|
| | Restaurant Reviews Page 2
THESE ARE OLD REVIEWS...
PLEASE CHECK TO SEE IF THE RESTAURANT IS STILL IN BUSINESS...
SPALTI
417 South California Avenue
Palo Alto
Tel: 650-327-9390
Lunch:
Mon-Fri: 11-2
Dinner:
Mon-Sat: 5-9:30
Sun: 4:30-9
Carpaccio
The vinegar and oil offering, wine glass and the clams & mussels
starter.
Grilled Duck & Spinach, etc.
Osso Buco of "Free Ranch Veal."
|
We
had just seen a Sunday afternoon screening at a Palo Alto movie theater
and ventured over to California Avenue to have dinner.
Spalti is a nice looking dining room, with outdoor tables in front and a
spacious restaurant inside.
We were seated immediately upon arrival and the host brought menus and a
wine list. Nice, all-purpose wine glasses were part of the table
setting.
The wine list had quite an array of offerings by-the-glass, though these
didn't strike me as being selected for quality and value.
Chardonnays from Talbott and Stephen Vincent are offered, along with
Cesari Pinot Grigio, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Coppola Cabernet,
Rodney Strong Pinot Noir and Straccali Chianti, amongst several others.
We opted to start with a half bottle of Merryvale's Napa Sauvignon Blanc
as, at $19, it cost less than two glasses of lesser quality
"by-the-glass" selections.
The wine list offers a dozen Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs from
California, 2 New Zealand Sauvignons and a Riesling, while having only 5
white wines from Italy, all Pinot Grigio. The range in price for
the Pinot Grigio starts at $28 for the Cesari and goes up to $50 for a 5
year old bottle from the Alto Adige co-op, St. Michael-Eppan.
Red wines are more plentiful, but the choices are not the work of a
savvy Italian wine buyer. The list lacks focus and seems more like the
suggestions of a sales rep trying to "move" merchandise
languishing in the warehouse. Few fans of Tuscan wines will be
enthralled by Machivelli (sic) Riserva ($40), "Colli"
(sic) Riserva ($34) or Antinori's Peppoli ($44). A Brunello di
Montalcino and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo are brands sold almost exclusively
in Trader Joe's. With numerous Cabernets, Merlots and Pinot Noirs
on the list, there's not a single "Cal-Ital" offering, so you
won't find any locally-produced Pinot Grigio, Barbera, Sangiovese or
Arneis.
A small basket with some soft, warm bread is brought to the table, along
with a curious bowl of a 'dipping sauce' of some sort of oil and
vinegar. I don't know where this bit of "sophistication"
originates, but you won't find it in Italy. Vinegar does not pair
especially well with wine and it makes the wine taste 'sour' and
strange.
The Old Bat began with "Carpaccio di Manzo" ($9.50), a
nice plate of thinly sliced beef with capers, onions, a bit of mustard
and some "shaved parmesan." This was an impressive plate
and was met with an enthusiastic response. I had their "Guazetto
(sic) do (sic) Vongole e Cozze" ($11.95), a bowl with about a
half a dozen each of clams and mussels in a rather salty broth.
Some of the clams were a bit rubbery, so I suspect these may have been
frozen.
I had a bottle of a Lagrein Riserva in my bag and our server went to get
some larger format, red wine glasses. These were of a decent size,
but they weren't elegant Riedels or the like. Still, they were
bigger than the white wine stems.
For a main course, The Old Bat ordered the "Grigliata di Anatra"
($21.95), a plate with various slices of rare meat, accompanied by a
mass of cooked spinach and some sort of mashed potato offering. I
can't say it looked like duck and The Old Bat said the meat was a bit
tough and rubbery...In looking at the photo I shot, it didn't appear to
me as, in fact, duck.
I had their Osso Buco ($20.95) which was described as
"Braised free ranch veal shank with porchini* (sic) mushrooms,
carrots, celery, onions and marinara sauce. It was a nicely cooked
veal shank, actually, though I didn't detect much in the way of
porcini. The accompanying vegetables were nicely "al
dente" and the mashed potatoes were alright.
The ambience was nice, though I couldn't quite determine what sort of
music was being piped in to the dining room...not sure if it was
Italian, or what.
The corkage fee was about $15, I believe. The bill tallied to
around a $100 before the tip, as we skipped dessert.
The server brought a couple of small thimble-sized glasses of a chilled
sweet wine, announcing this as Moscato d'Asti. I was curious to
see the bottle, as it was the most dull, lifeless, watery Moscato I've
encountered. It turned out the wine was not from Piemonte, but
from a large Prosecco 'factory' in Italy's Veneto.
The difference in this particular wine and those from the Asti area are
certainly lost on this crew, as this is another one of those Peninsula
restaurants merely "posing" as Italian.
Hence you have numerous items misspelled on the menu such as "Proscuitto,"
"Brushetta," "Guazetto do Vongole e Cozze,"
"Panchetta," "Pesce Fresce" and "porchini*."
I'd say it's a "standard neighborhood restaurant" based on our
visit.
Reviewed by GW
September 2010
*Porchini...are
these mushrooms you find growing on the veranda in front of your house? |
MARLOWE
330 Townsend Street
San Francisco
Tel: 415-974-5599
Lunch:
Mon-Fri 11:30-2:30
Dinner:
Mon-Wed 5:30-10
Thurs-Sat 5:30-11
Brussels Sprouts "Chips" with Meyer Lemon
and Sea Salt.
Spiced Prawns with the Boozy Cocktail Sauce.
Roasted Bone Marrow and Salsa Verde.
Roasted Chicken with Heirloom Tomatoes and Beans.
The Marlowe Burger
A side of Brussels Sprouts in Brown Butter
|
A
European friend was visiting the Bay Area and I wanted to dine somewhere
with a California Cuisine or American Cuisine menu, so we decided to
check out Marlowe, a newish place right next to the Caltrain station in
San Francisco.
Parking in the neighborhood when there's a Giant's game at AT&T Park
is a bit difficult, though they do have an arrangement where you can
park at a nearby Bank of America lot -- $5 when there's no Giant's game
and $15 when there is. We lucked out and found a free spot on the
street, a block and a half away.
The restaurant is small with perhaps 30, or so seats. Tables are
closely situated and it's a bit noisy. We were seated soon after
arriving at 8:15 on a Monday night and they presented the small menu and
a short wine list.
We began with a glass of Muscadet ($9), a nice pour of a
slightly-too-cold little dry white. This worked nicely, though,
with an order of their "Brussels Sprouts Chips" (outer leaves
of Brussels Sprouts seasoned with Meyer Lemon and Sea Salt, $6).
Delicious!
My guest started with Roasted Bone Marrow with Salsa Verde & Fine
Herbs ($11) which was a delight. My starter was their Spiced
Prawns with a "hot & boozy cocktail sauce"
($12). This was very good, too and the "bloody
Mary" sauce was a bit fiery, so a carafe of Verdejo ($13 for a 13
ounce pour) nicely extinguished the blaze. The wines offered
"by the carafe" and "by the glass" are poured
anonymously; that is, they do not pour these tableside so you can see
the bottle and label.
Stemware was good and the server kept an eye on our glasses.
I asked about their decanting an older bottle of Cabernet and the server
took care of this nicely and professionally. We offered him a
taste and I poured a nice glass and they waived the corkage fee.
My French friend wanted the Marlowe Burger with Caramelized Onions,
Cheddar, Bacon, Horseradish Aioli and Fries ($13). She asked for
it nearly raw and they brought it perfectly cooked to
"rare." Our guest was delighted and said it was the best
burger she's ever had. And the fries were great, too.
The restaurant is famed for its chicken, so I ordered the Poulet Vert,
chicken seasoned with a thorough coating of green herbs. It comes
with pole beans and heirloom tomatoes (perfectly ripe and delicious) and
Tempura Squash Blossoms ($21)...another culinary triumph. A side
order of Brussels Sprouts ($6) featured the tiny, somewhat peeled
Sprouts in brown butter and sea salt...good but we didn't plow through
these having had so much other food.
We were too stuffed for dessert, but I did order two glasses of Vietti's
Moscato d'Asti ($9) and this was a nice send-off. We departed
around 10:45 and the place still had a number of customers...they didn't
rush us out.
The bill tallied to around $139before the tip.
The menu and wine list is limited, but they clearly pay attention at
this unassuming little place.
Our server indicated it's generally busiest when the Giants are not
playing at home, as the regulars book a table on those nights. As
a result, reserving ahead of time is probably a good idea.
Peninsula residents might consider taking the train to Marlowe, as it's
just across the street from the Caltrain station at 4th and King
(Townsend is the street north of King).
We look forward to a return visit.
Reviewed by GW
August 2010 |
FRINGALE
570 Fourth Street
San Francisco
Tel: 415-543-0573
Open Daily for Dinner
From 5:30
Lunch Tues-Friday
11:30-2:30
Foie Gras Terrine
Frisée Salad
Calamari a la Plancha with chorizo, olives and jalapeños.
Duck Confit
Shortribs with orzo and Broccolini and morels.
Flourless chocolate cake and a sip of Graham's Porto.
|
Fringale has been a part of
San Francisco's dining scene since the early 1990s. Now it's no
longer a "new" or "trendy" dining spot, but an old
stalwart that's a block south of the Caltrain station on 4th Street.
We booked a table several days ahead of time with no difficulties and
arrived promptly at 7pm on a Tuesday night in early August. The
Giants baseball team was on the road, so we had no problems in finding
nearby parking on the street.
The place was moderately crowded and there's a definite French bistro
"vibe" to the restaurant.
Our menus arrived along with a compact, simple wine list and our server
inquired if we wanted to start with an aperitif. We began with a
flute of Taittinger Brut Champagne ($18) and ordered a Foie Gras Terrine
($17) with a fig jam of sorts and toasted brioche-like bread triangles.
The foie gras was delicious and smooth...very fine.
Eventually we got around to ordering starters. My dining companion
chose a Frisée Salad with bacon and a poached egg ($10). She was
reasonably satisfied with this, though it was not, in her words,
"exceptional."
I had the Spicy Monterey Calamari a la plancha ($11) with chorizo,
olives and some jalapeños. It was a giant mound of calamari
rings, tender and toothsome and not too spicy, fortunately.
We ordered a half bottle of Domaine Auchere Sancerre ($25) and this was
a fine accompaniment to the starters.
The wine list posted on the Fringale web site seems far more varied and
interesting than the list we found at the table. While they didn't
feature so many wines from the large liquor distributors, they seem to
have a number of French wines from, to be polite, lesser wine companies
rather than dealing with the top dogs in this field. Whether than
is the choice of the restaurant or the particular importers is difficult
to say.
The stemware for the Champagne was a smallish flute glass. They
should be able to pour 5 flutes per bottle of bubbly. The glass
for the white wine was quite acceptable. I had a venerable bottle
of Napa Cabernet in my cellar bag and asked the young server if he was
capable of properly decanting this. Corkage, by the way, is listed
as $20.
The young man brought nice stemware, quite good for our 1974 Stag's Leap
Wine Cellars Cabernet. He did a fine job of decanting it (although
this maneuver was done out of our vision).
We offered this fellow a taste and he was eager to try this wine as it
was probably older than he was. As a result, we were not charged
the corkage fee.
For main plates we ordered Braised Veal Short Ribs ($22) with a mushroom
sauce and their Duck Confit with Lentils du Puy ($20 or $21). Both
main plates were quite good and the wine was the star of the night.
We also ordered a side dish of Pommes Frites with Aioli...very good!
Though tables on either side of us had 'turned', we were allowed to
linger and enjoy the last sip of the Cabernet.
We split a dessert, a warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream
($8). A glass of Graham's Six Grapes Porto was around ten bucks
(it's a $20 retail bottle), so this was a bit of a splurge.
We were the last to leave and were not at all rushed out by the staff,
who were cleaning up and closing the place. For City dining, it's
perhaps a bit unusual to see a place go dark at 10pm or 10:20.
The bill tallied to $180 before the tip.
This was a nice taste of France and we'll certainly consider a return
visit.
Reviewed by
GW
August 2010 |
|
RISTORANTE BUON GUSTO
224 Grand Avenue
South San Francisco
Tel: 650-742-9776
Open Daily for Dinner
Lunch: Mon-Fri
Antipasto Misto
Minestrone Soup
Salad.
Linguine with Clams...
A winner!
Linguine Tutto Mare.
|
South San Francisco isn't
known as much of a gourmet mecca, so we threw caution to the wind and
ventured one Tuesday night in Summer to this curious place on Grand
Avenue.
The place looks as though it was transplanted from San Francisco's North
Beach.
We stepped inside around 6:45 on a night when major league baseball was
televising its All-Star game. You might expect, given the weak
economy, this place would be empty. It was packed and nearly all
the 60 or 70 seats were occupied!
We were seated at a table near the front of the restaurant and the wine
list was presented with the menu. Typically, the care and
selection of the wines provides an indication of what level of quality
comes out of the kitchen.
In this case, the wine list is quite pedestrian and some selections make
ordering a beer an attractive alternative.
In the by-the-glass category, there's San Antonio Winery Chablis and
"Burdundy" (sic) for $5.50 a glass. They don't cite
brand names, but for $6 a glass you can risk trying a White Zinfandel,
Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay amongst the white wines, or
Chianti, Merlot or Cabernet amongst the reds.
The wine list even has the initials at the bottom of the page of the big
liquor company which provides the printing services and wine
"expertise."
As a result, the list features supermarket brands with Beringer, Robert
Mondavi, Charles Krug and Ravenswood. Some items are misprinted on
the list:
"Franciscan Oakville Beaulieu Chardonnay" going for $39 a
bottle. The question is, of course, is this Franciscan or BV?
Vintage dates are not listed, either. This is a good example of
wine being simply an after-thought and not a significant part of the
dining experience.
We began with an Antipasto Misto plate ($19.50) and this came with
slices of salami, mortadella, beans, pickled peppers, calamari,
bruschetta and some cheese slices. It was a perfectly nice plate
and a pleasant surprise given the slacker wine list.
Main plates are accompanied by soup or salad. The Old Bat had a
serving of Minestrone Soup, while I opted for the salad. Nothing
special about the greens which came with some shreds of red cabbage, a
pickled pepper and a cardboardy tomato wedge.
We had a lovely bottle of Piemontese Barbera in our cellar bag and we
paid approximately $14 as their corkage fee. Stemware was brought
to the table, a rather heavy duty, dishwasher-safe goblet of perhaps 14
ounce capacity.
We each ordered a pasta main course, The Old Bat selecting Linguine with
Clams ($18.50) and I had their Linguine Tutto Mare ($21.50). The
quality of the pasta was actually quite good, surprisingly, and the
seafood was of top quality. My mixed seafood pasta came with
shrimps, clams, some sort of delectable white fish and some little
morsels of salmon. I thought the salmon struck a discordant note,
but everything else was quite good. Tomato sauce on my pasta...
The Old Bat's clams were outstanding...this was a good plate!
Dessert was out of the question and with the corkage fee and tax, we
dropped a bit more than $80 before the tip.
They brought some sort of sweet wine in a thimble-shaped glass...nothing
memorable, but a simple, sugary tipple to send diners on their way.
The place has been in operation since the late 1980s, apparently.
They've found a loyal following, it seems.
Reviewed by
GW
July 2010 |
CHOUCHOU
400 Dewey Boulevard
San Francisco
Tel: 415-242-0960
Open Nightly at 5:30
That's what they brought to the table...
This is what is depicted on their web site...
The Tartare brought to the table...
And then mixed...
Veal Loin wrapped with bacon
Rack of Lamb...very good.
Chocolate Almond Tart
Chocolate Walnut Tart
|
On
a cool, rainy Wednesday evening I found my way to this relatively
out-of-the-way location (Forest Hill area). I was able to easily
park a block, or so, away.
Arriving close to 7pm, the place was quite busy and seemingly
full. In a way, I felt it was a bit like dining in
Burlingame...the early birds were finishing up dinner and having dessert
already!
We were presented a large glass of fruity red wine. This is called
a "Cardinal" or "Kir Cardinal." It's fruity
red wine with Creme de Cassis. A small "taste" would
have been sufficient, but this was a stop-you-in-your-tracks serving.
It smelled and tasted like a Beaujolais with residual sugar and it would
have made Rombauer Chardonnay seem "dry."
We ordered a bottle of Edmond Jacquin's 2007 Marestel (I didn't see the
wine list, but their web site shows half bottles of this for $27)...and
we placed orders for appetizers.
The wine list posted on their web site features numerous interesting
French selections...Coupe Roses Minervois ($40), Quenard Chignin at $44
(about a $12 retail), Chapoutier's Crozes Hermitage Blanc for $52
(around $25-$30 retail), Z-Mor Gewurztraminer from California for $80,
Daulny Sancerre at $45 ($19 retail), etc. Yes...the markup here in
a bit high. Corkage is $18.
A small bread basket was brought to the table and we dove in...seated in
the front of the place, we noticed the constant parade of traffic just
outside on Laguna Honda Boulevard.
I queried the server about their
(described as "
|
FLOUR
+ WATER
2401 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA
Tel: 415-826-7000
Open Daily
5:30-Midnight
Salad of potatoes, lamb's tongue and an egg with salsa
verde.
Bread, upon request.
Plin topped with cheese...
Pizza Margherita
Roasted Pork Leg
Chicken, Crepinette and assorted veggies.
Vino + Vittles
Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream
Chocolate Budino with cream and salt flakes.
|
I
tried making a reservation at this "hot" restaurant in the
Mission District, but they were booked until after 10pm. The
reservationist said they only "book" half the seats and leave
the rest for "walk ins."
We arrived on a breezy Sunday afternoon at 5:50 and the place was
already packed and seated. They have 49 seats and 8, or so are at
a "community table" and there are probably another 6-8 at the
bar. If you're a party of more than 6, forget it...you'll need a
couple of tables and even then you may get the cold shoulder.
I explained we wanted a "table for two" and were not
interested in a community table seat (I'd feel uneasy about not sharing
my old bottle of wine with the folks sitting next to me, for one thing)
and we'd be uncomfortable at the bar.
I was told to expect a wait of about an hour and 15 minutes.
There's a small bench in their entry way and this accommodates but three
people (already sitting there and enjoying a bottle of wine). We
could "go for a walk" and "you should be back in 45
minutes" I was told.
I thought about heading across the street, seeing a coffee place with
beer and wine. I asked the hostess if she could take my cell phone
number and give us a ring if a table was soon to be on the horizon.
"No, I'm afraid we don't do that." she said.
Now they started to remind me of some brand new winery that has
generated some "buzz"...these people tend to mistake their
early commerce for real "success," not comprehending people
are merely figuring out who they are, what they do and evaluating if
they'll remain a customer or not.
So...okay...it was a breezy, still-sunny afternoon and we stood out on
the sidewalk chatting and watching the circus of people coming in after
us, hoping for a table. A few stuck around and others took off for
other parts.
After approximately 40 minutes, we were offered a seat at the community
table. We explained we preferred a table for two.
Another 5 or ten minutes later, we were offered two seats at a table of
4 with two strangers.
We explained we preferred a table for two.
After an hour of waiting, a table for two became available. Good
thing I reserved it using the last name "Lalujah."
"Lalujah, party of two...Mister Hal Lalujah, your table is
ready!"
We snuggled in to our seat in the back of the place and had a look at
the daily menu. The wine list is on the reverse side.
A water bottle was brought to the table...and we perused the menu.
Our server came by after a few minutes and we ordered two glasses of
Orsolani's Erbaluce di Caluso ($11.50). I think this retails for
about $20 a bottle, so the mark-up here is about standard, wines costing
twice that of retail. Sorelle Bronca Prosecco is $9 a pour and $36
a bottle (it lists for $18 and we feature it for $14.99)...
The wine list, though, does offer a nice range of wines and they
feature numerous off-the-beaten path selections. There's Pigato
from Liguria and Torbato from Sardinia in whites...Teroldego,
Grignolino, Ruche and Aglianico amongst the reds.
We perused the menu and ordered a lamb's tongue salad with warm
potatoes, a poached egg and salsa verde ($10) to start. My dining
companion is more adventuresome than am I...but I will say this was a
lovely starter. I found the green sauce to have a minty note and
the lamb tongue was tender and perfectly cooked.
We expected the Pizza Margherita next ($13), but instead they brought
our serving of "Plin" (around $15, I think). These
little morsels were stuffed with pork (In Piemonte, you never know
what's inside...often veal, though). These were excellent, but
quite different from those I've enjoyed in Piedmont...these were all cut
in half, it seemed and the serving came with a blizzard of grated
cheese. I can't recall a plate of Plin in Piemonte coming cheesed
up.
The pasta was good, toothsome and a bit on the thick end of the
spectrum. The filling was also delicious.
My friend had brought an old, well-cellared bottle of Smith & Hook
Cabernet (1990 vintage). This Monterey red was quite at its peak
and actually a very interesting bottle. It was herbal or vegetal
as a youngster and we sensed a certain amount of "green" tones
in this wine. The server did a good job in extracting the decayed
cork. Flour + Water charges $15 per bottle in corkage fees and
there's a two bottle limit per table. They waive the corkage fee
if you buy a bottle from their wine list and ordering
"glasses" does not "count."
The stemware offered is universal for all table wines, so our reds were
consumed out of the 12 or 14 ounce "all purpose" stems.
Now the Pizza arrived...a lovely work of art. And it was a fairly
thin crust, but still "bread soft" and not cracker
crusty. Very enjoyable. They offered several other
interesting pizze, by the way.
The restaurant menu notes "bread available on request" and the
server doesn't "offer" this, so if you're interested, don't
forget to make the request. The bread was quite good.
I produced a nice, old bottle of Brunello...a 1985 vintage. No
offer was made to decant the wine and, happily, it was reasonably clear
since I'd stood it upright a few days before dinner. We offered
our server a glass and he accepted the invitation...but he didn't give
us any indication if he liked the wine or an opinion about it.
There are but three "main plates" on the daily
menu. My dear dinner companioned opted for the roasted pork
leg ($24) and this was a marvelous and generous serving of succulent
roast pork. I had their chicken breast and crepinette, with
artichokes, cardoons and black trumpet mushrooms ($21, I think).
Very good.
The lights were dimmed as the sun set and they brought out candles in
laboratory beakers...someone's notion of "romance,"
apparently. I suspect this individual must wear a pocket protector
or a lab jacket...
For dessert we asked for a couple of pours of Oddero's Moscato d'Asti
($8). I looked at the wine list the day after posting my review
and the Moscato had already changed to another good Piemontese
winemaker, Massolino. Same price.
My friend had read a review indicating they served some Humphry Slocombe
ice cream and though it was not on Sunday's menu, they did have some of
the fennel (or was it olive oil?) ice cream...We also ordered their
Chocolate Budino with espresso-caramel cream and sea salt
($8). I appreciate the salt, but there was a tad too much for my
delicate taste-buds. Still, interesting.
Our hostess had repeatedly kept tabs on our progress, needing the table
for those waiting outside in the cold. I'm afraid our
"dining" may have tossed her a curveball, as she
probably was hoping we'd eat & run.
The bill came to $180 before the tip.
This was a lovely meal, for the most part. I wish the restaurant
would "value" my time and become a bit more friendly as to
their seating and reservation policy. San Francisco Chronicle
restaurant critic, Sir Michael Bauer told me he won't go to this place
without a confirmed reservation since seating is such a circus. He
said he'd "dropped in one night" without reserving a
table "and it was just as you described."
Not sure if I'll go back without a reservation, especially given the
often cold weather in San Francisco. A warmer reception would be
most welcomed by patrons.
Reviewed by GW
March 2010
|
CENTRAL
PARK BISTRO
181 East Fourth Avenue
San Mateo
Tel: 650-558-8401
Lunch: Mon-Sat
11:30-2:30
Dinner: Daily
From 5pm
Calamari and Fried Onion Rings
Spaghetti & Meatballs...
...in season!
Fresh Shell Pasta with Duck Ragout...
...and stinkin' cheese.
Woof.
|
It
was a quiet Monday and The Old Bat wanted to dine out. "I
have a place," she said, "that I know you will enjoy."
I've driven past this place for years and have never dined there...So...
At around 8pm it was moderately busy and there was an upbeat jazz sound
coming from the music system. We were escorted to a table and
presented a menu and wine list.
I had brought along a bottle of a nice Bordeaux to pair with the meal,
but was looking for a glass of a nice dry white wine to start.
The list of wines was daunting but not because the selections were
enticing. And if the vintage dates on the list were accurate, this
list was truly scary.
How about 2006 California "Pinot Grigio" of the Voltaire label
at $7.50? Dynamite North Coast 2006 Sauvignon Blanc is
$8. They offer a 2007 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier blend for
$9.50. Chardonnays-by-the-glass included Montpellier 2006 (Central
Valley plonk), Murphy-Goode 2007 Monterey is $8.50, a Louis Latour 2005
from somewhere in France is $10, while 2006 Rombauer is $16. We
opted for a glass of tap water.
The by-the-glass reds are marginally better, though I'd avoid B&G
Burgundy and Stephen Vincent Merlot even if they were a buck a pour.
If you're impressed by Champagne such as Dom Perignon or Clicquot,
you'll find their sparkling wine selections to be impressive.
The wine list is, clearly, assembled without much thought or care.
The French wines feature unheralded Bordeaux and Burgundy and these are
unheralded with good reason. The list offers a Chateauneuf-du-Pape
from the 2006 vintage but neglects to identify the producer or brand
name. A Fontodi 2000 vintage Chianti Classico is $85 while Pio
Cesare 1999 Barbaresco is $165.
We began with an order of Fried Calamari and Fried Onion
rings...$11. This was a nice serving which got a lukewarm
reception from The Old Bat, as she found it to not be "hot" in
temperature. Okay...perhaps...but it was not greasy or oily and I
felt it had the right amount of salt.
For a main plate, my dining companion ordered from the "Seasonal Entrée"
section of the menu: Spaghetti & Meatballs ($17). I
guess meatballs are in season.
I didn't want to order something too terribly distant in price, so I
opted for "Duck Ragout" which is described as served "Over
Fresh Shell Pasta, Gremolata Mire-Poix and Pan Juices" ($17).
In the meantime, we'd been brought a basket of bread and I wondered
where this came from...It was sort of shaped like ciabatta bread, but it
was more like simple, middle America white bread. What a shame to
offer such industrial bread when there are so many good bakers in the
Bay Area!
Our bottle of red wine was opened (ten bucks for corkage, certainly
quite reasonable) and we were sipping that when the main plates arrived.
It was nice that the server remembered who-got-what instead of asking
"who gets the spaghetti?"
Stemware, by the way, was of good quality and appropriately-sized
(large) for a nice, deep red wine.
My bowl of "fresh shell pasta" had a mound of greens on top, a
curious presentation since these would only wilt atop hot pasta. I
poked around, sniffing something other than "gremolata" (this
should be a mix of garlic, parsley and lemon zest). It was some
sort of cheese and I'm not much of a fan.
Further, to Italians, the notion of serving a duck sauce with cheese
won't fly.
The server stopped by and asked if everything was okay. I remarked
I was not happy with the pasta and asked "What's under the salad
greens, because to me it smells like an aromatic cheese."
"Oh, that's gremolata." I was told. I replied that
it smelled like cheese and that I was unhappy with this.
They took back the pasta and about ten minutes later the serving
re-appeared, this time presented without the mound of greens and,
clearly, festooned with cheese!
I explained this was the problem in the first place and I did not
want duck pasta with cheese.
Nearly ten minutes later, the plate appeared in its third incarnation,
this time without greens or shards of cheese.
I asked the fellow if he could bring a spoonful of their gremolata and
he brought something which had a citrus aroma. But he claimed they
include cheese in their gremolata. "Can they be that
clueless?" I wondered. And the answer, it seems, is
"Yes."
I offered The Old Bat a forkful of pasta asking if she sensed any cheese
aroma and she did. "Yes...that has cheese in it." she said.
Well, after an hour of this silliness, we finally got the bill and
departed. Happily, the fellow did not charge us for the
"Fresh Shell Pasta."
This could be such a lovely place...but someone is going to have to
study French and Italian cooking and food sensibilities, for one
thing. And selecting wine should be a priority instead of an
after-thought.
The bill tallied to about $48 and we left a much-too-generous tip and
left.
I can now say I've dined there twice...the first time and the last time.
Your mileage may vary.
Reviewed by GW
March 2010
|
CONTIGO
1320 Castro Street
San Francisco
Tel: 415-285-0250
Dinner from 5:30
Tuesday through Sunday
There's an open kitchen as you enter
Contigo, with a "pizza" oven in the front.
Don't miss tasting the various hams on the appetizer list.
A glass of Cava with olives, Marcona almonds and pickled vegetables.
Bread
Jamon Iberico
Serrano Ham
Edwards Surryano Ham from Virginia
Albondigas
Pulpo Salad
Fried Chicken Spanish style...
Dungeness Crab
Brussels Sprouts
Chocolate & Churros
Coffee Helado
|
Our
colleague Kareasa reported having a nice meal at Contigo and being a fan
of Spanish cuisine, we planned to dine there on a Wednesday night in
early February of 2010.
It's in a nice part of Castro Street in San Francisco in Noe Valley, so
getting there by car was easy. I was pleasantly surprised to find
a few parking spaces within a block of the place.
They post their menu on the Contigo website and I'd seen they offered
reservations only for parties of 6 or more. There had been a note
saying to call after 4pm to put your name "on the list" for
that night's dinner service, as they take "walk ins."
The day we planned to dine, I called around 4 and was told "We're
totally booked for 7pm." It seems they just changed the
reservation policy and the web site had changed, too.
Well, we arrived at 7 and found the place to be about 40%
occupied. We were seated once my dining companion arrived.
The wine list is printed on the reverse side of the menu. We'd
been seated out in their back yard...gas heaters made this
comfortable. Still, it was a bit dark and I needed my little
flashlight to better read the menu and wine list.
We ordered a flute of the Raventos Brut Reserva Cava ($9) and were
presented a slightly bowl-shaped or cup-shaped "flute"
stem...about a 5 ounce pour...
Sundays through Wednesdays they offer a price-fixed Menu de Dia
for $35. This includes a first plate, main plate, accompaniment
and, then, dessert.
Being total gluttons, we started with three different renditions of
ham. One was a Pata Negra Jamon Iberico at $15 for a one ounce
serving. On the wooden platter with this we had a Jamon Serrano
and a Virginia ham called Surryano...these latter servings being more
generous and costing $9 each.
The wooden plank came with slices of a delightful, fresh
'country-styled' bread.
A small plate of olives, Marcona Almonds and pickled vegetables was $6.
My guest brought a bottle of a youthful, drink-it-young Priorat and our
waiter graciously opened that bottle prior to our starters coming.
The various courses are served "family style."
Pulpo Salad was our first plate, featuring small, tender morsels
of octopus with frisée, olive bits, shaved fennel and little citrus
fruit sections. The contrast of sweet to salty was
delicious...very fine.
We also opted for their Calamares and wild mushrooms a la planxa, a
delightful mix of tender squid with chanterelles. We also had an
order of Albondigas (meatballs made of pork and ham)...tender and
good, but less exciting.
I had brought a bottle of an old Rioja, so I was a bit disappointed not
to find more suitable accompaniments for this 1978 Castillo Ygay.
We made do with a half of a Dungeness crab, oven roasted with Pimenton...excellent.
The Pollo Frito was a nice, tender, meaty chicken breast,
rubbed with paprika and fried in olive oil. It was delicious, too.
They didn't offer larger sized stemware for our bottle of red wine,
which was spectacular, even though it was not perfectly paired with the
food.
We had two side dishes...a serving of Brussels Sprouts
"leaves" with toasted hazelnuts...nice. And Patatas
Bravas, which was a dish of heavily-salted potatoes (or salt
seasoned with potatoes).
Desserts were very good...a cup of hot, rich chocolate was accompanied
by fresh churros. And we had three scoops of Blue Bottle
Coffee helado. I asked for a couple of sweet wines, a
nicely raisiny Pedro Ximeniz and a mildly spicy, luscious Moscatel made
of late-picked fruit and not fortified.
The bill tallied to $200, a bit spendy, but we thoroughly enjoyed the
meal and we were a bit extravagant. My dining partner has a son
who loves to check out the "doggy bag," so we ordered a bit
more food than one might for a two top...
Our server was quite well-versed in the menu offerings and he was very
professional and courteous throughout the meal. This added to the
dining experience...
We look forward to a return visit to Contigo.
Reviewed by GW
February 2010
|
CHAPEAU
!
126 Clement Street
San Francisco
TEL: 415-750-9787
Dinner: DAILY
5-10pm
The Amuse Bouche...Cauliflower soup
with truffle oil.
A little taste of delightfully briny oysters.
A half a dozen escargot...
The Trou Normande
Cassoulet de Toulouse
Sorbets for dessert.
|
A
winemaker friend from Italy was coming to town one Sunday in January
(2010) and I wanted to share a special bottle of Syrah with him.
He's doing some consulting work and producing a Syrah for a winery in
Tuscany. I wanted to find a place with some good, hearty fare to
pair with this Cote-Rotie.
It had been years since I'd dined at Chapeau!, so i scoped out the menu
and saw Cassoulet was a featured item. Perfect.
We arrived a bit after 8pm and the joint was jumping! A few tables
accommodating 3 or 4 were empty, but otherwise, we should have called
ahead.
We had ordered a bottle of Pellehaut Chardonnay at the bar, a $30 bottle
on their wine list (costs $11 retail, so the mark-up is a bit
hefty). Stemware was a bit angular and heavy.
The wine list offers a few aperitifs, around a dozen wines-by-the-glass,
nearly the same number of half bottle selections and then a flock of
reds and whites. French wines are featured, as one might
expect.
Champagnes start at $65 a bottle, but you won't find brands such as
Charles Heidsieck or Roederer at that price level. Gosset's Brut
is $70. Krug is $299 and Dom Perignon is $220 per bottle.
There are some nice Burgundies and Rhones on the list...a Joseph Roty
Marsannay is $65 while Alain Graillot's 2007 Crozes-Hermitage is
$48. There's a nice Cahors from Chateau la Coustarelle ($38 on the
wine list, $16 retail), while Laffont Madiran is $40 on the wine list
and it's $20 in a shop.
Bordeaux selections are rather obscure and relatively unheralded.
Their corkage fee is a reasonable $18 and, if you're interested in
drinking well, bring a nice bottle of red...
We opted for their $38 price-fixed menu, which included a starter, a
main plate and dessert. And amuse bouche of cauliflower soup anointed
with a bit of truffle oil was a nice little taste to start. We augmented
this with a small platter of delightful, fresh, briny oysters to start.
The Escargots de Bourgogne were exceptional...no shortage of garlic at
Chapeau! And there was good bread on the table to dip into the
garlic and parsley butter.
I asked the waiter if we could sneak in their Trou Normande after the
garlicky snails...$4.50 for the Green Apple Sorbet palate cleanser with
a shot of Calvados over the top...quite nice!
With the Syrah, we both ordered the Cassoulet de Toulouse ($22 a la
carte) and this was excellent. I'd been in Castelnaudry last year
and we did not have a Cassoulet of this caliber when visiting there...
The stemware for the red wine was larger and of good quality...
The cassoulet featured toothsome white beans, shredded lamb, duck leg
confit and a nice, garlicky bit of sausage. The ceramic dish was
dusted with bread crumbs and nicely browned.
We were "full" as dessert loomed on the horizon, so we simply
asked for their assortment of sorbets...quite good, nicely flavored and
the perfect ending to a delicious meal.
The service was professional and polished. Ambience is
comfortable...not too close to neighboring tables and not too noisy.
I really enjoyed the meal at Chapeau! and look forward to returning
soon.
Reviewed by GW
January 2010 |
RUMI
1179 Laurel Street
San Carlos
Tel: 650-593-8500
Lunch:
Mon - Sat 11:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Dinner:
Sun - Thu 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Fri - Sat 5:00 PM - 9:30 PM
The Amuse Bouche and the little
wine-by-the-glass carafe.
Cod Fritters
Grilled Shrimp
Pasta with Merguez Sausage topped with feta cheese...
Root vegetables, Lamb Shank and a mix of Farro and Cranberry beans.
|
A
friend suggested dining at this San Carlos restaurant, a place billing
itself as "Rustic American with Mediterranean flavors."
I'd looked at their website and noticed they featured "Persian
spices," as well.
We arrived early on a rainy Thursday evening in January...the place
seated perhaps 40 to 50 people and there was but one table occupied.
We scoped out the menu, an interesting and eclectic mix...a wine list
was brought to the table along with the menu.
You can start with flatbread or a flatbread pizza...there's a range of
salads and about 8 "small plates." Main plates include
Louie's Cioppino ($28), Niman Heritage Pork ($24), Sea of Cortez
Scallops ($26) or a NY Steak ($26)...
We asked for a pour of Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc ($9) and the server
brought a small 'carafe' and two glasses so we could share a
taste...Very accommodating. Nice stemware, too.
Soon an "amuse bouche" was presented, a little salmon-on-toast
which was delicious.
We chose a couple of small plate starters...Ginger-Lime Aleppo Grilled
Prawns ($13) and Salt Cod Fritters ($11).
Five prawns were presented with, indeed, ginger, lime and a mildly spicy
pepper sauce...The Salt Cod fritters were 5 dark "balls" with
a crispy exterior and soft, gooey interior. The flavors of salt
cod were not prominent and it was a very mildly flavored dish.
We produced a bottle of Gevrey-Chambertin for our main plates. The
restaurant features California wines in keeping with its
"locally-farmed" theme. The wine list isn't one put
together by an expert, but it does have some offbeat selections:
Cambiata Albarino ($38), Tangent Albarino ($38), Fritz Chardonnay ($46),
Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel ($43), La Fenetre Syrah ($70) and Smith-Madrone
Cabernet ($80). You'll also find Dancing Bull (a Gallo label),
Charles Krug, Stags' Leap Merlot ($59) and Louis Martini's Sonoma
Cabernet ($29). Corkage fee is a reasonable $15.
My dining companion ordered the Pasta with Merguez Sausage ($19)...it's
Rustichella rigatoncini and these were toothsome and properly
cooked. The sauce was mildly spicy and the Merguez sausage was
spot-on.
I opted for the Slow Braised Lamb Shank ($28). This came on a
rectangular plate...on one side was a mix of roasted root vegetables and
the other side had a blend of farro and cranberry beans. The plate
was not warmed and the food was not "piping hot." I
found the lamb to be a bit bland, though the sides had a suggestion of
brown spice, but were a bit shy on seasoning. I didn't notice salt
or pepper on our table, which would have helped.
The bill tallied to about $86 before tax and tip...we passed on
desserts.
This is a lovely neighborhood place. I'd be more enthusiastic had
the food been a prepared with a bit more attention to detail, along with
additional seasoning. Your mileage may vary.
Reviewed by GW
January 2010 |
WEST
COAST CAFE
466 San Mateo Avenue
San Bruno
Tel: 650-588-1912
Open:
Lunch ~ 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Dinner ~ 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Calamari Sautee
Salad of sorts...
Spaghetti
Lamb Chops
|
We
rarely think of San Bruno as a dining destination, unless we're heading
to the Koi Palace for a Chinese seafood feast up near Serramonte.
So I was a bit surprised when The Old Bat suggested this Italian-themed
place for dinner after we'd gone to the movies.
A block, or so, east of El Camino and several blocks south of San Bruno
Avenue is this unassuming little restaurant.
West Coast Cafe? Doesn't sound Italian, but it is.
On a Sunday evening between Christmas and New Year's, we found the place
hopping at 6:30, or so. They have seating for perhaps 60 people
and most of the tables were occupied.
We sat down and were presented a menu and wine list.
Wine is clearly not the focus at this restaurant. The stemware on
the white-clothed dinner table is serviceable, but of small format and,
while appropriate for a modest white wine, isn't ideal for a hearty, big
red. The selections are fairly ordinary and
moderately-priced. High rollers can drop $45 for a bottle of
Frog's Leap Chardonnay. They offer five-buck "by the
glass" wines of Merlot, Chianti, Cabernet, Syrah, Pinot Grigio,
etc. None of these is identified, though, by winery, brand or
label.
An Italian white wine from Campania is listed solely by grape varietal
and no mention of the producer is offered on the wine list.
Ridge Three Valleys Zin ($39) is one of the more interesting wines on
their small list of modest choices. A couple of Arnaldo Caprai
wines are their strongest Italian selections.
Corkage is all of ten bucks, so bringing a good bottle is probably your
best bet.
We began with a glass of Ruggeri Prosecco ($9.50) and this was a nice
start to our meal.
A small basket of really good, nicely-warmed bread was brought to our
table. A carafe of oil and vinegar is already on the table...The
Old Bat, as usual, asked for butter.
We shared a starter of "Calamari Sautee" ($9.50), although
this was not the best description of what was served. We had a
lovely bowl full of Calamari rings and tentacles, studded with sliced
mushrooms in a mildly spicy tomato sauce. A couple of crisp "crostini"
were included...the calamari was perfectly cooked and tender, not
rubbery and this was a large serving for a starter.
We each ordered their Caesar Salad ($7) and we may have thrown them a
curveball by asking for it without the shaved
"Parmesan." A small plate of tiny pieces of Romaine
lettuce was topped with some out-of-a-package croutons and the
accompanying dressing lacked garlic and anchovies. This was a bit
of a disappointment, but it might have been our special request that
damaged the salads.
I brought out a bottle of a Bruno Giacosa Nebbiolo and the server took
care of opening the wine and pouring the initial servings.
Corkage, as noted earlier, is $10."
The main plates arrived...The Old Bat had a hankering for Spaghetti and
meatballs, but they didn't have polpette, though they did offer a
nice meat ragu. The pasta was of good quality and cooked
perfectly al dente. I think this plate cost $13.50.
My plate of "Costoleto di L'Agnello" (the menu is a
nice attempt at Italian, but since nobody there seemed fluent in the
language, some things are simply misspelled) is $21.50 and featured four
beautifully presented little lamb chops. These were trimmed
precisely and cooked to perfection. They're anointed with some sort of
herbal sauce... The plate came with some cooked veggies, carrots and
zucchini along with some chunks of potato.
We were too full to explore desserts.
The service was friendly and polite, but they neglected to bring glasses
of water or ask if we wanted either bottled or tap water.
The server quickly noticed I was missing a fork as he brought the main
plate and whisked one off the neighboring table before I had to request
a utensil.
The bill came to $84 before the tip...this was a lovely little
neighborhood place and, all things considered, worth the drive from
Burlingame. If you're looking for a place to dine near the
airport, it's a strong choice.
The restaurant has been open for four years, we were told. It's a
sister establishment to Half Moon Bay's Mezzaluna restaurant.
We look forward to a return visit.
Reviewed by GW
December 2009
|
MARTINS
WEST
831 Main Street
Redwood City
Tel: 650-366-4366
Lunch:
Tues-Fri 11:30-5
Sat 12-5
Dinner:
Mon 5-9
Tues-Wed 5:30-10
Thurs-Fri 5:30-10:30
Sat 5-10:30
Crispy Duck Egg
Wild Boar Terrine
Fisherman's Stew
Lamb T-Bone & Shepherd's Pie with Kale
|
We
had heard there was an interesting "gastro-pub" in Redwood
City and so, on a cool night during the baseball playoffs, we ventured
to Main Street to see what's cooking.
We found this cozy little place a few blocks from Redwood City's
rejuvenated "downtown" (where the theater and city hall are
situated). It's a nice bar with a bunch of smallish tables in the
front and high bar stools and bar tables in the back.
We selected a nice 4-top table for the two of us on a week night and the
place was about half full on a Tuesday at 7:30.
The menus were set before us, along with a wine and cocktail list.
The ball game was shown on a TV behind the bar and off in the back in
one corner. The sound was turned off and old-fashioned rock &
roll was playing on the sound system.
The menu is compact, with an interesting range of starters and
"pub"-like main plates.
The wine list is small, but nicely selected, with a good range of wines
and offered at remarkably sensible prices.
We opted for a couple of flutes of Roederer Estate Brut at $9 each.
There are 9 white and bubbly selections "by the glass" and an
equal number of reds.
There were 6 sparkling wine selections, from a $28 Prosecco to a $122
bottle of Bollinger Brut. There are Old World White wines such as
Hiedler Grüner Veltliner ($32), a Leitz Riesling ($34), Sancerre,
Verdejo, etc. New World whites include Iron Horse Chardonnay
($46), Elk Cove Pinot Blanc ($31) and a blended white from McCrea
Vineyards in Washington ($45). Old World Reds include Montirius
Gigondas ($56), Marchesi di Gresy Barbera ($31) and Chateau Musar from
Lebanon at $95. From the New World, Saintsbury Pinot Noir is $58,
Rafanelli Zinfandel is $53 and Margerum's M5 blend is $37.
The list, while nicely chosen and well-priced, has numerous spelling
errors.
Our flute of bubbly arrived reasonably quickly and we enjoyed a sip
while perusing the menu.
I ordered their Shrimp Beignets ($11) as a starter, while The Old Bat
chose the Crispy Duck Eggs ($11).
The server returned a moment later to tell me they did not have the
shrimp beignets, which was perfect since the sound system had the
Rolling Stones singing "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
I opted for their Wild Boar terrine as they, apparently, make a handful
of their own terrines and pâtés. This was $7.
The Crispy Duck egg plate was a lovely 'breakfast'...complete with
ham. The Old Bat said she wasn't sure what was on the plate, but
it was delicious. My starter featured two 'triangles' of their
wild boar terrine; nice, firm in texture and quite flavorful
(allspice, perhaps?). There was a pile of crispy, thin slices of
bread on the plate, plus a small container of a jelly-like accompaniment
which was good, but I preferred the terrine unadorned.
The Old Bat had requested bread and butter and a small wooden tray was
brought with two outstanding breads.
We ordered two glasses of wine to pair with our main plates, leaving the
bottle I'd brought in my cellar bag. With a good wine list and
such attractively-priced wines, we did not find it necessary to supply
our own bottle. I ordered a glass of Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc
($7) for the Old Bat's "Fisherman's Stew" and a Copain Syrah
($6) for the Lamb T-Bone ($28).
Here in Burlingame, we're lucky to find a glass of wine for ten bucks
and it's usually some cheap plonk. A Martins West they have lovely
selections and the prices are remarkably honest.
The Fisherman's stew was a lovely plate of seafood, bathing in an
aromatic lobster fumet. The Old Bat set aside the large
slice of toasted bread which adorned the stew and dove in up to her
elbows. My Lamb T-Bone was a beautifully grilled piece of lamb and
it was accompanied by a small 'pot' of a local interpretation of
Shepherd's pie with cauliflower and a celery root purée.
The stemware for the by-the-glass wines was of good quality and we had
about a five or six ounce pour which filled the glass about half-way.
We were too full from the main plates to order dessert, but they offer
some interesting items. An Apple Fig Tartlet comes with Bacon Ice
Cream. They offer Mars Bar Beignets and Pumpkin Pain Perdu.
We appreciated that they "get it right" at Martins West.
Pity we don't have something of this caliber in our own neighborhood!
We'll be back.
Reviewed by GW
October 2009
|
MEDALLION
1095 Rollins Road
Burlingame
Tel: 650-342-4922
Dinner Sun-Thurs 5-10
Fri-Sat 5-11
Fried Calamari
New York Steak with grilled asparagus and whipped potatoes
Rib Eye Steak with fries and mushrooms
|
The
old Kuleto's restaurant had run its course and this week it's called
Medallion with the words "steakhouse au naturel".
In fairness, we dined here two or three weeks into their "soft
opening," a bit early.
We reserved a table on a Friday night and arrived around 7, finding the
bar virtually empty and the dining room sparsely populated. As you
enter and check in at the reception desk, you're across from the hallway
leading to the rest rooms. Though you'll see a pizza oven and open
kitchen in front of you, the first noticeable fragrances are of the
deodorizing perfumes from the rest rooms.
We were asked if we wanted a booth or a table and we opted for the
former. Frankly, the kid seating us should be more savvy and see
that while The Old Bat is a skinny creature, I'm a bit stout and my
sliding in to a booth might require a call for the Jaws of Life for my
departure.
Seriously, the booth we had was uncomfortable for both of us, so pick a
stand-alone table for greater comfort.
The wine list and menu were brought to the table and much before I had a
moment to open the list, a server was inquiring if we'd like a
cocktail. We took a moment to peruse the list.
Three sparkling wines are available by the glass and I recall hearing
from a youngster who worked at Kuleto's that they had a
"Champagne" on the list which was theirs exclusively.
It's still on the Medallion list, a bubbly made of Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay from, of all places, California's hotter-than-hell
Lodi! It's $9 a flute or $41 if you wish to commit to the entire
bottle. We by-passed the Cremant de Bourgogne in favor of
Gloria Ferrer's 2001 Royal Cuvee at $15 per stem ($67 by the bottle).
The By-the-Glass white wines are, save for a Fogarty Chardonnay at $10,
of little interest unless you're happy with Canyon Road ($8) or an
industrial German Riesling that's sweet for $13. The red wines are
slightly more interesting, with Rodney Strong's Pinot Noir going for $11
and Downing Family Napa Zin for $12.
Though it's billed as a steak house, there are a few seafood dishes on
the menu and so you'll find a half a dozen Sauvignon Blancs and a dozen
Chardonnays on the wine list.
With "beef" being the theme of the place, we find 18 Cabernets
or Meritage wines on the list. Ridge Vineyards and Heitz are
highlights, but they also have other famous names such as BV, Caymus,
Silver Oak and Pahlmeyer. A Duckhorn Napa Merlot is $95, while
Chateau Montelena Zinfandel is $60. It's the sort of wine list
which seems to be well-influenced by the sales reps of the two large
liquor distributors. I'm sure, as well, the current list reflects
the wine cellar "inherited" from the previous dining
establishment, which was somewhat an Italian-themed place.
We asked about the corkage fee and this is, apparently, under
discussion. It might be $15 or $20, though we were not charged on
our visit.
A small plate of rather unremarkable French bread was brought to the
table. Happily, no vinegar and oil dipping sauce accompanied it.
We ordered a 'starter' of "Crispy Calamari, Medallion Cocktail
Sauce and Lemon Aioli" at $10. About 20-25% of the plate was,
in fact, fried onions. It was a bit salty and lightly oily...a
fairly standard rendition of Calamari.
As we were nibbling on the Calamari, a young lady who seemed to be the
manager (though a bit informally dressed, frankly) brought a pizza to
our table. We had not ordered a pizza, but for some reason they
were bringing pizza to just about every table at no charge. Having
ordered a Rib Eye steak and having somewhat oily Calamari, the prospect
of pizza was a bit of an unexpected detour. It was a nicely done,
crispy, thin crust pizza "margherita."
A bus boy, seeing a moment when we were not diving in to the calamari
plate was Johnnie-on-the-spot to ask if we were done with that.
Even if we weren't, he quickly grabbed the plate (which had a few more
of the fried onions, I think, on it) and removed the nearly, but not
quite empty flute glasses.
The menu offers a range of beef: Skirt steak, Hangar Steak (both
$25), an 18 ounce Rib Eye ($38), 10 ounce Corn Fed New York ($28), 10
ounce Grass Fed New York ($30), Filet Mignon and Chateaubriand (12
ounces for $46).
In the realm of comfort foods, they offer a Chicken Pot Pie, Braised
Short ribs and a Rotisserie Chicken.
Your steaks are accompanied by a Sauce Bordelaise and Maldon Sea Salt,
as well as two side dishes.
The Old Bat ordered a New York steak, despite her hatred for the Yankees
(she's a Boston Red Sox fan) and let the waiter chose between grass or
corn fed. Her steak was paired with whipped potatoes and grilled
asparagus.
I had my medium-rare rib eye paired with Kennebec fries and sautéed
sherry Mushrooms.
There was a bottle of a nice Cabernet blend in my bag and the waiter
offered to open this. He did and then poured a taste in the glass
which was on the table. This was a modest-sized white wine glass
and so I asked if they didn't have larger, more appropriate red wine
stems. They did and he went to get a couple of those for us.
Much better.
The steaks were brought from the kitchen by another server and she
brought these to a neighboring table. Those patrons were a bit
surprised, as I'm sure they expected their appetizers to arrive before
the main plate.
The Old Bat's steak, ordered medium, was closer to well done. My
medium rare was, in fact, medium rare.
The New York steak had a pattern of grill marks, while the rib eye
appeared to be cooked on a griddle or in a frying pan.
The New York steak was a bit tough and The Old Bat described it as being
like "chewing gum." I had a taste and she was correct.
My rib eye was okay, more tender certainly, but I offered her a taste
and we both agreed the "gold standard" is San Francisco's
Kokkari restaurant (a Greek place where the steak is grilled on an
aromatic, hot, wood fire).
The side dishes were all very salty and we were both unhappy with
these. The mushrooms had no aroma or taste of Sherry wine and they
were dominated by salt and a healthy grind of black pepper.
Having left about a half a plate of our main courses, dessert was out of
the question.
We did not get charged the corkage fee. I was a bit startled,
though, when the bill came and I noticed a $12 charge for the pizza we
did not order. Upon closer review, though, they deducted the $12
at the bottom of the tab. However, this was deducted AFTER
calculating the sales tax on the total amount! We should have been
billed $113.62, but since they backed-out the unordered pizza after
calculating the tax, the bill came to $114.74.
I hope the state of California appreciates this little bit of trickery
and spends that sales tax money prudently.
The night we dined here, it was rather warm outside and we might have
appreciated a bit of air conditioning. The music they were playing
was in the category of "smooth jazz," but the bass was a bit
heavy and the constant beat of a drummer was not at all pleasant.
This is the sort of place which might prove convenient to those staying
in nearby Burlingame hotels. They can hoof it over the freeway on
the new million-dollar pedestrian walkway, but if this restaurant is
going to be successful, they may find they need support from the locals
who can get on the freeway and find a great dining experience awaiting
within a 30 minute ride.
Reviewed by GW
September 2009 |
VILLAGE
PUB
2967 Woodside Road
Woodside
Tel: 650-851-9888
Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30-2:30
Dinner: Daily 5-10
Sunday Brunch 10am-2pm
The Charcuterie plate...Yum!
Sweetbreads
The decanted bottle of Brunello.
Rabbit Three Ways
Fiorano 1970 One Way
|
Located
on the main drag in Woodside, this is one of those places where you'll
do really well if you're carrying the company credit card and are a
serious wine geek.
It would also make sense for this place to be called The Village Club,
because it's a clubby, dark, active little dining room, right across
from a nice little bar.
I met a wine business friend who's a buyer at another store in the Bay
Area. We were escorted to a table in the middle of the dining room
and despite having tables on either side of us, they were just distant
enough that we didn't really hear them and neighboring tables seemed
oblivious to our presence.
A menu and wine list are presented when you're seated. The menu
offers about ten different starters, ranging from soup and salad to Foie
Gras, a seafood platter and caviar. A server stopped by our table
and recited a laundry list of additional specials. I was so
mesmerized by the wine list, I neglected to pull out a sheet of paper
and take notes. If your night vision is a bit weak (as is mine),
don't forget to bring a small flashlight. Reading the menu or the
wine list is a bit of a challenge.
We ordered a couple of flutes of Delamotte Brut Champagne at $16 a
stem. The young lady who was the on-duty sommelier mentioned the
charcuterie platter ($20) as being especially interesting, so we ordered
one of these to start. This featured all sorts of terrines, pates
and mortadella--all made on the premises! There was one offering
with a particularly nice brown spice seasoning to it, so the sommelier
brought us each a small pour of a stellar "auslese" level
Riesling from Germany.
It was a wonderful partnership!
Having starved myself that afternoon, I was quite hungry when I
arrived. As a result, I could not resist ordering the Veal
Sweetbreads ($18) which came on a bed of a Frisée salad and adorned
with Muscat grapes and toasted almonds. This was nice, but not the
most tender serving of sweetbreads, frankly.
Meanwhile, my dining buddy had brought a bottle of a 1995 Scopetone
Brunello di Montalcino. This had been decanted more than an hour
earlier and it was brought to the table with a couple of sizeable red
wine stems. I brought out a bottle of 1970 Fiorano, an old
Cabernet/Merlot blend from an apparently eccentric fellow who lived just
outside of Rome. It was a high-priced bottle in its youth and it
had been 30 years since I'd tasted this. Our sommelier whisked the
bottle back to her decanting area and expertly dealt with the various
pieces of cork which fell apart on extraction, separating them from the
wine.
Now we had two decanters on our table and each of us had a couple of
glasses.
We both ordered a daily special of "Rabbit, Three Ways" ($31)
and this was a good choice for these Italian reds.
There was a lovely rabbit sausage, saddle of rabbit and some sort of
rabbit-stuffed ravioli.
Both wines were terrific upon their first pouring and both improved in
the glass. The Fiorano was quite Bordeaux-like, in fact.
As for the wine list of The Village Pub: It's a wine geek's trophy
collection. Though the restaurant has a number of notable wineries
in its backyard, it's a bit surprising to see the head sommelier has
room for Silverado Vineyards Chardonnay and Liberty School Cabernet, but
ignores wines from his "neighbors." There is but one
vintage of Ridge Monte Bello on this list (a 1992 at $446 per bottle and
one Zinfandel, the 2007 Geyserville at $72. No Mount Eden
wine. Nothing, surprisingly, from Storrs, Thomas Fogarty or
Bonny Doon.
On the other hand, one finds 8 rather young Gevrey-Chambertins from
Domaine Fourrier and 15 Gevreys from Denis Mortet. A bottle of
2005 vintage La Tâche from the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti is a cool
$5,000, while the 1990 vintage is a mere $3,200.
There are more than two dozen offerings from the Volnay appellation
alone!
You'll find six Montrachets on the list along with nine Bâtard-Montrachets.
There are more than 20 Chablis wines, all but one made by Raveneau.
The list is impressive and there's something for every wine-interested
diner. You can drink well for $50-$60 a bottle and if the sky is
the limit, there are numerous opportunities.
We'll be back.
Reviewed by GW
September 2009 |
KAYGETSU
325 Sharon Park Drive
Menlo Park
Tel: 650-234-1084
Seatings:
Lunch: Tues-Fri starting at 11:30
Dinner:
Tues-Thurs 5:30-8:45
Fri-Sat 5:30-9:15
Sun 5:30-8:30
Corn soup with grilled vegetables
Sashimi
The "Hassun" featuring deep fried pike and two little balls of
mochi with blanched pork and three sauces.
Rice with sea eel and egg threads
The "main plate" -- parchment paper seafood.
Parchment paper unwrapped
Green tea flan
|
What
better time to visit a restaurant called Kaygetsu than in
September? "Kaygetsu" in Japanese has two
meanings: "beautiful moon" and "September."
I was a guest and we drove to this out-of-the-way little shopping center
to find a culinary oasis in Menlo Park.
My hosts had already ordered a special 'set' menu, called a Kaiseki
meal. This is haute cuisine and an elaborate,
beautifully-prepared multi-course meal.
The regular menu, kaiseki menu, wine and sake lists were presented when
we were seated. The place is small, clean, a bit 'plain' in
appearance, but it soon became clear the focus is on the table.
The wine list is small and concise. Sorelle Bronca Prosecco, Ridge
Chardonnay, Flowers Pinot Noir, Ridge Geyserville Zin and Talley
Pinot Noir are highlights on the small, thoughtfully chosen wine list.
With a bunch of wine 'geeks' dining, it was most hospitable of the
restaurant staff to so politely and warmly open our bottles.
Stemware is of good quality and we had nice glasses for the two white
wines we brought and a bigger "Burgundy balloon" for the red
wine. A small ice bucket was brought to the table for the white
wine.
Our gastronomical adventure began with a sakizuke or "amuse
bouche," if you prefer. This was a nice little bowl of
chilled corn soup with some grilled vegetables. Our server would
carefully explain the nature of each course, pointing out the
highlights. The small assortment of beautifully presented grilled
vegetables included okra, snap peas, string beans, a cherry tomato and a
green manganji pepper. The presentation is magnificent and
artistic. As your server enlightens you about the dish, you will
feel as though you're a judge on an episode of the TV program Iron Chef.
We had a lovely bottle of German Riesling to start, followed by a
Daguenau "Pur Sang" Pouilly-Fume. Our second course was
a plate featuring various morsels of sashimi. Very
fine!
Our next course, the Hassun, featured deep fried pike, blanched kurobota
pork with three sauces, mochi and a satsuma potato yokan
with poppy seeds. Little morsels, each one delectable and
delicate, yet flavorful. The Pouilly-Fume paired handsomely with
the sashimi and this dish.
A middle plate was a bowl of sushi rice with sea eel and egg
threads, a prelude to the "grilled" course (Yakimono).
The stellar main plate was brought to the table and it was, like
everything else here, a work of culinary artistry. Seafood in
parchment paper is presented in something resembling a large leaf tied
with vine-like 'laces.' You unwrap this mystery course and find a
tender, succulent bit of king crab, a couple of lightly steamed clams
and trumpet mushrooms. This is accompanied by some steamed rice,
daikon miso soup and lightly pickled vegetables.
By this point, I had brought out a bottle of French red Burgundy, an old
vines' bottling of Gevrey-Chambertin from Domaine Marc Roy. The
server brought large balloon-shaped stemware and this Pinot Noir was
refined, elegant and delicate enough to show beautifully with the meal.
The dessert was a remarkable green tea flan.
What a wonderful meal in a totally unexpected locale! I had
remarked to my dining companions that, clearly, the chef in that kitchen
has a "black belt" in gastronomy.
The kaiseki meal is $72 a person. This is a lovely little
'splurge' and well worth the excursion from Burlingame to Menlo Park.
Reviewed by GW
September 2009
|
54
MINT
16 Mint Plaza
San Francisco
Tel: 415-543-5100
Open:
Lunch Mon-Sat 11:30-3:30
Dinner Mon-Sat 5:30-10:30
A view from outside...
Prosciutto and figs
A salad
Grilled Sardines
Arancina al Nero di Seppia.
Stellar!
Tuna main plate...
Spaghetti alla Amatriciana
Galletto
Bread Pudding and strawberries
Panna Cotta with Balsamico
|
An
Italophile friend from San Francisco had spoken highly of this new City
establishment and when a friend asked where we should dine, I suggested
54 Mint.
It was a Monday night. There are a few parking spaces right near
the restaurant in Mint Plaza and a parking lot just to the west.
It turns out the lot closes at 9:30, so I drove a block to the east on
Mission Street and parked in the garage across the street.
There's a large patio outside the restaurant (why do they call it 54
Mint when the address is #16?--Must be Italian!) which was empty at
8pm. Inside, though, I could see the place was bustling and
active. Tables are not jammed in one next to the other and so
there's a relaxed ambience for those seated. There's also a
downstairs dining area which I did not have a peek at...
We had a nice table in the back of the restaurant and while we waited
for another couple to arrive, I perused the wine list.
Numerous wines-by-the-glass are offered and this list features many
Italian selections. Under the white wine heading, Contesa's
2008 Pecorino is $8/glass and attractively-priced at $28 for a
bottle. The Colle Stefano Verdicchio is $10 for a glass and $34 by
the bottle. Amongst the reds, La Casaccia's light Grignolino is
$8/glass and $28 by the bottle, while Antonelli's Montefalco Rosso is
$12 for a pour and $40 for a bottle. For $24 you can have a bottle
of simple Venetian plonk. There are but a few California wines
along with a couple of Spanish choices. You won't find much in the
way of "trophy" wines on the 54 Mint wine list. The
selections are, for the most part, "trattoria" level offerings
rather than famous, prestigious bottlings.
Corkage is $20 and if you're a fan of "serious" Italian wines,
bringing a special bottle might be a good idea.
The host brought a handful of wines and the staff graciously cooled down
the whites in an ice bucket. We were brought nice, elegant
stemware.
The menu has a nice range of starters and pastas, though the main plates
seemed to me to be rather limited. Starters include items such as
a root vegetable Pinzimonio (you dip raw veggies in olive oil)
for $8, a Capri salad ($12), Parmigiano with Aged Balsamic
vinegar for $16 or their Salumeria plate for $16.
Dining here is comfortable, so you can order these plates and pass them
around your table, "family style."
We had a remarkably good platter of Prosciutto and fresh figs...the
Prosciutto was exceptional, being mildly sweet and lightly salty...
Also quite impressive is the basket of warm foccacia bread they bring to
the table when you're seated...
We each, then, ordered a starter and a main plate. I couldn't
resist the Arancina al Nero di Seppia ($14), a squared-off,
hockey puck-sized mass of black rice with some spicy shrimp inside and
topped with a superb, sweet prawn. This was a stellar plate and
made the drive to The City completely worthwhile! Another person
opted for a plate of Grilled Sardines ($12) and someone else began with
a simple salad.
The main plates are, frankly, a bit limited and they didn't, on the
night of our visit, match up handsomely with deep, complex Nebbiolo or
well-structured Tuscan reds. Aglianico wines are also, generally,
going to overwhelm the main courses if what we saw was typical.
One of our party ordered the Tonno alla Cipolle ($28) which was a
beautiful plate of sashimi grade tuna, pan-seared and accompanied by
sweet & sour Saffron-seasoned little onions. There was a $22
main plate of fried seafood (prawns, calamari and white fish), Porchetta
($20) and Galletto alla Diavola ($24).
As a result, one person chose a pasta for their main plate.
I had the Galletto, a Cornish game hen grilled with rosemary and
garlic. This was a nice dish, though a bit dried out. We had
a Cannonau from Sardegna which was berryish and not too heavy, so it
matched up nicely.
The wait-staff did a good job in keeping an eye on our table and water
glasses were routinely topped up.
Two desserts were ordered, one being a bread pudding and the other a
Panna Cotta topped with 54 Mint's own balsamic vinegar.
The ambience is nice...some calm moments and then some more
frenetic. It's a relaxed dining atmosphere which is much
appreciated and you're not right on top of the neighboring table, which
we appreciated.
I didn't see the check, but the prices seem quite reasonable and I'll
gladly go back.
You may do best to call them and see about a reservation. If
they're not on the phone or don't have it off the hook, you may get
through to someone.
Reviewed by GW
September 2009
|
1550
HYDE
1550 Hyde Street
San Francisco
-=NOW CLOSED=-
Tel: 415-775-1550
Dinner:
Tues-Thurs 6-9:30
Fri-Sat 6-10
Sun 5:30-9:30
Halibut Crudo
Unusual stemware...very elegant, though.
Rabbit and a beautiful bottle of 1995 Forman Cabernet.
Tuna
Cheeses.
Strawberry cake & cream
Affogato with a homemade biscuit.
|
Friday
night we motored through Bayshore Freeway traffic and around city
streets to this lovely little restaurant and wine bar on Hyde Street
near Pacific.
We arrived at 7pm with a reservation and the place was starting to fill
up. We sat down and were presented a one page menu and small, but
interesting wine list.
I ordered a bottle of Drusian Prosecco ($28) and our server brought four
nice flute glasses. She deftly opened the bottle and poured and we
had a toast as we scoped out the menu.
The wine list offers many nice selections and at sensible price
levels. The Drusian is available by the glass, along with a Blanc
de Noirs from Gruet. DeSante Sauvignon Blanc is a by-the-glass
offering and so are Green & Red Zinfandel, Vecchie Terre di
Montefili Chianti, Andrea Oberto Barbera, Elk Cove Pinot Gris, amongst
others. There are lots of good, well-priced half-bottle and full
bottle selections. Prices are normal, typically, double retail.
You'll find good wines in the $32-80 price range with wineries such as
Morey-Coffinet, Soter, Fritz, Talley, Qupe, Neal Family, Storybook,
Chante Perdrix, Francesco Rinaldi, and the like.
Corkage is $20. The stemware here is quite nice and a bit unusual
for a restaurant.
Three of our party of four chose the Halibut Crudo for a starter ($11)
and another had a salad ($9). The Crudo was exceptional...great
fish and beautifully accompanied with some sharp, tangy arugula. I
also appreciated the ripe heirloom tomatoes and just the right amount of
sea salt.
One person opted for a main plate of tuna ($24), while the rest of us
had a grand serving of Rabbit with Pimenton ($26). The Rabbit came
with grilled radicchio, soft chunks of French bread drizzled with oil
and/or the cooking liquid from the rabbit...exceptional! The
accompanying green beans were closer to raw than al dente, but
were good nonetheless.
We produced a nice bottle of aged Napa Cabernet and our attentive server
supplied us with nice, large format red wine glasses.
As we had more red wine, a cheese platter was ordered ($20) featuring
three European cheeses, an English Stilton, Spanish Manchego and an
Italian goat cheese.
We split two desserts--the Affogato was especially good ($8)and made
with a terrific vanilla ice cream. Espresso is $2.50.
We spent nearly 4 hours at the dinner table and were not rushed at
all. Other tables turned a couple of times.
San Francisco is remarkable for its plethora of great neighborhood
restaurants, making a little place such as 1550 Hyde worth the drive
from Burlingame. And, in fact, a couple who live around the corner
from our shop were dining at 1550 on this evening. We sent them a
couple of glasses of a Bordeaux we brought and they said they come here,
usually, once a month!
It's easy, now, to understand why.
Reviewed by GW
September 2009 |
LIMON
524 Valencia Street
San Francisco
Tel: 415-252-0918
OPEN
Sun-Thurs 5-10
Fri-Sat 5-11
Causa Marina
Grilled Octopus and Peppers
Chicken Skewers and Sweet Potato Fries
Saltado de Vegetales
Chuleton--a nice Pork Chop
Chicken Breast
|
We
had always heard good things about this Peruvian-styled restaurant, but
it had been closed due to a fire. Well, we checked out the new
incarnation of Limon (not to be confused with their lower-priced
rotisserie on South Van Ness) on a summer Sunday night.
Ellen and her son took BART, which has a stop about a block away from
Limon, while the Old Bat and I met them there after seeing some World
War II-themed films that day.
The restaurant is modern and clean, with an open kitchen near the dining
area. There's seating at the bar, too, along with an upstairs
dining area. We were seated near the kitchen.
The wine list, presented with the menu when we sat down, is a sizeable,
one page production. Though the restaurant bills itself as
"Peruvian" or "Nuevo Latino Fusion," one finds more
Iberian Peninsula wine selections than South American! Still, the
list is nicely done and provides a good range of wines.
There are five selections by half or full carafe, though these are a bit
nebulous with listings such as "Carefully Considered White
Wine" or "Thoughtfully Chosen Red" at $14/half and
$28/full carafe.
The menu page has about 3 dozen "by the glass" selections with
four bubblies and a dozen reds and a dozen whites. These table
wine offerings are available in 6 or 9 ounce pours.
We began with the Cava of Juve y Camps, a Rose for $10.
The list features sensibly-priced wines and there's not a
"trophy" wine on this list. You'll drink well here with
selections priced between $24 and $40 a bottle.
The delightfully aromatic Crios Torrontes from Argentina is $28, while a
noteworthy Vinho Verde from Portugal is $30. Abadia Retuerta's
Rivola (from Spain) is $36, though it's in our shop for $11.99.
Reds include Malbecs from Argentina, Cabernets from Napa, Syrahs from
California's Central Coast and a quartet of Pinot Noirs. The
corkage fee is $15.
The flutes of Cava Rose arrived after a few minutes and we perused the
menu. The offerings from the kitchen and seem to have a bit more
South American influences than does the wine list. There's a nice
range of "Cebiches", priced between $11 and $12.
There are four tiraditos, Peruvian "sashimi"
costing $12 to $16. The Old Bat started with "Causa Marina,"
a Yellow Potato Terrine with crab salad, prawns and smoked salmon
($12). She was very pleased by this plate. I opted for the
"Polpo a la Parilla," Char-Grilled Octopus, Andean
Pepper Oil and Botija Olive Foam ($12). The plate featured what
seemed like a couple of piquillo peppers and three morsels of tender
octopus. My nephew liked the chicken skewers with sweet potato
fries ($8) and Ellen had a satisfying "Saltado de Vegetales"
($9), a vegetarian wok fry.
We produced a nice bottle of Rioja from our cellar bag and the server,
who was born in Spain swooned as he opened this. Elegant and
appropriate stemware was brought to the table for the Rioja.
We shared a taste with the server and still paid a $15 corkage fee.
The appetizer plates were cleared, along with the silverware and new
utensils were brought to the table without a hitch. Another nicety
we noted (well, Ellen made mention of it) was the lack of a food
'auction.' The server or assistants did not ask "Who gets
the....?"
Main plates were also very good. Ellen liked the Pollo a la
Leña ($18), a chicken breast stuffed with piquillo peppers and a
mushroom compote. My nephew and I ordered the Chuleton Don
Carlitos ($23), a nice 12 ounce pork chop resting on a bed of
cabbage, mushroom and bacon ragout. The Old Bat enjoyed the Lomo
Saltado ($21), sirloin strips tossed in a wok with red onions,
tomatoes and soy sauce.
We thoroughly enjoyed the meal and were too stuffed to order dessert,
though we were tempted. Lasaña Amazonica ($8) would have
been slices of caramelized pineapple with a tropical fruit mousse and
strawberry gazpacho! The dessert card also offers some terrific
sweet wines, including Royal Tokaji Wine Company's Red Label Tokaji at
$10, a late-harvest Moscatel from Spain for ten bucks, several Madeiras
and a five different Ports.
The bill tallied to around $180 before the tip and we were delighted by
the good food and gracious service. Ellen and Brian found it a
convenient destination, having taken BART, which is located about one
block away.
We look forward to a return visit and noticed they've installed a
seafood display which will soon be "up and running."
Reviewed by GW
August 2009 |
NOPA
560 Divisadero Street
San Francisco
Tel: 415-864-8643
OPEN DAILY
Bar Opens at 5
Dinner: 6pm until 1am !!!
A view of the kitchen from the mezzanine.
A half pour of wine and the amuse bouche.
Wood roasted calamari and grilled bread...
Delicious!!!
Farro Soup
Pork Chop with Cranberry Beans
Hanger Steak and a side of fries.
Corn, Pancetta and Cippolini Onions.
Espresso
|
With
a friend's airplane flight delayed and not arriving at SFO until 9:30, I
needed to find a suitable restaurant that served late into the evening.
NOPA has long been on my radar screen, but I figured they named the
place with the usual response when one calls for a reservation:
"Nope-ah." On a Wednesday night in August, we arrived
at NOPA around 10pm. The place was busy and we were escorted to an
upstairs mezzanine to a small two-top.
Below us the tables were still packed and the bar was jammed. The
kitchen crew was humming along and the rotisserie had numerous whole
chickens roasting, even relatively late.
The server, a young fellow in his late 30s/early 40s, asked if we'd like
to order a cocktail or some wine. I'd perused the large and
intriguing wine list earlier "on line." I asked about a
"Natural Wine" they had by the glass and our waiter offered to
split a pour into two glasses so we each could assess its quality. So,
we had two stems of an $8 pour of a Sonoma Pinot Blanc. Perfectly
decent, actually, although the wine was young and not particularly
expressive of its variety or terroir, in our view.
A small plate with a little ceramic container of sea salt was brought
featuring two little pieces of a baguette, topped with
"succotash." This was merely an amuse bouche with
a bit of corn and and chopped tomato...a nice little start to our meal.
We had a look at the menu and I was glad to have my small flashlight
handy, because the menu is printed in a light-colored ink and the
restaurant is, while not 'dark,' not well lit, either.
My traveling guest was intrigued by a Farro Soup with Parmigiano (I
think it was around $8). I started with Wood Roasted Calamari,
Grilled Bread, Spiced Chickpeas and Tomato Vinaigrette ($11). This
was a stellar dish! Tender calamari with two big hunks of
beautifully grilled, well-oiled (with a flavorful olive oil) bread,
feathery fried chickpeas (I think they were fried)...This plate made the
long wait for dinner and the drive from the Peninsula absolutely
worthwhile!
We ordered two pours of Qupe's 2007 Marsanne-Roussanne Blend
($8/each). This was one of nearly two dozen "by the
glass" offerings. There are numerous Sherries ($6-$17), 4
sparklers ($8-$14), 6 whites (including a white Bordeaux, white
Burgundy, white Rhone, Slovenian Ribolla Gialla) and six reds (a Barolo,
Madiran, Spanish Tempranillo, Loire Valley Gamay, etc.). The wine
list is obviously chosen with care and attention, but also with the idea
of offering good quality wines from producers not necessarily known to
the casual (or even serious) enophile.
There are quite a few half bottles available, along with full bottles of
bubbly including grower's Champagnes and a nice Lambrusco.
You can find good, affordable bottles, too. A Colle Stefano
Verdicchio is $29, while Talley Chardonnay is $44. But the list
covers many regions and good, soulful producers. Wine geeks will
appreciate finding names such as Lopez de Heredia, Quintarelli,
Niepoort, Paolo Bea, Copain, Alain Graillot, Richaud, Joseph Roty and
Didier Daguenau at honest prices.
Kudos to the sommelier at NOPA!
For main plates, my out-of-town guest was heading for the Pan Seared
Black Cod, but opted for the Hanger Steak seeing my bottle of Chateau
d'Ampuis Cote-Rotie.
I had the Pork Chop with Cranberry Beans ($23) which I had seen on
numerous plates passing by. The Hanger steak was tender and
perfectly cooked. And flavorful! The Pork Chop was served at
"medium" and was juicy and tender. We ordered two
"side" dishes, a bowl of fries with basil Aioli ($6) and the
Sweet Corn with Pancetta and Cipollini Onions ($6). Both were
flawless. The corn was, in fact, quite sweet and delightfully
fresh and taken off the cob. Don't miss these if your a fan of
either (or both).
We skipped dessert, having been well-fed by the starters and main
plates, though desserts are tempting.
The place was still buzzing at 1 in the morning and we were not, at all,
rushed so the servers could go home. We'd shared a pour of our
Cote-Rotie with the waiter and he brought the espressos we'd ordered,
but also a couple of pours of a Moscato Chinato. Very thoughtful
and hospitable!
Corkage is $20 and my dinner "guest" snagged the check, so I
can't give you an exact tally as to the bill. Whatever it added up
to, this place is worth it! What a pleasure to dine well with great,
interesting menu offerings and a wine list that's not an "after
thought." Add to the mix a comfortable ambience (upstairs,
anyway...we could actually carry on a private conversation and not hear
others at neighboring tables!) and perfectly professional service and
you've got a big time winner.
I'm looking forward to dining here again and won't mind, at all, the
drive from Burlingame.
Reviewed by GW
August 2009
UPDATE (August 2011)
We've been back several more times to this place and it continues to
im press.
The servers are real pros and they know the menu, inside and out.
It is a gem of a restaurant and a really great San Francisco dining
experience.
|
IBERIA
RESTAURANT
1026 Alma Street
Menlo Park
Tel: 650-325-8981
Lunch Mon-Sat:
12-2
Dinner Daily:
5:30-10
A small carafe of Vinho Verde.
$16 worth of fried seafood.
Piquillo Peppers stuffed with Crab meat.
$85.50 Paella
|
We
remember dining at Iberia when it was located west of Highway 280 in
Portola Valley many years ago. Being fans of Spanish food, we
trekked to Menlo Park on a warm summer evening for dinner.
The restaurant has a charming interior and conveys elegance and
refinement. We looked forward to a wonderful gastronomical
experience.
Our party was comprised of three and was seated in a dining room near
the front window. There was a party of eight or ten in the next
room and a party of two right next to us. One of the large group
spoke loudly and we heard him more easily than my soft-spoken nephew
across the table.
Some Flamenco guitar music was playing in the background, but there were
no speakers in the front room...only in the dining room near the
kitchen.
We had perhaps ten minutes to peruse the menu and no wine list had been
presented when we were seated.
"Any questions?" asked the server when he came to the
table. I asked for a wine list. We were presented a small,
leather-bound book. The first pages featured numerous tapas offerings
and, finally, on page 4 or 5 we saw a list of a handful of wines.
There are 2 sparklers and 4 white wines by the glass. No reds in
smaller than bottle format. We ordered a couple of glasses of
Famega Vinho Verde ($5.75 by the pour and $22 for a bottle). Other
choices included a Marc Bredif Vourvrey (sic) at $9.35 a pour, a
Rueda from Spain for $9.25 a glass along with a Txakolina at $10.25 a
serving.
The white wine list has one California Sauvignon Blanc and three
locally-produced Chardonnays. Reds include a single Pinot Noir, a
Zinfandel, a Cabernet and a Merlot, all from unheralded labels and made
in California.
For a restaurant that's "Iberian" in theme, we expected a list
dominated by Spanish and Portuguese wines.
There's actually an entire page of Sake, however.
What am I missing here?
We ordered two starters, Piquillo Peppers stuffed with crab meat
($14.25) along with a Frittura Malaguena ($16.75) and Paella
($28.50 each person).
The two pours of Vinho Verde arrived after about 8 to 10 minutes and
these are presented in small carafes, a nice presentation. Good stemware
for white wine. The bottle is not brought to the table so it's,
like most by-the-glass pours, taken on faith that they're serving you
the wine they've sold.
A while later the two starters arrived. The Frittura was a
nice-sized plate of mixed seafood. I wondered if some it was
actually fish, as some pieces had the spongy texture reminiscent of
tofu. The menu notes that "nobody fries seafood better than
in Malaga" and, while I can't vouch for that, this was hardly a
stellar plate of fried fish. Everything tasted the same, apart
from the texture of each piece.
The Piquillo Peppers were nice and tasty, though I'm not certain the
filling was, for the most part, "fresh" crab.
Used silverware, at least the knife, was placed back on the table
instead of being cleared and replaced with a clean utensil.
At this point, I produced a bottle of a nice, aged Rioja from my cellar
bag. It sat on the table for quite a while. The waiter
stopped by and I asked if he would open our bottle. He must have
not heard me, as he ran off with the water carafe and re-filled
it. This he returned to the table and set it down right next to
the unopened bottle of Rioja! Another staffer came to the table
with a hot pad on which to set the paella pan. I placed the Rioja
bottle in the middle of this. When the paella came out, she merely
moved the bottle off to the side and set down the paella.
Finally, I opened the bottle myself!
The paella looked nice and to the credit of the kitchen there were some
fresh baby artichokes adorning it. This was, however, the
first time I've had a paella with bay shrimp. Not bad, just
unusual. I can't say this version of paella had the classic crusty
bottom or socarrat, though the top was a bit
crusty from sitting underneath a salamander, I suppose. While this
paella had the correct color, I wondered if its hue was from paprika or
turmeric, as I didn't find much saffron aroma or flavor. Perhaps
the saffron they used is simply too subtle for me to detect?
We came close to finishing the entire paella and a staffer came by to
clear the table. The waiter arrived a few moments later, proudly
announcing he was not going to charge us the standard $20 corkage
fee. I thanked him, but pointed out he had not offered much in the
way of service to warrant charging a $20 fee. The wine list had little
in the way of Spanish offerings, for one. Not a single Spanish red
wine! Secondly, I had opened our bottle and we were using
the same stemware we'd used for the Vinho Verde. It was a slow
night in terms of business, but the waiter was not up to speed.
The server claimed they have another wine list, "but the owner
wants us to hand out the one I brought for you first." This
makes little sense if the restaurant actually has wines available for
sale. (( It's probably more embarrassing to have to inform the patron
that they do not have the wines on the list for whatever reason. This is
a common problem during difficult economic periods. Many
restaurants and shops have difficulty maintaining stocks of inventory
since they're obliged to pay distributors, wineries and importers in a
timely manner. I cannot say if Iberia faces this issue or if they
simply are not paying attention.))
The wine list did have a number of Lustau Sherry selections by the
glass. Sad they didn't have a Fino sherry included on their by-the-glass
list to accompany starters. There is just one Port by the
glass. But there are six or eight Vintage Port wines "by the
bottle," ranging in price from something close to $400 on the low
end up to nearly $700! Who dines out and orders a bottle of
Port?!?!
I wonder how frequently they sell a bottle of Port which dwarfs the
other numbers on your bill.
Iberia notes on its menus that the prices do not include service.
But rather than allow the customer to add the appropriate tip, they take
the liberty of adding a 19% service charge to your tab, whether you're
dining solo or have a group of ten. We wonder if this guaranteed
'tip' is one reason for the relatively poor service at Iberia on our
visit.
For a restaurant with a policy of automatically adding in their own
"tip," they actually offer very little service: there's
a carafe of water on the table so you can pour your own, the wine
service is non-existent and the paella is simply plopped on the table
and it's "help yourself."
The menus posted on Iberia's web site neglect to mention the 19% service
charge.
Given that both the kitchen and servers are "mailing it in," I
can say the postage due for three people without desserts was
$173, a high price for what was delivered.
Post-Script: A few days after dining at Iberia, we were amused
to hear a radio advertisement with the owner of this place encouraging
listeners to stop by their "take out" store next to the
restaurant to bring home a taste of Spain and some Rioja wine. As
noted in our review, the restaurant did not offer us a wine list with
ANY Rioja wine.
Reviewed by GW
August 2009 |
LOUI
LOUI
473 University Ave.
Palo Alto
473 University Ave.
Palo Alto
NOW CLOSED
Tel: 650-326-2900
Sun-Thurs 11:30am to 10:30pm
Fri-Sat 11:30am to 11:30pm
Steak Tartare
Maryland Crab Cake
Filet Mignon
Onion Rings
New York Steak
Frites
|
We
strolled past numerous restaurants along Palo Alto's busy University
Avenue on a warm summer evening after a movie, heading to this new
dining establishment called "Loui Loui." We asked the
server about the name, but he professed to be unaware of how or why the
place carries that title. This location was previously occupied by
the Cafe Niebaum-Coppola. Who's next, we wonder?
We perused the wine list...it has a couple of sparkling wines, a few
whites and a handful of reds "by the glass." The
selections are varied and one can find quite a few unheralded bottles
from small, relatively unknown producers. Then there are quite a
few more famous wineries with remarkably high prices. Silver Oak's
($70 retail) current vintage of Alexander Valley Cabernet is $130
on this list. Duckhorn's Golden Eye Pinot Noir, a $55 bottle in a
shop, costs $130! Stag's Leap Wine Cellars entry level Napa
Cabernet, a $55 bottle, is on this Loui Loui list for $150.
Honig's Napa Cabernet, $36 list price, is $75 here. I suspect they
might have purchased some of the wines on their list at retail, hoping
customers won't notice how high some of the prices are.
We asked for two flutes of "J" Sparkling wine ($13), but the
server indicated this was not available. We then asked if they had
any Sauvignon Blanc by the glass (none on the wine list) and the server
brought a taste of a Paso Robles-area bottling...a bit simple and
lacking in acidity and varietal character. We then chose a Costa
de Oro Chardonnay at $11 per glass.
A small basket of nice bread is presented, along with a small bowl of
oil with some olives (I think) in it.
The Old Bat spied Steak Tartare ($12.50) and immediately selected that
for her starter. This came in a small bowl seated in a larger bowl
of ice. The steak is topped with two tiny fried eggs and
accompanied by some sort of fried plantain "chips." I
had a taste of the steak tartare...a fair bit of spice, actually.
Nice. And the Old Bat was impressed that the accompanying half of
a lemon was encased in a sheer casing to preclude seeds from hitting the
plate.
I opted for their Maryland Crab Cake with Sauce Remoulade
($12.50). This was a square-shaped patty, deep fried and it was
predominantly crab (as opposed to fillers). Some wild greens
topped the crab cake. Not sure about their remoulade sauce...might
have been nice to have a bit of lemon on the plate.
We produced a bottle of red wine from the cellar bag, a Leoville Barton
of recent vintage. They usually charge a $20 corkage fee, but we
shared a nice taste with the server and this was waived.
Stemware is sizeable and of good quality, by the way.
Soon the steaks arrived. The OId Bat ordered a Filet Mignon ($28
for an 8 ounce cut). One side dish is offered as part of the meal
and she chose Onion Rings. These were saturated in oil and were
greasy.
I opted for a 14 ounce New York Steak ($31). The "medium
rare" I'd ordered was closer to medium-well. The beef was
good, but not exceptional. I had fries as an accompaniment (much
less oily than the onion rings). The plate comes with a head of
roasted garlic, but this had an unusual flavor verging on a minty
character(!).
The server tried to tempt us with a dessert order of a chocolate soufflé
(this takes about 15 minutes, he explained). I suspect whomever
has designed the menu and accompaniments is unaware of how the olive oil
and all the little fried things work to deaden one's appetite, leaving
dessert an unobtainable option.
The bill tallied to about $114 for two glasses of wine, two starters,
two main plates and no corkage.
Reviewed by GW
August 2009 |
THE
REFUGE
963 Laurel Street
San Carlos
Tel: 650-598-9813
Lunch:
Tues-Fri: 11:30am-2:30pm
Sat: Opens at Noon
Dinner:
Tues-Thurs 5:30-9
Sat: Noon-10pm
Twelve bucks' worth of soup.
Shrimp Cocktail
Sea Scallops
Pastrami burger and Garlic Fries
Pastrami w/Mustard
|
This
San Carlos establishment bills itself as offering pastrami and charcuterie.
Oh, by the way, it's a "wine pub," too.
We've long been tempted by their menu (it's posted on line) and on a
Friday night in late July, we made the trek. There are outdoor
tables and the place was packed, with numerous parties waiting for a
seat. The wait would be "maybe 30-45 minutes, maybe
less." We watched as tables cleared (it was 8:30, or so and
many were finishing their meal) and re-set. The crew moved two
tables together, set them and then moved them apart.
Efficiency didn't seem to be part of the game here.
We waited 15 minutes and were escorted to an booth inside. There's
a bar on the right, tables in the middle and booths on the left.
And there's a sound system that's cranked up so high, you can't hear
yourself think. The music (if you want to call it music) seems to
be for the amusement of the staffers at the Refuge and it's
uncomfortably loud. Perhaps the place is sufficiently busy,
they're working to drive away some customers? Bring your cell
phone so you can send text messages to your table-mates...you certainly
won't be able to hold a conversation here.
The menu is dominated by various hot pastrami sandwiches ($13-$16) and
burgers ($13 to $17). Cheese steaks are $12-$15. They offer
a couple of salads, shrimp cocktail, seared foie gras and a lone soup
offering. These (even the soup) start at $12 ranging to $16 for
the foie gras. There's an assortment of patés, something called "proscuitto"
(it's, of course, prosciutto) and a number of interesting cheese
selections.
The wine list features some nice choices, but the pricing is too high and discourages customers from ordering wine. A glass of Prosecco
from Sommariva is $9 ($40 for a bottle), while a glass of Meyer-Fonne
Riesling is $13 ($55 for a bottle). A Kuentz-Bas Pinot Gris is $15
for a glass ($60/bottle), while a Chinon rouge of Charles Joguet is $12
a glass ($50/bottle). Some "wine pub." Corkage is $15 a bottle and the list
indicates they'll charge you $25 "if we don't like the wine"
you've brought.
Meanwhile, they offer nearly 20 Belgian or Belgian-styled beers on tap
and these range from $6 to $9. I started with a Hoegaarden Wit,
which was quite nice, dry and spicy.
My nephew ordered Chicken Tortilla Soup (Pulled chicken, Avocado, grated
Cheddar, Cilantro and Fried Tortillas). It was good, but from the
description you might not expect this to be a tomato soup. Brian
said "If they had some beans here you could call this
chili." I was shocked when Ellen mentioned "You know,
that's $12 worth of soup!" Ouch.
I chose their Shrimp Cocktail (6 Poached and Chilled Shrimp, House-made Cocktail
Sauce) at $12. The sauce was a bit chunky and nicely redolent of
horse radish. The shrimp were okay, but not the sweet and
exceptionally fresh counterpoint to the sauce.
As the appetizers arrived, so did our main plates. I asked our
server if they typically bring the entrees with the appetizers and he
said "No, but the kitchen had them both ready
simultaneously." We sent back the main plates.
Silverware from the appetizers are placed on the table, soiled, for use
with your main plate.
I produced a nice bottle of Austrian Grüner Veltliner from my cellar
bag, a Wimmer Czerny, The server brought a couple of wine glasses
(nice stems) and opened our bottle. Apparently he approved, since
corkage was $15 on the bill, not $25.
The main plates arrived when we'd finished our starters. Brian
ordered a Pastrami Burger (Burger Patty, Pastrami, Swiss Cheese,
Sauerkraut, Gulden's Mustard, Burger Bun) at $17. Fries are
included or, for $1.25, you can have Garlic Fries, which was Brian's
choice. He liked the burger. The fries, which I tasted,
seemed to have been drenched in preserved or pre-processed garlic.
Chopped garlic which sits in oil has a strange flavor and palate-coating
quality. The garlic fries were disappointing.
Ellen had Seared Scallops (Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes, Fire-Roasted Corn,
Wild Mushrooms and Corn Fondue) at $15. The plate featured three
sea scallops, a nice plate for an appetizer, but a bit skimpy for a main
course. (Maybe they should offer a $20-sized portion?)
I ordered Pastrami with Mustard ($13) and added "a Lot of
Fries" for three bucks more. The pastrami is good, but it
didn't have the sweetness or depth of spice one finds in New York
(kosher deli) pastrami. The sandwich was of ample size, but not
(again) the abundant serving one gets at a good Kosher deli. Good rye
bread, though, which was more flavorful than the pastrami!
Certainly the beef is of good quality and less fatty than Kosher deli
pastrami. The fries, as
it turns out, were served in a cone and these had been brought to our
table with the appetizers during that service snafu. These were
good and superior to the fries laden with the not-so-fresh garlic.
The accompanying pickles were nice, but probably could have used a
slightly longer time frame to 'cure' as they were more cucumber-like
than pickled.
We skipped desserts (a Chocolate Pot de Crème, housemade Cheesecake or
a Nutella Crepe). The bill tallied to $102 for the three of us,
before the tip.
If you're in the neighborhood and feeling like spending a few bucks,
this is a nice, if loud, place. It's more like a bar, though, than
it is a dining establishment or restaurant, so if you're a fan of
interesting beers and looking for a beer bar, this is a great choice.
Reviewed by GW
July 2009
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 2011:
We had a hankering for pastrami and we returned on a Wednesday
evening at 8:30, easily finding a table, though the place was fairly
full.
We found a much better level of service on this visit and the pastrami
was exceptional.
It's a bit expensive, but they have a great list of truly interesting
beers, both on tap and in bottle.
The basic Pastrami sandwich was great, but not piled as high as a New
York deli sandwich. Still, the pastrami was stellar!
We may have to return again soon!!!
|
DONATO
ENOTECA
1041 Middlefield Road
Redwood City
Sun-Thurs: 11:30am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 11:30am-11pm
Tel: 650-701-1000
Calamaretti e Fagioli
Carciofi
Risotto Nero
Ellen's Fava and Beet Salad
Seafood Lasagnetta
Seabream, etc.
Costoletta alla Milanese
|
We reserved a table for four
on a Sunday evening at this brand new Redwood City restaurant.
"Donato" is the former chef at Palo Alto's La Strada and we've
dined well there.
There's ample outdoor seating and on a warm summer evening, we opted for
a table outside.
The menus were presented along with the wine list. No stemware is
on the table with the place settings, though.
The wine list offers a couple of bubblies by-the-glass, along with a
dozen white wines and more than a dozen reds. Some are also
offered by the quarter liter and half liter.
The wine list is predominantly Italian and features some famous names
and some well-selected, less famous vintners. You'll find the list
segregated by price, for the most part and, then, famous regions.
So...there's a section of wines under the heading of "Trenta"...these
are wines ranging from $30-$39. Inama Soave costs $30, while a Müller-Thurgau
from Valle Isarco is $39. There's a section of $40 range wines and
$50 offerings. Add to the mix 15 Piemontese reds (Gaja, Baudana,
Oddero, Elio Grasso), some premium Tuscan wines, a few from the Veneto along
with some Burgundies ($3500 for a DRC "La Tache" from 2003) and
some famous California offerings.
In the realm of reasonable, one can find a Chambave Rouge for $53, a
Renzo Castella Dolcetto for $32 and De Conciilis Aglianico for
$40. Corkage is $15.
We started with a bottle of Drusian's Prosecco ($32) and this was served
in smallish flute glasses. I noticed my glass appeared flat after
a few seconds, while others appeared more bubbly. This, typically,
is due to the glass not having been rinsed thoroughly.
To start, I ordered two starters for us to share...Calamaretti e Fagioli
(Calamari and big white beans) $8 and Carciofi Fritti alla Menta e
Prosecco (Fried artichokes with a mint and Prosecco vinegar sauce)
$7.
The Calamaretti plate was a delight...the Carciofi plate
came with four whole baby artichokes. The outer leaves were papery
and well-fried, while the inside leaves were "al dente" and
verging on raw. Perhaps quartering the artichokes would have made
for a better presentation and a more delicious starter?
Ellen opted for a Biete e Fava ($7) Salad, featuring fava beans
and roasted beets. My nephew and I split the Risotto Nero
($15) with Squid Ink, Nova Scallops, "Cuddlefish" (sic) and
Olive Oil from Italy's Marche region.
I was expecting, frankly, a far more 'soulful' rendition of risotto. The rice was more like the "Forbidden
Rice" one can find in the grocery store than squid ink
risotto. Further, the risotto lacked the flavor of seafood...it
was probably cooked using just water instead of a seafood broth.
The Sea Scallops were nice, but cooked to "well done" and, as
a result, had a rubbery texture.
The Old Bat ordered a special seafood Lasagnetta ($15)
which she enjoyed very much. Ellen's "Orata e Crostacei"
(Mediterranean Sea Bream with prawns, mussels and clams in a tomato
sauce) $18 arrived cool to tepid in temperature. My nephew and I
opted for the Costoletta alla Milanese (a bone-in breaded veal
chop) $23. This plate comes with a salad of arugula and
tomatoes...quite nice and the best plate of the evening in my view.
The first plates to arrive were the veal chops and the
"runner" did not know which of us had ordered this...so we had
the "food auction" of "who gets the veal?"
We produced a bottle of Tuscan red from our cellar bag and paid a $15
corkage fee. The server brought nice, fairly large stemware for
the Brunello.
Desserts, while tempting, were skipped as we were full.
Donato's has Italian tunes playing in the background...some are quite
famous and some are a bit unusual. It's "pop" music
though, and adds to the somewhat casual 'feel' of the place.
The bill tallied to $182 for our party of four before the tip.
We'd certainly dine here again, hoping some of the minor flaws are
addressed.
Reviewed by GW
July 2009 |
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
|
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
|
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
|
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.
This is, for the most part, a lackluster wine list which they attempt to
"validate" by offering Jordan and Caymus Cabernets and some
wines from Rombauer.
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" ("counterfeit" Italian) 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
|
"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
|
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...
|
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
UPDATE August 2011:
We returned with an out-of-town guest on
a Friday evening and found the place to be more impressive than on our
first visit. The salad bar had offerings such as Paella and a
Brazilian black bean & beef stew...the roasted meats were
exceptional and the service was spot on!
It's $50 each, but well worth the price, especially if you bring an
appetite. |
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
|
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 |
|
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...
|
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
|
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.
|
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
|
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
CLOSED
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
CLOSED
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
CLOSED
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!
|
ON TO THE NEXT
PAGE
BACK TO THE FIRST PAGE OF
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
|
TO
INQUIRE ABOUT A WINE: