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| | SOME RESTAURANT REVIEWS
GW=The Chief Cook & Bottle Washer here at Weimax.
RG=Bob Gorman, Weimax staffer and bon vivant.
GB=Greg Bellow, a regular Weimax tasting participant and local Gourmand.
DR. T= A Young, Budding Wine & Food Enthusiast who dines out frequently at some of the
SF Bay Area's top tables. She has since married and moved to LA.
Please Note: The reviews displayed on this site represent only
the views of the author. These are purely personal and written based on a single
visit, so we can present but a mere snapshot of a dining establishment.
Further, restaurants tend to have a short life span, so some of the older
reviews may be of little value.
ANCHOR &
HOPE
83 Minna Street
San Francisco
Lunch: Mon-Fri
11:30-2
Dinner:
Sun-Thurs 5:30-10
Fri-Sat 5:30-11
Tel: 415-501-9100
Bread and Butter.
Smoked Bluefish.
Marinated Gravlax
Roasted Halibut
Battered Cod with
Rosemary & Thyme Potato Wedges
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We were going to attend a
trade tasting in San Francisco on a Monday night in June, so I asked my
associate, Kareasa, to scope out some places for dinner afterwards.
Her short list included this rather new restaurant, hidden away in an
alley on Minna Street between First and Second. It's a dicey
neighborhood and I was a bit worried about leaving the car parked out on
the street. Anchor-and-Hope-The-Car-Is-Still-There-When-
We're-Done.
We booked a table for 9:30 and arrived to find the place still quite
busy and loud. There's a nice vibe to the place and the diners
were casually dressed, for the most part.
We were escorted to a small table with a good view of the
restaurant. On the wall above the bar, there's a fish mural and
fish eye-like lighting.
The menus were presented, along with a two page beer list featuring many
top brews from local and foreign brewers. The wine list, also
compact and with interesting, well-chosen selections, is on the back of
the menu.
The wine list also offers a very large range of by-the-glass
offerings. Most are in the $10-$15 range. We started with a
flute of Juve y Camps Cava at $10 a flute. A glass of Taittinger
Brut is $19.
Being predominantly a seafood house, the wine list has, to its credit, a
lovely range of white wines. There's Grüner Veltliner, Sancerre,
white Rioja, Verdicchio, Vermentino, Viognier and more on the
list. Prices start at $30, but most are in the $40 to $60 price
range. Most seem to be about double their retail pricing.
We selected an appetizer and a main plate.
Shortly thereafter, our server brought a small ceramic butter dish and a
paper bag to the table. The paper bag contained bread, something
along the line of an Acme Bread "epi."
Kareasa began with a Smoked Bluefish appetizer ($12) which was quite
smoky and fresh. I opted for their Marinated Salmon Gravlax ($10),
a nice rendition with notes of dill and cucumber. There was a
nicely bitter salad atop the salmon and some crispy, toasty pieces of
sourdough bread.
I produced a bottle of white Burgundy from my cellar bag. The
server immediately brought large, elegant stemware to the table and she
deftly opened the Chassagne-Montrachet. We offered her a taste and
she was eager to try the Niellon white Burgundy. We were not
charged a corkage fee.
Kareasa ordered their roasted Halibut ($24) and this was a wonderfully
fresh, sweet, perfectly roasted hunk of fleshy white fish. My main
plate was Smithwick's Battered Cod with potato wedges ($24). This
was perfectly fried and not at all oily or greasy.
By 10:45, or so, we were the last patrons in the room. We were
brought a dessert menu with a number of mighty tempting treats, but we
passed on these.
The bill tallied to $100 before the tip and, as noted above, we were not
charged a corkage fee. In comparison to the dinner the previous
night (La Tosca, below), for about the same money there was no
comparison.
This is a wonderful restaurant and worth driving a few miles out of your
way.
Reviewed by GW
June 2009
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LA TOSCA
777 Laurel Street
San Carlos
Lunch:
Mon-Sat:
11:30-2:30
Dinner:
Mon-Sat: 5-10
Sun: 4:30-9:30
Tel: 650-592-7749
Carpaccio
Vongole e Cozzi (sic)
(in Italian, the plural for mussels is "cozze")
Spaghetti Polpette de Francesca
Rigatoni con Salsiccia
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On a late Spring Sunday
afternoon we ambled by this small San Carlos restaurant, scoped out the
menu and stepped inside.
We were seated in one of a handful of booths along the north wall and
the menu was presented to us. After a few minutes, the waiter
asked if we wanted to order a cocktail, so we asked if they had a wine
list.
They did.
And it's a list put together by someone with little wine knowledge or
aimed at customers who know very little about Italian wine and not so
much about Californian offerings.
The wines-by-the-glass list offers a number of very modest quality (some
might use the word "mediocre") wines, including Bolla Pinot
Grigio ($7), Southern Point Cabernet ($6.50), Straccali Chianti
($7/glass, $6 a bottle wholesale on two cases), Cupcake (I kid you not)
Merlot ($8.50 a glass, $6 a bottle wholesale), Esser Zinfandel ($7 a
glass, $5 a bottle wholesale) and Kinderwood White Zinfandel.
There are numerous Cabernets, about 25% of which might be of interest to
someone with half a palate.
Italian selections are fairly mainstream. Banfi and Ruffino are
the leading candidates amongst the Chianti selections. The Banfi,
which costs a restaurant $8 a bottle when when they buy 24 bottles, is
$38 on the wine list. There was a curious entry under
"Nebbiolo" (different from their 3 modest Barolo selections)
of "Leonardo Locasio Voerzio." Locasio owns an importing
firm and Voerzio is an actual wine producer in Piemonte. There's a
page of "Exceptional Other Reds" all in the triple-digit price
category. A 2003 Gaja "Gromis" is $200, while Frog's
Leap's 2002 Rutherford red is $135. A 1997 Dominus is $175.
Stemware is large and heavy.
We ordered a glass of their Costa di Bussia Gavi. The vintage date
is not noted on the wine list and I suspect this was several years
old. At $9, or so, it was not especially interesting.
The menu is partially in Italian, so you'll see "Carpaccio di Manzo"
as well as "Trout Carpacccio." Some items are
misspelled, a common occurrence on menus at numerous local
"Italian-esque" dining establishments.
The Old Bat started with the Carpaccio di Manzo ($9.95) and I chose the
"Vongole e Cozzi" (sic), a small bowl of steamed clams and
mussels ($12.95). The Carpaccio was nicely done, while the seafood
was not the most recent "catch." I don't know whether
the shellfish were frozen or over-cooked, but the clams were lackluster
and the mussels were "stale" and a bit rubbery. The
broth was not especially flavorful, either, as I missed the garlic and
basil. The tomatoes in the broth were unripe Romas.
I produced a bottle of aged red wine from my cellar bag and we paid the
$15 corkage fee. I'd have done better to produce the bottle much
earlier, since the waiter only offered to open it after the main plates
were brought to the table.
The fellow bringing the main plates was unaware of where to set each
plate, so the standard "food auction" ensued: "Who
has the Spaghetti?"
I opted for a pasta main plate, choosing Spaghetti Polpette de Francesca
($16.95), while The Old Bat had Rigatoni con Salsiccia ($13.95).
The sauce for the rigatoni had a bit more personality, having some bell
peppers in the mix. The Spaghetti was over-cooked and the sauce
was more neutral or bland than anything particularly soulful.
We skipped dessert.
The bill tallied to $93 before the tip. This is a perfectly
standard little dining establishment and if you're around the corner, it
may prove to be a satisfying meal.
Reviewed by GW
June 2009 |
SPASSO
769 Laurel Street
San Carlos
Tel: 650-592-5886
Lunch: Daily 11-2:30
Dinner Mon-Sat 5-10
Sunday 5-9
Fried Calamari
with artichokes and asparagus
Portabello Mushroom with polenta
Lamb Sirloin with "Wild" Mushroom Risotto
and Grilled Eggplant
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"Spasso" is an Italian
word for "toy," "amusement" or "fun."
We booked a table for Saturday evening at 8 and found this little joint to
be "jumping." The place seats about 60 patrons and it was
packed.
We sat down about a 10 minute wait and were handed the menu and wine
list. Our waiter recited a bunch of "specials" and these
didn't spark any interest, though I could not possibly remember them,
either.
The wine list is large and varied, though given the "Italian-esque"
theme (Italian name, faux Italian windows with Tuscan hills, etc.), there
are not many Italian wines. It's an eclectic list and you'll find
numerous "big brands" featured. The wine list seems to be
an after-thought or put together by someone with little appreciation for
"wine & food" in combination. There are 16 Pinot
Noirs, for example, a dozen Merlots and more than 2 dozen Cabernets on the
list.
A Ridge "Three Valleys" Zinfandel is a nice choice, but this $20
retail bottle is $48 on the Spasso wine list, making it "non-molto-Spasso."
Produttori del Barbaresco 2003 Barbaresco is $54 and decently-priced,
though.
We ordered a couple of appetizers to start...A 2005 Gaja Barbaresco, for
big spenders, goes for a bit more than $300 a bottle.
The menu is a bit schizophrenic...this
"Italian/Mediterranean" place offers "spring rolls" as
an appetizer, Blackened Ahi Tuna and Teriyaki Skirt Steak. I opted for
their "Fried Calamari with chipotle
aioli and lemon caper aioli" ($9.50). It was, actually, more a
"Fritto Misto," as half of the plate was baby artichokes
and asparagus spears. The calamari was nice, but the vegetables must
have been pre-processed, since the artichokes were 'mushy' and had no
flavor of an artichoke. The asparagus was flaccid and cottony.
My dining companion ordered a Portobello Mushroom with Polenta ($9.50) and
found it to be acceptable but the polenta was not terribly enthusiastic
about this dish.
We ordered a pour of Santa Rita's Chilean Sauvignon Blanc ($7) and this
arrived a few minutes after the appetizers hit the
table. They serve the wine in a small carafe and pour your glass to
about one-third, as is proper, so we give them kudos for that. The
stemware is a nice sized, all-purpose wine glass, too.
There's a small dipping sauce on the table from the start. It
appeared to be some sort of green sauce, perhaps parsley. I was a
bit startled to find it had a substantial portion of vinegar, making your
glass of wine taste sour.
We brought a nice bottle of Sangiovese and paid the reasonable ten-buck
corkage fee (they waive the fee if you've bought a bottle and there's no
corkage fee Sunday and Monday nights).
With main courses often cheese-laden (I'm allergic) or with fruit (Tuna
with mango salsa, a pork chop with dried cherries, filet mignon with
gorgonzola butter, etc.), we both opted for the Lamb Sirloin served over a
wild mushroom risotto and grilled eggplant ($21.50). The lamb was
nicely done, but the risotto was mushy and well past the al dente stage.
The wild mushrooms didn't contribute much and the eggplant was a bit raw
and fibrous. Further, there was a bothersome note of vinegar to the
eggplant, playing havoc with the red wine.
We skipped dessert, having been filled up by the main plate...
This is a perfectly pleasant "neighborhood" restaurant, but I
wouldn't go too far out of my way to dine there.
Reviewed by GW
March 2009
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ESPETUS
710 South "B" Street
San Mateo
Open Daily for Lunch & Dinner
Tel: 650-342-8700
One side of the salad bar buffet...
A starter plate...
A Passador with some beef.
The cart of beef ribs
Sausages
Meat and plenty of it...
Shrimp...
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We
were not familiar with Churrascaria or rodizio-styled restaurants and
noticed a San Francisco dining establishment had opened a place in a
quiet neighborhood in San Mateo.
Churrasco translates from Portuguese to "barbecue" and
"rodizio," as we understand it, signifies a price-fixed
meal which is an "all you can eat" event.
We booked a table for a Friday night dining experience and this was an
"experience"!!!
The place is modern, gorgeous and it looks expensive. Fresh
flowers, polished wood, artsy chandeliers...
When you're seated, there's what appears to be a menu presented at your
table. It's not a menu, but rather a wine and cocktail list.
They also bring a small plate with some fried bananas, fried polenta and
some sort of doughy bread morsels.
There's a large wine display behind the bar and I was, frankly,
surprised by the depth of the wine list. Espetus offers perhaps
ten wines-by-the glass, but none is identified by brand or
winery.
We started with a half bottle of Grgich-Hills Fumé Blanc ($25).
The server, unfamiliar with wine, asked what item number it was and I
told him...still, he brought the wrong wine. When he found the
correct bottle, he came back to the table with some large and somewhat
old-fashioned white wine glasses.
We did not see any indication of the cost of this food marathon and the
server doesn't tip you off, so I will: It's $50. I don't think
they discount a meal for vegetarians or kids, either. Desserts are
extra.
There's a small device on your table which you can manipulate:
"Red" for "no thanks" and "green" for
"bring it." This indicates to the squadron of passadors
(waiters carrying skewers of grilled food) whether or not to stop
and offer you some meat, shrimp, chicken hearts or pineapple.
You have a small set of tongs for each diner and this is to allow you to
grab a slice of whatever it is the passador is offering.
Espetus offers perhaps 15-20 items on their cold buffet. We found
a slaw of some sort, sliced beets, steamed broccoli, sliced tomatoes,
asparagus spears, baby tomatoes, a bean salad (the beans are beautifully
cooked, al dente and nicely seasoned) and pieces of hearts of palm
(tasting much different from the ones sold in cans in the grocery
store).
On a counter in front of the glass window of the barbecue kitchen, there
are some hot offerings...steamed rice, shrimp in a sauce, what appeared
to be a salmon dish and maybe one other item.
When we were finished with our starter plate, we changed our little sign
indicator to green and we had all sorts of large skewers of things
offered. They have perhaps three skewers of beef, plus another
passador with a cart of giant beef ribs. We were offered grilled
shrimps, chicken hearts, baby loin lamb chops (seasoned with a touch of
mint) and a few cheese-encrusted meats. Though we were advised to
have some of the grilled pineapple, no passador stopped by with this
offering. (It's claimed to aid digestion.)
I ordered a bottle of some South American Tannat from their wine list
but the server could not locate this. The wine list has about 30
Malbecs...8 Chilean selections, a half a dozen reds from Argentina, some
Portuguese wines and a range of Californian bottlings. Opus One
goes for a mere $205 (good price for a restaurant), while Chateau
Montelena's Napa Cabernet is $95 (a bit high). Silver Oak's Napa
Cabernet is $167, so they take a smaller percentage markup on
high-priced bottles and a larger margin on lower-tier wines. A
Siduri Pinot Noir was $55.
I brought a bottle of a Louis Martini 2004 Monte Rosso vineyard Cabernet
and this was remarkably nice. Corkage, though, is high, costing
$30 for a bottle and $60 for a magnum, etc. The server brought a
nicer red wine glass for the Cabernet.
If I have one criticism of our dining experience, it's that all the
meats are very liberally salted. One slice of something that salty
is fine, but if you have a range of offerings, you may find your palate
to be fatigued.
We had no chance of having dessert...too stuffed! But they have 8
or 12 different items in the $7-$8 price range. There are numerous
dessert wines and digestifs, too.
The dining crowd at Espetus was varied...young folks and old
geezers...multi-cultural...some people were out for a Friday night
"date," while there were other large parties celebrating
birthdays.
The ambience was nice...I didn't really hear any music. Maybe that
was due to the salt? ;)
It's not an inexpensive night out, but it was a remarkable dining
experience and we look forward to a return visit. This is a
restaurant worthy of a drive from out of the neighborhood.
Reviewed by GW
February 2009
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CAFE
CITTI
9049 Sonoma Highway
Kenwood, Sonoma County
OPEN DAILY
11:30-3:30 and 5-8:30, or so
Tel: 707-833-2690
Caesar salad.
Homemade Ravioli
Pasta "AOP"
Pizza
Cannoli
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An
old East Coast friend who used to come to the west coast periodically
had always spoken highly of this little place along the highway in the
Sonoma Valley. I did not know precisely what to expect when
we opened the door and, frankly, I was a bit disappointed looking in.
Tables are rather simple and bare-bones. The "menu" is
hand-written on erasable boards posted above the deli counter towards
the back of the place. It's slightly more formal than a sandwich
shop or deli and I began to wonder what sort of food we might be
served. We scanned the various boards, trying to cobble together a
modest Sunday lunch. The "display" case has several
trays of salads and I decided I'd try their Calamari Salad ($4.50 for a
small bowl). I opted for a pasta "A-O-P" (Aglio, Olio
and Pancetta) with fusili. This was $12, or so.
You have to order at the cash register counter in the back and then you
find a table and sit yourself down. It's very informal, to say the
least.
Wine? They have maybe 5 whites and 5 reds listed on the wall
behind the cash register and they're all rather standard quality.
We chose a Villa Claudia Chianti for $25. I was pleasantly
surprised when the bottle came to the table and it was actually at cool
cellar temp! Don't expect Riedel stemware...a small water tumbler
serves as a wine glass, but given the simple "trattoria"
Chianti they serve, this glass works perfectly!
We all ordered a starter and a main plate. I tasted the Minestrone
soup...remarkably soulful. Someone ordered a Caesar
Salad...incredibly good and with a strong dose of garlic! Jesper
ordered a pizza, too and this was a lovely homemade Pizza Margherita with
a nice tomato sauce.
My calamari salad was remarkably good. The calamari was actually
tender and there were roasted peppers, olives and celery in the salad.
A couple of folks ordered Ravioli and there were four large homemade
ravioli on the plate.
My Pasta "AOP" was terrific! Lots of garlic, lots
of pancetta and a decent olive oil adorned the perfectly-cooked fusili.
A couple of folks ordered dessert and we had coffees, too.
This is a great little "hole in the wall" place which features
great "home cooking."
Comfort food at a comfortable price.
We will definitely make a return visit!
Reviewed by GW
January 2009 |
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THE GIRL & THE FIG
110 West Spain Street
Sonoma
Open Daily
Tel: 707-938-3634
Matchstick Frites
Salt Cod Croquettes
Steak Tartare
Seasonal salad with watermelon radishes.
Butternut Squash Risotto 'cake'
Roasted Chicken under the salad.
Wild Boar Ragoût with Polenta
Some sort of dessert...
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Despite
the economic woes on the front page of every newspaper in the country
presently, this Sonoma restaurant was packed (and then some) when we
arrived on a Saturday evening during the winter doldrums. We had
an 8:30 reservation and had to wait a few moments for our table to be
cleared and re-set.
We had a nice round-table towards the back of the restaurant. The
wine list and menus were both presented as we were seated and I
immediately grabbed the wine list. As we were celebrating a
friend's birthday, I check out the various bubbly options. As the
kitchen features Mediterranean fare, the wine list spotlights Rhône
varieties. If you're looking for Chardonnay and Cabernet
Sauvignon, you won't find them here!
We selected a Cremant de Limoux ($29) and our server returned with some
rather standard, heavy-duty flute glasses.
A number of items were attractive, food-wise and a couple of orders of
Matchstick Fries ($5) were requested while we continued deciding on our
meal.
The wine list has numerous offerings of Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache,
Viognier, Syrah and various blends. It's nice to see so many
interesting wines at friendly prices. To pair with our appetizers,
I selected a Qupé Marsanne ($35). The restaurant charges a $15
corkage fee ($10 for Rhône varieties) and will waive the fee on a
one-to-one basis for every bottle you buy from their list.
My starter was Salt Cod Croquettes ($12.95) and these came with a white
bean purée. Someone else began with a Steak Tartare ($13.50),
while another person had the "seasonal" salad ($8.50)
featuring watermelon radishes and pickled red onions. One person
ordered the price-fixed menu.
The stemware for the white wine was a bit more elegant than the flutes
for the bubbly. The attentive server kept the wine glasses full.
One nice feature of the Girl & the Fig is that each plate arrived at
the place of the diner who ordered it without question. We did not
have the "food auction" so typical of many places:
"Who ordered the...?"
I produced a special bottle of Gerin's 2004 Côte-Rôtie from the La
Landonne site and the waiter brought fresh, all-purpose stemware and
politely opened our bottle. We offered him a taste of this
dynamite Syrah and he politely declined.
The main plates arrived in a timely manner and we had a nice variety of
dishes. Our vegetarian friend ordered a Butternut Squash Risotto
Cake ($16.95), while Jesper opted for Wild Boar Ragoût with Polenta
($22.50). I had a half a Sonoma County roasted Chicken ($19.95)
and the priced-fixed diner had some sort of trout main dish.
The chicken was wonderfully prepared, crispy and succulent. My
only complaint would be the salad "accompaniment" is presented
smothering the chicken rather than off to the side.
As we had a birthday cake and bottle of Port back at the hotel, we
passed on dessert. The price fixed menu came with a dessert which
was not to the taste of the diner. Our sharp-eyed server quietly
whisked away that plate and returned with some chocolate-covered dried
figs!
We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and look forward to a return visit.
I suspect we racked up a bill tallying about $75-$80 per person.
Reviewed by GW
January 2009
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CINDY'S
BACKSTREET KITCHEN
1327 Railroad Avenue
St. Helena - Napa Valley
Open Daily
Tel: 707-963-1200
Backstreet "Fry" and a bottle of Napa
Riesling from Trefethen
Smoked Trout with Salmon Tartare and some salad...
Cindy's delectable "duck burger" and a
bottle of Summers Charbono, a perfect pairing!
A salad of locally-grown mixed greens and spiced
pecans...and a Roasted Artichoke.
Rigatoni Pasta.
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We
reserved a table for lunch on a winter weekend and arrived at this
comfortable, off-the-main-drag restaurant in St. Helena. It's
about a 90 minute ride from Burlingame if the freeways aren't jammed.
Parking was easy, right across from the restaurant on the "back
street," though I suspect you might have to hunt for a spot when
another neighboring restaurant is open.
We were seated in a booth towards the back of the dining room.
Menus and a wine list arrived as we were seated. I quickly perused
the small binder-of-a-wine-list and found many famous locally-produced
offerings. Especially nice is the personal touch of the selections
at Cindy's. Chef Cindy Pawlcyn has been in Napa for years and so
her selections are particular and with a broad spectrum of wines and
prices.
We ordered a bottle of Domaine Carneros Brut bubbly ($40) and our server
quickly brought flutes to the table and then the bottle of sparkling
wine. She deftly presented the bottle and on our "go
ahead," she opened it and poured.
The wine list affords adventuresome drinkers to explore various
varieties and at sensible prices. The stemware is elegant at
Cindy's, too.
The group perused the menu which featured "Small Plates,"
Salads, "Large Plates," wood-oven cooked items and
"Sandwiches." We ordered a number of small starters...a
Backstreet Fry ($10.75) featuring calamari, okra, red onions, etc.
There was an outstanding starter of Smoked Trout and Salmon Tartare
which reminded me of visits to Alsace. It was outstanding as was
the "fry."
We had a bottle of Trefethen's Riesling...a wonderful companion to the
smoked trout and crisp enough to handle the fried vittles. This
cost about $37.
Our water glasses were kept filled and our young server kept her eye on
the wine, too. We ordered a lovely bottle of Summers' Charbono to
go with the main plates. I prefer this served at cool cellar temp,
so we asked for an ice bucket to quickly chill the bottle. I think
the Charbono was about $45.
At the suggestion of our server, several of us chose the Duck Burger
($13.50) which comes with wonderful fries.
Our vegetarian companion found comfort in the locally grown greens
adorned with spiced pecans ($9) and the
Roasted Artichoke, lemon & chervil-tarragon aioli ($11).
Another guest had some sort of rigatoni pasta with an Italian cheese
sauce. This, they said, was very rich and filling.
A dessert menu appeared when the table was cleared and one in our party
ordered a fantastically intense Coconut ice cream.
The bill for our party of five tallied to about $280, or so and this was
worth every penny!
This is a terrific place for a leisurely lunch and we'd be delighted to
try dinner here, as well.
Reviewed by GW
January 2009 |
SUNDANCE
Steak House
1921 El Camino Real
Palo Alto
Phone: 650-321-6798
Lunch: Mon-Fri
11:30-2
Dinner Daily
Tempura Mushrooms
Tempura Fried Jumbo Gulf Prawns
Top Sirloin
New York Steak
Mud Pie
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We've
driven by this western-styled building a zillion times over the last 3
decades and it took until a Sunday night after a movie to check out the
Sundance Steak House.
Despite the recessionary economy, the place was rather busy when we
arrived around 7:30 without a reservation. We were warmly greeted
and escorted into one of several clubby dining rooms.
The wine list and menu were delivered simultaneously and shortly
thereafter our server came by to introduce himself and see about a
cocktail order.
A glass of Gloria Ferrer Brut was ten bucks. Curiously, it's
served with a strawberry attached to the flute glass. The wine
list offers lots of familiar, mass-market bottles, but there is ample
opportunity to seriously bruise one's credit card with various trophy
wines. The list has all sorts of 'cult' wines from Napa Cabernet
producers, along with a few Bordeaux and Burgundies. Given the
theme of the restaurant (beef), you'll find all sorts of triple-digit
priced Cabernets.
We began with the Old Bat ordering Tempura Mushrooms ($9.95) while I had
Tempura Shrimp ($12.50). These are both nicely done, though I will
say they'll put a major dent in your appetite.
We produced a lovely bottle of Miriam Cabernet (Uncle Mario Perelli-Minetti's
reserve wine in honor of his late wife) and the server asked if it
required decanting before procuring suitable stemware.
Unfortunately, the steaks (the Old Bat had the 10 ounce Top Sirloin,
while I opted for the 13oz. New York Strip...$26.95 and $38.95
respectively) arrived before our wine was opened.
The steaks come with steamed broccoli and steamed carrots. You can
choose, then, a baked potato, mashed potatoes, rice pilaf or slice
tomatoes. I was silly and had the tomatoes...three raw slices of a
cardboard-like, unripe beefsteak tomato.
The quality of the steaks was excellent. A side dish of Sautéed
Button Mushrooms ($3.95) was presented with some sort of dark, slightly
sweet, heavy sauce.
The stemware for our Cabernet was good. Large, Bordeaux-styled
glasses were large and elegant.
I didn't notice background music, though we were in a dining area
neighboring the bar. TV sets sent colorful lighting into the room
and this was mildly distracting. Despite that dining area being
fully occupied, hearing your table mates is not a problem.
The Old Bat was still hungry and ordered a "Mud Pie" ($7.95)
for dessert. This was accompanied by a separate serving of melted,
hot chocolate adding insult to the dietary injury.
It's easy to run up a big bill at the Sundance Steak House, but with the
quality of the food and good service, it's easy to see how this place is
thriving, even in a depressed economy.
The server told us he didn't add a corkage fee to our bill and we ending
up dropping $129 before the tip.
We look forward to a return visit when we're next in this neck of the
woods.
Reviewed by GW
January 2009 |
LA BOHEME
1425
Burlingame Ave
Burlingame, CA 94010
Phone: 650-347-3331
Open Daily for Lunch
11-3:30
Dinner:
5-10pm
Sea Scallops
Snails with a fine dice of tomatoes and a fried basil leaf...
A Pork Chop...
Confit of duck with Duck Breast and assorted vegetables.
|
The former
location of the Chinese restaurant Gau Poang has undergone numerous
changes in the past two years. It was converted to a steak house,
followed by an Indian-themed restaurant and today it's morphed into a
bakery, breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant.
We ambled in one Sunday evening in the Fall and found the place to be
quite busy. The young hostess didn't know quite what to make of
us, since we'd entered through the back door (there's a small parking
lot behind the restaurant). We were ushered to a tiny table and
requested something larger, being seated at a four top along the wall.
A drinks list, wine list and menus were presented. The Old Bat was
lusting for a Martini. Despite having a full bar, they did not
have a major brand of Gin! She wanted it with a cocktail onion and an
olive, but unfortunately the bar was not stocked with cocktail onions!
The "organic" Juniper gin made for a rather dull,
monochromatic $11 martini. I started with a $9 pour of Tangent
2006 Sauvignon Blanc. This is a perfectly nice, simple white wine,
though it tastes more like an Alsatian blend of some sort. To
their credit, the bottle was brought to the table, displayed and then
poured.
In such darkly illuminated restaurants, it's difficult to have a close
look at the menu or wine list. I'd forgotten my magnifying glass
and pocket light. The wine list featured a few sparkling wines
(Gruet Blanc de Noirs by the glass), a modest range of white wines and
several categories of reds. The mark-up on these seems
normal. The selection is modest and most bottles are
reasonably-priced. We asked about the corkage fee and our young
server said he thought it was $15, "but don't quote me on
this." In fact, the corkage fee on the bill was $20.
We began with starters...The Old Bat ordered a $10 Sea Scallop dish
which was very good. Two giant sea scallops were served on
tissue-paper thin slices of cucumber and some sort of cucumber
sauce. I ordered the Cassolette d'Escargot a la lie (also
$10), a 'stew' of snails cooked in the dregs of a bottle of wine (at
least, that's how a la lie translates). The snails were
served on a bed of the 'house' bread. I felt the bread they
brought to the table (warm, too, by the way) was more like some sort of
out-of-the-freezer and into-the-oven sort of bread. A fine
baguette or sourdough, it was not. This sort of became mushy under
the sauce. I cook with a lot of garlic and found the snails a bit
bland overall.
One of the servers removed the appetizer plates and he was soon followed
by a bus person who removed the bread basket, bread plates and the
remaining silverware. Apparently he thought we were finished.
I brought a nice young red Bordeaux to taste and the manager graciously
decanted it. He also brought bigger, deeper stemware, too.
We offered him a taste of the little Cos d'Estournel wine but he was not
interested, apparently.
The main courses arrived and the young server quickly realized we had no
silverware.
The Old Bat had the "Cote de Porc" ($17) which was nicely
prepared and moist. My Duo de Canard ($19) featured a duck leg
confit and a few slices of duck breast. I was asked how I wanted
the duck cooked and I asked for medium-rare. The confit, as one
might expect, was well-cooked, but the duck breast was well-done to some
parts being close to incinerated. The vegetable medley was a
curious mix of this-and-that. There were well sautéed pieces of
chanterelles, some fresh, crisp asparagus and a nearly raw Brussels
sprout. Some other bits of root vegetables we included. It
was a bit chaotic, frankly.
We skipped dessert and the bill came to $104 before the tip.
This is a nice 'neighborhood' place and it can be rather economical if
you skip drinks. Service is rather informal and pleasant.
Reviewed by GW
November 2008
|
PORTERHOUSE
60 E. 3rd Avenue
San Mateo, CA
Phone: 650-579-5911
OPEN Daily for Dinner
Crab Cakes
Steak Tartare Prepared at the table
10 Ounce New York Steak
Mushrooms and Garlic Fries
Filet Mignon
|
The proliferation of 'steak
house' restaurants brings us a new theme to an old San Mateo dining
establishment. It's called Porterhouse and is owned by the family
which owned Bogie's in the old theater building next to the Ben Franklin
hotel on Third Avenue.
We ambled in on a Sunday evening. There's a hostess' podium and a
bar, both of which were empty. We noticed a few people dining at
the booths behind the podium and finally someone arrived, offering us
either a booth or a table. We took a place in a booth.
In perusing the wine list, we found a number of wines offered "by
the glass." Chandon Brut costs $8 as did the Taz Chardonnay
we opted for. The wine arrives already poured (so we have to take
it on faith that it's the Chardonnay we ordered) and comes in nice, tall
stemware.
Other options include Hess Chardonnay for $12 a pour or Ridge Three
Valley's Zinfandel (also $12 a glass or $48 a bottle...this retails for
$18 to $20). Only when you've perused the entire list and arrive
at the last page does one see a few half bottle offerings (Taittinger
Brut for $48, Clicquot Brut at $50 or Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc for $25).
The list has mostly famous and comfortable names, which is probably a
good thing since we didn't see a sommelier on our visit and our server
is barely old enough to drink.
Cakebread Chardonnay is $65 a bottle, while Chateau Montelena goes for
$60. A Caymus Cabernet, retailing for about $65-$70 is $120 on
this wine list. Jordan's Cabernet is $82. Ridge Lytton
Springs Zinfandel is $60. If you're a big spender, you might
consider an older bottle of Opus One (the 1992 and 1997 are $350 a
bottle).
We began with Crab Cakes ($11) and these three small disks are adorned
with a fine dice of avocado and tomato on some sort of aioli. The
crab cakes are deep fried and are more of a generic seafood flavor than
sweet crab.
The Old Bat ordered Steak Tartare ($14) and this arrives with a disk of
ground beef and 5 lines of flavorings including finely chopped shallots,
mustard, parsley, etc. The server then mixes everything at your
table. There's truffle oil in the beef and this really dominates
the aroma and flavor. There are five pieces of toast for the
tartare.
Soups are $5 and salads $7 or $8. They claim to make their own pastas
and these go for $15 or $20, while Ahi Tuna is $28 and Wild Salmon is
$25. An 8 ounce Filet Mignon is $32 ($40 for the 12 ounce).
A 14 ounce New York Steak is $39, but I opted for the 10 ounce version
at around $30. A Porterhouse steak is mid to high
$40s.
The Old Bat chose a small Filet Mignon. My steak was a shade more
cooked than the medium-rare I'd ordered. It's a nice piece of
beef, in the good to very good range of quality. Each piece of
beef is presented on a serving of bland mashed potatoes and rather bland
spinach.
We ordered their Garlic Fries and Wild Mushrooms. The fries were
rather brittle and chalky. The mushrooms were basically a sauté
of shitake mushrooms. (A few drops of their truffle oil would have
been a tremendous enhancement!)
I produced a nice bottle of Bordeaux from my cellar bag. The
server properly cut off the foil at the top and poured a small amount
for "the say." With my approval, he then poured a proper
amount for my dining companion and myself. The stemware was a bit
larger than we had for the white wine and was of good quality and
appropriate for a high-priced dining establishment. I think the
corkage fee was approximately $15 to $20.
We skipped dessert and coffee.
By 8:30 on a Sunday night, we were just about the last to depart.
The ambience is nice. Music is audible and a bit quirky, aimed at
a younger crowd.
We each left $80, which included a nice tip for the server. It's a
rather pricey place, but if you're in San Mateo and looking for a steak,
it's a far better choice than the San Mateo Prime restaurant down the
block.
Reviewed by GW
September 2008 |
ACQUA
PAZZA
201 E. 3rd Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94401
Phone: 650-375-0903
OPEN:
Lunch M-F 11-2
Dinner Daily 5-9:30 or so
Frittura di Posillipo.
The Vesuvio Salad
Calamarata AcquaPazza
Misto di Carne
The "contorni" to accompany the mixed meat plate.
The Chocolate Soufflé with a scoop of a nice Vanilla Ice Cream.
|
Located
on the corner of Ellsworth and Third Avenues in San Mateo, this location
has been a rather long series of restaurants over the past several
years.
We ambled in on a Sunday night during a holiday weekend and were able to
find a nice table along the west wall of this place.
The hostess left us with a wine list and menus and we perused the wine
selections. There are ten white selections by the glass as well as
ten reds. Half of the red wines listed do not specify the
producer or brand of wine. There's a "House Sangiovese"
from Tuscany for $6.50 as well as a "House Chianti" for the
same price. They offer a "House" Pinot Grigio,
Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet. The Zinfandel is
listed as coming from Tuscany, a sad development for Italian
viticulture.
One argument is they can buy advantageously by price, but it's a rather
lazy approach to a wine list. This sort of wine list is fine for a
local pizzeria, but if you're a 'fine dining' establishment, it's not
impressive.
The stemware is something close to a 12 ounce, or so, clunky, heavy-duty
wine glass and lacks elegance. We ordered a couple of pours of the Terredora 2007
Falanghina for $9 each.
The server returned to our table with the bottle and poured the
wine. We applaud this sort of service, but the white wine was
served at a cool temperature, but it should have been chilled a bit more.
The wine list notes they have their wine stored "in the
most modern" of wine storage units. This was a nice
temperature for a red, but just slightly too warm on a summer's evening
for a white wine.
Some sort of cake-like bread was brought, warmed, in a basket along with
an herbal oil and vinegar mixture.
We ordered a starter of a "Frittura di Posillipo" ($10.95), a
mix of fried calamari, zucchini and a couple of shrimp.
With the bread, oil and plates on the table, there was little room for
this to be set in the middle of the two of us. The calamari and
zucchini were good...shrimp were okay.
In perusing the rest of the wine list, by the way, you'll find some
curious entries. For example, there's a "Vermentino
Sardinia" listed as coming from Tuscany. There are numerous
spelling errors, making for a sloppy list.
In terms of pricing, a Valpolicella is offered for $29 a bottle, while a
good Nebbiolo d'Alba from Alessandria goes for $36, while their
"Borolo" (sic) is $85.
The owners of the restaurant are proud of their Napolitano heritage, yet
only two of the 21 red wine selections come from Campania! There's
more Piemontese red on the wine list than from their home turf!!
We each ordered the Vesuvio Insalata ($5.95) and this is a nice, small
plate of mixed greens with some olives, red onions, cherry tomatoes and
cucumber. No offer of a grind of pepper, by the way. The
salad dressing was rather standard and acceptable if unexceptional.
The Old Bat opted for a pasta main course and chose their Calamarata
AcquaPazza ($13.95). This was a tomato-sauced pasta (large
rings in shape) with a variety of seafood in the sauce. It arrived
al dente and, frankly, would have been better with another minute
in boiling water or a little longer in a saucepan with the
seafood. Still, it was good.
I chose their Misto di Carne ($13.95) which was billed as
Grilled Italian Sausage, Chicken Breast, Capers and Black Olives in a
Spicy Tomato Sauce. The "sausage," then, was something
more akin to a slice of meat, rather than a typical sausage. A
side plate accompanied this, a mix of potatoes and veggies.
Neither main plate arrived "piping" hot. Both were warm
and would have been improved had the timing been better and the plates
brought as soon as they were completed.
We brought a bottle of a lovely Campanian red wine, the De Conciliis
"Naima." Corkage is listed as $12, but we were not
charged this (perhaps as we shared a pour with our server, one of the
brothers who own the place). Given the wine list, I'd suggest
bringing a nice, special bottle.
We shied away from dessert, but finally the Old Bat gave in an ordered
the Chocolate Soufflé. They generously brought a slice of a
Napolitano ricotta torta which had a rose water/rose petal
character.
The ambience of this place is nice, but a tad noisy. If you're
seated on the west wall facing east, the TV set above their bar can be a
bit of a distraction. It's not the sort of place for a private
conversation...my hearing is not that good, but I heard all about the
young lady's problems with the boyfriend at the next table and the wine
expert on the other side of us chatting up the virtues of La Crema
wines.
All in all, though, it's a nice dining spot. We paid $83 for
dinner for two, with a starter, two salads, two main plates, two glasses
of wine and one dessert (they forgot the $12 corkage and we left a tip
to more than cover that!).
This is a nice little neighborhood place and well-priced, too.
Reviewed by
GW
August 2008
UPDATE: March 2009
I joined a friend for lunch at this place and it
seemed as though they're running more smoothly and the kitchen was more
impressive. Perhaps we simply ordered "better."
A plate of "Drowned Artichokes" was quite nice, though the 'carciofi'
might have been cooked a tad more and dressed with a shade more olive
oil.
A Fritto Misto was exceptional and beautifully fried.
We had a small plate of eggplant gnocchi with a homemade tomato
sauce...fantastically good!
Branzino, a "sea bass", was perfectly good...simple and
excellent.
One of the brothers running this place said they are sticklers for good
fish and only have this when the fish dealer sends good quality "branzini."
Otherwise, they are returned to the dealer...
|
ARCHIPELAGO
1107 Howard Avenue
Burlingame
Open Daily 5-10pm
Hearts of Palm & Roasted Beets Salad
Flash Grilled Romaine Hearts
Braised Short Ribs
Duck Breast
Flourless Chocolate Cake
|
Archipelago
maintains a very low profile on Howard Avenue just a block south of
Burlingame Avenue. There's no sign on the building presently and
even their web site doesn't give much of an indication as to when
they're open.
The theme of the place is Filipino/Spanish/Mediterranean.
The executive chef, as we understand it, is a teacher at the Culinary
Academy in San Francisco, while the Chef de Cuisine worked at
Napa's French Laundry restaurant.
We ambled in on a Thursday evening in the Spring of 2008. No
problem to get a table and we were guided to a dining area which had
private booths and free-standing tables. The room is dimly lit
with lots of wood and wood tones.
As we were seated, the hostess presented us with a wine list and the
menu.
The wine list is a compact, one page document featuring a modest
selection of wines offered both "by the glass" and bottle
choices. You won't find any particularly grand wines on their list
unless you're wowed by Cakebread Chardonnay ($105 a bottle!),
Franciscan, Simi or the wines of Louis Jadot. We started with a
flute of Bouvet Brut ($7), a basic, decent Loire Valley bubbly of modest
distinction.
They have more than a dozen starters. The Old Bat was intrigued by
the Fresh Hearts of Palm & Roasted Beets Salad ($7.50). I took
a suggestion from Janet, our server, and opted for the Flash-Grilled
Romaine Lettuce Hearts ($7.25, I think). The hearts of palm were
nice, but bland...the romaine salad was very good and their Caesar
dressing was tangy and delicious. Both plates were beautifully
presented.
We pulled a bottle of Thackrey Pleiades out of our cellar bag and paid
the $15 corkage fee. Nice stemware was returned to the
table. After pouring the first glass, we were on our own to deal
with the wine.
For a main plate, the Old Bat had "Lacquered Duck Breast"
($21) and I had the "Spice Perfumed Slow Braised Short Ribs"
($21.75). These arrived just after the server opened our red wine
and, as with the first plates, were artistically presented.
The Duck was good...I only had a small bite, but it was moist and
flavorful. The Short Ribs were succulent and meaty and taken off
the bone.
The ambience is nice, if a bit dark. Bring a small flashlight if
you have difficulty reading menus in dimly lit circumstances. The
music played a bit obtrusively in the background (it might have been
less noticeable had there been more of a crowd in the restaurant) was
modern, hip, "techno-lounge" sounds.
We had a Flourless Chocolate Cake ($6.50) for dessert, brought to the
table by a kitchen staffer, instead of our server. The cake was
good, though I didn't much care for the crunchy little shreds of coconut
on top. We did not order a dessert wine and the server did not
solicit an order for a sip of Port or a coffee.
Overall this is a lovely dining spot with an interesting menu and the
plates we had were expertly prepared. Service is above average and
comfortable.
I'd surely return to further explore the interesting menu. I'll
certainly bring my own wine, though.
Reviewed by GW
April 2008 |
BRIO
1190 California Drive
Burlingame
TEL: 650-348-6615
Lunch: Tues-Fri 11:30-3
Dinner Tues-Sun 5-10:30
Oysters.
Black Risotto with Sea Scallops and a lobster sauce.
Seared Tuna.
Pork Chop Milanese.
|
Located
in the old train station at Broadway, down the street from the shop,
this is a convenient place if you're a local. The building has
been home to numerous restaurants, most recently "Pisces."
On a Wednesday evening at 7, we found the place packed. We were
seated after a short wait and found the "joint was
jumping." Curiously, though, this seems, presently, to have
attracted diners from out of the neighborhood...not a local in sight!
We were seated with both menus and wine list. The place is a bit
noisy and they don't help much by playing Italian techno-style
music. This would be perfectly fine for a pizza restaurant, but
it's a bit out of synch (to my fuddy-duddy sensibilities, anyway) for a
"fine dining" establishment.
I was dining with The Old Bat and we typically look for a crisp white or
bubbly to start. We opted for a flute of Carpene Malvolti Prosecco
at $11 each ($48 for a bottle, about 3 times the retail price!).
In perusing the list, I was surprised by how many selections are
offered. This is a small place, yet the list is voluminous and
perhaps a bit too extensive. Do they need two relatively similar
Arneis wines, I wondered.
The list demonstrates a certain amount of enthusiasm for wine, though,
but it's a bit sloppy. The Champagne "Dom Perignon" is
listed as "Don Perignon" (and $320 a bottle, too!
Ouch!!). Louis Roederer Brut Premier ($120 a bottle) is listed as
"Luis Roedere." They have several selections of Barolo,
including one from the "Produttori del Barbaresco," a winery
which does not produce Barolo! It goes for $110 a bottle and is
offered as a "Langhe" red wine. If it's the entry
level Nebbiolo Langhe, the normal retail price is less than $20.
Ouch! The Merlot from Silver Oak's Twomey estate, a $65 bottle at retail, is
offered for $190! I wonder if they've not purchased some of the
wines through normal channels and have paid 'retail' for some of the
selections.
I still give them credit for having a nice range of good Italian
offerings. They have simply too many offerings for a place where
nobody seems to really know very much about wine.
Corkage is $18 a bottle, by the way.
A small bread basket arrived with a rectangular accompanying dish
featuring butter, a green, herbal dipping sauce and some sort of
vinegary dipping sauce.
The Old Bat ordered a half a dozen oysters with some sort of horseradish
accompaniment, perhaps in a tomato-based sauce. They brought a
lovely platter of oysters with a brown, vinegary, acidic and acetic sauce. I
suggested this would make the oysters take on a metallic taste and she
had already made the mistake of combining the two and making this
discovery! The server queried the kitchen about this, returning to
say "they weren't happy with the horseradish..." The Old
Bat wasn't happy without it!
My starter, however, was a "Black Risotto" with Sea
Scallops. It was a lovely serving of creamy, soft (maybe a tad too
soft) rice with a nice bit of sea scallop (I think they were able to
slice a single sea scallop horizontally to cover the enter 'disk' of
rice) as a counterpoint. Very nice, though.
The bus boy was "johnny-on-the-spot" about clearing the plates
and silverware. I was curious to see if he'd bring a fresh round
of forks and knives to the table.
Meanwhile, we produced a bottle of Villa Pattono Monferatto Rosso from
our cellar bag and the waiter, a friendly fellow, took care of opening
this. He brought larger stemware and a decanter to splash around
the wine. This is a nice service and the wine was marvelous.
The main plates arrived after an extended wait (the place was rockin'
and I'm sure the kitchen was taxed!) and my cranky companion was upset
with her cold "Seared" tuna. I was a bit embarrassed,
frankly, when she sent it back. If it's seared properly it's hot
or rather warm on the exterior and cool, of course, in the center (which
is raw). The server smiled and took care of it and she was
placated. I tasted the tuna and thought it was excellent and just
at the edge in terms of the amount of pepper.
I ordered a Pork Chop "Milanese" (which is pounded a bit and
breaded) and served with a little Calabrese Chile sauce. I took a
taste of the sauce and saw it was going to ruin the wine, so I didn't
dip the pork into it. The pork chop was "camouflaged" by
a mass of baby greens (not dressed, thank goodness!).
Of course, I sat patiently, waiting for the server to realize I was
missing an all-important utensil, a knife.
He brought one immediately, though he should have checked at the outset.
The food, I'm happy to report, was very good. We probably should
have ordered a side dish, or two. Next time!
We had a look at the dessert menu and ordered a sip of Port for The Old
Bat and an assortment of ice creams and sorbet. These were quite
good and we were told the dessert was house-made.
The bill tallied to about $140 before the tip, a bit of a splurge,
certainly, for a neighborhood place. Still, we find Brio a lovely
addition to the Burlingame dining landscape and look forward to a return
visit.
With a bit of "polish," this could be a real gem!
Reviewed by GW
January 2008 |
SAN
MATEO PRIME
174 East Third Ave
San Mateo
Tel: 650-558-8918
Open Daily for Dinner
5-10pm
Iceberg Lettuce Salad with canned beets
Baby Greens...
New York Steak with Sautéed Spinach and Fries
|
Having
driven down Third Avenue in San Mateo, I noticed a new steak house so I
dragged The Old Bat out early on a Sunday evening.
We arrived shortly before 6pm (hey, it was a Sunday!) and there were but
three or four tables occupied. The two kids working to seat people
(they couldn't be more than 21 or 22 years old) were perplexed.
They didn't have enough menus and it didn't dawn on them immediately to
seat guests and bring the menus later. They're trained,
apparently, to only seat guests when they have menus in hand.
The restaurant has seating for perhaps 80, or so, and yet they did not
have a menu for us. Bringing the wine list was also out of the question,
apparently. The server stopped by, eventually, to ask if we wanted
a beverage, but they're not listed on the menu and we had no wine list!
A fellow brought a basket of corn bread and offered each of us a
"square." This might not have been baked sufficiently as
The Old Bat couldn't butter it without the whole thing crumbling into
little bits on her bread plate. I was able to deal with mine,
though, and they never returned to offer bread of any kind.
The wine list features mainstream bottlings. There is not much to choose
from "by the glass" and the best option was to order some
187ml bottles of Mumm's Napa Brut sparkling wine at $8 each. The
server arrived with two opened splits of bubbly and two flutes, filled
to the top. The stemware is a shade too small to accommodate the
entire 187 milliliters, so you've got a half an ounce in a bottle on the
table. ((I wonder if a 12 ounce beer here comes with an 11 ounce
glass?))
The wine list features "safe" choices. Gloria Ferrer
Brut is $38 per bottle. Cakebread Chardonnay sells for $65, while
Chateau Montelena's Zinfandel is $40. BV Private Reserve is
offered at $150 a bottle, while Caymus Cabernet is $130. Jordan
Cabernet goes for $88. We looked around the room and did not see
many tables with a bottle of wine. One trio ordered a bottle of
Mark West Pinot Noir at $30 (this is a $10-$14 bottle in a store).
There are no appetizers. The menu features prime rib, steak, rack
of lamb, salmon and a grilled Portabella Mushroom for vegetarian
diners.
Your $34.50 New York Steak dinner begins with either the "House
Salad" or "Mixed Baby Greens." The Old Bat ordered
the House Salad and was appalled to have a mass of whacked up Iceberg
Lettuce, adorned with Julienned Strips of canned beets and festooned
with grated egg yolks.. The Baby Greens salad was a nice
"mesclun" mix, though their Balsamic vinaigrette is a bit
sweet.
Our server was overwhelmed, as she's obliged to cut and present the
baked potatoes which some people order. Apparently the kitchen is
not skilled at cutting or slicing potatoes.
The young lady finally came to open our bottle of wine (corkage is $15
if they remember to add it to the bill). We might have enjoyed
this much earlier, frankly, but she was busy slicing open the tops of
baked potatoes. The waitress wrestled with cutting the foil capsule from
the top of the bottle and I expected she might shed blood in doing
so. When the cork was finally extracted, the server poured a glass for
The Old Bat and then asked "Oh, do you want to taste it
first?" In pouring the wine, our server spilled more than a drop on
the table cloth as she's unskilled in wine service.
The steaks arrived and we received a nice 12-ounce New York strip.
It was close to the medium-rare that I had ordered. If this was
truly "prime" beef, I'd be surprised. The
"fries" accompanying this were right out of a frozen food
bag! No wonder the server has to deal with the potatoes
tableside! The accompanying sautéed spinach was very nice,
though, and not out of a can or the freezer, remarkably. For some
reason, even though we did not order Prime Rib, they brought each of us
"Yorkshire Pudding." Mine tasted doughy and eggy while
The Old Bat said hers was simply not cooked through. Curious.
Bottles of Heinz Ketchup are brought to the table if you've got some of
those lovely fries. At least they didn't have those little packets
like you'd get at a "restaurant" with a drive-through
window...
We did not stay dessert, afraid to see what that might entail.
The bill for the two of us, with bubbly and two steaks tallied to $92
before the tip. As noted, the server did not charge us the $15
corkage fee.
We left a tip far greater than the service warranted. There
doesn't seem to be anybody really in charge of over-seeing the dining
room. The crew here needs a lot more experience and polish for
this place to make it. Perhaps the locals will support such a
restaurant despite its obvious flaws. In our view, however, this
place is not ready for prime time.
Reviewed by GW
January 2008
|
THE
SHERMAN
410 Airport Boulevard
Burlingame
Tel: 650-344-7447
Dinner: Daily from 5:30pm
Steamed clams
Chilled prawns with cocktail sauce
Pork Loin with a Potato-Gruyere Soufflé
Braised Short Ribs
|
We
ventured out on a Sunday evening after Christmas without reservations
and were asked if we had reservations when entering a half-empty
restaurant. We did not, so we were directed to "wait in the
bar for 20 minutes, or so, and we'll see if we can find you a
table." We looked at each other, thinking we were being
drilled for drinks, so we politely declined, saying we'll return another
day when have booked a table.
We drove to Burlingame's bay-front and the 'new' floating restaurant,
The Sherman. This place recently opened its doors, hoping to make
a splash on the Peninsula dining scene. I tugged on the door and
found it locked! The hostess stepped away from the reception stand
and opened the door, asking if we had reservations. Oh boy, not
this again!
The door was locked, by the way, because the boat can
rock in low tide and cause the door to constantly swing open and shut...
She was, she said, able to offer us a table and asked my name.
Then she needed my last name and telephone number! I was merely
looking for a dinner table, not a relationship.
We were escorted up a dizzying glass staircase to an empty dining room
on the upper deck. There was seating for approximately 70 people,
as well as a bar and cocktail tables accommodating several dozen people.
We were offered menus and a wine list. I immediately began
perusing the list in search of a suitable aperitif wine. Segura
Viudas is $8 a glass, but being a big spender, we chose the Gloria
Ferrer Brut at ten-bucks a flute.
I recall someone telling me the wine list was put together by a master
sommelier. You will find some perfectly nice wines, predominantly
from the state's big liquor distribution company, at dizzying
prices. For example, a bottle of the Gloria Ferrer Brut, which
retails from $13-$18 a bottle is $54 on the list. Guigal's
terrific "bargain" Cotes-du-Rhone, a $10-$13 wine in stores
goes for $44 at The Sherman. Jordan Chardonnay will set you back
$54 and Dom Perignon is $290. Krug Champagne goes for $350.
The list seems to feature many familiar names at unfamiliar
prices. On our visit, we did not find a sommelier to add value to
the wine list.
The place was empty and our server explained they're doing a "soft
opening" before more aggressively promoting the place. We
were told they had reservations for 20 people that evening, but apart
from the family of ten who's kid works in the kitchen, by our departure
at 8:30, we saw nobody else dining here.
The menu offers a wide range of starters. I seem to recall a
sampler of chilled seafood being offered at $65, though their on-line
menu posted as I write this review has it for $90. I began with a
dozen steamed clams ($12) and The Old Bat asked about the chilled prawns
displayed on ice by the bar. They put together a nice "shrimp
cocktail" for her.
The prawns were good, sweet and accompanied by a tangy, ketchupy
cocktail sauce. My clams came in a cast iron skillet, beautifully
presented with three thin 'croutons'. The clams were
delicious! The server noticed I still had some broth in the pan
and no croutons, so she brought more bread...thank you!
We inquired about their corkage fee and this was $25, so rather than pay
$70+ for a Gary Farrell Pinot Noir, we pulled a bottle out of our
cellar bag. Stemware here is elegant and reasonable.
The Old Bat ordered their "Berkshire" Pork Tenderloin wrapped
with bacon and accompanied by a potato/Gruyere soufflé. I opted
for Braised Short-Ribs with Mashed Potatoes. The pork was good and
the shortribs had a magnificently rich, nicely-reduced sauce.
Portions were ample, too.
I found the restaurant to be a bit chilly and I'm well-insulated.
In addition to your wallet, bring a sweater to The Sherman. The
background music seemed a bit incongruous for a rather 'formal' dining
room, by the way.
Desserts, all priced at $9, were not of interest and we asked for the
check. The bill arrived and I was shocked that we'd run up a $146
tab. The clams, $12 on the menu, were $16 on the check. I
didn't recall the main plates being quite as costly as they were, but
the menu they brought when we questioned the prices showed the
short-ribs at $29 and the pork loin at $35. A corrected bill was
recalculated with apologies.
We found the quality of the kitchen work to be quite
good, but they're going to need to find their 'sea legs,' so-to-speak to
justify the ambitious prices of this relatively off-the-beaten-path
establishment. I realize they spent a fortune restoring the boat
to its former glory (and probably beyond), but they would probably be
better served in having more affordable pricing to encourage greater
turnover of the wine inventory. Trying to hit a home run with
every sale will more likely translate into a lot of strikeouts.
Reviewed by GW
December 2007 |
LA
STRADA
335 University Avenue
Palo Alto
Tel: 650-324-8300
Sunday-Thursday
11:30am-10pm
Friday & Saturday
11:30am-11pm
Rib Eye Steak with Balsamico
Osso Buco di Maiale.
Affogato
|
It
was Sunday evening and I'd just taken The Old Bat to see a movie in Palo
Alto. Having been to La Strada for the trade tasting of a terrific
importer of Italian wines, I was curious to try the place as it looked
like a good prospect.
They have seating for about 50 or 60 inside and maybe 20, or so, places
outside by the entrance. Even on a cool December evening, we found
a warm table on their outdoor 'patio' for dinner.
The tables are a bit close together and this was momentarily
uncomfortable with the lady at the next table receiving several phone
calls.
The menu is seasonal and there's a price-fixed menu each evening, as
well. We perused the wine list and found numerous Italian
selections offered "by the glass." We opted for two
flutes of Ca' del Bosco Brut Spumante at $13 each. These arrived
in a timely manner in nice, elegant, tall stemware.
It is nice to see a wine list that's not dominated by the two big liquor
distributors, as La Strada features many good wines from
Italy. White wines include producers such as San Michele
Appiano, Bruno Giacosa, Cantina del Termeno, Inama and Villa Bucci.
The wine list features many selections by varietal, such as Aglianico,
Barbera and Sangiovese, with 'classics' listed, as well. They have
Amarone (Allegrini's is $125 a bottle), 5 Brunello offerings, along with
a handful of Barolo and Barbaresco selections.
A small serving of bread was exceptional...a ciabatta-styled bread,
which is accompanied by some sort of vegetable spread...not caponata,
exactly, but similar.
We began with an order of Fried Gamberetti and Asparagus with a
Calabrian Pepper Sauce. This "fritto misto" features
small prawns in their shell, heads on and thinly sliced white and green
asparagus. It was, perhaps, a bit over-salted, but nicely done.
I produced a bottle of Vietti 2001 La Crena Barbera d'Asti and the
server immediately brought two lovely, appropriate wine glasses. I
think the corkage fee is about $15, but we were not charged either
because we'd ordered the bubbly or shared a taste with the server.
For the main plates, The Old Bat was not especially adventuresome,
choosing a Rib Eye Steak with Balsamico ($21). I opted for their
Osso Buco di Maiale ($19), a terrific pork shank with fresh, al dente
baby artichokes and a lovely dice of mushrooms. This was a
wonderful plate!
Desserts range from Tiramisu to Panna Cotta to a chocolate soufflé...I
chose their Affogato Classico, a coffee cup with two generous scoops of
lovely vanilla gelato topped with a shot of espresso from a roasting
company in Verona...very fine!
We had a couple of small glasses of Dow's Ten Year Old Tawny Port ($8).
The bill tallied to about a hundred bucks, but that's because they
didn't have the Port or corkage fee on the bill.
La Strada is a wonderful Italian restaurant which is well worth a return
visit.
Reviewed by GW
December 2007 |
LE
CHARM BISTRO
315 Fifth Street
San Francisco
Tel: 415-546-6128
LUNCH:
Tues-Fri 11:30-2
DINNER
Tues-Sat 5:30-9:30
Sun 5-8:30 
A generous pour of Honig Sauvignon Blanc...$7.75
Salad with House-Smoked Mackerel.
Persimmon, Morbier and Prosciutto "Salad"
Decanting our old bottle of Zinfandel.
Duck Confit with Pommes Landaises.
Beef tips and Pommes Frites.
Lemon Almond Cake
Tarte Tatin.
|
It
was a Wednesday and the Vino Fino tasters would be evaluating a
set of Chardonnays in the early evening. We booked a first seating
table at this below-the-radar restaurant in The City that's situated
between Harrison and Folsom Streets.
As the place opened for dinner, the commute rush is in full swing.
There's a nice dining room accommodating approximately 50 people,
with an outdoor, enclosed, heated patio for additional seating.
The menu is small, but sufficiently varied to be interesting. The
wine list is small, but offers some nice, safe choices. It's not an
enological paradise, but you can find nice wines for relatively sensible
prices. A bottle of Honig Sauvignon Blanc is $31, a bit more than
twice the retail price. Mark West Pinot Noir is $8.50 a glass and
$28 by the bottle. Clicquot Champagne is a rather reasonable
$70...the margins are higher on the lower-priced wines and more modest
on the higher-ticket bottles. I noticed some of the French wines
are older vintages, so it's nice to find more developed offerings at a
fair price. A Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet from the 2002 vintage is
$110 a bottle and the 1996 Chateau Pontet Canet is $130. A half
bottle of Seghesio Zinfandel is $20. The corkage fee is $15.
We began with a glass of Honig Sauvignon Blanc ($7.75). When we
sat down, there was a standard, 10 ounce, or so, wine glass on the
table. But they brought a huge glass of Sauvignon, a pleasant
surprise to see such a nice sized serving!
Le Charm offers a three course meal for a mere $30. The menu
changes monthly, apparently. This is a remarkable price for
a City restaurant with good service, nice ambience and soulful cooking!
Mark started with their Persimmon salad on Arugula with Morbier Cheese
and toasted Hazelnuts. I opted for their House-Smoked Mackerel
with Frisée, Carrots and Red Onions. Both plates were substantial
and quite delicious! A bread basket was brought to the table
and water glasses were kept filled.
For a main course, Mark went for the Grilled Beef Chuck "Tips"
with a Sauce Choron (a Béarnaise sauce with tomato). I couldn't
resist having the Duck Leg Confit with Pommes Landaises. These
courses were both excellent. Each comes with a mound of Frisée, a
bit redundant given we'd had a pile of this with the starter course.
I brought out a 1987 Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel and the head man
took care of opening this and decanting this old bottle. The wine
was still alive and kicking and paired beautifully with our meals.
Desserts were also excellent here...Mark chose the Lemon Almond Cake and
I ordered the Tarte Tatin.
The bill for two, with two glasses of Sauvignon, corkage and two
price-fixed menus came to about $98 before the tip.
This is a gem of a place and worth seeking out, even if you're not in
the neighborhood. As we dined as the place opened in order to
scurry off to our 7pm wine tasting, we left when the restaurant was
about one-third to one-half filled. It's probably a good idea to
have a reservation, though.
Reviewed by GW
November 2007
We returned in the Summer of 2008 and had a
splendid meal! On Thursday evenings they have a few musicians
playing Parisian-styled, Django Rheinhardt tunes. Very nice!
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