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SF Chronicle Top 100 2018 (Edited To SF Only - Andrew S Reviews)
This is the Michael Bauer Top 100 list but edited to be within SF City Limits only.
68 Places
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Andrew’s 5-star review: In a town full of Michelin-starred restaurants and cuisine from all over the world, the House of Prime Rib still delivers one of the best dinners in SF. That's why reservations here are usually several months out and walk-ins should expect to wait a bit (as in a couple of hours) in their lounge area. My most recent visit here was when I was just craving for some red meat and I was lucky enough to get a seat at the end of the bar almost immediately (one of the benefits of dining alone). I ordered their House of Prime Rib Cut dinner meal. It included salad, bread service, Yorkshire pudding (really good way of sopping up the beef juices), baked or mashed potatoes and cream corn or spinach. This is the definition of a good old fashioned American dinner for me. Everything was perfect and, yes, I picked up the rib to gnaw on the bone. Service at the bar was perfect - our bartender was attentive even though the drink orders came non-stop. With tax, tip and a ginger beer, this was $70 - an excellent deal when it comes to SF dining. Highly recommended!!! -
Andrew’s 2-star review: La Taqueria is known as the must-try Mexican establishment in the Mission and there's always a LONG line of people snaking around the communal tables and spilling out into the street. Given the constant line, I've always wondered if their food is really worth it. They have a spot in the SF Top 100 list so I decided to suck it up and got in line. I started at the back of the line at 12:55 pm (I was about a full sidewalk length outside the restaurant), ordered at 1:12 pm and got my order by 1:25 pm. In terms of lines and speed to service, this wasn't bad at all. I ordered the regular carnitas burrito, El Dorado style (their version of toasted), and a grande cantaloupe agua fresca. The agua fresca was good and refreshing but the burrito itself was disappointing - it was greasy, soggy and salty (and I like salt). With tax, this was around $15 (cash only). I honestly don't know how this place ended up on the SF top 100 list. Not recommended and not worth the line. -
Andrew’s 3-star review: Celebrated my friend's first paycheck at a new job here (the best part of the meal was at the end when she paid). This place is known for their bar program and the drinks certainly lived up to the hype (I had a non-alcoholic pomegranate spritzer and she had the Shirley Temple). We came for dinner and the overall experience was mixed: (1). Charcuterie plate (4/5) - we chose the chef's selection of 4 and it included liver mousse (excellent), chicken pate (basically chicken spam), pancetta (lardo), salami and pickled vegetables. I am a big fan of the liver mousse. Note that chef's selection means no substitutions. (2). Kabocha Squash Griddle Cake (3/5) - this was OK but I couldn't really taste the Japanese squash. The chanterelles were excellent. (3). Fideo (5/5) - this was surprisingly good. The spaghetti was perfectly al dente and the bread was the perfect consommé soaking device. (4). Roast Chicken (3/5) - this was very moist but was a bit too salty for me. The cauliflower was OK but would have better roasted. (5). Lemon Tart (3/5) - nice simple dessert. Service was good and the restaurant itself was very impressive. It's a bit on the expensive side - with tax and tip and two drinks, this was about $125 per person. Overall, I think it's a 3.5 rating but given the price, I probably expected a more elevated experience. -
Andrew’s 5-star review: It's been a while since I've absolutely loved every single item I ordered but that was my experience at Wayfare Tavern at the end of a particularly rough week. A good coworker of mine comes here every year for her birthday celebration and I can see why. In a town with lots of cuisines from all over the world, it's almost novel to be in a restaurant that is traditionally American. The appetizers include steak tartare and deviled eggs. Both were great - the steak tartare is particularly noteworthy. Bread service was a pop-over with salted butter and I devoured that in about one minute flat. The dish to order here is the Fried Chicken. There are some who would argue that this is the best fried chicken in town but I still love Brenda's better. Don't get me wrong - this is damn good fried chicken (moist with light breading) and I would order this again. I've eaten a lot of mushroom fries lately (crispy hen of the Woods or enoki fries) and the portabello mushroom fries here were definitely competitive. The doughnuts are a must order dessert. Wayfare Tavern is known for them and they are fabulous. Service is excellent and my glass of water was never empty. The restaurant has an ambiance that is both elegant and warm. With tax and tip, this is about $75 per person - an average amount for fine dining in SF. Highly recommended!!! -
Andrew’s 5-star review: Life is good when you can just drop by the neighborhood bakery and grab a pastry and a coffee on a Sunday afternoon. Dropped by here and ordered the chocolate matcha pastry ($7) for a mid-afternoon snack. Of course, I just had to grab a box of pastries (server's choice). They are known for their Kouign Amann which is basically a caramelized croissant. The place is huge and is always packed full of people. The choices here can be a bit overwhelming but the staff there is really, really helpful. They deserve the spot in the SF top 100 list. Highly recommend B patisserie!!! -
Andrew’s 5-star review: Spanish is one of my favorite cuisines because of two things - (1) tapas and (2) paella. One of my friends is a Spanish cuisine snob and Bellota is her go-to spot in SF. As soon as outdoor dining reopened, we got our reservations. During these pandemic times, they are doing a more limited but still great menu. We shared the boquerones (anchovies), bravas with Jamón Iberico (they call it animal-style and I get Iberico every chance I get), braised short rib, Valenciana paella (crispy chicken, chorizo, shrimp mussels) and the crema catalana. Everything was just perfect that night and I highly recommend the Valenciana - it's really what a perfect paella should be. Bellota is in the Design district and they have a good outdoor dining set up that includes the sidewalk plus a parklet on the other side of the bike lane. I am generally more forgiving of service during this period but service was very good when we dined here. With tax and tip and a drink each, this was about $120 per person - pricey but worth it. Highly recommended!!!
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Andrew’s 5-star review: Really love the small plates/bar concept from the guys who run Lazy Bear. True Laurel is located in the space that used to be the Tradesman and used to also be a temporary space for Feastly pop-up events. I really like what they did to the place and I went along with the server's recommendations for a good dinner: (1). Broiled Oysters - really meaty oysters with an interesting green garlic and herb glacage and lardo. This was a great way to start the meal. (2). Crispy Hen of the Woods Mushroom with Sour Cream 'n' Allium Dip - this was something they brought from Lazy Bear and is their most popular dish. I can see why and this is something I would order every time I'm here. (3). Dry-Aged Pork Roast with Country Ham XO Sauce - the XO sauce on the pork turned this into an elevated version of a humble dish I used to have in the Philippines (cubed pork with shrimp paste). Really excellent. (4). Fig Leaf Ice Cream with Caramelized Figs - this is a Michelin quality dessert. Loved this. A non-alcoholic Shirley Temple was my pairing for the evening. Service was excellent and the bill, including tax and tip, was $75 (excellent value for the meal). Highly recommended!!! -
Andrew’s 4-star review: I've lived in San Francisco since 2002 and I haven't really ventured out to the Presidio. So I was excited to try the Commissary with my eating buddy. The concept is Spanish-Californian and it certainly delivers. We were seated in the chef's counter right in front of the executive chef. It's absolutely the best seat in the house. We ordered padron peppers, shrimp a la plancha, Spanish Octopus, dry-aged bone-in steak and the strawberry panna cotta. Overall, the food was good. The padron peppers were a bit overcooked. The shrimp and Spanish Octopus were excellent - highly recommended. The steak was HUGE and very, very tasty. I came here craving meat and mission accomplished. The strawberry panna cotta was a great way to end the meal. Service was great and the ambiance was excellent. It's pretty pricey - the above meal including a drink and tax and tip totaled about $110 per person. I think this is definitely a good restaurant and would recommend it when you are in the area. -
Andrew’s 4-star review: North Beach is one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in SF and Tosca Cafe is one of the institutions here. The restaurant itself is an anachronism - as you enter, you could imagine that it has looked this way since it opened in 1919. I came early for my 7:30 pm reservation and was seated in a private room away from the main dining area. I was grateful for that since the restaurant was really loud. The food is solid and the service was attentive. At the server's recommendation, I ordered the moscardini (octopus), fried anchovies, mussels and clams, rigatoni with chicken liver and the panna cotta. Everything was on point and I especially loved that rigatoni. Portion sizes are decent (and very rustic) and I was definitely stuffed by the end of the meal. I considered giving five stars since the meal overall was impressive but it was just too loud. With tax and tip and two ginger beers, this ended up being $95 (average for SF fine dining). Highly recommended!!! -
Andrew’s 5-star review: Nopa deserves its place on the SF Chronicle Top 100 list - I came here for Friday dinner and was served some damn good food - little fried fish (anchovies) as an appetizer, the country chop as my entree and the neopolitan bombe for dessert with a nice ginger beer. (1). As soon as I saw little fried fish on the menu, I knew I was going to order it. I was very happy when the server said they were going to be anchovies. This was just perfect for me. (2). That pork chop was impressive - it's served with Yukon gold potatoes, tomato confit, kalamata olives and Purslane. It might just be the best pork chop I've ever had. (3). The dessert was also good - it came with dark chocolate cake, candied walnuts, shantilly cream, strawberry and malted milk ice cream. I was seated on the second floor with a fabulous view of the kitchen and the downstairs dining area. The restaurant is loud and is very hipster - complete with bar and a community dining table on a first come, first served basis. The service was good and the meal, including tax and tip, was about $90 (average for SF dinners these days). Five stars because of that pork chop. Highly recommended!!! -
Andrew’s 4-star review: Boulevard has been a staple of the SF fine dining scene since before I moved here in 2002. The restaurant feels a little formal (white tablecloths) and it's frequented by the expense account crowd. I've had many good meals here when I worked in the financial district and I was happy to return here for Friday dinner as I was working through the SF top 100 list. I started with the Spanish Octopus as my appetizer. The octopus was cooked perfectly and came with black rice and smoked ham hock. This was a great way to start a meal. My entree was the lamb T-bone (wood oven roasted, medium rare and served off the bone). This was just excellent!!! A Virgin mojito was the ideal non-alcoholic pairing for this meal. The bread service was good. I ordered the baked hot chocolate for dessert. It was a warm flourless chocolate cake with caramel popcorn, paprika puffed sorghum, toasted Spanish peanuts, raspberries and chocolate peanut ice cream. There's a lot going on here and I think it didn't work. The cake itself was a bit chalky and the caramel popcorn was a bit too sweet. I'd pass on this one. Mint tea is always good with chocolate and I like the DIY tea kit they use. Service was excellent. With tax and tip, this was about $115 which is about average for SF fine dining these days. Highly recommended particularly for a nice business meal in the financial district. -
Andrew’s 4-star review: Have you ever looked at a menu and decided to skip the entrees and just order a bunch of appetizers? Well, that's exactly what I did the last time I visited Prospect. My server helped me pick out a tasting menu of three appetizers which left me room for a nice dessert. The meal included: (1). Hamachi crudo with smoked geoduck clam, pickled apple, lemon, cucumber, ground cherries, sorrel and olio verde (4.5/5) - really enjoyed the smoked geoduck claim for the texture. (2). Crispy stuffed Maryland soft shell crab with fried green tomatoes, shisito and gypsy peppers, fresh garbanzo beans, salsa verde and pimenton (4/5). (3). Artichoke ravioli and shaved summer truffle with Pasilla pasta, crispy artichokes, smoked creme fraiche and sherry beurre fondue (5/5) - lf you are a fan of butter and truffles, this dish is for you! (4). Dessert was apple strudel with cheddar ice cream and huckleberry compote (4/5) - love the mixture of textures and temperatures here. As my non-alcoholic pairing, I had the ginger beer. Bread and butter was promptly brought to the table. Service was excellent and I really loved the ambiance of this restaurant. It's a bit on the expensive side - including tax and tip, this was about $125. It's a really solid four stars from me. I'd recommend this for an elegant dinner in the SF financial district. -
Andrew’s 4-star review: Damn good burger and fries!!! Marlowe is a mainstay of the top burger lists in SF and it lived up to the hype. The fries were great too - perfectly crispy and went well with the horseradish aioli and ketchup. Devoured everything on the plate. Even though the burger was definitely the highlight of the meal, the other items were also quite good as well - the charred octopus and grilled squid salad, the baked oyster and the dessert (coffee ice cream, meringue, toasted almond and chocolate sauce). My non-alcoholic pairing for the night was their glitterbomb (raspberry soda) and I would recommend this drink. No complaints about the food whatsoever and definitely deserves the spot on the top 100 list. The service was a bit spotty and the restaurant gets loud and busy. With tax and tip, this meal was about $75. Not bad at all. I would definitely come back here. -
Andrew’s 3-star review: Tartine is almost a household name in San Francisco and I was very excited to come here for dinner as the official start of the weekend. As is my normal routine, I asked the server which items to order: (1). Country bread and butter (4/5) - damn good bread. Not the best in the city but damn good. (2). Steak tartare with crispy lotus root (4/5) - this just works. Great steak tartare with nice crispy lotus root on toasted bread. I'd recommend this dish. (3). Spaghetti with blue clams (1/5) - the blue claims were great. The sauce was great and went really well with the country bread. The problem was the pasta - this was severely undercooked (closer to raw than al dente). In a city that has a lot of restaurants that serve impeccable pasta, this is just not acceptable. (4). Tres leches cake was 4.5/5. Not too sweet. It's nice and airy too. The rose geranium kombucha was the best non-alcoholic pairing for this meal. The restaurant itself is quite nice and the service was good and attentive. With tax and tip, this meal was $86. It would have been a higher rating but for that pasta. -
Andrew’s 5-star review: To me, what differentiates a restaurant that gets four stars vs one that gets five stars is the ability to serve me something that truly impresses me. Locanda did that today with the grilled whole fish (trout) as well as their chocolate budino dessert. The rest of the dining experience, from the starter to the pasta to the beverages and the service, was on point as well. (1). The meal started with marinated anchovies and these were really great. The super fresh anchovies are lightly cured and doused in olive oil. If you are a fan of anchovies, this dish is for you. (2). When dining at an Italian establishment, you have to order a pasta dish and the server recommended the Fettucine with soft shell crab as the best pasta to go with the fish. She was right - the pasta was perfectly cooked and complemented the rest of the meal. I also got the pro-tip to pour the olive oil from the anchovies to this pasta and this really took the pasta to a new level. (3). The grilled fish was trout - it came with simple sauces and was just spectacular. (4). The chocolate budino dessert was perfect to me - it had savory/sweet/bitter flavors with contrasting textures and temperatures. This is the kind of dessert that really stands out for me. It's Michelin star quality. In the beverage department, the house made ginger beer was great and I always like peppermint tea with chocolate at the end of the meal. Service was attentive and the ambiance is indicative of the gentrification of Valencia street. With tax and tip, this was about $110, a bargain in terms of fine dining these days. Highly recommended and I'll be coming back.
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Andrew’s 4-star review: If you are in the financial district and craving for some sushi or Izakaya, Pabu is the place for you. The food here is solid but relatively expensive (it's a Michale Mina restaurant so that's to be expected). Came here one Friday night and enjoyed the tasting menu plus the supplement and a couple of skewers at the sushi bar. (1). The meal started out strong with the happy spoon oyster, scallop crudo and a beef tartare (the sesame chip was firm and great for scooping up the tartare). I thought that the beef tartare was a real treat. (2). The nigiri pieces were good but on the small side. Not sure anything stood out but I appreciated the Anago. I much prefer Anago to Unagi. (3). The sushi supplement was worth it (Uni, A5 wagyu, Otoro and Seared Foie). I just wished that the Uni was Hokkaido, not Santa Barbara. (4). The pork jowl was an excellent skewer. Pork belly not so much. (5). Shiso sorbet was a nice dessert to end the meal. The service was excellent. The restaurant is a bit cavernous and is on the noisy side. With tax and tip, this meal was about $250. It's the type of tasting menu where you'd need something extra. I'd recommend this place for a nice dinner after work in the Financial District. If you are looking for something more intimate, the One Star Michelin Japanese restaurants in SF (Kusakabe, Hashiri, Ju-Ni, Wako, Kinjo, Omakase) would be a better fit. -
Andrew’s 5-star review: What an impressive meal!!! I really, really loved my dining experience at La Ciccia. It's one of those almost impossible to get reservations in SF so I came right at opening and got a seat at the bar (there are 5 seats for walk-ins). I asked about their signature dishes and the bartender recommended the Baby Octopus, Sea Urchin and Tuna Heart Pasta and the Saffron Ricotta Cake. All of the dishes were just the right combination of unique and tasty. I found myself asking for a lot of bread so I can soak up all of the wonderful sauces in both the baby Octopus (that tomato sauce had just the perfect amount of spice for that nice "kick") and the sea urchin and tuna heart pasta. The sea urchin and tuna heart pasta was definitely one of the best plates of food I've ever had (it's going on the last supper menu). The chef gave a sample of the tripe - I've only had Asian preparation but I really liked this. The saffron Ricotta cake was very unique from a texture perspective and was the right amount of sweetness. Lemon soda and mint tea were my beverage pairings for the evening. The service was spectacular and they really gave me a warm family vibe. From an ambiance perspective, this place made me feel like I was vacationing in Italy. I'll be coming back. Highly recommended!!!
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Andrew’s 3-star review: Overall, I think this restaurant is really 3.5 and is a decent Thai option for those craving it in the area. I ordered the fried chicken and satay short ribs and both were good dishes. The pickled cucumber salad that came with the satay was nice. Portion size tends to be small and prices are probably on the high side (including tax and tip and without rice, this was $42). Rice costs extra (I really don't like this but it's common among the Thai spots in the city). The ambiance at this restaurant is nice and really represents the hipster vibe along the Valencia corridor. Service was fast and good. I'm rounding down to 3 stars because of the price/portion size. I came here as I was working through the SF Chronicle Top 100 list and I'm scratching my head as to how this made it. -
Andrew’s 3-star review: This place is an SF institution but it's a bad combination of expensive and mediocre food. Two of us came here for lunch after a few hours of walking around the city and decided to order the peach crostini, the White Sea bass, a hamburger and some shoestring fries with a martini and a root beer. The crostini was good and I'd recommend ordering it but the fish came out a little dry (and the portion size was small). Also, the shoestring fries were not particularly crispy. The highlight of the meal was the root beer. Service was OK and the ambiance here is quite nice particularly on a sunny day. The meal ended up being around $70 per person - pricey for lunch. At this price point, there are definitely much better options in SF.
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Andrew’s 4-star review: This is an excellent place for a special occasion. Came here to celebrate a birthday and was really impressed by the good food, excellent service and charming ambiance. Having had a relatively bad week, it was really nice to start the meal with a chartreuse slushy (very fun drink). The meal then proceeded as follows: (1). Uni toast (3/5) - whenever I see Uni toast, I immediately think of the signature dish at Saison. This dish, while tasty, is really small and doesn't measure up to the iconic dish. (2). Chicken dumpling (4/5) - tasty but small and meaty. I wish this was a little bigger. (3). Fried cracklins with honey and cayenne (5/5) - love this and can eat this all day long. The honey and cayenne really goes well with the pork cracklings. (4). Peach salad with arugula and burrata (5/5) - a perfect refreshing salad. (5). Beef brisket with corn and apricot (5/5) - love the char/smoke on the brisket and the veggies. This is the highlight of the meal. (6). Half smoked duck (4/5) - above average duck but I still like Chinese style better. Really good sauce though. (7). Chocolate pudding with salty cookie (4/5) - excellent dessert. A nice herbal tea was the best accompaniment for dessert. Service eventually turned out to be excellent but started slow. I really like the ambiance of this place (the bathroom has an old movie playing and nice background music) but the dining room tends to be very tight and packed. With tax and tip, this ended up being $130 per person. At this price, it is at the same level as restaurants with one Michelin star. It's competitive but not quite there. Highly recommended if you are in the neighborhood. -
Andrew’s 4-star review: I really shouldn't come to dim sum places when I'm ravenous but that's exactly what I did the last time I went to Yank Sing. This restaurant is a bit of an institution for SF dim sum and it has maintained a great quality of food throughout the years. The food comes fast and furious - upon taking a seat, I was greeted by an army of dim sum carts. As usual, I ordered enough food for two and ate it all - chicken stuffed mushrooms, Peking duck, siu mai, sticky rice in banana leaves, Peking spare ribs, fried crab claw and mango pudding. My meal was done in 30 minutes flat. The real issue in this place is the service - it's really not that great and while they brought out the hot tea, I never got that initial glass of water. Including tax and tip, this meal was $80. Again, it's probably enough for two. I would recommend this place for higher end dim sum in SF.
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Andrew’s 4-star review: As an SF resident, I generally avoid touristy areas such as Chinatown but I will sometimes play tourist in my own city. I decided to try Z&Y since it's on a couple of SF top restaurant lists. The menu is a bit overwhelming but with the help of the server, I settled on the beef pancake, stewed duck with beer (one of the specialties and I wanted something not too spicy), some rice and hot tea. Everything was good and tasty. Note that there is a $2 charge for the hot tea but they brought out a nice pot along with a bottle of water (I really appreciate this since I always find myself in need of water and it's notoriously hard to get the attention of busy servers in ethnic places). Service was good but the restaurant itself needs some updating. I'd recommend this place for anyone in the area. -
Andrew’s 5-star review: When I was going to night school, I ate a lot of Mexican food - sooooo much that I overdosed on it and I've kinda been avoiding it ever since. For 2018, I wanted to go through SF's top restaurants and Nopalito has popped up on multiple lists (Bib Gourmand, Top 100) so I gave it a try. Based on the server's recommendations, I ordered the carnitas tacos, the quesadilla Roja con chicharon and the strawberry horchata. As a starter, they gave each table spicy garbanzo beans. Everything was great! It's enough food for two but I devoured it. Not that they made me fall in love with Mexican food again but that was definitely worth the calories. Service was awesome and the restaurant is nice and open. Including tax and tip, this meal was $40 (again, enough to be shared by two people). I think Nopalito is the rare gem that has great service, good food and relatively affordable prices. Highly recommended!!!
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Andrew’s 3-star review: On an apocalyptically hazy day in SF, I decided to give International Smoke a try. I ordered the tasting menu and, while there were clear stand-out bites, the food was underwhelming (overall, I think the food needs more seasoning). The courses included: (1). Steamed pork belly bao as an amuse - the bao was not warm and this was just lackluster (1/5). This was no match for the steamed pork belly bun at The Chairman, which I think is the gold standard for this dish. (2). Dungeness crab soup and cornbread (4/5) - the soup was interesting but the cornbread was great - moist and flaky and went really well with the curry sauce they had on top. (3). Spring veggies with burrata and prosciutto (2/5) - the veggies and the prosciutto did not taste fresh to me but the burrata had a nice texture to it. (4). Oysters were 5/5. I ordered the shellfish supplement and the server recommended I do 5 oysters. He was right - This was the best dish in the house. (5). Ribs trio were 3/5. These were just meh. This came with green papaya salad, which was quite tasty. (6). Wagyu with crispy potatoes were 3/5. Also meh. (7). Dessert was mango shaved ice and parfait. The mango shaved ice was nice but the parfait was far too sweet. This was 3/5. All of the tables also got chips in lieu of bread service. The chips were not crunchy and lacked flavor. Service was great and the ambiance was nice (it's the old RN74 space in the Millenium Tower). With tax and tip, this meal was about $115. I don't think I'd recommend this place. -
Andrew’s 4-star review: It really doesn't get more Chinese than dumplings for Sunday brunch. My friend and I decided to come here and line up before they opened (10 am) since this is still very much a trendy restaurant and it doesn't take reservations. We were immediately seated (everyone who was in line when they opened was seated) and the server recommended that we order 2-3 items per person. I didn't eat breakfast that morning and was a bit ravenous so we decided to order seven items to share between the two of us - shrimp and pork siumai, shrimp hagaw, pork xiaolongbao, lamb dumpling, BBQ pork seared bun, wagyu gyoza and crispy tofu. The relatively standard items (siumai, hagaw, xiaolongbao, Pork bun) were OK. The wagyu gyoza was probably not the best preparation for wagyu - it doesn't really highlight the wagyu and isn't worth the buy-up. The crispy tofu was surprisingly good - I think they used silken tofu and the texture here is amazing. Like the wagyu, the lamb dumpling was probably not the best use of this ingredient. Seven items were definitely more than enough to get us full. Overall, this was a good meal. Service was meh but the food came out quickly. The ambiance was OK and the price is relatively affordable (including tax and tip, the above meal came out to be around $40 per person). This felt a little like din tai fung. Not sure that it deserves the top 100 rating but it's a fun place nonetheless. -
Andrew’s 4-star review: A16 is a really solid Italian restaurant in the Marina. I came here for dinner and was seated at the chef's counter (always the best seat in the house and it's a treat to see the chefs prepare pizza and the entrees in a wood fired oven). The meal included the heirloom cucumber salad, half order of the pasta special that night (perfectly cooked carbonara with truffle), the chicken meatballs with beans and garlic on the side and strawberry panna cotta for dessert. I really wanted to try a pizza but, alas, I was already stuffed by the end of the meatballs. It's really good food but it's not the best Italian I've had in SF (the pork and veal meatballs at Zero zero are better and I would go to Cotogna or SPQR for pasta). Service was so-so but the ambiance definitely exuded the Marina vibe. With tax and tip, this ended up being $115. Overall, I think four stars is about right and I would recommend this place if you are craving Italian food and are in the neighborhood.
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Andrew’s 5-star review: This restaurant feels like a brighter, hipper version of Gary Danko and I celebrated the end of the first half of the year (my crazy busy season) by ordering the tasting menu at La Folie: (1). The amuse was smoked trout with chip and creme fraiche (3/5). This was an interesting small bite - tasty but mediocre. (2). The second course was foie gras terrine with confit artichoke, chilled duck consommé and black truffle (4/5). This was served with a nice toasted brioche. (3). One of the chef's freeby was a very meaty Shigoku oyster (5/5). (4). Butter poached lobster with carrot and spinach bisque was really great (5/5). This is one of the chef's specialities and I really recommend it. (5). The main entree was truly spectacular - Wagyu rib-eye with seared foie, porcini mushroom flan, veal sweetbreads and Madeira sauce. As a bonus, the chef added some shaved black truffles. This is one of the best singular dishes I've had (10/5). The seared foie was $30 extra but was well worth it. (6). Cheese course was mediocre (3/5). (7). Sorbet palate cleanser was nice (4/5). (8). The dessert was very unique - espelette pepper and chocolate ganache with cherries and sorbet. This is my first spicy dessert and I really liked it (5/5). (9). Mignardises were good (4/5). Overall, this is a really spectacular meal (French food at its best). Two of my favorite things are foie gras and black truffles and this meal had both in more than one dish. Service was great and the meal was well-paced. The meal is a tad expensive (including tax and tip, it's about $280) and is comparable to 1-2 Michelin starred restaurants in SF. Highly recommended!!!
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Andrew’s 5-star review: I love it when I find a great neighborhood Spanish tapas place. This restaurant is nestled in the middle of Russian Hill (Union and Hyde) and just serves great tapas. My friend and I ordered a couple of the specials (fried smelt and padron peppers) as well as the dates, shrimps, octopus, squid, paella and the crema catalana. In short, it was way too much food but we wanted to try everything (I ended up taking a doggy bag home). Everything was on point. The octopus was the house specialty and I really enjoyed that. The paella was cooked perfectly (not sure if this is the best I've had but it's up there). To me, the most special tapas was the fried smelt. I wouldn't hesitate ordering the same items the next time I'm here. Everything here is nice and rustic. The restaurant itself and the music they play literally makes you feel like you are in Spain (and I've been). The service was nice and attentive. The above meal plus a glass of wine including tax and tip costs about $80 per person - it's about what you would expect to spend to eat a nice dinner in SF these days. Highly recommended!!! -
Andrew’s 4-star review: This place is so hipster it hurts but the lamb gyro wrap was really good (you can taste the freshness of the lamb and all the ingredients that goes into it). Also ordered the frozen Greek Yogurt with olive oil and sea salt and the Greek iced tea and those were good as well. Come early (or late) since the line gets really long. The restaurant itself is nice with a community table, counters and tables for 2 or 4. Overall, sad to say but the prices are in line with what you'd expect to pay right now in SF even for a quick, casual meal - with tax and tip, the lamb, yogurt and ice tea was about $30. I would recommend this place if you have an itch for some lamb gyro. -
Andrew’s 5-star review: Frances is the quintessential SF upscale neighborhood restaurant offering great food that showcases the best of Northern California cuisine. Reservations here are hard to come by but I was able to snag a counter seat close to opening time on a Sunday. I was not particularly hungry that evening and asked the server for his recommendations for a light dinner. The meal he suggested was quite impressive (and it's really hard to impress me these days): (1). Melon and anchovy salad (5/5) - this was an off menu item for them that night and had heirloom melons, watermelon radish, Parmesan cheese, olive oil and some small anchovy bites. I LOVE anchovies and this salad was just perfect for me. (2). Alaskan halibut (5/5) - perfectly cooked halibut with forbidden rice crisps (this made the dish for me), avocado, carrot and turnip. The mix of textures here is amazing. (3). Fig, Walnut with wine reduction sauce (5/5) - another off menu item that just blew my mind. For the appetizer and entree, ginger beer was my beverage of choice and I had some herbal tea with dessert. Both were great. I was seated at the counter with a great view of the kitchen - I think this is the best seat in the house. The ambiance is great and is very San Francisco. Service was good but I felt that I had to wait a little bit too long between appetizer and the entree (getting really picky here). The above meal, including tax and tip, is about $80. Highly recommended!!!
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