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| TOQUE
OF SAN FRANCISCO |
By
Carol and Joe Davis - Dining Detectives |
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SPRING 2008
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Click
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Metro
Kathmandu
Nepalese
Cuisine
San
Francisco has some great casual and friendly neighborhood restaurants.
We found one in the Lower Haight called Metro Kathmandu.
They serve excellent Nepalese cuisine with an Indian influence
prepared by their talented Executive Chef Vishnu
Chuddar. We spoke with owner Roshan KC
who told us how pleased he was with the reception they have
gotten from the locals who continued to return again and again.
We started by ordering the Crab Steamed Momo which
is a tasty crab dumpling mixed with curry onion, garlic and
ginger served with a tomato chutney. Another fabulous dish is
the Smoked Lamb which is quite spicy and is tossed
with mustard oil, ginger and garlic. We loved both of our entrees.
The Shrimp Masala was cooked perfectly with creamy
butter tomato sauce and the Lamb Kabab was delicious
grilled boneless lamb that was marinated with curry garlic and
ginger. Be sure to have the Roti which is their thin whole wheat
flat bread and the Dal which is mixed lentils cooked
Kathmandu style. We also enjoyed our Dessert which was a satisfying
Warm Carrot Cake.
Metro
Kathmandu
311 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, CA. 94117
415-552-0903
www.metrokathmandu.com
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Maritime
East Seafood & Spirits
There's
a new spot for fresh and raw seafood in Berkeley on Telegraph
near Ashby called Maritime East. They have
a full bar and we were pleased to see that they had one of our
favorite cocktails the White Out which is made with
Citron Vodka, Cointreau , white cranberry juice and lime. We
started our dining experience by ordering from their Raw Bar.
We loved the fresh Oysters especially the Fanny Bay,
Marin Miyagi and Kusshi Petite. The Little
Neck clams were also a treat. Next we had a pizza from
their wood burning oven. It was a Shaved Bonito, Carmelized
Onions and Capers Pizza. When it arrived at out table the
thin sliced tuna looked as if it was dancing on top of this
wonderful gourmet pizza. They also make a fabulous Dukkah
Spiced Flat Bread with Maldon Sea Salt which you must try.
The Dungeness Crab Gratinee was our next delicious
course which was tart and spicy with julianne black Arkansas
apples , blood orange and avocado. Definitely have the Seafood
Chowder with clams, mussels, fish, potato, and bacon and
leek cream. It was not too rich and very tasty. For those who
want something other than the fresh fish entrees try the Herb
Brined Grilled Pork Chop with creamed greens, Yukon
celery root gratin and quince which was very tasty. Save
room for dessert as you will love the Miniature Coconut
Pie. Late night diners will appreciate that Co-Owners Mark
Mitcheltree and Vadim Vozmitsel serve
the full menu until 1 AM on weekends .We knew the food would
be good having dined at their Maritime Café
in San Francisco's Pacific Heights but our expectations were
exceeded so much so that we've already been back and brought
some friends too.
Maritime
East
2826 Telegraph Ave (near Ashby)
Berkeley, CA. 94705
510-848-9299
www.maritimeeast.com
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Shokolaat
Chocolatier- Patisserie- Boulangerie- Wine Bar
Palo
Alto now has a new restaurant to serve the discerning diners
on the Penninsula called Shokolaat. It was recently opened by
Executive Chef/ Owner Shekoh Moossavi and Pastry
Chef/ Owner Mark Ainsworth and serves Contemporary
European Cuisine in a modern, sleek and inviting atmosphere.
We started with one of their specialty cocktails; the Persian
Fling Martini which is made with Hanger One vodka, orange
blossom, and fresh squeezed lemon juice and topped with Champagne.
The appetizer that we really enjoyed was a Salad of Baby
Greens and Micro Herbs with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette,
Maldon Sea Salt Crusted Pomegranate Pate De Fruit.
It was truly wonderful. Next we had the Carmelized Scallops
with a Porcini Mushroom Leek Stew which was a taste
sensation. You must try their soups. We loved the Orange
Scented Cauliflower Soup with Orange Blossom Caviar.
The Entrees are very gourmet. We enjoyed both the Poached
Lobster Ravioli and the Australian Rack of Lamb.
Save room for coffee and their specialty Chocolate Plate
with daily selections of their fine chocolates.
Shokolaat
516 University Ave
Palo Alto, CA. 94301
650-289-0720
www.shokolaat.com
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Digs
Bistro
New American
Cuisine with Mediterranean influences
Berkeley has
a new restaurant that is casual and cozy and has a small focused
menu serving New American Cuisine with Mediterranean influences.
It is so cute inside you feel like you are away for the weekend
in Carmel or Mendocino. Chef Justin Sconce
and Chef Heidi DiPippo have been chefs at other
restaurants in the Bay Area and are pleased to have a restaurant
of their own where they could create fresh and healthy cuisine.
We were happy to see Prosecco Brut on the wine list
as this Italian Sparkling Wine has supplanted Sauvignon Blanc
as our drink of choice. The starter that we loved was the Charcuterie
plate which included Chicken Liver Mousse, Iowa Prosciutto,
House Made Bacon, Mild Coppa and Accoutrements. It was fabulous.
The Parmesan Soufflé with little gems, walnuts
and beet vinaigrette was light and delicious as well. Our Entrees
were equally tasty. The Braised Lamb Shoulder served
with Anson Mills polenta, spinach, savory and mint bread crumbs
and the Cannelloni with mushrooms, smoked Mozzarella,
truffle fonduta and salsa verde were both heavenly and very
gourmet. Our favorite dessert was the scrumptious Homemade Pear
and Mandarin Sorbets with Pistachio Lime cookies.
We truly felt we were away for the weekend in this rustic, homey
restaurant that even has a fireplace in Dining room. It was
fun to sit at the intimate Zinc topped bar where we could see
into the kitchen. It felt like we were at a Chef's table while
enjoying a hearty and healthy dinner.
Digs
Bistro
1453 Dwight Way (at Sacramento)
Berkeley, CA 94702
510-548-2322
www.DigsBistro.com
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Unicorn
Restaurant
Pan
Asian Cuisine
Pan
Asian Cuisine is all the rage in San Francisco and we were happy
to dine at a new restaurant called Unicorn in the Financial
District that was opened recently by Proprietor Kiet
Troung who is originally from Saigon, Vietnam. The
starter that we really enjoyed was the Albino Roll
with Dungeness crab meat and scallops in a fabulous Ponzu sauce.
The Tuna Ceviche Salad with green mango, lotus rootlets
and basil-nuoc mam salsa was delicious as well. The Entrees
that we enjoyed were the Giant Sea Scallops in coconut
Wasabi cream which was served with tasty asparagus spears and
the Australian Lamb Chop which was very tender and
had a fabulous flavor. We also loved the tasty Black Coconut
rice side dish. You must have the Ginger Pear
poached in Port with Cinnamon Passion fruit sorbet.
This excellent dessert tasted just like fresh ginger snaps.
Mr. Coffee Café Americano was the perfect finish to our
delightful reasonably priced dining experience.
Unicorn
Restaurant
191 Pine St
San Francisco, CA. 94111
415-982-9828
www.unicorndining.com
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Taverna
Santi
Rustic Italian Wine Country Dining
We
love Italian Cuisine and had heard many good things about a
restaurant in downtown Geyserville called Taverna Santi
that we wanted to dine at. Their Executive Chef Dino Bugica
spent years in Pisa, Italy honing his skills working in award
wining restaurants where he learned the art of Italian cooking,
butchery, wine making and charcuterie. At Taverna Santi
he now creates seasonal menus using fresh and local produce
and sustainable fish and meats along with his house made Pastas,
Olives and Gelato. Our first course was their special Antipasti,
the Affettati Nostrali which is Dino and Franco's daily
selection of house cured Salumi. The delicious Salumi
included their Award Winning Gentile Salami, Lardo, Pancetta
and Prosciutto which are all from corn fed pork from
Mendocino's Potter Valley. The taste was great and the presentation
was truly art.
Our
next course was the Pepato di Cozze which is Sautéed
P. E. I. mussels with black pepper, white wine, garlic, oregano,
Skipstone Ranch extra virgin olive oil and garlic crostone.
The mussels were delicious and there is a fabulous broth so
save some extra bread for dipping. Next we enjoyed some wine
that we brought from tasting earlier in the day. Corkage is
reasonable and they were very accommodating. Earlier in the
day we ventured up Dry Creek Road and found the beautiful Ferrari-Camano
Winery where we bought their fruity and lively Fume
Blanc. It paired perfectly with the next course which was
the Insulate which was a lovely Butter leaf lettuce
salad with roasted local Bosc pears, Medjool dates, and Gorgonzola
vinaigrette. It was truly an exquisite salad. The Primi,
the pasta course was our next treat. We loved the Risotto
con Granchio e Radicchio. This was a Vialone Nano risotto
with Dungeness crab, rock shrimp, Rosso di Verona radicchio,
chives and white wine. The risotto was delicate and the seafood
was fresh and flavorful.
The
Entrée or Secondi as it is
called that we loved was the Bistecca alla Griglia.
It was a Rib-Eye steak with a mountain of gorgonzola and watercress
insalatina on top and delicious garlic rosemary patate fritte.
This naturally raised grass fed steak was prepared perfectly
medium rare and was flavorfully a carnivores delight. The 2002
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a great
choice from the wine list that will pair perfectly with this
great steak. The dessert that we enjoyed was called Affogato
Corretto. It consisted of warm espresso poured over vanilla
gelato with sambucca infused whipped cream and was just amazing!
We lingered awhile longer and had excellent espressos and cappuccinos
which were the perfect finish to a great dinner. We were quite
pleased with our dining experience at Taverna Santi.
The Italian cuisine was excellent, the wine list was impressive,
the service was professional, knowledgeable, and helpful and
the décor was warm and pleasing. Proprietor Doug
Swett is also planning to open another restaurant called
Diavola a few doors down from Taverna
Santi soon. Geyserville with its lovely vineyard setting
is known as the Heart of the Wine Country and Taverna
Santi with its excellent Italian Cuisine is its Soul.
Taverna
Santi
21047 Geyserville Avenue
(Downtown Geyserville)
Geyserville, CA 95441
707-857-1790
www.tavernasanti.com
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Rocker
Oysterfeller's Kitchen & Saloon
Gourmet California Cuisine in Friendly Country
Atmosphere
The
whimsical oversized teak rocking chairs on the front porch of
the Valley Ford Hotel were a good indicator
of the sweet and sincere hospitality that we were about to experience
at Rocker Oysterfeller's Kitchen & Saloon.
Established in 1864 and recently renovated and reopened by Proprietor
Shona Campbell and Proprietor / Executive Chef
Brandon Guenther the hotel and restaurant/saloon have
become a welcome addition to the small town of Valley Ford which
is in the picturesque rolling hills of west Sonoma County. We
entered through the saloon area and were warmly greeted by the
hostess who escorted us to our table. The small dining room
which seats about fifty is country comfortable with candles
on the tables, nicely finished hardwood floors and interesting
local art on the walls. Alysia who was our server soon arrived
to offer us drinks and tell us about the specials. We always
appreciate when a restaurant has a full bar and ordered Grey
Goose Martinis to get our appetites going while we perused
the menu. Warm corn and jalapeno biscuits were then brought
to our table. They were so good that we asked for more.
We
began our dining experience with the Daily Cheese Plate.
We chose three cheeses, the Cowgirl Creamery Pierce Point.,
Bellwether Farms Crecenza and the Point Reyes Blue from the
six available local offerings of goat, sheep and cow cheeses.
They were served with quince, Bloomfield Bees Wild Honey, and
candied pecans. The fresh local cheeses were all delicious and
worked for us well as a starter rather than after the entrée
as some prefer. Next we had the Steamed Manila Clams
with white wine, garlic butter and fennel broth. The clams were
fresh tasting and the broth was very aromatic and lively because
of the herbs. Drakes Bay oysters were our next course. Naturally
we had to have their signature oysters, the Rocker Oysterfellers
which were six oysters with arugula, bacon, cream cheese and
a corn bread crust. We loved this combination especially the
unique crunchy texture which was a new oyster taste sensation
for us. A round of Oysters on the Half Shell with lemon-honey-jalapeno
mignonette was more traditional as they were raw and chilled
but also tasted delicious as well.
Our
next course was the Baby Arugula Salad which has local
estate apple cut two ways including sliced and julienne style.
The candied pecans, Point Reyes Blue Cheese and excellent dressing
made it light and refreshing. We loved this salad so much that
when asked to bring a salad to Christmas dinner a few days later
made our version of it and got rave reviews as well. The Entrees
are all large rancher size portions. Our favorite was the Seared
Sea Scallops with roasted beans, parsnips, new potatoes
and bacon leek dressing. The scallops were cooked perfectly
and tasted fabulous. Another entrée that we loved was
the Coriander Crusted Lamb Chops with sweet potato
dumplings, walnuts, and brussel sprouts. The lamb was cooked
pink as requested and the vegetables were superior. We also
ordered one of the side dishes. We were glad that we chose the
Braised Greens from their garden which added to these
delicious dinners.
The
Wine List features mostly small production Sonoma County Wines
and has a nice selection of over a dozen wines by the glass.
We enjoyed the Sparkling Alexander Valley Roederer Estates
Brut NV which paired perfectly with the oysters and the
2002 Sonoma Coast Wild Hog Vista Table Mountain Valley Cabernet
which paired well with the Lamb Chops. As ever we were pretty
full but couldn't resist having dessert. We enjoyed and quickly
devoured both of our choices. The Honey & Pineapple
upside-down cake and the Sorghum Spice Cake with
candied quince and bourbon whipped cream were house made and
were quite tasty. A round of Taylor Made organic French
Roast Coffee was the perfect finish to a great meal.
Don't
let the whimsical name fool you. Rocker Oysterfeller's
is serious about serving the sophisticated cuisine that West
Sonoma County demands. Diners who are locals, travelers, transplants
from San Francisco and those with weekend homes in the area
will all appreciate the quality of the fresh, local, seasonal,
sustainable ingredients that are used to create the excellent
hearty cuisine. As we left we went through the Saloon where
we saw a sophisticated and friendly crowd both dining and drinking.
It is said that when you eat oysters, sometimes you find a Pearl.
We think we found one here and look forward to our next visit
perhaps for Sunday Brunch or one of their Wine Maker Dinners.
Rocker
Oysterfeller's Kitchen- Saloon
14415 Highway One
Valley Ford, Ca 94972
707.876.1983
707.634.1440 fax
www.ffrsi.com
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Dickie
Brennan's Steakhouse
New
Orleans's is definitely back as we could see from the crowds
around the French Quarter on the Tuesday night before Fat Tuesday.
We decided to dine at Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse
where we were in good company as there was a full house in both
the restaurant and bar area including some local celebrities
like Mayor Ray Nagin. We started out with the
pan Seared Jumbo Scallops served with orange and Creole
mustard aioli and frisse red onion salad which was a terrific
appetizer. Next we enjoyed the fresh McIlhenny Oysters
which are Masa fried P & J oysters served with Chipotle
Tabasco cream sauce. Prime US Mid-Western Aged Beef Steaks
with a New Orleans touch are the specialty and we had two of
the best we had tasted in a long time. The Barbecue Rib
Eye Steak is USDA prime 14 oz. grilled over an open flame,
topped with Abita beer barbecue shrimp and finished with roasted
garlic mashed potatoes served with a touch of Creole butter
and was just fabulous. The other excellent steak was the House
Filet 8 oz served with creamed spinach and Pontalba potatoes
topped with masa flash fried Louisiana oysters and finished
with béarnaise sauce. They were both cooked medium rare
as ordered and had a New Orleans' taste. It was nice that Executive
Chef Jack Martinez and Owner Dickie Brennan
stopped by to say hello and see if we were enjoying our dinner
which of course we were. Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse
is a must when you are in New Orleans.
Dickie
Brennan's Steakhouse
716 Iberville St (French Quarter)
New Orleans, LA. 70130
504.522.2467
www.dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com
Until
we eat again............
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