Amuse Bouche - small tuna dish - tasty Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:36:34 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585446#4302667 http://www.chow.com/topics/585722#4302622 That is almost like asking to recommend a restaurant in Wine Country in France. Do you have a town or area that you are planning to visit? If I could pick only one restaurant it would be Ubuntu in the city of Napa. http://www.chow.com/places/5 For Chinatown Jai Yun http://www.chow.com/places/910 Or on the edge of Chinatown, The House (Asian fusion) http://www.chow.com/places/1420 You didn't ask, but stopping by the Saturday morning Ferry Plaza farmers market is something to consider for a food extravaganza. http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/ http://www.cuesa.org/markets/days/saturday.php Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:19:58 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585722#4302622 http://www.chow.com/topics/585654#4302561 Here is one more. Laney Jr College. The old department was Jack Greenspan, but I have heard that he has been sick. There is another department head. But I have seen the kitchen and it is first rate. http://laney.peralta.edu/apps/comm.asp?$1=30149 There are of course more on other side of the bay also. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:02:29 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585654#4302561 http://www.chow.com/topics/585725#4302516 Thanks Melanie - think it didn't come up in search b/c the title of the thread doesn't have the restaurants name. Anyway, now I know to search by Place ;) Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:49:25 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585725#4302516 http://www.chow.com/topics/582547#4302450 What I've gleaned so far ... Owners Jason and Vicki Mack serve North Carolina barbecue such as brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork. Their meat is cooked in a smoker for 12-14 hours Sides include slaw, mac and cheese with smoked bacon, potato salad, cornbread What else is on the menu? I think they have tri-tip on the menu to but not SLO type. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:25:48 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/582547#4302450 http://www.chow.com/topics/585051#4302437 Yeah, but when they transplant it is often with families. I worked a while in Walnut Creek and it is very family-oriented ... as are most suburbs. With Berkeley you have a huge single population of either single working professionals or students. I was single at the time when I was working in Walnut Creek. It was nice enough, but after a while I wanted out ... badly. Is Suflower Bistro any good? It's a chain but there is an Il Fornaio Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:20:22 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585051#4302437 http://www.chow.com/topics/584949#4302220 Any of the other viet dishes you recommend besides the pho? I'd heard about this diner meets Italian and Vietnamese spot before, but the recs were for breakfast or burgers here. I'd love to hear what's good on the Vietnamese side of the menu. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:04:09 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/584949#4302220 http://www.chow.com/topics/585714#4302162 Ray, thanks a bunch for the "courtesy"! It's always refreshing to hear the views of visitors, especially one like you who can do a north vs. south comparison informed by experience in the San Gabriel Valley. I have heard that despite the name, dinner is where Prince excels. I've yet to try it myself. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:37:39 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585714#4302162 http://www.chow.com/topics/581048#4302152 Oh, I didn't know Sugar Butter Flour or Icing on the Cake carried mini bundt cakes, or even bundt cakes, for that matter. If you're referring to their "regular" cakes (which Nothing Bundt Cakes does not make), I actually found Icing on the Cake's to be just... meh... OK. Not a lot of dimension to them. Sugar Butter Flour's style is a little too heavy for me. I prefer La Patisserie in Cupertino or Satura in Campbell for their cakes. If we're comparing cakes to cakes and not bundt cakes to cakes. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:32:31 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/581048#4302152 http://www.chow.com/topics/585711#4302130 We’ve had lunch at South Sea Seafood Village twice in as many months and surprisingly, the $1.99 weekday dim sum have been my favorite items here. The regular priced dim sum has been sorely lacking. First, from the $1.99 menu (Monday-Friday), if you like offal, you’re in luck. The pickled ginger with barbecued chicken liver (with char siu style seasoning) and the preserved vegetable and duck gizzards are great. The soy sauce chow fun is deliciously seasoned, served without meat, as shown here, http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/3163591617/ Other delicious bites include the scallop taro puffs, a pair of frilly, deep-fried taro dumplings filled with juicy scallops, and the fried garlic pork spare rib, if you have the oral agility to work around the shards of bone and cartilage fragments. The slivers of boneless fried chicken seasoned with a bit of salty, fermented shrimp sauce are tasty too, but the serving seemed a little skimpy and the similar tasting pork spare rib was just a bit better. We’ve ordered all of these but the chicken both times with the same results. http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/3164396710 http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/3164396702 The steamed crab meat dumpling has a thick and chewy tapioca flour wrapper. The crab filling is dried out and not as fresh as it could be, so these are only average. http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/3164396692 In the do-not-order-again category, XO sauce scallop over steam tofu. The tofu was overcooked until it turned spongy and the scallops had seen better days. http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/3164396694/ From the regular priced dim sum menu, we also tried the baked barbecued pork buns (laughably miniscule amount of filling and too sweet bread), har gau (reheated with cottony shrimp filling), and Macao egg custard tarts (tough custard), and these were all below average. And, one of the most expensive items, abalone siu mai, turned out to be especially awful. The abalone was fishy-smelling and tough, and the underlying siu mai exuded grease and was not freshly made. http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/3164396690/ Menu cards on the tables promote some lunch specials. The mushroom and beef e-mein had overcooked noodles, and while it had a nice assortment of Chinese mushrooms, the meat was over-tenderized and the seasonings just didn’t have the depth of flavor that it should. We had better luck with the salt and pepper pumpkin and tofu. While the pumpkin had too much batter, the salty fried bits of garlic and scallions added a lot of punch, and this was relatively grease-free for something fried. The honey walnut prawns had way too much mayonnaise, and those prawns weren’t worth a buck apiece. We split on the surf clam porridge, served in a big bowl with wonton wrapper crisps, scallions, and minced preserved veggie on the side as topping. My sister and brother-in-law found it bland, whereas, I thought it was just right with a subtle seafood stock base setting off the tender strips of sweet clam. My only criticism of it is that the jook itself was not as creamy as the best versions, but I thought it was perfectly seasoned once assembled with the toppings. Our two weekday meals have been a mixed bag. Choosing carefully from the $1.99 specials offers a bargain in a nice setting. However, there are some costly landmines in the regular menu, so proceed with caution. More photos from South Sea Seafood Village - http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/tags/sssv/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:22:12 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585711#4302130 http://www.chow.com/topics/584570#4302090 Whether you want to or not you'll be eating a lot of yams. (Yams seem to show up in every other dish.) In other news, the veggie dumps are pretty good. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:10:26 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/584570#4302090 http://www.chow.com/topics/524027#4302026 Or, head over the Golden Gate for Sushi Ran in Sausalito. Inventive, top drawer; widely hailed as 'best.' Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:50:38 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/524027#4302026 http://www.chow.com/topics/585345#4301989 What location 'round the Bay? You're spot-on with a microbrewery - bottled brew usually inferior; can be awful if traveled far. God help you if serving PBR - most know better. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:36:59 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585345#4301989 http://www.chow.com/topics/559948#4301955 How do you feel it compares to other local restaurants like those mentioned? Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:29:18 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/559948#4301955 http://www.chow.com/topics/585665#4301771 Yes Volpi's is a great place. I've had a lot of fun meals there. Also if you have a hankering for beast try Stormy's in Bloomfield (between Petaluma and Bodega Bay) its also very old school with a huge fireplace and good drinks. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:37:14 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585665#4301771 http://www.chow.com/topics/585484#4301761 link Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:33:56 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585484#4301761 http://www.chow.com/topics/585041#4301689 And you can buy a slab of Victoria Bitter, imported from Australia. Supposedly, Cellar360 is the only place in the U.S. where you can buy VB. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:12:55 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585041#4301689 http://www.chow.com/topics/583739#4301678 HS is a strong competitor in this game, but it can't be easy trying to launch an ice cream store in the middle of winter, particularly as cold as this last week has been. After trying four flavors, i asked the scooper whether I'd worn out my welcome yet, since his enthusiasm for offering me more seemed to have disappeared. But he said, no, that I was welcome to try them all. I didn't ask about additives, but the texture of the ice creams seems closer to homemade to me. I didn't inquire about butterfat content either. The Secret Breakfast was the coldest and was on the verge of a bit of iciness, but it also left a butterfat deposit on the top of the palate. I like the clean finish of the ice creams, not the gummy finish of Mitchell's. They seem less confected and dense than Bi-Rite's. And, as you mentioned, the flavors seem more out there. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:10:39 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/583739#4301678 http://www.chow.com/topics/585627#4301535 Besides picking up linguica here, I like to have an espresso and a Portuguese pastry back in their cafe. The coffee's very good and I can pretend I'm in Europe, because I can stand up at a little zinc-height bar there and listen to the customers speak Portuguese. The host or hostess on duty has always been pleasant and friendly, too. On my way out, I always stock up on canned fish as they carry many brands of low-priced and excellent Portuguese sardines. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:32:02 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585627#4301535 http://www.chow.com/topics/585632#4301487 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/368721#2272431 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:21:53 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585632#4301487 http://www.chow.com/topics/585642#4301465 Last weekend I finally made it to Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt in Palo Alto to follow up on these positive recs from “lolia” and others. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/562730#4138730 Culture is on California Avenue, across the street from Tandoori Oven and The Counter Burger. Straus milk is the base for the frozen yogurt. Cups, spoons, and napkins are compostable, or customers can purchase brightly colored cups and spoons for reuse. http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/3164354133 The ingredients for the “original” flavor are: Organic nonfat milk Organic agave Organic whey protein concentrate Organic guar gum Soy lecithin Organic sugar Carrageenan Organic locust bean gum Live active cultures (L. Acidophilus, L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus, Bifidus. Cultured after pasteurization) and has 18 calories per ounce or Small, 72 calories Medium, 108 calories Large, 144 calories Besides the original, chocolate, tangerine, and pumpkin were available. The young woman behind the counter carefully swirled mini-tastes of the four flavors into a shallow little bowl for me to sample. The original flavor has a nice tang with more body and smoothness than cross-town competitor, Fraiche, from the added emulsifiers. It reminds me of Delatti’s in Los Gatos, but made with tonier ingredients. The dark chocolate hits a nice tone, but was too sweet for me. The pumpkin was lovely with a thicker texture from the pulp and subtle spicing. But my favorite by far was the tangerine with bright and lilting citrus tones. The tangerine flavor is quite natural and complements the tang of frozen yogurt so well. The high quality and number of toppings stands out here. I asked for a sample taste of the house-baked chocolate mini-meringues, and that was all I needed to pick that as one of my two toppings. I ordered the special, a medium size with two toppings for $5.49 (including tax) with three of the four flavors: original, plus the two seasonals, pumpkin and tangerine. Toppings were chocolate meringues and winter crisp made with dried apricots and prunes. The mini-meringues were light as a feather and each small dot was a different size and height. The housemade crisp had a nice crunch of glazed oats and plenty of fruits. http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/3164354135/ I’ve tried dozens of the noveau frozen yogurts cropping up, and while they’ve been interesting to taste and compare, none have been habit-forming. Culture’s product may change that. I’ve got my first stamp on a frequent buyer card, and I might just have to purchase one of those reusable cup and spoon sets. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:16:41 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585642#4301465 http://www.chow.com/topics/584993#4301391 I order the noodles with the soup on the side too. The rice noodles don't soften up so quickly in the hot stock. Like you, I add a few spoonfuls of soup, just enough to keep the noodles loose and not stuck together. Then towards the end when I've finished most of what's in my noodle bowl, I'll dump in whatever soup I haven't finished yet to taste everything together. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:00:03 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/584993#4301391 http://www.chow.com/topics/570404#4301345 You can find fresh Mackerel in the bay area, but it's probably Pacific Jack Mackerel, which is slightly different from the Atlantic species. It pretty much eats the same type of food and can be used for the same recipes. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:48:55 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/570404#4301345 http://www.chow.com/topics/585604#4301309 At the San Pablo store they have Silk Soy yoghurt - Vanilla flavored. A quart for $1.49 IIRC. Pretty good ....... Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:39:38 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585604#4301309 http://www.chow.com/topics/580906#4301245 I hate to admit it but I'm considering the Cliff House for DAT now that George Marrone is in the kitchen. It seems like a painless way to give the joint another chance. Seems like the response is not so much dropping prices but closing doors such as JoJo, Cafe de la Paz and Cetrella shuttering up for the winter until May 1st. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:22:22 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/580906#4301245 http://www.chow.com/topics/585275#4301130 Don't be put off the Christmas sausage next year because of the cheese in the ingrediant list. Until I read that long ago description, I would not have known it was there. I just knew the main flavor was garlic, but there was lots more going on than that. It is not like the Aidell's sausage with cheese where the cheese is in big chunks and leaks out of the sausage in an unappetizing way. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:51:11 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/585275#4301130 http://www.chow.com/topics/584462#4301020 Thanks, everyone! The place I was looking for is indeed Mi Casa, in the back of the Farmer's Market at 520 Tennant. We stopped there yesterday. The carnitas was indeed as good as I remembered, crispy on the outside, tender and moist on the inside. I wasn't super excited by the sides--the rice and beans were a little plain--but the green salsa was very tasty. Overall, a great non-chain place to stop if you're on the 101 and feeling peckish. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:18:24 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/584462#4301020 http://www.chow.com/topics/581307#4300805 Thanks for reporting back and the great write up. I'm sure it will help others in the future. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:20:57 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/581307#4300805