Man, wish you had posted this exactly a week ago. But, hope to get back there, so thanks in advance.

Well, thanks for posting. You reminded me how devoid of field reports the Bay Area is on LTH!

I want to discuss today a subject near and dear to many of our hearts: pizza.

If you want Chicago style pizza in SF (and you probably don't, with so many options to choose from at home), there's only one place to go: Little Star. The waits are horrendous, you're always seated next to a family with young children who have just put $10 in the jukebox playing Michael Jackson's greatest hits, but they make a great pie. It reminds me of Gino's East, with a very saucy top and rich buttery crust. If you have a slice left over, they send you out with a tin foil swan.

There are two places for Neopolitan style pizza. Delfina has been around for ages, and has amazing outdoor seating on a people-watching stretch of 18th Street. It's very thin crust pies with light char on the bottom, good natural/organic ingredients. Flour + Water is a bit of an upstart. I think it's horribly overpriced and too much of a scene for me, but they import both mushrooms and pig products from Italy.

New York pizza is a polarizing subject. The place I like best, Arinell Pizza, you either love or you hate. I know New Yorkers who call it inedible and ones who practically live outside it. They have big platters of half cooked pies sitting out waiting for you to order a slice. It's dressed to order, then popped in a big pizza oven to reheat, while you sit awkwardly at a counter. For a slightly nicer take on New York style, go to Arizmendi and order the slice of the day. They only make one sort of slice, but it's always delicious. And while we're on the subject, this is the same as the Cheeseboard in the Gourmet Ghetto in Berkeley. Pizza to die for.

I can second the rec for Little Star. Some friends took us there on a recent visit and I was skeptical. We had a gorgonzola and sausage pie. It ended up being the best Chicago style I've ever had outside of the city (and better than a lot of pies I've had in the city!)

Little Star
http://www.littlestarpizza.com
400 Valencia St. (Mission District)
415.551.7827

846 Divisadero St. (Western Addition)
415.441.1118

1175 Solano Ave. (Albany)
510.526.7827

muddpuddle wrote:There are two places for Neopolitan style pizza. Delfina has been around for ages, and has amazing outdoor seating on a people-watching stretch of 18th Street. It's very thin crust pies with light char on the bottom, good natural/organic ingredients. Flour + Water is a bit of an upstart. I think it's horribly overpriced and too much of a scene for me, but they import both mushrooms and pig products from Italy.

You're joking, right? I'm not even sure where to begin: Una Pizza Napoletena, Zero and Zero, and A16 are all in SF; Pizzaiolo is in Oakland. Good Neapolitan pies are not lacking in the Bay Area.

I enjoy Burmese food the same way I enjoy Tibetan food. Two such cuisines where I tend to slow down and enjoy each mouthful, channeling the zen of a buddhist monk. Which is pretty much contrary to my usual method of consumption via inhalation. But taking the time to eat helps appreciate the nuances of these cuisines, otherwise often lost by bolder flavours of bordering cuisines. I don't, however, have the patience of a Buddhist monk to wait for a table at Burma Superstar, and frankly it isn't entirely worth the wait. Yesterday, I managed to have a couple of meals at Larkin Express Burmese Kitchen and I enjoyed the Rangoon homestyle nature of their cooking. At lunch, I had a combo of tea leaf salad and mohinga (catfish chowder noodle soup). The tea leaf salad came fully-assembled which is not my preference, but they composed it so darn well it didnt matter (though I always find myself wanting more tea leaves). Mohinga was a relatively mild bowl, a bit light with the catfish, but thoroughly enjoyable once I'd made my mods with the condiment caddy. Later that evening, I pulled a kuhdo and returned to the Tandoorloin for a second dinner (first one at Incanto wasn't bad) at Larkin Express and gave the classic pork curry w/ pickled mangoes a whirl; an aromatic, dark & delicious curry spooned over coconut rice. It's worth the wait and the linger.







Larkin Express / Burmese Kitchen
452 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA
http://www.burmesekitchen.com/

Just gorgeous. That's what I didn't get to do any of on my last trip. Gonna make it happen next time. Inspired now.

chezbrad wrote:

muddpuddle wrote:There are two places for Neopolitan style pizza. Delfina has been around for ages, and has amazing outdoor seating on a people-watching stretch of 18th Street. It's very thin crust pies with light char on the bottom, good natural/organic ingredients. Flour + Water is a bit of an upstart. I think it's horribly overpriced and too much of a scene for me, but they import both mushrooms and pig products from Italy.

You're joking, right? I'm not even sure where to begin: Una Pizza Napoletena, Zero and Zero, and A16 are all in SF; Pizzaiolo is in Oakland. Good Neapolitan pies are not lacking in the Bay Area.

You're absolutely right; sorry about that. I was commenting only on the Mission District of SF, but should have made that MUCH more clear.

Pucca wrote:I learned about the Cheese Board Collective while researching Berkeley and the Gourmet Ghetto.

Oh, the Cheese Board. One of the very few things I miss about Berkeley, and the one thing I always must have when I am forced to return. Across the street is fine pastry purveyor Masse's, an excellent one-two punch for something small, lovely, and delectable for dessert.

Masse's
1469 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 649-1004
http://www.massespastries.com/Home.html

Spent a few days out in San Francisco and a day in Santa Rosa back at the beginning of May. Certainly not enough time to hit all of the food spots I wanted to, but I felt very satisfied with the ones that I did.

I stopped into the Fatted Calf for lunch on my first day. They have a small list of about 5 sandwiches that you can order from, plus it's a full scale butcher shop. The pulled pork sandwich that I got was delicious. I wish that I would have gotten there earlier so I could have gotten the lamb sandwich, but it was sold out for the day. The deli case made me long for having kitchen access.











Fatted Calf
320 Fell Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 400-5614
http://www.fattedcalf.com

The next stop was Zero Zero.



We started with a small plate of crispy pork belly, roman style dumplings, broccolini, poached egg and harissa. This dish hits on just about everything I love...pork belly, runny egg yolk and a nice kick of spice from the harissa.





For our pizza, we ordered the Fillmore. Topped with Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, leeks, mozzarella, parmesan, pecorino, fontina, garlic, thyme. The crust had very nice chew and great char. Really nice



Zero Zero
826 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 348-8800 ‎
http://www.zerozerosf.com

The next day started with donuts. Dynamo Donut...a small donut & coffee shop in the Mission with a wide variety of donut flavors to choose from


We decided on 4.

Apricot Cardamom


Strawberry Earl Grey


Maple Glazed Bacon Apple


Sticky Bun


If I had to rank the 4 donuts, I’d say: Strawberry Earl Gray, Sticky Bun, Maple Glazed Apple Bacon and Apricot Cardamom. The Strawberry Earl Gray was most excellent, loved the combination of flavors as well as the more cake-like texture of the donut.

Dynamo Donuts
2760 24th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 920-1978
http://www.dynamodonut.com


The next food destination was Alembic bar. I had read good things about the beer and spirits selection, in addition to food. On this day, the beer list was a little lacking as they had a bunch of empty taps at the time, but I was able to get the Spring 2012 Biere de Mars from Almanac.


There was certainly no shortage of whiskeys






Food menu mainly consists of snacks and small plates for sharing. We decided on a few dishes and they were all delicious.

Shishito peppers with house smoked salt


Pork Belly Slider with kimchee


Baby Back ribs, smoked maple glaze, celery root-apple slaw, pickled jalapeno


With the beer selection lacking, but an insane amount of spirits, I asked for the bartender to make me a drink of his choosing. He made me an excellent version of a sazarac


Alembic
1725 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 666-0822 ‎
http://www.alembicbar.com

The last stop on our second day was at highly regarded Nopa. We arrived when they opened at 5 and were able to procure 2 seats at the end of the bar next to the wide open kitchen. It was really enjoyable sitting next to the kitchen watching the staff prep and taste the dishes that would be served on this night.

A wood burning rotisserie as well as a brick oven are at their disposal




From 5-6, they serve small plate snacks. Then at 6 you can order from the full dinner menu.

The first snack we started off with was fried asparagus with a garlic aioli


Next up was Goat cheese bread pudding and pickled beets. This was awesome. Loved the richness of the goat cheese with the crispiness of the bread exterior.


In between the snacks and dinner, they served us some strawberries with malden salt to really enhance the flavor


For dinner we ordered 3 dishes. First was a roasted cauliflower, kalamata olives and blood oranges


Burger w/ Aged Cheddar, Bacon, Pickled Onions and Chipotle Aioli. The burger was perfectly cooked. Beefy and delicious. The fries were very nice as well.



We had a tough time deciding between the rotisserie chicken and these giant pork chops they were cooking underneath the chickens on the wood fired grill. In the end we decided on the pork chop at the urging of the bartender. It was a wise choice.

Grilled pork chop, roasted carrots, snap peas and watercress




Everything about the meal was great. The atmosphere, the service and the food. I'd strongly recommend it.

Nopa
560 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 864-8643
http://www.nopasf.com


The next day started off with a walk to Dottie’s True Blue Café for breakfast. It’s not in the best area of San Francisco, but it made for some nice people watching at 7 in the morning while we waited for Dottie’s to open. Crack heads hanging out on the corner, pimps and hoes walking down the street…good times. Anyways on to the food.

A vast menu with lot of choices in addition to a specials board with fresh baked good made for tough choices, but I managed.


Pulled Pork, Roasted Onion and Jack Cheese Scramble with Home Fries


Fresh baked Buttermilk Dill Toast that was a really great flavor combination


Wife went boring and just ordered pancakes, although the added cinnamon and ginger in the batter did add a nice hit of flavor


Dottie's True Blue
28 6th St
San Francisco, CA 94103
http://dotties.biz/

After breakfast, we grabbed a rental car and headed up to Santa Rosa to do some drinking at Russian River. Unfortunately it turns out the kitchen was closed that day so we weren't able to eat there. In the end we decided it would't be a trip to CA without getting some In-n-Out burger. Figured we had to do it since neither of us had partaken before. Double Double animal style with fries. Burger was in the upper tier of fast food, but really nothing I need to eat again. Fries were terrible. I thought you couldn’t go wrong with fresh cut, but these proved me wrong. Not double frying seemed to be the big the problem.

For dinner, we ate at Flavor Bistro in downtown Santa Rosa. A pretty quaint spot with a very diverse menu.

Wife went with the Duck Ravioli with Gorgonzola-Walnut Sauce. The few bites I could swipe, were delicious


I ordered the Beef Short Ribs with Butternut Risotto. Super flavor in the short ribs, risotto was “on point” as a d-bag from Santa Rosa once said.


Flavor
96 Exchange Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 573-9600
http://www.flavorbistro.com


Early breakfast in Santa Rosa at Dierk's Parkside Cafe, so that we could get back to SF in reasonable time.




Despite the lowly diner look, the menu was full of more uspcale offerings

Fry Bread covered in cinnamon & sugar to share


Duck Confit with Hash Browns, Scrambled Eggs and Warm Apples


Breakfast Burrito filled with Grilled Chicken, Cheddar Cheese, Black Beans and Red Rice. Topped with fresh salsa


The duck confit was awesome. Right up there with the confit hash at Marigold Kitchen in Madison. Really enjoyed the food here, definitely a good spot to hit for breakfast.

Dierks Parkside Cafe
404 Santa Rosa Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 573-5955
http://www.dierksparkside.com


While, we still had a ton of places we would have liked to eat at, our trip came to an end with us but barely scratching the surface of places to eat.

Hoping to put this invaluable thread to some use in the next week, with many thanks. (Wimperoo, those pictures, particularly at Nopa, are exceptional!)

Focusing on the southern bay for a moment: I note that Tepa Sahuayo in Watsonville has closed. Any recommendations for the Monterrey / Salinas / Watsonville area?

Bunch of recents business trips to San Francisco recently. This thread, and wimperoo's post, made me remember and absolutely fantastic lunch i had at Nopa's sister restaurant in the lower haight, Nopalito. If you are in the neighborhood it is a terrific place to pop in and eat. No specific references, but everything was really really good. Free parking too.

Nopalito
306 Broderick St
San Fran, CA

I'm headed up for a work function in late August... more of a party for an awards trip. There will be about 35 folks and we'll be looking to book a couple of resevations. We're looking for something that isn't quiet but that has a cool, fun atmosphere. I think something "San Francisco" is what most of the folks will be looking for and definitely not cheesy, touristy. $100 a head is about the price point as this crew enjoys their drinks. Some places that caught my eye on this board are Alembic Bar and Nopa but not sure if they can accommodate big parties. Any recommendations are welcome.

rmtraut wrote:I'm headed up for a work function in late August... more of a party for an awards trip. There will be about 35 folks and we'll be looking to book a couple of resevations. We're looking for something that isn't quiet but that has a cool, fun atmosphere. I think something "San Francisco" is what most of the folks will be looking for and definitely not cheesy, touristy. $100 a head is about the price point as this crew enjoys their drinks. Some places that caught my eye on this board are Alembic Bar and Nopa but not sure if they can accommodate big parties. Any recommendations are welcome.

Alembic is very small, so I doubt they could handle a large party. Nopa had a dining area upstairs that you might be able to rent out, but I'd think you might have had to make arrangements already due to it's popularity.

I'm not sure how well any of these restaurants will accommodate a party of your size but all of these are pretty hip and very San Francisco. Of course the food is outstanding.

Piperade
Kokkari
Prospect
RN74

Had dinner at Sons & Daughters on my last trip to SF. 3 or 4 of the 8 courses on the tasting menu easily make the list of best things I've eaten lately.

The place is very small - I counted 12 tables, total, and offers only 2 tasting menus (one with meat, one without). Wines can be paired or ordered off the list. I got a same day reservation, but I suspect that was only because it was a Tuesday night. Advance planning is probably necessary.

Location is nearby Union Square, financial district, downtown, so is convenient to where many out of towners would be staying. Current menu is available on their website.

Service was attentive without being intrusive, exactly what you would expect of a restaurant of this caliber. Tasting menu with pairings was $170 per person. Not cheap by any means, but so worth the splurge.

The more notable items from the menu included:

Local oyster with watermelon lime granita. I don't generally go out of my way for oysters, but I'd gladly eat a whole tray of these. The sweetness of the watermelon mixed with the saltiness of the oyster liquid to form a perfect salty sweet taste. The oyster lended a nice texture. Easily the best thing I've eaten this year.

Another standout was a roasted beet with pickled mustard seed and vadouvan. The mellow curry spice and mustard heat worked early well with the beet. It was served over creme fresh, providing some fat to further mellow and blend the spices. Another dish that makes the best I've eaten lately list.

House made bread was served as an intermezzo between three of the courses. The first was a toasted slice of cornbread. I could eat this every day. The other two were sourdough and a pretzel roll. Both were good, but they were bread.

Dessert was chocolate and mint, eucalyptus ice cream. Best dessert I've had in a long time.

This place needs to be on your list of fine dining locations to visit while in SF.

Sons & Daughters
708 Bush St
San Francisco
Sonsanddaughterssf.com

Thanks for everyone's input. We ended up doing group prix fixe dinners at RN74 and EPIC Roasthouse. I think everyone was pretty happy. The view at EPIC Roasthouse and the fried buttermilk chicken was unreal. I also made it out to Gigi's Sotto Mare in the North Beach area. Best meal of the week - oysters, prawn cocktail, and grilled sand dabs.... along with a few Anchor Steams. There were several bowls of Cioppino going around that were overflowing with crab and other sea goods. The guy next to me at the bar was groaning (a good type of groaning) everytime he took a bite. I'll be getting that next time I am in SF. Wonderful city and wonderful food.

Sotto Mare
552 Green Street
San Francisco, CA 94133

RN74
301 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

EPIC Roasthouse
369 The Embarcadero
SF, CA

Any other recent reports? Especially newer places that are a good value?

My girlfriend and I are headed there for a week this Thursday (will also be spending a few days in Sonoma area) and will be looking to explore town on a somewhat limited budget. We will probably have 1 or 2 splurge dinners (Sons & Daughters sounds promising). Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

ziggy wrote:Any other recent reports? Especially newer places that are a good value?

My girlfriend and I are headed there for a week this Thursday (will also be spending a few days in Sonoma area) and will be looking to explore town on a somewhat limited budget. We will probably have 1 or 2 splurge dinners (Sons & Daughters sounds promising). Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

We were out there a few weeks ago for a wedding (quick in and out trip), and popped into Farallon - an interesting place near Union Square where we had dined 13 years ago. It just so happened that they have a great happy hour special in the lounge, where certain items from a limited menu are $6 before 7pm. I would highly recommend it to anyone on somewhat of a budget. You will not feel like you are on a budget - given the atmosphere and price point of the restaurant - and easily can make a meal of the $6 happy hour items alone. The restaurant is one that stood out for us because of the ambiance and decor (which, candidly, hasn't changed in 13 years but still looks cool and not dated). Here is a link to their website (the happy hour specials are listed under the Jellyfish Lounge).

http://www.farallonrestaurant.com/

ziggy--

For Sonoma try viewtopic.php?f=15&t=35679


Geo

In Healdsburg, Scopa is wonderful Italian in a very small place right on the square with moderate prices.

http://www.scopahealdsburg.com/_media/S ... Sample.pdf

Willi's seafood in Healdsburg and Willi's Wine Bar in Santa Rosa are also favorites. I recommend Girl and the Fig in the town of Sonoma.

Kokkari is unique, upscale Greek in SF. It's my favorite restaurant right now. I also love Flour and Water, Boulevard, and Piperade. Be sure to check out Tartine Bakery for breakfast.

RevrendAndy wrote:In Healdsburg, Scopa is wonderful Italian in a very small place right on the square with moderate prices.

http://www.scopahealdsburg.com/_media/S ... Sample.pdf

Willi's seafood in Healdsburg and Willi's Wine Bar in Santa Rosa are also favorites. I recommend Girl and the Fig in the town of Sonoma.

Kokkari is unique, upscale Greek in SF. It's my favorite restaurant right now. I also love Flour and Water, Boulevard, and Piperade. Be sure to check out Tartine Bakery for breakfast.

I had a truly excellent meal at Piperade on a prior trip to SF. It is not inexpensive, but the prices are very reasonable IMO.

I also second the recommendation for Girl and the Fig on the Sonoma town square.

Some other SF options to consider:

Jardiniere: not cheap at all, but solidly excellent food in a beautiful room
Zuni cafe: Haven't been in a long time, but always liked it for its farm to table simplicity
Barbacco: Italian small plates, energetic room. More casual than the others on this list.
Greens: Vegetarian food that a meat eater can love. Go before dark for a great view of the marina.

Also, about a block off the plaza in Sonoma is Della Santina's. Old standby Italian. Haven't been in a while, but was a favorite when I used to spend more time out there.

Ron A. wrote:We were out there a few weeks ago for a wedding (quick in and out trip), and popped into Farallon - an interesting place near Union Square where we had dined 13 years ago. It just so happened that they have a great happy hour special in the lounge, where certain items from a limited menu are $6 before 7pm. I would highly recommend it to anyone on somewhat of a budget. You will not feel like you are on a budget - given the atmosphere and price point of the restaurant - and easily can make a meal of the $6 happy hour items alone.

http://www.farallonrestaurant.com/

Huge thanks for this recommendation! I'd figured that with the time zone changes in our favor we might be able to make it there in time for happy hour our first evening and I was right. We had a great meal--a glass of wine each (Merlot for Bill, the sparkling Hungarian for me)--plus a dozen excellent oysters, the sliders with fries, and a spectacular seafood bisque. 6+6+12 (the oysters were $6 for half a dozen)+6+6=$36. A really nice bread basket showed up as well. No reservation necessary and they gave us a lovely seat right in the window--perfect for people-watching.
Happy Hour at Farallon's Jellyfish Bar by yooperann, on Flickr.

Thanks! Enthusiastically seconding the recommendation.

Ann Fisher wrote:Huge thanks for this recommendation! I'd figured that with the time zone changes in our favor we might be able to make it there in time for happy hour our first evening and I was right. We had a great meal--a glass of wine each (Merlot for Bill, the sparkling Hungarian for me)--plus a dozen excellent oysters, the sliders with fries, and a spectacular seafood bisque. 6+6+12 (the oysters were $6 for half a dozen)+6+6=$36. A really nice bread basket showed up as well. No reservation necessary and they gave us a lovely seat right in the window--perfect for people-watching.

Thanks! Enthusiastically seconding the recommendation.

You're welcome, and I'm glad that you enjoyed it! Farallon will always have a special place for us, as we dined there on a trip to SF during which we got engaged. It is a great place (and the happy hour special is a tremendous deal)!

A few more Oakland notes:

First, I want to add to the above praise for both Bakesale Betty and Scream Sorbet. Don't be put off by the omnipresent line for BB; it moves fast. The justly lauded chicken sandwich was totally worth the wait and the ginger cookie I had was fantastic. Scream Sorbet... well, I tend to prefer gelato and ice cream to sorbet, but this place has forced me to rethink that. You realize just how much the presence of dairy products drowns out other flavors. I swear the pistachio was like eating sweetened nut paste, the Asian pear was basically fruit puree.... (These are both good things.) Every flavor I tried was intense and delicious.

By the way, Adesso is no longer doing their happy hour buffet. I guess giving out gobs of free food is not a winning business plan?

Okay, on to some new places.

Hopscotch is a new restaurant located in a somewhat iffy neighborhood, serving American food with occasional Japanese accents. (Think oysters topped with uni and ikura in a ponzu sauce, burgers garnished with beef tongue, pork chops with persimmons, etc.) All very creative but not fussy -- and expertly prepared. And, at least so far, extremely affordable. Credit the newness, or the low rent, or whatever, but take advantage of it before the place becomes impossible to get into.

Fans of Hoosier Mama's all-butter crusts should check out Pietisserie. The store front is basically a window in a Mexican restaurant; there's a daily selection of mini pies and pies by the slice (whole pies are also available, as are savory mini pies in the morning). The pies are definitely daintier than Hoosier Mama's, especially the mini pies (let's just call them what they are: tarts), but the flavors are outstanding. Go for a full-size slice if you want more crust, but definitely check it out.

There was lots of other good food, but these were the highlights.

http://hopscotchoakland.com/
http://www.pietisserie.com/

Planning a trip to San Francisco in the coming months. Any veg/pescetarian recommendations in San Francisco / Bay Area?

Flour & Water and it's sister restaurant Central Kitchen have great Italian and offer non-meat options. Kokkari is upscale Greek serving some wonderful
seafood and non meat options. Other restaurants I really like that will have dishes for you are A16, Boulevard, Piperade, Prospect, and RN74. Make sure to hit Tartine Bakery for breakfast.

Thanks a lot, great recommendations! I have had a few friends suggest both Kokkari and Tartine - they will definitely make our list of musts.

I was in San Francisco last weekend and as usual had some great eating. Gary Danko is an institution but I've never been. They are on top of their game. The space is beautiful, the service impeccable, and the food outstanding. The 5 course tasting menu for $108 isn't cheap but is probably a bargain compared to other restaurants in the area of this quality. They allow you to order anything off the menu rather than committing you to a set meal. There were no misses. Our other dinner was Coqueta, Spanish tapas cuisine, Michael Chiarello's newest venture. Botega, his other restaurant, is one of the top spots in Napa. Having just been to Spain it was interesting to see his take on his 1st venture other than Italian food. The meal was terrific, with some tapas very authentic and others a display of his creativity. Of course a beautiful jamon iberico bellota was displayed prominently on the bar. The restaurant is casual and not very large and very difficult to get in. I called 2 months before arrival when the phone lines opened at 10amPST.

One last dinner was in Larkspur at the recently opened Farmshop. They have a sister in Santa Monica. As per it's name, the cuisine is farm to table and impeccably fresh. Prices were moderate and the food wonderful.

We enjoyed Locanda and they had a lot of veggie/fish options when we were there a month ago. Also nearby there is Craftsmen and Wolves, an excellent bakery/coffee shop. They also sell at the Ferry Plaza Market - which is a wonderful place too, especially on market days with many food vendors.

Locanda
557 VALENCIA ST.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110
(BET 16th & 17th)
http://www.locandasf.com

Craftsmen & Wolves
746 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94110
http://craftsman-wolves.com