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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Masa’s: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=702\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=699\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=691\">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/cp302iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2008/04/masas14.jpg\" alt=\"Black River Farms Siberian Osetra Caviar with Oyster Souffle\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/masas13.jpg\" alt=\"Grilled Japanese Kobe Beef \" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/masas18.jpg\" alt=\"Grouper on Spinach\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nBlack River Farms Siberian Osetra Caviar with Oyster Soufflé; Grilled Japanese Kobe Beef “Calotte” with Daikon Radish, Shiitake Caps, Baby Leeks, and Aged Sherry Vinegar Sauce; Grouper on Spinach\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/rachel-cary.jpg\" alt=\"Rachel Cary\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Rachel\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Art Director\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Masa’s\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Masa’s:\u003c/strong> Saturday February 9, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we decided to celebrate early and indulged ourselves in the “Love and Decadence” nine-course tasting menu. Wow. It was a culinary extravaganza. Each course was a small portion, bigger than a bite but a very generous taste. We each had a completely different menu (except for the Turboline Kobe beef, which were prepared the same for both of us), but each menu followed the same path, moving from lighter to heavier foods, and then dessert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We ordered kir cocktails to kick off our evening. Then they started us both with their signature “amuse bouche,” which this time was a heavenly lobster bisque/broth accompanied with their housemade mini gougères. It was very light, but very creamy, with a delicious lobster flavor, served in tiny white cappuccino cups, which was very elegant. Our individual menus were as follows (I am copying directly from their site which — thank heavens — has almost the same menu we ate, except for the Kobe beef. Phew, too many ingredients to remember!!)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel’s Menu:\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nCalifornia Golden Osetra Caviar\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>sea urchin “flan,” meyer lemon crème fraîche\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nHamachi “Sashimi”\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>poached ruby grapefruit, grapefruit mousse, wasabi oil\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nButter Poached Maine Lobster\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>perigord truffles, melted leeks, sunchoke essence\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nWhole Roasted Chilean Turbotine\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>california green asparagus, sauce mousseline\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nSeared Sonoma Artisan Foie Gras**\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>baby turnips, wild huckleberries, baby mâche \u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n**this was the best part of the meal for me\u003cbr>\nPoached Breast of Grimaud Farms Pintade\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>“ragout” of chestnuts and anjou pears, poultry jus\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nKobe Beef Filet Mignon\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Roasted potatoes and exotic mushroom, wine sauce\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nPetit Sorbet\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>pear sorbet, lemongrass jus\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nCheese course (additional)\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>French goat cheese, French smoked Gruyère and a very soft Portuguese cheese with a unique smoky/briny flavor. Served with fruit compote and candied walnuts.\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nWarm Truffle Cake\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>valrhona dark chocolate, crème fraîche\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nAssorted House Made Chocolates and Candies\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Patrice’s Menu:\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nSiberian Osetra Caviar\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>fanny bay oyster soufflé\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nHamachi “Tartare”\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>edamame, hearts of palm, kiaware, tsume glaze\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nSautéed New England Diver Scallop\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>perigord truffles, black trumpet mushrooms, miner’s lettuce broth\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nWhole Roasted Chilean Turbotine\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>california green asparagus, sauce mousseline\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n “Gâteau au Foie Gras”\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>chilled artisan foie gras layered with fuyu persimmon cake, persimmon purée, pistachio “aigre-doux”\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n “Saucisson de Lapin”\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>poached rabbit sausage, ragout of black-eyed peas, braised fennel, fennel oil, rabbit sauce\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nKobe Beef Filet Mignon\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>roasted potatoes and exotic mushroom, wine sauce\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nPetit Sorbet\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>tangerine sorbet, cardamom syrup\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nCheese course (additional)\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>French goat cheese, French smoked Gruyère and a very soft Portuguese cheese with a unique smoky/briny flavor. Served with fruit compote and candied walnuts\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nApricot Custard Paquet\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>puff pastry, rum soaked apricots, warm sour cherry sauce\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assorted House Made Chocolates and Candies\u003cbr>\nFor our beverages wine, we went with a bottle of sparkling mineral water, and a ½ bottle each of a French Sancerre and a French Bourgogne, both recommended by their extremely charming and professional sommelier. The Sancerre in particular was excellent. The sommelier also gave us a taste of La Quintessence (see below) with our foie gras which was heavenly and completely classy and wonderful of him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>——————————————————\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although we reserved several weeks in advance, our preferred eating time (around 7-8pm) was taken, so we went with a late meal at 9pm. I chose this time for two reasons: we tend to eat at that time on weekends anyway, and I wanted to see how the restaurant did later in the evening, when the waitstaff was maybe a little tired, etc.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We arrived promptly at 9pm and were greeted, as always, by their extremely friendly and warm staff, who graciously took our coats and led us to our table.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Masa’s has tiny little bar in the entrance. The main room is covered by a beautiful white curtain, so you can’t see it from the entryway. It adds a nice touch of drama as you enter the room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I love the main dining room at Masa’s. The ambiance is plush and elegant without going over the top. It’s a small room, probably no more than 20 tables tops. I love the rich brown painted walls, and the modern art is really well chosen — eclectic and mirroring the rest of the decor. I also really love the enormous red lampshades with pleated fabric hanging from the ceiling. They add wonderful lowlights to the room, as well as a big splash of color and drama, without overpowering. There is a huge Giacometti-ish sculpture in the middle of the room. It’s a good choice for the room as well, as it’s not really a huge room. Also, they always have fresh roses on the tables, with pristine white tablecloths and comfortable, plush damask-covered chairs that pick up the chocolate brown on the walls. Overall, it’s an extremely luxurious and elegant feel, but on the minimalist side as well, which is right up my alley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were seated side-by-side, European style, which was a first for us. I’m not sure why they did that, as they’ve never done it before. But it gave us an excellent view of what was happening in the room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As noted above, our meal was outstanding. The style of cuisine is continental, but heavily “French” in that the ingredient pairings are very well thought out and often, quite intricate. The result is explosions of flavors and textures on the palette, and they do it exceptionally well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the reasons why we did the tasting menu was to ‘put ‘em through their paces.’ Haven eaten here several times before, I really was curious to see how they would pull this off, especially as the room was full and most tables were mid-meal by the time we got there, with more coming after we were seated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every single course was exceptionally prepared. We were in culinary heaven. Exceptionally high quality ingredients, prepared with artistry and skill. The foie gras, in particular, was absolutely divine. Perfectly pan seared with a berry sauce that was out of this world. There was one slight hitch with this course: the sommelier had decanted the red wine we’d chosen for the menu just before, which was very thoughtful. The amazing foie gras was served and then he was nowhere to be seen, to our dismay. We ate a few bites but then decided to wait for that red wine to come as foie gras without a nice red is an unfinished symphony… we then realized that he was helping some other staff. We signaled him when we could catch his eye, and when he realized the little “gaffe,” he dashed over to our table, asked if we liked sweet wine, to which we replied, “Yes.” In his very charming (British? Australian?) accent, he said, “Hold that last bite,” dashed off to the bar and returned with: La Quintessence. He described it as a rare sweet wine coming from the south of France with a distinct mango/pineapple flavor, served us both a generous taste and suddenly, we no longer regretted waiting for that last bite! It was one of the classiest, most elegant ways I’ve ever seen restaurant staff handle an oversight. And, of course, it was fabulous with the foie gras. One of the most perfect food pairings I’ve ever had the pleasure to pass over my taste buds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, I was extremely impressed (again). The quality of the dining experience at Masa’s is suberb. The ingredients are top-notch quality, wonderfully fresh and the preparation is true 5-star fine dining. There are a lot of restaurants in the Bay Area that claim to do 5-star food, but I find few are really doing that. Masa’s definitely is. I don’t know how Masa’s compares price-wise to other fine restaurants in the Bay Area, but I don’t really care. From the service to the décor to the food, they have everything we need when we want to have a special night with a memorable meal. We bring friends, family and clients here as well, and they are always impressed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bravo, Masa’s, and keep up the good work!\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/modesto-tamez.jpg\" alt=\"Modesto Tamez\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Modesto\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Exploratorium Teacher-in-Residence\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Aperto\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Masa’s:\u003c/strong> Tuesday February 12, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the way to Masa’s, my wife and I were anticipating a very special dinner. The restaurant’s reputation has always been that of extraordinary food at equally extraordinary prices. I was ready to report that the food was great; however, no meal can be worth that price…Well, I was wrong!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The evening started by entering a large, elegant, understated, and quiet room. A friendly staff greeted us, and their attentiveness and cheerfulness never ceased. As soon as we were seated, we were surprised by the waiter, who offered us a complimentary demitasse full of soup infused with truffle oil. He stated that the chef knew it was cold and that this would be a nice way to start the meal. We agreed! While we were looking through the menu, our second surprise occurred. The waiter announced that the chef thought we might enjoy a salad of lobster knuckle (I never new lobsters had knuckles!). This was so thoughtful and even more delicious. We were in seventh heaven, and we had not even ordered yet. We finally ordered. We chose the six-course prix fixe, but if you do the math we were now up to eight and more surprises to come. My wife does not drink, so I ordered wine by the glass and had a wonderful French Pinot Noir. We did order some British sparkling water, which came in an elegant bottle. I guess elegance and surprises were the themes for the evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We started with the best crab dish I have ever had, a crab salad atop of some root vegetables. Next came a grouper that was only bettered by one we had in Jamaica many years ago. The side of quail came next. I have to confess I have never been a great fan of quail, too much work! This was tiny, but utterly delicious. The next course was the only course that did not overly impressed me, the lamb, but my wife disagreed and she is always right. The dishes appeared small, but by this time we were getting full. They offered the perfect transition to dessert, an apple wasabi sorbet. Finally, the dessert, a roasted banana tart with homemade ice cream, yum!! At the end of the six courses, the waiter surprised us again and asked if we wanted some homemade candies. We were too full to eat but he insisted we take a doggie bag full of their candies. This brought our course count for the evening to nine!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The food is a big part of this beautiful experience, but everything about the evening was right. I was not expecting such down-to-earth and friendly waitstaff. The room was comfortable, elegant and conducive to conversation. I might have to accelerate my deposit of coins into my piggy bank in order to return to this wonderful restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/mark-duncanson.jpg\" alt=\"Mark Duncanson\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Mark\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Youth Worker\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Livermore\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> New Kapadokia\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Masa’s:\u003c/strong> Saturday February 16, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before officially starting this summary, I must admit that I had my culinary “dukes” up, my friends. I decided to check Masa’s out online just to get a “web” feel for it. When I learned that sittings started at $90 person, I nearly lost it! “That’s it!” I thought, “There is a no possible way I will like this place. It’s too expensive, it will be pretentious, and I won’t be comfortable there!” I am a very simple man that, once in a while, can appreciate eating “above my station,” but this was beginning to seem a bit ridiculous. The call to make the reservations for me and wife made my preconceived notions of the place even worse as I had to leave a credit card number to hold my reservations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fast-forward to the dining date. As my wife and I headed over the Bay Bridge at about 5:15pm, I grew anxious that we wouldn’t make our 5:30pm reservations. My wife was laboriously dialing Masa’s on her cell phone (getting a recorded message every time) to give them the heads up that we may be later than expected (hey, for all I knew, they would start charging my credit card for every minute we were late). After successfully navigating the streets of San Francisco, we arrived at the front door of Masa’s at 5:28pm where I was going to drop my wife off as I found parking, only to learn that a valet was waiting with a list that had my name on it (ah, score one for Masa’s, valet parking only $15 and it’s added to your check at the end of the meal). We made our 5:30pm reservation with two minutes to spare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The staff and Masa’s was friendly, welcoming, and dare I say it, quite attractive (score three more points for Masa’s). When we entered the dining area, I was impressed. Not at all pretentious, in fact the atmosphere, like the staff, was very warm and welcoming (another 2 points for Masa’s). Great jazz music over the speakers (at just the right volume), beautifully covered chairs, warm lighting and this gorgeous sculpture easily about eight feet tall of three people that seemed to be dancing — wonderful! Not long after we were seated, my wife and I were given menus and decided we would make this a true dining experience and go for the nine-course “Love and Decadence Menu,” substituting the Hamachi “Tartare” portion for a Compressed Pear and Baby Beet Salad due to my aversion to raw fish and my wife being pregnant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first part of the meal came to us compliments of the chef, when we were served Frothed Lobster Soup in a little espresso-like cup with a Gruyere Cheese Puff. My friends, I was done, I could have walked out right there and been satisfied; that soup was amazing! The wall I had prejudicially built since logging on to Masa’s website was quickly being rocked like the walls of Jericho. Then comes the Black River Farms Siberian Osetra Caviar with an Oyster Soufflé. Caviar! Who was I, Frasier Crane? One little spoonful of this caviar and I understood what all the fuss was about. I am very into oysters and seafood actually tasting like seafood and this caviar was excellent, the perfect texture of soft and just firm enough to get the point across; it was seafood at its best. Because of the extensive menu I will give you the highlights; know now that this will be difficult as every single thing that came out was amazing. Of the Sautéed New England Diver Scallop and the Butter Poached Main Lobster, I will have to go with the scallop; perfect texture, fresh complementing tastes along with the trumpet mushrooms and Perigord truffles. And then there was the Seared Sonoma Artisan Foie Gras with amazing crispness on the outside with the delicious burst of the soft and moist inside. The wild huckleberries were an excellent sweet to the foie gras savory.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And let’s just get right to the point with the Grilled Japanese Kobe Beef “Calotte” with daikon radish, shiitake caps, baby leeks, and aged sherry vinegar sauce. As an avid meat lover, this is the part I couldn’t wait for. I have been waiting my whole life to get a taste of this “Cattlemen’s Legend.” When the plates were brought to our table, the smell was beautiful! The site of the beef was already perfect. I immediately began to eat around the beef. The shiitake mushroom caps were exquisite, the baby leeks had just the right snap, even the daikon radish had a delicious part when coupled with the aged sherry vinegar sauce. Mind you, my wife had already bitten into her portion of beef and raved about it, but I’m pretty sure I was zoned out as I focused on my portion of perfection. I put fork and knife to beef, put the beef to my lips and it was everything I thought beef should be and more. First I noticed the tenderness as I bit down, then came the insane, savory, slightly sweet beef flavor. The marbling was unlike any cut of beef I have ever had. I really couldn’t imagine what in the world I had been doing eating other kinds of beef when there are cows being pampered and massaged for my enjoyment over there in the Far East. I am sorry for any other restaurant that tries to serve me their “best cut” after this because I will know the real truth, and the truth is at Masa’s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As you can imagine, this story ends with delicious sorbets that taste more like actual tangerines and pears, a warm truffle cake that my wife nearly left me for, and an apricot custard paquet that I devoured before it hit the table. Oh, and let’s not forget the house-made candies that my wife and I thought we would only try and ended up eating all but two and finishing those before going to bed that night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Masa’s did it, they shut me up. They not only demolished the wall I had built, they cleaned up the mess and did it with a smile. This is not one of these upscale restaurants that makes you feel bad for not knowing anything; they take you along for the ride. They educate you with every dish, smile at every door and do it all without smothering you. I felt like I belonged there from the moment I stepped out of the car – something I was not expecting. Although the price is very high (the price of a baby crib, which my wife and I still have to get after this), I deeply suggest that you and the one you love find an excuse to dine there at least once. You will not regret it.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong>\r\n648 Bush Street (between Stockton and Powell)\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94108\r\n\u003cstrong>Phone:\u003c/strong> 415-989-7154\r\n\u003cstrong>Website:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.masasrestaurant.com\">www.masasrestaurant.com\u003c/a>\r\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed:\u003c/strong> Winter 2008",
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"description": "Location:\r\n648 Bush Street (between Stockton and Powell)\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94108\r\nPhone: 415-989-7154\r\nWebsite: www.masasrestaurant.com\r\nReviewed: Winter 2008",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Masa’s: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=702\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=699\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=691\">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/cp302iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2008/04/masas14.jpg\" alt=\"Black River Farms Siberian Osetra Caviar with Oyster Souffle\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/masas13.jpg\" alt=\"Grilled Japanese Kobe Beef \" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/masas18.jpg\" alt=\"Grouper on Spinach\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nBlack River Farms Siberian Osetra Caviar with Oyster Soufflé; Grilled Japanese Kobe Beef “Calotte” with Daikon Radish, Shiitake Caps, Baby Leeks, and Aged Sherry Vinegar Sauce; Grouper on Spinach\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/rachel-cary.jpg\" alt=\"Rachel Cary\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Rachel\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Art Director\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Masa’s\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Masa’s:\u003c/strong> Saturday February 9, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we decided to celebrate early and indulged ourselves in the “Love and Decadence” nine-course tasting menu. Wow. It was a culinary extravaganza. Each course was a small portion, bigger than a bite but a very generous taste. We each had a completely different menu (except for the Turboline Kobe beef, which were prepared the same for both of us), but each menu followed the same path, moving from lighter to heavier foods, and then dessert.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We ordered kir cocktails to kick off our evening. Then they started us both with their signature “amuse bouche,” which this time was a heavenly lobster bisque/broth accompanied with their housemade mini gougères. It was very light, but very creamy, with a delicious lobster flavor, served in tiny white cappuccino cups, which was very elegant. Our individual menus were as follows (I am copying directly from their site which — thank heavens — has almost the same menu we ate, except for the Kobe beef. Phew, too many ingredients to remember!!)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Rachel’s Menu:\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nCalifornia Golden Osetra Caviar\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>sea urchin “flan,” meyer lemon crème fraîche\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nHamachi “Sashimi”\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>poached ruby grapefruit, grapefruit mousse, wasabi oil\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nButter Poached Maine Lobster\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>perigord truffles, melted leeks, sunchoke essence\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nWhole Roasted Chilean Turbotine\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>california green asparagus, sauce mousseline\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nSeared Sonoma Artisan Foie Gras**\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>baby turnips, wild huckleberries, baby mâche \u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n**this was the best part of the meal for me\u003cbr>\nPoached Breast of Grimaud Farms Pintade\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>“ragout” of chestnuts and anjou pears, poultry jus\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nKobe Beef Filet Mignon\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Roasted potatoes and exotic mushroom, wine sauce\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nPetit Sorbet\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>pear sorbet, lemongrass jus\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nCheese course (additional)\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>French goat cheese, French smoked Gruyère and a very soft Portuguese cheese with a unique smoky/briny flavor. Served with fruit compote and candied walnuts.\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nWarm Truffle Cake\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>valrhona dark chocolate, crème fraîche\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nAssorted House Made Chocolates and Candies\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Patrice’s Menu:\u003c/strong>\u003cbr>\nSiberian Osetra Caviar\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>fanny bay oyster soufflé\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nHamachi “Tartare”\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>edamame, hearts of palm, kiaware, tsume glaze\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nSautéed New England Diver Scallop\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>perigord truffles, black trumpet mushrooms, miner’s lettuce broth\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nWhole Roasted Chilean Turbotine\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>california green asparagus, sauce mousseline\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n “Gâteau au Foie Gras”\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>chilled artisan foie gras layered with fuyu persimmon cake, persimmon purée, pistachio “aigre-doux”\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n “Saucisson de Lapin”\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>poached rabbit sausage, ragout of black-eyed peas, braised fennel, fennel oil, rabbit sauce\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nKobe Beef Filet Mignon\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>roasted potatoes and exotic mushroom, wine sauce\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nPetit Sorbet\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>tangerine sorbet, cardamom syrup\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nCheese course (additional)\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>French goat cheese, French smoked Gruyère and a very soft Portuguese cheese with a unique smoky/briny flavor. Served with fruit compote and candied walnuts\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\nApricot Custard Paquet\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>puff pastry, rum soaked apricots, warm sour cherry sauce\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assorted House Made Chocolates and Candies\u003cbr>\nFor our beverages wine, we went with a bottle of sparkling mineral water, and a ½ bottle each of a French Sancerre and a French Bourgogne, both recommended by their extremely charming and professional sommelier. The Sancerre in particular was excellent. The sommelier also gave us a taste of La Quintessence (see below) with our foie gras which was heavenly and completely classy and wonderful of him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>——————————————————\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although we reserved several weeks in advance, our preferred eating time (around 7-8pm) was taken, so we went with a late meal at 9pm. I chose this time for two reasons: we tend to eat at that time on weekends anyway, and I wanted to see how the restaurant did later in the evening, when the waitstaff was maybe a little tired, etc.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We arrived promptly at 9pm and were greeted, as always, by their extremely friendly and warm staff, who graciously took our coats and led us to our table.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Masa’s has tiny little bar in the entrance. The main room is covered by a beautiful white curtain, so you can’t see it from the entryway. It adds a nice touch of drama as you enter the room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I love the main dining room at Masa’s. The ambiance is plush and elegant without going over the top. It’s a small room, probably no more than 20 tables tops. I love the rich brown painted walls, and the modern art is really well chosen — eclectic and mirroring the rest of the decor. I also really love the enormous red lampshades with pleated fabric hanging from the ceiling. They add wonderful lowlights to the room, as well as a big splash of color and drama, without overpowering. There is a huge Giacometti-ish sculpture in the middle of the room. It’s a good choice for the room as well, as it’s not really a huge room. Also, they always have fresh roses on the tables, with pristine white tablecloths and comfortable, plush damask-covered chairs that pick up the chocolate brown on the walls. Overall, it’s an extremely luxurious and elegant feel, but on the minimalist side as well, which is right up my alley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were seated side-by-side, European style, which was a first for us. I’m not sure why they did that, as they’ve never done it before. But it gave us an excellent view of what was happening in the room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As noted above, our meal was outstanding. The style of cuisine is continental, but heavily “French” in that the ingredient pairings are very well thought out and often, quite intricate. The result is explosions of flavors and textures on the palette, and they do it exceptionally well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the reasons why we did the tasting menu was to ‘put ‘em through their paces.’ Haven eaten here several times before, I really was curious to see how they would pull this off, especially as the room was full and most tables were mid-meal by the time we got there, with more coming after we were seated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Every single course was exceptionally prepared. We were in culinary heaven. Exceptionally high quality ingredients, prepared with artistry and skill. The foie gras, in particular, was absolutely divine. Perfectly pan seared with a berry sauce that was out of this world. There was one slight hitch with this course: the sommelier had decanted the red wine we’d chosen for the menu just before, which was very thoughtful. The amazing foie gras was served and then he was nowhere to be seen, to our dismay. We ate a few bites but then decided to wait for that red wine to come as foie gras without a nice red is an unfinished symphony… we then realized that he was helping some other staff. We signaled him when we could catch his eye, and when he realized the little “gaffe,” he dashed over to our table, asked if we liked sweet wine, to which we replied, “Yes.” In his very charming (British? Australian?) accent, he said, “Hold that last bite,” dashed off to the bar and returned with: La Quintessence. He described it as a rare sweet wine coming from the south of France with a distinct mango/pineapple flavor, served us both a generous taste and suddenly, we no longer regretted waiting for that last bite! It was one of the classiest, most elegant ways I’ve ever seen restaurant staff handle an oversight. And, of course, it was fabulous with the foie gras. One of the most perfect food pairings I’ve ever had the pleasure to pass over my taste buds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overall, I was extremely impressed (again). The quality of the dining experience at Masa’s is suberb. The ingredients are top-notch quality, wonderfully fresh and the preparation is true 5-star fine dining. There are a lot of restaurants in the Bay Area that claim to do 5-star food, but I find few are really doing that. Masa’s definitely is. I don’t know how Masa’s compares price-wise to other fine restaurants in the Bay Area, but I don’t really care. From the service to the décor to the food, they have everything we need when we want to have a special night with a memorable meal. We bring friends, family and clients here as well, and they are always impressed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bravo, Masa’s, and keep up the good work!\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/modesto-tamez.jpg\" alt=\"Modesto Tamez\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Modesto\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Exploratorium Teacher-in-Residence\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Aperto\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Masa’s:\u003c/strong> Tuesday February 12, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the way to Masa’s, my wife and I were anticipating a very special dinner. The restaurant’s reputation has always been that of extraordinary food at equally extraordinary prices. I was ready to report that the food was great; however, no meal can be worth that price…Well, I was wrong!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The evening started by entering a large, elegant, understated, and quiet room. A friendly staff greeted us, and their attentiveness and cheerfulness never ceased. As soon as we were seated, we were surprised by the waiter, who offered us a complimentary demitasse full of soup infused with truffle oil. He stated that the chef knew it was cold and that this would be a nice way to start the meal. We agreed! While we were looking through the menu, our second surprise occurred. The waiter announced that the chef thought we might enjoy a salad of lobster knuckle (I never new lobsters had knuckles!). This was so thoughtful and even more delicious. We were in seventh heaven, and we had not even ordered yet. We finally ordered. We chose the six-course prix fixe, but if you do the math we were now up to eight and more surprises to come. My wife does not drink, so I ordered wine by the glass and had a wonderful French Pinot Noir. We did order some British sparkling water, which came in an elegant bottle. I guess elegance and surprises were the themes for the evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We started with the best crab dish I have ever had, a crab salad atop of some root vegetables. Next came a grouper that was only bettered by one we had in Jamaica many years ago. The side of quail came next. I have to confess I have never been a great fan of quail, too much work! This was tiny, but utterly delicious. The next course was the only course that did not overly impressed me, the lamb, but my wife disagreed and she is always right. The dishes appeared small, but by this time we were getting full. They offered the perfect transition to dessert, an apple wasabi sorbet. Finally, the dessert, a roasted banana tart with homemade ice cream, yum!! At the end of the six courses, the waiter surprised us again and asked if we wanted some homemade candies. We were too full to eat but he insisted we take a doggie bag full of their candies. This brought our course count for the evening to nine!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The food is a big part of this beautiful experience, but everything about the evening was right. I was not expecting such down-to-earth and friendly waitstaff. The room was comfortable, elegant and conducive to conversation. I might have to accelerate my deposit of coins into my piggy bank in order to return to this wonderful restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/mark-duncanson.jpg\" alt=\"Mark Duncanson\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Mark\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Youth Worker\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Livermore\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> New Kapadokia\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Masa’s:\u003c/strong> Saturday February 16, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before officially starting this summary, I must admit that I had my culinary “dukes” up, my friends. I decided to check Masa’s out online just to get a “web” feel for it. When I learned that sittings started at $90 person, I nearly lost it! “That’s it!” I thought, “There is a no possible way I will like this place. It’s too expensive, it will be pretentious, and I won’t be comfortable there!” I am a very simple man that, once in a while, can appreciate eating “above my station,” but this was beginning to seem a bit ridiculous. The call to make the reservations for me and wife made my preconceived notions of the place even worse as I had to leave a credit card number to hold my reservations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fast-forward to the dining date. As my wife and I headed over the Bay Bridge at about 5:15pm, I grew anxious that we wouldn’t make our 5:30pm reservations. My wife was laboriously dialing Masa’s on her cell phone (getting a recorded message every time) to give them the heads up that we may be later than expected (hey, for all I knew, they would start charging my credit card for every minute we were late). After successfully navigating the streets of San Francisco, we arrived at the front door of Masa’s at 5:28pm where I was going to drop my wife off as I found parking, only to learn that a valet was waiting with a list that had my name on it (ah, score one for Masa’s, valet parking only $15 and it’s added to your check at the end of the meal). We made our 5:30pm reservation with two minutes to spare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The staff and Masa’s was friendly, welcoming, and dare I say it, quite attractive (score three more points for Masa’s). When we entered the dining area, I was impressed. Not at all pretentious, in fact the atmosphere, like the staff, was very warm and welcoming (another 2 points for Masa’s). Great jazz music over the speakers (at just the right volume), beautifully covered chairs, warm lighting and this gorgeous sculpture easily about eight feet tall of three people that seemed to be dancing — wonderful! Not long after we were seated, my wife and I were given menus and decided we would make this a true dining experience and go for the nine-course “Love and Decadence Menu,” substituting the Hamachi “Tartare” portion for a Compressed Pear and Baby Beet Salad due to my aversion to raw fish and my wife being pregnant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first part of the meal came to us compliments of the chef, when we were served Frothed Lobster Soup in a little espresso-like cup with a Gruyere Cheese Puff. My friends, I was done, I could have walked out right there and been satisfied; that soup was amazing! The wall I had prejudicially built since logging on to Masa’s website was quickly being rocked like the walls of Jericho. Then comes the Black River Farms Siberian Osetra Caviar with an Oyster Soufflé. Caviar! Who was I, Frasier Crane? One little spoonful of this caviar and I understood what all the fuss was about. I am very into oysters and seafood actually tasting like seafood and this caviar was excellent, the perfect texture of soft and just firm enough to get the point across; it was seafood at its best. Because of the extensive menu I will give you the highlights; know now that this will be difficult as every single thing that came out was amazing. Of the Sautéed New England Diver Scallop and the Butter Poached Main Lobster, I will have to go with the scallop; perfect texture, fresh complementing tastes along with the trumpet mushrooms and Perigord truffles. And then there was the Seared Sonoma Artisan Foie Gras with amazing crispness on the outside with the delicious burst of the soft and moist inside. The wild huckleberries were an excellent sweet to the foie gras savory.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And let’s just get right to the point with the Grilled Japanese Kobe Beef “Calotte” with daikon radish, shiitake caps, baby leeks, and aged sherry vinegar sauce. As an avid meat lover, this is the part I couldn’t wait for. I have been waiting my whole life to get a taste of this “Cattlemen’s Legend.” When the plates were brought to our table, the smell was beautiful! The site of the beef was already perfect. I immediately began to eat around the beef. The shiitake mushroom caps were exquisite, the baby leeks had just the right snap, even the daikon radish had a delicious part when coupled with the aged sherry vinegar sauce. Mind you, my wife had already bitten into her portion of beef and raved about it, but I’m pretty sure I was zoned out as I focused on my portion of perfection. I put fork and knife to beef, put the beef to my lips and it was everything I thought beef should be and more. First I noticed the tenderness as I bit down, then came the insane, savory, slightly sweet beef flavor. The marbling was unlike any cut of beef I have ever had. I really couldn’t imagine what in the world I had been doing eating other kinds of beef when there are cows being pampered and massaged for my enjoyment over there in the Far East. I am sorry for any other restaurant that tries to serve me their “best cut” after this because I will know the real truth, and the truth is at Masa’s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As you can imagine, this story ends with delicious sorbets that taste more like actual tangerines and pears, a warm truffle cake that my wife nearly left me for, and an apricot custard paquet that I devoured before it hit the table. Oh, and let’s not forget the house-made candies that my wife and I thought we would only try and ended up eating all but two and finishing those before going to bed that night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Masa’s did it, they shut me up. They not only demolished the wall I had built, they cleaned up the mess and did it with a smile. This is not one of these upscale restaurants that makes you feel bad for not knowing anything; they take you along for the ride. They educate you with every dish, smile at every door and do it all without smothering you. I felt like I belonged there from the moment I stepped out of the car – something I was not expecting. Although the price is very high (the price of a baby crib, which my wife and I still have to get after this), I deeply suggest that you and the one you love find an excuse to dine there at least once. You will not regret it.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alfred’s Steakhouse: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=662\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=686\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=687\">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/cp301iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2008/04/alfredsteakhouse14.jpg\" alt=\"Filet Mignon, Bernaise Sauce, Creamed Spinach\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/alfredsteakhouse15.jpg\" alt=\"French Fried Onion Strings\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/alfredsteakhouse4.jpg\" alt=\"Steaks on the Grill\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nFilet Mignon with Bearnaise Sauce, side of Creamed Spinach; French Fried Onion Strings; Steaks on the Grill\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/charles-wibbelsman.jpg\" alt=\"Charles Wibbelsman\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Charles\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Kaiser Permanente Pediatrician\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Alfred’s Steakhouse\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Alfred’s Steakhouse:\u003c/strong> Saturday January 26, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> Dining at Alfred’s Steak House in the Financial District of downtown San Francisco is a sojourn into San Francisco of the 1950s and 1960s. It offers an old San Francisco setting, replete with classic Chinese red walls with black trim, restrained yet opulent interiors, and service second to none.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The moment that you step through the huge wooden doors of Alfred’s on Merchant Street, you feel the ambience of a bygone era and the warmth of the dark oak paneling throughout the rooms of this traditional and classic establishment. Alfred’s opened in 1928. The original location for many years was just a few blocks away on Broadway near the entrance to the Broadway tunnel. The new location has brought with it all of the classic features of the original restaurant, including the burgundy leather booths, the etched glass partitions between each booths, and stately crystal chandeliers. Soft and contemporary oil artwork adorns the walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sitting at the bar with its extensive selections of many Scotch varieties and other choices from all over the world is a wonderful way to just relax when waiting for your table or friends to join you. In fact, it is interesting to note that Alfred’s offers a whiskey blended in San Francisco called Old Potrero Hotalings at $16 a shot, certainly a rarity in this day of steak houses that have branches from coast to coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Upon our arrival on a Saturday evening at eight o’clock, we were very warmly greeted by the somewhat matronly, very well groomed hostess and immediately seated in a very nice, private, red leather booth with table settings of nice white linens and classic cutlery. Our waiter, Doug, was most attentive and respective and courteous. He assisted us with questions concerning the menu but was in no way didactic, condescending, or aggressive in promoting a particular wine or menu selection. I chose the Wedge Salad, which came as a very hearty iceberg wedge with a generous and tangy creamy blue cheese dressing, garnished with a slender sliver of cucumber on the side. My guest chose the organic mixed green salad with a vinaigrette dressing and crumbled blue cheese. A generous bread tray with classic San Francisco sourdough bread came quickly to our table before the salads arrived. The wine list is extensive and diverse, but fairly priced. There was a large choice of imported red wines, ranging from France and Italy to local selections from Napa and other parts of California. We choose a bottle of Château Le Grand Sigognac Medoc 2005, priced at $33. It was an excellent full-bodied dry red wine with hints of cherry and spice and very suitable with red meat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For entrees, I ordered the filet mignon, and my guest ordered the rib-eye steak, each were accompanied by a side dish of one’s choice from about ten selections. I chose the very tasty, yet still slightly al dente, and bright green creamed spinach, which came as a generous portion, and my guest choose a baked potato, which was not noteworthy. One of the highlights of the dinner was an additional side dish of french-fried onion strings ($4), which were presented in a beautifully folded cotton napkin on a silver plated stand, overflowing with the most delicious onion strings that I have ever tasted. It would be worth returning to Alfred’s just for the onion strings! Our beef entrees were cooked exactly as ordered, and the waiter was most generous in offering us as many of the side sauces as we wanted. Each was served in an individual sauceboat. I chose a béarnaise sauce as well as a creamy horseradish sauce, and my guest selected the peppercorn sauce and the Argentinean chimichurri. All were very good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the portions were quite generous and most appealing to the palate, we were not able to consume the entirety of our entrees. We did, however, wish to sample the desserts. I chose the Italian Fried Crème, which was served by the waiter and ignited tableside. My guest chose the lemon tart. Both desserts were good, and the cost reasonable enough at $6 each.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alfred’s Steakhouse is a walk back in time to a classic San Francisco when people dressed up for dinner, were greeted very personally, dined in an elegant and quiet setting, and had gracious service. It is the perfect restaurant for a special occasion, such as an anniversary or birthday and remains true to its many loyal patrons.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/tamsen-salvador.jpg\" alt=\"Tamsen Salvador\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tamsen\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Internet Retailer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Bacco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Alfred’s Steakhouse:\u003c/strong> Tuesday January 29, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alfred’s is one of San Francisco’s oldest restaurants, founded in 1928. Originally located on Broadway, it moved a number of years back to Merchant Street on the cusp of Chinatown, North Beach, and the Financial District — a storied neighborhood to say the least. We arrived for dinner on a cold and foggy night and were a bit dubious when we found the restaurant on Merchant Street, basically an alley. We felt like we were characters in a Dashiell Hammett novel arriving at a Prohibition-era speakeasy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We drove up to the unassuming restaurant entrance. Wondering where to park, we were pleased to see a sign directing us to the Hilton Hotel parking garage for complimentary parking. In a neighborhood full of one-way streets, all going in the opposite direction of where we wanted to go, we had to circle back a couple of times until we found the parking entrance. After an elevator ride into the Hilton lobby, then out the door, and down the alley to the restaurant, we wondered if we had found the restaurant’s main entrance. Once we walked through the door, our Dashiell Hammett imaginings were rewarded. The restaurant is right out of the 1920s/30s, all red and plush and filled with more booths than tables. Just the place for a romantic dinner, martini-infused business lunch, or nefarious rendezvous with a bootlegger. The circular crystal chandeliers set into the ceiling are from the original Broadway restaurant and are truly spectacular. The bar features a wall with at least 100 varieties of Scotch, but what caught our eye was the framed, original document proclaiming the restaurant closed for prohibition violations. We were primed for an old-fashioned, “steak and a baked.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But first, a cocktail. We ordered a Manhattan, but our waiter soon returned to tell us that the bar did not have enough of the bourbon we requested to make an “up” drink. He quickly recommended a better bourbon, Russell’s, and told us that we would be charged for the lesser bourbon. So far, so good, and that Manhattan was the best I’d ever tasted –smooth and mellow. We settled in and ordered. Within less than two minutes, our salads arrived, startling us. Talk about feeling rushed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I love anchovies, so I ordered the classic Caesar salad. The greens arrived heavily dressed and with large chunks of anchovies. There were so many anchovies that the salad was overwhelmed; it tasted like I was eating anchovies straight out of the tin. I didn’t enjoy it. Going for steakhouse classics, we also ordered the Wedge Salad with Pt. Reyes Original Bleu Cheese dressing. It, too, arrived overly dressed and the lettuce looked a bit brown around the edges. Again, the balance of flavors was off, and the salad was way too salty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We consulted with our waiter to learn what he considered the best steak on the menu. He recommended the Bone-in Chicago Rib Steak. The menu proclaimed it “the most flavorful,” so we went with it and the Wild Mexican Shrimp. Alfred’s takes pride in the fact that their steaks are grilled over mesquite charcoal and that no other seasonings are used, not even salt or pepper. This is truly steak for the purest. Unfortunately, it also resulted in steak that didn’t have much flavor other than a bit of smokiness. Plus, it was barely warm and it was tough. There was still some silver skin on the surface of the steak, which should have been removed. The béarnaise sauce that we ordered didn’t help matters. It arrived tepid and had started to coagulate with a skin forming on top. The creamed spinach was inedible, it had an off taste and made us wonder if it was made with some foodservice product out of a bag or can. This was definitely not grandmother’s creamed spinach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Mexican Shrimp looked lovely and were tasty, but they arrived on the tepid side and were overcooked, which rendered them tough. The garlic mashed potatoes had a nice consistency but tasted overwhelmingly of raw garlic. Flavor balance was again out of whack. The onion strings might have been good if they had arrived hot and crispy. They were cold and soggy. Since we were at Alfred’s, we tried the fettuccine Alfredo. Sadly, this too was disappointing. The dish arrived steaming hot, but the fettuccine was over cooked to the point of being mushy, not at all al dente. I’m sure this isn’t the way it was made when Alfred’s founder, Alfredo Bacchini was alive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well, we thought, there’s always the wine to console ourselves with. But, alas, we ordered two glasses of the 2006 Côtes du Rhône Dom. Le Garrigon only to have one glass taste oxidized. We suspect that we got the last serving from a bottle that had been opened for a day or two, and then a glass from a freshly opened bottle. Not the way to do wine-by-the-glass service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it came time to order dessert, we hesitated. The meal had been a complete disappointment, but we didn’t want to give up on this piece of old San Francisco, so we ordered a slice of cheesecake to share. A pleasant ending to a less-than-satisfying dinner. The cheesecake was light and flavorful with a nice creamy consistency. The chocolate cookie base complemented the rich filling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I know that Alfred’s is beloved by many, so maybe it was just an off night. It was a Tuesday evening and, perhaps, the A-Team had the night off. Maybe things would have been better on a Friday or Saturday night. I don’t know, but with so many restaurants to explore in San Francisco, I probably won’t go back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we walked back to the car, wrapped in San Francisco’s legendary fog, we pondered the mystery of where to find a great steak in San Francisco. If only Sam Spade were around to guide us.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/doug-lemoine.jpg\" alt=\"Doug Lemoine\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Doug\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> High Tech Product Designer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> El Tonayense Taco Truck\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Alfred’s Steakhouse:\u003c/strong> Friday January 25, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m from Kansas City, so I’ve been to quite a few steakhouses. KC has some classics — the \u003ca href=\"http://www.goldenox.com/\">\u003cstrong>Golden Ox\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.plazaiiisteakhouse.com/\">\u003cstrong>Plaza III\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.jessandjims.com/\">\u003cstrong>Jess & Jim’s\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>— and I’m pretty skeptical that others will be able to compete with them. That said, I have to admit that Alfred’s is pretty much everything a steakhouse should be. It’s got the decor — deep, dark red walls — the plentiful, powerful mixed drinks, the big, tasty steaks, and the really expertly prepared sides. I was ready to point out every flaw, but it was hard to find fault with anything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The location and the decor are classic. It’s on a side street just a block from the Transamerica Building, but it has a sort of speakeasy kind of vibe. You walk in through a nondescript door, and suddenly you’re inside a lush, expansive space. It’s like you’ve stumbled into another dimension, and that dimension is very deeply red. But really can you call it a steakhouse if it doesn’t have dark red walls, red leather booths, and wall-to-wall carpeting?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I visited with five friends, so we got a good selection of food. Sides-wise, the escargot was rich and tasty, and the mac and cheese was pretty good. I wouldn’t expect a steakhouse to waste time trying to make a good salad, and Alfred’s doesn’t. The “mixed field greens” were not terrible, but mine were a long way from fresh-tasting and in the Bay Area — even in February — they should be able to do better.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mixed drinks were enormous, and well-prepared. Alfred’s serves them milkshake-style — giving you a healthy amount in a shaker along with your full glass. Beer-wise, they had one on tap. Sam Adams. (They were out of the others — Anchor and something else). I didn’t get upset, because I don’t totally hate Sam Adams, but still: It’s an airport beer. It’s what you get when you’re stuck in Denver and you don’t want Bud Light. It was disappointing, but like I said I didn’t freak out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I got the New York Strip — also known as the Kansas City Strip — with fries, and my dinner overall was excellent. The fries were especially good — salty, thin, and crispy, a perfect counterpoint to the very nicely prepared steak.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alfred’s Steakhouse: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=662\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=686\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=687\">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/cp301iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2008/04/alfredsteakhouse14.jpg\" alt=\"Filet Mignon, Bernaise Sauce, Creamed Spinach\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/alfredsteakhouse15.jpg\" alt=\"French Fried Onion Strings\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/alfredsteakhouse4.jpg\" alt=\"Steaks on the Grill\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nFilet Mignon with Bearnaise Sauce, side of Creamed Spinach; French Fried Onion Strings; Steaks on the Grill\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/charles-wibbelsman.jpg\" alt=\"Charles Wibbelsman\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Charles\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Kaiser Permanente Pediatrician\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Alfred’s Steakhouse\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Alfred’s Steakhouse:\u003c/strong> Saturday January 26, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> Dining at Alfred’s Steak House in the Financial District of downtown San Francisco is a sojourn into San Francisco of the 1950s and 1960s. It offers an old San Francisco setting, replete with classic Chinese red walls with black trim, restrained yet opulent interiors, and service second to none.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The moment that you step through the huge wooden doors of Alfred’s on Merchant Street, you feel the ambience of a bygone era and the warmth of the dark oak paneling throughout the rooms of this traditional and classic establishment. Alfred’s opened in 1928. The original location for many years was just a few blocks away on Broadway near the entrance to the Broadway tunnel. The new location has brought with it all of the classic features of the original restaurant, including the burgundy leather booths, the etched glass partitions between each booths, and stately crystal chandeliers. Soft and contemporary oil artwork adorns the walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sitting at the bar with its extensive selections of many Scotch varieties and other choices from all over the world is a wonderful way to just relax when waiting for your table or friends to join you. In fact, it is interesting to note that Alfred’s offers a whiskey blended in San Francisco called Old Potrero Hotalings at $16 a shot, certainly a rarity in this day of steak houses that have branches from coast to coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Upon our arrival on a Saturday evening at eight o’clock, we were very warmly greeted by the somewhat matronly, very well groomed hostess and immediately seated in a very nice, private, red leather booth with table settings of nice white linens and classic cutlery. Our waiter, Doug, was most attentive and respective and courteous. He assisted us with questions concerning the menu but was in no way didactic, condescending, or aggressive in promoting a particular wine or menu selection. I chose the Wedge Salad, which came as a very hearty iceberg wedge with a generous and tangy creamy blue cheese dressing, garnished with a slender sliver of cucumber on the side. My guest chose the organic mixed green salad with a vinaigrette dressing and crumbled blue cheese. A generous bread tray with classic San Francisco sourdough bread came quickly to our table before the salads arrived. The wine list is extensive and diverse, but fairly priced. There was a large choice of imported red wines, ranging from France and Italy to local selections from Napa and other parts of California. We choose a bottle of Château Le Grand Sigognac Medoc 2005, priced at $33. It was an excellent full-bodied dry red wine with hints of cherry and spice and very suitable with red meat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For entrees, I ordered the filet mignon, and my guest ordered the rib-eye steak, each were accompanied by a side dish of one’s choice from about ten selections. I chose the very tasty, yet still slightly al dente, and bright green creamed spinach, which came as a generous portion, and my guest choose a baked potato, which was not noteworthy. One of the highlights of the dinner was an additional side dish of french-fried onion strings ($4), which were presented in a beautifully folded cotton napkin on a silver plated stand, overflowing with the most delicious onion strings that I have ever tasted. It would be worth returning to Alfred’s just for the onion strings! Our beef entrees were cooked exactly as ordered, and the waiter was most generous in offering us as many of the side sauces as we wanted. Each was served in an individual sauceboat. I chose a béarnaise sauce as well as a creamy horseradish sauce, and my guest selected the peppercorn sauce and the Argentinean chimichurri. All were very good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the portions were quite generous and most appealing to the palate, we were not able to consume the entirety of our entrees. We did, however, wish to sample the desserts. I chose the Italian Fried Crème, which was served by the waiter and ignited tableside. My guest chose the lemon tart. Both desserts were good, and the cost reasonable enough at $6 each.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alfred’s Steakhouse is a walk back in time to a classic San Francisco when people dressed up for dinner, were greeted very personally, dined in an elegant and quiet setting, and had gracious service. It is the perfect restaurant for a special occasion, such as an anniversary or birthday and remains true to its many loyal patrons.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/tamsen-salvador.jpg\" alt=\"Tamsen Salvador\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tamsen\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Internet Retailer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Bacco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Alfred’s Steakhouse:\u003c/strong> Tuesday January 29, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alfred’s is one of San Francisco’s oldest restaurants, founded in 1928. Originally located on Broadway, it moved a number of years back to Merchant Street on the cusp of Chinatown, North Beach, and the Financial District — a storied neighborhood to say the least. We arrived for dinner on a cold and foggy night and were a bit dubious when we found the restaurant on Merchant Street, basically an alley. We felt like we were characters in a Dashiell Hammett novel arriving at a Prohibition-era speakeasy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We drove up to the unassuming restaurant entrance. Wondering where to park, we were pleased to see a sign directing us to the Hilton Hotel parking garage for complimentary parking. In a neighborhood full of one-way streets, all going in the opposite direction of where we wanted to go, we had to circle back a couple of times until we found the parking entrance. After an elevator ride into the Hilton lobby, then out the door, and down the alley to the restaurant, we wondered if we had found the restaurant’s main entrance. Once we walked through the door, our Dashiell Hammett imaginings were rewarded. The restaurant is right out of the 1920s/30s, all red and plush and filled with more booths than tables. Just the place for a romantic dinner, martini-infused business lunch, or nefarious rendezvous with a bootlegger. The circular crystal chandeliers set into the ceiling are from the original Broadway restaurant and are truly spectacular. The bar features a wall with at least 100 varieties of Scotch, but what caught our eye was the framed, original document proclaiming the restaurant closed for prohibition violations. We were primed for an old-fashioned, “steak and a baked.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But first, a cocktail. We ordered a Manhattan, but our waiter soon returned to tell us that the bar did not have enough of the bourbon we requested to make an “up” drink. He quickly recommended a better bourbon, Russell’s, and told us that we would be charged for the lesser bourbon. So far, so good, and that Manhattan was the best I’d ever tasted –smooth and mellow. We settled in and ordered. Within less than two minutes, our salads arrived, startling us. Talk about feeling rushed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I love anchovies, so I ordered the classic Caesar salad. The greens arrived heavily dressed and with large chunks of anchovies. There were so many anchovies that the salad was overwhelmed; it tasted like I was eating anchovies straight out of the tin. I didn’t enjoy it. Going for steakhouse classics, we also ordered the Wedge Salad with Pt. Reyes Original Bleu Cheese dressing. It, too, arrived overly dressed and the lettuce looked a bit brown around the edges. Again, the balance of flavors was off, and the salad was way too salty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We consulted with our waiter to learn what he considered the best steak on the menu. He recommended the Bone-in Chicago Rib Steak. The menu proclaimed it “the most flavorful,” so we went with it and the Wild Mexican Shrimp. Alfred’s takes pride in the fact that their steaks are grilled over mesquite charcoal and that no other seasonings are used, not even salt or pepper. This is truly steak for the purest. Unfortunately, it also resulted in steak that didn’t have much flavor other than a bit of smokiness. Plus, it was barely warm and it was tough. There was still some silver skin on the surface of the steak, which should have been removed. The béarnaise sauce that we ordered didn’t help matters. It arrived tepid and had started to coagulate with a skin forming on top. The creamed spinach was inedible, it had an off taste and made us wonder if it was made with some foodservice product out of a bag or can. This was definitely not grandmother’s creamed spinach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Mexican Shrimp looked lovely and were tasty, but they arrived on the tepid side and were overcooked, which rendered them tough. The garlic mashed potatoes had a nice consistency but tasted overwhelmingly of raw garlic. Flavor balance was again out of whack. The onion strings might have been good if they had arrived hot and crispy. They were cold and soggy. Since we were at Alfred’s, we tried the fettuccine Alfredo. Sadly, this too was disappointing. The dish arrived steaming hot, but the fettuccine was over cooked to the point of being mushy, not at all al dente. I’m sure this isn’t the way it was made when Alfred’s founder, Alfredo Bacchini was alive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Well, we thought, there’s always the wine to console ourselves with. But, alas, we ordered two glasses of the 2006 Côtes du Rhône Dom. Le Garrigon only to have one glass taste oxidized. We suspect that we got the last serving from a bottle that had been opened for a day or two, and then a glass from a freshly opened bottle. Not the way to do wine-by-the-glass service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When it came time to order dessert, we hesitated. The meal had been a complete disappointment, but we didn’t want to give up on this piece of old San Francisco, so we ordered a slice of cheesecake to share. A pleasant ending to a less-than-satisfying dinner. The cheesecake was light and flavorful with a nice creamy consistency. The chocolate cookie base complemented the rich filling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I know that Alfred’s is beloved by many, so maybe it was just an off night. It was a Tuesday evening and, perhaps, the A-Team had the night off. Maybe things would have been better on a Friday or Saturday night. I don’t know, but with so many restaurants to explore in San Francisco, I probably won’t go back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we walked back to the car, wrapped in San Francisco’s legendary fog, we pondered the mystery of where to find a great steak in San Francisco. If only Sam Spade were around to guide us.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/doug-lemoine.jpg\" alt=\"Doug Lemoine\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Doug\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> High Tech Product Designer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> El Tonayense Taco Truck\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Alfred’s Steakhouse:\u003c/strong> Friday January 25, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’m from Kansas City, so I’ve been to quite a few steakhouses. KC has some classics — the \u003ca href=\"http://www.goldenox.com/\">\u003cstrong>Golden Ox\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.plazaiiisteakhouse.com/\">\u003cstrong>Plaza III\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.jessandjims.com/\">\u003cstrong>Jess & Jim’s\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>— and I’m pretty skeptical that others will be able to compete with them. That said, I have to admit that Alfred’s is pretty much everything a steakhouse should be. It’s got the decor — deep, dark red walls — the plentiful, powerful mixed drinks, the big, tasty steaks, and the really expertly prepared sides. I was ready to point out every flaw, but it was hard to find fault with anything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The location and the decor are classic. It’s on a side street just a block from the Transamerica Building, but it has a sort of speakeasy kind of vibe. You walk in through a nondescript door, and suddenly you’re inside a lush, expansive space. It’s like you’ve stumbled into another dimension, and that dimension is very deeply red. But really can you call it a steakhouse if it doesn’t have dark red walls, red leather booths, and wall-to-wall carpeting?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I visited with five friends, so we got a good selection of food. Sides-wise, the escargot was rich and tasty, and the mac and cheese was pretty good. I wouldn’t expect a steakhouse to waste time trying to make a good salad, and Alfred’s doesn’t. The “mixed field greens” were not terrible, but mine were a long way from fresh-tasting and in the Bay Area — even in February — they should be able to do better.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mixed drinks were enormous, and well-prepared. Alfred’s serves them milkshake-style — giving you a healthy amount in a shaker along with your full glass. Beer-wise, they had one on tap. Sam Adams. (They were out of the others — Anchor and something else). I didn’t get upset, because I don’t totally hate Sam Adams, but still: It’s an airport beer. It’s what you get when you’re stuck in Denver and you don’t want Bud Light. It was disappointing, but like I said I didn’t freak out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I got the New York Strip — also known as the Kansas City Strip — with fries, and my dinner overall was excellent. The fries were especially good — salty, thin, and crispy, a perfect counterpoint to the very nicely prepared steak.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bacco: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=670\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=687\">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/cp301iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/bacco22.jpg\" alt=\"Crema di Zucca\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/bacco24.jpg\" alt=\"Tagliata\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/bacco25.jpg\" alt=\"Garganelli\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nCrema di Zucca: Cream of Butternut Squash Soup with Gorgonzola and Sage; Tagliata: Grilled Angus Sterling Silver Flat Iron Steak with Balsamic Reduction, Tuscan Style Cannellini Beans and Sautéed Organic Broccoli Rabe; Garganelli: Pasta with Homemade Sausage\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/tamsen-salvador.jpg\" alt=\"Tamsen Salvador\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tamsen\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Internet Retailer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Bacco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Bacco:\u003c/strong> Saturday February 2, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I had the great good fortune of growing up with Italian grandparents. Whenever I visited, there was always something warm and inviting cooking in the kitchen. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, when you walked through the front door you felt welcome and comfortable. When I pull back the heavy curtain at the entrance to Ristorante Bacco and step inside, I always feel welcome and comfortable. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been going to this Noe Valley restaurant for the past decade. Bacco is my “go-to” restaurant no matter what the occasion: dinner with friends, client meetings over a bowl of pasta, dining with my very picky parents (gotta love ‘em), and even a kid-friendly dinner to celebrate my niece’s 10th birthday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu holds true to the fundamentals of fine Italian cooking, quality ingredients prepared simply but well. My absolute favorite dish is the rigatoni pasta in a tomato cream sauce with fresh peas and homemade spicy sausage. There was a period of about two years when I ordered nothing but this pasta with a salad. It is a true comfort food. Whenever I visit, I really have to force myself to order something else. And, when I do, I usually go for the risotto of the day, especially if it’s October or November when the white truffles of Alba, Italy are in season, and truffle risotto is on the menu. The risotto at Bacco is always made to order. There are no shortcuts taken. The result is a creamy risotto, which always arrives perfectly cooked “all’onda,” which means wavy (it’s a wetter risotto, and if you shake the plate, waves form).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a recent visit to Bacco we ordered the Burrata antipasto and squash soup as starters. The soup was more refined than the thick squash soup I’m accustomed to. It was velvety smooth and partnered perfectly with a light sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The flavors came together deliciously and reminded me of a wonderful dinner shared in Tuscany with my parents and cousins. The Burrata was new to me. I’d heard of it, but until recently it wasn’t available in the U.S. It is an imported cheese made of mozzarella and cream. It has an outer layer of mozzarella and a cream and mozzarella center. Bacco served a good-sized ball of Burrata on a bed of arugula with slices of prosciutto di Parma, black olives, and extra-virgin olive oil. The buttery sweetness of the cheese mixed with the saltiness of the ham and olives and the peppery arugula to great effect. We couldn’t resist using the homemade whole wheat bread to soak up the cheesy goodness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Next we enjoyed the rigatoni as usual, and another new dish for us, stewed wild boar with vegetables and buckwheat polenta. We’d never tasted buckwheat polenta before, but it was delicious, warm, and nutty with a great texture that’s a bit coarser than cornmeal polenta. The flavors of the stew were very good, but the boar meat was a bit tough; it could have used some more time stewing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vegetable side dishes are always simple and well prepared. The Brussels sprouts were sautéed with bits of crispy pancetta. They were just the right texture, not overcooked or undercooked. The string beans were cooked with a classic spicy arrabbiata sauce, again done just right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desserts at Bacco are straightforward but delicious. A perennial favorite is the affogato. What’s not to like about vanilla gelato doused with espresso and topped with cream? The tiramisu, while not a cutting edge dessert, is the best in town, light and flavorful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service at Bacco is very Italian, in that it seems more professional than at other restaurants. Most of the waiters have been there for a few years and know not to pile dirty plates and napkins together. They have been trained to provide unobtrusive service, but when you ask a question or start up a conversation, the waiters are all quite knowledgeable and charming, after all they are true Italians. Likewise the owner and host, Paolo, is attentive, and he’s always happy to explain ingredients or preparation techniques.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s nothing as powerful as a food memory. Bacco always brings back happy memories of my trips to Italy and childhood dinners at my Nonni’s house. Best of all, it creates new memories of time spent with family, friends and, yes, even clients.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/charles-wibbelsman.jpg\" alt=\"Charles Wibbelsman\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Charles\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Kaiser Permanente Pediatrician\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Alfred’s Steakhouse\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Bacco:\u003c/strong> Wednesday January 23, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The moment you arrive at Bacco, you realize that you have entered an establishment that is here for the long term. The solid dark ceramic floor, and sage green and sunflower walls are evocative of a restaurant that is part of an \u003ci>albergo\u003c/i> (inn) located in a small town either in Umbria or Southern Tuscany.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were cordially greeted by the owner and seated at a small round table with country Napoleonic chairs adjacent to the window in an attractive sunken dining room. The table was set with simple flatware and candlelit. Our Venetian waiter asked if we would like a glass of wine while we perused the various selections from the standard menu and the \u003cem>Speciali Del Giorno\u003c/em>. This restaurant offers a three-course, prix fixe menu Sunday through Thursday for $37 (plus supplements, depending upon entrée) Included therein is one appetizer, entrée, and a dessert. A special that evening, which I considered but did not order, was the \u003cem>Risotto al Tartufo Bianco\u003c/em>, a made-to-order risotto with fresh Oregon white truffle. (There was a supplemental charge of $7 for this entrée selection.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ordered the \u003cem>crema di zucca\u003c/em>, a cream of butternut squash soup with gorgonzola and sage, while my guest ordered the \u003cem>Insalata Bacco\u003c/em>, a blend of wild arugula, radicchio, roasted walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese, and balsamic dressing. Both were very good. The soup had a very nice depth of flavors without any being particularly dominating or detracting from the overall gustatory pleasure of the dish. In addition, regarding texture, it was neither too thin, nor too thick the way some soups these days often have become. In sum, it tasted homemade in every way. Likewise, the salad was very fresh and redolent of a good quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which was proportioned just right. It was neither too acidic nor too oily, but had the perfect balance of flavor as would be traditionally prepared in a fine establishment in Italy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the entrees, I selected the \u003cem>Tagliata\u003c/em>, a grilled Angus Sterling Silver flat iron steak with balsamic reduction served with Tuscan-style cannellini beans and sautéed organic broccoli rabe (with a $3 supplement), while my guest chose the \u003cem>Vitello\u003c/em>, a stuffed and breaded veal scaloppine with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella cheese, and caramelized onions. My steak was very good, if a bit rarer than the medium that I ordered. The balsamic reduction sauce was beautifully colored and rich without being the least bit greasy or acidic. On the other hand, the veal entrée seemed somewhat greasy and suffered from lack of crispness, perhaps due to not having been cooked in hot enough oil. It also could have been warmer. The northern Italian red sauce served along side lacked any real flavor or pleasing color and seemed too oily.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We each chose desserts. My guest took the tiramisu, which was light and creamy but not very strongly flavored while I chose the \u003cem>Sfogliata di Male\u003c/em>, slices of baked caramelized apple in puff pastry and served with vanilla gelato. In addition to a light caramel glaze, the plate was dusted with cinnamon and sugar. A very nice ending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our wine was the last bottle of a Dolcetto di Dogliani Cascina Minella (2004) from the Piedmont region of Italy ($44). It was a very fine wine with a shimmering and clear color in the glass and hints of ripe red fruits, including cherry and black currant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bacco is a restaurant with an ambience that is soft and romantic; nevertheless it feels a bit sparse and unfinished in execution. Also, the table settings are reflective of this by introducing porcelain exhibition bowls and plates, which add to the dramatic and warm atmosphere. The restaurant’s quest to remain up to date in the face of strong competition in this category could be enhanced by adding more distinctive wine glasses and a continued search for new and interesting regional recipes to introduce to San Francisco. Overall, the food is good and sometimes excellent, while the portions remain adequate but a little small. The establishment received an excellent score of 94% from the San Francisco Health Department in an area where others did not fare nearly as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/doug-lemoine.jpg\" alt=\"Doug Lemoine\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Doug\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> High Tech Product Designer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> El Tonayense Taco Truck\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Bacco:\u003c/strong> Sunday January 27, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My girlfriend (Mara) and I went to Bacco on what seemed to be the rainiest, windiest, coldest Sunday night in the history of San Francisco. It’s on a quiet street in Noe Valley, only four blocks from the 24th Street J-train stop, but I was thoroughly chilled by the time we walked in. What I noticed right off the bat about Bacco: It was warm. Cozy, even. It’s got a funky layout, the dining room is split-level with high ceilings, and it’s strung lengthwise across two storefronts with nice big windows onto the street, but it seems to make good use of the space. We both felt like it was a comfy spot from which to watch the storm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Food-wise, it was solid, not outstanding. The crowd seemed neighborhood-y, and I get the sense that Bacco aims to be a place that delivers the dependables and serves up seasonal favorites, not a place that’s going to blow your food-mind or make you feel like you’re at the very cuttingest of edges. And thank goodness for that — who needs flash on a chilly night? I thought that the garganelli was pretty remarkable. The pasta was fresh and springy and really tasty, and the homemade sausage was plentiful and spicy. Mara’s apple tart was good, too. (The dessert took a while to arrive, but when it did, it was clear that the tart had just come out of the oven — or it tasted like it did, anyway).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service was unpretentious, attentive, competent — you name it. It was good. It was professional and classy, i.e. having a super-chic haircut does not qualify you for a job here. Anyway, our waiter didn’t hover over us or secretly spirit dishes away as we glanced out the window, but he was always around, and he capably answered all of our questions. It was clear from the beginning that we were in good hands, and that’s all that matters, really.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I know \u003ci>Check, Please!\u003c/i> is generally wine-oriented, so I’ll say this: The wine list appeared to be Italian in language and one page in length.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The beer list, on the other hand, left much to be desired. As much as I like Italian food, Italian beer is, in my experience, disgusting. Maybe it doesn’t travel well? In any case, there are a great many local beers that taste quite nice with pasta, and none were on Bacco’s list. On another night, a moderately cool night, this would have been a big deal for me. The weird thing is that even beer-ignorant restaurants will serve one decent beer (perhaps by accident), so maybe there’s a method to Bacco’s madness? Maybe they just don’t want customers to drink beer? \u003cem>Check, Please!\u003c/em> should do an investigative follow-up to this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the end, Bacco is kinda your father’s Oldsmobile, and that’s not a bad thing. If I lived in the neighborhood, I’d probably head there on cold, rainy nights, and I’d definitely explore the pasta section further.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong>\r\n737 Diamond Street (between 24th and Elizabeth Streets)\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94111\r\n\u003cstrong>Phone:\u003c/strong> 415-282-4969\r\n\u003cstrong>Website:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"www.baccosf.com\">www.baccosf.com\u003c/a>\r\n\u003cstrong>Type of Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Regional Italian\r\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed:\u003c/strong> Winter 2008",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bacco: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=670\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=687\">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/cp301iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/bacco22.jpg\" alt=\"Crema di Zucca\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/bacco24.jpg\" alt=\"Tagliata\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/bacco25.jpg\" alt=\"Garganelli\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nCrema di Zucca: Cream of Butternut Squash Soup with Gorgonzola and Sage; Tagliata: Grilled Angus Sterling Silver Flat Iron Steak with Balsamic Reduction, Tuscan Style Cannellini Beans and Sautéed Organic Broccoli Rabe; Garganelli: Pasta with Homemade Sausage\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/tamsen-salvador.jpg\" alt=\"Tamsen Salvador\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tamsen\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Internet Retailer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Bacco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Bacco:\u003c/strong> Saturday February 2, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I had the great good fortune of growing up with Italian grandparents. Whenever I visited, there was always something warm and inviting cooking in the kitchen. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, when you walked through the front door you felt welcome and comfortable. When I pull back the heavy curtain at the entrance to Ristorante Bacco and step inside, I always feel welcome and comfortable. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been going to this Noe Valley restaurant for the past decade. Bacco is my “go-to” restaurant no matter what the occasion: dinner with friends, client meetings over a bowl of pasta, dining with my very picky parents (gotta love ‘em), and even a kid-friendly dinner to celebrate my niece’s 10th birthday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu holds true to the fundamentals of fine Italian cooking, quality ingredients prepared simply but well. My absolute favorite dish is the rigatoni pasta in a tomato cream sauce with fresh peas and homemade spicy sausage. There was a period of about two years when I ordered nothing but this pasta with a salad. It is a true comfort food. Whenever I visit, I really have to force myself to order something else. And, when I do, I usually go for the risotto of the day, especially if it’s October or November when the white truffles of Alba, Italy are in season, and truffle risotto is on the menu. The risotto at Bacco is always made to order. There are no shortcuts taken. The result is a creamy risotto, which always arrives perfectly cooked “all’onda,” which means wavy (it’s a wetter risotto, and if you shake the plate, waves form).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a recent visit to Bacco we ordered the Burrata antipasto and squash soup as starters. The soup was more refined than the thick squash soup I’m accustomed to. It was velvety smooth and partnered perfectly with a light sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The flavors came together deliciously and reminded me of a wonderful dinner shared in Tuscany with my parents and cousins. The Burrata was new to me. I’d heard of it, but until recently it wasn’t available in the U.S. It is an imported cheese made of mozzarella and cream. It has an outer layer of mozzarella and a cream and mozzarella center. Bacco served a good-sized ball of Burrata on a bed of arugula with slices of prosciutto di Parma, black olives, and extra-virgin olive oil. The buttery sweetness of the cheese mixed with the saltiness of the ham and olives and the peppery arugula to great effect. We couldn’t resist using the homemade whole wheat bread to soak up the cheesy goodness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Next we enjoyed the rigatoni as usual, and another new dish for us, stewed wild boar with vegetables and buckwheat polenta. We’d never tasted buckwheat polenta before, but it was delicious, warm, and nutty with a great texture that’s a bit coarser than cornmeal polenta. The flavors of the stew were very good, but the boar meat was a bit tough; it could have used some more time stewing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vegetable side dishes are always simple and well prepared. The Brussels sprouts were sautéed with bits of crispy pancetta. They were just the right texture, not overcooked or undercooked. The string beans were cooked with a classic spicy arrabbiata sauce, again done just right.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desserts at Bacco are straightforward but delicious. A perennial favorite is the affogato. What’s not to like about vanilla gelato doused with espresso and topped with cream? The tiramisu, while not a cutting edge dessert, is the best in town, light and flavorful.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service at Bacco is very Italian, in that it seems more professional than at other restaurants. Most of the waiters have been there for a few years and know not to pile dirty plates and napkins together. They have been trained to provide unobtrusive service, but when you ask a question or start up a conversation, the waiters are all quite knowledgeable and charming, after all they are true Italians. Likewise the owner and host, Paolo, is attentive, and he’s always happy to explain ingredients or preparation techniques.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s nothing as powerful as a food memory. Bacco always brings back happy memories of my trips to Italy and childhood dinners at my Nonni’s house. Best of all, it creates new memories of time spent with family, friends and, yes, even clients.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/charles-wibbelsman.jpg\" alt=\"Charles Wibbelsman\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Charles\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Kaiser Permanente Pediatrician\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Alfred’s Steakhouse\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Bacco:\u003c/strong> Wednesday January 23, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The moment you arrive at Bacco, you realize that you have entered an establishment that is here for the long term. The solid dark ceramic floor, and sage green and sunflower walls are evocative of a restaurant that is part of an \u003ci>albergo\u003c/i> (inn) located in a small town either in Umbria or Southern Tuscany.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were cordially greeted by the owner and seated at a small round table with country Napoleonic chairs adjacent to the window in an attractive sunken dining room. The table was set with simple flatware and candlelit. Our Venetian waiter asked if we would like a glass of wine while we perused the various selections from the standard menu and the \u003cem>Speciali Del Giorno\u003c/em>. This restaurant offers a three-course, prix fixe menu Sunday through Thursday for $37 (plus supplements, depending upon entrée) Included therein is one appetizer, entrée, and a dessert. A special that evening, which I considered but did not order, was the \u003cem>Risotto al Tartufo Bianco\u003c/em>, a made-to-order risotto with fresh Oregon white truffle. (There was a supplemental charge of $7 for this entrée selection.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ordered the \u003cem>crema di zucca\u003c/em>, a cream of butternut squash soup with gorgonzola and sage, while my guest ordered the \u003cem>Insalata Bacco\u003c/em>, a blend of wild arugula, radicchio, roasted walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese, and balsamic dressing. Both were very good. The soup had a very nice depth of flavors without any being particularly dominating or detracting from the overall gustatory pleasure of the dish. In addition, regarding texture, it was neither too thin, nor too thick the way some soups these days often have become. In sum, it tasted homemade in every way. Likewise, the salad was very fresh and redolent of a good quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which was proportioned just right. It was neither too acidic nor too oily, but had the perfect balance of flavor as would be traditionally prepared in a fine establishment in Italy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the entrees, I selected the \u003cem>Tagliata\u003c/em>, a grilled Angus Sterling Silver flat iron steak with balsamic reduction served with Tuscan-style cannellini beans and sautéed organic broccoli rabe (with a $3 supplement), while my guest chose the \u003cem>Vitello\u003c/em>, a stuffed and breaded veal scaloppine with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella cheese, and caramelized onions. My steak was very good, if a bit rarer than the medium that I ordered. The balsamic reduction sauce was beautifully colored and rich without being the least bit greasy or acidic. On the other hand, the veal entrée seemed somewhat greasy and suffered from lack of crispness, perhaps due to not having been cooked in hot enough oil. It also could have been warmer. The northern Italian red sauce served along side lacked any real flavor or pleasing color and seemed too oily.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We each chose desserts. My guest took the tiramisu, which was light and creamy but not very strongly flavored while I chose the \u003cem>Sfogliata di Male\u003c/em>, slices of baked caramelized apple in puff pastry and served with vanilla gelato. In addition to a light caramel glaze, the plate was dusted with cinnamon and sugar. A very nice ending.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our wine was the last bottle of a Dolcetto di Dogliani Cascina Minella (2004) from the Piedmont region of Italy ($44). It was a very fine wine with a shimmering and clear color in the glass and hints of ripe red fruits, including cherry and black currant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bacco is a restaurant with an ambience that is soft and romantic; nevertheless it feels a bit sparse and unfinished in execution. Also, the table settings are reflective of this by introducing porcelain exhibition bowls and plates, which add to the dramatic and warm atmosphere. The restaurant’s quest to remain up to date in the face of strong competition in this category could be enhanced by adding more distinctive wine glasses and a continued search for new and interesting regional recipes to introduce to San Francisco. Overall, the food is good and sometimes excellent, while the portions remain adequate but a little small. The establishment received an excellent score of 94% from the San Francisco Health Department in an area where others did not fare nearly as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/doug-lemoine.jpg\" alt=\"Doug Lemoine\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Doug\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> High Tech Product Designer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> El Tonayense Taco Truck\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Bacco:\u003c/strong> Sunday January 27, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My girlfriend (Mara) and I went to Bacco on what seemed to be the rainiest, windiest, coldest Sunday night in the history of San Francisco. It’s on a quiet street in Noe Valley, only four blocks from the 24th Street J-train stop, but I was thoroughly chilled by the time we walked in. What I noticed right off the bat about Bacco: It was warm. Cozy, even. It’s got a funky layout, the dining room is split-level with high ceilings, and it’s strung lengthwise across two storefronts with nice big windows onto the street, but it seems to make good use of the space. We both felt like it was a comfy spot from which to watch the storm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Food-wise, it was solid, not outstanding. The crowd seemed neighborhood-y, and I get the sense that Bacco aims to be a place that delivers the dependables and serves up seasonal favorites, not a place that’s going to blow your food-mind or make you feel like you’re at the very cuttingest of edges. And thank goodness for that — who needs flash on a chilly night? I thought that the garganelli was pretty remarkable. The pasta was fresh and springy and really tasty, and the homemade sausage was plentiful and spicy. Mara’s apple tart was good, too. (The dessert took a while to arrive, but when it did, it was clear that the tart had just come out of the oven — or it tasted like it did, anyway).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service was unpretentious, attentive, competent — you name it. It was good. It was professional and classy, i.e. having a super-chic haircut does not qualify you for a job here. Anyway, our waiter didn’t hover over us or secretly spirit dishes away as we glanced out the window, but he was always around, and he capably answered all of our questions. It was clear from the beginning that we were in good hands, and that’s all that matters, really.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I know \u003ci>Check, Please!\u003c/i> is generally wine-oriented, so I’ll say this: The wine list appeared to be Italian in language and one page in length.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The beer list, on the other hand, left much to be desired. As much as I like Italian food, Italian beer is, in my experience, disgusting. Maybe it doesn’t travel well? In any case, there are a great many local beers that taste quite nice with pasta, and none were on Bacco’s list. On another night, a moderately cool night, this would have been a big deal for me. The weird thing is that even beer-ignorant restaurants will serve one decent beer (perhaps by accident), so maybe there’s a method to Bacco’s madness? Maybe they just don’t want customers to drink beer? \u003cem>Check, Please!\u003c/em> should do an investigative follow-up to this.\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, Bacco is kinda your father’s Oldsmobile, and that’s not a bad thing. If I lived in the neighborhood, I’d probably head there on cold, rainy nights, and I’d definitely explore the pasta section further.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>El Tonayense Taco Truck: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=678\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=687\">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/cp301iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2008/04/eltonayense9.jpg\" alt=\"Beef Torta\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/eltonayense10.jpg\" alt=\"Pork Tacos\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/eltonayense15.jpg\" alt=\"Horchata\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nBeef Torta, “Al Pastor” Pork Tacos, Horchata Rice Milk Beverage\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/doug-lemoine.jpg\" alt=\"Doug Lemoine\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Doug\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> High Tech Product Designer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> El Tonayense Taco Truck\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed El Tonayense Taco Truck:\u003c/strong> Sunday January 20, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So here’s the thing about burritos and Mexican food in general in the Bay Area: you can’t expect to get everything at one place. The burrito scene is complex, and you need to explore its ecology in order to find the tastes, ingredients, and specialties that match your palette.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I love El Tonayense, and there was a time in my life when I ate six to ten Tonayense tacos a week, but I wouldn’t say that I think El Tonayense is the best Mexican food for every taste and every occasion. If you like al pastor (barbecue pork), carne asada (grilled beef), and the occasional quesadilla, and if you’re willing to eat stuff that’s being served from a truck (but cooked elsewhere), and if you were running low on cash, then you’d strike Acapulco gold with one of the Tonayense trucks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you want something non-meat-oriented, there are lots of places that serve fresher, tastier fare. If you like exotic meats like brains, eyes, cabeza, and you want to do it yourself with sauces, you could walk a couple of blocks to La Cachanchilla (aka, the Taco Window) on 21st. If you had $10 and wanted carnitas, maybe you’d check out crispy tacos at La Taqueria. There are so many other taquerias in the Mission, though, and lots of them have specialties that are really worth checking out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One surprising, even shocking, thing about Tonayense is its cleanliness. You just don’t expect the back of a taco truck to be clean, much less spotless, but these trucks are more like mobile taco laboratories than mere taco trucks. I’ll state the obvious: Tonayense’s cleanliness gives a person confidence and comfort as he or she is watching people prepare food through a window in the side of a truck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bottom line is that Tonayense is clean, dependable, and tasty in what it does well, and it’s affordable. The al pastor dishes are always spicy and smooth, and the quesadillas are solid, no frills, just good ol’ melted cheese on a tortilla. You don’t have to worry about locking your bike (or even getting off it) when you order. In short, it’s bike-friendly, perfectly San Franciscan fast food.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/tamsen-salvador.jpg\" alt=\"Tamsen Salvador\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tamsen\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Internet Retailer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Bacco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed El Tonayense Taco Truck:\u003c/strong> Sunday January 20, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I approached the El Tonayense taco truck on Harrison Street between 19th and 20th Streets with trepidation. I never eat at “roach coaches” for fear that I might not survive the experience, but this one came highly recommended, I was hungry, and it was just a couple of blocks away from the office supply store I was headed to. I walked bravely up to the order window when what should I spy? The health inspector’s report card announcing the truck’s score of 92! I breathed a sigh of relief, peeked into the very clean looking truck and ordered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu, hand-painted on a board hung on the side of the shiny aluminum truck, offered a limited, yet adventurous, menu of tacos, burritos, and tortas. Anyone for “lengua” (tongue), “tripa” (tripe), or “cabeza” (head), which turns out to be beef cheeks? We ordered a super “Al Pastor” barbecued pork burrito and a super vegetarian burrito thinking that “super” meant we would get the usual dollops of guacamole and sour cream, but we were happily mistaken. It turns out that El Tonayense burritos are made the way burritos are made in the suburb of Guadalajara, Mexico where El Tonayense gets its name — no guacamole, no sour cream, these condiments are just for gringos. El Tonayense is authentic Mexican street fare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pork burrito was delicious, nice chunks of pork in a spicy barbecue sauce with just the right amount of smoky flavor, pinto beans, and small-grained rice. Fresh cilantro and onions provided a nice counterpoint to the other flavors offering an even greater depth of flavor. The vegetarian burrito was a revelation, full of fresh flavors, including rice, beans, chipotle cheese, tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and some sort of dressing. When I asked what was in the dressing, the cook smiled and said he couldn’t tell me because it’s a secret. That’s fine by me, it was so nice \u003ci>not\u003c/i> to get the usual vegetarian carbohydrate bomb made up of rice, potatoes, and carrots all wrapped up in a tortilla for just a bit more starch. Even though the burritos are large, they don’t sit like a brick in your belly the way other burritos usually do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a rainy day when we stopped by the truck for lunch, so we ate in the car. I smiled when the clerk asked if our order was “for here or to go” since “here” was the sidewalk in front of some warehouses. While not the most scenic area of town, that part of Harrison can be pretty quiet, and if the weather had been better, we would have sat down with our backs against the chain link fence and enjoyed the urban/warehouse ambiance. Some of the best food in Mexico is street food, but if you can’t go to Mexico, try the streets of San Francisco. Well, at least, Harrison Street where you’ll find three El Tonayense taco trucks and the best burritos in town.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/charles-wibbelsman.jpg\" alt=\"Charles Wibbelsman\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Charles\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Kaiser Permanente Pediatrician\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Alfred’s Steakhouse\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed El Tonayense Taco Truck:\u003c/strong> Wednesday February 6, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> On a warm, sunny, February day at noontime, I ventured out to find the El Tonayense Catering Truck at 14th and Harrison Streets in the Inner Mission, almost SOMA section, of San Francisco. In the warm sunshine, parked on Harrison Street at 14th, directly in front of the parking lot of the Best Buy store, was a white truck with many windows and a line of five people waiting to place their orders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> Fortunately, the truck is parked quite conveniently adjacent to the parking lot which allows for easy, no hassle parking. My first move, however, was not to go to the truck nor join the line, but to go into the Best Buy store and inquire if any of the employees had “dined” at this most convenient eatery. I was able to find a few of the employees who had engaged in a repast from the truck in the past few days. My first question was, did they like it, and my second question was, did they experience any illness following the ingestion of their food. All of the employees with whom I spoke stated that the food was quite good and had not had any untoward illnesses subsequently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With this history taken, I left the store and joined the very short line in front of the truck. I inquired among some of the other patrons what they were ordering or had ordered and what was good. There is a succinct list of items: tacos, burritos, and tortas. There were also canned and bottled drinks available, as well as a white “rice” type drink, horchata, that was ladled out from a huge plastic container, which one of the patrons allowed me to inspect. She stated that it was very good. I ordered a chicken taco, a beef torta, and a Diet Coke. The service was friendly, polite, and quite efficient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> I returned to my office a few minutes later to enjoy this repast. I must admit that the ingredients — the onions, white cheese, and other components of the sauce in the torta — were very fresh and crisp. The taco was accompanied by a fresh slice of lime. The chicken and the sauce in the taco were very flavorful, although the tortilla that the taco was made from was a bit doughy. The Torta, an entree that I was not familiar with, was very flavorful, a fresh dark toasted roll filled with very fresh grilled beef, imbued with a green onion and cheese-filled sauce. This was definitely a good choice: very flavorful and quite a large portion for the price of $5.50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Consumption of this torta resulted in lots of oozing sauce and the use of muchos servietas! My only critique would be that the beef, though very fresh, charcoaled, and tasty, did have occasional uninvited gristle picked up in the process of mastication. All in all, I would say that if one is in this neighborhood and would like a tasty lunch that is fresh and very reasonable in price, this is the place to join the line!\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong>\r\nHarrison between 19th and 20th\r\nHarrison between 14th and 15th\r\nCorner of Harrison and 22nd\r\nCorner of Jerrold and Phelps\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94110\r\n\u003cstrong>Phone:\u003c/strong> 415-550-9192 (El Tonayense Restaurant Phone)\r\n\u003cstrong>Type of Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Mexican Taco Truck\r\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed:\u003c/strong> Winter 2008",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>El Tonayense Taco Truck: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=678\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=687\">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/cp301iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2008/04/eltonayense9.jpg\" alt=\"Beef Torta\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/eltonayense10.jpg\" alt=\"Pork Tacos\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/eltonayense15.jpg\" alt=\"Horchata\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nBeef Torta, “Al Pastor” Pork Tacos, Horchata Rice Milk Beverage\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/doug-lemoine.jpg\" alt=\"Doug Lemoine\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Doug\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> High Tech Product Designer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> El Tonayense Taco Truck\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed El Tonayense Taco Truck:\u003c/strong> Sunday January 20, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So here’s the thing about burritos and Mexican food in general in the Bay Area: you can’t expect to get everything at one place. The burrito scene is complex, and you need to explore its ecology in order to find the tastes, ingredients, and specialties that match your palette.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I love El Tonayense, and there was a time in my life when I ate six to ten Tonayense tacos a week, but I wouldn’t say that I think El Tonayense is the best Mexican food for every taste and every occasion. If you like al pastor (barbecue pork), carne asada (grilled beef), and the occasional quesadilla, and if you’re willing to eat stuff that’s being served from a truck (but cooked elsewhere), and if you were running low on cash, then you’d strike Acapulco gold with one of the Tonayense trucks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you want something non-meat-oriented, there are lots of places that serve fresher, tastier fare. If you like exotic meats like brains, eyes, cabeza, and you want to do it yourself with sauces, you could walk a couple of blocks to La Cachanchilla (aka, the Taco Window) on 21st. If you had $10 and wanted carnitas, maybe you’d check out crispy tacos at La Taqueria. There are so many other taquerias in the Mission, though, and lots of them have specialties that are really worth checking out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One surprising, even shocking, thing about Tonayense is its cleanliness. You just don’t expect the back of a taco truck to be clean, much less spotless, but these trucks are more like mobile taco laboratories than mere taco trucks. I’ll state the obvious: Tonayense’s cleanliness gives a person confidence and comfort as he or she is watching people prepare food through a window in the side of a truck.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bottom line is that Tonayense is clean, dependable, and tasty in what it does well, and it’s affordable. The al pastor dishes are always spicy and smooth, and the quesadillas are solid, no frills, just good ol’ melted cheese on a tortilla. You don’t have to worry about locking your bike (or even getting off it) when you order. In short, it’s bike-friendly, perfectly San Franciscan fast food.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/tamsen-salvador.jpg\" alt=\"Tamsen Salvador\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tamsen\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Internet Retailer\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Bacco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed El Tonayense Taco Truck:\u003c/strong> Sunday January 20, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I approached the El Tonayense taco truck on Harrison Street between 19th and 20th Streets with trepidation. I never eat at “roach coaches” for fear that I might not survive the experience, but this one came highly recommended, I was hungry, and it was just a couple of blocks away from the office supply store I was headed to. I walked bravely up to the order window when what should I spy? The health inspector’s report card announcing the truck’s score of 92! I breathed a sigh of relief, peeked into the very clean looking truck and ordered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu, hand-painted on a board hung on the side of the shiny aluminum truck, offered a limited, yet adventurous, menu of tacos, burritos, and tortas. Anyone for “lengua” (tongue), “tripa” (tripe), or “cabeza” (head), which turns out to be beef cheeks? We ordered a super “Al Pastor” barbecued pork burrito and a super vegetarian burrito thinking that “super” meant we would get the usual dollops of guacamole and sour cream, but we were happily mistaken. It turns out that El Tonayense burritos are made the way burritos are made in the suburb of Guadalajara, Mexico where El Tonayense gets its name — no guacamole, no sour cream, these condiments are just for gringos. El Tonayense is authentic Mexican street fare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pork burrito was delicious, nice chunks of pork in a spicy barbecue sauce with just the right amount of smoky flavor, pinto beans, and small-grained rice. Fresh cilantro and onions provided a nice counterpoint to the other flavors offering an even greater depth of flavor. The vegetarian burrito was a revelation, full of fresh flavors, including rice, beans, chipotle cheese, tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and some sort of dressing. When I asked what was in the dressing, the cook smiled and said he couldn’t tell me because it’s a secret. That’s fine by me, it was so nice \u003ci>not\u003c/i> to get the usual vegetarian carbohydrate bomb made up of rice, potatoes, and carrots all wrapped up in a tortilla for just a bit more starch. Even though the burritos are large, they don’t sit like a brick in your belly the way other burritos usually do.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a rainy day when we stopped by the truck for lunch, so we ate in the car. I smiled when the clerk asked if our order was “for here or to go” since “here” was the sidewalk in front of some warehouses. While not the most scenic area of town, that part of Harrison can be pretty quiet, and if the weather had been better, we would have sat down with our backs against the chain link fence and enjoyed the urban/warehouse ambiance. Some of the best food in Mexico is street food, but if you can’t go to Mexico, try the streets of San Francisco. Well, at least, Harrison Street where you’ll find three El Tonayense taco trucks and the best burritos in town.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2008/04/charles-wibbelsman.jpg\" alt=\"Charles Wibbelsman\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Charles\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Kaiser Permanente Pediatrician\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Alfred’s Steakhouse\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed El Tonayense Taco Truck:\u003c/strong> Wednesday February 6, 2008\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> On a warm, sunny, February day at noontime, I ventured out to find the El Tonayense Catering Truck at 14th and Harrison Streets in the Inner Mission, almost SOMA section, of San Francisco. In the warm sunshine, parked on Harrison Street at 14th, directly in front of the parking lot of the Best Buy store, was a white truck with many windows and a line of five people waiting to place their orders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> Fortunately, the truck is parked quite conveniently adjacent to the parking lot which allows for easy, no hassle parking. My first move, however, was not to go to the truck nor join the line, but to go into the Best Buy store and inquire if any of the employees had “dined” at this most convenient eatery. I was able to find a few of the employees who had engaged in a repast from the truck in the past few days. My first question was, did they like it, and my second question was, did they experience any illness following the ingestion of their food. All of the employees with whom I spoke stated that the food was quite good and had not had any untoward illnesses subsequently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With this history taken, I left the store and joined the very short line in front of the truck. I inquired among some of the other patrons what they were ordering or had ordered and what was good. There is a succinct list of items: tacos, burritos, and tortas. There were also canned and bottled drinks available, as well as a white “rice” type drink, horchata, that was ladled out from a huge plastic container, which one of the patrons allowed me to inspect. She stated that it was very good. I ordered a chicken taco, a beef torta, and a Diet Coke. The service was friendly, polite, and quite efficient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> I returned to my office a few minutes later to enjoy this repast. I must admit that the ingredients — the onions, white cheese, and other components of the sauce in the torta — were very fresh and crisp. The taco was accompanied by a fresh slice of lime. The chicken and the sauce in the taco were very flavorful, although the tortilla that the taco was made from was a bit doughy. The Torta, an entree that I was not familiar with, was very flavorful, a fresh dark toasted roll filled with very fresh grilled beef, imbued with a green onion and cheese-filled sauce. This was definitely a good choice: very flavorful and quite a large portion for the price of $5.50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Consumption of this torta resulted in lots of oozing sauce and the use of muchos servietas! My only critique would be that the beef, though very fresh, charcoaled, and tasty, did have occasional uninvited gristle picked up in the process of mastication. All in all, I would say that if one is in this neighborhood and would like a tasty lunch that is fresh and very reasonable in price, this is the place to join the line!\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Holy Land: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=617\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=608\">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/cp224iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/holyland19.jpg\" alt=\"Matzo Ball Soup\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/holyland17.jpg\" alt=\"Combination Salad\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/holyland15.jpg\" alt=\"Sambusak\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nMatzo Ball Soup, Combination Salad, Sambusak\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/tuere-anderson.jpg\" alt=\"Tuere Anderson\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tuere\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Social Worker\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Holy Land\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Holy Land:\u003c/strong> Friday July 13, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is one of our favorite restaurants in the Grand Lake area. We live in the neighborhood (and love it!) and can walk to the restaurant, so parking is never an issue for us. We love this restaurant for many reasons: the convenience of location, the food, the service, and the ability to sit outside and enjoy the gorgeous Oakland weather.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When we visited the restaurant this time, nearly all of the tables were filled (inside and out) and there was a line of people waiting to order. That being said, we ordered quickly, and our food came out in a very timely manner, which is standard for Holy Land. Knowing that I would be reviewing for \u003cstrong>\u003cem>Check, Please! Bay Area\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>, I ordered more than I normally would, which resulted in some leftovers. We had the fried cauliflower that came served warm with tehini. It was very good, although I wished the outside was a bit more crispy. The grilled corn-on-the cob was OK, a bit overdone for my tastes. A standard order for us is the matzo ball soup which is filled with noodles, bits of veggies, and a gigantic matzo ball. This is a favorite of my husband and 15-month-old daughter. It is consistently good and light, even for a hot summer day. One of my favorites is the Combination Salad that has a bit of everything: carrot salad, beet salad, eggplant and peppers, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, lentils and chickpeas, and the ubiquitous hummus. All of this is served with fluffy pita bread. The salads were nicely balanced; never too much vinegar or lemon juice to overpower them. The hummus and baba ganoush were light, creamy, and incredibly flavorful, which is oftentimes a delicate balance to establish. My daughter \u003cem>loves\u003c/em> the hummus and baba ganoush and inevitably ends up covering herself and the high chair with it! The best part of Holy Land Restaurant is the Holy Land Lemonade. It is freshly made (you can hear the blender going all the time) with mint, ice, sugar, and bits of lemon pulp and peel. Most of the “lemonade” that you get in restaurants is overly sugared and an ungodly shade of yellow. I grew up with a lemon tree in my yard (and have one again as an adult) and I am a master lemonade maker. Consequently I am extremely picky with lemonade. Holy Land Lemonade is the only one I’ve discovered at a restaurant that rivals (maybe surpasses?) my own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One doesn’t go to Holy Land for the restaurant décor, which is sparse. It is decorated a few awards, artifacts, with the standout being a mural above the staircase. That being said, one of my favorite signs in the restaurant reads: “This is a kitchen, not a restaurant,” which I think really describes the vibe of the place. Miri, the owner, will always offer you the fresh soup (or soups) of the day and encourage you to try new things. She remembers her customers and clearly has formed relationships with them. The service is good, and the food is better; it has the comfort of home cooking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I highly recommend this restaurant for quality of the food and the availability to sit outside. Sometimes not all menu items are available for that day, but for a small restaurant, their menu is fairly extensive. Not to mention that often they will have things that are not on the menu that are seasonal (like the cauliflower and corn). The price is right (not cheap, but not expensive) and the service is good. I especially appreciate that this is a kid-friendly restaurant (Miri has crayons and coloring books out and available to kids of all ages). We will continue to come to this restaurant, whether we live in Grand Lake or not.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/tony-rivera.jpg\" alt=\"Tony Rivera\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tony\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Fireman\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Holy Land:\u003c/strong> Sunday July 15, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Holy Land is a holy-in-the-wall restaurant. Don’t wear a tux to this place, but do bring your appetite! The restaurant is a small storefront carved into a side street in Oakland. I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t eat in Oakland.” Well, you might change your mind for this place. I am not, by any means, an expert or even a novice when it comes to Kosher cooking or meals. However, I do know that the items I ate with my family at the Holy Land Restaurant were fresh, tasty, delicious and did I mention? Cheap! This place is great.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our journey started in San Francisco, where we had to cross the dreaded bridge to get overseas to Oakland, something I just don’t do, especially on a Sunday. We wanted to eat here on Saturday, but the place is closed due to the Sabbath, go figure. The Google map got us lost, not my driving, but we eventually found our way. Parking is on the street, which on a Sunday afternoon in this area of Oakland, was tough. We arrived at this small, cute oasis that had a few outside tables. The very plain, unadorned interior was spartan. By the way, they do have coloring books and crayons for kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You must walk up and place your order at the counter. The woman at the counter was helpful in pointing out the various items by name that were displayed in and on top of the deli case. I didn’t really know what I ordered, it just sounded good. The busboy and the woman behind the counter served us. They brought out a homemade lemonade that had sprigs of fresh mint in it that my wife enjoyed. We started with a homemade hot latke (fried potato hash) with apple sauce: delicious. We then got a sambusak (this sort of looks like an enchilada, but is served cold) that was filled with spinach and potato, and covered in a light sauce: it was excellent. The malawach arrived with the Hummus Grand Combo, wow! Only fresh ingredients and pure flavor! We used the Malawach (fried Yemeni flatbread) to scoop up the hummus, salad, and chicken shwarma from our combo platter. I was pleasantly surprised at the outstanding flavors of all the items we tried. We ended the meal with an Israeli coffee (black and strong) and a baklava, very sweet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Holy Land is worth a trip overseas. All of the ingredients are fresh and flavorful. I do not know how authentic these dishes are, but they are outstanding. I even saw the neighborhood beat cop eat his lunch there, always a good sign. The Holy Land has great bang-for-the-buck — we paid a little over ten bucks a head! I highly recommend this restaurant and would return to try more items on the menu.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/eric-swett.jpg\" alt=\"Eric Swett\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Eric\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> In-House Council for Steamship Company\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> B44 Catalan Bistro\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Holy Land:\u003c/strong> Tuesday July 17, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Holy Land Restaurant is a grand and promising name for what is really a little sandwich and falafel shop behind the Grand Lake Theater in the Grand-Lakeshore district of Oakland. The restaurant is a bit rundown, and is more suited to take-out than sit-down dinners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the restaurant has seating indoors and outside on the sidewalk, seating is limited, and the restaurant is not set up or staffed to provide proper table service. Our party of six, including two young teens, pretty much overwhelmed the restaurant’s indoor seating section.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Orders for food are placed at the counter. Service, such as it was, was abrupt if not indifferent. We were disappointed that several of the menu items we tried to order were not available. There was no lamb, for example, and no rice pudding. This almost became a running joke, as our available dinner choices were narrowed progressively by the shaking head behind the counter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The food was also uneven. The pita bread sandwiches were good, but not spectacular. The grilled chicken was nicely marinated and properly cooked. The falafels were inconsistent. One person in our party had excellent falafels, another’s falafels were overcooked and soggy. The sambusak, served with a spicy sauce, was very good. The baklava was ordinary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the bright side, the prices are certainly reasonable. This would be a good choice for a quick take-out sandwich if you were in the mood for Middle Eastern cooking and happened to be in the neighborhood. However, I wouldn’t drive out of my way to visit this Holy Land.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong>\r\n677 Rand Street (at Cheney Avenue)\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94610\r\n\u003cstrong>Phone:\u003c/strong> 510-272-0535\r\n\u003cstrong>Website:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.holylandrestaurant.com\">holylandrestaurant.com\u003c/a>\r\n\u003cstrong>Type of Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Middle Eastern, Israeli/Jewish/Kosher\r\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed:\u003c/strong> Summer 2007",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Holy Land: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=617\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=608\">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/cp224iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/holyland19.jpg\" alt=\"Matzo Ball Soup\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/holyland17.jpg\" alt=\"Combination Salad\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/holyland15.jpg\" alt=\"Sambusak\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nMatzo Ball Soup, Combination Salad, Sambusak\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/tuere-anderson.jpg\" alt=\"Tuere Anderson\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tuere\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Social Worker\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Holy Land\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Holy Land:\u003c/strong> Friday July 13, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is one of our favorite restaurants in the Grand Lake area. We live in the neighborhood (and love it!) and can walk to the restaurant, so parking is never an issue for us. We love this restaurant for many reasons: the convenience of location, the food, the service, and the ability to sit outside and enjoy the gorgeous Oakland weather.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When we visited the restaurant this time, nearly all of the tables were filled (inside and out) and there was a line of people waiting to order. That being said, we ordered quickly, and our food came out in a very timely manner, which is standard for Holy Land. Knowing that I would be reviewing for \u003cstrong>\u003cem>Check, Please! Bay Area\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>, I ordered more than I normally would, which resulted in some leftovers. We had the fried cauliflower that came served warm with tehini. It was very good, although I wished the outside was a bit more crispy. The grilled corn-on-the cob was OK, a bit overdone for my tastes. A standard order for us is the matzo ball soup which is filled with noodles, bits of veggies, and a gigantic matzo ball. This is a favorite of my husband and 15-month-old daughter. It is consistently good and light, even for a hot summer day. One of my favorites is the Combination Salad that has a bit of everything: carrot salad, beet salad, eggplant and peppers, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, lentils and chickpeas, and the ubiquitous hummus. All of this is served with fluffy pita bread. The salads were nicely balanced; never too much vinegar or lemon juice to overpower them. The hummus and baba ganoush were light, creamy, and incredibly flavorful, which is oftentimes a delicate balance to establish. My daughter \u003cem>loves\u003c/em> the hummus and baba ganoush and inevitably ends up covering herself and the high chair with it! The best part of Holy Land Restaurant is the Holy Land Lemonade. It is freshly made (you can hear the blender going all the time) with mint, ice, sugar, and bits of lemon pulp and peel. Most of the “lemonade” that you get in restaurants is overly sugared and an ungodly shade of yellow. I grew up with a lemon tree in my yard (and have one again as an adult) and I am a master lemonade maker. Consequently I am extremely picky with lemonade. Holy Land Lemonade is the only one I’ve discovered at a restaurant that rivals (maybe surpasses?) my own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One doesn’t go to Holy Land for the restaurant décor, which is sparse. It is decorated a few awards, artifacts, with the standout being a mural above the staircase. That being said, one of my favorite signs in the restaurant reads: “This is a kitchen, not a restaurant,” which I think really describes the vibe of the place. Miri, the owner, will always offer you the fresh soup (or soups) of the day and encourage you to try new things. She remembers her customers and clearly has formed relationships with them. The service is good, and the food is better; it has the comfort of home cooking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I highly recommend this restaurant for quality of the food and the availability to sit outside. Sometimes not all menu items are available for that day, but for a small restaurant, their menu is fairly extensive. Not to mention that often they will have things that are not on the menu that are seasonal (like the cauliflower and corn). The price is right (not cheap, but not expensive) and the service is good. I especially appreciate that this is a kid-friendly restaurant (Miri has crayons and coloring books out and available to kids of all ages). We will continue to come to this restaurant, whether we live in Grand Lake or not.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/tony-rivera.jpg\" alt=\"Tony Rivera\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tony\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Fireman\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Holy Land:\u003c/strong> Sunday July 15, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Holy Land is a holy-in-the-wall restaurant. Don’t wear a tux to this place, but do bring your appetite! The restaurant is a small storefront carved into a side street in Oakland. I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t eat in Oakland.” Well, you might change your mind for this place. I am not, by any means, an expert or even a novice when it comes to Kosher cooking or meals. However, I do know that the items I ate with my family at the Holy Land Restaurant were fresh, tasty, delicious and did I mention? Cheap! This place is great.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our journey started in San Francisco, where we had to cross the dreaded bridge to get overseas to Oakland, something I just don’t do, especially on a Sunday. We wanted to eat here on Saturday, but the place is closed due to the Sabbath, go figure. The Google map got us lost, not my driving, but we eventually found our way. Parking is on the street, which on a Sunday afternoon in this area of Oakland, was tough. We arrived at this small, cute oasis that had a few outside tables. The very plain, unadorned interior was spartan. By the way, they do have coloring books and crayons for kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You must walk up and place your order at the counter. The woman at the counter was helpful in pointing out the various items by name that were displayed in and on top of the deli case. I didn’t really know what I ordered, it just sounded good. The busboy and the woman behind the counter served us. They brought out a homemade lemonade that had sprigs of fresh mint in it that my wife enjoyed. We started with a homemade hot latke (fried potato hash) with apple sauce: delicious. We then got a sambusak (this sort of looks like an enchilada, but is served cold) that was filled with spinach and potato, and covered in a light sauce: it was excellent. The malawach arrived with the Hummus Grand Combo, wow! Only fresh ingredients and pure flavor! We used the Malawach (fried Yemeni flatbread) to scoop up the hummus, salad, and chicken shwarma from our combo platter. I was pleasantly surprised at the outstanding flavors of all the items we tried. We ended the meal with an Israeli coffee (black and strong) and a baklava, very sweet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Holy Land is worth a trip overseas. All of the ingredients are fresh and flavorful. I do not know how authentic these dishes are, but they are outstanding. I even saw the neighborhood beat cop eat his lunch there, always a good sign. The Holy Land has great bang-for-the-buck — we paid a little over ten bucks a head! I highly recommend this restaurant and would return to try more items on the menu.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/eric-swett.jpg\" alt=\"Eric Swett\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Eric\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> In-House Council for Steamship Company\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> B44 Catalan Bistro\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Holy Land:\u003c/strong> Tuesday July 17, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Holy Land Restaurant is a grand and promising name for what is really a little sandwich and falafel shop behind the Grand Lake Theater in the Grand-Lakeshore district of Oakland. The restaurant is a bit rundown, and is more suited to take-out than sit-down dinners.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the restaurant has seating indoors and outside on the sidewalk, seating is limited, and the restaurant is not set up or staffed to provide proper table service. Our party of six, including two young teens, pretty much overwhelmed the restaurant’s indoor seating section.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Orders for food are placed at the counter. Service, such as it was, was abrupt if not indifferent. We were disappointed that several of the menu items we tried to order were not available. There was no lamb, for example, and no rice pudding. This almost became a running joke, as our available dinner choices were narrowed progressively by the shaking head behind the counter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The food was also uneven. The pita bread sandwiches were good, but not spectacular. The grilled chicken was nicely marinated and properly cooked. The falafels were inconsistent. One person in our party had excellent falafels, another’s falafels were overcooked and soggy. The sambusak, served with a spicy sauce, was very good. The baklava was ordinary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the bright side, the prices are certainly reasonable. This would be a good choice for a quick take-out sandwich if you were in the mood for Middle Eastern cooking and happened to be in the neighborhood. However, I wouldn’t drive out of my way to visit this Holy Land.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=615\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=608\">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/cp224iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/sodini16.jpg\" alt=\"Tortellini Con Pesto\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/sodini17.jpg\" alt=\"Canneloni\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/sodini18.jpg\" alt=\"Veal Scallopini\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nTortellini Con Pesto, Canneloni, Veal Scallopini\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/tony-rivera.jpg\" alt=\"Tony Rivera\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tony\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Fireman\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante:\u003c/strong> Friday July 21, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Restaurant is a throwback to the standard for family-owned and operated Italian-American restaurants. The restaurant is located in South San Francisco (finally a good reason to go there). There is a large free parking lot in the rear, and plenty of metered (until 6 pm ), street parking in the area. If you like mob movies (\u003cem>Goodfellas\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Godfather\u003c/em>s 1and 2, but not 3), you will think you are eating in one of the restaurants portrayed in those movies. There is an actual working fountain in the main dining room ). Anyway, back to the food: classic Italian American. I’m talking spaghetti with meatballs, chicken parmigiana, and a fat New York steak with ravioli on the side!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I went to Bertolucci’s on a Friday night, and the joint was packed. I was met at the door by the host, who looks like a knee-breaker for the syndicate. I didn’t have reservations, so he took my name and escorted me to the bar (I have always felt you can meet a higher quality of people at a bar ), so I bellied up. I ordered a cocktail and enjoyed the live piano music being played right there in the lounge. A few locals were dancing to the standards being sung by the piano player. I was in the middle of a conversation with the neighborhood garbage man, when my table was ready. I lucked out and was seated at a booth. I started out with a nice red wine, XY Zinfandel. My first course was Gnocchi Nostri (plump potato dumplings in rosy gravy), and it was excellent. The gnocchi, also known as Irish pasta, was perfection, not overcooked and with a dressing that was in balance (no heartburn). I used the French bread given to me to finish the sauce left on my plate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The waitress was great, she stayed in tempo with me (kept my wine glass full) and handled her other tables proficiently. The host came over between courses and made sure everything was fine (this is what I’m talking about — taking care of the customers, not just standing around looking pretty, plus this guy looks like he’s tried everything on the menu). I told him I ordered the veal, he stated, “Great choice, that’s what I’m having tonight.” Just as quickly as my appetizer plate was bussed, my main course arrived. The plate was filled with large pieces of veal and mixed vegetables on the side (you can also opt for polenta with marinara as a side). The meat was tender and flavorful, the vegetables were freshly cooked (not murdered the day before on a steam table). The restaurant has other rooms used for banquets and gatherings, and that night a few parties were occurring during my meal. I finished off with a biscotti, homemade by the owner’s wife (do I have to say it?), and a coffee. I figured I should finish my conversation with the garbage man, so I went back to the bar. I sat down and ordered a sambuca with coffee beans (three, for good luck ). The owner walked over to the piano and began to sing, yes, sing, he was impressive, the bar loved it and so did I.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sodini’s Bertolucci’s is a breath of fresh air. This is classic Italian-American cuisine with personality and punch. If you want a large trapezoidal plate with sauce dots made with from a squeeze bottle, and a meal stacked on top of itself, keep walking. Bertolucci’s has been at the same location since 1928, so they must be doing something right! I would return and would have a party here with one or a hundred of my best friends. The bang for the buck is the whole package: free parking, great food, live music, and an owner that interacts and entertains the customers. I give this place four meatballs!\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/tuere-anderson.jpg\" alt=\"Tuere Anderson\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tuere\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Social Worker\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Holy Land\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante:\u003c/strong> Tuesday July 17, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The baked polenta appetizer was perfect! It was creamy, but not mushy, with just the right amount of cheese, and the homemade tomato sauce was absolutely fresh and wonderful. The house salad of romaine lettuce (it was mostly hearts –yum!), beans, onion, tomato, and cucumber comes with housemade creamy Italian dressing. The dressing was good — neither too creamy nor too piquant — but the salad was a bit overdressed for my tastes. Other than that and that I would have liked a few more beans, it was good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The linguine special with shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms in a cream sauce was great! The noodles were nicely al dente and the flavors melded together very well. This lunch special came with a bowl of minestrone soup, which was nice: not too heavy, filled with beans, and fresh veggies, although a wee bit salty. The gnocchi with pesto was good, although there was WAY too much creamy pesto on the dish. I’m not sure if they make the gnocchi in-house or not; it was verging on too doughy, but I think was saved by being filled with pesto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We opted to have the cannoli (they stuff the shells in the restaurant but don’t make them in-house) and the homemade biscotti for dessert. The cannoli was good, filled with mascarpone and topped with the canned cherries and the accompanying sweet syrup. Frankly, I think you can hardly go wrong with fried dough stuffed with sweet cheese! YUM! The biscotti was a perfect balance between crunchy and soft; you could tell that they made them earlier in the day. The coffee was strong, but not bitter, and was a nice accompaniment to the desserts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The décor of the restaurant reminds me somewhat of a reception hall, with the open space and ample room for folks. You never feel too crowded but also don’t feel isolated from the other diners. I like the separation of the main dining room with the bar, which clearly has regular imbibers saddling up to it. I definitely liked the fact that this is a restaurant for the community. I observed waitstaff and patrons conversing in such a way as to demonstrate that they come very regularly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant is easy to get to right off 280, and parking was great during the middle of the day. The service was fantastic and attentive; everyone was nice and timely with filling water, etc. The portions are great (we had leftovers) and a good value for what you get. I would definitely return to this restaurant, and would come more often if it were closer to Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/eric-swett.jpg\" alt=\"Eric Swett\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Eric\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> In-House Council for Steamship Company\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> B44 Catalan Bistro\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante:\u003c/strong> Tuesday July 9, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area residents who drive along Highway 101 through South San Francisco have probably spotted the large Bertolucci’s sign near the highway many times, but haven’t had the occasion to stop in and explore. That sign promises an old-fashioned, unpretentious, Italian restaurant, San Francisco style. That is exactly what you get when you dine there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When we drove up, a few local bikers were parking their motorcycles in front of the restaurant. We wondered if that was a good sign or a bad sign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stepping into the restaurant is like stepping back in time thirty years; although there are some faux 1930s style advertising poster reproductions that ruin the otherwise perfect 1970s vibe. There is a little fountain near the entrance separating the restaurant from a pleasant bar. The dominant color is red: red carpet, red tablecloths, red seats, and red-covered booths. This definitely not a chi-chi designer space. Tony Soprano’s father would have felt perfectly comfortable at Bertolucci’s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The host was warm and welcoming, and so was the staff. We were seated promptly. The bread was fresh and good; a good clue to the quality of the food we would be eating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 1970s a restaurant like this might well have served wilted salads and soggy pasta with mysterious bland sauces. Happily, this is not the case, if it ever was, at Bertolucci’s. The menu has the classic Italian-American choices — all the old standards. We ordered Caesar salads ($9.95) to start. The romaine was fresh, and the tangy dressing, homemade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For main courses we ordered Beef Lasagna ($16.95), Tortellini Con Pesto (beef filled pasta rings, creamy basil and garlic sauce $15.95), and Veal Scaloppini served with polenta ($20.95). The pastas were good and not overcooked. The sauces were classic — certainly not inventive or unique — but that is not what the restaurant is about. The veal was also good, although a bit tough, with a lemony sauce. A side of vegetables served with the veal, chard with carrots and onions, had just the right amount of balancing bitterness, and was not overcooked or mushy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wine list was very limited, and in fact, disappointing. We drank a Melini Sangiovese, 2002 ($30.00), which was not particularly special.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For desert we had spumoni ice cream, which was delicious. Overall, the experience was very pleasant, and the food was good. The atmosphere is definitely 1970s, and so is the menu, but the food itself has kept up with the times. The service is attentive and welcoming. It is easy to understand the restaurant’s apparently devoted following and ongoing success.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong>\r\n421 Cypress Avenue (at Lux Avenue)\r\nSouth San Francisco, CA 94080\r\n\u003cstrong>Phone:\u003c/strong> 650-588-1625\r\n\u003cstrong>Website:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.sodinisbertoluccis.com\">sodinisbertoluccis.com\u003c/a>\r\n\u003cstrong>Type of Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Hearty Italian-American\r\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed:\u003c/strong> Summer 2007",
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"description": "Location:\r\n421 Cypress Avenue (at Lux Avenue)\r\nSouth San Francisco, CA 94080\r\nPhone: 650-588-1625\r\nWebsite: sodinisbertoluccis.com\r\nType of Cuisine: Hearty Italian-American\r\nReviewed: Summer 2007",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=615\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=608\">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/cp224iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/sodini16.jpg\" alt=\"Tortellini Con Pesto\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/sodini17.jpg\" alt=\"Canneloni\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/sodini18.jpg\" alt=\"Veal Scallopini\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nTortellini Con Pesto, Canneloni, Veal Scallopini\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/tony-rivera.jpg\" alt=\"Tony Rivera\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tony\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Fireman\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante:\u003c/strong> Friday July 21, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Restaurant is a throwback to the standard for family-owned and operated Italian-American restaurants. The restaurant is located in South San Francisco (finally a good reason to go there). There is a large free parking lot in the rear, and plenty of metered (until 6 pm ), street parking in the area. If you like mob movies (\u003cem>Goodfellas\u003c/em>, \u003cem>Godfather\u003c/em>s 1and 2, but not 3), you will think you are eating in one of the restaurants portrayed in those movies. There is an actual working fountain in the main dining room ). Anyway, back to the food: classic Italian American. I’m talking spaghetti with meatballs, chicken parmigiana, and a fat New York steak with ravioli on the side!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I went to Bertolucci’s on a Friday night, and the joint was packed. I was met at the door by the host, who looks like a knee-breaker for the syndicate. I didn’t have reservations, so he took my name and escorted me to the bar (I have always felt you can meet a higher quality of people at a bar ), so I bellied up. I ordered a cocktail and enjoyed the live piano music being played right there in the lounge. A few locals were dancing to the standards being sung by the piano player. I was in the middle of a conversation with the neighborhood garbage man, when my table was ready. I lucked out and was seated at a booth. I started out with a nice red wine, XY Zinfandel. My first course was Gnocchi Nostri (plump potato dumplings in rosy gravy), and it was excellent. The gnocchi, also known as Irish pasta, was perfection, not overcooked and with a dressing that was in balance (no heartburn). I used the French bread given to me to finish the sauce left on my plate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The waitress was great, she stayed in tempo with me (kept my wine glass full) and handled her other tables proficiently. The host came over between courses and made sure everything was fine (this is what I’m talking about — taking care of the customers, not just standing around looking pretty, plus this guy looks like he’s tried everything on the menu). I told him I ordered the veal, he stated, “Great choice, that’s what I’m having tonight.” Just as quickly as my appetizer plate was bussed, my main course arrived. The plate was filled with large pieces of veal and mixed vegetables on the side (you can also opt for polenta with marinara as a side). The meat was tender and flavorful, the vegetables were freshly cooked (not murdered the day before on a steam table). The restaurant has other rooms used for banquets and gatherings, and that night a few parties were occurring during my meal. I finished off with a biscotti, homemade by the owner’s wife (do I have to say it?), and a coffee. I figured I should finish my conversation with the garbage man, so I went back to the bar. I sat down and ordered a sambuca with coffee beans (three, for good luck ). The owner walked over to the piano and began to sing, yes, sing, he was impressive, the bar loved it and so did I.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sodini’s Bertolucci’s is a breath of fresh air. This is classic Italian-American cuisine with personality and punch. If you want a large trapezoidal plate with sauce dots made with from a squeeze bottle, and a meal stacked on top of itself, keep walking. Bertolucci’s has been at the same location since 1928, so they must be doing something right! I would return and would have a party here with one or a hundred of my best friends. The bang for the buck is the whole package: free parking, great food, live music, and an owner that interacts and entertains the customers. I give this place four meatballs!\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/tuere-anderson.jpg\" alt=\"Tuere Anderson\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tuere\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Social Worker\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Holy Land\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante:\u003c/strong> Tuesday July 17, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The baked polenta appetizer was perfect! It was creamy, but not mushy, with just the right amount of cheese, and the homemade tomato sauce was absolutely fresh and wonderful. The house salad of romaine lettuce (it was mostly hearts –yum!), beans, onion, tomato, and cucumber comes with housemade creamy Italian dressing. The dressing was good — neither too creamy nor too piquant — but the salad was a bit overdressed for my tastes. Other than that and that I would have liked a few more beans, it was good.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The linguine special with shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms in a cream sauce was great! The noodles were nicely al dente and the flavors melded together very well. This lunch special came with a bowl of minestrone soup, which was nice: not too heavy, filled with beans, and fresh veggies, although a wee bit salty. The gnocchi with pesto was good, although there was WAY too much creamy pesto on the dish. I’m not sure if they make the gnocchi in-house or not; it was verging on too doughy, but I think was saved by being filled with pesto.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We opted to have the cannoli (they stuff the shells in the restaurant but don’t make them in-house) and the homemade biscotti for dessert. The cannoli was good, filled with mascarpone and topped with the canned cherries and the accompanying sweet syrup. Frankly, I think you can hardly go wrong with fried dough stuffed with sweet cheese! YUM! The biscotti was a perfect balance between crunchy and soft; you could tell that they made them earlier in the day. The coffee was strong, but not bitter, and was a nice accompaniment to the desserts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The décor of the restaurant reminds me somewhat of a reception hall, with the open space and ample room for folks. You never feel too crowded but also don’t feel isolated from the other diners. I like the separation of the main dining room with the bar, which clearly has regular imbibers saddling up to it. I definitely liked the fact that this is a restaurant for the community. I observed waitstaff and patrons conversing in such a way as to demonstrate that they come very regularly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant is easy to get to right off 280, and parking was great during the middle of the day. The service was fantastic and attentive; everyone was nice and timely with filling water, etc. The portions are great (we had leftovers) and a good value for what you get. I would definitely return to this restaurant, and would come more often if it were closer to Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/eric-swett.jpg\" alt=\"Eric Swett\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Eric\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> In-House Council for Steamship Company\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> B44 Catalan Bistro\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante:\u003c/strong> Tuesday July 9, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area residents who drive along Highway 101 through South San Francisco have probably spotted the large Bertolucci’s sign near the highway many times, but haven’t had the occasion to stop in and explore. That sign promises an old-fashioned, unpretentious, Italian restaurant, San Francisco style. That is exactly what you get when you dine there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When we drove up, a few local bikers were parking their motorcycles in front of the restaurant. We wondered if that was a good sign or a bad sign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stepping into the restaurant is like stepping back in time thirty years; although there are some faux 1930s style advertising poster reproductions that ruin the otherwise perfect 1970s vibe. There is a little fountain near the entrance separating the restaurant from a pleasant bar. The dominant color is red: red carpet, red tablecloths, red seats, and red-covered booths. This definitely not a chi-chi designer space. Tony Soprano’s father would have felt perfectly comfortable at Bertolucci’s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The host was warm and welcoming, and so was the staff. We were seated promptly. The bread was fresh and good; a good clue to the quality of the food we would be eating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 1970s a restaurant like this might well have served wilted salads and soggy pasta with mysterious bland sauces. Happily, this is not the case, if it ever was, at Bertolucci’s. The menu has the classic Italian-American choices — all the old standards. We ordered Caesar salads ($9.95) to start. The romaine was fresh, and the tangy dressing, homemade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For main courses we ordered Beef Lasagna ($16.95), Tortellini Con Pesto (beef filled pasta rings, creamy basil and garlic sauce $15.95), and Veal Scaloppini served with polenta ($20.95). The pastas were good and not overcooked. The sauces were classic — certainly not inventive or unique — but that is not what the restaurant is about. The veal was also good, although a bit tough, with a lemony sauce. A side of vegetables served with the veal, chard with carrots and onions, had just the right amount of balancing bitterness, and was not overcooked or mushy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wine list was very limited, and in fact, disappointing. We drank a Melini Sangiovese, 2002 ($30.00), which was not particularly special.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For desert we had spumoni ice cream, which was delicious. Overall, the experience was very pleasant, and the food was good. The atmosphere is definitely 1970s, and so is the menu, but the food itself has kept up with the times. The service is attentive and welcoming. It is easy to understand the restaurant’s apparently devoted following and ongoing success.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>B44 Catalan Bistro: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=616\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=608\">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/cp224iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/b4418.jpg\" alt=\"Grilled Anchovies\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/b4416.jpg\" alt=\"Shrimp Adobo\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/b4420.jpg\" alt=\"Sea bass with Leeks, Potatoes, Corn and Smoked Bacon\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nGrilled Anchovies, Shrimp Adobo, Sea bass with Leeks, Potatoes, Corn and Smoked Bacon\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/eric-swett.jpg\" alt=\"Eric Swett\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Eric\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> In-House Council for Steamship Company\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> B44 Catalan Bistro\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed B44 Catalan Bistro:\u003c/strong> Thursday July 19, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>B44 is a Catalan restaurant located in Belden Place, San Francisco. Belden Place is an alley behind the Bank of America building with a number of wonderful restaurants, out-door seating, and a terrific European style. An evening in Belden Place generally, and B44 specifically, is like a quick trip to Barcelona (especially when it is warm and you can sit outside). The crowd is cosmopolitan, including some tourists, but mostly travel-starved locals and European expats, looking for a taste of home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thursday nights at Belden Place are busy, so there was a lot of activity along the alleyway. Reservations are recommended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Service at B44 is professional, efficient and discreet. Our table was ready when we arrived. The restaurant’s claim to fame is their excellent paellas and fideua, traditional Catalan specialties. Although everything on the menu is well prepared, visitors unfamiliar with Catalan cooking specifically, or Spanish cooking in general, should try the seafood dishes and especially the seafood paellas. The menu varies somewhat depending on the availability of ingredients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wine list is long and presents a whole world of unfamiliar Spanish and Catalan wines. The waiter wasn’t particularly helpful in choosing a wine, but the restaurant manager and other staff can assist in making the selection. We enjoyed the Campillo Rioja very much. We had a delicious white port with dessert. Many of the wines are expensive, but there are affordable choices on the list as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The appetizers are varied and appealing. The pile of fried anchovies, served with aioli is a special treat — flavorful, served hot, and not at all fishy. The Spanish cheese selection presents a cross section of cheese styles, and is served with little toasts. The lamb brochette is perfectly cooked, with a Moroccan-style seasoning. We enjoyed the crab-stuffed peppers, but the crab taste was a little overwhelmed by the peppers and paprika.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My favorite main dish at B44 is the Paella Fideua Negre, which is a paella made with rice, squid, clams, sepia (cuttlefish), peas, and onions. It is flavored with squid ink, which is black (hence the name of the dish), and provides a wonderful briny taste to the rice. This paella is served with a potent aioli sauce, which is a garlicky mayonnaise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The roast rabbit a la Catalana was well prepared. The hazelnut sauce is very rich and filling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Paella a la Cacadora is a perfect choice for people who don’t like seafood. The Fideua are also well made and very filling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dessert selection is somewhat limited, but the desserts we tried were very good. We enjoyed the café y copa, which is a little cake. The crema Catalana had too much cinnamon, but was otherwise well-made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>B44 is not cheap. However, compared to the cost of roundtrip airfare to Barcelona, the cost is a steal.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/tony-rivera.jpg\" alt=\"Tony Rivera\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tony\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Fireman\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed B44 Catalan Bistro:\u003c/strong> Saturday July 14, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>B44 restaurant sits between a few other cafe-style restaurants. It is located in the financial district of San Francisco. B44 is on a small alley that runs perpendicular to Bush Street. I believe the name (B44) is an acronym for the address 44 Belden Place. I would categorize this Catalan (Spanish) restaurant as an upscale eatery with al fresco dining. The restaurant is quite European, which means, expect cigarette smokers hovering about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I dined at B44 on Bastille Day, some kind of French holiday. All the restaurants on Belden were filled to capacity, a great party atmosphere. My partner and I were quickly seated at one of the highly coveted outside tables. The outside tables are arranged banquet-style, so if you need to tell secrets during your meal, opt for the inside dining area which can, unfortunately, be very loud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, I know that if you are trying a new restaurant, it is usually not a good idea to go when the place is packed, but…I kinda wanted to see the alley filled with people and have this augment my dining experience. With that being said, I judged B44 with a very lenient gavel, (I guess that’s the correct word/phrase).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Service was great. Our waiter, Mario, was running at full speed, juggling a slew of orders and drink requests. We knew we had to get our order in with the drinks or orget about it. We started our meal with a couple of glasses of Rioja (Spanish red wine). The busboy brought us a small bucket filled with a sliced European-style baguette and a side of olive oil and vinegar, (probably balsamic), used as a dipping sauce. Our appetizer was Shrimp Adobo, a cast iron skillet filled with sizzling prawn-sized “shrimp” sautéed in olive oil with large chunks of garlic and flavored with an adobo seasoning. We used the flavored oil in the skillet to dip our bread in (delicious). I then received my salad, a medley of heirloom tomatoes, covered in cold goat cheese, and drizzled with olive oil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a footnote: If you don’t like olive oil or garlic, stay away from Spanish and Italian restaurants, but if you do…come on in, the water is fine. The main course arrived, a traditional Spanish cooking pan filled with the Paella Barceloneta. I shared this dish with my friend, and we both enjoyed it. The rice was a Spanish import (montsia), that had a chewy texture similar to arborio, its Italian cousin. The mussels and clams in the paella were fresh and tasty. The squid was not over-cooked and the chunks of monkfish were generous. We ended our meal with more Rioja wine, although my partner had to order the Estrella beer, (a Spanish import that he found enjoyable), out of curiosity. We thanked Mario, our waiter, for doing a commendable job under tough conditions and adjourned to the bar a few steps away to ponder our meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you are looking for an authentic taste of Catalan Spain, this is the place. The atmosphere is great, loud, and very European. The food is what you expect — they are not re-inventing the wheel as most places try to do. I definitely recommend B44 as a great place to eat and enjoy the Euro-like surroundings, but bring your wallet, because they’re not giving the food away.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/tuere-anderson.jpg\" alt=\"Tuere Anderson\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tuere\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Social Worker\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Holy Land\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed B44 Catalan Bistro:\u003c/strong> Wednesday July 18, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For as much money as we spent, this restaurant was only OK. The food was good (most of it) but not great, although the desserts were fantastic and saved me from saying the food was OK. Overall, I was not impressed with the restaurant. All the staff was cordial, but were not attentive enough. I think there is a challenging balance to be struck between being cloyingly attentive and ignoring your guests; B44 was more towards the latter. For example, we had to wait nearly 15 minutes from the time our dessert dishes were cleared to when we got the bill, and that was only because we asked for it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our appetizer was mushy and bland; the piquillo peppers being neither sweet nor spicy but plain. This made it so the crab was just the same: bland and mushy; not picking up any of the flavor of the peppers (which truly had none). To top it all off was watercress, which just further added to the dullness of the dish. The only true flavor — mild at that — was a smoky flavor, which was in the sauce and perhaps a remnant of the smoking process for the peppers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our main entrees were served very hot and were, for the most part, good. However, an interesting thing happened with both of our dishes: the paella was most flavorful and well-balanced while hot, and similarly the sea bass dish initially was mostly very distinct flavors. As the dish cooled down, the flavors really coalesced, resulting in a delicately rich and balanced flavor. The paella flavor, on the other hand, became more disparate as it cooled. The sea bass was cooked perfectly, and the whole dish was saved from blandness by the smoked bacon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fortunately the best was last in the form of the desserts: creamy, perfectly rich, and absolutely delectable! The Crema Catalana is heaven: a light crème-brûlée infused perfectly with cinnamon. One of the best I’ve ever eaten!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though we brought our own Spanish wine, I was a bit disappointed that the waiter did not even offer us any of the wines sold by the restaurant. He did say that he hadn’t seen that wine in 17 years since he used to work at a restaurant in Barcelona. I figured this would have been a perfect opportunity to sell some wine or at least display his knowledge of other Spanish wines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The décor of the restaurant was nice and not overly pretentious or trendy, which can often happen with restaurants in the Union Square area. Because the restaurant is on one of those little alleys, there is seating outside, giving the restaurant a more traditional European feel. I do have two major complaints with the restaurant layout/décor: the space in between most of the tables inside is SO small that anyone who doesn’t look like Kate Moss could have an embarrassing time of passing between to go to the bathroom (I damn near lit my butt on fire with the tealight!) and the small TV screen in the bathrooms running a loop of some footage in Spain is rather creepy and too “Big Brother” for my tastes. I think they work in the hallway when you’re waiting for the bathrooms but inside is unnecessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is definitely a restaurant that is geared for tourists, if not because of proximity alone. I think the prices are somewhat inflated for what you get the level of sophistication in food and service. I wanted food with a bit more salt and heartiness, which is what I expected in Castilian food. Lastly this does not seem like a kid-friendly establishment, although I did not bring my kid, so I can’t say that I gave them a chance. I might go back again if someone else was paying for it and they REALLY wanted to go, but given all the super restaurants in SF, it isn’t on the top of my list. If I did go back, I would definitely try dishes that had some Spanish cheese and/or a meat dish, hoping that I would get less blandness.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong>\r\n44 Belden Place (between Pine and Bush Streets)\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94101\r\n\u003cstrong>Phone:\u003c/strong> 415-986-6287\r\n\u003cstrong>Website:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.b44sf.com\">b44sf.com\u003c/a>\r\n\u003cstrong>Type of Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Spanish Catalan Cuisine\r\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed:\u003c/strong> Summer 2007",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>B44 Catalan Bistro: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=616\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=608\">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/cp224iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/b4418.jpg\" alt=\"Grilled Anchovies\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/b4416.jpg\" alt=\"Shrimp Adobo\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/b4420.jpg\" alt=\"Sea bass with Leeks, Potatoes, Corn and Smoked Bacon\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nGrilled Anchovies, Shrimp Adobo, Sea bass with Leeks, Potatoes, Corn and Smoked Bacon\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/eric-swett.jpg\" alt=\"Eric Swett\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Eric\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> In-House Council for Steamship Company\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> B44 Catalan Bistro\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed B44 Catalan Bistro:\u003c/strong> Thursday July 19, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>B44 is a Catalan restaurant located in Belden Place, San Francisco. Belden Place is an alley behind the Bank of America building with a number of wonderful restaurants, out-door seating, and a terrific European style. An evening in Belden Place generally, and B44 specifically, is like a quick trip to Barcelona (especially when it is warm and you can sit outside). The crowd is cosmopolitan, including some tourists, but mostly travel-starved locals and European expats, looking for a taste of home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thursday nights at Belden Place are busy, so there was a lot of activity along the alleyway. Reservations are recommended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Service at B44 is professional, efficient and discreet. Our table was ready when we arrived. The restaurant’s claim to fame is their excellent paellas and fideua, traditional Catalan specialties. Although everything on the menu is well prepared, visitors unfamiliar with Catalan cooking specifically, or Spanish cooking in general, should try the seafood dishes and especially the seafood paellas. The menu varies somewhat depending on the availability of ingredients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wine list is long and presents a whole world of unfamiliar Spanish and Catalan wines. The waiter wasn’t particularly helpful in choosing a wine, but the restaurant manager and other staff can assist in making the selection. We enjoyed the Campillo Rioja very much. We had a delicious white port with dessert. Many of the wines are expensive, but there are affordable choices on the list as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The appetizers are varied and appealing. The pile of fried anchovies, served with aioli is a special treat — flavorful, served hot, and not at all fishy. The Spanish cheese selection presents a cross section of cheese styles, and is served with little toasts. The lamb brochette is perfectly cooked, with a Moroccan-style seasoning. We enjoyed the crab-stuffed peppers, but the crab taste was a little overwhelmed by the peppers and paprika.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My favorite main dish at B44 is the Paella Fideua Negre, which is a paella made with rice, squid, clams, sepia (cuttlefish), peas, and onions. It is flavored with squid ink, which is black (hence the name of the dish), and provides a wonderful briny taste to the rice. This paella is served with a potent aioli sauce, which is a garlicky mayonnaise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The roast rabbit a la Catalana was well prepared. The hazelnut sauce is very rich and filling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Paella a la Cacadora is a perfect choice for people who don’t like seafood. The Fideua are also well made and very filling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The dessert selection is somewhat limited, but the desserts we tried were very good. We enjoyed the café y copa, which is a little cake. The crema Catalana had too much cinnamon, but was otherwise well-made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>B44 is not cheap. However, compared to the cost of roundtrip airfare to Barcelona, the cost is a steal.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/tony-rivera.jpg\" alt=\"Tony Rivera\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tony\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Fireman\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sodini’s Bertolucci’s Ristorante\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed B44 Catalan Bistro:\u003c/strong> Saturday July 14, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>B44 restaurant sits between a few other cafe-style restaurants. It is located in the financial district of San Francisco. B44 is on a small alley that runs perpendicular to Bush Street. I believe the name (B44) is an acronym for the address 44 Belden Place. I would categorize this Catalan (Spanish) restaurant as an upscale eatery with al fresco dining. The restaurant is quite European, which means, expect cigarette smokers hovering about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I dined at B44 on Bastille Day, some kind of French holiday. All the restaurants on Belden were filled to capacity, a great party atmosphere. My partner and I were quickly seated at one of the highly coveted outside tables. The outside tables are arranged banquet-style, so if you need to tell secrets during your meal, opt for the inside dining area which can, unfortunately, be very loud.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, I know that if you are trying a new restaurant, it is usually not a good idea to go when the place is packed, but…I kinda wanted to see the alley filled with people and have this augment my dining experience. With that being said, I judged B44 with a very lenient gavel, (I guess that’s the correct word/phrase).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Service was great. Our waiter, Mario, was running at full speed, juggling a slew of orders and drink requests. We knew we had to get our order in with the drinks or orget about it. We started our meal with a couple of glasses of Rioja (Spanish red wine). The busboy brought us a small bucket filled with a sliced European-style baguette and a side of olive oil and vinegar, (probably balsamic), used as a dipping sauce. Our appetizer was Shrimp Adobo, a cast iron skillet filled with sizzling prawn-sized “shrimp” sautéed in olive oil with large chunks of garlic and flavored with an adobo seasoning. We used the flavored oil in the skillet to dip our bread in (delicious). I then received my salad, a medley of heirloom tomatoes, covered in cold goat cheese, and drizzled with olive oil.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s a footnote: If you don’t like olive oil or garlic, stay away from Spanish and Italian restaurants, but if you do…come on in, the water is fine. The main course arrived, a traditional Spanish cooking pan filled with the Paella Barceloneta. I shared this dish with my friend, and we both enjoyed it. The rice was a Spanish import (montsia), that had a chewy texture similar to arborio, its Italian cousin. The mussels and clams in the paella were fresh and tasty. The squid was not over-cooked and the chunks of monkfish were generous. We ended our meal with more Rioja wine, although my partner had to order the Estrella beer, (a Spanish import that he found enjoyable), out of curiosity. We thanked Mario, our waiter, for doing a commendable job under tough conditions and adjourned to the bar a few steps away to ponder our meal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you are looking for an authentic taste of Catalan Spain, this is the place. The atmosphere is great, loud, and very European. The food is what you expect — they are not re-inventing the wheel as most places try to do. I definitely recommend B44 as a great place to eat and enjoy the Euro-like surroundings, but bring your wallet, because they’re not giving the food away.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/tuere-anderson.jpg\" alt=\"Tuere Anderson\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Tuere\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Social Worker\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Oakland\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Holy Land\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed B44 Catalan Bistro:\u003c/strong> Wednesday July 18, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For as much money as we spent, this restaurant was only OK. The food was good (most of it) but not great, although the desserts were fantastic and saved me from saying the food was OK. Overall, I was not impressed with the restaurant. All the staff was cordial, but were not attentive enough. I think there is a challenging balance to be struck between being cloyingly attentive and ignoring your guests; B44 was more towards the latter. For example, we had to wait nearly 15 minutes from the time our dessert dishes were cleared to when we got the bill, and that was only because we asked for it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our appetizer was mushy and bland; the piquillo peppers being neither sweet nor spicy but plain. This made it so the crab was just the same: bland and mushy; not picking up any of the flavor of the peppers (which truly had none). To top it all off was watercress, which just further added to the dullness of the dish. The only true flavor — mild at that — was a smoky flavor, which was in the sauce and perhaps a remnant of the smoking process for the peppers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our main entrees were served very hot and were, for the most part, good. However, an interesting thing happened with both of our dishes: the paella was most flavorful and well-balanced while hot, and similarly the sea bass dish initially was mostly very distinct flavors. As the dish cooled down, the flavors really coalesced, resulting in a delicately rich and balanced flavor. The paella flavor, on the other hand, became more disparate as it cooled. The sea bass was cooked perfectly, and the whole dish was saved from blandness by the smoked bacon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fortunately the best was last in the form of the desserts: creamy, perfectly rich, and absolutely delectable! The Crema Catalana is heaven: a light crème-brûlée infused perfectly with cinnamon. One of the best I’ve ever eaten!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though we brought our own Spanish wine, I was a bit disappointed that the waiter did not even offer us any of the wines sold by the restaurant. He did say that he hadn’t seen that wine in 17 years since he used to work at a restaurant in Barcelona. I figured this would have been a perfect opportunity to sell some wine or at least display his knowledge of other Spanish wines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The décor of the restaurant was nice and not overly pretentious or trendy, which can often happen with restaurants in the Union Square area. Because the restaurant is on one of those little alleys, there is seating outside, giving the restaurant a more traditional European feel. I do have two major complaints with the restaurant layout/décor: the space in between most of the tables inside is SO small that anyone who doesn’t look like Kate Moss could have an embarrassing time of passing between to go to the bathroom (I damn near lit my butt on fire with the tealight!) and the small TV screen in the bathrooms running a loop of some footage in Spain is rather creepy and too “Big Brother” for my tastes. I think they work in the hallway when you’re waiting for the bathrooms but inside is unnecessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is definitely a restaurant that is geared for tourists, if not because of proximity alone. I think the prices are somewhat inflated for what you get the level of sophistication in food and service. I wanted food with a bit more salt and heartiness, which is what I expected in Castilian food. Lastly this does not seem like a kid-friendly establishment, although I did not bring my kid, so I can’t say that I gave them a chance. I might go back again if someone else was paying for it and they REALLY wanted to go, but given all the super restaurants in SF, it isn’t on the top of my list. If I did go back, I would definitely try dishes that had some Spanish cheese and/or a meat dish, hoping that I would get less blandness.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Baladie Gourmet Cafe: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=586\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=569\">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/cp223iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/baladie19.jpg\" alt=\"Classic Mezze\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/baladie23.jpg\" alt=\"Mejaddarah\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/baladie25.jpg\" alt=\"Lentil Soup\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nClassic Mezze: Babaganoush, Tabbouleh, Falafel, Hummus, with Garnish of Pita Bread, Feta, Pickled Cucumber, Tomato Slice and Iceberg Lettuce Leaf; Mejaddarah: Rice with Lentils Garnished with Fried Onions, Side of Yogurt and Cucumber Salad; Lentil Soup\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/haven-bourque.jpg\" alt=\"Haven Bourque\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Haven\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Partner in Green Public Relations Firm\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Baladie Gourmet Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Baladie Gourmet Cafe:\u003c/strong> Monday July 9, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the perks of working in downtown San Francisco is the long list of simple cafes featuring Middle Eastern food. In the interest of peace between Jews and Palestinians, I try to frequent Palestinian-owned cafes. I try out my rusty Arabic to test the patience of the counter folks, throw in a few arguably sedate belly-dance moves, and threaten to return someday with my darbekke (hand drum) to liven the place up if it’s not rocking already. I also adore the Palestinian flavor profile, which is heavy on the lemon and super-fruity olive oil, features sunny-clime vegetables, and uses meat more as a flavoring than as center of the plate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baladie Cafe is a favorite. I can walk the five blocks from work without struggling with parking. The neighborhood teams with office workers out seeking culinary delights along Kearny Street and environs. Baladie — the word means “in a country manner, perhaps bucolic pastoral” — features most of the classics — mezze, falafel, shawarma — but also unusual treats, such as fattoush (a bread and vegetable salad — the name means “fatty,” with the typical gentle Middle Eastern humor kidding the eater that they are so piggy that they have to eat bread even in their salad!), mejaddara (lentils and rice), and pies made of olive oil dough stuffed with spinach, feta, and spiced meats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Visiting early in the lunch hour on a sleepy Monday with a co-worker, we split the mezze platter and the mejaddara, shared a spinach feta pie, and indulged in two desserts. The cafe was unusually quiet, so we scored a corner table in the cheerfully decorated dining area where the tables are rickety, the seats miserably uncomfortable and totally worth suffering for the food, and the lines of eager eaters snake through the cafe. No music today, although the speakers usually thrum with classic Arabic folks tunes and the occasional judiciously chosen Turkish pop. The counter guy, same one there for years, is always willing to indulge my questions about the food and awkward Arabic praises for the eating experience. He seems truly pleased to see me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mezze platter was generous, featuring creamy hummus with a nice dose of good quality olive oil, smoky babaganoush (you can tell which chefs oven roast the eggplants and which sear it over an open flame –Baladie does it right!), tabbouleh with very fresh flat-leaf parsley, the barest flecks of bulgur wheat, and small chopped tomatoes like jewels on top. The dressing had a nice punch of lemon, the perfect balance for the world’s most tonic salad. The falafel, although not warm from the fryer as I’d hoped, had an appropriately crunchy crust and a tender, bright green middle. Expert mezze eaters ignore the bread (not being fatties!) and use the falafel to scoop up the hummus and babaganoush. The feta and pickle garnish were of better quality than many dive cafes; I wondered if the cheese was French Valbreso. Wish it were local, but that’s for a later dream of mine to green ethnic restaurants in the Bay Area. Also wish for a hit of red pepper sauce to balance out the sublime creaminess.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thank Allah for no dolmas — I’ve never had one that could compete with my almost-mother-in-laws’ (the Palestinian engineer wouldn’t marry me, despite my cooking and dancing skills!), so I was happy not to see those on the plate. Dolmas are insanely labor-intensive to make, and belong in the home kitchen full of aunts and cousins, who can spend all day smoking in secret, drinking Arak, and rolling gazillions of grape leaves around rice with a hit of meat and secret spices that I would not reveal under any circumstances not involving a comp meal at the French Laundry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mejaddara was a giant portion of subtly spiced rice, dotted with earthy lentils, and topped with onions fried in olive oil. This is considered the food of the poor, and many folk songs sing paens to this food, warbling “give the stinking meats to the filthy rich — we are content with our rice and lentils, the humble but most delicious food of the poor!” It’s comfort food at its best — simple, basic, healthy, with a touch of indulgence in the fried onions. This day’s mejaddara was slightly less spectacular than usual — it can be ordered with a side of meat if you’re feeling filthy; juicy pieces of chicken breast dusted with tangy sumac berry flecks being my favorite –but on this day I skipped the meat and admit wished I’d ordered it. Still, I’ll go back again and again for a dish you don’t find as a standard offering in most Middle Eastern cafes. The yogurt side salad was exceptional — tangy, creamy yogurt that tasted like homemade, spiked with crunchy fresh cucumbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The spinach feta pie was also a standout — a welcoming triangle of dough redolent of good quality olive oil, a nice softness on the bite, and a welcomingly chewy interior. The interior is stuffed with spinach spiked with lemon, so combined with the feta it became one of the holy trinities of flavor. No, for the Jewish food aficionados, the shape does \u003cem>not\u003c/em> resemble a hamantaschen. Far more generous. I can’t remember what the heck it’s called. You can just point at it in the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desserts are always risky, as the run-of-the-mill baklava is never sufficiently fresh. Baladie’s held up with that magical combination of crunch in the filo dough followed by the \u003cem>pow\u003c/em> of sweet syrup. Walnuts in the baklava, followed by pistachios in the burfi (might not be the right name, I can never remember the name for the shredded wheat desserts. The regional variation in Arabic names is guilty, not my food lexicon, I swear!) with the same flavor profile, but the temptingly weird texture of strands of crispy wheat followed by the richness of nuts and the \u003cem>pow\u003c/em> of sweet syrup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Salaam, shalom, howdy-do to the country café. Can I go again today?\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/steve-kamoroff.jpg\" alt=\"Steve Kamoroff\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Steve\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Certified Public Accountant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Marché Aux Fleurs\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Baladie Gourmet Cafe:\u003c/strong> Saturday July 14, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So we went on a Saturday, which is probably not their busiest time, as I am sure it is a popular lunch place during the week in that location near downtown. The guys behind the counter were really nice and helpful, and I ordered the gyro and my fiancé ordered the falafel. Of course we were the only ones there, so the service better be good. It was very quick, so no complaints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now I preface my review of the food by saying that my fiancé is from Israel and I went with her to this place. She knows her gyro and falafel. The space is generally very dirty and rundown with a big mural of Petra on the wall. I realize it is meant to be a simple deli, but the chairs were uncomfortable, and it just didn’t feel clean in there. I realize it’s not the sort of place that you go to for the ambiance, but on the other hand, the drink refrigerator had leftover falafel balls in a giant bag sitting in there. I thought the meat used in my gyro was borderline okay, and tasted like a reheat from yesterday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe, had I gone on a weekday, it would have been fresher. I was looking to see one of those giant slabs of meat spinning on the skewer but I didn’t see that, and I am not sure how they cooked the meat. I really like a gyro with spicy sauce, and they asked me if I wanted it spicy, but I was disappointed in the type of sauce used. The Blue Front Cafe on Haight and Masonic Street is really a much better version of what I wanted this place to be, based on their menu. I wouldn’t go back, but that’s OK as I can still taste this gyro every once in a while! It is cheap but no less than any other place serving this type of stuff.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/laura-lison.jpg\" alt=\"Laura Lison\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Laura\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Special Education Instructor\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sumi\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Baladie Gourmet Cafe:\u003c/strong> Thursday July 12, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the gang on the Jerry Seinfeld show ever came to San Francisco, they would feel right at home in the “Soup Nazi” style, downtown hole-in-the-wall restaurant, Baladie Gourmet Café. The food is so good you just want to go back for more, if you can stand to be intimidated by the staff, the atmosphere, and the set up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My friend and I walked up to the busy eatery on a Wednesday at the peak of the lunch hour. There were people sitting at two tables out on the sidewalk in front, and there was a line of people inside waiting to order. While waiting in line, we read the extensive overhead menu, including many vegetarian dishes. Aside from the items on the regular menu, daily specials written on hunks of paper were taped up and hanging from the menu board. Looking around, I noticed that there were only a few tables in the very cramped space and that they were all squished together. I asked my friend to grab a seat while I stayed in line to order. He went over, sat down, and tried to wipe off one of the tables, as they were all looking quite worn and dirty. As I got closer in line to ordering I noticed a display case with examples of some of the salads and desserts. The grilled eggplant salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and roasted red peppers looked good so I ordered one of those. My friend wanted to try the Chicken Lavash Deluxe with mesquite breast, hummus, spinach, rice and lentil, tabouli, tahini sauce, tomato, and cucumbers. I also got the daily special, a large cup of lentil soup and a slice of spanakopita. For dessert we both got the baklava.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The impatient cashier asked if I wanted my soup and Chicken Lavash spicy, and when I asked,” How spicy is the spicy?” He hurriedly replied, “I’ll give you medium.” As he was ringing up my order, I asked him about ordering drinks and he pointed “over there” behind the crowd of people to a self-serve soda fountain and a beverage cooler with bottled drinks. When I asked if I had to get back in line to purchase them, he gave me the, “dah, of course” look. So, not wanting to make waves, I did. I then went to the counter next to the kitchen and pick-up area to get some of the flimsy, miniature plastic eating utensils and napkins. All the while a worker was literally screaming order numbers in my ear. Looking up, I noticed a heavily dirt-encrusted ceiling fan above the pick-up/kitchen area and was just happy that it wasn’t turned on, as I’m sure all of the dust hanging down from it would be dropping on the food orders below. Luckily, most of the food is packaged to go, whether you are eating there or not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finally seated, my friend and I looked around, soaking up the “authentic atmosphere.” The floor, walls, and tables are all quite worn and haven’t been cleaned forever. The décor consists of, as my friend said, “A unique mish-mash at best.” There is a life-size plastic palm tree and a huge Ionic Greek column both wrapped in glowing twinkle lights and propped up in the corner. The foam padding was coming out of the worn Mexican print covers on the bench seating. A dead flower arrangement, by Morticia of the Addams family fame I presume, sat on the counter next to the cash register. Each table had a cruet of olive oil and wooden salt and pepper shakers appropriately marked S and P with a black magic marker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fairly short order, we heard our number being screamed out, so I rushed to the pick-up counter (mainly to stop the yelling ASAP). Back at the table, we opened the salad container with the huge, colorful eggplant salad and dug in, bumping elbows with the customers at the next table. The salad ingredients were all quite fresh and had a just-right, lightly seasoned balsamic dressing. The lentil soup was very flavorful and hearty with big chunks of carrots, potatoes and chopped pieces of pita bread (like soft croutons I guess?). They must puree the lentils, as we couldn’t actually see them. The spanakopita was wonderful with a nice, flakey filo dough crust and moist spinach filling. The chicken in the huge lavash was tender, juicy and plentiful, although the sauce could have been spicier. (I shouldn’t have questioned the spicy factor, I guess.) The walnut baklava was sweet and nutty, but kind of dry. We both prefer the gooey kind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next day, I went back again with another friend and we tried the dip platter and the gyro and shawarma wraps. They were all just as huge and delicious as the first time around. This time we decided to take our food out and eat it in a clean, quiet place, (at the lovely umbrella covered tables all through Embarcadaro Center) as I’m sure most people do. We also noticed that they have an extensive catering menu for the surrounding office buildings, no doubt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the back of the takeout menu, the restaurant has “Our Pledge.” It states that, “Our goal is to bring Traditional, Healthy, Hometown, Middle Eastern cuisine served in an Authentic Atmosphere. We offer the freshest products spiced to perfection. Our order of the day is to serve you promptly and courteously.” The healthy part could be improved with some extensive cleaning, and I can’t really attest to the courteous service. And as my friend said, “If the Baladie Gourmet Cafe boasts of authentic atmosphere, then the Middle East must be in even sorrier condition than I thought!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All in all I would recommend the huge portions of fresh, tasty food to anyone working downtown as a good value and a nice break from fast food chains. To really enjoy it though, I suggest that you eat it in a clean, quiet place far, far away from the “gourmet” cafe.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong>\r\n337 Kearny Street (Between Bush and Pine Streets)\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94108\r\n\u003cstrong>Phone:\u003c/strong> 415-989-6629\r\n\u003cstrong>Website:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.baladiecafe.com\">baladiecafe.com\u003c/a>\r\n\u003cstrong>Type of Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Middle Eastern/Mediterranean\r\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed:\u003c/strong> Summer 2007",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Baladie Gourmet Cafe: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=586\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=569\">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/cp223iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/baladie19.jpg\" alt=\"Classic Mezze\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/baladie23.jpg\" alt=\"Mejaddarah\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/baladie25.jpg\" alt=\"Lentil Soup\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nClassic Mezze: Babaganoush, Tabbouleh, Falafel, Hummus, with Garnish of Pita Bread, Feta, Pickled Cucumber, Tomato Slice and Iceberg Lettuce Leaf; Mejaddarah: Rice with Lentils Garnished with Fried Onions, Side of Yogurt and Cucumber Salad; Lentil Soup\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/haven-bourque.jpg\" alt=\"Haven Bourque\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Haven\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Partner in Green Public Relations Firm\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Baladie Gourmet Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Baladie Gourmet Cafe:\u003c/strong> Monday July 9, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the perks of working in downtown San Francisco is the long list of simple cafes featuring Middle Eastern food. In the interest of peace between Jews and Palestinians, I try to frequent Palestinian-owned cafes. I try out my rusty Arabic to test the patience of the counter folks, throw in a few arguably sedate belly-dance moves, and threaten to return someday with my darbekke (hand drum) to liven the place up if it’s not rocking already. I also adore the Palestinian flavor profile, which is heavy on the lemon and super-fruity olive oil, features sunny-clime vegetables, and uses meat more as a flavoring than as center of the plate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baladie Cafe is a favorite. I can walk the five blocks from work without struggling with parking. The neighborhood teams with office workers out seeking culinary delights along Kearny Street and environs. Baladie — the word means “in a country manner, perhaps bucolic pastoral” — features most of the classics — mezze, falafel, shawarma — but also unusual treats, such as fattoush (a bread and vegetable salad — the name means “fatty,” with the typical gentle Middle Eastern humor kidding the eater that they are so piggy that they have to eat bread even in their salad!), mejaddara (lentils and rice), and pies made of olive oil dough stuffed with spinach, feta, and spiced meats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Visiting early in the lunch hour on a sleepy Monday with a co-worker, we split the mezze platter and the mejaddara, shared a spinach feta pie, and indulged in two desserts. The cafe was unusually quiet, so we scored a corner table in the cheerfully decorated dining area where the tables are rickety, the seats miserably uncomfortable and totally worth suffering for the food, and the lines of eager eaters snake through the cafe. No music today, although the speakers usually thrum with classic Arabic folks tunes and the occasional judiciously chosen Turkish pop. The counter guy, same one there for years, is always willing to indulge my questions about the food and awkward Arabic praises for the eating experience. He seems truly pleased to see me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mezze platter was generous, featuring creamy hummus with a nice dose of good quality olive oil, smoky babaganoush (you can tell which chefs oven roast the eggplants and which sear it over an open flame –Baladie does it right!), tabbouleh with very fresh flat-leaf parsley, the barest flecks of bulgur wheat, and small chopped tomatoes like jewels on top. The dressing had a nice punch of lemon, the perfect balance for the world’s most tonic salad. The falafel, although not warm from the fryer as I’d hoped, had an appropriately crunchy crust and a tender, bright green middle. Expert mezze eaters ignore the bread (not being fatties!) and use the falafel to scoop up the hummus and babaganoush. The feta and pickle garnish were of better quality than many dive cafes; I wondered if the cheese was French Valbreso. Wish it were local, but that’s for a later dream of mine to green ethnic restaurants in the Bay Area. Also wish for a hit of red pepper sauce to balance out the sublime creaminess.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thank Allah for no dolmas — I’ve never had one that could compete with my almost-mother-in-laws’ (the Palestinian engineer wouldn’t marry me, despite my cooking and dancing skills!), so I was happy not to see those on the plate. Dolmas are insanely labor-intensive to make, and belong in the home kitchen full of aunts and cousins, who can spend all day smoking in secret, drinking Arak, and rolling gazillions of grape leaves around rice with a hit of meat and secret spices that I would not reveal under any circumstances not involving a comp meal at the French Laundry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mejaddara was a giant portion of subtly spiced rice, dotted with earthy lentils, and topped with onions fried in olive oil. This is considered the food of the poor, and many folk songs sing paens to this food, warbling “give the stinking meats to the filthy rich — we are content with our rice and lentils, the humble but most delicious food of the poor!” It’s comfort food at its best — simple, basic, healthy, with a touch of indulgence in the fried onions. This day’s mejaddara was slightly less spectacular than usual — it can be ordered with a side of meat if you’re feeling filthy; juicy pieces of chicken breast dusted with tangy sumac berry flecks being my favorite –but on this day I skipped the meat and admit wished I’d ordered it. Still, I’ll go back again and again for a dish you don’t find as a standard offering in most Middle Eastern cafes. The yogurt side salad was exceptional — tangy, creamy yogurt that tasted like homemade, spiked with crunchy fresh cucumbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The spinach feta pie was also a standout — a welcoming triangle of dough redolent of good quality olive oil, a nice softness on the bite, and a welcomingly chewy interior. The interior is stuffed with spinach spiked with lemon, so combined with the feta it became one of the holy trinities of flavor. No, for the Jewish food aficionados, the shape does \u003cem>not\u003c/em> resemble a hamantaschen. Far more generous. I can’t remember what the heck it’s called. You can just point at it in the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Desserts are always risky, as the run-of-the-mill baklava is never sufficiently fresh. Baladie’s held up with that magical combination of crunch in the filo dough followed by the \u003cem>pow\u003c/em> of sweet syrup. Walnuts in the baklava, followed by pistachios in the burfi (might not be the right name, I can never remember the name for the shredded wheat desserts. The regional variation in Arabic names is guilty, not my food lexicon, I swear!) with the same flavor profile, but the temptingly weird texture of strands of crispy wheat followed by the richness of nuts and the \u003cem>pow\u003c/em> of sweet syrup.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Salaam, shalom, howdy-do to the country café. Can I go again today?\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/steve-kamoroff.jpg\" alt=\"Steve Kamoroff\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Steve\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Certified Public Accountant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Marché Aux Fleurs\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Baladie Gourmet Cafe:\u003c/strong> Saturday July 14, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So we went on a Saturday, which is probably not their busiest time, as I am sure it is a popular lunch place during the week in that location near downtown. The guys behind the counter were really nice and helpful, and I ordered the gyro and my fiancé ordered the falafel. Of course we were the only ones there, so the service better be good. It was very quick, so no complaints.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now I preface my review of the food by saying that my fiancé is from Israel and I went with her to this place. She knows her gyro and falafel. The space is generally very dirty and rundown with a big mural of Petra on the wall. I realize it is meant to be a simple deli, but the chairs were uncomfortable, and it just didn’t feel clean in there. I realize it’s not the sort of place that you go to for the ambiance, but on the other hand, the drink refrigerator had leftover falafel balls in a giant bag sitting in there. I thought the meat used in my gyro was borderline okay, and tasted like a reheat from yesterday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe, had I gone on a weekday, it would have been fresher. I was looking to see one of those giant slabs of meat spinning on the skewer but I didn’t see that, and I am not sure how they cooked the meat. I really like a gyro with spicy sauce, and they asked me if I wanted it spicy, but I was disappointed in the type of sauce used. The Blue Front Cafe on Haight and Masonic Street is really a much better version of what I wanted this place to be, based on their menu. I wouldn’t go back, but that’s OK as I can still taste this gyro every once in a while! It is cheap but no less than any other place serving this type of stuff.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr noshade size=\"1\">\n\u003cp>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/laura-lison.jpg\" alt=\"Laura Lison\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Laura\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Special Education Instructor\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sumi\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Baladie Gourmet Cafe:\u003c/strong> Thursday July 12, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the gang on the Jerry Seinfeld show ever came to San Francisco, they would feel right at home in the “Soup Nazi” style, downtown hole-in-the-wall restaurant, Baladie Gourmet Café. The food is so good you just want to go back for more, if you can stand to be intimidated by the staff, the atmosphere, and the set up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My friend and I walked up to the busy eatery on a Wednesday at the peak of the lunch hour. There were people sitting at two tables out on the sidewalk in front, and there was a line of people inside waiting to order. While waiting in line, we read the extensive overhead menu, including many vegetarian dishes. Aside from the items on the regular menu, daily specials written on hunks of paper were taped up and hanging from the menu board. Looking around, I noticed that there were only a few tables in the very cramped space and that they were all squished together. I asked my friend to grab a seat while I stayed in line to order. He went over, sat down, and tried to wipe off one of the tables, as they were all looking quite worn and dirty. As I got closer in line to ordering I noticed a display case with examples of some of the salads and desserts. The grilled eggplant salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and roasted red peppers looked good so I ordered one of those. My friend wanted to try the Chicken Lavash Deluxe with mesquite breast, hummus, spinach, rice and lentil, tabouli, tahini sauce, tomato, and cucumbers. I also got the daily special, a large cup of lentil soup and a slice of spanakopita. For dessert we both got the baklava.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The impatient cashier asked if I wanted my soup and Chicken Lavash spicy, and when I asked,” How spicy is the spicy?” He hurriedly replied, “I’ll give you medium.” As he was ringing up my order, I asked him about ordering drinks and he pointed “over there” behind the crowd of people to a self-serve soda fountain and a beverage cooler with bottled drinks. When I asked if I had to get back in line to purchase them, he gave me the, “dah, of course” look. So, not wanting to make waves, I did. I then went to the counter next to the kitchen and pick-up area to get some of the flimsy, miniature plastic eating utensils and napkins. All the while a worker was literally screaming order numbers in my ear. Looking up, I noticed a heavily dirt-encrusted ceiling fan above the pick-up/kitchen area and was just happy that it wasn’t turned on, as I’m sure all of the dust hanging down from it would be dropping on the food orders below. Luckily, most of the food is packaged to go, whether you are eating there or not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Finally seated, my friend and I looked around, soaking up the “authentic atmosphere.” The floor, walls, and tables are all quite worn and haven’t been cleaned forever. The décor consists of, as my friend said, “A unique mish-mash at best.” There is a life-size plastic palm tree and a huge Ionic Greek column both wrapped in glowing twinkle lights and propped up in the corner. The foam padding was coming out of the worn Mexican print covers on the bench seating. A dead flower arrangement, by Morticia of the Addams family fame I presume, sat on the counter next to the cash register. Each table had a cruet of olive oil and wooden salt and pepper shakers appropriately marked S and P with a black magic marker.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fairly short order, we heard our number being screamed out, so I rushed to the pick-up counter (mainly to stop the yelling ASAP). Back at the table, we opened the salad container with the huge, colorful eggplant salad and dug in, bumping elbows with the customers at the next table. The salad ingredients were all quite fresh and had a just-right, lightly seasoned balsamic dressing. The lentil soup was very flavorful and hearty with big chunks of carrots, potatoes and chopped pieces of pita bread (like soft croutons I guess?). They must puree the lentils, as we couldn’t actually see them. The spanakopita was wonderful with a nice, flakey filo dough crust and moist spinach filling. The chicken in the huge lavash was tender, juicy and plentiful, although the sauce could have been spicier. (I shouldn’t have questioned the spicy factor, I guess.) The walnut baklava was sweet and nutty, but kind of dry. We both prefer the gooey kind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The next day, I went back again with another friend and we tried the dip platter and the gyro and shawarma wraps. They were all just as huge and delicious as the first time around. This time we decided to take our food out and eat it in a clean, quiet place, (at the lovely umbrella covered tables all through Embarcadaro Center) as I’m sure most people do. We also noticed that they have an extensive catering menu for the surrounding office buildings, no doubt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the back of the takeout menu, the restaurant has “Our Pledge.” It states that, “Our goal is to bring Traditional, Healthy, Hometown, Middle Eastern cuisine served in an Authentic Atmosphere. We offer the freshest products spiced to perfection. Our order of the day is to serve you promptly and courteously.” The healthy part could be improved with some extensive cleaning, and I can’t really attest to the courteous service. And as my friend said, “If the Baladie Gourmet Cafe boasts of authentic atmosphere, then the Middle East must be in even sorrier condition than I thought!”\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 I would recommend the huge portions of fresh, tasty food to anyone working downtown as a good value and a nice break from fast food chains. To really enjoy it though, I suggest that you eat it in a clean, quiet place far, far away from the “gourmet” cafe.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sumi: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=600\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=569\">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/cp223iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2007/12/sumi14.jpg\" alt=\"Calamari and Rock Shrimp\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/sumi16.jpg\" alt=\"Miso-Glazed Roasted Chicken with Wasabi Potatoes\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/sumi17.jpg\" alt=\"Sumi Sundae\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nCalamari and Rock Shrimp with a Trio of Dipping Sauces; Miso-Glazed Roasted Chicken with Wasabi Potatoes, a Stir Fried Chard, Shiitakes, Carrot, Fresh Soy Beans, and Burdock Root; Sumi Sundae: Scharffen Berger Chocolate Cake, French Vanilla Ice Cream, House Made Chocolate Sauce, and Brandied Cherry\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/laura-lison.jpg\" alt=\"Laura Lison\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Laura\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Special Education Instructor\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sumi\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Sumi:\u003c/strong> Saturday July 14, 2007\n\u003cp>Fresh and sexy, Sumi Restaurant has been an anchor in the Castro for the past twenty-two years. Located at 4243 18th Street, Sumi serves wonderfully interesting California cuisine with an Asian influence. Every dish, including desserts, is made fresh daily under owner, Sumi Hirose’s, supervision. Most evenings, Sumi is there to warmly greet you herself and take you to your seat. The dimly lit décor has been beautifully updated in a very sexy and sophisticated black and gold color scheme. The gold painted wood plank walls and the matchstick blinds add texture and warmth to the surroundings while the black overhead beams and chairs add contrast and just the right touch of class. Paintings on the walls by local artists are always changing and add to the visual interest. Even when the restaurant is full, the noise level is never too high that you can’t engage in a lively discussion with your dining partners. Friendly, knowledgeable, and sexy waiters are always right there to welcome you and hand you your linen napkin. Water glasses with slices of lemon immediately appear as does warm, delicious break-apart rolls beautifully displayed in a cleverly paper lined silver basket. Sumi’s incredible attention to every detail is evident throughout the dining experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a busy Saturday night, my friend and I were lucky enough to find a parking place in the Castro, just a short walk from the restaurant. Upon entering, we were greeted by Sumi herself and taken to a table on the upper level just overlooking the diners seated in the window tables below. Martin, our friendly and knowledgeable waiter, quickly appeared, explained the daily specials and took our drink order. I started off with a Kir Royale cocktail, a delicious blend of sparkling wine and Kir with a twist of lemon, and my dining partner enjoyed a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, while we started with the calamari and rock shrimp appetizer. The lightly battered seafood arrived in a wicker basket along with a trio of dipping sauces, including a tangy cocktail sauce, a lime and chili sauce (my favorite), and a garlic aioli. We devoured every tender morsel using the chopsticks provided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My companion decided to order from the regular menu, while I wanted to take advantage of the 3-course prix fixe menu that is offered nightly from 5:30 to 7:00 for $25. For my first course, I chose the fresh white corn soup with a dollop of garlic butter. A delicious hot and creamy puree of corn tasted as if it had just been picked and taken off the cob that day. I also shared my partner’s large but lightly dressed mixed green salad with the cherry tomatoes and tofu croutons — always a good choice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our waiter, Martin, led us to an absolutely wonderful bottle of Clayton Petite Sirah 2002 to go with our dinner. I chose the grilled Niman Ranch Country Style pork rib with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and edamame, ginger rice, and orange-ume glaze. Not being familiar with edamame, Martin was more than happy to educate me on these Japanese style beans. (It always helps to know what you are going to be eating!) The pork was so tender and juicy and went well with the contrasting textures of the mushrooms and edamame. There was just the right amount of the orange-ume glaze drizzled on the plate to give the dish a slightly sweet flavor. My dining partner chose the monkfish with wild rice, spinach, and golden raisins for an entrée. The fish was moist and flaky and beautifully landscaped on a bed of the flavorful wild rice, spinach, and golden raisins mixture. We shared a side order of one of my favorite Sumi sides, the cayenne sweet potato fries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dessert, I chose the trio of fresh fruit sorbets from the prix fixe menu. That night it was apricot, green apple, and raspberry. The three vivid colors stood out on the slender plate, as I savored each refreshing bite. I insisted that my partner get the signature Sumi Sundae, so I could also sample the combination of Scharffen Berger chocolate cake, topped with French vanilla ice cream, the housemade chocolate sauce, and brandied cherries, elegantly served in a martini glass. While I ate most of my companion’s sundae, he enjoyed his coffee delivered to the table in an individual 2 1/2-cup French press.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the end of our lovely meal, Martin delivered the bill in a hardbound classical book in which previous patrons had written their comments. It was fun to read about the many special occasions that had been celebrated there and about tourists from far away places who raved about Sumi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In my book, it would be hard to beat this level of quality and culinary sophistication in this price range. For a relaxed romantic evening of creative food in a classy atmosphere with the best service ever, you can’t go wrong at Sumi.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/steve-kamoroff.jpg\" alt=\"Steve Kamoroff\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Steve\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Certified Public Accountant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Marché Aux Fleurs\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Sumi:\u003c/strong> Friday July 6, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My fiancé and I walked to the restaurant from our house in Haight Ashbury. We were immediately greeted and seated and made to feel very welcome. The place is very quaint with a warm and dark date-like feel that feels like a house that was turned into a restaurant. Our waiter was extremely helpful and explained the menu really well and let us know what some of the specials of the house were. We enjoyed the fairly simple wine list, and when we asked the waiter some questions, he offered to bring us a taste of a couple wines to help us chose. We liked that, as we seem to be lushes these days. So, we just had him keep bringing tastes of the wines all night (just kidding, we only had 2). We ordered the Albarino, which is one of our favorite wines, and it was excellent. Next, we had actually decided on our food, but when we talked to the waiter, he changed our minds with the descriptions of some of his favorites. He suggested the calamari, which was outstanding. It was lightly battered and fried and served with a trio of different sauces; it was our favorite thing we had there! He also brought out bread and butter, which was really fresh (not your average bread).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ordered the scallops and my fiancé ordered the beef. My scallops weren’t particuarly memorable and were underseasoned in general. They were just okay! My fiancé enjoyed hers and she tends to be quite picky about red meat, so if nothing else, I was happy that she was happy and wasn’t complaining. I think they cooked it exactly the way she had asked, which is the key for her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service was really outstanding the whole night. Unfortunately the service was better than the food was. We had the sundae for dessert and it was great. It has been on their menu for the entire 20-30 years they have been opened and I can see why. The warm chocolate on the bottom was perfect and gooey. Overall, we thought it was just okay. We wanted to like it more, as it is easy enough to get in and it is a charming spot. We liked the service but weren’t overly excited with our entrees. We spent the same money there as at Marché Aux Fleurs, and it is nowhere even close to the same quality and complexity of food, wine, and service.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/haven-bourque.jpg\" alt=\"Haven Bourque\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Haven\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Partner in Green Public Relations Firm\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Baladie Gourmet Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Sumi:\u003c/strong> Wednesday July 25, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> Sumi is an intimate neighborhood restaurant featuring perhaps both the best and the worst of the Castro. There I had one soul-searingly delicious dish and significantly less successful versions of Japanese homestyle and California comfort cuisine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The evening started out with easily the worst parking experience of life. A Castro resident intentionally drove his car within millimeters of my right thigh to physically push me (we’re talking car vs. human flesh) out of a parking space that I was saving for my disabled husband, I’d say don’t visit here unless you take public transport or own a Vespa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What I liked best about Sumi was the indelible presence of Sumi herself. She greeted me at the door and showed me to a quiet table, murmuring that it should be quiet she hoped (I’d requested a quiet spot on Open Table), and remained an unassuming, yet authoritative presence throughout the evening. She seemed tired, as I would be had I run a restaurant for as many years as has she. I made several attempts to engage with her via our server, but with no luck. I am quite sure that neighborhood denizens are treated like family in her restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I found the physical environment of the restaurant a sincere reflection of the menu. The room was small, reminiscent of an old Japanese farmhouse: dark beams, low hanging lights, carefully chosen art in subtle, earthy colors, and a layout that allowed for almost private corners, without feeling cluttered — a personal blend of Eastern design sensibilities with western touches. It did remind me of a Japanese farmhouse that would not have a dedicated dining space, but a room that could be used for many things. Perhaps it is. Unfortunate to be inside in a cozy dark space on a blazing hot summer evening, however. I imagine the space is warm and insulating on a fog-wrapped night. In the heat, it was almost stuffy. Also, the dinnerware was a missed opportunity. Japanese \u003cem>yakimono\u003c/em> (it means “fired things,” as in fired in a kiln in this case!) is central to the experience of eating. No trace of it here, although due to the heat, we did not order tea, which might have allowed us at least a glimpse of fabulously understated tea ware.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our server confessed to being quite hot in his opening words to us. Unfortunately, that set the tone for the evening, as his performance was more about him than it was about us. To be charitable, I did live in Japan for several years on several different occasions. In fact, my palate awakened there at the very impressionable age of sixteen, so I am quite familiar with Japanese cuisine in its myriad interpretations. I am also an eco-warrior, but first a gastronome. Our server consistently failed to deliver correct information about the food and the beverages, and in fact, on at least two occasions even delivered completely incorrect information with utter confidence. That almost ruined the dining experience for me. I stopped asking any questions because the answers were so ridiculous that I couldn’t hide my embarrassment for him. Suffice it to say that \u003cem>Okunomatsu\u003c/em> does \u003cem>not\u003c/em> mean “holy water” in Japanese. It is a sake brewery of venerable tradition and excellence established in the 1700s in Fukushima province, and the word translates as “behind the pine tree.” Nor is monkfish an endangered species, eco-friendly. Granted, the NOAA said just this week that East Coast monkfish might be OK, but the Monterey Bay Aquarium scientists still disagree. Somehow I don’t think this server is hip to that dialogue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was handsome, however. And he paced the meal reasonably well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What saved the evening was one dish: the miso-glazed roast chicken breast. The miso sauce transported me right back to my Japanese (culinary) mother’s kitchen table; it was perfectly balanced with the deep, salty, umami-in-a-nutshell tones that only a flawlessly executed miso sauce can aspire to. None of that too sweet, too heavy, too-miso-ey miso that we’re so often subjected to. No, the real Sumi was present in her miso glaze. The chicken was moist and perfect. I rarely order chicken in restaurants, as I don’t like “palate for sauce” props. Oh, but this sauce. I actually licked the plate, and had difficulty sharing with my husband, whom I adore beyond reason and deserves only the best bits life has to offer. Not more than one bite for him, sorry. Accompaniments were a vegetable stir fry of chard, shiitake, carrot, and perhaps burdock; fresh and lively with the living breath of the wok. Thank you, Sumi, for that chicken with miso glaze. Fusion, correct interpretation of a classis — never mind. It could have been from Bora-Bora for all I cared. It was an exemplary sauce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rest of the food, I’m sorry to say — never mind. We ordered an ahi tartare that was undistinguished. It wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t anything in particular either. We both prefer fish to meat, but there was not one sustainable fish item on the menu, at least that the server could identify without fabricating a ridiculously elaborate falsity. My husband ordered the rack of lamb at the server’s suggestion. It was comforting and properly rare-to-medium, but again entirely undistinguished. For dessert, sorbet was the only option. How can you go wrong with a trio of fresh fruit sorbets? When the green apple sorbet is crystallized, the peach chardonnay is cloying, and the blackberry cassis has to carry the whole thing. I was surprised to see an ice cream sundae on the menu, and played with the flavors of eating that after the miso chicken. Nope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant had other charming touches, such as the bathroom décor. When you go there for the miso chicken, and you will, do visit the bathroom. Look up at the ceiling. It is beautiful. Then go back to your chicken.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong>\r\n4243 18th Street (at Diamond Streets)\r\nRoss, CA 94114\r\n\u003cstrong>Phone:\u003c/strong> 415-626-7864\r\n\u003cstrong>Website:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.suminthecastro.com\">suminthecastro.com\u003c/a>\r\n\u003cstrong>Type of Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Californian\r\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed:\u003c/strong> Summer 2007",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Sumi: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=600\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=569\">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/cp223iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2007/12/sumi14.jpg\" alt=\"Calamari and Rock Shrimp\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/sumi16.jpg\" alt=\"Miso-Glazed Roasted Chicken with Wasabi Potatoes\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/sumi17.jpg\" alt=\"Sumi Sundae\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nCalamari and Rock Shrimp with a Trio of Dipping Sauces; Miso-Glazed Roasted Chicken with Wasabi Potatoes, a Stir Fried Chard, Shiitakes, Carrot, Fresh Soy Beans, and Burdock Root; Sumi Sundae: Scharffen Berger Chocolate Cake, French Vanilla Ice Cream, House Made Chocolate Sauce, and Brandied Cherry\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/laura-lison.jpg\" alt=\"Laura Lison\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Laura\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Special Education Instructor\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sumi\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Sumi:\u003c/strong> Saturday July 14, 2007\n\u003cp>Fresh and sexy, Sumi Restaurant has been an anchor in the Castro for the past twenty-two years. Located at 4243 18th Street, Sumi serves wonderfully interesting California cuisine with an Asian influence. Every dish, including desserts, is made fresh daily under owner, Sumi Hirose’s, supervision. Most evenings, Sumi is there to warmly greet you herself and take you to your seat. The dimly lit décor has been beautifully updated in a very sexy and sophisticated black and gold color scheme. The gold painted wood plank walls and the matchstick blinds add texture and warmth to the surroundings while the black overhead beams and chairs add contrast and just the right touch of class. Paintings on the walls by local artists are always changing and add to the visual interest. Even when the restaurant is full, the noise level is never too high that you can’t engage in a lively discussion with your dining partners. Friendly, knowledgeable, and sexy waiters are always right there to welcome you and hand you your linen napkin. Water glasses with slices of lemon immediately appear as does warm, delicious break-apart rolls beautifully displayed in a cleverly paper lined silver basket. Sumi’s incredible attention to every detail is evident throughout the dining experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a busy Saturday night, my friend and I were lucky enough to find a parking place in the Castro, just a short walk from the restaurant. Upon entering, we were greeted by Sumi herself and taken to a table on the upper level just overlooking the diners seated in the window tables below. Martin, our friendly and knowledgeable waiter, quickly appeared, explained the daily specials and took our drink order. I started off with a Kir Royale cocktail, a delicious blend of sparkling wine and Kir with a twist of lemon, and my dining partner enjoyed a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, while we started with the calamari and rock shrimp appetizer. The lightly battered seafood arrived in a wicker basket along with a trio of dipping sauces, including a tangy cocktail sauce, a lime and chili sauce (my favorite), and a garlic aioli. We devoured every tender morsel using the chopsticks provided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My companion decided to order from the regular menu, while I wanted to take advantage of the 3-course prix fixe menu that is offered nightly from 5:30 to 7:00 for $25. For my first course, I chose the fresh white corn soup with a dollop of garlic butter. A delicious hot and creamy puree of corn tasted as if it had just been picked and taken off the cob that day. I also shared my partner’s large but lightly dressed mixed green salad with the cherry tomatoes and tofu croutons — always a good choice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our waiter, Martin, led us to an absolutely wonderful bottle of Clayton Petite Sirah 2002 to go with our dinner. I chose the grilled Niman Ranch Country Style pork rib with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and edamame, ginger rice, and orange-ume glaze. Not being familiar with edamame, Martin was more than happy to educate me on these Japanese style beans. (It always helps to know what you are going to be eating!) The pork was so tender and juicy and went well with the contrasting textures of the mushrooms and edamame. There was just the right amount of the orange-ume glaze drizzled on the plate to give the dish a slightly sweet flavor. My dining partner chose the monkfish with wild rice, spinach, and golden raisins for an entrée. The fish was moist and flaky and beautifully landscaped on a bed of the flavorful wild rice, spinach, and golden raisins mixture. We shared a side order of one of my favorite Sumi sides, the cayenne sweet potato fries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For dessert, I chose the trio of fresh fruit sorbets from the prix fixe menu. That night it was apricot, green apple, and raspberry. The three vivid colors stood out on the slender plate, as I savored each refreshing bite. I insisted that my partner get the signature Sumi Sundae, so I could also sample the combination of Scharffen Berger chocolate cake, topped with French vanilla ice cream, the housemade chocolate sauce, and brandied cherries, elegantly served in a martini glass. While I ate most of my companion’s sundae, he enjoyed his coffee delivered to the table in an individual 2 1/2-cup French press.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the end of our lovely meal, Martin delivered the bill in a hardbound classical book in which previous patrons had written their comments. It was fun to read about the many special occasions that had been celebrated there and about tourists from far away places who raved about Sumi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In my book, it would be hard to beat this level of quality and culinary sophistication in this price range. For a relaxed romantic evening of creative food in a classy atmosphere with the best service ever, you can’t go wrong at Sumi.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/steve-kamoroff.jpg\" alt=\"Steve Kamoroff\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Steve\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Certified Public Accountant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Marché Aux Fleurs\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Sumi:\u003c/strong> Friday July 6, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>My fiancé and I walked to the restaurant from our house in Haight Ashbury. We were immediately greeted and seated and made to feel very welcome. The place is very quaint with a warm and dark date-like feel that feels like a house that was turned into a restaurant. Our waiter was extremely helpful and explained the menu really well and let us know what some of the specials of the house were. We enjoyed the fairly simple wine list, and when we asked the waiter some questions, he offered to bring us a taste of a couple wines to help us chose. We liked that, as we seem to be lushes these days. So, we just had him keep bringing tastes of the wines all night (just kidding, we only had 2). We ordered the Albarino, which is one of our favorite wines, and it was excellent. Next, we had actually decided on our food, but when we talked to the waiter, he changed our minds with the descriptions of some of his favorites. He suggested the calamari, which was outstanding. It was lightly battered and fried and served with a trio of different sauces; it was our favorite thing we had there! He also brought out bread and butter, which was really fresh (not your average bread).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ordered the scallops and my fiancé ordered the beef. My scallops weren’t particuarly memorable and were underseasoned in general. They were just okay! My fiancé enjoyed hers and she tends to be quite picky about red meat, so if nothing else, I was happy that she was happy and wasn’t complaining. I think they cooked it exactly the way she had asked, which is the key for her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service was really outstanding the whole night. Unfortunately the service was better than the food was. We had the sundae for dessert and it was great. It has been on their menu for the entire 20-30 years they have been opened and I can see why. The warm chocolate on the bottom was perfect and gooey. Overall, we thought it was just okay. We wanted to like it more, as it is easy enough to get in and it is a charming spot. We liked the service but weren’t overly excited with our entrees. We spent the same money there as at Marché Aux Fleurs, and it is nowhere even close to the same quality and complexity of food, wine, and service.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/haven-bourque.jpg\" alt=\"Haven Bourque\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Haven\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Partner in Green Public Relations Firm\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Baladie Gourmet Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Sumi:\u003c/strong> Wednesday July 25, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> Sumi is an intimate neighborhood restaurant featuring perhaps both the best and the worst of the Castro. There I had one soul-searingly delicious dish and significantly less successful versions of Japanese homestyle and California comfort cuisine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The evening started out with easily the worst parking experience of life. A Castro resident intentionally drove his car within millimeters of my right thigh to physically push me (we’re talking car vs. human flesh) out of a parking space that I was saving for my disabled husband, I’d say don’t visit here unless you take public transport or own a Vespa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What I liked best about Sumi was the indelible presence of Sumi herself. She greeted me at the door and showed me to a quiet table, murmuring that it should be quiet she hoped (I’d requested a quiet spot on Open Table), and remained an unassuming, yet authoritative presence throughout the evening. She seemed tired, as I would be had I run a restaurant for as many years as has she. I made several attempts to engage with her via our server, but with no luck. I am quite sure that neighborhood denizens are treated like family in her restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I found the physical environment of the restaurant a sincere reflection of the menu. The room was small, reminiscent of an old Japanese farmhouse: dark beams, low hanging lights, carefully chosen art in subtle, earthy colors, and a layout that allowed for almost private corners, without feeling cluttered — a personal blend of Eastern design sensibilities with western touches. It did remind me of a Japanese farmhouse that would not have a dedicated dining space, but a room that could be used for many things. Perhaps it is. Unfortunate to be inside in a cozy dark space on a blazing hot summer evening, however. I imagine the space is warm and insulating on a fog-wrapped night. In the heat, it was almost stuffy. Also, the dinnerware was a missed opportunity. Japanese \u003cem>yakimono\u003c/em> (it means “fired things,” as in fired in a kiln in this case!) is central to the experience of eating. No trace of it here, although due to the heat, we did not order tea, which might have allowed us at least a glimpse of fabulously understated tea ware.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Our server confessed to being quite hot in his opening words to us. Unfortunately, that set the tone for the evening, as his performance was more about him than it was about us. To be charitable, I did live in Japan for several years on several different occasions. In fact, my palate awakened there at the very impressionable age of sixteen, so I am quite familiar with Japanese cuisine in its myriad interpretations. I am also an eco-warrior, but first a gastronome. Our server consistently failed to deliver correct information about the food and the beverages, and in fact, on at least two occasions even delivered completely incorrect information with utter confidence. That almost ruined the dining experience for me. I stopped asking any questions because the answers were so ridiculous that I couldn’t hide my embarrassment for him. Suffice it to say that \u003cem>Okunomatsu\u003c/em> does \u003cem>not\u003c/em> mean “holy water” in Japanese. It is a sake brewery of venerable tradition and excellence established in the 1700s in Fukushima province, and the word translates as “behind the pine tree.” Nor is monkfish an endangered species, eco-friendly. Granted, the NOAA said just this week that East Coast monkfish might be OK, but the Monterey Bay Aquarium scientists still disagree. Somehow I don’t think this server is hip to that dialogue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He was handsome, however. And he paced the meal reasonably well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What saved the evening was one dish: the miso-glazed roast chicken breast. The miso sauce transported me right back to my Japanese (culinary) mother’s kitchen table; it was perfectly balanced with the deep, salty, umami-in-a-nutshell tones that only a flawlessly executed miso sauce can aspire to. None of that too sweet, too heavy, too-miso-ey miso that we’re so often subjected to. No, the real Sumi was present in her miso glaze. The chicken was moist and perfect. I rarely order chicken in restaurants, as I don’t like “palate for sauce” props. Oh, but this sauce. I actually licked the plate, and had difficulty sharing with my husband, whom I adore beyond reason and deserves only the best bits life has to offer. Not more than one bite for him, sorry. Accompaniments were a vegetable stir fry of chard, shiitake, carrot, and perhaps burdock; fresh and lively with the living breath of the wok. Thank you, Sumi, for that chicken with miso glaze. Fusion, correct interpretation of a classis — never mind. It could have been from Bora-Bora for all I cared. It was an exemplary sauce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rest of the food, I’m sorry to say — never mind. We ordered an ahi tartare that was undistinguished. It wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t anything in particular either. We both prefer fish to meat, but there was not one sustainable fish item on the menu, at least that the server could identify without fabricating a ridiculously elaborate falsity. My husband ordered the rack of lamb at the server’s suggestion. It was comforting and properly rare-to-medium, but again entirely undistinguished. For dessert, sorbet was the only option. How can you go wrong with a trio of fresh fruit sorbets? When the green apple sorbet is crystallized, the peach chardonnay is cloying, and the blackberry cassis has to carry the whole thing. I was surprised to see an ice cream sundae on the menu, and played with the flavors of eating that after the miso chicken. Nope.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant had other charming touches, such as the bathroom décor. When you go there for the miso chicken, and you will, do visit the bathroom. Look up at the ceiling. It is beautiful. Then go back to your chicken.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Marché Aux Fleurs: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=593\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=607\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=569\">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/cp223iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2007/12/marcheauxfleurs11.jpg\" alt=\"Arugula Salad with Grilled Peaches, Prosciutto, Hazel Nuts and Pt. Reyes Original Blue\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/marcheauxfleurs17.jpg\" alt=\"Orechiette Pasta with Housemade Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, Red Chile, Grana Cheese\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/marcheauxfleurs18.jpg\" alt=\"Chocolate Souffle Cake with Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream and Hazelnuts\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nArugula Salad with Grilled Peaches, Prosciutto, Hazelnuts, and Pt. Reyes Original Blue; Orechiette Pasta with Housemade Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, Red Chile, Grana Padano Cheese; Chocolate Soufflé Cake with Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream and Hazelnuts\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/steve-kamoroff.jpg\" alt=\"Steve Kamoroff\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Steve\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Certified Public Accountant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Marché Aux Fleurs\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Marché Aux Fleurs:\u003c/strong> Friday July 13, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s always quite relaxing for us to go to this restaurant. We live in the city and it’s a short drive, but you feel like you are in a different world. Downtown Ross is very quiet and the restaurant is tucked away very quaintly with a large patio and open and airy feel to it. There is also a very warm feeling to the place that comes from the owners, as they are very involved in the restaurant. This night, the Executive Chef was working the front of the house and he greeted us and took us to our table. There isn’t a bad table, as almost feel outside even when you are sitting inside. My fiancé and I went with the couple that lives next door to us, and it was their first time there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The staff is very helpful and knowledgeable of the menu. As usual, we went with a new wine, recommended by them. I happen to enjoy Cab Franc and they had a French one that was quite inexpensive ($40) and recommended by the Chef. It was very earthy and unique, which he had explained beforehand, and we really liked it. (We ended up having 2 bottles of it.) I ordered the BLT salad, which is a staple for me along with the shellfish escargot. They have started using the Pt. Reyes clams, as they have focused the entire menu more on using only local ingredients. I really enjoy trying the local ingredients, and we have even traveled to some of the places we find the ingredients from on the menu. The salad was perfect, as usual, and had lots of flavor from the thick bacon that I know my fiancé won’t eat, which is why I order this one or else she eats all my food! The clams were buttery and garlicky and the sauce was perfect to sop up with bread, just like the French do. Our neighbors had the salad with grilled peaches and absolutely loved it. I may have to order that one next time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, for an entree I ordered the pasta for the first time. The waitress and the chef explained the process, and I had to try it. They have housemade pasta, but I just never order pasta. Well, this pasta was great! Oriecchiette are these round discs that are fairly thick and chewy and have great texture. The sauce was light, but the real star was the sausage. It was not in a casing and was just really well-seasoned and crumbly. I felt like I was challenging this place to impress me with something I don’t often like to order, and they did just that. Everyone else really enjoyed their meals as well –there was halibut and the pork chop. The waitress spent much time explaining the dishes in detail beforehand, and I think everyone got something they enjoyed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We finished the meal with a couple of desserts for the table and some coffee. We had the Chocolate Truffle Cake and the fruit crisp. Both were fresh and tasty. We had ordered the chocolate cake in advance, so we wouldn’t have to wait and it was warm and gooey. Overall the food was perfect, the place was quaint and quiet, and the service was perfectly paced, friendly and knowledgeable.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/haven-bourque.jpg\" alt=\"Haven Bourque\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Haven\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Partner in Green Public Relations Firm\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Baladie Gourmet Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Marché Aux Fleurs:\u003c/strong> Saturday July 14, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> Traveling from Oakland to Ross to eat at Marché aux Fleurs was a fine way celebrate our first wedding anniversary. Despite 10 years in the Bay Area, I’d never heard of this small town, but felt adventurous enough to swing over from urban paradise to upscale pastoral. Any restaurant with a culinary philosophy focused on local, seasonal, sustainable cuisine is worth a pilgrimage, despite the carbon footprint of the drive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I requested a quiet, romantic table when we made our reservation, revealing via Open Table that this was our anniversary. I could not imagine a more lovely setting or a more romantic, yet relaxed, décor than we experienced. We could have sat outside on the patio, sun and shade-dappled tables being easily available at our 5:30 dinner hour, but chose to keep the table offered, in a quiet corner just in front of the patio. We had views of both the patio and of the utterly tasteful Provençal-style interior. Second only perhaps to the décor was our server, who was warm and welcoming, but serious and sensitive to the rhythm of the romantic dining couple with an almost flawless pacing of the meal, and for the most part deeply credible in her descriptions of the food and the wine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu featured a tight but impressive selection of sustainable meats, seafood, and vegetable dishes. We shared salads, mine of grilled peaches, prosciutto, arugula, Pt. Reyes Blue cheese and hazelnuts; my husband’s of farro grain, accompanied by a chopped salad of crunchy summer vegetables. Mine was delicious, although the grill marks on the peach were a bit too perfect, and the peach itself enormous to the point of being awkward. I loved the combination of the warm, sweet, smoky fruit and the rich, salty meat, supported by the bitter depth of arugula, sharp, creamy cheese and hazelnuts. Perfect for a hot day, the farro salad had an excellent flavor profile of those crunchy local summer vegetables — cucumber, radish, and feta were the stars. With tomatoes finally arriving at peak (I bought 4 pounds at the market just that morning), the tomatoes in the salad were disappointingly few. Also, the balance of vegetables to grain — and farro is a hearty grain — skewed heavily in favor of the grain; I could have eaten that salad alone and gone away full. Having told our server that we wanted to explore the menu fully while still eating relatively lightly, I was disappointed in her direct recommendation of that salad. I also would have wished for local feta rather than French (I suspect Valbreso. Why not a local feta — Redwood Hill or Spring Hill?).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The gnocchi, served with tender English peas and morels, were sublime and perfect in every conceivable way. Book a table now just to eat it! Ask them: which local farmer grew the potatoes? The peas? Whose cows gave the cream for the sauce? Whose butter? Palate for once trumped food conscience: I didn’t even care!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I must digress. Two things in American restaurants demoralize me: gigantic portions that force one to grossly overeat, grossly waste by leaving half a portion on the plate, or grossly pack up a big sagging leftover box that doesn’t allow me to indulge my daily need to cook at my own stove. We were spared that indignity by the reasonable portion sizes at Marché. My second pet peeve is a server that interrupts your meal at its most sublime and delicate point. Just when your bite of food is positioned perfectly, so that all flavors are harmonizing and reaching a climactic peak or when an animated, intense conversation is about to culminate in joyous agreement with your spouse over the merits of organic personal lubrication vs. McEvoy olive oil, it is shattered by dreaded the servers looming over you with the dreaded bleat: “And how is everything tonight?” No such shocker at Marché. You can safely book a table there and pretend you’re in France.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back to the food. Some disappointment with my main course: grilled Alaskan wild (need you ask? Sustainable fish, of course — nothing not on the Seafood Watch sustainable green list appeared on this menu) salmon, wrapped in a grape leaf. The salmon was perfectly cooked, the grape leaf provided a nice tang, but it needed a sauce. Perhaps the biggest flaw of the entire meal was the fregula accompaniment — a great idea, how often do you see the foods of Sardinia on a Bay Area menu? — but again, too much grain-to-other-more-exciting-stuff ratio. The green grapes were a delightful surprise. Sour and tangy, they almost saved this rather hefty pilaf, but unfortunately they could not tie the dish together sufficiently. My husband fared better with a flawless confit of duck leg on a bed of fresh black-eyed peas with tiny onions and a grilled pepper snaked subtly into the welcoming mound of peas. Unusual and so tasty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wine list also stood out with the unusual and necessary descriptions of what each grape in each region actually meant. I will spend much more time reading it on future visits. I could see that most diners in the restaurant ordered red wine. On a blazing hot afternoon at the peak of summer, not a wisp of fog in sight, I felt hot. I prayed for a good selection of rosés and was rewarded with a wonderfully balanced Bandol Rosé. Deliverance, Provence-style.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dessert was not a highlight. Despite the height of stone fruit season, the only seasonal fruit offering was a blueberry crumble. Seemed a bit down-home for that menu. We opted for the chocolate soufflé cake with Tahitian vanilla ice cream and hazelnuts. It was serviceable, but not the brilliant finish that we wished. The cake was overly sweet, lacking the promised molten center. I’d hoped for a Scharffen Berger varietal chocolate taste profile, but alas, the flavor was indistinct. Whose chocolate, then? The ice cream was forgettable, and I suspect it was not from a local Pt. Reyes creamery within 20 miles. The hazelnuts were perfectly toasted, however, but the dish begged for the additional interesting level of a sauce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I would visit this restaurant again, perhaps once each season to enjoy Marché’s interpretation of the local sustainable palate, its exemplary service, and charming décor.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/laura-lison.jpg\" alt=\"Laura Lison\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Laura\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Special Education Instructor\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sumi\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Marché Aux Fleurs:\u003c/strong> Saturday July 7, 2007\n\u003cp>Being city folk, my husband and I rarely venture forth across the Golden Gate for a meal. But on a cold, foggy, summer afternoon in the city, I looked forward to the opportunity to head up to warm, sunny Marin for an early dinner seating at Marché Aux Fleurs in Ross. We had allowed over and hour to make the trip, but making it up there in less than 40 minutes, we had plenty of time to explore “downtown Ross,” a quiet, little, well-to-do, idyllic village hidden away off the main Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Walking up to the restaurant, we first came upon their lovely outdoor heated garden setting with a few diners already seated at the white tablecloth covered tables. Although it was a lovely evening, we decided to eat indoors where we would have a better view of all the action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Upon going inside we were greeted by Holly Baker, one of the proprietors and wife of the chef, Dan Baker. We were immediately taken to our seat against the wall in the simple, rustic, yet colorful dining room. While Holly was bringing us our choice of sparkling or still water, another staff person was placing huge wedges of rustic sesame-crusted bread and a pot of creamy butter on our table. Our wait person came over, introduced herself, and enticed us into having the Medjool dates wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon and stuffed with pecorino cheese for a starter. She helped us choose a lovely and reasonably priced half bottle of Chateau Tarciere Muscadet sur Lie 2003 to go with. Not being a real date lover, I was blown away by how delicious these little tidbits were! The sweetness of the dates and the creamy cheese center mixed with the saltiness of the bacon was just incredible. I would have been happy to have just kept ordering these all evening, but alas, move on we must.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we were enjoying our wine and the quiet atmosphere, my husband, sitting across from me, noticed a long drip of “something” on the back of the booth next to my shoulder. Lo and behold, a bottle of wine laying on the wine rack hanging on the wall behind me was leaking and running slowly down the back of the booth right next to my white jacketed shoulder! Our wait person was surprised as we were, and thanking us for the heads up, cleaned it up and removed the bottle immediately.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that bit of excitement, we were quickly served our first courses — three of them! They all looked so good that we had to try the very tangy and refreshing gazpacho soup with avocado. I also had a wonderful arugula salad with juicy grilled peaches, proscuitto, a sprinkle of pine nuts, and Pt. Reyes Blue cheese. My husband had a grilled ahi fava bean salad served on a crispy grilled piece of their rustic bread. Anxious to try another split to go with our first course, our server suggested a nice French Pinot Noir. Having such an extensive half bottle wine list on the wine menu made it easy and fun to try out several wines during the course of dinner. I think it also made us want to order more courses just to be able to pair them up with the different wines. A smart thing for the restaurant to do, as we ended up having more food and wine than we normally would if we had only had whole bottles to choose from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Again, with the help of our knowledgeable server, we choose a 2003 Mantra Cabernet Sauvignon that she said would go well with both our entrees and dessert. My husband had the grape leaf-wrapped King salmon with sour grapes, fregola, and torpedo onions. He enjoyed it, although he said that it was all served at room temperature and he would have preferred it to be warmer. Having read rave reviews about their gnocchi, I had to give it a try, and I was not disappointed. They were just heavenly clouds of melt-in-your-mouth potato pasta along with morel mushrooms and English peas, all drizzled with white truffle essence. I really did think that I had died and gone to heaven!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course I had to order the molten chocolate cake with Tahitian vanilla ice cream for dessert, even though we were warned in advance to order it early as it takes an extra twenty minutes to prepare. It was more than worth the wait with its warm gooey center mixing with the cold ice cream in every bite. My partner had a nice — but not as memorable — fresh, warm blackberry and nectarine crisp served with honey-vanilla ice cream.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many reasons, I was sad to see this wonderful dining experience come to a close. For this kind of quality of fresh, seasonal food served in a quiet, relaxed atmosphere with such attentive service, I would return in a heartbeat. Although it turned out to be quite pricey, with us getting carried away matching up the wines and food, it is on the top of my list for the next special occasion meal. I look forward to returning in the fall to enjoy the next season’s bounty.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong>\r\n23 Ross Common (at Redwood Drive)\r\nRoss, CA 94957\r\n\u003cstrong>Phone:\u003c/strong> 415-925-9200\r\n\u003cstrong>Website:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.marcheauxfleursrestaurant.com\">marcheauxfleursrestaurant.com\u003c/a>\r\n\u003cstrong>Type of Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Seasonal and Farm Fresh Californian-Provençale\r\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed:\u003c/strong> Summer 2007",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Marché Aux Fleurs: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=593\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=607\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=569\">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/cp223iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2007/12/marcheauxfleurs11.jpg\" alt=\"Arugula Salad with Grilled Peaches, Prosciutto, Hazel Nuts and Pt. Reyes Original Blue\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/marcheauxfleurs17.jpg\" alt=\"Orechiette Pasta with Housemade Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, Red Chile, Grana Cheese\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/marcheauxfleurs18.jpg\" alt=\"Chocolate Souffle Cake with Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream and Hazelnuts\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nArugula Salad with Grilled Peaches, Prosciutto, Hazelnuts, and Pt. Reyes Original Blue; Orechiette Pasta with Housemade Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, Red Chile, Grana Padano Cheese; Chocolate Soufflé Cake with Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream and Hazelnuts\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/steve-kamoroff.jpg\" alt=\"Steve Kamoroff\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Steve\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Certified Public Accountant\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Marché Aux Fleurs\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Marché Aux Fleurs:\u003c/strong> Friday July 13, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s always quite relaxing for us to go to this restaurant. We live in the city and it’s a short drive, but you feel like you are in a different world. Downtown Ross is very quiet and the restaurant is tucked away very quaintly with a large patio and open and airy feel to it. There is also a very warm feeling to the place that comes from the owners, as they are very involved in the restaurant. This night, the Executive Chef was working the front of the house and he greeted us and took us to our table. There isn’t a bad table, as almost feel outside even when you are sitting inside. My fiancé and I went with the couple that lives next door to us, and it was their first time there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The staff is very helpful and knowledgeable of the menu. As usual, we went with a new wine, recommended by them. I happen to enjoy Cab Franc and they had a French one that was quite inexpensive ($40) and recommended by the Chef. It was very earthy and unique, which he had explained beforehand, and we really liked it. (We ended up having 2 bottles of it.) I ordered the BLT salad, which is a staple for me along with the shellfish escargot. They have started using the Pt. Reyes clams, as they have focused the entire menu more on using only local ingredients. I really enjoy trying the local ingredients, and we have even traveled to some of the places we find the ingredients from on the menu. The salad was perfect, as usual, and had lots of flavor from the thick bacon that I know my fiancé won’t eat, which is why I order this one or else she eats all my food! The clams were buttery and garlicky and the sauce was perfect to sop up with bread, just like the French do. Our neighbors had the salad with grilled peaches and absolutely loved it. I may have to order that one next time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So, for an entree I ordered the pasta for the first time. The waitress and the chef explained the process, and I had to try it. They have housemade pasta, but I just never order pasta. Well, this pasta was great! Oriecchiette are these round discs that are fairly thick and chewy and have great texture. The sauce was light, but the real star was the sausage. It was not in a casing and was just really well-seasoned and crumbly. I felt like I was challenging this place to impress me with something I don’t often like to order, and they did just that. Everyone else really enjoyed their meals as well –there was halibut and the pork chop. The waitress spent much time explaining the dishes in detail beforehand, and I think everyone got something they enjoyed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We finished the meal with a couple of desserts for the table and some coffee. We had the Chocolate Truffle Cake and the fruit crisp. Both were fresh and tasty. We had ordered the chocolate cake in advance, so we wouldn’t have to wait and it was warm and gooey. Overall the food was perfect, the place was quaint and quiet, and the service was perfectly paced, friendly and knowledgeable.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/haven-bourque.jpg\" alt=\"Haven Bourque\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Haven\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Partner in Green Public Relations Firm\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Baladie Gourmet Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Marché Aux Fleurs:\u003c/strong> Saturday July 14, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> Traveling from Oakland to Ross to eat at Marché aux Fleurs was a fine way celebrate our first wedding anniversary. Despite 10 years in the Bay Area, I’d never heard of this small town, but felt adventurous enough to swing over from urban paradise to upscale pastoral. Any restaurant with a culinary philosophy focused on local, seasonal, sustainable cuisine is worth a pilgrimage, despite the carbon footprint of the drive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I requested a quiet, romantic table when we made our reservation, revealing via Open Table that this was our anniversary. I could not imagine a more lovely setting or a more romantic, yet relaxed, décor than we experienced. We could have sat outside on the patio, sun and shade-dappled tables being easily available at our 5:30 dinner hour, but chose to keep the table offered, in a quiet corner just in front of the patio. We had views of both the patio and of the utterly tasteful Provençal-style interior. Second only perhaps to the décor was our server, who was warm and welcoming, but serious and sensitive to the rhythm of the romantic dining couple with an almost flawless pacing of the meal, and for the most part deeply credible in her descriptions of the food and the wine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu featured a tight but impressive selection of sustainable meats, seafood, and vegetable dishes. We shared salads, mine of grilled peaches, prosciutto, arugula, Pt. Reyes Blue cheese and hazelnuts; my husband’s of farro grain, accompanied by a chopped salad of crunchy summer vegetables. Mine was delicious, although the grill marks on the peach were a bit too perfect, and the peach itself enormous to the point of being awkward. I loved the combination of the warm, sweet, smoky fruit and the rich, salty meat, supported by the bitter depth of arugula, sharp, creamy cheese and hazelnuts. Perfect for a hot day, the farro salad had an excellent flavor profile of those crunchy local summer vegetables — cucumber, radish, and feta were the stars. With tomatoes finally arriving at peak (I bought 4 pounds at the market just that morning), the tomatoes in the salad were disappointingly few. Also, the balance of vegetables to grain — and farro is a hearty grain — skewed heavily in favor of the grain; I could have eaten that salad alone and gone away full. Having told our server that we wanted to explore the menu fully while still eating relatively lightly, I was disappointed in her direct recommendation of that salad. I also would have wished for local feta rather than French (I suspect Valbreso. Why not a local feta — Redwood Hill or Spring Hill?).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The gnocchi, served with tender English peas and morels, were sublime and perfect in every conceivable way. Book a table now just to eat it! Ask them: which local farmer grew the potatoes? The peas? Whose cows gave the cream for the sauce? Whose butter? Palate for once trumped food conscience: I didn’t even care!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I must digress. Two things in American restaurants demoralize me: gigantic portions that force one to grossly overeat, grossly waste by leaving half a portion on the plate, or grossly pack up a big sagging leftover box that doesn’t allow me to indulge my daily need to cook at my own stove. We were spared that indignity by the reasonable portion sizes at Marché. My second pet peeve is a server that interrupts your meal at its most sublime and delicate point. Just when your bite of food is positioned perfectly, so that all flavors are harmonizing and reaching a climactic peak or when an animated, intense conversation is about to culminate in joyous agreement with your spouse over the merits of organic personal lubrication vs. McEvoy olive oil, it is shattered by dreaded the servers looming over you with the dreaded bleat: “And how is everything tonight?” No such shocker at Marché. You can safely book a table there and pretend you’re in France.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back to the food. Some disappointment with my main course: grilled Alaskan wild (need you ask? Sustainable fish, of course — nothing not on the Seafood Watch sustainable green list appeared on this menu) salmon, wrapped in a grape leaf. The salmon was perfectly cooked, the grape leaf provided a nice tang, but it needed a sauce. Perhaps the biggest flaw of the entire meal was the fregula accompaniment — a great idea, how often do you see the foods of Sardinia on a Bay Area menu? — but again, too much grain-to-other-more-exciting-stuff ratio. The green grapes were a delightful surprise. Sour and tangy, they almost saved this rather hefty pilaf, but unfortunately they could not tie the dish together sufficiently. My husband fared better with a flawless confit of duck leg on a bed of fresh black-eyed peas with tiny onions and a grilled pepper snaked subtly into the welcoming mound of peas. Unusual and so tasty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The wine list also stood out with the unusual and necessary descriptions of what each grape in each region actually meant. I will spend much more time reading it on future visits. I could see that most diners in the restaurant ordered red wine. On a blazing hot afternoon at the peak of summer, not a wisp of fog in sight, I felt hot. I prayed for a good selection of rosés and was rewarded with a wonderfully balanced Bandol Rosé. Deliverance, Provence-style.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dessert was not a highlight. Despite the height of stone fruit season, the only seasonal fruit offering was a blueberry crumble. Seemed a bit down-home for that menu. We opted for the chocolate soufflé cake with Tahitian vanilla ice cream and hazelnuts. It was serviceable, but not the brilliant finish that we wished. The cake was overly sweet, lacking the promised molten center. I’d hoped for a Scharffen Berger varietal chocolate taste profile, but alas, the flavor was indistinct. Whose chocolate, then? The ice cream was forgettable, and I suspect it was not from a local Pt. Reyes creamery within 20 miles. The hazelnuts were perfectly toasted, however, but the dish begged for the additional interesting level of a sauce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I would visit this restaurant again, perhaps once each season to enjoy Marché’s interpretation of the local sustainable palate, its exemplary service, and charming décor.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/12/laura-lison.jpg\" alt=\"Laura Lison\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Laura\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Special Education Instructor\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Sumi\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Marché Aux Fleurs:\u003c/strong> Saturday July 7, 2007\n\u003cp>Being city folk, my husband and I rarely venture forth across the Golden Gate for a meal. But on a cold, foggy, summer afternoon in the city, I looked forward to the opportunity to head up to warm, sunny Marin for an early dinner seating at Marché Aux Fleurs in Ross. We had allowed over and hour to make the trip, but making it up there in less than 40 minutes, we had plenty of time to explore “downtown Ross,” a quiet, little, well-to-do, idyllic village hidden away off the main Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Walking up to the restaurant, we first came upon their lovely outdoor heated garden setting with a few diners already seated at the white tablecloth covered tables. Although it was a lovely evening, we decided to eat indoors where we would have a better view of all the action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Upon going inside we were greeted by Holly Baker, one of the proprietors and wife of the chef, Dan Baker. We were immediately taken to our seat against the wall in the simple, rustic, yet colorful dining room. While Holly was bringing us our choice of sparkling or still water, another staff person was placing huge wedges of rustic sesame-crusted bread and a pot of creamy butter on our table. Our wait person came over, introduced herself, and enticed us into having the Medjool dates wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon and stuffed with pecorino cheese for a starter. She helped us choose a lovely and reasonably priced half bottle of Chateau Tarciere Muscadet sur Lie 2003 to go with. Not being a real date lover, I was blown away by how delicious these little tidbits were! The sweetness of the dates and the creamy cheese center mixed with the saltiness of the bacon was just incredible. I would have been happy to have just kept ordering these all evening, but alas, move on we must.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we were enjoying our wine and the quiet atmosphere, my husband, sitting across from me, noticed a long drip of “something” on the back of the booth next to my shoulder. Lo and behold, a bottle of wine laying on the wine rack hanging on the wall behind me was leaking and running slowly down the back of the booth right next to my white jacketed shoulder! Our wait person was surprised as we were, and thanking us for the heads up, cleaned it up and removed the bottle immediately.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After that bit of excitement, we were quickly served our first courses — three of them! They all looked so good that we had to try the very tangy and refreshing gazpacho soup with avocado. I also had a wonderful arugula salad with juicy grilled peaches, proscuitto, a sprinkle of pine nuts, and Pt. Reyes Blue cheese. My husband had a grilled ahi fava bean salad served on a crispy grilled piece of their rustic bread. Anxious to try another split to go with our first course, our server suggested a nice French Pinot Noir. Having such an extensive half bottle wine list on the wine menu made it easy and fun to try out several wines during the course of dinner. I think it also made us want to order more courses just to be able to pair them up with the different wines. A smart thing for the restaurant to do, as we ended up having more food and wine than we normally would if we had only had whole bottles to choose from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Again, with the help of our knowledgeable server, we choose a 2003 Mantra Cabernet Sauvignon that she said would go well with both our entrees and dessert. My husband had the grape leaf-wrapped King salmon with sour grapes, fregola, and torpedo onions. He enjoyed it, although he said that it was all served at room temperature and he would have preferred it to be warmer. Having read rave reviews about their gnocchi, I had to give it a try, and I was not disappointed. They were just heavenly clouds of melt-in-your-mouth potato pasta along with morel mushrooms and English peas, all drizzled with white truffle essence. I really did think that I had died and gone to heaven!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course I had to order the molten chocolate cake with Tahitian vanilla ice cream for dessert, even though we were warned in advance to order it early as it takes an extra twenty minutes to prepare. It was more than worth the wait with its warm gooey center mixing with the cold ice cream in every bite. My partner had a nice — but not as memorable — fresh, warm blackberry and nectarine crisp served with honey-vanilla ice cream.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For many reasons, I was sad to see this wonderful dining experience come to a close. For this kind of quality of fresh, seasonal food served in a quiet, relaxed atmosphere with such attentive service, I would return in a heartbeat. Although it turned out to be quite pricey, with us getting carried away matching up the wines and food, it is on the top of my list for the next special occasion meal. I look forward to returning in the fall to enjoy the next season’s bounty.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Marta’s Kitchen in Jay ‘N Bee Club: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=545\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=529\">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/cp222iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2007/11/jaynbeeclub22.jpg\" alt=\"Carne Asada Nachos\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/jaynbeeclub18.jpg\" alt=\"Chile Verde Special Burrito\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/jaynbeeclub24.jpg\" alt=\"Roasted Garlic Prawns with Beans and Sauce\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nCarne Asada Nachos, Chile Verde Special Burrito, Roasted Garlic Prawns with Beans and Sauce\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/derek-johnson.jpg\" alt=\"Derek Johnson\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Derek\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Media Guru\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Marta’s Kitchen in Jay ‘N Bee Club\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Marta’s Kitchen in Jay ‘N Bee Club:\u003c/strong> Monday July 16, 2007\n\u003cp>We visited this taqueria on a Monday evening and found that it was a linked with a bar. The atmosphere is very casual with a high music volume to compete with. However, there is a jukebox that actually plays your song before you leave. The interior lighting is low, but has windows on two sides that allow natural light to fill in. There is also a patio in back, which offers a great option for sunny warm days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The server immediately approached us and asked if we would be eating — as many of the patrons were — at the bar. We replied yes, and she asked if we wanted to start off with an appetizer. We choose the guacamole and fresh homemade tortilla chips, which took some time, but once it was delivered, it was obvious that the avocados had been freshly cut and mashed. It was fresh and perfect with my draft Tecate and my date’s margarita. The margarita was of good proportion, not too much sweet and sour, as is often the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ordered the tampiquena, which is basically a taste of everything; consisting of carne asada, crispy taco, enchilada, and a chile relleno. The taco was crisp, but not greasy as hard shells often come; the sauces were flavorful; and the steak was flavorful and not overcooked. My date ordered their super burrito, which looks more like an oversized enchilada, as it was smothered in the red sauce. The carne asada in her burrito was cooked perfectly — well spiced and not fatty. The burrito was covered in a red enchilada sauce, then draped in cheese, that was then broiled to melt the cheese perfectly, which was then topped with the Mexican Flag, meaning tomato and salsa, guacamole, and a sour cream dollop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You needed to eat everything with a fork and knife, so I thought this has to be some of the most authentic Mexican food. This is no Taco Bell! Mind you, this is a bar and not really fine dining, but the local element slash bar, really added to the ambiance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outdoor patio really is nice on a summer day, and there can be a wait. Overall, this place just reeks of homemade, small, and authentic. There are just two people in the kitchen, and though it might just take a little bit longer than a normal taqueria, the “pride and love” really comes through in the cooking. There were people playing pool, music playing, and every table was full. I loved it. I felt at home, and was never rushed — no check dropped, no plates cleared too quick, just good home cooking from Mexico. No tablecloths, no attitude, just decent, really reasonable, and well-cooked food. In a bar. With a patio. Hell, it works for the Ramp and Zeitgeist, but this is smaller and more intimate without the scene of those places. Don’t go, and never recommend it to anyone, ’cause the secret will be out, and then we’ll have to find another place for this. Sshhh, mum’s the word.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/janette-fragakis.jpg\" alt=\"Janette Fragakis\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Janette\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Primary Educator and Mother\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Petaluma\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Central Market\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Marta’s Kitchen in Jay ‘N Bee Club:\u003c/strong> Friday July 13, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First, it was very difficult to find parking. The area is an up-and-coming one, and the streets were somewhat unkempt, but then again, it is San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When we arrived at the restaurant, we actually realized quickly that it was really a bar. We were unsure where the restaurant was, where to go, and whom to order from. The bar area was extremely loud, as there was a Giants game on, so we decided to sit in the back area outside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although it was obvious the bar was older, we were happy to see that the area was kept very clean, including the bathrooms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service was very homey, but not fast by any means. The restaurant was actually called “Marta’s Kitchen”. The bartender was extremely friendly and went out of his way to make you feel comfortable and like you were in your own neighborhood bar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We did notice that the chips were actually being cooked fresh, as we entered the back area, and were extremely delicious. The salsa was also very good. The nachos were great, as the homemade beans were definitely the defining ingredient. I ordered the Special Chile Verde burrito and my husband had the combination plate. We were both struck by how authentic the food presentation and taste was, and it reminded us of the food we have eaten in Mexico. My burrito was good, but I have to say that I am more conditioned to the American style of Mexican food. This was a very simple burrito with less fluff. My husband loved and was astounded by how good the food was and thoroughly enjoyed every bite. (We even bought a burrito to go.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All in all, we probably wouldn’t return (My husband might, though!). It is in an area of San Francisco where we do not frequent, parking is difficult, and the environment was essentially a sports bar (noisy).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marta and the staff were very hospitable and gracious. The food was very good, and we could see how this could be a great spot to grab a bite to eat before going out on the town or to watch a game. We did notice that many of the people in the bar seemed to know each other and were probably locals, and that added to the great environment of the restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/edward-massolo.jpg\" alt=\"Ed Massolo\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Ed\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Accordian Player and Octogenarian\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> South San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> West Coast Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Marta’s Kitchen in Jay ‘N Bee Club:\u003c/strong> Tuesday July 17, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I would call it more a club, where friends meet and hang out, than a restaurant. A bar, pool tables, three or four small tables. With a warm greeting, we were asked if we would like to eat outside, an enclosed area with two tables. Both tables were occupied by two people each. Fortunately, two ladies were just finished and offered the table to us. The table next to us was occupied by two women and a dog, later to be joined by two other women and another dog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bartender brought out the ordered beverages and menus. He was quite helpful in placing our order from a family-style menu with quite a selection to choose from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What was missing: The clean-covered tables and soft seated chairs instead of a metal outdoor table and metal chairs was compensated by excellent food. The four of us were pleased with the quality, quantity, and presentation of the food, served real hot. Good family-style food, a glass of wine, all for a cost of $20.00 each, made up for the few things missing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parking can be a large problem, and the location is questionable. Though we had a pleasant evening, I don’t believe we will ever return to the Jay ‘N Bee Club.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong>\r\n2736 20th Street (at York Street)\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94110\r\n\u003cstrong>Phone:\u003c/strong> 415-824-4190\r\n\u003cstrong>Website:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=51341438\">JayNBeeClub MySpace\u003c/a>\r\n\u003cstrong>Type of Cuisine:\u003c/strong> Mexican\r\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed:\u003c/strong> Summer 2007",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Marta’s Kitchen in Jay ‘N Bee Club: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=545\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=529\">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/cp222iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2007/11/jaynbeeclub22.jpg\" alt=\"Carne Asada Nachos\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/jaynbeeclub18.jpg\" alt=\"Chile Verde Special Burrito\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/jaynbeeclub24.jpg\" alt=\"Roasted Garlic Prawns with Beans and Sauce\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nCarne Asada Nachos, Chile Verde Special Burrito, Roasted Garlic Prawns with Beans and Sauce\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/derek-johnson.jpg\" alt=\"Derek Johnson\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Derek\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Media Guru\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Marta’s Kitchen in Jay ‘N Bee Club\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Marta’s Kitchen in Jay ‘N Bee Club:\u003c/strong> Monday July 16, 2007\n\u003cp>We visited this taqueria on a Monday evening and found that it was a linked with a bar. The atmosphere is very casual with a high music volume to compete with. However, there is a jukebox that actually plays your song before you leave. The interior lighting is low, but has windows on two sides that allow natural light to fill in. There is also a patio in back, which offers a great option for sunny warm days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The server immediately approached us and asked if we would be eating — as many of the patrons were — at the bar. We replied yes, and she asked if we wanted to start off with an appetizer. We choose the guacamole and fresh homemade tortilla chips, which took some time, but once it was delivered, it was obvious that the avocados had been freshly cut and mashed. It was fresh and perfect with my draft Tecate and my date’s margarita. The margarita was of good proportion, not too much sweet and sour, as is often the case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I ordered the tampiquena, which is basically a taste of everything; consisting of carne asada, crispy taco, enchilada, and a chile relleno. The taco was crisp, but not greasy as hard shells often come; the sauces were flavorful; and the steak was flavorful and not overcooked. My date ordered their super burrito, which looks more like an oversized enchilada, as it was smothered in the red sauce. The carne asada in her burrito was cooked perfectly — well spiced and not fatty. The burrito was covered in a red enchilada sauce, then draped in cheese, that was then broiled to melt the cheese perfectly, which was then topped with the Mexican Flag, meaning tomato and salsa, guacamole, and a sour cream dollop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You needed to eat everything with a fork and knife, so I thought this has to be some of the most authentic Mexican food. This is no Taco Bell! Mind you, this is a bar and not really fine dining, but the local element slash bar, really added to the ambiance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outdoor patio really is nice on a summer day, and there can be a wait. Overall, this place just reeks of homemade, small, and authentic. There are just two people in the kitchen, and though it might just take a little bit longer than a normal taqueria, the “pride and love” really comes through in the cooking. There were people playing pool, music playing, and every table was full. I loved it. I felt at home, and was never rushed — no check dropped, no plates cleared too quick, just good home cooking from Mexico. No tablecloths, no attitude, just decent, really reasonable, and well-cooked food. In a bar. With a patio. Hell, it works for the Ramp and Zeitgeist, but this is smaller and more intimate without the scene of those places. Don’t go, and never recommend it to anyone, ’cause the secret will be out, and then we’ll have to find another place for this. Sshhh, mum’s the word.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/janette-fragakis.jpg\" alt=\"Janette Fragakis\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Janette\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Primary Educator and Mother\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Petaluma\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Central Market\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Marta’s Kitchen in Jay ‘N Bee Club:\u003c/strong> Friday July 13, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First, it was very difficult to find parking. The area is an up-and-coming one, and the streets were somewhat unkempt, but then again, it is San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When we arrived at the restaurant, we actually realized quickly that it was really a bar. We were unsure where the restaurant was, where to go, and whom to order from. The bar area was extremely loud, as there was a Giants game on, so we decided to sit in the back area outside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although it was obvious the bar was older, we were happy to see that the area was kept very clean, including the bathrooms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The service was very homey, but not fast by any means. The restaurant was actually called “Marta’s Kitchen”. The bartender was extremely friendly and went out of his way to make you feel comfortable and like you were in your own neighborhood bar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We did notice that the chips were actually being cooked fresh, as we entered the back area, and were extremely delicious. The salsa was also very good. The nachos were great, as the homemade beans were definitely the defining ingredient. I ordered the Special Chile Verde burrito and my husband had the combination plate. We were both struck by how authentic the food presentation and taste was, and it reminded us of the food we have eaten in Mexico. My burrito was good, but I have to say that I am more conditioned to the American style of Mexican food. This was a very simple burrito with less fluff. My husband loved and was astounded by how good the food was and thoroughly enjoyed every bite. (We even bought a burrito to go.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All in all, we probably wouldn’t return (My husband might, though!). It is in an area of San Francisco where we do not frequent, parking is difficult, and the environment was essentially a sports bar (noisy).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marta and the staff were very hospitable and gracious. The food was very good, and we could see how this could be a great spot to grab a bite to eat before going out on the town or to watch a game. We did notice that many of the people in the bar seemed to know each other and were probably locals, and that added to the great environment of the restaurant.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/edward-massolo.jpg\" alt=\"Ed Massolo\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Ed\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Accordian Player and Octogenarian\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> South San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> West Coast Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Marta’s Kitchen in Jay ‘N Bee Club:\u003c/strong> Tuesday July 17, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I would call it more a club, where friends meet and hang out, than a restaurant. A bar, pool tables, three or four small tables. With a warm greeting, we were asked if we would like to eat outside, an enclosed area with two tables. Both tables were occupied by two people each. Fortunately, two ladies were just finished and offered the table to us. The table next to us was occupied by two women and a dog, later to be joined by two other women and another dog.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bartender brought out the ordered beverages and menus. He was quite helpful in placing our order from a family-style menu with quite a selection to choose from.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What was missing: The clean-covered tables and soft seated chairs instead of a metal outdoor table and metal chairs was compensated by excellent food. The four of us were pleased with the quality, quantity, and presentation of the food, served real hot. Good family-style food, a glass of wine, all for a cost of $20.00 each, made up for the few things missing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parking can be a large problem, and the location is questionable. Though we had a pleasant evening, I don’t believe we will ever return to the Jay ‘N Bee Club.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Central Market: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=552\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=568\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=529\">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/cp222iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2007/11/centralmarket18.jpg\" alt=\"Watermelon, Arugula and Feta Cheese Salad\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/centralmarket21.jpg\" alt=\"Grilled Local Calamari with Salsa Verde\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/centralmarket22.jpg\" alt=\"Red Wine Braised Angus Short Ribs over Three Cheese Risotto\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nWatermelon, Arugula and Feta Cheese Salad, Grilled Local Calamari with Salsa Verde, Red Wine Braised Angus Short Ribs over Three Cheese Risotto\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/janette-fragakis.jpg\" alt=\"Janette Fragakis\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Janette\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Primary Educator and Mother\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Petaluma\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Central Market\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Central Market:\u003c/strong> Thursday June 12, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Central Market is located in the heart of the charming area of downtown Petaluma. The area has grown tremendously in the last five years and would be a destination of interest for travelers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parking is generally easy to find. The restaurant is located on the corner with window boxes. Upon entering the restaurant, you feel a very welcoming, homey, comfortable feeling with very high ceilings and the old brick wall intact. You definitely get a Napa/Sonoma type feel with the restaurant, and the kitchen is open; you can sit at the raw bar and watch as they prepare the appetizers, or you can sit in a comfortable booth and have a quiet dinner. It is a friendly restaurant to children, important when living in a suburban town. As chef an owner of Central Market, Tony Najiola’s presence is constantly felt as he walks from table to table to insure that you have had a good experience. It is a favorite spot for us to frequent. The menu is broad and changes with the seasons, the flavors are spectacular and unique, and the environment is friendly, relaxed, and warm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The food is where Central Market really shines! On our last visit, we started with a variety of appetizers since we were a party of five. Some of the highlights:\u003cbr>\nThe Kona Kampachi was incredibly fresh and absolutely wonderful. The burrata cheese was spectacular and a must-order on every visit. The trout salad and fish soup were also great dishes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main entrees: the hanger steak is a real favorite of ours and tonight proved no exception. The star dish of the evening were the short ribs, and I have been\u003cbr>\nthinking about them ever since we visited — they melted in your mouth and provided an incredible flavor explosion. The desserts were also amazing, especially the fresh fruit crisp, but do not miss the espresso macaroons at the end, because you would miss the final exclamation point of Central Market.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/edward-massolo.jpg\" alt=\"Ed Massolo\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Ed\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Accordian Player and Octogenarian\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> South San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> West Coast Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Central Market:\u003c/strong> Saturday July 14, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A party of four left South San Francisco at 3:30 pm and arrived at the Central Market Restaurant in the center of Petaluma at 5:00 pm. The restaurant opens at 5:30, which gave us a little time to critique the area and location of Central Market. A very nice area, parking could be a problem. Located in a corner brick building, the restaurant is quite large.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were the first four to arrive, greeted and seated by our waitress to sounds of background music. In the next 30 to 45 minutes the place was two thirds filled, you no longer heard background music. A very busy place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We found selection of our dishes difficult. Overwhelming, too many unknowns. For example: “Pork Bomba stuffed with ricotta cheese over braised Tuscan kale, fava beans, and tomato.” We ordered four dishes and one starter we would all sample and a bottle of wine. The food was served, found good and tasty, service excellent, including two visits from the chef or owner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Criticisms: we found the dishes \u003ci>pricey\u003c/i> for what we received. Five grilled calamari with salsa verde for $12. We were able to try one calamari apiece. You can buy a lot of calamari for $12. Our dinners were served on brown paper place settings instead of cloth, though we did have cloth napkins. The ciabatta (bread), we found quite doughy and partially sliced part way through, making it difficult to tear a slice off (a pet peeve of mine). I don’t understand why some restaurants don’t slice the bread all the way through so that it is not handled by everyone at the table. Serving it warm goes a long way with me also.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Further criticism: I ordered for myself the Red Wine Angus Short Ribs over three-cheese risotto ($24.50). It was good and also tasty, but it was served layered, risotto with cheese on the bottom, spinach and string beans on top of the risotto, plus the three short ribs topped by sauce all over. I would have preferred ingredients separated. Well, maybe I’m old fashioned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In closing, may I say that we left just under $180 there and I’m sure it will not happen again.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/derek-johnson.jpg\" alt=\"Derek Johnson\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Derek\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Media Guru\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Marta’s Kitchen in Jay ‘N Bee Club\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Central Market:\u003c/strong> Sunday July 15, 2007\n\u003cp>We walked in on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, so we decided to sit out on the patio facing the river. The fresh homemade bread basket was nice, as was the decor and simple surroundings. The main dining room was spacious with huge ceilings and an open kitchen. Our server was very accommodating, friendly, and knew the menu well, so we relied on her suggestions for most of the orders. The Pinot rosé arrived and was very nice and refreshing and seemed to be a perfect “light” and crisp wine to pair with the “light” watermelon salad and salmon appetizers. Unfortunately, the watermelon salad was much more interesting in concept than execution, as it basically tasted like watermelon with not enough arugula, and feta cheese. I think the dish would have been better had it been more arugula salad with some watermelon. The house-cured salmon also seemed a bit on the underwhelming side, but all in all, they were both fine and light to begin with. The latke was perfect however, a sublime combination of crispy with potato flavor. The main dishes arrived, and this seemed to be more where they really excelled. The short ribs were good, though very rich. The meat was succulent, if fatty, which contributed to the flavor, so if health is of your concern in food ordering, you might want to stick away from this one. This was the one dish that was highly recommended as the one dish to make sure to order. The crispy pork confit was perfect. A great combination of textures, flavour, and accompaniment, and the fact that my plate was clean when handed back showed really how I felt about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu was really diverse, the portions were great, and I really enjoyed the environment. I would definitely return to try other dishes on the menu, especially if I lived in the area, or in North Bay. Overall, a fine dining experience, and a decent bang for the buck. I also must applaud the adventure taken in the menu, especially for Petaluma, and its location. The surroundings were perfect for the whole time, and though a couple of dishes were not out of this world, I would recommend this to any of my friends as a place to check out.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong>\r\n42 Petaluma Boulevard North (at B Street)\r\nPetaluma, CA 94952\r\n\u003cstrong>Phone:\u003c/strong> 707-778-9900\r\n\u003cstrong>Website:\u003c/strong> \u003ca href=\"http://www.centralmarketpetaluma.com\">centralmarketpetaluma.com\u003c/a>\r\n\u003cstrong>Type of Cuisine:\u003c/strong> California-Mediterranean\r\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed:\u003c/strong> Summer 2007",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Central Market: Reviews\u003c/strong> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=552\">restaurant info\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=568\">recipe\u003c/a> | \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/?p=529\">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/cp222iPod_Hi.mp4\">\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/40/2007/11/centralmarket18.jpg\" alt=\"Watermelon, Arugula and Feta Cheese Salad\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/centralmarket21.jpg\" alt=\"Grilled Local Calamari with Salsa Verde\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/centralmarket22.jpg\" alt=\"Red Wine Braised Angus Short Ribs over Three Cheese Risotto\" hspace=\"3\">\u003cbr>\nWatermelon, Arugula and Feta Cheese Salad, Grilled Local Calamari with Salsa Verde, Red Wine Braised Angus Short Ribs over Three Cheese Risotto\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/janette-fragakis.jpg\" alt=\"Janette Fragakis\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Janette\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Primary Educator and Mother\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> Petaluma\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Central Market\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Central Market:\u003c/strong> Thursday June 12, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Central Market is located in the heart of the charming area of downtown Petaluma. The area has grown tremendously in the last five years and would be a destination of interest for travelers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parking is generally easy to find. The restaurant is located on the corner with window boxes. Upon entering the restaurant, you feel a very welcoming, homey, comfortable feeling with very high ceilings and the old brick wall intact. You definitely get a Napa/Sonoma type feel with the restaurant, and the kitchen is open; you can sit at the raw bar and watch as they prepare the appetizers, or you can sit in a comfortable booth and have a quiet dinner. It is a friendly restaurant to children, important when living in a suburban town. As chef an owner of Central Market, Tony Najiola’s presence is constantly felt as he walks from table to table to insure that you have had a good experience. It is a favorite spot for us to frequent. The menu is broad and changes with the seasons, the flavors are spectacular and unique, and the environment is friendly, relaxed, and warm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The food is where Central Market really shines! On our last visit, we started with a variety of appetizers since we were a party of five. Some of the highlights:\u003cbr>\nThe Kona Kampachi was incredibly fresh and absolutely wonderful. The burrata cheese was spectacular and a must-order on every visit. The trout salad and fish soup were also great dishes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main entrees: the hanger steak is a real favorite of ours and tonight proved no exception. The star dish of the evening were the short ribs, and I have been\u003cbr>\nthinking about them ever since we visited — they melted in your mouth and provided an incredible flavor explosion. The desserts were also amazing, especially the fresh fruit crisp, but do not miss the espresso macaroons at the end, because you would miss the final exclamation point of Central Market.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/edward-massolo.jpg\" alt=\"Ed Massolo\" hspace=\"4\" align=\"left\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Ed\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Accordian Player and Octogenarian\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> South San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> West Coast Cafe\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Central Market:\u003c/strong> Saturday July 14, 2007\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A party of four left South San Francisco at 3:30 pm and arrived at the Central Market Restaurant in the center of Petaluma at 5:00 pm. The restaurant opens at 5:30, which gave us a little time to critique the area and location of Central Market. A very nice area, parking could be a problem. Located in a corner brick building, the restaurant is quite large.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We were the first four to arrive, greeted and seated by our waitress to sounds of background music. In the next 30 to 45 minutes the place was two thirds filled, you no longer heard background music. A very busy place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We found selection of our dishes difficult. Overwhelming, too many unknowns. For example: “Pork Bomba stuffed with ricotta cheese over braised Tuscan kale, fava beans, and tomato.” We ordered four dishes and one starter we would all sample and a bottle of wine. The food was served, found good and tasty, service excellent, including two visits from the chef or owner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Criticisms: we found the dishes \u003ci>pricey\u003c/i> for what we received. Five grilled calamari with salsa verde for $12. We were able to try one calamari apiece. You can buy a lot of calamari for $12. Our dinners were served on brown paper place settings instead of cloth, though we did have cloth napkins. The ciabatta (bread), we found quite doughy and partially sliced part way through, making it difficult to tear a slice off (a pet peeve of mine). I don’t understand why some restaurants don’t slice the bread all the way through so that it is not handled by everyone at the table. Serving it warm goes a long way with me also.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Further criticism: I ordered for myself the Red Wine Angus Short Ribs over three-cheese risotto ($24.50). It was good and also tasty, but it was served layered, risotto with cheese on the bottom, spinach and string beans on top of the risotto, plus the three short ribs topped by sauce all over. I would have preferred ingredients separated. Well, maybe I’m old fashioned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In closing, may I say that we left just under $180 there and I’m sure it will not happen again.\u003c/p>\n\u003chr size=\"1\" noshade>\n\u003cimg src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/checkplease/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2007/11/derek-johnson.jpg\" alt=\"Derek Johnson\" align=\"left\" hspace=\"4\">\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Name:\u003c/strong> Derek\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Occupation:\u003c/strong> Media Guru\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Location:\u003c/strong> San Francisco\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Favorite Restaurant:\u003c/strong> Marta’s Kitchen in Jay ‘N Bee Club\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>Reviewed Central Market:\u003c/strong> Sunday July 15, 2007\n\u003cp>We walked in on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, so we decided to sit out on the patio facing the river. The fresh homemade bread basket was nice, as was the decor and simple surroundings. The main dining room was spacious with huge ceilings and an open kitchen. Our server was very accommodating, friendly, and knew the menu well, so we relied on her suggestions for most of the orders. The Pinot rosé arrived and was very nice and refreshing and seemed to be a perfect “light” and crisp wine to pair with the “light” watermelon salad and salmon appetizers. Unfortunately, the watermelon salad was much more interesting in concept than execution, as it basically tasted like watermelon with not enough arugula, and feta cheese. I think the dish would have been better had it been more arugula salad with some watermelon. The house-cured salmon also seemed a bit on the underwhelming side, but all in all, they were both fine and light to begin with. The latke was perfect however, a sublime combination of crispy with potato flavor. The main dishes arrived, and this seemed to be more where they really excelled. The short ribs were good, though very rich. The meat was succulent, if fatty, which contributed to the flavor, so if health is of your concern in food ordering, you might want to stick away from this one. This was the one dish that was highly recommended as the one dish to make sure to order. The crispy pork confit was perfect. A great combination of textures, flavour, and accompaniment, and the fact that my plate was clean when handed back showed really how I felt about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The menu was really diverse, the portions were great, and I really enjoyed the environment. I would definitely return to try other dishes on the menu, especially if I lived in the area, or in North Bay. Overall, a fine dining experience, and a decent bang for the buck. I also must applaud the adventure taken in the menu, especially for Petaluma, and its location. The surroundings were perfect for the whole time, and though a couple of dishes were not out of this world, I would recommend this to any of my friends as a place to check out.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"filters": [
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]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
}
}
