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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5132\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5091\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp603iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/nino-manuel125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Nino Manuel\" title=\"Nino Manuel\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Nino\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Systems Engineer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 20, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We headed to Grand Oaks on a Friday night right after work, planning on watching Game 3 of the Sharks game and Game 1 of 3 of the Giants vs. the A’s games. Three of my friends went ahead of us, while I picked up another. We arrived at around 7:00 PM and my friends had already found seats. We were seated at the “community” table, which is a long table in the center of the sports lounge; there are more seats in the back, which is for a more formal dining experience. We were seated with no problems, and my friends were already chowing down on the taquitos and fries. They also had their drinks, but one of them decided not to like Stella and handed the rest to me. I saw the owner quietly sitting at the bar, texting away, so I used the opportunity to order some drinks directly from the bar and to have a chance to talk to him. I ordered a Ketel One Dirty Martini and two Blue Moons. While the bartender was preparing our drinks, I spoke to the owner, Roger. I joked around with him, reminding him the boxes of bullets I saw at the back of the bar awhile back and how I was jokingly trying to buy a box. This time there were no bullets at the back, but there were handcuffs and several pistol magazines. He said he always carries a sidearm with him because of his job. I asked Roger if he is a cop, because I saw OPD and NYPD patches on the wall. He said he’s not and that the patches are from his friends. He was a P.I. and now is working as a parole officer, along with running the two Grand Oaks; the other is located in Old Oakland (736 Washington St). Roger also told me that he’s a partner with his brother Kenny, who does the cooking and who I met during the Giants World Series run. Roger was really friendly, and we could have talked some more, but my drinks came and I went back to sit with my friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tI started picking on the taquitos, because that is my favorite appetizer at Grand Oaks. It comes with ranch and salsa and some sort of vegetables on the side in an attempt to garnish them. The taquitos are quite good. I’m not sure if they’re made in house or are frozen, but the frozen ones I buy don’t taste like this. The fries were also very good. A friend mentioned that she liked the cut, because the size is between steak fries and McDonald’s fries. They were cooked well also. They were nice and golden brown and they were crispy on the outside and airy in the inside, just how good fries should be. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tI noticed that the place only had one waitress that night and a lady bartender, who I’d never seen before. They usually have around three people waiting on customers, and even then the service can get pretty slow. Our waitress, or the only waitress, came to our table and took additional appetizer orders. We ordered the escargot and, later, the buffalo wings. The escargot came first, and the waitress also took the rest of our orders. There were six snails smothered in lemon butter and covered with garlic. They came with a small fork, a clamp, and toothpicks. A friend mentioned that it reminded them of the scene in \u003cem>Pretty Woman\u003c/em>, where Julia Roberts accidentally flings a snail to a waiter. My adventurous friends tried the escargot, and they said that it was easy to pull it out of the shell. They also said that it tasted really good. The escargot did not come with bread, so I asked for some bread. I didn’t want to touch my snails, until the bread came. I like to sponge up the butter and garlic with the bread.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tOur first main dish arrived, which was a 12″ pizza. My friend asked if we could do a half and half, because one of us is a vegetarian. They allowed us to do a half sausage and mushrooms and the other half cheese. It was a thin-crust pizza, and the crust was nice and crunchy. Our bread hasn’t arrived yet, so I used the crust to eat the rest of the escargot. I sponged up the butter and garlic with the crust, and it worked out well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tThe rest of our meals came. We ordered shrimp ravioli with prawns, filet of sole meunière, chicken marsala, and I ordered the Grenadine of Pork Loin. The portions were huge. The pork was well cooked; it was very moist and flavorful. I enjoyed it a lot, like the other meals I’ve had at Grand Oaks in the past. My friends were enjoying their own meals as well. We did give each other pieces to taste. The sole was excellent. It was seasoned and cooked very well. The chicken marsala was also very moist. The ravioli was very creamy and also excellent. Then the bread came, but the escargot was cleaned out already. We ate the bread along with our meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWhile we were eating, the games were going on. There were no bad seats in the house because there are wall-to-wall flat screen televisions. Some were on the Sharks game, some were on the Giants’ game, and one was on wrestling. A few weeks ago, one customer requested to have a few on \u003cem>American Idol\u003c/em>, and they did put it on. We were yelling, hollering and the only two A’s fans — my friend and some other guy — were giving each other high-fives. The others were Giants fans. The Sharks were nerve wracking to watch, because it was 2 – 3 in the third and they were up. Vancouver was frantic in trying to tie the game. The Sharks ended up winning and so did the Giants, which silenced our only two A’s fan. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tAs the games ended, my friends were getting antsy that the waitress kind of stopped showing up. I went to the restroom and saw that the back dining area was also full, and the same waitress was also helping them. I knew that this was going to be a problem from the get-go. It took a while, but the waitress came to our table, and we asked for dessert. She told us what they had and me and another friend quickly decided on the mud pie, while the others skipped dessert. When the mud pie arrived, my friend and I ooh’d and ahh’d at it of course. We split the mud pie and thought it was very good. It was a good way to end a meal. It was nice and chocolaty with a nice chocolate graham cracker crust. We ended up finishing it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWe split the bill five ways, which was $28 per person. It included a 15% tip. We left, and I waved goodbye to the bartender and Roger. My friends noted that the food was good and the place was great. I keep coming back because the food is good and there are no bad seats in the house when watching sports. It is a very fun place to be in. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/alexia-smith-payne125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Alexia Smith-Payne\" title=\"Alexia Smith-Payne\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Alexia\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Elections Technician Supervisor\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> The Elite Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 20, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nGrand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge is located on Grand Avenue in Oakland. Grand Avenue is not necessarily known for having ample parking. so much to my surprise, we found a parking spot directly across the street from the restaurant. Score! The outside of the restaurant is definitely dated. I may have noticed a few letters missing from some of the signage. But that did not deter me or my hungry friends. Walking through the front door, there is a full-on sports bar with bar stools, flat screen televisions — the whole nine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seeing this sports bar environment, my first thought was, \u003cem>I am seriously overdressed\u003c/em>. My second thought was where was my party of twelve going to sit? Fortunately, a man who I will assume is the owner approached me and my boyfriend after a few minutes of us standing there looking puzzled. This friendly gentleman directed us to their “back room.” The décor of the back room was completely different from the sports lounge out front. This room had white linen tablecloths, and a sliding glass door that opened to a patio. It was a very comfortable setting. This second room was very accommodating and spacious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their menu offered a variety of items, formal and informal, such as, chicken piccata, linguini petto de pollo, garlic fries, and beef taquitos. I enjoyed having a wide variety of foods to select from. They also offer a full bar. If you are a fan of garlic, as I am, this is the place for you. Most of their entrees have a healthy portion of garlic. We ordered garlic fries and their fried chicken wings for an appetizer. The garlic fries were my favorite appetizer by far. The fries had a nice crispy outside with a soft warm center. They were also coated with freshly grated garlic and parmesan cheese. Fresh baked bread was brought to our table before the entrees were served. I am a sucker for warm bread. It was delicious. For my main course, I had the shrimp ravioli with prawns. The ravioli tasted as though they were made from scratch and the prawns were huge. The consistency of the ravioli was extraordinary, and the garlic cream sauce with the ravioli was savory. It was the perfect combination of garlic and butter. I enjoyed every bite. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food as well. Other items tried by my table were: pepperoni and sausage pizza, filet of sole, chicken noodle soup, pasta with meat sauce, and chicken piccata. The portions were large. I consider myself a big eater and I could not finish my shrimp ravioli.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After dinner, everyone present said they would come back to Grand Oaks because of the food. The prices were exceptional for the portion and quality of the food. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were just a few sour notes for Grand Oaks. Our server was absent most of the night, drinks were really slow to come out (it took twenty minutes to get my first drink), and when a member of my party changed flavors of her soda, she was charged twice because it was a different flavor. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To summarize my experience at Grand Oaks: I would go back in the future. The restaurant has its flaws, mainly with their service, but overall, it was a great experience. When I go out to eat, I want to go and experience excellent food in a comfortable clean environment. This restaurant lounge provided me with that. I would recommend going there on a casual night with a group of friends to get some good food. I will more than likely visit Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge in the future. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/matthew-eshoo125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Matthew Eshoo\" title=\"Matthew Eshoo\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Matthew\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Real Estate Appraiser\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Rohnert Park\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Risibisi Italian Restaurant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge:\u003c/strong> Tuesday, May 24, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nThe Grand Oaks restaurant is located on Grand Avenue in Oakland near the historic Grand Theater. Grand Oaks is situated in a somewhat rough looking, two-story building with the main floor reserved for the sports bar, and a smaller, rear, dining-only area. The second floor appears to be a residence. I went to Grand Oaks on a Tuesday night and, as expected, the rear dining area was empty. The sports bar was full and is definitely the main draw here. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My friend Joe and I each ordered a pint of cold beer on tap (Stella Artois), served by a real beauty with a friendly smile, and we quickly settled in with the very friendly locals who were watching both a San Jose Sharks playoff game, as well as a NBA playoff game on multiple TVs. We soon found ourselves cheering for both games and having a great time. We then ordered some buffalo wings, which were prepared in a juicy style, which I don’t prefer. We also both ordered steaks. The steaks came with salads, which came out first, and we began to enjoy the meal in our comfortable bar chairs. The salads were crisp, clean, and fresh. The Italian dressing was a bit ordinary and tasted familiar. I ordered the large rib rye and Joe ordered the New York. To our delight, both steaks were cooked to perfection. I’m very picky about my steaks, and these steaks were spot on. They were not burnt, but rather a perfectly grilled dark brown with a juicy, pink interior. Umm, Ummm. The steaks came with a side of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. The mashed potatoes were lumpy and tasted like my mom’s. They were not overdone with butter and such, but a bit more on the natural side and served without gravy, which I really enjoyed. The vegetables were extremely fresh and not over-cooked and very tasty. The food was a total success, and we both ate every last bite. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We continued to watch the game and started to feel like regulars and we could easily see why this is a favorite for locals. The food was great, the service was great, and the place is a fun, friendly, sports bar. I could also see this being a great place to watch the Giants. Would I drive from out of the area to go there? To be frank, no, it’s a sports bar. But if I were within five miles or in the area then: yes. It’s a little rough looking on the outside, but don’t judge a book by its cover. It’s fun, has great food, and a nice crowd. The total food bill with tax and tip (without drinks), came to about $60, which we both felt was a good value. They also have an early bird menu (until 7:30 pm) that costs about 20% less. \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5132\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5091\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp603iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/nino-manuel125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Nino Manuel\" title=\"Nino Manuel\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Nino\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Systems Engineer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 20, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We headed to Grand Oaks on a Friday night right after work, planning on watching Game 3 of the Sharks game and Game 1 of 3 of the Giants vs. the A’s games. Three of my friends went ahead of us, while I picked up another. We arrived at around 7:00 PM and my friends had already found seats. We were seated at the “community” table, which is a long table in the center of the sports lounge; there are more seats in the back, which is for a more formal dining experience. We were seated with no problems, and my friends were already chowing down on the taquitos and fries. They also had their drinks, but one of them decided not to like Stella and handed the rest to me. I saw the owner quietly sitting at the bar, texting away, so I used the opportunity to order some drinks directly from the bar and to have a chance to talk to him. I ordered a Ketel One Dirty Martini and two Blue Moons. While the bartender was preparing our drinks, I spoke to the owner, Roger. I joked around with him, reminding him the boxes of bullets I saw at the back of the bar awhile back and how I was jokingly trying to buy a box. This time there were no bullets at the back, but there were handcuffs and several pistol magazines. He said he always carries a sidearm with him because of his job. I asked Roger if he is a cop, because I saw OPD and NYPD patches on the wall. He said he’s not and that the patches are from his friends. He was a P.I. and now is working as a parole officer, along with running the two Grand Oaks; the other is located in Old Oakland (736 Washington St). Roger also told me that he’s a partner with his brother Kenny, who does the cooking and who I met during the Giants World Series run. Roger was really friendly, and we could have talked some more, but my drinks came and I went back to sit with my friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tI started picking on the taquitos, because that is my favorite appetizer at Grand Oaks. It comes with ranch and salsa and some sort of vegetables on the side in an attempt to garnish them. The taquitos are quite good. I’m not sure if they’re made in house or are frozen, but the frozen ones I buy don’t taste like this. The fries were also very good. A friend mentioned that she liked the cut, because the size is between steak fries and McDonald’s fries. They were cooked well also. They were nice and golden brown and they were crispy on the outside and airy in the inside, just how good fries should be. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tI noticed that the place only had one waitress that night and a lady bartender, who I’d never seen before. They usually have around three people waiting on customers, and even then the service can get pretty slow. Our waitress, or the only waitress, came to our table and took additional appetizer orders. We ordered the escargot and, later, the buffalo wings. The escargot came first, and the waitress also took the rest of our orders. There were six snails smothered in lemon butter and covered with garlic. They came with a small fork, a clamp, and toothpicks. A friend mentioned that it reminded them of the scene in \u003cem>Pretty Woman\u003c/em>, where Julia Roberts accidentally flings a snail to a waiter. My adventurous friends tried the escargot, and they said that it was easy to pull it out of the shell. They also said that it tasted really good. The escargot did not come with bread, so I asked for some bread. I didn’t want to touch my snails, until the bread came. I like to sponge up the butter and garlic with the bread.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tOur first main dish arrived, which was a 12″ pizza. My friend asked if we could do a half and half, because one of us is a vegetarian. They allowed us to do a half sausage and mushrooms and the other half cheese. It was a thin-crust pizza, and the crust was nice and crunchy. Our bread hasn’t arrived yet, so I used the crust to eat the rest of the escargot. I sponged up the butter and garlic with the crust, and it worked out well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tThe rest of our meals came. We ordered shrimp ravioli with prawns, filet of sole meunière, chicken marsala, and I ordered the Grenadine of Pork Loin. The portions were huge. The pork was well cooked; it was very moist and flavorful. I enjoyed it a lot, like the other meals I’ve had at Grand Oaks in the past. My friends were enjoying their own meals as well. We did give each other pieces to taste. The sole was excellent. It was seasoned and cooked very well. The chicken marsala was also very moist. The ravioli was very creamy and also excellent. Then the bread came, but the escargot was cleaned out already. We ate the bread along with our meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWhile we were eating, the games were going on. There were no bad seats in the house because there are wall-to-wall flat screen televisions. Some were on the Sharks game, some were on the Giants’ game, and one was on wrestling. A few weeks ago, one customer requested to have a few on \u003cem>American Idol\u003c/em>, and they did put it on. We were yelling, hollering and the only two A’s fans — my friend and some other guy — were giving each other high-fives. The others were Giants fans. The Sharks were nerve wracking to watch, because it was 2 – 3 in the third and they were up. Vancouver was frantic in trying to tie the game. The Sharks ended up winning and so did the Giants, which silenced our only two A’s fan. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tAs the games ended, my friends were getting antsy that the waitress kind of stopped showing up. I went to the restroom and saw that the back dining area was also full, and the same waitress was also helping them. I knew that this was going to be a problem from the get-go. It took a while, but the waitress came to our table, and we asked for dessert. She told us what they had and me and another friend quickly decided on the mud pie, while the others skipped dessert. When the mud pie arrived, my friend and I ooh’d and ahh’d at it of course. We split the mud pie and thought it was very good. It was a good way to end a meal. It was nice and chocolaty with a nice chocolate graham cracker crust. We ended up finishing it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWe split the bill five ways, which was $28 per person. It included a 15% tip. We left, and I waved goodbye to the bartender and Roger. My friends noted that the food was good and the place was great. I keep coming back because the food is good and there are no bad seats in the house when watching sports. It is a very fun place to be in. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/alexia-smith-payne125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Alexia Smith-Payne\" title=\"Alexia Smith-Payne\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Alexia\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Elections Technician Supervisor\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> The Elite Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 20, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nGrand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge is located on Grand Avenue in Oakland. Grand Avenue is not necessarily known for having ample parking. so much to my surprise, we found a parking spot directly across the street from the restaurant. Score! The outside of the restaurant is definitely dated. I may have noticed a few letters missing from some of the signage. But that did not deter me or my hungry friends. Walking through the front door, there is a full-on sports bar with bar stools, flat screen televisions — the whole nine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seeing this sports bar environment, my first thought was, \u003cem>I am seriously overdressed\u003c/em>. My second thought was where was my party of twelve going to sit? Fortunately, a man who I will assume is the owner approached me and my boyfriend after a few minutes of us standing there looking puzzled. This friendly gentleman directed us to their “back room.” The décor of the back room was completely different from the sports lounge out front. This room had white linen tablecloths, and a sliding glass door that opened to a patio. It was a very comfortable setting. This second room was very accommodating and spacious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their menu offered a variety of items, formal and informal, such as, chicken piccata, linguini petto de pollo, garlic fries, and beef taquitos. I enjoyed having a wide variety of foods to select from. They also offer a full bar. If you are a fan of garlic, as I am, this is the place for you. Most of their entrees have a healthy portion of garlic. We ordered garlic fries and their fried chicken wings for an appetizer. The garlic fries were my favorite appetizer by far. The fries had a nice crispy outside with a soft warm center. They were also coated with freshly grated garlic and parmesan cheese. Fresh baked bread was brought to our table before the entrees were served. I am a sucker for warm bread. It was delicious. For my main course, I had the shrimp ravioli with prawns. The ravioli tasted as though they were made from scratch and the prawns were huge. The consistency of the ravioli was extraordinary, and the garlic cream sauce with the ravioli was savory. It was the perfect combination of garlic and butter. I enjoyed every bite. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food as well. Other items tried by my table were: pepperoni and sausage pizza, filet of sole, chicken noodle soup, pasta with meat sauce, and chicken piccata. The portions were large. I consider myself a big eater and I could not finish my shrimp ravioli.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After dinner, everyone present said they would come back to Grand Oaks because of the food. The prices were exceptional for the portion and quality of the food. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were just a few sour notes for Grand Oaks. Our server was absent most of the night, drinks were really slow to come out (it took twenty minutes to get my first drink), and when a member of my party changed flavors of her soda, she was charged twice because it was a different flavor. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To summarize my experience at Grand Oaks: I would go back in the future. The restaurant has its flaws, mainly with their service, but overall, it was a great experience. When I go out to eat, I want to go and experience excellent food in a comfortable clean environment. This restaurant lounge provided me with that. I would recommend going there on a casual night with a group of friends to get some good food. I will more than likely visit Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge in the future. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/matthew-eshoo125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Matthew Eshoo\" title=\"Matthew Eshoo\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Matthew\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Real Estate Appraiser\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Rohnert Park\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Risibisi Italian Restaurant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge:\u003c/strong> Tuesday, May 24, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nThe Grand Oaks restaurant is located on Grand Avenue in Oakland near the historic Grand Theater. Grand Oaks is situated in a somewhat rough looking, two-story building with the main floor reserved for the sports bar, and a smaller, rear, dining-only area. The second floor appears to be a residence. I went to Grand Oaks on a Tuesday night and, as expected, the rear dining area was empty. The sports bar was full and is definitely the main draw here. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My friend Joe and I each ordered a pint of cold beer on tap (Stella Artois), served by a real beauty with a friendly smile, and we quickly settled in with the very friendly locals who were watching both a San Jose Sharks playoff game, as well as a NBA playoff game on multiple TVs. We soon found ourselves cheering for both games and having a great time. We then ordered some buffalo wings, which were prepared in a juicy style, which I don’t prefer. We also both ordered steaks. The steaks came with salads, which came out first, and we began to enjoy the meal in our comfortable bar chairs. The salads were crisp, clean, and fresh. The Italian dressing was a bit ordinary and tasted familiar. I ordered the large rib rye and Joe ordered the New York. To our delight, both steaks were cooked to perfection. I’m very picky about my steaks, and these steaks were spot on. They were not burnt, but rather a perfectly grilled dark brown with a juicy, pink interior. Umm, Ummm. The steaks came with a side of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. The mashed potatoes were lumpy and tasted like my mom’s. They were not overdone with butter and such, but a bit more on the natural side and served without gravy, which I really enjoyed. The vegetables were extremely fresh and not over-cooked and very tasty. The food was a total success, and we both ate every last bite. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We continued to watch the game and started to feel like regulars and we could easily see why this is a favorite for locals. The food was great, the service was great, and the place is a fun, friendly, sports bar. I could also see this being a great place to watch the Giants. Would I drive from out of the area to go there? To be frank, no, it’s a sports bar. But if I were within five miles or in the area then: yes. It’s a little rough looking on the outside, but don’t judge a book by its cover. It’s fun, has great food, and a nice crowd. The total food bill with tax and tip (without drinks), came to about $60, which we both felt was a good value. They also have an early bird menu (until 7:30 pm) that costs about 20% less. \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Risibisi Italian Restaurant: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5125\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5091\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp603iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/matthew-eshoo125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Matthew Eshoo\" title=\"Matthew Eshoo\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Matthew\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Real Estate Appraiser\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Rohnert Park\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Risibisi Italian Restaurant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Risibisi Italian Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Monday, May 30, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nRisibisi restaurant is located in the historic downtown area of West Petaluma. It is located in an area of charming shops, many close to the Petaluma River. This is a great area to stroll, window shop, catch a movie, and, of course, dine. Risibisi, through their chef Giuliana Valesi, offers authentic Italian dining that is worth a drive from out of town. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I first went to Risibisi four years ago and immediately felt at home. My wife Kate and I had spent the past several years vacationing for weeks at a time in Italy, and had come to love the Italian way of dining and relaxing. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About a year ago, the charismatic owner, Marco Palmieri, found Chef Giuliana Valesi, and immediately hired her to run his kitchen. Valesi has spent the past forty years in the kitchen – twenty years in Italy and twenty years here in the United States. In an age of loud, celebrity chefs, the reserved Valesi believes in letting the food’s natural flavors speak for themselves. With an ever-changing menu that varies by season, her dishes are simple and flavorful and utilize natural ingredients at every opportunity. Her pastas and breads are made fresh on site every day, and she includes many vegetarian and vegan dishes on the menu. This seasonal, fresh emphasis, combined with Palmieri’s thirty years of working the front end of restaurants, creates a wonderfully authentic Italian dining experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kate and I have come to know most of the wait staff by name, which is easy to do since they are always so friendly. On our most recent visit, the wine steward, Jacob Gamba, suggested a glass of Italian Champagne or Prosecco, as we settled into our seats and, once again, felt at home with the brick walls, original Italian artwork, and glow from the onyx bar. We sipped our drinks and talked about the day’s events. Risibisi has a relaxing ambiance, and once you sit down to dine, no one rushes you. It’s the perfect place to have a two-, three-, or even four-hour dinner. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After decompressing, we ordered appetizers. To start things off, Jacob recommended the la burrata. This is a creamy type of mozzarella served with toasted baguette. Burrata must be extremely fresh and used within 48 hours of opening. The cheese, made in Italy by adding cream, was quite simply the best cheese I have ever tasted. I could not believe how light and fresh it tasted. The portion was so generous that I had to ask for more toast. Kate’s reaction was filled with even more praise than mine. This simply is a must-try dish that everyone should have at least once in their life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kate also ordered the Trio di Bruschetta Risibisi. This is a plate of three different bruschettas, each with unique and outstanding flavors. There was one with a sun-dried tomato pesto and goat cheese, another with wild mushroom and balsamic, and finally a grilled pear and Gorgonzola cheese. Kate was in heaven. She absolutely loved this dish and commented that each was outstanding and offered wonderfully different flavors. I ordered the cozze all marinara, or bowl of steamed mussels. This was served in a white wine, garlic, and spicy tomato sauce, and was cooked to perfection. The mussels were flavorful and the broth had the perfect balance of tomato and hot spice. I scooped up every last drop of the broth. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We next decided to share a salad and ordered the organic beet salad. This dish came with roasted beets, arugula, goat cheese, and a balsamic reduction dressing. The beets were tender and had a very fresh taste and were complemented by the fresh goat cheese. My mouth was happy. I actually could feel my energy level increase as I ate this dish. Kate loved it too and remarked at the freshness of the goat cheese. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Kate’s main course, she ordered the anatra all’Arancio, or breast of duck. The duck, which is from Petaluma, was moist and tasty, and it had an orange brandy sauce that really complemented the meat. On the side was an incredible veggie soufflé. This unique side dish raised the bar for sides. It was warm and light and was half orange and half green. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For my main course, I ordered the wild boar and gnocchi. This is a hearty dish that any man would love. The meat was slow roasted and fell apart in my mouth. There was no gamey taste, but rather a savory meat and tomato flavor. The gnocchi was made fresh and was not lumpy or hard, but rather very light and melted into the meat flavors. I loved this comforting dish and left my plate clean. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dessert we enjoyed a chocolate mousse with fresh fruit and Illy brand coffees. Illy is considered by many as the finest coffee in Italy and served at the choicest restaurants. The Illy coffee has that true Italian coffee flavor that is rare in the United States. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We lingered for another hour and relaxed and talked. We finally asked for our bill and the total for this large meal, with drinks, tip, and tax was $138.40. We then strolled around the downtown area under the stars. I highly recommend this restaurant. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/nino-manuel125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Nino Manuel\" title=\"Nino Manuel\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Nino\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Systems Engineer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Risibisi Italian Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sunday, May 29, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nYou can include some of your comments from the original application form and add fun anecdotes or the disastrous details of your dining experience. Don’t be afraid to include information on the journey, parking and the neighborhood. Also think about whether you would return to the restaurant or recommend it to friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tIt was harder for me to convince friends to accompany me to this restaurant, because it was an hour away h, however I got several to agree after watching a movie. I made reservations for 8:00 PM. The restaurant is open from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Sundays. We drove up to Petaluma from Oakland, which took a little under an hour. Most of us have never been to Petaluma and we were surprised at how nice the downtown area looked, and Risibisi was pretty easy to find. We had to make a couple trips around the block to find parking. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWe arrived fifteen minutes early, and had to wait by the door for several minutes. There was no concierge, and at first it didn’t look like anyone was going to seat us. There was a man that may have been the sommelier, and he was the only one not wearing the black shirt and tie. He approached us after he filled a table’s decanter and apologized for the wait. I told him that we were early, but asked if it was okay to seat us. There was a group of four just leaving, and he seated us after their table was cleaned. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tAs soon as we were seated, we were told of the items that they had run out of. One of the items happened to be what caught my attention immediately, which was the pan-seared Petaluma duck breast with orange-brandy herb sauce, and a vegetable soufflé. He left, and we waited for several minutes before one of the black-shirt waiters gave us more menus. My friends and I were debating on what to order, but our waiter again took a while to get back to us, so we had time to decide on appetizers, our individual entrées, and dessert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tOur waiter came and took our orders. We asked to start with the Triple Risibisi Bruschetta (not called exactly that) and organic baby spinach salad with caramelized onions, pecans, goat cheese, and a balsamic reduction. The Triple Risibisi Bruschetta consisted of a mushroom-topped bruschetta, one with goat cheese and smeared with sundried tomatoes, and the third had some other cheese. There were four of us, so not all of us were able to taste each bruschetta, but we all liked what each of us were able to taste. The spinach salad was also very good. The goat cheese was actually deep fried, and it was great. The balsamic reduction was also done just right; it was sweet but not too overpowering. We were able to savor each ingredient from the salad. Both starters tasted great, and I expected our entrées to be even better.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tBefore our entrées arrived, they had started us off with some bread and bruschetta with tapenade, which was very good. The saltiness of the tapenade was a good balance with the natural sweetness of the bread. It was a great introduction to what we were about to get. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tOur entrées consisted of gnocchi with pesto sauce, the house-made ravioli of the day, four Sonoma lamb chops with port balsamic reduction and roasted potatoes, and I ordered the gnocchi with wild boar sauce. My friend, who ordered the lamb, and I asked the waiter which wine would complement our meal. He recommended a couple of reds, the Bartolino for my friend, and the Primitivo for me. Our service seemed to have gotten better. Our waters were refilled in a timely manner, and our entrées came within a reasonable time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWe tasted each other’s entrées, and I found the ravioli stuffing to be a bit too sweet for my taste and didn’t like it. My other friend’s gnocchi was light and fluffy. The pesto sauce was good, but nothing to go crazy about. My gnocchi had the same consistency as my friend’s, but I thought the sauce tasted a lot like SpaghettiOs, and my friends agreed. I’m not saying that SpaghettiOs are bad, that’s just what the dish reminded me of. I did finish my dish, and it went well with the recommended wine. My friend’s lamb was probably the best entrée of the four. The asparagus was cooked well, and the lamb was tender and not gamey at all. His dish was not perfect though; the roasted potatoes were so hard that you could hear us gnawing on them. The entrées did not impress us. We ordered our desserts and were almost disappointed again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tThe waiter told us that they might be out of the flourless chocolate pot de crème. He went to the back to go ask and he returned stating that there were two left. We told him that we wanted both and not to let anyone else order it. Our waiter arrived with the soufflés, and he assisted us by using two little spoons to crack open the soufflés while we poured the cream. We asked if we could have vanilla ice cream to go along with our dessert, and he brought out two vanilla gelatos in martini glasses. The soufflés were great, although we all thought they were supposed to be warm, but we found them to be cold. We later learned that the cream was too cold and that was what cooled down the soufflé. They did go well with the gelato. We finished the soufflé, and you could hear us scraping the bottom of the bowls. It was the perfect closer to the not so impressive entrées.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWhile waiting to pay our check, we were commenting on the atmosphere. The place was dimly lit, and there were little chairs hanging on the ceiling. There were original artworks on the wall that were also for sale. We agreed that the place was good, and the price was very reasonable for the portions we received, however the one-hour excursion to Petaluma was not worth the trip to Risibisi.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/alexia-smith-payne125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Alexia Smith-Payne\" title=\"Alexia Smith-Payne\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Alexia\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Elections Technician Supervisor\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> The Elite Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Risibisi Italian Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Thursday, June 2, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nWe visited Risibisi on a Thursday night with a 8 PM reservation. Having never visited the town of Petaluma, we took time to sightsee while looking for a parking space. Risibisi is located in downtown Petaluma. Parking wasn’t easy, but we arrived a half an hour early for our reservation. Once arriving at the restaurant, we were able to get a table right away. I really loved the decor of the restaurant: beautiful hardwood floors, wooden tables, and a giant mirror with antique framing. The tables were situated a little closer together than I would prefer. Fortunately for us, the table next to us had a great conversation going on between what appeared to be lifelong friends. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant was about half full when we arrived. The noise level was pleasant for such a small space. We started out with the carpaccio. It was yummy. The dish was really flavorful. The beef was marinated beautifully with a vinagrette and paired with fresh arugula and capers. There were also lemon slices included to add a little zest. For my main entree, I ordered gnocchi with pesto. The pesto had a nice mild flavor and was not overwhelming. Unfortunately, the gnocchi was slightly grainy. Overall, while I enjoyed the pesto, the gnocchi fell flat. Also, the dish needed something to bring it up a notch flavor-wise. A Bam! factor. I grabbed a bite of my sweetheart’s main entree, pollo Milanese. At first bite, I realized I had ordered the wrong dish! The chicken was cooked to perfection, as were the roasted potatoes that came along with it. The service was decent. Nothing special. Our server didn’t introduce himself as our server, but we assumed that was his identity, since he was wearing black and white attire and conveniently carrying a notepad. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In summary, I am glad I got the chance to visit Risibisi and the town of Petaluma. I, more than likely, will not visit Risibisi in the future. The food was good, but not amazing enough to justify the hour and a half distance from my home.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Matthew:\u003c/strong> \"For my main course, I ordered the wild boar and gnocchi. This is a hearty dish that any man would love.\" \r\n\u003cstrong>Nino:\u003c/strong> \"My gnocchi had the same consistency as my friend's, but I thought the sauce tasted a lot like SpaghettiOs, and my friends agreed.\" \r\n\u003cstrong>Alexia:\u003c/strong> \"Overall, while I enjoyed the pesto, the gnocchi fell flat. Also, the dish needed something to bring it up a notch flavor-wise. A Bam! factor.\" ",
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"description": "Matthew: "For my main course, I ordered the wild boar and gnocchi. This is a hearty dish that any man would love." \r\nNino: "My gnocchi had the same consistency as my friend's, but I thought the sauce tasted a lot like SpaghettiOs, and my friends agreed." \r\nAlexia: "Overall, while I enjoyed the pesto, the gnocchi fell flat. Also, the dish needed something to bring it up a notch flavor-wise. A Bam! factor." ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Risibisi Italian Restaurant: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5125\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5091\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp603iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/matthew-eshoo125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Matthew Eshoo\" title=\"Matthew Eshoo\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Matthew\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Real Estate Appraiser\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Rohnert Park\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Risibisi Italian Restaurant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Risibisi Italian Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Monday, May 30, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nRisibisi restaurant is located in the historic downtown area of West Petaluma. It is located in an area of charming shops, many close to the Petaluma River. This is a great area to stroll, window shop, catch a movie, and, of course, dine. Risibisi, through their chef Giuliana Valesi, offers authentic Italian dining that is worth a drive from out of town. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I first went to Risibisi four years ago and immediately felt at home. My wife Kate and I had spent the past several years vacationing for weeks at a time in Italy, and had come to love the Italian way of dining and relaxing. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About a year ago, the charismatic owner, Marco Palmieri, found Chef Giuliana Valesi, and immediately hired her to run his kitchen. Valesi has spent the past forty years in the kitchen – twenty years in Italy and twenty years here in the United States. In an age of loud, celebrity chefs, the reserved Valesi believes in letting the food’s natural flavors speak for themselves. With an ever-changing menu that varies by season, her dishes are simple and flavorful and utilize natural ingredients at every opportunity. Her pastas and breads are made fresh on site every day, and she includes many vegetarian and vegan dishes on the menu. This seasonal, fresh emphasis, combined with Palmieri’s thirty years of working the front end of restaurants, creates a wonderfully authentic Italian dining experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kate and I have come to know most of the wait staff by name, which is easy to do since they are always so friendly. On our most recent visit, the wine steward, Jacob Gamba, suggested a glass of Italian Champagne or Prosecco, as we settled into our seats and, once again, felt at home with the brick walls, original Italian artwork, and glow from the onyx bar. We sipped our drinks and talked about the day’s events. Risibisi has a relaxing ambiance, and once you sit down to dine, no one rushes you. It’s the perfect place to have a two-, three-, or even four-hour dinner. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After decompressing, we ordered appetizers. To start things off, Jacob recommended the la burrata. This is a creamy type of mozzarella served with toasted baguette. Burrata must be extremely fresh and used within 48 hours of opening. The cheese, made in Italy by adding cream, was quite simply the best cheese I have ever tasted. I could not believe how light and fresh it tasted. The portion was so generous that I had to ask for more toast. Kate’s reaction was filled with even more praise than mine. This simply is a must-try dish that everyone should have at least once in their life.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kate also ordered the Trio di Bruschetta Risibisi. This is a plate of three different bruschettas, each with unique and outstanding flavors. There was one with a sun-dried tomato pesto and goat cheese, another with wild mushroom and balsamic, and finally a grilled pear and Gorgonzola cheese. Kate was in heaven. She absolutely loved this dish and commented that each was outstanding and offered wonderfully different flavors. I ordered the cozze all marinara, or bowl of steamed mussels. This was served in a white wine, garlic, and spicy tomato sauce, and was cooked to perfection. The mussels were flavorful and the broth had the perfect balance of tomato and hot spice. I scooped up every last drop of the broth. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We next decided to share a salad and ordered the organic beet salad. This dish came with roasted beets, arugula, goat cheese, and a balsamic reduction dressing. The beets were tender and had a very fresh taste and were complemented by the fresh goat cheese. My mouth was happy. I actually could feel my energy level increase as I ate this dish. Kate loved it too and remarked at the freshness of the goat cheese. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Kate’s main course, she ordered the anatra all’Arancio, or breast of duck. The duck, which is from Petaluma, was moist and tasty, and it had an orange brandy sauce that really complemented the meat. On the side was an incredible veggie soufflé. This unique side dish raised the bar for sides. It was warm and light and was half orange and half green. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For my main course, I ordered the wild boar and gnocchi. This is a hearty dish that any man would love. The meat was slow roasted and fell apart in my mouth. There was no gamey taste, but rather a savory meat and tomato flavor. The gnocchi was made fresh and was not lumpy or hard, but rather very light and melted into the meat flavors. I loved this comforting dish and left my plate clean. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dessert we enjoyed a chocolate mousse with fresh fruit and Illy brand coffees. Illy is considered by many as the finest coffee in Italy and served at the choicest restaurants. The Illy coffee has that true Italian coffee flavor that is rare in the United States. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We lingered for another hour and relaxed and talked. We finally asked for our bill and the total for this large meal, with drinks, tip, and tax was $138.40. We then strolled around the downtown area under the stars. I highly recommend this restaurant. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/nino-manuel125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Nino Manuel\" title=\"Nino Manuel\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Nino\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Systems Engineer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Risibisi Italian Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sunday, May 29, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nYou can include some of your comments from the original application form and add fun anecdotes or the disastrous details of your dining experience. Don’t be afraid to include information on the journey, parking and the neighborhood. Also think about whether you would return to the restaurant or recommend it to friends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tIt was harder for me to convince friends to accompany me to this restaurant, because it was an hour away h, however I got several to agree after watching a movie. I made reservations for 8:00 PM. The restaurant is open from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Sundays. We drove up to Petaluma from Oakland, which took a little under an hour. Most of us have never been to Petaluma and we were surprised at how nice the downtown area looked, and Risibisi was pretty easy to find. We had to make a couple trips around the block to find parking. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWe arrived fifteen minutes early, and had to wait by the door for several minutes. There was no concierge, and at first it didn’t look like anyone was going to seat us. There was a man that may have been the sommelier, and he was the only one not wearing the black shirt and tie. He approached us after he filled a table’s decanter and apologized for the wait. I told him that we were early, but asked if it was okay to seat us. There was a group of four just leaving, and he seated us after their table was cleaned. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tAs soon as we were seated, we were told of the items that they had run out of. One of the items happened to be what caught my attention immediately, which was the pan-seared Petaluma duck breast with orange-brandy herb sauce, and a vegetable soufflé. He left, and we waited for several minutes before one of the black-shirt waiters gave us more menus. My friends and I were debating on what to order, but our waiter again took a while to get back to us, so we had time to decide on appetizers, our individual entrées, and dessert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tOur waiter came and took our orders. We asked to start with the Triple Risibisi Bruschetta (not called exactly that) and organic baby spinach salad with caramelized onions, pecans, goat cheese, and a balsamic reduction. The Triple Risibisi Bruschetta consisted of a mushroom-topped bruschetta, one with goat cheese and smeared with sundried tomatoes, and the third had some other cheese. There were four of us, so not all of us were able to taste each bruschetta, but we all liked what each of us were able to taste. The spinach salad was also very good. The goat cheese was actually deep fried, and it was great. The balsamic reduction was also done just right; it was sweet but not too overpowering. We were able to savor each ingredient from the salad. Both starters tasted great, and I expected our entrées to be even better.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tBefore our entrées arrived, they had started us off with some bread and bruschetta with tapenade, which was very good. The saltiness of the tapenade was a good balance with the natural sweetness of the bread. It was a great introduction to what we were about to get. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tOur entrées consisted of gnocchi with pesto sauce, the house-made ravioli of the day, four Sonoma lamb chops with port balsamic reduction and roasted potatoes, and I ordered the gnocchi with wild boar sauce. My friend, who ordered the lamb, and I asked the waiter which wine would complement our meal. He recommended a couple of reds, the Bartolino for my friend, and the Primitivo for me. Our service seemed to have gotten better. Our waters were refilled in a timely manner, and our entrées came within a reasonable time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWe tasted each other’s entrées, and I found the ravioli stuffing to be a bit too sweet for my taste and didn’t like it. My other friend’s gnocchi was light and fluffy. The pesto sauce was good, but nothing to go crazy about. My gnocchi had the same consistency as my friend’s, but I thought the sauce tasted a lot like SpaghettiOs, and my friends agreed. I’m not saying that SpaghettiOs are bad, that’s just what the dish reminded me of. I did finish my dish, and it went well with the recommended wine. My friend’s lamb was probably the best entrée of the four. The asparagus was cooked well, and the lamb was tender and not gamey at all. His dish was not perfect though; the roasted potatoes were so hard that you could hear us gnawing on them. The entrées did not impress us. We ordered our desserts and were almost disappointed again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tThe waiter told us that they might be out of the flourless chocolate pot de crème. He went to the back to go ask and he returned stating that there were two left. We told him that we wanted both and not to let anyone else order it. Our waiter arrived with the soufflés, and he assisted us by using two little spoons to crack open the soufflés while we poured the cream. We asked if we could have vanilla ice cream to go along with our dessert, and he brought out two vanilla gelatos in martini glasses. The soufflés were great, although we all thought they were supposed to be warm, but we found them to be cold. We later learned that the cream was too cold and that was what cooled down the soufflé. They did go well with the gelato. We finished the soufflé, and you could hear us scraping the bottom of the bowls. It was the perfect closer to the not so impressive entrées.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWhile waiting to pay our check, we were commenting on the atmosphere. The place was dimly lit, and there were little chairs hanging on the ceiling. There were original artworks on the wall that were also for sale. We agreed that the place was good, and the price was very reasonable for the portions we received, however the one-hour excursion to Petaluma was not worth the trip to Risibisi.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/alexia-smith-payne125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Alexia Smith-Payne\" title=\"Alexia Smith-Payne\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Alexia\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Elections Technician Supervisor\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> The Elite Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Risibisi Italian Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Thursday, June 2, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nWe visited Risibisi on a Thursday night with a 8 PM reservation. Having never visited the town of Petaluma, we took time to sightsee while looking for a parking space. Risibisi is located in downtown Petaluma. Parking wasn’t easy, but we arrived a half an hour early for our reservation. Once arriving at the restaurant, we were able to get a table right away. I really loved the decor of the restaurant: beautiful hardwood floors, wooden tables, and a giant mirror with antique framing. The tables were situated a little closer together than I would prefer. Fortunately for us, the table next to us had a great conversation going on between what appeared to be lifelong friends. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant was about half full when we arrived. The noise level was pleasant for such a small space. We started out with the carpaccio. It was yummy. The dish was really flavorful. The beef was marinated beautifully with a vinagrette and paired with fresh arugula and capers. There were also lemon slices included to add a little zest. For my main entree, I ordered gnocchi with pesto. The pesto had a nice mild flavor and was not overwhelming. Unfortunately, the gnocchi was slightly grainy. Overall, while I enjoyed the pesto, the gnocchi fell flat. Also, the dish needed something to bring it up a notch flavor-wise. A Bam! factor. I grabbed a bite of my sweetheart’s main entree, pollo Milanese. At first bite, I realized I had ordered the wrong dish! The chicken was cooked to perfection, as were the roasted potatoes that came along with it. The service was decent. Nothing special. Our server didn’t introduce himself as our server, but we assumed that was his identity, since he was wearing black and white attire and conveniently carrying a notepad. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In summary, I am glad I got the chance to visit Risibisi and the town of Petaluma. I, more than likely, will not visit Risibisi in the future. The food was good, but not amazing enough to justify the hour and a half distance from my home.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Elite Cafe: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5137\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5091\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp603iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/alexia-smith-payne125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Alexia Smith-Payne\" title=\"Alexia Smith-Payne\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Alexia\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Elections Technician Supervisor\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> The Elite Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed The Elite Cafe:\u003c/strong> Saturday, May 28, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nLove, love, love, The Elite Café! It was recommended to me about five years ago, and I have not been able to stay away. It is located in the upper Fillmore district. The area is filled with a variety of restaurants and boutiques. Parking can be an issue, however, Elite Café does offer valet. The ambiance of this restaurant is super cozy. The walls are lined with private dining booths that come equipped with coat hangers. When going there I highly suggest requesting a booth. This place is drenched in mahogany: a mahogany bar, booths, and floors. The restaurant offers an extensive wine list. The food is always delicious from the starter to dessert. One of my favorite characteristics of Elite Café is the way they add their own unique spin on Southern comfort food. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On my latest visit to Elite Café, our party started with the California Seafood Gumbo, Meetinghouse Biscuits, and “down-home” cornbread. The gumbo is one of my absolute favorite items on the menu. What I enjoy most about the dish is it is the perfect mixture of an authentic New Orleans-style gumbo with California flair. Being a California girl that loves Southern food, I adore this dish. The roux of the gumbo feels very authentic New Orleans. However, the scallops, oysters, and bell peppers feel very California. This dish also includes shrimp and crabmeat. It is filled with seafood; Elite does not skimp on the ingredients. Another item not to be missed: the Meetinghouse Biscuits. These biscuits crumble at the touch and melt in your mouth. My mouth waters at the thought of them. Elite Café offers them frozen to take home too. However, I’ve never done that — I don’t have enough self-control! My main course, the red wine-braised beef brisket, was accompanied by spring green garlic grits and braised greens and fried okra. The beef was seasoned perfectly and so tender I didn’t need to use a knife. The grits were one of my favorites of the plate. I’m not sure why they are called “spring green,” but I do know they were delicious. There was definitely garlic in the taste, but they were not too garlicky, which was nice. I also tasted my honey’s jambalaya. This is another dish that Elite Café added a nice spin to. The jambalaya included duck confit. Duck is not a very common protein to add to jambalaya. This dish was delicious as well. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We ended our evening with freshly made beignets, and espresso ice cream. The dessert was not only beautiful to look at, but it was equally tasty. The light and fluffy beignets tasted as though they were delivered right out of the oven. The espresso ice cream was a great match because it was equally as light. Service was great. We were seated early for our reservation, and the waitress took time to answer all of our questions. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In conclusion, I would highly suggest this restaurant to anyone who enjoys Cajun/Creole food. The prices are not cheap. However, for the level of service and the quality of food that is offered, the price is fair. The Elite Café is one my favorite restaurants in San Francisco for many reasons: great service, great location, consistency, and excellent food. Having dinner at Elite Café is like getting a nice warm hug from someone you love after a long cold day. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/matthew-eshoo125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Matthew Eshoo\" title=\"Matthew Eshoo\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Matthew\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Real Estate Appraiser\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Rohnert Park\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Risibisi Italian Restaurant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>ReviewedThe Elite Cafe:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 27, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nThe Elite Café is located in one the best neighborhoods in all of San Francisco. There is an abundance of unique and upscale retail stores offering hard-to-find and one-of-kind designer clothing and other items. The small restaurant, situated in the heart of this eclectic neighborhood, was constructed in 1928 and, true to its original design, features a lovely Art Deco style. There is no artwork on the wall as to distract one’s eye from the architecture. There are private booths, sidewalk dining, and a nice central bar, as well. My wife Kate and I attended the Elite Café on a Friday night, and the restaurant was bustling. Clearly this is a very popular restaurant, as it was crowded and required near shouting to have a conversation. One couldn’t help but feel transported back in time to the 1940s or 50s. Everyone was excited to be there and having a great time. Unfortunately, my online reservation with Open Table was not transferred to the restaurant, and we were both worried for a bit that we would not be able to get a table. The sweet hostess said she would do her best and get us a table in about 45 minutes. So, I headed over to the bar to order a Citron and tonic for myself, and a dirty martini for the missus. Despite the large crowd, the bartender noticed me within seconds and made two perfect drinks. The two well drinks cost $18.50. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My wife was delighted to taste her drink so quickly. I decided to use the bathrooms, which were unfortunately but understandably, due to the large crowds, unisex. The architecture cried out that these bathrooms should be separate, and Kate, later in the evening after returning from the bathroom, remarked that no lady wants to use a man’s bathroom. When I returned from my trip to the bathroom, the hostess approached us and said that she had a table ready and it was a highly sought after booth, as well. Now that’s excellent service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We settled in to enjoy our New Orleans-style dinner, so I ordered a half dozen oysters, a bowl of mussels, and Kate ordered the crab and artichoke fondue. I honestly felt that the oysters were delicious, but at $3.25 to $3.50 each, they were a bit over priced. The mussels on the other hand, at $11.00, were an exceptional value. This could have been a main course, and I could easily see coming back to the Elite Café just to have this alone. The mussels were served Cajun style with spicy sausages and a saffron broth. Yummy! Kate’s fondue lacked the cheese that one would expect from a fondue, in fact it had surprisingly little cheese, but I liked it. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main courses arrived, and Kate enjoyed the house specialty jambalaya with fresh shrimp and duck confit. This tasted very fresh and hearty. Interestingly, or maybe by accident, it was made with very little rice and served in an iron skillet. I thought the skillet downplayed the dish and assumed it was chosen by tradition. I ordered the Alaskan halibut, and it was served natural-style with little seasoning. It came with crispy polenta that was creamy moist on the inside and also a grilled vegetable ratatouille that, unfortunately, was overpowered by balsamic vinegar and not eaten; a rare event. We also had a side of buttermilk-mashed potatoes, which were light and tasty. These certainly made up for the ratatouille. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dessert we ordered beignets served with coffee ice cream and chocolate sauce. Beignets are a traditional New Orleans dessert, and we both really enjoyed them with our coffees. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, we both enjoyed the Elite Café and appreciated both the service and its location. It offers a throwback décor and New Orleans cuisine. The popularity of the this restaurant speaks loud and clear, and while a couple dishes were a bit less than expected from a restaurant of this level, we had a wonderful overall experience and will return again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The total bill including four well drinks, tax and tip was $185.50.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/nino-manuel125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Nino Manuel\" title=\"Nino Manuel\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Nino\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Systems Engineer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed The Elite Cafe:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 27, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Only a friend and I went this time, and we went right after work on a Friday night. I called earlier that day to make a reservation for 6:30 PM. We arrived 15 minutes early and were seated right away. We were given a choice to be seated outside, in a booth, or at a regular table. We decided to take the booth. The booth was hard to get into, unless you had twigs for thighs. Once in, we felt isolated from the rest of the restaurant, except with the occasional contact with our waiter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tOur waiter was very helpful, but it was getting to the point that he was starting to get pushy. He would ask us almost every two minutes if we were ready or if he can help us with anything else. Maybe it was our fault, because my friend and I were having a conversation and would glance at the menu from time to time. While looking at the menu, my expectation of the place was getting higher and higher. With a place called “The Elite,” the prices, and names like, “Elite’s Infamous Deviled Eggs,” you’re expecting to be blown away by every item on the menu. My expectation of the place became overly exaggerated. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWe started with a couple of cocktails. My friend had a Ketel One Dirty Martini, while I wanted to try something new, so I tried the Bananas Foster. My friend liked her martini, while I thought I ordered my cocktail too soon. It was sweet and would have served better as a dessert, and it also happened to be on the desert menu. It was dairy-based with three dried banana chips floating on top. It was very banana-e, it was good, but nothing special. The waiter came a couple minutes later, and we started our order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWe ordered Elite’s Infamous Deviled Eggs. You have the option of ordering three, six, or twelve. We ordered the three, and they came on a long narrow serving dish peppered with paprika. I was expecting to be wowed, but I didn’t see anything special with the presentation or the flavor. I’m not saying that the eggs were bad, they were good. They were very creamy and had just the right amount of mustard, and the paprika gave them a nice kick, but I was expecting to be blown away since they were labeled “infamous.” I’ve had better deviled eggs served as hors d’oeuvres at weddings. A couple minutes later, our waiter came back and asked for the rest of our orders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tOur waiter, even though I found him pushy, was very helpful. We had several questions about the menu, and he helped us understand what we were going to order. For her entree, my friend ordered the grilled Niman Ranch pork chop with slow-cooked collard greens, red beans and rice, and caramelized shallot jus, and I ordered the hand-cut tagliatelle with local Dungeness crabmeat, asparagus, and saffron and shrimp sauce. We also ordered the Meetinghouse Biscuits, which gave us the option of four or seven pieces; we ordered the four pieces. We also ordered the fried okra and mashed potatoes. We were given a choice of buttermilk or goat cheese mashed potatoes, and we chose the goat chese. My friend and I complemented our entree with a glass of Hawk Crest Cabernet by Stag’s Leap and Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc respectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tThe biscuits came first, and I was disappointed with the size. I was expecting the typical round biscuits, but these were baked brown, rather than golden brown, and were rectangular. They came with hand-whipped butter, and I took a bite with some butter and I found it surprisingly good. They had a nice sweetness to them, and the shell was nice and crispy while it was light and a bit dense, but not too dense, it was almost creamy inside; it melted in your mouth. The rest of our dishes arrived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My friend’s pork chop was a nice portion. It had a cut of pork and it had a good amount of greens and red beans and rice on the side. I was disappointed with the portion of my entree; I was expecting a bit more for the price. Aside from the portion, the presentation was really nice and clean. The fried okra with a spicy aioli, and the mashed potatoes came along with our entrees. The okra was cut lengthwise and battered lightly. I dipped one and took a bite and I was surprised by its creaminess; it was really good. The mashed potato was also very delicious. My heightened expectation of the place was deservingly put back up there. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I tried my entrée, and my expectation was put back in place. I found it a bit bland and I really had to try to get as much of the sauce in every bite to get some flavor. Unfortunately, I didn’t think there was enough shrimp and saffron sauce. The crab added a bit of texture, but not much flavor. I wasn’t fully disappointed with my dish, but again, for the price I was expecting more. My friend’s dish didn’t fare any better. She gave me a taste, and we pretty much agreed on what we thought about it. The pork chop was excellent; it was moist and tender, although, the greens were undercooked. They still had some toughness to them, and they tried to be fancy with the red beans and rice by adding some sort of mango salsa that they could have left out. We did finish our entrees, but we kept going back to the fried okra and mashed potatoes; we could have ordered seconds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We decided against ordering a second serving of the sides and went for the dessert. We asked for the dessert menu and we were deciding between the beignets with triple espresso bean ice cream and fudge sauce or the Maker’s Mark pecan pie with spiked whipped cream and cinnamon ice cream. We decided on the beignets and were delighted with our selection. I was again surprised with the presentation. The beignets had a darker color than what I’m used to and they were dusted with confectioners’ sugar. We dug into the triple espresso ice cream first and were floored by the flavor. It was probably the best coffee ice cream I’ve had so far. I thought the best way to eat the dessert was to take a piece of the beignet, a portion of the ice cream, and dip it into the fudge sauce. My friend agreed, and we cleaned up the plate, fighting for the last bite of ice cream. It was a nice way to end the meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While we were eating our dessert, the waiter dropped off the check. We took a look and were not too surprised with the total amount, considering the amount of food and drinks we ordered. The total was $137.04. While waiting for our waiter to return our card, my friend and I were observing the atmosphere. I was taking a peek out of our booth and found that the place had gotten more crowded; the concierge had a pack of patrons waiting to be seated. We also commented that I will probably only return on special occasions. We were joking that it’s probably too pricey for a first date place, it’s more fitting for a second anniversary.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The Elite Cafe: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5137\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5091\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp603iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/alexia-smith-payne125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Alexia Smith-Payne\" title=\"Alexia Smith-Payne\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Alexia\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Elections Technician Supervisor\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> The Elite Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed The Elite Cafe:\u003c/strong> Saturday, May 28, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nLove, love, love, The Elite Café! It was recommended to me about five years ago, and I have not been able to stay away. It is located in the upper Fillmore district. The area is filled with a variety of restaurants and boutiques. Parking can be an issue, however, Elite Café does offer valet. The ambiance of this restaurant is super cozy. The walls are lined with private dining booths that come equipped with coat hangers. When going there I highly suggest requesting a booth. This place is drenched in mahogany: a mahogany bar, booths, and floors. The restaurant offers an extensive wine list. The food is always delicious from the starter to dessert. One of my favorite characteristics of Elite Café is the way they add their own unique spin on Southern comfort food. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On my latest visit to Elite Café, our party started with the California Seafood Gumbo, Meetinghouse Biscuits, and “down-home” cornbread. The gumbo is one of my absolute favorite items on the menu. What I enjoy most about the dish is it is the perfect mixture of an authentic New Orleans-style gumbo with California flair. Being a California girl that loves Southern food, I adore this dish. The roux of the gumbo feels very authentic New Orleans. However, the scallops, oysters, and bell peppers feel very California. This dish also includes shrimp and crabmeat. It is filled with seafood; Elite does not skimp on the ingredients. Another item not to be missed: the Meetinghouse Biscuits. These biscuits crumble at the touch and melt in your mouth. My mouth waters at the thought of them. Elite Café offers them frozen to take home too. However, I’ve never done that — I don’t have enough self-control! My main course, the red wine-braised beef brisket, was accompanied by spring green garlic grits and braised greens and fried okra. The beef was seasoned perfectly and so tender I didn’t need to use a knife. The grits were one of my favorites of the plate. I’m not sure why they are called “spring green,” but I do know they were delicious. There was definitely garlic in the taste, but they were not too garlicky, which was nice. I also tasted my honey’s jambalaya. This is another dish that Elite Café added a nice spin to. The jambalaya included duck confit. Duck is not a very common protein to add to jambalaya. This dish was delicious as well. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We ended our evening with freshly made beignets, and espresso ice cream. The dessert was not only beautiful to look at, but it was equally tasty. The light and fluffy beignets tasted as though they were delivered right out of the oven. The espresso ice cream was a great match because it was equally as light. Service was great. We were seated early for our reservation, and the waitress took time to answer all of our questions. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In conclusion, I would highly suggest this restaurant to anyone who enjoys Cajun/Creole food. The prices are not cheap. However, for the level of service and the quality of food that is offered, the price is fair. The Elite Café is one my favorite restaurants in San Francisco for many reasons: great service, great location, consistency, and excellent food. Having dinner at Elite Café is like getting a nice warm hug from someone you love after a long cold day. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/matthew-eshoo125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Matthew Eshoo\" title=\"Matthew Eshoo\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Matthew\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Real Estate Appraiser\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Rohnert Park\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Risibisi Italian Restaurant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>ReviewedThe Elite Cafe:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 27, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nThe Elite Café is located in one the best neighborhoods in all of San Francisco. There is an abundance of unique and upscale retail stores offering hard-to-find and one-of-kind designer clothing and other items. The small restaurant, situated in the heart of this eclectic neighborhood, was constructed in 1928 and, true to its original design, features a lovely Art Deco style. There is no artwork on the wall as to distract one’s eye from the architecture. There are private booths, sidewalk dining, and a nice central bar, as well. My wife Kate and I attended the Elite Café on a Friday night, and the restaurant was bustling. Clearly this is a very popular restaurant, as it was crowded and required near shouting to have a conversation. One couldn’t help but feel transported back in time to the 1940s or 50s. Everyone was excited to be there and having a great time. Unfortunately, my online reservation with Open Table was not transferred to the restaurant, and we were both worried for a bit that we would not be able to get a table. The sweet hostess said she would do her best and get us a table in about 45 minutes. So, I headed over to the bar to order a Citron and tonic for myself, and a dirty martini for the missus. Despite the large crowd, the bartender noticed me within seconds and made two perfect drinks. The two well drinks cost $18.50. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My wife was delighted to taste her drink so quickly. I decided to use the bathrooms, which were unfortunately but understandably, due to the large crowds, unisex. The architecture cried out that these bathrooms should be separate, and Kate, later in the evening after returning from the bathroom, remarked that no lady wants to use a man’s bathroom. When I returned from my trip to the bathroom, the hostess approached us and said that she had a table ready and it was a highly sought after booth, as well. Now that’s excellent service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We settled in to enjoy our New Orleans-style dinner, so I ordered a half dozen oysters, a bowl of mussels, and Kate ordered the crab and artichoke fondue. I honestly felt that the oysters were delicious, but at $3.25 to $3.50 each, they were a bit over priced. The mussels on the other hand, at $11.00, were an exceptional value. This could have been a main course, and I could easily see coming back to the Elite Café just to have this alone. The mussels were served Cajun style with spicy sausages and a saffron broth. Yummy! Kate’s fondue lacked the cheese that one would expect from a fondue, in fact it had surprisingly little cheese, but I liked it. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main courses arrived, and Kate enjoyed the house specialty jambalaya with fresh shrimp and duck confit. This tasted very fresh and hearty. Interestingly, or maybe by accident, it was made with very little rice and served in an iron skillet. I thought the skillet downplayed the dish and assumed it was chosen by tradition. I ordered the Alaskan halibut, and it was served natural-style with little seasoning. It came with crispy polenta that was creamy moist on the inside and also a grilled vegetable ratatouille that, unfortunately, was overpowered by balsamic vinegar and not eaten; a rare event. We also had a side of buttermilk-mashed potatoes, which were light and tasty. These certainly made up for the ratatouille. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dessert we ordered beignets served with coffee ice cream and chocolate sauce. Beignets are a traditional New Orleans dessert, and we both really enjoyed them with our coffees. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, we both enjoyed the Elite Café and appreciated both the service and its location. It offers a throwback décor and New Orleans cuisine. The popularity of the this restaurant speaks loud and clear, and while a couple dishes were a bit less than expected from a restaurant of this level, we had a wonderful overall experience and will return again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The total bill including four well drinks, tax and tip was $185.50.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/nino-manuel125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Nino Manuel\" title=\"Nino Manuel\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Nino\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Systems Engineer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Grand Oaks Restaurant and Sports Lounge\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed The Elite Cafe:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 27, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Only a friend and I went this time, and we went right after work on a Friday night. I called earlier that day to make a reservation for 6:30 PM. We arrived 15 minutes early and were seated right away. We were given a choice to be seated outside, in a booth, or at a regular table. We decided to take the booth. The booth was hard to get into, unless you had twigs for thighs. Once in, we felt isolated from the rest of the restaurant, except with the occasional contact with our waiter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tOur waiter was very helpful, but it was getting to the point that he was starting to get pushy. He would ask us almost every two minutes if we were ready or if he can help us with anything else. Maybe it was our fault, because my friend and I were having a conversation and would glance at the menu from time to time. While looking at the menu, my expectation of the place was getting higher and higher. With a place called “The Elite,” the prices, and names like, “Elite’s Infamous Deviled Eggs,” you’re expecting to be blown away by every item on the menu. My expectation of the place became overly exaggerated. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWe started with a couple of cocktails. My friend had a Ketel One Dirty Martini, while I wanted to try something new, so I tried the Bananas Foster. My friend liked her martini, while I thought I ordered my cocktail too soon. It was sweet and would have served better as a dessert, and it also happened to be on the desert menu. It was dairy-based with three dried banana chips floating on top. It was very banana-e, it was good, but nothing special. The waiter came a couple minutes later, and we started our order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tWe ordered Elite’s Infamous Deviled Eggs. You have the option of ordering three, six, or twelve. We ordered the three, and they came on a long narrow serving dish peppered with paprika. I was expecting to be wowed, but I didn’t see anything special with the presentation or the flavor. I’m not saying that the eggs were bad, they were good. They were very creamy and had just the right amount of mustard, and the paprika gave them a nice kick, but I was expecting to be blown away since they were labeled “infamous.” I’ve had better deviled eggs served as hors d’oeuvres at weddings. A couple minutes later, our waiter came back and asked for the rest of our orders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tOur waiter, even though I found him pushy, was very helpful. We had several questions about the menu, and he helped us understand what we were going to order. For her entree, my friend ordered the grilled Niman Ranch pork chop with slow-cooked collard greens, red beans and rice, and caramelized shallot jus, and I ordered the hand-cut tagliatelle with local Dungeness crabmeat, asparagus, and saffron and shrimp sauce. We also ordered the Meetinghouse Biscuits, which gave us the option of four or seven pieces; we ordered the four pieces. We also ordered the fried okra and mashed potatoes. We were given a choice of buttermilk or goat cheese mashed potatoes, and we chose the goat chese. My friend and I complemented our entree with a glass of Hawk Crest Cabernet by Stag’s Leap and Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc respectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\tThe biscuits came first, and I was disappointed with the size. I was expecting the typical round biscuits, but these were baked brown, rather than golden brown, and were rectangular. They came with hand-whipped butter, and I took a bite with some butter and I found it surprisingly good. They had a nice sweetness to them, and the shell was nice and crispy while it was light and a bit dense, but not too dense, it was almost creamy inside; it melted in your mouth. The rest of our dishes arrived.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My friend’s pork chop was a nice portion. It had a cut of pork and it had a good amount of greens and red beans and rice on the side. I was disappointed with the portion of my entree; I was expecting a bit more for the price. Aside from the portion, the presentation was really nice and clean. The fried okra with a spicy aioli, and the mashed potatoes came along with our entrees. The okra was cut lengthwise and battered lightly. I dipped one and took a bite and I was surprised by its creaminess; it was really good. The mashed potato was also very delicious. My heightened expectation of the place was deservingly put back up there. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I tried my entrée, and my expectation was put back in place. I found it a bit bland and I really had to try to get as much of the sauce in every bite to get some flavor. Unfortunately, I didn’t think there was enough shrimp and saffron sauce. The crab added a bit of texture, but not much flavor. I wasn’t fully disappointed with my dish, but again, for the price I was expecting more. My friend’s dish didn’t fare any better. She gave me a taste, and we pretty much agreed on what we thought about it. The pork chop was excellent; it was moist and tender, although, the greens were undercooked. They still had some toughness to them, and they tried to be fancy with the red beans and rice by adding some sort of mango salsa that they could have left out. We did finish our entrees, but we kept going back to the fried okra and mashed potatoes; we could have ordered seconds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We decided against ordering a second serving of the sides and went for the dessert. We asked for the dessert menu and we were deciding between the beignets with triple espresso bean ice cream and fudge sauce or the Maker’s Mark pecan pie with spiked whipped cream and cinnamon ice cream. We decided on the beignets and were delighted with our selection. I was again surprised with the presentation. The beignets had a darker color than what I’m used to and they were dusted with confectioners’ sugar. We dug into the triple espresso ice cream first and were floored by the flavor. It was probably the best coffee ice cream I’ve had so far. I thought the best way to eat the dessert was to take a piece of the beignet, a portion of the ice cream, and dip it into the fudge sauce. My friend agreed, and we cleaned up the plate, fighting for the last bite of ice cream. It was a nice way to end the meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While we were eating our dessert, the waiter dropped off the check. We took a look and were not too surprised with the total amount, considering the amount of food and drinks we ordered. The total was $137.04. While waiting for our waiter to return our card, my friend and I were observing the atmosphere. I was taking a peek out of our booth and found that the place had gotten more crowded; the concierge had a pack of patrons waiting to be seated. We also commented that I will probably only return on special occasions. We were joking that it’s probably too pricey for a first date place, it’s more fitting for a second anniversary.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nettie’s Crab Shack: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5007\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4954\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp602iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/bob-bjorkquist125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Bob Bjorkquist\" title=\"Bob Bjorkquist\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Bob\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Retired CEO\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Nettie’s Crab Shack\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Nettie’s Crab Shack:\u003c/strong> Thursday, May 19, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nBecause on street parking on Union can be difficult, I tried to time our arrival with the expiration of the parking meters at 6:00. I had to bite the bullet and park in the lot across the street ($10.00 for two hours).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nettie’s has been a regular luncheon venue for me, my wife, and my mother-in-law for almost two years. We have enjoyed the open air setting of the restaurant and the causal, but professional, manner that we have had with each of our visits. But we have been in a rut, ordering the same bill of fare: one house salad, two oyster po’boy sandwiches, and a half carafe of wine. The sandwiches usually contain between four and six oysters and are accompanied by coleslaw and shoestring potatoes. The portion is such that half of the po’boy is boxed for dinner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without exception, we have been greeted by Nettie. I don’t think that she ever goes home. So when we walked in for dinner, she was shocked and inquired if anything was amiss. We sat at our favorite table in the alcove. Our waiter, Nick, offered a choice of still or sparking water. We started with a cocktail and appetizers, which consisted to two stuffed eggs with crab and two crab cakes with homemade shoestring potatoes with rosemary. It was a very nice sampler.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu is the same for lunch and dinner, and there are three to four specials on the chalkboard, in addition to a variety of oysters. Tonight’s specials were grilled squid with fava beans, which I ordered, pan-seared halibut, which my other-in-law ordered, and pan-fried salmon. You have a choice of two sides of the eight options with the entrée. My wife decided on the Mediterranean mussels from Washington. We ordered a bottle of the house Chardonnay, which was Heron from Napa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service was prompt, and we all gave thumbs up on the presentations, portions and quality of the food, especially the mussels. We finished the meal with a large pot of French press coffee and a berry and apricot cobbler, which could have fed four. It was a satisfying dinner experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The only downside to Nettie’s is that the only meat dish is a hamburger, but this is a seafood restaurant, so what do you expect? On the plus side, we took our 20-year-old grandson to lunch, and he said the burger was one of the best he has eaten, and he loved the shoestring potatoes.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/jacob-battersby125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Jacob Battersby\" title=\"Jacob Battersby\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Jacob\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Artist & Independent Music Producer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Dragon Rouge Restaurant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Nettie’s Crab Shack:\u003c/strong> Sunday, May 29, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nNettie’s is a very cute place, tucked away within the heart of busy Union Street. There is a nice little deck out front that has a small bar, perfect for sunny day Bloody Marys and Mimosas. Unfortunately, all the seats outside were taken, so lounging in the sun was not in the cards for me this time around. That being the case, I strolled down the ramp that took me into the main restaurant. The first thing I noticed were the high ceilings and huge skylights which let in a nice, natural, soft light. The layout was very wide-open, which made for a great place to gather friends and have a large gathering, without feeling cramped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I was greeted instantly as I came in, and the staff was very friendly all throughout. After being seated, I ordered a beer, and enjoyed its cool refreshment as the soft colors and warm light got me in a relaxed state. There was a baseball game on the television, and everything was all right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it came time to order, it was a tough decision, but being that I was at a “crab shack,” I had to go for some crab. I ordered the warm crab roll and was not disappointed. It came with a tasty little side salad of pickled okra, cornichons, and carrots, which was surprisingly good. The crab roll itself was fantastic, with generous portions of crab that came in a soft roll, toasted to perfection. The meat was very tender, and complemented nicely by the scallions and butter at the bottom of the roll. When the richness of the crab was too much too take, I would balance it all out with the rosemary shoestring potatoes that came with my dish. With their light saltiness and very crunchy texture, they were the perfect balance to my main course.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I enjoyed Nettie’s, and think that I would even more so if I had a party of friends that were in the mood to crack some crab and have some cocktails. This place is like a slice of Fisherman’s Wharf, minus all of the tourists and hullabaloo; perfect for social gatherings where you would like to have loud conversation and not feel like you are being a bother. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were quite a few dishes on the menu that caught my eye, and I would definitely go back.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/lori-herbert125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Lori Herbert\" title=\"Lori Herbert\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Lori\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Education Technology Innovator\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Walzwerk\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Nettie’s Crab Shack:\u003c/strong> Thursday, May 26, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nMy first venture to Nettie’s Crab Shack was a memorable and surprisingly tasty experience. I went with my husband, his sister, and our brother-in-law, which allowed us all to try a wide range of offerings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We went on a Thursday night and gave up on street parking after circling around the neighborhood several times. Luckily we found a parking garage right across the street from Nettie’s Crab Shack ($10). As we emerged from the garage, Union Street was bustling, but Nettie’s seemed a bit lifeless in comparison to the other nearby restaurants. Fortunately, the interior was more inviting, though a bit sparse. We were warmly welcomed and seated at a table near the bar. Our waiter immediately brought us both still and sparkling water and was very knowledgeable about the menu and specials. There weren’t any off-the-beaten track beer options on the drink menu, but the guys were happy ordering a couple of Anchor Steams, which go so well with seafood. Us gals considered a variety of cocktails with enticing names, but ultimately unappealing ingredient combos, so I settled on ordering a glass of the Kung Fu Girl Riesling, and my sister-in-law had the Prosecco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were a variety of appetizers we all wanted to try, so we started with the Dungeness crab deviled eggs, spring pea soup, and New England clam chowder. My sister-in-law requested the two soups be split into four bowls for easier sharing, and we appreciated how obliging our waiter was. We toasted with our deviled eggs and all savored a simultaneous bite. This was a lovely way to “bait” the tastebuds, as their menu suggests. The soups were also very good and offered very distinct flavors. Us gals preferred the freshness of the spring pea soup, whereas the guys favored the chowder with smoked bacon. My in-laws were impressed with Nettie’s excellent selection of oysters and ordered a half-dozen Beau Soleil , which arrived perfectly chilled with a delicious mignonette.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after the first round of our feast, our main dishes arrived. I had the blackened halibut BLT and have to say that I had no idea what a remarkable treat I was in store for. This extraordinary sandwich came with both a side salad and the rosemary shoestring potatoes. Everything was perfectly seasoned, and the flavor combination was both unique and intoxicatingly good. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My husband had the linguini and clams in a white wine sauce with lemon and garlic. Although he didn’t rave about it, he did make his way through a very generous mound of clams. He did offer me a forkful, which was good, but nothing to rave about. Meanwhile, my in-laws shared the warm Maine lobster roll served with the rosemary shoestring potatoes. Once again, our waiter graciously pre-divided their order on two plates, and they were very happy with the taste of warm lobster combined with the thick, delectable cushions of bread made especially for Nettie’s at a local bakery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You would think we wouldn’t have room for dessert after such a feast, but we couldn’t resist ordering the warm apricot-blueberry cobbler, and the butterscotch pudding. Both were very satisfying and excellent with a cup of coffee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, this was a very positive and pleasant experience, and we will definitely return to Nettie’s Crab Shack every once and while (or whenever that halibut BLT makes its siren call).\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nettie’s Crab Shack: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5007\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4954\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp602iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/bob-bjorkquist125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Bob Bjorkquist\" title=\"Bob Bjorkquist\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Bob\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Retired CEO\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Nettie’s Crab Shack\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Nettie’s Crab Shack:\u003c/strong> Thursday, May 19, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nBecause on street parking on Union can be difficult, I tried to time our arrival with the expiration of the parking meters at 6:00. I had to bite the bullet and park in the lot across the street ($10.00 for two hours).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nettie’s has been a regular luncheon venue for me, my wife, and my mother-in-law for almost two years. We have enjoyed the open air setting of the restaurant and the causal, but professional, manner that we have had with each of our visits. But we have been in a rut, ordering the same bill of fare: one house salad, two oyster po’boy sandwiches, and a half carafe of wine. The sandwiches usually contain between four and six oysters and are accompanied by coleslaw and shoestring potatoes. The portion is such that half of the po’boy is boxed for dinner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without exception, we have been greeted by Nettie. I don’t think that she ever goes home. So when we walked in for dinner, she was shocked and inquired if anything was amiss. We sat at our favorite table in the alcove. Our waiter, Nick, offered a choice of still or sparking water. We started with a cocktail and appetizers, which consisted to two stuffed eggs with crab and two crab cakes with homemade shoestring potatoes with rosemary. It was a very nice sampler.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu is the same for lunch and dinner, and there are three to four specials on the chalkboard, in addition to a variety of oysters. Tonight’s specials were grilled squid with fava beans, which I ordered, pan-seared halibut, which my other-in-law ordered, and pan-fried salmon. You have a choice of two sides of the eight options with the entrée. My wife decided on the Mediterranean mussels from Washington. We ordered a bottle of the house Chardonnay, which was Heron from Napa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service was prompt, and we all gave thumbs up on the presentations, portions and quality of the food, especially the mussels. We finished the meal with a large pot of French press coffee and a berry and apricot cobbler, which could have fed four. It was a satisfying dinner experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The only downside to Nettie’s is that the only meat dish is a hamburger, but this is a seafood restaurant, so what do you expect? On the plus side, we took our 20-year-old grandson to lunch, and he said the burger was one of the best he has eaten, and he loved the shoestring potatoes.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/jacob-battersby125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Jacob Battersby\" title=\"Jacob Battersby\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Jacob\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Artist & Independent Music Producer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Dragon Rouge Restaurant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Nettie’s Crab Shack:\u003c/strong> Sunday, May 29, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nNettie’s is a very cute place, tucked away within the heart of busy Union Street. There is a nice little deck out front that has a small bar, perfect for sunny day Bloody Marys and Mimosas. Unfortunately, all the seats outside were taken, so lounging in the sun was not in the cards for me this time around. That being the case, I strolled down the ramp that took me into the main restaurant. The first thing I noticed were the high ceilings and huge skylights which let in a nice, natural, soft light. The layout was very wide-open, which made for a great place to gather friends and have a large gathering, without feeling cramped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I was greeted instantly as I came in, and the staff was very friendly all throughout. After being seated, I ordered a beer, and enjoyed its cool refreshment as the soft colors and warm light got me in a relaxed state. There was a baseball game on the television, and everything was all right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it came time to order, it was a tough decision, but being that I was at a “crab shack,” I had to go for some crab. I ordered the warm crab roll and was not disappointed. It came with a tasty little side salad of pickled okra, cornichons, and carrots, which was surprisingly good. The crab roll itself was fantastic, with generous portions of crab that came in a soft roll, toasted to perfection. The meat was very tender, and complemented nicely by the scallions and butter at the bottom of the roll. When the richness of the crab was too much too take, I would balance it all out with the rosemary shoestring potatoes that came with my dish. With their light saltiness and very crunchy texture, they were the perfect balance to my main course.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I enjoyed Nettie’s, and think that I would even more so if I had a party of friends that were in the mood to crack some crab and have some cocktails. This place is like a slice of Fisherman’s Wharf, minus all of the tourists and hullabaloo; perfect for social gatherings where you would like to have loud conversation and not feel like you are being a bother. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were quite a few dishes on the menu that caught my eye, and I would definitely go back.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/lori-herbert125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Lori Herbert\" title=\"Lori Herbert\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Lori\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Education Technology Innovator\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Walzwerk\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Nettie’s Crab Shack:\u003c/strong> Thursday, May 26, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nMy first venture to Nettie’s Crab Shack was a memorable and surprisingly tasty experience. I went with my husband, his sister, and our brother-in-law, which allowed us all to try a wide range of offerings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We went on a Thursday night and gave up on street parking after circling around the neighborhood several times. Luckily we found a parking garage right across the street from Nettie’s Crab Shack ($10). As we emerged from the garage, Union Street was bustling, but Nettie’s seemed a bit lifeless in comparison to the other nearby restaurants. Fortunately, the interior was more inviting, though a bit sparse. We were warmly welcomed and seated at a table near the bar. Our waiter immediately brought us both still and sparkling water and was very knowledgeable about the menu and specials. There weren’t any off-the-beaten track beer options on the drink menu, but the guys were happy ordering a couple of Anchor Steams, which go so well with seafood. Us gals considered a variety of cocktails with enticing names, but ultimately unappealing ingredient combos, so I settled on ordering a glass of the Kung Fu Girl Riesling, and my sister-in-law had the Prosecco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were a variety of appetizers we all wanted to try, so we started with the Dungeness crab deviled eggs, spring pea soup, and New England clam chowder. My sister-in-law requested the two soups be split into four bowls for easier sharing, and we appreciated how obliging our waiter was. We toasted with our deviled eggs and all savored a simultaneous bite. This was a lovely way to “bait” the tastebuds, as their menu suggests. The soups were also very good and offered very distinct flavors. Us gals preferred the freshness of the spring pea soup, whereas the guys favored the chowder with smoked bacon. My in-laws were impressed with Nettie’s excellent selection of oysters and ordered a half-dozen Beau Soleil , which arrived perfectly chilled with a delicious mignonette.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after the first round of our feast, our main dishes arrived. I had the blackened halibut BLT and have to say that I had no idea what a remarkable treat I was in store for. This extraordinary sandwich came with both a side salad and the rosemary shoestring potatoes. Everything was perfectly seasoned, and the flavor combination was both unique and intoxicatingly good. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My husband had the linguini and clams in a white wine sauce with lemon and garlic. Although he didn’t rave about it, he did make his way through a very generous mound of clams. He did offer me a forkful, which was good, but nothing to rave about. Meanwhile, my in-laws shared the warm Maine lobster roll served with the rosemary shoestring potatoes. Once again, our waiter graciously pre-divided their order on two plates, and they were very happy with the taste of warm lobster combined with the thick, delectable cushions of bread made especially for Nettie’s at a local bakery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You would think we wouldn’t have room for dessert after such a feast, but we couldn’t resist ordering the warm apricot-blueberry cobbler, and the butterscotch pudding. Both were very satisfying and excellent with a cup of coffee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, this was a very positive and pleasant experience, and we will definitely return to Nettie’s Crab Shack every once and while (or whenever that halibut BLT makes its siren call).\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Walzwerk: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5011\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5017\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4954\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp602iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/lori-herbert125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Lori Herbert\" title=\"Lori Herbert\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Lori\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Education Technology Innovator\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Walzwerk\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Walzwerk:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 13, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nMy husband took me to Walzwerk on our fourth date about eight years ago. At the time, I was a strict vegetarian and a bit worried about what I’d be able to order in an “East German” restaurant, but fortunately Walzwerk has amazing options for vegetarians as well as meat and potato fans. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Walzwerk has since become one of our regular spots since it makes for a great romantic date or a lively feast with friends and out-of-town visitors. We particularly love to go with first-timers since most tend to be pleasantly surprised with the charming, yet unusual ambiance of the place, from the ornate entry door (with the multilingual warning sign that you are leaving the American Sector) to the eastern block tchotchkes and décor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On our most recent visit, we took a friend who was visiting for the weekend who had yet to experience the wonder of Walzwerk. We went on a Friday night, which can be a hectic time to go, but were pleased to find the place lively but not too crowded. If they are busy when you arrive, be prepared to walk through the front dining room and continue to the small, yet cozy, waiting area tucked in behind the bar. Sometimes this nook gets a bit packed, but the night we went, we sat right down and soaked up the atypical atmosphere while waiting for a table in the front window to be prepared for us. As with all other Walzwerk visits, there was a subtle sense of being transported to another place and time — perhaps to a hip, underground restaurant somewhere in Germany or Poland — and stuck in a fascinating inter-era limbo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a short wait, our server led us to our table and then brought us a typical Walzwerk treat — a small plate of canapé — when she came back for our drink order. The guys both asked for the Radeberger Pilsner, which is on draft, and I ordered a glass of Gewurtztraminer. Then we passed around the canapé and agreed that these little finger sandwiches are a simple, savory way to tease the tastebuds while waiting for drinks and appetizers to arrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We then ordered the potato pancakes since they are divine. One order is perfect for three folks to share and just enough to whet the appetite without being too filling before the main course. As usual, they were perfectly crispy on the outside, delectable on the whole, and served with sour cream, chives, and applesauce. Only one potato pancake per person certainly left us craving more, which is a good thing since most Walzwerk entrées come with a generous portion of creamy mashed potatoes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the main course, my friend and I both had the vegetarian schnitzel since I had raved to him about it, and my husband had the chicken breast stuffed with apples and bacon, since that is his absolute favorite item on the menu. As I explained to my friend, the vegetarian schnitzel is an inspired alternative to the traditional schnitzel and swaps out the pork loin for beets, carrots, and cauliflower that are then breaded and served with a homemade gravy (that is freshly innovated every time), mashed potatoes, and a cucumber salad. Though he is not a vegetarian, my friend loved this dish and did not miss having meat with his potatoes. Meanwhile my husband was blissfully enjoying his meal, so we each snuck a fork over to his plate and were impressed with the overall unique flavor combination of the apples, bacon, and cherries with the juicy, tender chicken breast. Last but not least, we ended this excellent meal with a slice of apple strudel, vanilla ice cream, three forks, and satisfied smiles all around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all these years, we, along with our guests, are never disappointed by a trip to Walzwerk. We never get tired of our favorite dishes and we like to explore other aspects of the menu and specials as well. We particularly love to eat at their tiny bar on a busy night and applaud the fun and funky bathroom with its eclectic collection of vinyl album covers and random tchotchkes. Needless to say, Walzwerk is a truly special, eccentric, and memorable restaurant that we will continue to enjoy time and time again.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/bob-bjorkquist125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Bob Bjorkquist\" title=\"Bob Bjorkquist\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Bob\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Retired CEO\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Nettie’s Crab Shack\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Walzwerk:\u003c/strong> Tuesday, May 17, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nWalzwerk takes reservations for four or more, and since there were only three of us we arrived at 6:00 in hopes of being seated immediately. Fortunately, the dining room was half filled. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The waiter, Pascal, was an energetic young man who poured a sample of three white wines. To get in the mood for a German dinner, we decided on a light-bodied wine from Austria. This turned out to be the high point of my evening. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ordered the special appetizer, a potato salad with sausage, which was comprised of large pieces of potato with some pickles and what resembled a ballpark frank. My companions split the house green salad, which was just lettuce. Pascal had disappeared, so Valerie took our entrée orders. I selected the Garlic Roast Pork, which was actually rolled pork that was served at room temperature. My daughter had the jager schnitzel, which covered the entire plate and was good. My mother-in-law ordered the recommended tri-tip sauerbraten, which had the consistency of leather and was drowned in the juice of the cabbage. We finished the dinner with what was billed as homemade apple strudel. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant is small, so the tables are close together, but the noise level was acceptable. There were three wait staff, who worked all of the tables, so we did not have an assigned person. The service was good, and the portions were on the large side, commensurate with the prices. By the time we finished dinner, the place was packed with what appeared to be from the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The atmosphere could be summed up by the three oversized pictures on the wall: Carl Marx, Joseph Lenin, and a third comrade. The “authentic” restaurant could have been located in East Germany before the Berlin Wall came down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of us had been to a German restaurant in over thirty years, and based on this experience, it may be another thirty years. But, if I were to try German food again, I would opt for the sister restaurant, Schmidt’s on Mission, which is up-scaled with a more varied menu with similar pricing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My daughter felt that I was a little harsh, but was generally in agreement with my comments. Maybe it was just an off night, so I decided to read the newspaper critics’ reviews, which were mixed and generally gave the restaurant 2 out of 4 stars (Good). One review from 2011 on Zagat’s site probably summed up my feelings: “When it is good, it is tasty and wholesome. When it is bad it is heavy stodge.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PS: Walzwerk is on Restaurant.com, so the discount made the evening a little more acceptable.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/jacob-battersby125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Jacob Battersby\" title=\"Jacob Battersby\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Jacob\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Artist & Independent Music Producer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Dragon Rouge Restaurant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Walzwerk:\u003c/strong> Saturday, May 21, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nWalzwerk was such a pleasant surprise! I had eaten at Schmidt’s about two weeks previous and, in my opinion, this was ten times better! The service was quick and friendly, and the food was incredible!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I started off with an ice-cold Franziskaner beer as my date and I sat back and appreciated the décor, which both of us agreed transferred us to another country and time. It felt like we had hopped on a plane and arrived in East Berlin, walking into a cozy restaurant filled with warm candles, small intimate tables, soft lighting, and many fun pictures of the surrounding country and its heroes adorning the wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The waitresses were very nice and despite a very busy dinner rush, they were able to get our orders taken fairly quickly while providing kind words and eye contact, which I appreciated very much. The food arrived within ten minutes of our order, which is always a cool thing. The first appetizer was a white bean soup that had pieces of soft smoked pork loin in it! So very tasty and hearty! Loved every bite. The next appetizer was the smoked salmon plate, which came with thinly sliced onion, capers, small pieces of pumpernickel bread, and a very yummy beet salad that had a touch of dill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For our main dish we selected the chicken breast, stuffed with apples and bacon and covered with a light, sun-dried cherry sauce. So good!!! I couldn’t even finish my plate, despite us sharing the entrée! Lots of food, and it was very filling. The flavors were all distinct and pleasurable. It wasn’t the normal kind of food I am used to, and it was quite a special treat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though very full, we pushed on and ordered the chocolate pudding with vanilla sauce. Wow. Yes. Lucky for the “extra dessert chamber” in my stomach, because this stuff was delish and we wanted to enjoy every bite. Not too sweet. Just right. And cool. A cool and tasty way to finish off the night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I loved Walzwerk and would recommend it to anyone as a fun place to dine for an intimate date or for a party of folks who would like to feel displaced and safe…cozy and adventurous…right in their own backyards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What I wouldn’t recommend is a 25-block walk afterwards, up the hills, and to a party on 23rd and Dolores. That’s what we did. Let your food settle first. Yikes.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Lori:\u003c/strong> \"At the time, I was a strict vegetarian and a bit worried about what I’d be able to order in an 'East German' restaurant, but fortunately Walzwerk has amazing options for vegetarians as well as meat and potato fans.\" \r\n\u003cstrong>Bob:\u003c/strong> \"If I were to try German food again, I would opt for the sister restaurant, Schmidt’s on Mission.\"\r\n\u003cstrong>Jacob:\u003c/strong> \"The food arrived within ten minutes of our order, which is always a cool thing.\"",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Walzwerk: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5011\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5017\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4954\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp602iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/lori-herbert125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Lori Herbert\" title=\"Lori Herbert\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Lori\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Education Technology Innovator\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Walzwerk\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Walzwerk:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 13, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nMy husband took me to Walzwerk on our fourth date about eight years ago. At the time, I was a strict vegetarian and a bit worried about what I’d be able to order in an “East German” restaurant, but fortunately Walzwerk has amazing options for vegetarians as well as meat and potato fans. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Walzwerk has since become one of our regular spots since it makes for a great romantic date or a lively feast with friends and out-of-town visitors. We particularly love to go with first-timers since most tend to be pleasantly surprised with the charming, yet unusual ambiance of the place, from the ornate entry door (with the multilingual warning sign that you are leaving the American Sector) to the eastern block tchotchkes and décor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On our most recent visit, we took a friend who was visiting for the weekend who had yet to experience the wonder of Walzwerk. We went on a Friday night, which can be a hectic time to go, but were pleased to find the place lively but not too crowded. If they are busy when you arrive, be prepared to walk through the front dining room and continue to the small, yet cozy, waiting area tucked in behind the bar. Sometimes this nook gets a bit packed, but the night we went, we sat right down and soaked up the atypical atmosphere while waiting for a table in the front window to be prepared for us. As with all other Walzwerk visits, there was a subtle sense of being transported to another place and time — perhaps to a hip, underground restaurant somewhere in Germany or Poland — and stuck in a fascinating inter-era limbo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a short wait, our server led us to our table and then brought us a typical Walzwerk treat — a small plate of canapé — when she came back for our drink order. The guys both asked for the Radeberger Pilsner, which is on draft, and I ordered a glass of Gewurtztraminer. Then we passed around the canapé and agreed that these little finger sandwiches are a simple, savory way to tease the tastebuds while waiting for drinks and appetizers to arrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We then ordered the potato pancakes since they are divine. One order is perfect for three folks to share and just enough to whet the appetite without being too filling before the main course. As usual, they were perfectly crispy on the outside, delectable on the whole, and served with sour cream, chives, and applesauce. Only one potato pancake per person certainly left us craving more, which is a good thing since most Walzwerk entrées come with a generous portion of creamy mashed potatoes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the main course, my friend and I both had the vegetarian schnitzel since I had raved to him about it, and my husband had the chicken breast stuffed with apples and bacon, since that is his absolute favorite item on the menu. As I explained to my friend, the vegetarian schnitzel is an inspired alternative to the traditional schnitzel and swaps out the pork loin for beets, carrots, and cauliflower that are then breaded and served with a homemade gravy (that is freshly innovated every time), mashed potatoes, and a cucumber salad. Though he is not a vegetarian, my friend loved this dish and did not miss having meat with his potatoes. Meanwhile my husband was blissfully enjoying his meal, so we each snuck a fork over to his plate and were impressed with the overall unique flavor combination of the apples, bacon, and cherries with the juicy, tender chicken breast. Last but not least, we ended this excellent meal with a slice of apple strudel, vanilla ice cream, three forks, and satisfied smiles all around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all these years, we, along with our guests, are never disappointed by a trip to Walzwerk. We never get tired of our favorite dishes and we like to explore other aspects of the menu and specials as well. We particularly love to eat at their tiny bar on a busy night and applaud the fun and funky bathroom with its eclectic collection of vinyl album covers and random tchotchkes. Needless to say, Walzwerk is a truly special, eccentric, and memorable restaurant that we will continue to enjoy time and time again.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/bob-bjorkquist125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Bob Bjorkquist\" title=\"Bob Bjorkquist\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Bob\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Retired CEO\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Nettie’s Crab Shack\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Walzwerk:\u003c/strong> Tuesday, May 17, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nWalzwerk takes reservations for four or more, and since there were only three of us we arrived at 6:00 in hopes of being seated immediately. Fortunately, the dining room was half filled. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The waiter, Pascal, was an energetic young man who poured a sample of three white wines. To get in the mood for a German dinner, we decided on a light-bodied wine from Austria. This turned out to be the high point of my evening. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ordered the special appetizer, a potato salad with sausage, which was comprised of large pieces of potato with some pickles and what resembled a ballpark frank. My companions split the house green salad, which was just lettuce. Pascal had disappeared, so Valerie took our entrée orders. I selected the Garlic Roast Pork, which was actually rolled pork that was served at room temperature. My daughter had the jager schnitzel, which covered the entire plate and was good. My mother-in-law ordered the recommended tri-tip sauerbraten, which had the consistency of leather and was drowned in the juice of the cabbage. We finished the dinner with what was billed as homemade apple strudel. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant is small, so the tables are close together, but the noise level was acceptable. There were three wait staff, who worked all of the tables, so we did not have an assigned person. The service was good, and the portions were on the large side, commensurate with the prices. By the time we finished dinner, the place was packed with what appeared to be from the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The atmosphere could be summed up by the three oversized pictures on the wall: Carl Marx, Joseph Lenin, and a third comrade. The “authentic” restaurant could have been located in East Germany before the Berlin Wall came down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of us had been to a German restaurant in over thirty years, and based on this experience, it may be another thirty years. But, if I were to try German food again, I would opt for the sister restaurant, Schmidt’s on Mission, which is up-scaled with a more varied menu with similar pricing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My daughter felt that I was a little harsh, but was generally in agreement with my comments. Maybe it was just an off night, so I decided to read the newspaper critics’ reviews, which were mixed and generally gave the restaurant 2 out of 4 stars (Good). One review from 2011 on Zagat’s site probably summed up my feelings: “When it is good, it is tasty and wholesome. When it is bad it is heavy stodge.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PS: Walzwerk is on Restaurant.com, so the discount made the evening a little more acceptable.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/jacob-battersby125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Jacob Battersby\" title=\"Jacob Battersby\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Jacob\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Artist & Independent Music Producer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Dragon Rouge Restaurant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Walzwerk:\u003c/strong> Saturday, May 21, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nWalzwerk was such a pleasant surprise! I had eaten at Schmidt’s about two weeks previous and, in my opinion, this was ten times better! The service was quick and friendly, and the food was incredible!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I started off with an ice-cold Franziskaner beer as my date and I sat back and appreciated the décor, which both of us agreed transferred us to another country and time. It felt like we had hopped on a plane and arrived in East Berlin, walking into a cozy restaurant filled with warm candles, small intimate tables, soft lighting, and many fun pictures of the surrounding country and its heroes adorning the wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The waitresses were very nice and despite a very busy dinner rush, they were able to get our orders taken fairly quickly while providing kind words and eye contact, which I appreciated very much. The food arrived within ten minutes of our order, which is always a cool thing. The first appetizer was a white bean soup that had pieces of soft smoked pork loin in it! So very tasty and hearty! Loved every bite. The next appetizer was the smoked salmon plate, which came with thinly sliced onion, capers, small pieces of pumpernickel bread, and a very yummy beet salad that had a touch of dill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For our main dish we selected the chicken breast, stuffed with apples and bacon and covered with a light, sun-dried cherry sauce. So good!!! I couldn’t even finish my plate, despite us sharing the entrée! Lots of food, and it was very filling. The flavors were all distinct and pleasurable. It wasn’t the normal kind of food I am used to, and it was quite a special treat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though very full, we pushed on and ordered the chocolate pudding with vanilla sauce. Wow. Yes. Lucky for the “extra dessert chamber” in my stomach, because this stuff was delish and we wanted to enjoy every bite. Not too sweet. Just right. And cool. A cool and tasty way to finish off the night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I loved Walzwerk and would recommend it to anyone as a fun place to dine for an intimate date or for a party of folks who would like to feel displaced and safe…cozy and adventurous…right in their own backyards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dragon Rouge Restaurant: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5001\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4954\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp602iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/jacob-battersby125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Jacob Battersby\" title=\"Jacob Battersby\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Jacob\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Artist & Independent Music Producer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Dragon Rouge Restaurant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Dragon Rouge Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sunday, May 15, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We had a lovely dinner at Dragon Rouge on a lazy Sunday. As always, the food, service, and atmosphere were great. We started off with a delightfully-thirst-quenching Aloe Saketini and then dove right in with the Phantastic Rolls, which is a traditional spring roll (filled with mint, hard-boiled egg, and lettuce) that is wrapped around a fried pork imperial roll, all served with a Sriracha peanut sauce. The soft and crunchy textures blended perfectly, as did the sweet and spicy of the dipping sauce. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We chose the mango salad with grilled chicken as a second course, and it was wonderful. We loved the fried shallots, thin mango slices, mint, cabbage, and the light chili dressing it came with. The hot grilled chicken and crispy shrimp crackers on the side were a perfect accent. Such fun flavors and beautifully presented!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For our main dishes, we chose the catfish claypot and the Bouncing Beef. The catfish came to us bubbling and gorgeously designed with big tender chunks of fish along with broccoli, red and green peppers, garlic, zucchini, and onion in a tasty nuoc mam sauce. This was my favorite dish of the night as it was cold outside and the claypot was very hot and nourishing. Along with the claypot, we had a bowl of coconut rice, which complemented the slight spice of the catfish and vegetables with its soft sweetness. In addition to the fish, we had the always delicious Bouncing Beef, which consists of wok-fired filet mignon cubes lain over a bed of greens and served with a lime-pepper dipping sauce. The meat is so tender and juicy it makes my mouth water thinking of it right now!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dessert we enjoyed fried banana samosas, served with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream and a sprig of fresh mint. It was the perfect amount and just sweet enough. Again, a nice blend of the hot samosas and the cool ice cream. They seem to have the balance game down proper. Very good! \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the things I like about Dragon Rouge is the great music that plays softly, and all of the local art that is displayed on the walls, which I have noticed changes quite frequently. It feels comfortable and friendly, kind of like the town of Alameda that the restaurant is nestled in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After dinner we took a nice walk to the Alameda beach and watched the sun set over San Francisco.\u003cbr>\nIt was a lovely evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/bob-bjorkquist125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Bob Bjorkquist\" title=\"Bob Bjorkquist\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Bob\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Retired CEO\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Nettie’s Crab Shack\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Dragon Rouge Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, June 1, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We arrived a little before 6:00 and we were advised that happy hour extended to 6:00 (two-for-one drinks), so we ordered cocktails. We surveyed the extensive menu and decided that since we were unfamiliar with Vietnamese cuisine, we should try a variety of options. Our waitress, Vera, agreed with us. She had been with the restaurant since it opened in 2006, and you could tell that she enjoyed her work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We started with the Dizzy Dragon Sampler of four rolls, two of which were wrapped and two deep fried. Each was unique and quite good. The timing was perfect to have the second cocktail. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main course was the Dragon Mekong BBQ Meat Platter, which consisted of chicken, pork, shrimp, and mango steak accompanied with noodles. Since my wife prefers veggies, we ordered sides of sautéed vegetables and garlic broccoli. There was enough food to feed four adults.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, we were so full that we passed on dessert. But, the table next to us had the Banana Somosas with ice cream and that looked delicious. One of their entrees was the Sizzling Sea Bass, which looked and smelled equally good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant was very lively and several of the tables included parent(s) with small children. Because of the large and diverse menu, everyone seemed to be enjoying their selections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service was excellent and this was a very good introduction to Vietnamese food. It was an amazing value for the quality and quantity. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/lori-herbert125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Lori Herbert\" title=\"Lori Herbert\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Lori\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Education Technology Innovator\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Walzwerk\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Dragon Rouge Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, June 1, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My husband and I met up with two friends who live in Alameda to check out Dragon Rouge. None of us had heard of this Vietnamese bistro, but we were all enthusiastic to give it a try. It was a Wednesday night, and the restaurant was very relaxed and welcoming when we walked in. There was a sign saying to seat yourself, but one of the servers suggested a table in the front window and quickly prepared it for us. The décor and overall ambiance of the place was warm, clean and contemporary. Our server was very friendly and made many helpful recommendations. We enjoyed exploring the menu and appreciated that Dragon Rouge’s most popular dishes were indicated in bold. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We decided to start with some fried calamari and the Dizzy Dragon sampler, which were both quite tasty and served with multiple dipping sauces. The sampler included both fresh and crispy rolls that each offered unique combinations of flavorful ingredients. Our favorites were the traditional prawn fresh roll with a peanut sauce, and the Dragon Rouge curried potato crispy roll with a sweet and sour sauce. We also ordered some Vietnamese and Thai lagers from their impressive list of local and imported beers. We noticed that their drink menu also included a variety of wines as well as some tempting cocktails, such as the Ginger Basil Drop, that we would definitely sample on a second visit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the main course, we chose top-rated items, such as the Dragon Fire Garlic Noodles with jumbo prawns, the chicken curry with coconut rice, and the lemongrass curry stir-fry with mangoes and steak. My noodles with prawns were remarkably well seasoned with just the right amount of fire (I asked for a 3 on a hotness scale of 1-5). Meanwhile, my friend’s chicken curry was fine, but we certainly did not feel it deserved to be in bold on Dragon Rouge menu. She ended up being more enamored with my dish while I envied the guys’ their choice of the curried steak stir-fry. I almost never eat steak, but just one perfect forkful of the steak with bell pepper, mango, and coconut rice proved to be downright delicious. We all agreed that this dish was the best of the bunch and would highly recommend it to others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We then settled on two desserts to wrap up our meal. The sweet, crispiness of the banana somosas paired very well with vanilla ice cream, and the brownie sundae was fresh out-of-the-oven and topped with coffee ice cream. They were each very satisfying on their own, but we would recommend enjoying these two desserts together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, we left the restaurant happy, and our friends, who live nearby, were already talking about returning sometime soon. Though my husband and I enjoyed this meal, we agreed that we would return if we happened to be in the area, but we wouldn’t make the trek from San Francisco simply to dine at Dragon Rouge.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dragon Rouge Restaurant: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=5001\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4954\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp602iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/jacob-battersby125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Jacob Battersby\" title=\"Jacob Battersby\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Jacob\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Artist & Independent Music Producer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Dragon Rouge Restaurant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Dragon Rouge Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sunday, May 15, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We had a lovely dinner at Dragon Rouge on a lazy Sunday. As always, the food, service, and atmosphere were great. We started off with a delightfully-thirst-quenching Aloe Saketini and then dove right in with the Phantastic Rolls, which is a traditional spring roll (filled with mint, hard-boiled egg, and lettuce) that is wrapped around a fried pork imperial roll, all served with a Sriracha peanut sauce. The soft and crunchy textures blended perfectly, as did the sweet and spicy of the dipping sauce. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We chose the mango salad with grilled chicken as a second course, and it was wonderful. We loved the fried shallots, thin mango slices, mint, cabbage, and the light chili dressing it came with. The hot grilled chicken and crispy shrimp crackers on the side were a perfect accent. Such fun flavors and beautifully presented!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For our main dishes, we chose the catfish claypot and the Bouncing Beef. The catfish came to us bubbling and gorgeously designed with big tender chunks of fish along with broccoli, red and green peppers, garlic, zucchini, and onion in a tasty nuoc mam sauce. This was my favorite dish of the night as it was cold outside and the claypot was very hot and nourishing. Along with the claypot, we had a bowl of coconut rice, which complemented the slight spice of the catfish and vegetables with its soft sweetness. In addition to the fish, we had the always delicious Bouncing Beef, which consists of wok-fired filet mignon cubes lain over a bed of greens and served with a lime-pepper dipping sauce. The meat is so tender and juicy it makes my mouth water thinking of it right now!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dessert we enjoyed fried banana samosas, served with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream and a sprig of fresh mint. It was the perfect amount and just sweet enough. Again, a nice blend of the hot samosas and the cool ice cream. They seem to have the balance game down proper. Very good! \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the things I like about Dragon Rouge is the great music that plays softly, and all of the local art that is displayed on the walls, which I have noticed changes quite frequently. It feels comfortable and friendly, kind of like the town of Alameda that the restaurant is nestled in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After dinner we took a nice walk to the Alameda beach and watched the sun set over San Francisco.\u003cbr>\nIt was a lovely evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/bob-bjorkquist125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Bob Bjorkquist\" title=\"Bob Bjorkquist\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Bob\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Retired CEO\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Nettie’s Crab Shack\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Dragon Rouge Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, June 1, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We arrived a little before 6:00 and we were advised that happy hour extended to 6:00 (two-for-one drinks), so we ordered cocktails. We surveyed the extensive menu and decided that since we were unfamiliar with Vietnamese cuisine, we should try a variety of options. Our waitress, Vera, agreed with us. She had been with the restaurant since it opened in 2006, and you could tell that she enjoyed her work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We started with the Dizzy Dragon Sampler of four rolls, two of which were wrapped and two deep fried. Each was unique and quite good. The timing was perfect to have the second cocktail. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main course was the Dragon Mekong BBQ Meat Platter, which consisted of chicken, pork, shrimp, and mango steak accompanied with noodles. Since my wife prefers veggies, we ordered sides of sautéed vegetables and garlic broccoli. There was enough food to feed four adults.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unfortunately, we were so full that we passed on dessert. But, the table next to us had the Banana Somosas with ice cream and that looked delicious. One of their entrees was the Sizzling Sea Bass, which looked and smelled equally good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant was very lively and several of the tables included parent(s) with small children. Because of the large and diverse menu, everyone seemed to be enjoying their selections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service was excellent and this was a very good introduction to Vietnamese food. It was an amazing value for the quality and quantity. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/lori-herbert125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Lori Herbert\" title=\"Lori Herbert\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Lori\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Education Technology Innovator\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Walzwerk\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Dragon Rouge Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, June 1, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My husband and I met up with two friends who live in Alameda to check out Dragon Rouge. None of us had heard of this Vietnamese bistro, but we were all enthusiastic to give it a try. It was a Wednesday night, and the restaurant was very relaxed and welcoming when we walked in. There was a sign saying to seat yourself, but one of the servers suggested a table in the front window and quickly prepared it for us. The décor and overall ambiance of the place was warm, clean and contemporary. Our server was very friendly and made many helpful recommendations. We enjoyed exploring the menu and appreciated that Dragon Rouge’s most popular dishes were indicated in bold. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We decided to start with some fried calamari and the Dizzy Dragon sampler, which were both quite tasty and served with multiple dipping sauces. The sampler included both fresh and crispy rolls that each offered unique combinations of flavorful ingredients. Our favorites were the traditional prawn fresh roll with a peanut sauce, and the Dragon Rouge curried potato crispy roll with a sweet and sour sauce. We also ordered some Vietnamese and Thai lagers from their impressive list of local and imported beers. We noticed that their drink menu also included a variety of wines as well as some tempting cocktails, such as the Ginger Basil Drop, that we would definitely sample on a second visit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the main course, we chose top-rated items, such as the Dragon Fire Garlic Noodles with jumbo prawns, the chicken curry with coconut rice, and the lemongrass curry stir-fry with mangoes and steak. My noodles with prawns were remarkably well seasoned with just the right amount of fire (I asked for a 3 on a hotness scale of 1-5). Meanwhile, my friend’s chicken curry was fine, but we certainly did not feel it deserved to be in bold on Dragon Rouge menu. She ended up being more enamored with my dish while I envied the guys’ their choice of the curried steak stir-fry. I almost never eat steak, but just one perfect forkful of the steak with bell pepper, mango, and coconut rice proved to be downright delicious. We all agreed that this dish was the best of the bunch and would highly recommend it to others.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We then settled on two desserts to wrap up our meal. The sweet, crispiness of the banana somosas paired very well with vanilla ice cream, and the brownie sundae was fresh out-of-the-oven and topped with coffee ice cream. They were each very satisfying on their own, but we would recommend enjoying these two desserts together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, we left the restaurant happy, and our friends, who live nearby, were already talking about returning sometime soon. Though my husband and I enjoyed this meal, we agreed that we would return if we happened to be in the area, but we wouldn’t make the trek from San Francisco simply to dine at Dragon Rouge.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lovejoy’s Tea Room: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4864\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4881\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4809\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp601iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/dot-adams125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Dot Adams\" title=\"Dot Adams\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Dot\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Nanny\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Lovejoy’s Tea Room\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Lovejoy’s Tea Room:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, May 11, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nI have been going to Lovejoy’s Tea Room for over eight years and have ALWAYS left feeling delightfully full in mind, body, and spirit. There is a marvelous quality of comfort gained from the experience of “taking tea,” and Lovejoy’s quirky décor and their delicious food and, most especially, their stellar service provides the ideal place to practice this longstanding tradition. Their cozy tearoom is filled nostalgically with mismatched china cups and saucers, lace doilies, and a hodgepodge of art on the walls that only helps to create the overall atmosphere of stepping into your favorite auntie’s parlor for tea and scones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The windy grey afternoon I chose to go did not dampen my anticipation for the delights I knew that awaited me. The owner that greeted us warmly and showed my companions and me to an enchanting table nestled in by two super soft sofas. My two friends and I ordered Lovejoy’s Queen’s Tea for three. Our Queen’s Tea came with six sandwiches (from a generous and varied selection), organic green salad, coleslaw, fresh fruit, three scones with double Devon cream, a crumpet with lemon curd, three tea cookies, and a petite four. And for our teas we chose vanilla rooibos, peppermint, and blood orange. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tea arrived first, and we were asked to allow it to steep for a few more minutes. I could hardly wait just smelling their steaming fragrances! Fortunately one of the best parts of taking the time “to tea” is sharing time with your companions at the table. This day we chatted about current affairs, spouses, gossip magazines, and projects we were up to. It was a brilliant way to spend an hour or so in this fast-paced world. The bulk of the tea service came promptly on a three-tiered tray and was thoughtfully explained to us by our waitress. She pointed out the location of our different sandwiches and explained that our crumpets would arrive warm near the end of the meal. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our sandwiches, cut into quaint, crust-less triangles, included the “House Special,” which consisted of sage-infused cheese, turkey, and pear. A combination that was delicious! Also, we really enjoyed the salmon mousse, the egg and onion, and the traditional cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches. My standard favorites though are their roast beef and horseradish and their ham with English mustard. The salad was a fresh organic spring mix with a spicy mustard dressing that I can never get enough of and have asked many times for the recipe, which they have never agreed to give me! Of course, my favorite part of the meal is their scones smeared with double Devon cream. So warm and sweet and not dry like your aunt’s, they are an indulgence that is over-the-top divine! We spent an hour and a half enjoying ourselves, eating, drinking, and talking. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I have shared many tea times at Lovejoy’s with friends and family and have always been treated like a queen!\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/ray-scarabosio125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Ray Scarabosio\" title=\"Ray Scarabosio\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Ray\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Real Estate Manager\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Millbrae\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Lovejoy’s Tea Room:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, May 11, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My first impression was that I was walking into an antique shop. Overstuffed sofas and antique tables and chairs adorned the room with cute signs that said things such as, “reserved for royalty,” “reserved for kings,” etc. The walls are covered with Americana-type crafts. The tearoom was two-thirds full in the afternoon, and there were several parties of six or more and each group was totally buying into the whole afternoon tea theme and everyone was enjoying themselves. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I was asked if I had a reservation and, as my experience continued, I came to understand why. This place gets busy! People were coming in and out to make future reservations for tea parties and get-togethers; they have quite a following! My waitress Luna asked me if this was my first time and when I replied, “Yes,” she walked me through the tea selections. She was very helpful. As I was working my way through the menu, I ordered the savory tea, which came with two tea sandwiches, of which there are 10-15 different choices. I opted for the egg and onion and tomato and cheese. I also ordered two a la carte sausage rolls. Luna pointed out that they are very well known for their scones, so I ordered those, too. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The presentation of the food was formal without being pretentious. Depending on the size of your order, your selections come on tiered crystal serving trays, and the tea is served in fine china teacups, which is a nice touch. The sandwiches were very tasty, and the sausage rolls were warm and tender. I received a quick lesson in how to “take tea,” and it allowed me to enjoy the process. The scones were just remarkable. Having only had scones from Starbucks, I had no idea what a properly made scone was supposed to taste like — let the food coma begin! I dare anyone to finish both of the scones. Presented with the Devonshire cream and preserves, they were just to die for! Luna came by to ask if I was interested in their “sweet tray,” and I had her bring it by. On it were petit fours in a variety of flavors. I went for the orange and milk chocolate, a fine choice! Luna stated that since this was my first time, this one was on the house! A perfect ending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everything here is done tongue-in-cheek, just to reiterate, the more you buy into the program, the more enjoyable the experience. I would recommend it to those who enjoy having tea in a venue that is more authentic than a coffee house or for a gathering of young kids when you want to have a tea party or for those seeking a fun time. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/suzanne-henricksen125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Suzanne Henricksen\" title=\"Suzanne Henricksen\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Suzanne\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Market Researcher\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Saha\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Lovejoy’s Tea Room:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 20, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be honest I wasn’t very excited to try out Lovejoy’s Tea Room, I’m more of a coffee gal, and the few times I’ve driven by Lovejoy’s, it always looked so stuffy. Not really my style when I’m looking to go out and have a good time. That being said, we went with an open mind, especially since the more we asked around, the more good things people had to say about it, which must be why it’s so hard to get a weekend reservation!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Upon walking into Lovejoy’s, you are made to feel like you’ve stepped back in time about sixty years by both the decor and the slightly stuffy smell. There are small tables everywhere that are “Reserved for Royalty,” an eclectic mix of china teacups and plates on every table, and lots of lace. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a welcoming environment, but instead makes you feel the need to act a bit more prim and proper and worry that you may be doing things wrong. I initially thought that the one time I might consider going to a place like this was for my young niece’s birthday celebration or something, but it really doesn’t feel like a very kid-friendly or fun environment, so I’m not sure that I would even do that. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For an early dinner we ordered a pot of one of their special green teas (steeped with toasted rice corn) and two items off of their pub menu. I had their quiche, which had artichokes and cheese in it and was served with a side salad ($8.95). The dressing on the salad was nice, and had a bit of horseradish in it, which I love. The quiche, however, was a big disappointment. I love quiche and often order it out, as I think it’s a good way to judge the quality of food. I look for a quiche to be light and airy and almost melt in your mouth with a crisp, buttery crust. Lovejoy’s quiche was the exact opposite. It was dense and rubbery and had an unappealing thick layer of congealed chewy cheese on top. The crust was really dark; overcooked and crumbly instead of flaky. Definitely not a good quiche! We also tried out a savory beef pastie (kind of like a small pot pie), which came with the same side salad as the quiche. The pastie wasn’t bad but nothing great. It was ground seasoned meat mixed with carrots and peas inside of a flaky crust, much better than the quiche crust. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dessert, our waitress suggested the scones ($12.95 for two, including the pot of cream), which she said they were famous for. We were skeptical since we’ve both had our fair share of really bad scones and hadn’t been impressed with Lovejoy’s food so far, but gave them a go and ended up very glad that we did! They only serve one kind of scone, the traditional raisin scone, and it comes out with clotted cream and preserves. They were warm with a tender, moist center, and a slightly sweet crisp outside, just delicious with the cream and preserves. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We thought we were done, but had one last sweet by splitting a dark chocolate orange petit four ($2.50), which was tasty. On par with what you would expect from a petit four, but a little steep in terms of price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, I was underwhelmed by Lovejoy’s. While the scones were delicious, the rest of the food was sub par at best (especially in such a phenomenal food city!), and the atmosphere was not very relaxing or enjoyable. I don’t see any reason why I would return and, unless I had friends who were seriously into the whole high tea experience, I wouldn’t recommend going to Lovejoy’s Tea Room. I guess you could say, it’s just not my cup of tea…pun intended of course! \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Lovejoy’s Tea Room: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4864\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4881\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4809\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp601iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/dot-adams125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Dot Adams\" title=\"Dot Adams\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Dot\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Nanny\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Lovejoy’s Tea Room\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Lovejoy’s Tea Room:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, May 11, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nI have been going to Lovejoy’s Tea Room for over eight years and have ALWAYS left feeling delightfully full in mind, body, and spirit. There is a marvelous quality of comfort gained from the experience of “taking tea,” and Lovejoy’s quirky décor and their delicious food and, most especially, their stellar service provides the ideal place to practice this longstanding tradition. Their cozy tearoom is filled nostalgically with mismatched china cups and saucers, lace doilies, and a hodgepodge of art on the walls that only helps to create the overall atmosphere of stepping into your favorite auntie’s parlor for tea and scones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The windy grey afternoon I chose to go did not dampen my anticipation for the delights I knew that awaited me. The owner that greeted us warmly and showed my companions and me to an enchanting table nestled in by two super soft sofas. My two friends and I ordered Lovejoy’s Queen’s Tea for three. Our Queen’s Tea came with six sandwiches (from a generous and varied selection), organic green salad, coleslaw, fresh fruit, three scones with double Devon cream, a crumpet with lemon curd, three tea cookies, and a petite four. And for our teas we chose vanilla rooibos, peppermint, and blood orange. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tea arrived first, and we were asked to allow it to steep for a few more minutes. I could hardly wait just smelling their steaming fragrances! Fortunately one of the best parts of taking the time “to tea” is sharing time with your companions at the table. This day we chatted about current affairs, spouses, gossip magazines, and projects we were up to. It was a brilliant way to spend an hour or so in this fast-paced world. The bulk of the tea service came promptly on a three-tiered tray and was thoughtfully explained to us by our waitress. She pointed out the location of our different sandwiches and explained that our crumpets would arrive warm near the end of the meal. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our sandwiches, cut into quaint, crust-less triangles, included the “House Special,” which consisted of sage-infused cheese, turkey, and pear. A combination that was delicious! Also, we really enjoyed the salmon mousse, the egg and onion, and the traditional cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches. My standard favorites though are their roast beef and horseradish and their ham with English mustard. The salad was a fresh organic spring mix with a spicy mustard dressing that I can never get enough of and have asked many times for the recipe, which they have never agreed to give me! Of course, my favorite part of the meal is their scones smeared with double Devon cream. So warm and sweet and not dry like your aunt’s, they are an indulgence that is over-the-top divine! We spent an hour and a half enjoying ourselves, eating, drinking, and talking. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I have shared many tea times at Lovejoy’s with friends and family and have always been treated like a queen!\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/ray-scarabosio125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Ray Scarabosio\" title=\"Ray Scarabosio\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Ray\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Real Estate Manager\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Millbrae\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Lovejoy’s Tea Room:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, May 11, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My first impression was that I was walking into an antique shop. Overstuffed sofas and antique tables and chairs adorned the room with cute signs that said things such as, “reserved for royalty,” “reserved for kings,” etc. The walls are covered with Americana-type crafts. The tearoom was two-thirds full in the afternoon, and there were several parties of six or more and each group was totally buying into the whole afternoon tea theme and everyone was enjoying themselves. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I was asked if I had a reservation and, as my experience continued, I came to understand why. This place gets busy! People were coming in and out to make future reservations for tea parties and get-togethers; they have quite a following! My waitress Luna asked me if this was my first time and when I replied, “Yes,” she walked me through the tea selections. She was very helpful. As I was working my way through the menu, I ordered the savory tea, which came with two tea sandwiches, of which there are 10-15 different choices. I opted for the egg and onion and tomato and cheese. I also ordered two a la carte sausage rolls. Luna pointed out that they are very well known for their scones, so I ordered those, too. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The presentation of the food was formal without being pretentious. Depending on the size of your order, your selections come on tiered crystal serving trays, and the tea is served in fine china teacups, which is a nice touch. The sandwiches were very tasty, and the sausage rolls were warm and tender. I received a quick lesson in how to “take tea,” and it allowed me to enjoy the process. The scones were just remarkable. Having only had scones from Starbucks, I had no idea what a properly made scone was supposed to taste like — let the food coma begin! I dare anyone to finish both of the scones. Presented with the Devonshire cream and preserves, they were just to die for! Luna came by to ask if I was interested in their “sweet tray,” and I had her bring it by. On it were petit fours in a variety of flavors. I went for the orange and milk chocolate, a fine choice! Luna stated that since this was my first time, this one was on the house! A perfect ending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everything here is done tongue-in-cheek, just to reiterate, the more you buy into the program, the more enjoyable the experience. I would recommend it to those who enjoy having tea in a venue that is more authentic than a coffee house or for a gathering of young kids when you want to have a tea party or for those seeking a fun time. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/suzanne-henricksen125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Suzanne Henricksen\" title=\"Suzanne Henricksen\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Suzanne\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Market Researcher\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Saha\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Lovejoy’s Tea Room:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 20, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To be honest I wasn’t very excited to try out Lovejoy’s Tea Room, I’m more of a coffee gal, and the few times I’ve driven by Lovejoy’s, it always looked so stuffy. Not really my style when I’m looking to go out and have a good time. That being said, we went with an open mind, especially since the more we asked around, the more good things people had to say about it, which must be why it’s so hard to get a weekend reservation!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Upon walking into Lovejoy’s, you are made to feel like you’ve stepped back in time about sixty years by both the decor and the slightly stuffy smell. There are small tables everywhere that are “Reserved for Royalty,” an eclectic mix of china teacups and plates on every table, and lots of lace. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a welcoming environment, but instead makes you feel the need to act a bit more prim and proper and worry that you may be doing things wrong. I initially thought that the one time I might consider going to a place like this was for my young niece’s birthday celebration or something, but it really doesn’t feel like a very kid-friendly or fun environment, so I’m not sure that I would even do that. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For an early dinner we ordered a pot of one of their special green teas (steeped with toasted rice corn) and two items off of their pub menu. I had their quiche, which had artichokes and cheese in it and was served with a side salad ($8.95). The dressing on the salad was nice, and had a bit of horseradish in it, which I love. The quiche, however, was a big disappointment. I love quiche and often order it out, as I think it’s a good way to judge the quality of food. I look for a quiche to be light and airy and almost melt in your mouth with a crisp, buttery crust. Lovejoy’s quiche was the exact opposite. It was dense and rubbery and had an unappealing thick layer of congealed chewy cheese on top. The crust was really dark; overcooked and crumbly instead of flaky. Definitely not a good quiche! We also tried out a savory beef pastie (kind of like a small pot pie), which came with the same side salad as the quiche. The pastie wasn’t bad but nothing great. It was ground seasoned meat mixed with carrots and peas inside of a flaky crust, much better than the quiche crust. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dessert, our waitress suggested the scones ($12.95 for two, including the pot of cream), which she said they were famous for. We were skeptical since we’ve both had our fair share of really bad scones and hadn’t been impressed with Lovejoy’s food so far, but gave them a go and ended up very glad that we did! They only serve one kind of scone, the traditional raisin scone, and it comes out with clotted cream and preserves. They were warm with a tender, moist center, and a slightly sweet crisp outside, just delicious with the cream and preserves. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We thought we were done, but had one last sweet by splitting a dark chocolate orange petit four ($2.50), which was tasty. On par with what you would expect from a petit four, but a little steep in terms of price.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, I was underwhelmed by Lovejoy’s. While the scones were delicious, the rest of the food was sub par at best (especially in such a phenomenal food city!), and the atmosphere was not very relaxing or enjoyable. I don’t see any reason why I would return and, unless I had friends who were seriously into the whole high tea experience, I wouldn’t recommend going to Lovejoy’s Tea Room. I guess you could say, it’s just not my cup of tea…pun intended of course! \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4872\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4809\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp601iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/ray-scarabosio125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Ray Scarabosio\" title=\"Ray Scarabosio\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Ray\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Real Estate Manager\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Millbrae\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 19, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nThe place was crowded, so we waited at the bar and had a wonderful margarita. After a short, five-minute wait, we were seated on the newly expanded side. The entire restaurant is filled with authentic Mexican as well as San Francisco artwork and artifacts, all of which the owner, Isaac, is happy to tell you about. The restaurant was full at the time, and the atmosphere was jovial — helped by the background music — while the aromas from the kitchen were enticing. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We ordered our food and awaited our culinary trip through Mexico. The queso fundido was a gooey mix of cheeses, spices, tomatoes, onions and parsley: yum, yum, yum! The handmade guacamole was so fresh and green its taste exploded in your mouth. Our main courses arrived at a good pace after the appetizers were done. The crab enchilada with chile verde sauce was outstanding with the obviously fresh crab as the centerpiece of the dish. All of the accompaniments complemented the crab and didn’t overwhelm it like in some restaurants, and it was a dish that was craved by all. The pulled chicken enchilada ranchero was moist and succulent, the spices gave new meaning to the word “tasty.” Again, there was just enough to make the dish tasty without diverting from the taste of the chicken. The pork chile ranchero was just to die for. The sauce was a combination of several sauces that allowed the taste of the pork to shine through, yet still allow the spices to assail your taste buds. It was wonderful by itself or wrapped in the wonderful flour tortillas, and it was my favorite dish that night. The dessert of beignets with fresh whipped cream and cinnamon just sealed the deal on a wonderful meal! \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were lucky enough to have the owner Isaac come by our table. When we told him about the dishes that we had and how we had enjoyed them, he explained how he chooses from over 20 different sauces to arrive at the flavors that are achieved from his kitchen. You could tell he takes pride in what he produces. The service was timely and very helpful. This is truly a family run restaurant with 80% of the staff being related, and they all take satisfaction in providing an excellent finished product. Parking can be tough at times, but it is well worth the effort. We have been here many times and not only will we continue to return, but we will recommend it to others.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/dot-adams125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Dot Adams\" title=\"Dot Adams\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Dot\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Nanny\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Lovejoy’s Tea Room\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria:\u003c/strong> Tuesday, May 17, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro had some good dishes, it did not impress my husband and I enough to warrant the drive out to San Bruno for another visit. To be fair we are a bit spoiled by living next to the Mission in San Francisco. We did loved the vibe of the place though — a family restaurant that seemed to come straight out of my husband’s childhood in LA. He felt warm and fuzzy remembering nights out with his folks and brother in places with much the same décor as Don Pico’s. I liked it because it had two sides to it. The room you enter has a very casual feel to it, and the other room, the bigger room, has live music. We chose the live music room, and I’m glad we did. It certainly enhanced the evening, though at times it sounded a bit corny. We were both were struck with the artwork on the walls. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service was a little uneven at times. They showed us to a nice table and gave us some chips and salsa. Careful of their salsa! It is HOT! I wanted to eat more of it, but I had to ask if they had a milder version. The waiter poked a little fun by saying he knew it would be too hot for me. He did say he would get me a tamer salsa but he actually never did bring it to me. After awhile another person came over to see if we wanted more chips, and I asked him if he could hook us up with a milder salsa. It did eventually arrive and was filled with fresh veggies and perfect. We also asked a few of the people working there if they knew the artist of a particular set of paintings we admired while we were eating and no one knew. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We ordered two margaritas with salt and thought they tasted like a mix. We liked the appetizer we had. The ginger pork empanadas were fried so they had a nice crispy texture with a good stuffing of pork and ginger. The best part of the meal was definitely my selection of Don Pico’s Specialties’ Tacos de Pescado (two bacon-crusted fish tacos with salsa fresca) and rice and beans. These were super yummy and the rice was especially good. I tried my husband’s dish, tampiquena (a grilled skirt steak) and that was delicious too. We did not order desserts. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At times the dinning experience was inconsistent, but the food overall was tasty.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/suzanne-henricksen125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Suzanne Henricksen\" title=\"Suzanne Henricksen\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Suzanne\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Market Researcher\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Saha\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, May 18, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nChristian and I love Mexican food, so we were excited to venture out to San Bruno and try out Don Pico’s, especially when we read that it has been around since 1975 and attempts to use the freshest produce and highest quality meat available. I took a 45-minute BART ride to get there while Christian drove; a bit far for a normal dinner out. Upon arriving at Don Pico’s we were a bit skeptical. It was on a busy road in a strip mall-like setting with neon signs in the windows. Walking through the front door we didn’t get the expected overdone and exaggerated Mexican decor but instead found ourselves in an eclectically designed bar/lounge-like setting. The nice wall-sized windows let in a lot of afternoon light, allowing us to see a beautifully colored bull fighting mural covering one wall, a large clean bar area, and bright blue upholstered booths for seating. There was also a separate seating area in a different room, which I believe is the original Don Pico’s space, but it was a bit darker and had a dingier feeling, so we opted to dine in the lounge setting that I think was just added this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since it was only 5:20, we were only one of about four tables, so the service was attentive from the start, bringing waters and taking our drink and appetizer orders right away. I got a margarita and some handmade guacamole ($6.95) to go along with the free chips and salsa that they had brought over. I love spicy food, but the free salsa, while fresh, was extremely hot. It was so spicy that it had me coughing and choking with my first bite, so I would have appreciated a slightly milder version to go along with my chips (although this spicy version was good to combine with the somewhat bland guacamole). The chips were nice and thick and crispy, but not too greasy. My margarita was quite tasty and had a nice kick to it without being too acidic or sweet. However, I found it to be a bit small for the $7.50 price, and while I love salt on my margarita rim, it was coated a bit too thickly, so I found myself having to lick a bit off but then drink from the straw in order to not be overwhelmed with saltiness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While we waited for our entrees we enjoyed reading the history of Don Pico’s on the front of the menu but were then shocked to find out that it is in fact a cevicheria. We love ceviche, but hadn’t seen any on the menu, if we had we definitely would have ordered that instead of the guacamole. When we asked the waiter about it, he told us that they don’t actually put the ceviche dishes on the menu and instead you just have to ask. A bit of a strange choice if you’re going to call yourself a cevicheria! Before we had time to be too upset by our oversight, my carnitas Yucatan ($15.95) and Christian’s homemade chile verde ($14.95) arrived. They came out so quickly that most things must not be cooked to order. Both were served with rather bland rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, and your typical refried beans. I say “typical,” but they were yummy, although I’ve never met a refried bean I haven’t liked! While my carnitas were good, they weren’t anything exceptional, but the chunks of pork in Christian’s chile verde were extremely tender, and the sauce, while mild, was nicely flavored. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While we were feeling quite full, Christian is a huge flan aficionado so we couldn’t pass up the chance to try Herlinda’s Homemade Flan. Except for the fact that they were out of all flan. How can a Mexican place have five different flan desserts and be out of all of them? On a Wednesday when the weekly food surplus should be nice and high before the weekend rush? On a Saturday at 9 PM, I would understand being out of something this central, but on a Wednesday at 6 PM? Disappointing. We should have just skipped dessert after that but we persisted and tried the pastel de tres leches ($6.95). While I kind of liked the soaked, soggy texture of the cake, it was overly sweet for me (frosting and whip cream?!) and definitely not homemade. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So overall, I would give Don Pico’s a “good, but not great” rating. I like the long-standing history and idea of Don Pico’s, the atmosphere is kind of fun, and the food and service are decent, but I likely wouldn’t go back or encourage friends to try it out unless they happened to be right in the area. While $60 for dinner for two in the Bay Area certainly isn’t bad, I think you can get higher quality (and likely healthier) food for that amount of money elsewhere or the same quality Mexican food for much cheaper. With all of the tasty and affordable Mexican food right here in the Mission District in San Francisco, I likely won’t be returning to Don Pico’s anytime soon. Decent Mexican food, but really not a great value or worth the hassle of getting there.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4872\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4809\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp601iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/ray-scarabosio125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Ray Scarabosio\" title=\"Ray Scarabosio\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Ray\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Real Estate Manager\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Millbrae\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria:\u003c/strong> Friday, May 19, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nThe place was crowded, so we waited at the bar and had a wonderful margarita. After a short, five-minute wait, we were seated on the newly expanded side. The entire restaurant is filled with authentic Mexican as well as San Francisco artwork and artifacts, all of which the owner, Isaac, is happy to tell you about. The restaurant was full at the time, and the atmosphere was jovial — helped by the background music — while the aromas from the kitchen were enticing. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We ordered our food and awaited our culinary trip through Mexico. The queso fundido was a gooey mix of cheeses, spices, tomatoes, onions and parsley: yum, yum, yum! The handmade guacamole was so fresh and green its taste exploded in your mouth. Our main courses arrived at a good pace after the appetizers were done. The crab enchilada with chile verde sauce was outstanding with the obviously fresh crab as the centerpiece of the dish. All of the accompaniments complemented the crab and didn’t overwhelm it like in some restaurants, and it was a dish that was craved by all. The pulled chicken enchilada ranchero was moist and succulent, the spices gave new meaning to the word “tasty.” Again, there was just enough to make the dish tasty without diverting from the taste of the chicken. The pork chile ranchero was just to die for. The sauce was a combination of several sauces that allowed the taste of the pork to shine through, yet still allow the spices to assail your taste buds. It was wonderful by itself or wrapped in the wonderful flour tortillas, and it was my favorite dish that night. The dessert of beignets with fresh whipped cream and cinnamon just sealed the deal on a wonderful meal! \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were lucky enough to have the owner Isaac come by our table. When we told him about the dishes that we had and how we had enjoyed them, he explained how he chooses from over 20 different sauces to arrive at the flavors that are achieved from his kitchen. You could tell he takes pride in what he produces. The service was timely and very helpful. This is truly a family run restaurant with 80% of the staff being related, and they all take satisfaction in providing an excellent finished product. Parking can be tough at times, but it is well worth the effort. We have been here many times and not only will we continue to return, but we will recommend it to others.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/dot-adams125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Dot Adams\" title=\"Dot Adams\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Dot\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Nanny\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Lovejoy’s Tea Room\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria:\u003c/strong> Tuesday, May 17, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro had some good dishes, it did not impress my husband and I enough to warrant the drive out to San Bruno for another visit. To be fair we are a bit spoiled by living next to the Mission in San Francisco. We did loved the vibe of the place though — a family restaurant that seemed to come straight out of my husband’s childhood in LA. He felt warm and fuzzy remembering nights out with his folks and brother in places with much the same décor as Don Pico’s. I liked it because it had two sides to it. The room you enter has a very casual feel to it, and the other room, the bigger room, has live music. We chose the live music room, and I’m glad we did. It certainly enhanced the evening, though at times it sounded a bit corny. We were both were struck with the artwork on the walls. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service was a little uneven at times. They showed us to a nice table and gave us some chips and salsa. Careful of their salsa! It is HOT! I wanted to eat more of it, but I had to ask if they had a milder version. The waiter poked a little fun by saying he knew it would be too hot for me. He did say he would get me a tamer salsa but he actually never did bring it to me. After awhile another person came over to see if we wanted more chips, and I asked him if he could hook us up with a milder salsa. It did eventually arrive and was filled with fresh veggies and perfect. We also asked a few of the people working there if they knew the artist of a particular set of paintings we admired while we were eating and no one knew. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We ordered two margaritas with salt and thought they tasted like a mix. We liked the appetizer we had. The ginger pork empanadas were fried so they had a nice crispy texture with a good stuffing of pork and ginger. The best part of the meal was definitely my selection of Don Pico’s Specialties’ Tacos de Pescado (two bacon-crusted fish tacos with salsa fresca) and rice and beans. These were super yummy and the rice was especially good. I tried my husband’s dish, tampiquena (a grilled skirt steak) and that was delicious too. We did not order desserts. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At times the dinning experience was inconsistent, but the food overall was tasty.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/suzanne-henricksen125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Suzanne Henricksen\" title=\"Suzanne Henricksen\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Suzanne\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Market Researcher\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Saha\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, May 18, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nChristian and I love Mexican food, so we were excited to venture out to San Bruno and try out Don Pico’s, especially when we read that it has been around since 1975 and attempts to use the freshest produce and highest quality meat available. I took a 45-minute BART ride to get there while Christian drove; a bit far for a normal dinner out. Upon arriving at Don Pico’s we were a bit skeptical. It was on a busy road in a strip mall-like setting with neon signs in the windows. Walking through the front door we didn’t get the expected overdone and exaggerated Mexican decor but instead found ourselves in an eclectically designed bar/lounge-like setting. The nice wall-sized windows let in a lot of afternoon light, allowing us to see a beautifully colored bull fighting mural covering one wall, a large clean bar area, and bright blue upholstered booths for seating. There was also a separate seating area in a different room, which I believe is the original Don Pico’s space, but it was a bit darker and had a dingier feeling, so we opted to dine in the lounge setting that I think was just added this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since it was only 5:20, we were only one of about four tables, so the service was attentive from the start, bringing waters and taking our drink and appetizer orders right away. I got a margarita and some handmade guacamole ($6.95) to go along with the free chips and salsa that they had brought over. I love spicy food, but the free salsa, while fresh, was extremely hot. It was so spicy that it had me coughing and choking with my first bite, so I would have appreciated a slightly milder version to go along with my chips (although this spicy version was good to combine with the somewhat bland guacamole). The chips were nice and thick and crispy, but not too greasy. My margarita was quite tasty and had a nice kick to it without being too acidic or sweet. However, I found it to be a bit small for the $7.50 price, and while I love salt on my margarita rim, it was coated a bit too thickly, so I found myself having to lick a bit off but then drink from the straw in order to not be overwhelmed with saltiness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While we waited for our entrees we enjoyed reading the history of Don Pico’s on the front of the menu but were then shocked to find out that it is in fact a cevicheria. We love ceviche, but hadn’t seen any on the menu, if we had we definitely would have ordered that instead of the guacamole. When we asked the waiter about it, he told us that they don’t actually put the ceviche dishes on the menu and instead you just have to ask. A bit of a strange choice if you’re going to call yourself a cevicheria! Before we had time to be too upset by our oversight, my carnitas Yucatan ($15.95) and Christian’s homemade chile verde ($14.95) arrived. They came out so quickly that most things must not be cooked to order. Both were served with rather bland rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, and your typical refried beans. I say “typical,” but they were yummy, although I’ve never met a refried bean I haven’t liked! While my carnitas were good, they weren’t anything exceptional, but the chunks of pork in Christian’s chile verde were extremely tender, and the sauce, while mild, was nicely flavored. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While we were feeling quite full, Christian is a huge flan aficionado so we couldn’t pass up the chance to try Herlinda’s Homemade Flan. Except for the fact that they were out of all flan. How can a Mexican place have five different flan desserts and be out of all of them? On a Wednesday when the weekly food surplus should be nice and high before the weekend rush? On a Saturday at 9 PM, I would understand being out of something this central, but on a Wednesday at 6 PM? Disappointing. We should have just skipped dessert after that but we persisted and tried the pastel de tres leches ($6.95). While I kind of liked the soaked, soggy texture of the cake, it was overly sweet for me (frosting and whip cream?!) and definitely not homemade. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So overall, I would give Don Pico’s a “good, but not great” rating. I like the long-standing history and idea of Don Pico’s, the atmosphere is kind of fun, and the food and service are decent, but I likely wouldn’t go back or encourage friends to try it out unless they happened to be right in the area. While $60 for dinner for two in the Bay Area certainly isn’t bad, I think you can get higher quality (and likely healthier) food for that amount of money elsewhere or the same quality Mexican food for much cheaper. With all of the tasty and affordable Mexican food right here in the Mission District in San Francisco, I likely won’t be returning to Don Pico’s anytime soon. Decent Mexican food, but really not a great value or worth the hassle of getting there.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Saha: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4875\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4878\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4809\">full episode video\u003c/a> |\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp601iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" title=\"Suzanne Henricksen\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/suzanne-henricksen125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Suzanne Henricksen\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Suzanne\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Market Researcher\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Saha\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Saha:\u003c/strong> Saturday, May 21, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr>While I’ve been to Saha many times before, this was one of the few times that we went on a busy weekend night. Excited to introduce two of our good friends to Saha, we met for dinner on a Saturday at 7:30 PM and were immediately shown to our table in the warmly lit, inviting dining room. Since my last visit, I was disappointed to notice that they had taken down many of the beautiful tapestries that covered most of the ceiling, leaving only a few in the corners. They used to lend such an intimate feel to the space, but now it feels a bit more basic and not quite as well thought out. My friend guessed it was likely a fire-code issue with all of the candles. Either way, it’s too bad they’ve been taken down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dinner we decided to split a bottle of California Syrah and split a few dishes for the table. We started with the soup du jour, which was a shrimp bisque ($6), and the large fattoush salad ($12). The bisque was delicious and was inhaled by one of our friends in a flash. The salad was great for sharing due to its size, as our server had indicated, and it was actually pretty similar in style and flavor to a Greek salad, which was a bit unexpected for an Arabic fusion restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We then shared two small plates: one of our favorites, lahem sougar ($13), and one that we hadn’t tried before, fasolia tagine ($12). As always, the lahem sougar was a hit with tender chunks of lamb on top of deliciously seasoned hummus and babaganoush and garnished with toasted pine nuts. The spicy hot harissa served on the side was also quite popular with our table. The fasolia tagine was a great vegetarian dish: tender giant white beans with truffle oil and fried goat cheese, yum!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For our entrees, we shared the classic North African Couscous Royale ($25) and the siyadiyeh ($21). The couscous royale had chicken, braised lamb, and fresh merguez sausage, and the whole dish was delicious, but the merguez sausage was really amazing. The siyadiyeh was braised local short ribs served over Yemeni noodles. The short ribs were so deliciously tender and the ragu had tones of cinnamon, which we all just loved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lastly, we satisfied our sweet tooths with the Slap Ya Mama ($9), bisbusa ($7) and Dulce Picchu ($9) desserts. Our friends had read a lot about the Slap Ya Mama from previous diners and it did not disappoint! It was a baked phyllo pouch of goodness with roasted fruit, almond marzipan, and chocolate oozing from inside. The bisbusa was a traditional Yemeni cake served with passion fruit gelato. The cake had a very mild taste and an interesting texture. It reminded me a bit of what a couscous or oatmeal cake might be like. The passion fruit gelato was a bit random alongside it, but it was from Ciao Bella up the street, so it was definitely yummy. Lastly was the Dulce Picchu, which was the favorite for half the table (with the other half favoring the Slap Ya Mama). It was a gorgeous, crisp chocolate pyramid with dulce de leche and cream in an almost cheesecake consistency inside. Decadent and delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, Saha remains one of our favorites after this visit. Our friends thought the food was delicious and they’re a bit of a tough crowd, so that made us happy! The high-quality authentic Arabic fusion cuisine with fantastic vegetarian and vegan options will keep us coming back and introducing our friends to Saha or years to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" title=\"Dot Adams\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/dot-adams125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Dot Adams\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Dot\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Nanny\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Lovejoy’s Tea Room\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Saha:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, May 18, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saha, for me and my group of friends, was a fantastic evening filled with amazing flavors, most blended to perfection. We were a party of eight, and they had no problem accommodating a seven o’clock reservation on a weekday. It was a little tricky finding the restaurant as it’s in a hotel, but as soon as you enter into Saha’s space you know you’re in the right place. The paper lanterns, scarves hanging down from the ceiling, artwork with knitted crafted frames, and the furnishings all hinted at a Middle Eastern sensibility, but the mini castle by the kitchen and the nearby wall of circles of every size made it playful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because I was with a good-sized group, I was able to enjoy a large variety of Saha’s small dishes and, except for a couple of slight misses, they were delicious. Our server, Jennifer, was fantastic! She expertly managed my friends and me thoughtfully and with grace. We started with an assortment of Saha’s small plates, a couple of salads, and a lovely and aromatic lavender and cauliflower soup. For salads, we ordered the green salad (so fresh) and without even tasting the stuffed avocado salad Jennifer brought to us, I immediately ordered another one because it just looked so good. However, a friend at the table was underwhelmed by it. Someone at our table voiced some skepticism about the wild salmon baklava (my absolute favorite of the night) because it seemed too unusual, but they were “blown away” by Saha’s ability to turn a well-known Middle Eastern dessert into a beautifully layered and wonderfully textured savory dish. And the dishes just kept coming: Ten Crust Pizza with Beef (crispy and tasty), vegan knaffe (a cool way to use phyllo dough), and lahem sougar (melt in your mouth lamb with a smoky baba ghanoush) which was a winner for everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our group also chose to share our entrées, and so I tasted the lamb tagine (a sweet harmony of spices), sage duck (least favorite, just not a duck fan) and Yemen’s national dish: helba and pita (a lamb, beef, and veggies combo with broth that was hearty, but was just a bit too salty for me). And despite being so full it hurt, we went on to share some desserts as well. We ordered Slap Yo Mamma just for the name of it (roasted fruit, dates, almond marzipan, and chocolate wrapped in phyllo and baked), kanafeh (another classic Middle Eastern dessert and worth the fifteens minutes it takes to prepare), and bisbusa (a Yemen cake with yummy syrup).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the course of the meal, I ordered first a white wine, Shannon Ridge’s Sauvignon Blanc, and then Jennifer recommended a Petit Sirah for the main dishes that I liked. My friends and I had a great evening sharing amazing food at Saha’s. We cleared every plate.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" title=\"Ray Scarabosio\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/ray-scarabosio125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Ray Scarabosio\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Ray\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Real Estate Manager\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Millbrae\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Saha:\u003c/strong> Tuesday, May 17, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr>Located in the Hotel Carlton, the restaurant was a little challenging to find. Once you make your way through the lobby and you enter the restaurant, the first thing you sense is the wonderful smell wafting from the room of the many spices that are a staple of Arabic cuisine. We caught the restaurant on a somewhat busy night, so we waited for five minutes while the two waitresses figured out where to put us. Alas, we were seated at the table right next to the entry door, not a favored location. The décor tries to recreate a Middle Eastern feel, and comes close to doing so. There are tapestry-like fabrics flowing from the ceiling, and the tables and chairs are a bold contrast of dark wood and deep red. The restaurant has twenty tables of varying sizes to hold parties of two to ten. The noise level within the room is quite loud, and between the background eclectic music that did not fit the restaurant and the overall loudness of the fellow patrons, this is NOT a place for intimate conversation when the restaurant is full.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our waitress did not pick up on the fact that this was not only our first time to this restaurant but also our first time with this cuisine style. We ordered five appetizers and two main courses, and she neither made recommendations (even though I played dumb) nor stated whether this was too much food. After she took our food and drink orders, we were basically left alone for fifteen minutes, no bread, no drinks. Ah, but when the food arrived, it was worth the wait! The crab-stuffed artichoke was wonderfully simplistic, even though it looked complicated. The spices in the sauce were a wonderful complement to the succulent crab, and the phyllo dough was light and airy. The kofta, which was ground lamb and beef sausage, was superb. It was served with Armenian salsa that had a great kick to it. The salmon baklava was prepared perfectly and was enjoyed by the table. The malfoof was an interesting dish choice. It is potato-based and wrapped in phyllo with herbs and spices, but in the end, it is just average. The beef kibbeh was truly uninspired, it was basically a deep-fried ground beef roll. When the sauce is better than the dish, you know you are in trouble. I would not order again. Our main dishes arrived shortly thereafter. The helba and pita with lamb and ground beef was very, very tasty! The dish reminded us of goulash or heavy stew. The succulent pieces of lamb, beef, and potatoes just made this dish scream, “Eat me!” The pita bread was, quite simply, superb! Definitely a home run. The orange chicken was so moist you could cut it with your fork, the sauce was an attack on your senses of orange, cinnamon, cumin, oh my! Great dish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dessert was the passion fruit gelato, which was more like a sorbet and a huge portion at that; warm chocolate cake made with such bittersweet chocolate that it was almost inedible; and the Dulce Picchu, which was a pyramid-shaped milk chocolate and cake dessert that was very scrumptious. The restaurant is on the expensive side, and service was hit or miss. There are lots of wonderful taste levels, but it is not for young kids or those that have an unrefined palate.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Saha: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4875\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4878\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4809\">full episode video\u003c/a> |\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp601iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" title=\"Suzanne Henricksen\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/suzanne-henricksen125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Suzanne Henricksen\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Suzanne\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Market Researcher\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Saha\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Saha:\u003c/strong> Saturday, May 21, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr>While I’ve been to Saha many times before, this was one of the few times that we went on a busy weekend night. Excited to introduce two of our good friends to Saha, we met for dinner on a Saturday at 7:30 PM and were immediately shown to our table in the warmly lit, inviting dining room. Since my last visit, I was disappointed to notice that they had taken down many of the beautiful tapestries that covered most of the ceiling, leaving only a few in the corners. They used to lend such an intimate feel to the space, but now it feels a bit more basic and not quite as well thought out. My friend guessed it was likely a fire-code issue with all of the candles. Either way, it’s too bad they’ve been taken down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dinner we decided to split a bottle of California Syrah and split a few dishes for the table. We started with the soup du jour, which was a shrimp bisque ($6), and the large fattoush salad ($12). The bisque was delicious and was inhaled by one of our friends in a flash. The salad was great for sharing due to its size, as our server had indicated, and it was actually pretty similar in style and flavor to a Greek salad, which was a bit unexpected for an Arabic fusion restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We then shared two small plates: one of our favorites, lahem sougar ($13), and one that we hadn’t tried before, fasolia tagine ($12). As always, the lahem sougar was a hit with tender chunks of lamb on top of deliciously seasoned hummus and babaganoush and garnished with toasted pine nuts. The spicy hot harissa served on the side was also quite popular with our table. The fasolia tagine was a great vegetarian dish: tender giant white beans with truffle oil and fried goat cheese, yum!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For our entrees, we shared the classic North African Couscous Royale ($25) and the siyadiyeh ($21). The couscous royale had chicken, braised lamb, and fresh merguez sausage, and the whole dish was delicious, but the merguez sausage was really amazing. The siyadiyeh was braised local short ribs served over Yemeni noodles. The short ribs were so deliciously tender and the ragu had tones of cinnamon, which we all just loved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lastly, we satisfied our sweet tooths with the Slap Ya Mama ($9), bisbusa ($7) and Dulce Picchu ($9) desserts. Our friends had read a lot about the Slap Ya Mama from previous diners and it did not disappoint! It was a baked phyllo pouch of goodness with roasted fruit, almond marzipan, and chocolate oozing from inside. The bisbusa was a traditional Yemeni cake served with passion fruit gelato. The cake had a very mild taste and an interesting texture. It reminded me a bit of what a couscous or oatmeal cake might be like. The passion fruit gelato was a bit random alongside it, but it was from Ciao Bella up the street, so it was definitely yummy. Lastly was the Dulce Picchu, which was the favorite for half the table (with the other half favoring the Slap Ya Mama). It was a gorgeous, crisp chocolate pyramid with dulce de leche and cream in an almost cheesecake consistency inside. Decadent and delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, Saha remains one of our favorites after this visit. Our friends thought the food was delicious and they’re a bit of a tough crowd, so that made us happy! The high-quality authentic Arabic fusion cuisine with fantastic vegetarian and vegan options will keep us coming back and introducing our friends to Saha or years to come.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" title=\"Dot Adams\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/dot-adams125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Dot Adams\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Dot\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Nanny\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Lovejoy’s Tea Room\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Saha:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, May 18, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Saha, for me and my group of friends, was a fantastic evening filled with amazing flavors, most blended to perfection. We were a party of eight, and they had no problem accommodating a seven o’clock reservation on a weekday. It was a little tricky finding the restaurant as it’s in a hotel, but as soon as you enter into Saha’s space you know you’re in the right place. The paper lanterns, scarves hanging down from the ceiling, artwork with knitted crafted frames, and the furnishings all hinted at a Middle Eastern sensibility, but the mini castle by the kitchen and the nearby wall of circles of every size made it playful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because I was with a good-sized group, I was able to enjoy a large variety of Saha’s small dishes and, except for a couple of slight misses, they were delicious. Our server, Jennifer, was fantastic! She expertly managed my friends and me thoughtfully and with grace. We started with an assortment of Saha’s small plates, a couple of salads, and a lovely and aromatic lavender and cauliflower soup. For salads, we ordered the green salad (so fresh) and without even tasting the stuffed avocado salad Jennifer brought to us, I immediately ordered another one because it just looked so good. However, a friend at the table was underwhelmed by it. Someone at our table voiced some skepticism about the wild salmon baklava (my absolute favorite of the night) because it seemed too unusual, but they were “blown away” by Saha’s ability to turn a well-known Middle Eastern dessert into a beautifully layered and wonderfully textured savory dish. And the dishes just kept coming: Ten Crust Pizza with Beef (crispy and tasty), vegan knaffe (a cool way to use phyllo dough), and lahem sougar (melt in your mouth lamb with a smoky baba ghanoush) which was a winner for everyone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our group also chose to share our entrées, and so I tasted the lamb tagine (a sweet harmony of spices), sage duck (least favorite, just not a duck fan) and Yemen’s national dish: helba and pita (a lamb, beef, and veggies combo with broth that was hearty, but was just a bit too salty for me). And despite being so full it hurt, we went on to share some desserts as well. We ordered Slap Yo Mamma just for the name of it (roasted fruit, dates, almond marzipan, and chocolate wrapped in phyllo and baked), kanafeh (another classic Middle Eastern dessert and worth the fifteens minutes it takes to prepare), and bisbusa (a Yemen cake with yummy syrup).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the course of the meal, I ordered first a white wine, Shannon Ridge’s Sauvignon Blanc, and then Jennifer recommended a Petit Sirah for the main dishes that I liked. My friends and I had a great evening sharing amazing food at Saha’s. We cleared every plate.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" title=\"Ray Scarabosio\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2011/07/ray-scarabosio125x125.jpg\" alt=\"Ray Scarabosio\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Ray\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Real Estate Manager\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Millbrae\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Don Pico’s Mexican Bistro & Cevicheria\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Saha:\u003c/strong> Tuesday, May 17, 2011\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr>Located in the Hotel Carlton, the restaurant was a little challenging to find. Once you make your way through the lobby and you enter the restaurant, the first thing you sense is the wonderful smell wafting from the room of the many spices that are a staple of Arabic cuisine. We caught the restaurant on a somewhat busy night, so we waited for five minutes while the two waitresses figured out where to put us. Alas, we were seated at the table right next to the entry door, not a favored location. The décor tries to recreate a Middle Eastern feel, and comes close to doing so. There are tapestry-like fabrics flowing from the ceiling, and the tables and chairs are a bold contrast of dark wood and deep red. The restaurant has twenty tables of varying sizes to hold parties of two to ten. The noise level within the room is quite loud, and between the background eclectic music that did not fit the restaurant and the overall loudness of the fellow patrons, this is NOT a place for intimate conversation when the restaurant is full.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our waitress did not pick up on the fact that this was not only our first time to this restaurant but also our first time with this cuisine style. We ordered five appetizers and two main courses, and she neither made recommendations (even though I played dumb) nor stated whether this was too much food. After she took our food and drink orders, we were basically left alone for fifteen minutes, no bread, no drinks. Ah, but when the food arrived, it was worth the wait! The crab-stuffed artichoke was wonderfully simplistic, even though it looked complicated. The spices in the sauce were a wonderful complement to the succulent crab, and the phyllo dough was light and airy. The kofta, which was ground lamb and beef sausage, was superb. It was served with Armenian salsa that had a great kick to it. The salmon baklava was prepared perfectly and was enjoyed by the table. The malfoof was an interesting dish choice. It is potato-based and wrapped in phyllo with herbs and spices, but in the end, it is just average. The beef kibbeh was truly uninspired, it was basically a deep-fried ground beef roll. When the sauce is better than the dish, you know you are in trouble. I would not order again. Our main dishes arrived shortly thereafter. The helba and pita with lamb and ground beef was very, very tasty! The dish reminded us of goulash or heavy stew. The succulent pieces of lamb, beef, and potatoes just made this dish scream, “Eat me!” The pita bread was, quite simply, superb! Definitely a home run. The orange chicken was so moist you could cut it with your fork, the sauce was an attack on your senses of orange, cinnamon, cumin, oh my! Great dish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dessert was the passion fruit gelato, which was more like a sorbet and a huge portion at that; warm chocolate cake made with such bittersweet chocolate that it was almost inedible; and the Dulce Picchu, which was a pyramid-shaped milk chocolate and cake dessert that was very scrumptious. The restaurant is on the expensive side, and service was hit or miss. There are lots of wonderful taste levels, but it is not for young kids or those that have an unrefined palate.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4602\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4584\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp512iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/neel-lilani.jpg\" alt=\"Neel Lilani\" title=\"Neel Lilani\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Neel\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Attorney\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, April 21, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nTropisueño is our neighborhood favorite! Living in SOMA, many good Mexican places are lunch-only, as they cater to local businesses. Not Tropisueño! They have a full dinner menu and lively bar scene. The happy hour environment combined with great Mexican food and fantastic margaritas (sweetened with agave syrup instead of sugar to keep the sugar levels tempered) at a good value keeps us coming back. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We found Tropisueño as a result of a recommendation from a friend, after looking for a good place to congregate after business hours with authentic Mexican food and tasty drinks to quench our thirst. The location is prime for meeting friends after work, as its financial district location makes it easily accessible from many points in San Francisco (and beyond) with the plentitude of public transportation (BART, MUNI, busses) and parking options. The street itself is a walking street located between Market and Mission streets, so it can be a bit tough to find for first timers. Also, the proximity to the Westfield Mall and Metreon theater make it a great post-shopping or pre-movie dining option. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The atmosphere at Tropisueño is perfect for a lively dinner party with its lighting being not too bright or soft. The southwestern style décor is welcoming and relaxing. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent visit, our party was a few minutes early, so we waited in the bar over margaritas for about 10 minutes. As I mentioned, their MARGARITAS are DELICIOUS. On this particular night they were very busy – totally full (surprising for a Wed. night), so service could have been faster, but they did bring us chips and salsas. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their chips are clearly fresh and housemade — thin, crispy, and deliciously addictive.\u003cbr>\nOur favorite dish there is the Camerones Tropisueño — a beautifully prepared shrimp dish presented in a lightly creamy and perfectly spicy red sauce. No matter what we order, we always ask for the special habanero salsa to liven up our dishes. It is super flavorful and spicy, but definitely not for the faint of heart…or stomach. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We also ordered a traditional plate with chicken enchilada, chiles rellenos, and tamale, which was good. The chiles rellenos was definitely the star — perfectly balanced between cheese, pepper, and delicate breading. The tamale was good and the chicken enchilada was definitely on par. While very tasty, this was slightly too much food, but in a good way…leftovers are never a bad thing. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next dish we ordered was the Caldo de Mariscos a la Casa — this soup was made with large shrimp, sea scallops, mussels, and fresh fish in a lobster-chili broth topped with crispy tortillas. This was pretty tasty. The only thing I had hoped for was a little more seafood in the soup. The scallops were large and yummy, and there was also some white fish. All our entrees came with a side of hot tortillas and three types of beans to share for the table. A great touch! As for dessert, we skipped it because we were so stuffed from dinner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The great food and fantastic margaritas combined with a low maintenance environment and relaxed vibe make Tropisueño a favorite haunt for any evening. It never fails to satisfy! \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/edmond-sullivan.jpg\" alt=\"Edmond Sullivan\" title=\"Edmond Sullivan\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Edmond\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Teacher & Resources Specialist\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Daly City\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Bobo’s\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen:\u003c/strong> Tuesday, April 20, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reservations:\u003c/strong> When I made the initial reservation to Tropisueño, I wanted to make it for six persons, but I was told that they did not take reservations for more than four or five at the time that I was requesting. I went ahead and made two reservations for two parties of three. However, when I received a phone call confirmation two days before our reservation date, the reservationist made a nice effort to try to accommodate our party at a single table. She succeeded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Comfort:\u003c/strong> When we arrived, we were seated at probably the best table in the house, a nice large table in the rear of the restaurant that was located in a niche — very private in a crowded restaurant. This was great because we were dining with children, and they could act their age and not be a nuisance to other diners. Overall comfort level was excellent. We were seated right away, and our food arrived very quickly after ordering, which is great when dining with children. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Service:\u003c/strong> The waitress quickly came to our table, and salsa and chips were set down immediately. She continued to provide excellent service throughout our entire meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Décor:\u003c/strong> The décor was contemporary with lots of light coming through a large wall of windows. It was really crowded, so I don’t think I was able to really take in the overall décor, but they definitely had a slight “south of the border” theme going, but it was subtle and not to excess. The atmosphere was very lively, consisting of patrons between the ages of 20-50. The bar area was also crowded, but no one was in line waiting for a table. The noise level was loud, but we had such a private table that it was not a problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Food quality:\u003c/strong> Very good. One of the adults ordered the “Los Favoritos” (enchiladas, taco, etc.), and they were good, but did not stand out. However, the house entrees were very good and are the high point of the menu. Each dish that I ordered had a unique and delicious flavor, especially the Camarones Tropisueño (awesome dish) and the carne asada plate. The carne asada had a great marinade, which I have never previously tasted. When I go again I will definitely order the main entrees and not the “Los Favoritos.” The Tampiqueño came with an enchilada, but this was not necessary. It would have made more sense to put some vegetables on the plate instead of having two different portions of meat. The carne asada portion was generous enough to be the only meat offering. Vegetables are needed for this dish! I ordered the house margarita and did not like the taste. I thought it was too bitter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Portion size:\u003c/strong> Medium to large. The Tampiqueño had nice big slices of carne asada along with a generous portion of rice, but rather a small sized enchilada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Summary:\u003c/strong> Very good Mexican restaurant, reasonably priced, and unique with great service, a lively atmosphere, and very good original entrée selections, but, I would probably go to Tropisueño more frequently if it was in a neighborhood location rather than downtown.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/suwanna-kerdkaew.jpg\" alt=\"Suwanna Kerdkaew\" title=\"Suwanna Kerdkaew\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Suwanna\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Firefighter-Engineer & Paramedic\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Pisces California Cuisine\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen:\u003c/strong> Thursday, April 8, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nOn an Internet search for Tropisueño, it stated that this restaurant was kid and group-friendly, so I went on Open Table to make reservations for 9, since nothing shouts out a good time like margaritas and family. Per the Open Table website, it would not allow me to make reservations for this number of diners for “4 weeks, so I called the restaurant on a Monday asking for reservations for 6:30pm on a Thursday. When I finally got a hold of someone, they said they wouldn’t be able to accommodate a group of that size until 9:30pm on any night of the upcoming week. My brother and sister-in-law had gotten childcare for their two daughters for the night that we planned, so I asked if it would be possible to split our group and have a table for 5 and a table for 4 and to see if once we arrive at the restaurant if they could seat us as close as possible. With no warmth of tone on the phone the person stated, “I can’t promise anything.” Clearly, I had gotten them at the wrong time. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Upon arriving at the restaurant on Thursday, my group of 9 was down to 7 as my sister and her husband were sick. My brother and his wife were late and stuck on the Bay Bridge (they actually didn’t arrive at the restaurant until 7:15pm). I approached the host at 6:30pm, and he was very gracious and warm, stating he could accommodate my group of 7 and seat us together and that it didn’t matter that we were still waiting for 2. A very nice surprise, given my attempts to get reservations earlier in the week. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant was warm, and the décor definitely looked like it is a place for a good time. There were folks at the bar and folks seated in the dining room, but it was a bit smaller than I expected, so I could see why perhaps large groups would be difficult to accommodate (contrary to what the website stated). We were seated, and it was dark and the music, though enjoyable, was loud, and my almost 3-year-old daughter was a bit scared. Luckily, we had brought something to occupy her while we dined.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were seated at a long table with a very dangerous helping of chips and salsa. The chips were so light and tasty that before we knew it, the 5 of us had eaten 3 bowls full of chips with the fresh-tasting salsas. While waiting for the rest of our party, we ordered the plátanos fritos, empanandas de hongos, and crispy flautas. The plátanos fritos were so sweet and delicious with the accompanying black beans. My whole group thoroughly enjoyed this appetizer. The empanandas were delicious as well with a good amount of mushroom filling. The flautas were average, but were what could be expected of flautas. We each also each enjoyed a margarita. There were lots of creative margaritas on the menu with varying types of infused salts and flavors. The margaritas were strong and had good depth of flavor, though they were a bit expensive given the drink size. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My group tried to order a variety of dishes, which included Chile Verde, Tampiqueño (carne asada), Chuleta de Puerco Abodaba (Pork Chop), Camerones Tropisueño (Shrimp), a traditional combination plate, and I ordered the Chicken with Mole Poblano. The waiter told us that the chuleta takes approx 20 minutes to prepare, and so my partner — who ordered the chuleta — stated that the rest of the dishes could be served first while she waited for her dish. This preparation time information should have been indicated on the menu, as it could have affected her decision. The rest of us had our dishes served, and we were finishing our meals before she received her dish (which actually was more like 30 minutes from the time we placed our order). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All the dishes, when served, looked and smelled terrific and appetizing. The portions were ample, especially after eating all of the chips and salsa. The camerones were very tasty, and I secretly wished I had ordered this dish instead of my chicken mole. The rice that accompanied the chicken mole was probably one of the best Mexican style rice I’ve ever had. The mole was rich and complex. As I got down to the thigh/drumstick joint though, I realized that my chicken was not completely done. I made the mistake of not sending it back to the kitchen as I should have done, and I simply did not continue eating the chicken. Everyone in my group enjoyed their meal and we all tried a bit of each other’s plates and agreed that the food is like “California style” Mexican cuisine. Good fresh ingredients with great depth of flavor without the heaviness that is oftentimes associated with Mexican food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dessert, we each took a spoon and shared one slice of the tres leches cakes. The dessert was sweet, but not too sweet or overpowering. One slice, though, needs to be shared as the cake is very rich.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All in all, a good dining experience. The place is not good for kids, though, and perhaps not that great for large groups or folks who don’t already know each other as the music was pretty loud. I felt that the cost of the alcoholic drinks, though, was clearly where the restaurant makes its profit, as many of our entrees cost as much as one small margarita drink. This is a great place for drinks and appetizers after work but be aware, the drink cost adds up fast. If I were in the neighborhood for lunch, I wouldn’t hesitate to try this place out again, though I might try a burrito and the chips to counterbalance the cost of the margaritas.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4602\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4584\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp512iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/neel-lilani.jpg\" alt=\"Neel Lilani\" title=\"Neel Lilani\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Neel\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Attorney\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, April 21, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nTropisueño is our neighborhood favorite! Living in SOMA, many good Mexican places are lunch-only, as they cater to local businesses. Not Tropisueño! They have a full dinner menu and lively bar scene. The happy hour environment combined with great Mexican food and fantastic margaritas (sweetened with agave syrup instead of sugar to keep the sugar levels tempered) at a good value keeps us coming back. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We found Tropisueño as a result of a recommendation from a friend, after looking for a good place to congregate after business hours with authentic Mexican food and tasty drinks to quench our thirst. The location is prime for meeting friends after work, as its financial district location makes it easily accessible from many points in San Francisco (and beyond) with the plentitude of public transportation (BART, MUNI, busses) and parking options. The street itself is a walking street located between Market and Mission streets, so it can be a bit tough to find for first timers. Also, the proximity to the Westfield Mall and Metreon theater make it a great post-shopping or pre-movie dining option. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The atmosphere at Tropisueño is perfect for a lively dinner party with its lighting being not too bright or soft. The southwestern style décor is welcoming and relaxing. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent visit, our party was a few minutes early, so we waited in the bar over margaritas for about 10 minutes. As I mentioned, their MARGARITAS are DELICIOUS. On this particular night they were very busy – totally full (surprising for a Wed. night), so service could have been faster, but they did bring us chips and salsas. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their chips are clearly fresh and housemade — thin, crispy, and deliciously addictive.\u003cbr>\nOur favorite dish there is the Camerones Tropisueño — a beautifully prepared shrimp dish presented in a lightly creamy and perfectly spicy red sauce. No matter what we order, we always ask for the special habanero salsa to liven up our dishes. It is super flavorful and spicy, but definitely not for the faint of heart…or stomach. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We also ordered a traditional plate with chicken enchilada, chiles rellenos, and tamale, which was good. The chiles rellenos was definitely the star — perfectly balanced between cheese, pepper, and delicate breading. The tamale was good and the chicken enchilada was definitely on par. While very tasty, this was slightly too much food, but in a good way…leftovers are never a bad thing. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next dish we ordered was the Caldo de Mariscos a la Casa — this soup was made with large shrimp, sea scallops, mussels, and fresh fish in a lobster-chili broth topped with crispy tortillas. This was pretty tasty. The only thing I had hoped for was a little more seafood in the soup. The scallops were large and yummy, and there was also some white fish. All our entrees came with a side of hot tortillas and three types of beans to share for the table. A great touch! As for dessert, we skipped it because we were so stuffed from dinner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The great food and fantastic margaritas combined with a low maintenance environment and relaxed vibe make Tropisueño a favorite haunt for any evening. It never fails to satisfy! \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/edmond-sullivan.jpg\" alt=\"Edmond Sullivan\" title=\"Edmond Sullivan\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Edmond\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Teacher & Resources Specialist\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Daly City\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Bobo’s\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen:\u003c/strong> Tuesday, April 20, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reservations:\u003c/strong> When I made the initial reservation to Tropisueño, I wanted to make it for six persons, but I was told that they did not take reservations for more than four or five at the time that I was requesting. I went ahead and made two reservations for two parties of three. However, when I received a phone call confirmation two days before our reservation date, the reservationist made a nice effort to try to accommodate our party at a single table. She succeeded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Comfort:\u003c/strong> When we arrived, we were seated at probably the best table in the house, a nice large table in the rear of the restaurant that was located in a niche — very private in a crowded restaurant. This was great because we were dining with children, and they could act their age and not be a nuisance to other diners. Overall comfort level was excellent. We were seated right away, and our food arrived very quickly after ordering, which is great when dining with children. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Service:\u003c/strong> The waitress quickly came to our table, and salsa and chips were set down immediately. She continued to provide excellent service throughout our entire meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Décor:\u003c/strong> The décor was contemporary with lots of light coming through a large wall of windows. It was really crowded, so I don’t think I was able to really take in the overall décor, but they definitely had a slight “south of the border” theme going, but it was subtle and not to excess. The atmosphere was very lively, consisting of patrons between the ages of 20-50. The bar area was also crowded, but no one was in line waiting for a table. The noise level was loud, but we had such a private table that it was not a problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Food quality:\u003c/strong> Very good. One of the adults ordered the “Los Favoritos” (enchiladas, taco, etc.), and they were good, but did not stand out. However, the house entrees were very good and are the high point of the menu. Each dish that I ordered had a unique and delicious flavor, especially the Camarones Tropisueño (awesome dish) and the carne asada plate. The carne asada had a great marinade, which I have never previously tasted. When I go again I will definitely order the main entrees and not the “Los Favoritos.” The Tampiqueño came with an enchilada, but this was not necessary. It would have made more sense to put some vegetables on the plate instead of having two different portions of meat. The carne asada portion was generous enough to be the only meat offering. Vegetables are needed for this dish! I ordered the house margarita and did not like the taste. I thought it was too bitter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Portion size:\u003c/strong> Medium to large. The Tampiqueño had nice big slices of carne asada along with a generous portion of rice, but rather a small sized enchilada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Summary:\u003c/strong> Very good Mexican restaurant, reasonably priced, and unique with great service, a lively atmosphere, and very good original entrée selections, but, I would probably go to Tropisueño more frequently if it was in a neighborhood location rather than downtown.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/suwanna-kerdkaew.jpg\" alt=\"Suwanna Kerdkaew\" title=\"Suwanna Kerdkaew\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Suwanna\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Firefighter-Engineer & Paramedic\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Pisces California Cuisine\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen:\u003c/strong> Thursday, April 8, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nOn an Internet search for Tropisueño, it stated that this restaurant was kid and group-friendly, so I went on Open Table to make reservations for 9, since nothing shouts out a good time like margaritas and family. Per the Open Table website, it would not allow me to make reservations for this number of diners for “4 weeks, so I called the restaurant on a Monday asking for reservations for 6:30pm on a Thursday. When I finally got a hold of someone, they said they wouldn’t be able to accommodate a group of that size until 9:30pm on any night of the upcoming week. My brother and sister-in-law had gotten childcare for their two daughters for the night that we planned, so I asked if it would be possible to split our group and have a table for 5 and a table for 4 and to see if once we arrive at the restaurant if they could seat us as close as possible. With no warmth of tone on the phone the person stated, “I can’t promise anything.” Clearly, I had gotten them at the wrong time. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Upon arriving at the restaurant on Thursday, my group of 9 was down to 7 as my sister and her husband were sick. My brother and his wife were late and stuck on the Bay Bridge (they actually didn’t arrive at the restaurant until 7:15pm). I approached the host at 6:30pm, and he was very gracious and warm, stating he could accommodate my group of 7 and seat us together and that it didn’t matter that we were still waiting for 2. A very nice surprise, given my attempts to get reservations earlier in the week. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant was warm, and the décor definitely looked like it is a place for a good time. There were folks at the bar and folks seated in the dining room, but it was a bit smaller than I expected, so I could see why perhaps large groups would be difficult to accommodate (contrary to what the website stated). We were seated, and it was dark and the music, though enjoyable, was loud, and my almost 3-year-old daughter was a bit scared. Luckily, we had brought something to occupy her while we dined.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were seated at a long table with a very dangerous helping of chips and salsa. The chips were so light and tasty that before we knew it, the 5 of us had eaten 3 bowls full of chips with the fresh-tasting salsas. While waiting for the rest of our party, we ordered the plátanos fritos, empanandas de hongos, and crispy flautas. The plátanos fritos were so sweet and delicious with the accompanying black beans. My whole group thoroughly enjoyed this appetizer. The empanandas were delicious as well with a good amount of mushroom filling. The flautas were average, but were what could be expected of flautas. We each also each enjoyed a margarita. There were lots of creative margaritas on the menu with varying types of infused salts and flavors. The margaritas were strong and had good depth of flavor, though they were a bit expensive given the drink size. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My group tried to order a variety of dishes, which included Chile Verde, Tampiqueño (carne asada), Chuleta de Puerco Abodaba (Pork Chop), Camerones Tropisueño (Shrimp), a traditional combination plate, and I ordered the Chicken with Mole Poblano. The waiter told us that the chuleta takes approx 20 minutes to prepare, and so my partner — who ordered the chuleta — stated that the rest of the dishes could be served first while she waited for her dish. This preparation time information should have been indicated on the menu, as it could have affected her decision. The rest of us had our dishes served, and we were finishing our meals before she received her dish (which actually was more like 30 minutes from the time we placed our order). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All the dishes, when served, looked and smelled terrific and appetizing. The portions were ample, especially after eating all of the chips and salsa. The camerones were very tasty, and I secretly wished I had ordered this dish instead of my chicken mole. The rice that accompanied the chicken mole was probably one of the best Mexican style rice I’ve ever had. The mole was rich and complex. As I got down to the thigh/drumstick joint though, I realized that my chicken was not completely done. I made the mistake of not sending it back to the kitchen as I should have done, and I simply did not continue eating the chicken. Everyone in my group enjoyed their meal and we all tried a bit of each other’s plates and agreed that the food is like “California style” Mexican cuisine. Good fresh ingredients with great depth of flavor without the heaviness that is oftentimes associated with Mexican food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dessert, we each took a spoon and shared one slice of the tres leches cakes. The dessert was sweet, but not too sweet or overpowering. One slice, though, needs to be shared as the cake is very rich.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All in all, a good dining experience. The place is not good for kids, though, and perhaps not that great for large groups or folks who don’t already know each other as the music was pretty loud. I felt that the cost of the alcoholic drinks, though, was clearly where the restaurant makes its profit, as many of our entrees cost as much as one small margarita drink. This is a great place for drinks and appetizers after work but be aware, the drink cost adds up fast. If I were in the neighborhood for lunch, I wouldn’t hesitate to try this place out again, though I might try a burrito and the chips to counterbalance the cost of the margaritas.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bobo’s: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4605\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4584\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp512iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/edmond-sullivan.jpg\" alt=\"Edmond Sullivan\" title=\"Edmond Sullivan\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Edmond\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Teacher & Resources Specialist\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Daly City\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Bobo’s\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Bobo’s:\u003c/strong> Friday, April 9, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nThe first time that I went to Bobo’s, I went with my wife, and we were celebrating our anniversary. She normally does not like to go out for steak, but she went along to appease me. She ended up loving it, and as soon as I sampled my first bite, I realized that I had just tasted the best New York steak that I had ever had in my life! \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before I went to Bobo’s, I was on a mission to find the steak house that produced the best New York steak. I was ordering the New York steak, because many steak houses can crank out a great rib-eye because it is the cut of meat that has the most fat and thus produces the most flavor. But I was convinced that if a steak house could cook a great New York, which is an inferior cut of meat compared to that of the rib-eye, then, to me that would qualify as a top steak house. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I had been to famous steak houses in LA, Chicago, Portland, Nevada, New Orleans, and the SF Bay Area, and none of the New York steaks that I tasted proved to be “head and shoulders above the rest.” But then I tried the New York bone-in at Bobo’s! This was a far superior steak compared to the New York steaks that I consumed in Chicago, which is known for having the best steak houses in the US, and I have not stopped going to Bobo’s for amazing steaks since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Service:\u003c/strong> I have never ever had a dinner at Bobo’s wherein the service was sub-par. If I am in a chatty mood, the waitperson will converse with me and add to the enjoyment of the evening, but if I am engrossed in a conversation with a dinner partner, then the waitperson(s) is thorough, going about his/her job in an extremely efficient manner. I have never waited too long for a drink or for my food to arrive. The pacing is always perfect. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Parking:\u003c/strong> Two words: FREE VALET!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Décor & Atmosphere:\u003c/strong> When I have brought friends to Bobo’s, some have suggested that the restaurant is too small and cramped, but I actually like to think that the small individual dining rooms are cozy. I have been to other upscale, trendy, SF restaurants where I am actually touching elbows with the stranger sitting next to me. Bobo’s is smallish, but other restaurants seat their customers even closer together. So I have no complaints about the seating, and as a result of having four separate dining rooms, the noise level is quite palatable. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Boboquvaris is an Italian (Venetian) clown or court jester, who is depicted in the Italian style of theatre called “Comedia del’ Arte,” and the restaurant takes on a circus-like décor with bright colors and frills. The bar design is really spectacular, especially at night when the green Venetian glass above the bar illuminates the room. The bar is a great place to sit and enjoy a house special martini or even a full steak dinner. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Food:\u003c/strong> Hands down, the best steak in town and around the country! They are most well known for the bone-in filet mignon, which is even better than the New York. The steaks are dry-aged up to six weeks and cooked with just a hint of rosemary and garlic with a slight rubdown of olive oil. They arrive at the table at just the right temperature and are cooked medium rare to rare. One time, my wife had to send back her steak, because it was too rare for her liking, but they were very accommodating and did not give her attitude about her request. It arrived back at the table cooked to her taste and was delicious. The steaks are BIG and filling, and you definitely get your money’s worth with each and every mouthwatering bite. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The apps and sides:\u003c/strong> I have eaten just about every appetizer and side dish and I have enjoyed them all. The portions for the side and apps tend to be on the small side, but it’s okay because it leaves plenty room for the STEAK! No doggie bags! They have the best mac and cheese, onion rings, and Brussels sprouts with pancetta that I have ever tasted!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Summary:\u003c/strong> \u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“HANDS DOWN, THE BEST STEAK IN TOWN AND AROUND THE COUNTRY!”\u003cbr>\n\t Great food, great drinks, great service,\u003cbr>\n Dine solo or with a friend or five,\u003cbr>\n it’s the best steak and that’s no jive!\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/neel-lilani.jpg\" alt=\"Neel Lilani\" title=\"Neel Lilani\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Neel\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Attorney\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Bobo’s:\u003c/strong> Tuesday, April 20, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nWelcome to Bobo’s, a steak house with a touch of circus! Immediately upon arriving we were greeted by the enthusiastic valet parking attendant who, much to our delight, informed us that valet parking was provided complimentary for guests. Upon entering Bobo’s we were happily surprised by the bright décor touches that set the place apart from more traditional steak houses that are typically coddled in wood and leather. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since my wife and I wanted to try many things on the menu, we opted to eat dinner tapas style by ordering a number of small plates. We started a decadent housemade burrata cheese, which is a soft Italian mozzarella that is creamy and yet magically airy at the same time. This was spread on crostini and a sour dough loaf stuffed with fresh olives and loaded with EVOO. A wonderful start!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Next, we moved on to the tuna carpaccio, which was impossibly delicate and flavorful. I had never seen fish sliced so paper-thin! We also had the crab cakes, which had the perfect amount of filler in addition to crabmeat and were perfectly crispy. The mussels that followed were a bit of a disappointment, as about 15% were dead and inedible. Also, the super high heat of the skillet upon which they were served combined with the excess of sea salt used in the preparation dried them out a bit and made the spices and salt completely overwhelm the natural flavors of the mussels. The modern mac and cheese side, that we ordered was fairly well prepared, but a little too liquidy to be termed spot-on. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The waitstaff was helpful and not overbearing, but did take a little time to take our dessert order as the restaurant began to fill up. They were completely accommodating in our request for a half order of dessert, as well as in answering our numerous questions about the menu. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, the prices were a bit high, but I would come back for a special occasion dinner and try the famed bone-in filet next time.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/suwanna-kerdkaew.jpg\" alt=\"Suwanna Kerdkaew\" title=\"Suwanna Kerdkaew\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Suwanna\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Firefighter-Engineer & Paramedic\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Pisces California Cuisine\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Bobo’s:\u003c/strong>Saturday, April 17, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nI was so excited to eat at this restaurant. It was officially a date night! When my partner Tina and I arrived at the restaurant, the décor was absolutely a feast for the eyes with their “Cirque du Soleil” style. The staff was prompt, attentive, and absolutely warm and friendly. We were greeted and seated promptly. I thought, “This is going to be a great time.” Then things started unraveling slowly. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I knew there was an upstairs, as the folks who were seated before us were taken upstairs. We were escorted to the area just to the right of the entrance on the main level. There were curtains separating tables and 80s music was playing, which was a bit odd but still enjoyable. We sat down, and our server was completely professional and warm and did her job with perfection. We did notice right away that the tables near us were exactly right next to us. We tried to concentrate on what we were going to enjoy that evening on the menu, and at first we kept our voices low, but we soon realized we couldn’t hear each other over the conversations near us, and so we found ourselves raising our voices a decibel louder until we were full-on projecting our voices to each other. My partner even had to pull the adjacent curtain back further, as she not only could hear what the next table was saying, but she could also see the other table intimately. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We started out with two cocktails, which were to our expectations. Our appetizer and salad were the baby romaine salad with tomatoes and avocados, and the tuna carpaccio. The flavor was spot on, fresh, and very enjoyable. The garlic bread was served warm and was delicious, though a bit on the oily side. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tina and I decided to share a filet mignon as well as a whole garlic-roasted crab. Our sides were the Swiss chard, Bermuda onion rings and Modern Mac and Cheese. The filet mignon just melted in our mouths and was perfectly cooked medium-rare. The portion was decent, and the flavor was very delicious with the glass of Cabernet that I was enjoying. The whole roasted crab, unfortunately, was way over-roasted. The meat inside was dry and very difficult to get out of the shell. Being an experienced crab aficionado, I know that once the crab shell is cracked, it usually is fairly easy to get the meat to come out of the shell in one whole chunk. Not so on this night. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As I continued to struggle with the overcooked crab, I noticed the conversations around me getting more and more intrusive. On the left, we had a couple talking about a biopsy procedure. Behind Tina, someone was talking about an internal gastric issue. To the right of us, a couple had sat down and was over-the-top complimenting each other about each other. At this time, it was fairly funny to overhear the unusual conversations around us. I continued working on my crab and eating the sides, which were nice but not uniquely memorable. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finishing our meal, our server came back, handed us a dessert menu, and left to box up our leftover mac and cheese (which I really had ordered for our daughter to eat the next day). Again the server was absolutely attentive, professional, and personable. As we pondered over which dessert we were to share, over to the right, the couple was making louder, even sappier comments about how they love being with each other and how great it is to be with each other. Clearly they didn’t know each other very well and were trying to make conversation. Perhaps they were tired of hearing our conversation? “Focus, focus, focus on the menu,” I thought to myself, “Just think about the wonderful dessert I was about to order.” But then over on my left ear, the conversation picked up again about the biopsy. I looked up from the menu and saw that my partner had the same look on her face that I had on mine: we had enough. The conversations so close to us surrounded and drowned us out, and I had to wave a white flag and admit that I would be driven out of the restaurant by the proximity of the conversations around us. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sadly, I could not justify the $200 bucks I had just spent to listen to conversations around us, rather than enjoying the conversation between my partner and myself. The meal was decent for the most part. I wish the crab would have been more succulent, but I cannot speak more highly of the service and the unique décor of the place. Perhaps the management needs to rethink how many tables they are trying to “squeeze” in for dinner and take away a table or two to allow for the intimacy that folks seek when going out for a night of crab and steak. Until that happens though, I will not be back, as the cost of the food cannot justify the lack of wanted intimacy that this restaurant does not provide.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Edmond:\u003c/strong> \"Hands down, the best steak in town and around the country! They are most well known for the bone-in filet mignon.\"\r\n\u003cstrong>Neel:\u003c/strong> \"We also had the crab cakes, which had the perfect amount of filler in addition to crabmeat and were perfectly crispy.\" \r\n\u003cstrong>Suwanna:\u003c/strong> \"The filet mignon just melted in our mouths and was perfectly cooked medium-rare.\"",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bobo’s: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4605\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4584\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp512iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/edmond-sullivan.jpg\" alt=\"Edmond Sullivan\" title=\"Edmond Sullivan\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Edmond\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Teacher & Resources Specialist\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Daly City\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Bobo’s\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Bobo’s:\u003c/strong> Friday, April 9, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nThe first time that I went to Bobo’s, I went with my wife, and we were celebrating our anniversary. She normally does not like to go out for steak, but she went along to appease me. She ended up loving it, and as soon as I sampled my first bite, I realized that I had just tasted the best New York steak that I had ever had in my life! \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before I went to Bobo’s, I was on a mission to find the steak house that produced the best New York steak. I was ordering the New York steak, because many steak houses can crank out a great rib-eye because it is the cut of meat that has the most fat and thus produces the most flavor. But I was convinced that if a steak house could cook a great New York, which is an inferior cut of meat compared to that of the rib-eye, then, to me that would qualify as a top steak house. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I had been to famous steak houses in LA, Chicago, Portland, Nevada, New Orleans, and the SF Bay Area, and none of the New York steaks that I tasted proved to be “head and shoulders above the rest.” But then I tried the New York bone-in at Bobo’s! This was a far superior steak compared to the New York steaks that I consumed in Chicago, which is known for having the best steak houses in the US, and I have not stopped going to Bobo’s for amazing steaks since.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Service:\u003c/strong> I have never ever had a dinner at Bobo’s wherein the service was sub-par. If I am in a chatty mood, the waitperson will converse with me and add to the enjoyment of the evening, but if I am engrossed in a conversation with a dinner partner, then the waitperson(s) is thorough, going about his/her job in an extremely efficient manner. I have never waited too long for a drink or for my food to arrive. The pacing is always perfect. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Parking:\u003c/strong> Two words: FREE VALET!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Décor & Atmosphere:\u003c/strong> When I have brought friends to Bobo’s, some have suggested that the restaurant is too small and cramped, but I actually like to think that the small individual dining rooms are cozy. I have been to other upscale, trendy, SF restaurants where I am actually touching elbows with the stranger sitting next to me. Bobo’s is smallish, but other restaurants seat their customers even closer together. So I have no complaints about the seating, and as a result of having four separate dining rooms, the noise level is quite palatable. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Boboquvaris is an Italian (Venetian) clown or court jester, who is depicted in the Italian style of theatre called “Comedia del’ Arte,” and the restaurant takes on a circus-like décor with bright colors and frills. The bar design is really spectacular, especially at night when the green Venetian glass above the bar illuminates the room. The bar is a great place to sit and enjoy a house special martini or even a full steak dinner. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Food:\u003c/strong> Hands down, the best steak in town and around the country! They are most well known for the bone-in filet mignon, which is even better than the New York. The steaks are dry-aged up to six weeks and cooked with just a hint of rosemary and garlic with a slight rubdown of olive oil. They arrive at the table at just the right temperature and are cooked medium rare to rare. One time, my wife had to send back her steak, because it was too rare for her liking, but they were very accommodating and did not give her attitude about her request. It arrived back at the table cooked to her taste and was delicious. The steaks are BIG and filling, and you definitely get your money’s worth with each and every mouthwatering bite. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>The apps and sides:\u003c/strong> I have eaten just about every appetizer and side dish and I have enjoyed them all. The portions for the side and apps tend to be on the small side, but it’s okay because it leaves plenty room for the STEAK! No doggie bags! They have the best mac and cheese, onion rings, and Brussels sprouts with pancetta that I have ever tasted!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Summary:\u003c/strong> \u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“HANDS DOWN, THE BEST STEAK IN TOWN AND AROUND THE COUNTRY!”\u003cbr>\n\t Great food, great drinks, great service,\u003cbr>\n Dine solo or with a friend or five,\u003cbr>\n it’s the best steak and that’s no jive!\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/neel-lilani.jpg\" alt=\"Neel Lilani\" title=\"Neel Lilani\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Neel\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Attorney\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Bobo’s:\u003c/strong> Tuesday, April 20, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nWelcome to Bobo’s, a steak house with a touch of circus! Immediately upon arriving we were greeted by the enthusiastic valet parking attendant who, much to our delight, informed us that valet parking was provided complimentary for guests. Upon entering Bobo’s we were happily surprised by the bright décor touches that set the place apart from more traditional steak houses that are typically coddled in wood and leather. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since my wife and I wanted to try many things on the menu, we opted to eat dinner tapas style by ordering a number of small plates. We started a decadent housemade burrata cheese, which is a soft Italian mozzarella that is creamy and yet magically airy at the same time. This was spread on crostini and a sour dough loaf stuffed with fresh olives and loaded with EVOO. A wonderful start!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Next, we moved on to the tuna carpaccio, which was impossibly delicate and flavorful. I had never seen fish sliced so paper-thin! We also had the crab cakes, which had the perfect amount of filler in addition to crabmeat and were perfectly crispy. The mussels that followed were a bit of a disappointment, as about 15% were dead and inedible. Also, the super high heat of the skillet upon which they were served combined with the excess of sea salt used in the preparation dried them out a bit and made the spices and salt completely overwhelm the natural flavors of the mussels. The modern mac and cheese side, that we ordered was fairly well prepared, but a little too liquidy to be termed spot-on. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The waitstaff was helpful and not overbearing, but did take a little time to take our dessert order as the restaurant began to fill up. They were completely accommodating in our request for a half order of dessert, as well as in answering our numerous questions about the menu. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, the prices were a bit high, but I would come back for a special occasion dinner and try the famed bone-in filet next time.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/suwanna-kerdkaew.jpg\" alt=\"Suwanna Kerdkaew\" title=\"Suwanna Kerdkaew\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Suwanna\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Firefighter-Engineer & Paramedic\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Pisces California Cuisine\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Bobo’s:\u003c/strong>Saturday, April 17, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nI was so excited to eat at this restaurant. It was officially a date night! When my partner Tina and I arrived at the restaurant, the décor was absolutely a feast for the eyes with their “Cirque du Soleil” style. The staff was prompt, attentive, and absolutely warm and friendly. We were greeted and seated promptly. I thought, “This is going to be a great time.” Then things started unraveling slowly. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I knew there was an upstairs, as the folks who were seated before us were taken upstairs. We were escorted to the area just to the right of the entrance on the main level. There were curtains separating tables and 80s music was playing, which was a bit odd but still enjoyable. We sat down, and our server was completely professional and warm and did her job with perfection. We did notice right away that the tables near us were exactly right next to us. We tried to concentrate on what we were going to enjoy that evening on the menu, and at first we kept our voices low, but we soon realized we couldn’t hear each other over the conversations near us, and so we found ourselves raising our voices a decibel louder until we were full-on projecting our voices to each other. My partner even had to pull the adjacent curtain back further, as she not only could hear what the next table was saying, but she could also see the other table intimately. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We started out with two cocktails, which were to our expectations. Our appetizer and salad were the baby romaine salad with tomatoes and avocados, and the tuna carpaccio. The flavor was spot on, fresh, and very enjoyable. The garlic bread was served warm and was delicious, though a bit on the oily side. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tina and I decided to share a filet mignon as well as a whole garlic-roasted crab. Our sides were the Swiss chard, Bermuda onion rings and Modern Mac and Cheese. The filet mignon just melted in our mouths and was perfectly cooked medium-rare. The portion was decent, and the flavor was very delicious with the glass of Cabernet that I was enjoying. The whole roasted crab, unfortunately, was way over-roasted. The meat inside was dry and very difficult to get out of the shell. Being an experienced crab aficionado, I know that once the crab shell is cracked, it usually is fairly easy to get the meat to come out of the shell in one whole chunk. Not so on this night. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As I continued to struggle with the overcooked crab, I noticed the conversations around me getting more and more intrusive. On the left, we had a couple talking about a biopsy procedure. Behind Tina, someone was talking about an internal gastric issue. To the right of us, a couple had sat down and was over-the-top complimenting each other about each other. At this time, it was fairly funny to overhear the unusual conversations around us. I continued working on my crab and eating the sides, which were nice but not uniquely memorable. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finishing our meal, our server came back, handed us a dessert menu, and left to box up our leftover mac and cheese (which I really had ordered for our daughter to eat the next day). Again the server was absolutely attentive, professional, and personable. As we pondered over which dessert we were to share, over to the right, the couple was making louder, even sappier comments about how they love being with each other and how great it is to be with each other. Clearly they didn’t know each other very well and were trying to make conversation. Perhaps they were tired of hearing our conversation? “Focus, focus, focus on the menu,” I thought to myself, “Just think about the wonderful dessert I was about to order.” But then over on my left ear, the conversation picked up again about the biopsy. I looked up from the menu and saw that my partner had the same look on her face that I had on mine: we had enough. The conversations so close to us surrounded and drowned us out, and I had to wave a white flag and admit that I would be driven out of the restaurant by the proximity of the conversations around us. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sadly, I could not justify the $200 bucks I had just spent to listen to conversations around us, rather than enjoying the conversation between my partner and myself. The meal was decent for the most part. I wish the crab would have been more succulent, but I cannot speak more highly of the service and the unique décor of the place. Perhaps the management needs to rethink how many tables they are trying to “squeeze” in for dinner and take away a table or two to allow for the intimacy that folks seek when going out for a night of crab and steak. Until that happens though, I will not be back, as the cost of the food cannot justify the lack of wanted intimacy that this restaurant does not provide.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pisces California Cuisine: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4609\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4584\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp512iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/suwanna-kerdkaew.jpg\" alt=\"Suwanna Kerdkaew\" title=\"Suwanna Kerdkaew\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Suwanna\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Firefighter-Engineer & Paramedic\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Pisces California Cuisine\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Pisces California Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, April 7, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nSo yes, my partner and I live in the Outer Sunset, and we have a little girl, so finding a great upscale casual neighborhood restaurant near our house that is kid-friendly has made this restaurant one of my favorites, but it isn’t just that. Pisces is a great first date restaurant, a great one-person-sit-at-the-bar restaurant, a great small family gathering restaurant, and great casual dining restaurant that is kid-friendly with a decent selection of kid options. All of the above is available with enough menu options to spend as little or as much as you want and still have a great, fresh dining experience with a decent bottle or glass of wine, or beer on tap. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve been here a dozen times or so since Alex was born (we now don’t eat out as much anymore). We found this restaurant just on a casual stroll through the neighborhood after our daughter was born. Every meal has been so good and very reasonably priced. Last night was no exception, when we took my partner’s family here to try out this restaurant for their first time. We arrived at 5:45pm, which allowed us to have the option of ordering from the happy hour menu, as well as the regular menu, which included two prix fixe options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We started with a dozen Washington oysters on the half-shell. So tasty and, at a buck an oyster during happy hour, you can’t beat the price. They were fresh with lots of sea goodness, and the sherry-peppercorn granita added a nice subtle favor to the fresh oysters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then the chocolate soft shell crab appetizer was served. This was amazing. I only ordered it because it was so different, and I questioned whether the chef could pull it off. Hands down, this was one of the best surprises I’ve ever had. My sister-in-law Pauline ordered a nice organic salad that she said was fresh with the perfect amount of honey-mustard vinaigrette. Our 14-year-old nephew, Christian, completely devoured the sizzling shrimp iron skillet dish (and he doesn’t usually like shrimp). The bread that was served while we waited for our appetizers was tasty. Perfectly grilled and delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ordered the lobster ravioli, which was absolutely one of the best raviolis I’ve ever had. There was a sophisticated depth of flavor without hiding the natural sweetness of the lobster. The softness of the raviolis contrasted perfectly with the crispness of the asparagus and Asian veggies. The rest of my party ordered the Angus burger, the cioppino, the pan-roasted snapper, and the grilled filet mignon. Everyone raved about their dishes. The steak was tender and flavorful. My brother-in-law’s burger was juicy, and he was surprised to find that it came with crispy fries (as it was not noted on the menu). My mother-in-law stated that her fellow senior friends would love this place, as it serves the right amount of quality food for a very decent price. My almost 3-year-old daughter ate her entire fish and chips meal (well, she did give her grandmother a fish portion, which Kay enjoyed as well).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We shared the warm chocolate brownie with vanilla gelato and ganache. My daughter got her own chocolate sundae, as that was included with her meal. They don’t hit it out of the park with their desserts, but it is enough sweetness to finish off the meal. I did ask about the dessert ports, and the co-owner did a great job explaining the differences between the ports; he even allowed me try a sample of what Pisces had to offer. It was a lovely end to another great meal at Pisces without breaking the bank. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/edmond-sullivan.jpg\" alt=\"Edmond Sullivan\" title=\"Edmond Sullivan\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Edmond\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Teacher & Resources Specialist\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Daly City\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Bobo’s\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Pisces California Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, April 14, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nWhen I first looked at the menu at Pisces I noticed that of the 12 entrée items listed, 6 are meat dishes. I did not expect this at a restaurant called “Pisces” and, moreover, I enjoyed my ahi tuna entrée so much that I want to try more fresh fish entrées, but the selection is minimal. They do have some shellfish entrees, but it seems that the fresh fish plates are the stand-out menu items.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Parking:\u003c/strong> I went on a Wednesday night at 7:00pm and got really lucky because I found a parking space directly across the street from the restaurant. Pisces is very accessible from the N-Judah line that stops either at the front door or a block or two away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Décor & Atmosphere:\u003c/strong> Clean dining room with a modern/contemporary style, sparsely decorated. Recessed lighting with very tall paper, Japanese-style lanterns. The walls are painted chocolate brown, and the chairs and tables provided comfortable seating. It has a nice black granite bar, very wide, with a flat screen television on the wall. This type of décor is normally what you might encounter in the South of Market neighborhood, Noe Valley, or Bernal Heights. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Service:\u003c/strong> There were very few patrons in the restaurant, so it was difficult to assess whether or not the service was good or if it would have been as good if it were packed. But, the service was, in fact, very good. Our waiter even re-folded my friend’s napkin when he left the table to use the restroom. He brought out our food in a very timely manner, and the entire meal was perfectly paced. We were not rushed at all. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wine:\u003c/strong> My friend and I ordered a bottle of the 2007 Lockwood Pinot, and it was really good. It paired well with both my ahi tuna dish and his short ribs. It was $32.00, and I thought it was maybe a little on the expensive side, but it was a good wine. Overall, it was a very decent wine list, which is something you can’t find in the Outer Sunset district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Portion Size:\u003c/strong> I had the $33.00 prix fixe menu, and the entrée size was not too big but not too small. However, portions for the crab cake and the chocolate brownie were too small for my appetite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Food Quality:\u003c/strong> Overall the entire meal was very good. The crab cake was good, but too small. It had a fresh crab taste, and it wasn’t overwhelmed with herbs, onion flavor, and the like. The ahi tuna was excellent, and everything on the plate was cooked to perfection. The textures and the flavors were outstanding. The gnocchi was perfectly chewy and contrasted well with the firmness of the edamame. The mushrooms were awesome, and the wasabi and dashi sauce married perfectly with the ahi tuna. In fact, it totally enhanced its buttery flavor. Awesome entrée!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Minuses:\u003c/strong> My friend’s salmon was too well-done for his liking. However, it was still tasty. Appetizers and desserts on the prix fixe selections were too small. Maybe not enough fresh fish selections on the menu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Summary:\u003c/strong> Above average food with reasonable prices. Good restaurant for the Outer Sunset district. I am looking forward to going again. Also, presentations on most menu items are very good with nice height and execution. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/neel-lilani.jpg\" alt=\"Neel Lilani\" title=\"Neel Lilani\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Neel\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Attorney\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Pisces California Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Thursday, April 15, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nThanks to \u003cem>Check, Please!\u003c/em> for introducing me to Pisces! Living in South Beach as I do, the Outer Sunset is a bit removed from my regular stomping grounds, but I am thrilled that we made the journey. The restaurant was completely empty when we arrived and, while that caused immediate red flags to go up, we quickly placated by the highly attentive waitstaff. When our waiter could not answer a question about the wine list, he quickly brought over the owner who was able to clearly articulate the differences between their two Viognier offerings. Apparently, the day of our visit was one of their slowest of the year as everyone was off to the post office to mail Uncle Sam his due (we went on tax day, April 15). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The food was excellent and perfectly prepared. The high quality of the ingredients really shined through, especially in the pork belly and short ribs. Platings were done with great attention to presentation, but in some cases the presentation made the entrees a bit difficult to engage. The prize dish was definitely the short ribs, which, after cooking for 3 hours, were succulent, tender, and moist. The desserts, with the exception of the slightly sub-par crème brûlée, were equally awe-inspiring, especially the hot brownie dish paired with a crisp raspberry sorbet. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The prix fixe option was a welcome surprise, as it included an appetizer, entrée and dessert for $23. Not every day do you find three expertly prepared courses for $23! \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, we would definitely visit Pisces again and found it to be a great value for a fun dinner out. \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Suwanna:\u003c/strong>\"Finding a great upscale casual neighborhood restaurant near our house that is kid-friendly has made this restaurant one of my favorites.\"\r\n\u003cstrong>Edmond:\u003c/strong> \"The ahi tuna was excellent, and everything on the plate was cooked to perfection.\" \r\n\u003cstrong>Neel:\u003c/strong> \"The prix fixe option was a welcome surprise, as it included an appetizer, entrée and dessert for $23. Not every day do you find three expertly prepared courses for $23!\" ",
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"description": "Suwanna:"Finding a great upscale casual neighborhood restaurant near our house that is kid-friendly has made this restaurant one of my favorites."\r\nEdmond: "The ahi tuna was excellent, and everything on the plate was cooked to perfection." \r\nNeel: "The prix fixe option was a welcome surprise, as it included an appetizer, entrée and dessert for $23. Not every day do you find three expertly prepared courses for $23!" ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Pisces California Cuisine: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4609\">restaurant info + video\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=4584\">full episode video\u003c/a> | \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other ways to watch episode online (and on video iPod):\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/tv/checkplease/cp512iPod.m4v\">\u003cstrong>Download episode\u003c/strong>\u003c/a> (requires \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/\">iTunes\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html\">QuickTime\u003c/a>)\u003cbr>\n\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?page_id=122\">\u003cstrong>Subscribe to Video Podcast\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/suwanna-kerdkaew.jpg\" alt=\"Suwanna Kerdkaew\" title=\"Suwanna Kerdkaew\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Suwanna\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Firefighter-Engineer & Paramedic\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Pisces California Cuisine\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Pisces California Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, April 7, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nSo yes, my partner and I live in the Outer Sunset, and we have a little girl, so finding a great upscale casual neighborhood restaurant near our house that is kid-friendly has made this restaurant one of my favorites, but it isn’t just that. Pisces is a great first date restaurant, a great one-person-sit-at-the-bar restaurant, a great small family gathering restaurant, and great casual dining restaurant that is kid-friendly with a decent selection of kid options. All of the above is available with enough menu options to spend as little or as much as you want and still have a great, fresh dining experience with a decent bottle or glass of wine, or beer on tap. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve been here a dozen times or so since Alex was born (we now don’t eat out as much anymore). We found this restaurant just on a casual stroll through the neighborhood after our daughter was born. Every meal has been so good and very reasonably priced. Last night was no exception, when we took my partner’s family here to try out this restaurant for their first time. We arrived at 5:45pm, which allowed us to have the option of ordering from the happy hour menu, as well as the regular menu, which included two prix fixe options.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We started with a dozen Washington oysters on the half-shell. So tasty and, at a buck an oyster during happy hour, you can’t beat the price. They were fresh with lots of sea goodness, and the sherry-peppercorn granita added a nice subtle favor to the fresh oysters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then the chocolate soft shell crab appetizer was served. This was amazing. I only ordered it because it was so different, and I questioned whether the chef could pull it off. Hands down, this was one of the best surprises I’ve ever had. My sister-in-law Pauline ordered a nice organic salad that she said was fresh with the perfect amount of honey-mustard vinaigrette. Our 14-year-old nephew, Christian, completely devoured the sizzling shrimp iron skillet dish (and he doesn’t usually like shrimp). The bread that was served while we waited for our appetizers was tasty. Perfectly grilled and delicious.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ordered the lobster ravioli, which was absolutely one of the best raviolis I’ve ever had. There was a sophisticated depth of flavor without hiding the natural sweetness of the lobster. The softness of the raviolis contrasted perfectly with the crispness of the asparagus and Asian veggies. The rest of my party ordered the Angus burger, the cioppino, the pan-roasted snapper, and the grilled filet mignon. Everyone raved about their dishes. The steak was tender and flavorful. My brother-in-law’s burger was juicy, and he was surprised to find that it came with crispy fries (as it was not noted on the menu). My mother-in-law stated that her fellow senior friends would love this place, as it serves the right amount of quality food for a very decent price. My almost 3-year-old daughter ate her entire fish and chips meal (well, she did give her grandmother a fish portion, which Kay enjoyed as well).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We shared the warm chocolate brownie with vanilla gelato and ganache. My daughter got her own chocolate sundae, as that was included with her meal. They don’t hit it out of the park with their desserts, but it is enough sweetness to finish off the meal. I did ask about the dessert ports, and the co-owner did a great job explaining the differences between the ports; he even allowed me try a sample of what Pisces had to offer. It was a lovely end to another great meal at Pisces without breaking the bank. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/edmond-sullivan.jpg\" alt=\"Edmond Sullivan\" title=\"Edmond Sullivan\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong>Edmond\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Teacher & Resources Specialist\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Daly City\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Bobo’s\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Pisces California Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Wednesday, April 14, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nWhen I first looked at the menu at Pisces I noticed that of the 12 entrée items listed, 6 are meat dishes. I did not expect this at a restaurant called “Pisces” and, moreover, I enjoyed my ahi tuna entrée so much that I want to try more fresh fish entrées, but the selection is minimal. They do have some shellfish entrees, but it seems that the fresh fish plates are the stand-out menu items.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Parking:\u003c/strong> I went on a Wednesday night at 7:00pm and got really lucky because I found a parking space directly across the street from the restaurant. Pisces is very accessible from the N-Judah line that stops either at the front door or a block or two away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Décor & Atmosphere:\u003c/strong> Clean dining room with a modern/contemporary style, sparsely decorated. Recessed lighting with very tall paper, Japanese-style lanterns. The walls are painted chocolate brown, and the chairs and tables provided comfortable seating. It has a nice black granite bar, very wide, with a flat screen television on the wall. This type of décor is normally what you might encounter in the South of Market neighborhood, Noe Valley, or Bernal Heights. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Service:\u003c/strong> There were very few patrons in the restaurant, so it was difficult to assess whether or not the service was good or if it would have been as good if it were packed. But, the service was, in fact, very good. Our waiter even re-folded my friend’s napkin when he left the table to use the restroom. He brought out our food in a very timely manner, and the entire meal was perfectly paced. We were not rushed at all. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Wine:\u003c/strong> My friend and I ordered a bottle of the 2007 Lockwood Pinot, and it was really good. It paired well with both my ahi tuna dish and his short ribs. It was $32.00, and I thought it was maybe a little on the expensive side, but it was a good wine. Overall, it was a very decent wine list, which is something you can’t find in the Outer Sunset district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Portion Size:\u003c/strong> I had the $33.00 prix fixe menu, and the entrée size was not too big but not too small. However, portions for the crab cake and the chocolate brownie were too small for my appetite.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Food Quality:\u003c/strong> Overall the entire meal was very good. The crab cake was good, but too small. It had a fresh crab taste, and it wasn’t overwhelmed with herbs, onion flavor, and the like. The ahi tuna was excellent, and everything on the plate was cooked to perfection. The textures and the flavors were outstanding. The gnocchi was perfectly chewy and contrasted well with the firmness of the edamame. The mushrooms were awesome, and the wasabi and dashi sauce married perfectly with the ahi tuna. In fact, it totally enhanced its buttery flavor. Awesome entrée!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Minuses:\u003c/strong> My friend’s salmon was too well-done for his liking. However, it was still tasty. Appetizers and desserts on the prix fixe selections were too small. Maybe not enough fresh fish selections on the menu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Summary:\u003c/strong> Above average food with reasonable prices. Good restaurant for the Outer Sunset district. I am looking forward to going again. Also, presentations on most menu items are very good with nice height and execution. \u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2010/11/neel-lilani.jpg\" alt=\"Neel Lilani\" title=\"Neel Lilani\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Neel\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Attorney\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Tropisueno Mexican Kitchen\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Pisces California Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Thursday, April 15, 2010\u003cbr>\n\u003cbr clear=\"all\">\u003cbr>\nThanks to \u003cem>Check, Please!\u003c/em> for introducing me to Pisces! Living in South Beach as I do, the Outer Sunset is a bit removed from my regular stomping grounds, but I am thrilled that we made the journey. The restaurant was completely empty when we arrived and, while that caused immediate red flags to go up, we quickly placated by the highly attentive waitstaff. When our waiter could not answer a question about the wine list, he quickly brought over the owner who was able to clearly articulate the differences between their two Viognier offerings. Apparently, the day of our visit was one of their slowest of the year as everyone was off to the post office to mail Uncle Sam his due (we went on tax day, April 15). \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The food was excellent and perfectly prepared. The high quality of the ingredients really shined through, especially in the pork belly and short ribs. Platings were done with great attention to presentation, but in some cases the presentation made the entrees a bit difficult to engage. The prize dish was definitely the short ribs, which, after cooking for 3 hours, were succulent, tender, and moist. The desserts, with the exception of the slightly sub-par crème brûlée, were equally awe-inspiring, especially the hot brownie dish paired with a crisp raspberry sorbet. \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The prix fixe option was a welcome surprise, as it included an appetizer, entrée and dessert for $23. Not every day do you find three expertly prepared courses for $23! \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
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},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
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"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
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"order": 8
},
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},
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"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"order": 1
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"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
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"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 9
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"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
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"id": "fresh-air",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"order": 18
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},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
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"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
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"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
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