Restaurant Cost
Sansei Japanese Restaurant, Maui
Posted on April 11, 2019
Why did we dine here? – Sansei Hawaii is a well known Japanese Seafood Restaurant with locations at Kihei and Kapalua, Maui, Oahu, and the big Island – Hawaii.
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Restaurant Cost
Iyasare, Berkeley Review
Posted on April 9, 2019
Iyasare is a Japanese Restaurant in the posh Berkeley 4th Street corridor. We were passing by and decided to finally give it a try. Without reservations, we dined at the bar. Pacing was way off, but the food was fabulous. Definitely want to try more next time! We came back for lunch in Spring 2019 and found the food just as good.
Dragon Beaux, San Francisco
Posted on March 29, 2019Fab Chinese in SF.
Why did we dine here? – Dragon Beaux is a new restaurant from the folks who run our favorite Chinese restaurant, Koi Palace. This location is in the Outer Richmond district and focuses on Dim Sum during lunch and Hot Pot/Cantonese food at dinner. We came here when it first opened in 2015, and recently returned in the Spring of 2019.
birdsong, San Francisco Review
Posted on March 14, 2019
Why did we dine here? – Birdsong is a nature and heritage inspired restaurant, that is currently focused on the Pacific Northwest region. Its located in AQ’s old spot. Dishes highlight key ingredients from this region; such as cold-water shellfish, wild game, berries and mushrooms. They serve prix fix menus that are not cheap.
Niku Steakhouse, San Francisco Review
Posted on March 7, 2019Why did we dine here? – Niku Steakhouse is a high end Steakhouse focuses on high quality meats including expensive A5 Wagyu from Japan. They have a high end butcher shop next door.
Foster City Restaurant Recommendations
Posted on March 1, 2019Foster City is a suburb of San Francisco and not known for its food. Here are a couple worthy spots.
Angler, San Francisco Review
Posted on February 27, 2019
Angler is a more casual seafood – meat restaurant from Three Michelin Star Saison’s Joshua Skenes.
Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco Review
Posted on February 13, 2019Foodnut returns to Gary Danko!
Restaurant Gary Danko is one of the top restaurants in San Francisco, they serve contemporary American cuisine. Open in 1999 and located near Ghiradelli Square, it has been at the top of the Zagat Guide and Yelp for years.
Napoletana Pizzeria, Mountain View
Posted on February 9, 2019
Napoletana Pizzeria is a new Naples style pizzeria in Mountain View. This unlikely strip mall location (Next to Cost Plus World Market), houses a low key, authentic thin crust Neapolitan pizza place. We first learned about this place from a thread on Chowhound. As the waitress put it, these authentic pizzas cook for about 90 seconds in their 900° wood burning oven. Our last visit was Summer 2019.
République, Los Angeles
Posted on February 6, 2019
Why did we dine here? – République is similar to Tartine in San Francisco, but they kick it up a notch. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We went for breakfast. There was a short line on a Saturday at 9am, but by 10am, the line was way out the door. Beautiful restaurant full of beautiful people.
Pho Filet, Rosemead
Posted on January 30, 2019
Why did we dine here? – Far better Pho than San Francisco! The SGV (San Gabriel Valley) is home to some fine Asian cuisine. We passed by Pho Filet on our last trip and ate there in 2018. Only 3.5 stars on Yelp, but way up there in our books.
Pine and Crane, Los Angeles
Posted on January 22, 2019
Why did we dine here? – Pine & Crane is a fast casual Taiwanese Chinese restaurant in the hip Silver Lake area of Los Angeles. It has 4.5 stars on Yelp with almost 2000 reviews. We had to see what all the hype was all about.
Redbird, Los Angeles
Posted on January 15, 2019
Why did we dine here? – Redbird is a trendy restaurant in downtown Los Angeles that was on our short list to try. This is Chef Neal Fraser and Amy Knoll Fraser’s flagship restaurant is a follow up to popular Grace and BLD. Historic
former rectory building of Vibiana – the cathedral-turned-event-venue.
Ahgassi Gopchang, Los Angeles
Posted on January 9, 2019
Why did we dine here? – Ahgassi Gopchang is a sister restaurant to Korean BBQ favorite: Kang Ho-dong Baekjeong. (Which we also love) The restaurant’s name means Young Lady Small Intestines, hence the additions of several ‘parts’ on the menu. We stuck to the regular stuff.
Top 5 Chicken Rice Dishes in Singapore
Posted on January 2, 2019Last Update: December 2019
Chicken Rice is a legendary dish at Singapore’s food hawker centers. It consists of chicken cooked in pork and chicken stock, rice with chicken stock, and some vegetables. Dipping sauce is usually a hot chili dip or soy sauce with ginger. Occasionally they throw in a bowl of soup. We read several articles that state that this is the number 1 thing many people miss when they leave Singapore. Chicken Rice is a National dish for Singapore.
We arrive skeptics, but left believers.
Little Star Pizza – Blue Line Pizza, San Francisco
Posted on January 1, 2019Little Star Pizza is a popular pizza place with 2 locations in San Francisco and 1 in Albany. We visited the Divisadero location and ordered deep dish pizza. It took about 30 minutes to get our pizza. They have gone on to open several locations in the Bay Area.
Blue Line Pizza is their name for sister locations from Burlingame southwards. We have tried their Burlingame location in the Summer of 2020. The menu is very similar.
Bestia, Los Angeles
Posted on December 12, 2018
Why did we dine here? – A big LA scene with impressive Italian food. Bestia (Italian for Beast) bubbled to the top of the possibilities when planning our LA must hit list. 4.5 stars on Yelp, recommended on the annual Jonathan Gold List, what more could you ask? We knew going into this that Bestia would be loud and exhibit a major LA scene. Last visit in Summer 2019.
Atlantis Buffet Toucan Charlie, Reno, Nevada
Posted on December 11, 2018Best Buffet in Reno.
Why did we dine here? – Atlantis Buffet Toucan Charlie’s is one of the leading casino buffets in Reno. The place was remodeled about 2 years ago and upgraded. We were in town for a conference, so we decided to see how good this buffet was.
Begoni Bistro, San Francisco
Posted on November 13, 2018
Why did we dine here? – Begoni Bistro is a modern, good looking Chinese restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown. It is not old and dingy like some of its neighbors. We were tipped off about this spot a while ago and finally got a chance in 2018.
Honu Seafood & Pizza, Lahaina
Posted on November 6, 2018
Why did we dine here? – Honu Seafood & Pizza one of those waterfront restaurants that has a killer view of the sunset. Prices are no doubt inflated, but it was our last day in paradise, so we decided to splurge. Be sure to ask what is local.
Chicago Restaurant Guide for Visitors
Posted on October 24, 2018
Foodie research and reviews from our first visit to Chicago in the Summer of 2018. We are based in San Francisco, so our base reference for dining is fairly high. This page has links to reviews of spots we heartily recommend, quick reviews of casual restaurants, and a list of research material we will use for future trips to the Windy City.
Our goal was to find:
Alinea, Chicago
Posted on October 17, 2018
Why did we dine here? – Finally a chance to dine here! Alinea is a legendary three Michelin star restaurant in Chicago. It has four times been named the Best Restaurant in America and is one of only 13 restaurants in the U.S. to earn the coveted Michelin 3-Star rating. This is Chicago’s only 3 star restaurant.
Best Chicago Deep Dish Pizza
Posted on October 10, 2018We love pizza and finally made the trek to Chicago to find what ‘real’ deep dish pizza tastes like. We find San Francisco’s best cannot compare..
avec, Chicago
Posted on October 3, 2018
Why did we dine here? – avec is a rustic mediterranean shared plate restaurant in Chicago. Originally conceived as a wine bar, the kitchen’s offerings quickly steered the space in another direction. Wine, however, remains at avec’s core.
Girl & the Goat, Chicago
Posted on September 26, 2018
Why did we dine here? – Girl & the Goat is Top Chef Winner Stephanie Izard’s top rated and very popular restaurant. It was our first time in Chicago, so had to try all the hot spots and compare them to SF! You need to book 2 months in advance to get in here. We did not have reservations and walked in right when the place opened (4:30pm) and sat at the bar. The waiter said it was harder to walk in during the winter because outdoor seating is not present.
Smoque BBQ, Chicago
Posted on September 19, 2018
Why did we dine here? – Smoque BBQ is a highly rated BBQ restaurant in the Northern part of Chicago. We heard good things about it and decided to give it a try while on our trip to the Windy City. Many in Chicago are proud of their BBQ, so we wanted to see if it is a lot better than San Francisco’s. This restaurant is about 20 minutes from the Loop. They have a location in the Revival Food Hall in the Loop that serves a subset of this spot.
GT Fish and Oyster, Chicago
Posted on September 12, 2018
Why did we dine here? – GT Fish and Oyster is a seafood restaurant in Chicago’s River North area. We were looking for an informal spot on our Chicago trip and their menu looked good. Bib Gourmand rating on the Michelin Guide.
Barbuzzo, Philadelphia
Posted on September 4, 2018
Barbuzzo is a listed as a Mediterranean, Pizza restaurant on Yelp but seems to have an Italian slant too. We would call it a high quality pizza and pasta place and more. We were visiting Philadelphia and stayed a block away in the City Center area. We chose this 4.5 star restaurant based on proximity, reviews, and prices. Prices would be 50% higher in San Francisco.
Menu
Porfirio’s, Cancun
Posted on August 28, 2018
An amazing find in Cancun! Porfirio’s is a Mexican restaurant in Cancun, right at tourist area Zona Hotelera, just north of the Hard Rock Hotel. We wanted to get some Mexican food and luckily this place was a short 7 minute walk from our hotel. (What is the point of eating sushi in Mexico?) Reviews were good. Porfirio is more than a restaurant, with on going dj’d music videos, live mariachi’s, it was the whole package.
Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia
Posted on August 21, 2018Since 1892, this has been America’s oldest and largest public market. A perfect place for breakfast, lunch or a snack. Get exposed to Amish and Pennsylvania Dutch. A must visit for anyone into food and history! Some vendors close early, so beware. A lot more history to this food market than our Ferry Building.
Our Favorites stores:
Le Diplomate, Washington DC
Posted on August 14, 2018
Le Diplomate is a popular French Brassiere in Washington DC’s posh Logan Circle neighborhood. You need to reserve well in advance, otherwise come early for a seat in the bar or patio. This restaurant has a high 4.5 stars on Yelp. They serve brunch, lunch, and dinner.
Zahav, Philadelphia
Posted on August 7, 2018
Forget about the cheese-steak! When you ask foodies in Philadelphia, Zahav often comes up as the must visit restaurant. We had to dine at this 4.5 Yelp rated stop. They serve Middle Eastern Israeli cuisine. We have nothing like this in the San Francisco Area.
Lazy Bear, San Francisco
Posted on July 31, 2018
Why did we dine here? – Lazy Bear bills itself as “A modern American dinner Party”. Since 2014 they have been hosting 2 seating of a single prix fixe Tasting Menu served to guests on a long communal table. They started as an underground pop-up, gained traction, scored one Michelin star and have established themselves as more than a gimmick.
Forest Buffet Harrahs Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe
Posted on July 22, 2018
Foodnut has a thing for high end buffets.. The Forest Buffet at Harrahs Lake Tahoe has been in existence for decades and is practically a Lake Tahoe institution. We remember coming here as kids and have returned to see how this buffet compares to the best around, especially after a long day of biking. Our last visit was in the summer of 2018.
Foodnut Cancun Restaurant Reviews
Posted on July 17, 2018Last Update: 2018
Foodnut travels, eats, and tells. We’re based in San Francisco but have flown all over the place. We love Mexican food and find some of the best in Cancun.
We recently finished up our latest culinary tour of Cancun in 2018. Other reviews farther down are from previous trips. Cancun is a world class destination full of great food. Most of the Mexican food was superior to that in the San Francisco Bay Area. The service is on another level here.
The Morris, San Francisco
Posted on July 10, 2018
Why did we dine here? – The Morris it’s a restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission District that occupies the former location of the slow club.
Taverna, Palo Alto
Posted on June 26, 2018
Why did we dine here? – Taverna is a recently opened Greek restaurant in Palo Alto by some alumni of nearby Evvia restaurant. They brought in a Chef from Village Pub to execute their dream. We had good experiences at Evvia so we decided to give this less formal place a try.
Chapeau!, San Francisco
Posted on June 12, 2018
One of our favorite San Francisco restaurants.. Chapeau! is a French Bistro located in the San Francisco Richmond district in the middle of the Clement Street shopping district. At one time, they had two locations, but later wisely consolidated into this one location. Chapeau! SF opened in 1996 and means hat or wow in French.
Yank Sing, San Francisco Rincon Center
Posted on May 29, 2018Best place for Dim Sum newbies plus the Best xiao long bao steamed dumpings in San Francisco?!?
Spruce Review, San Francisco
Posted on May 22, 2018
Elegant old school favorite. Why did we dine here? – Spruce is a popular American restaurant in San Francisco’s upper crust Laurel Heights neighborhood. This restaurant has one Michelin star and has been packed ever since it opened. This is our fourth visit, with our last meal here several years ago. The chef Mark Sullivan also oversees Village Pub in Woodside. We recently had one of the best duck dishes there, in a long time. Our last Visit was in 2018.
Hanoi Street Food Tour Review
Posted on April 24, 2018Hanoi Vietnam is known for its dynamic street food scene. The language and culture are definitely big barriers to going it on your own. A street food tour was definitely a must.
We took our hotel’s Street Food tour to sample the local restaurants in the Hanoi Old Quarter. This was a fun and useful tour. We dined at several places that we would have been scared to approach ourselves. The guide explained the different types of local food and asked us about specific items we wanted. It lasted about 3 hours, cost $30/per person and included all food and drinks. Cheaper than other tours we saw.
Duong’s Restaurant, Hanoi, Vietnam
Posted on April 17, 2018
Lung King Heen Review, Hong Kong
Posted on April 10, 2018We return to the first 3 Michelin star Chinese Restaurant in the world…
Upscale IFC Shopping Center – Glitzier than any USA Mall
Red Bean Trendy Restaurant, Hanoi Vietnam
Posted on April 4, 2018
Evvia Estiatorio, Palo Alto
Posted on March 28, 2018
Why did we dine here? – Evvia is the sister restaurant of popular Kokkari in San Francisco. Our last visit here was over 10 years ago, so it was time for a refresher. Reservations are not easy to come by at this small restaurant, just off University Avenue.
Conrad Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Buffet
Posted on March 18, 2018Could this be one of the best Sunday Brunch buffets in the world?
Best buffet in Hong Kong? Conrad Hong Kong Buffet: Best buffet in the world?
Shanghai Flavor Shop, Sunnyvale
Posted on March 9, 2018
Shanghai Flavor Shop is an inexpensive restaurant in a second rate strip mall. This diamond in the rough is located in sleepy Sunnyvale, and specializes in Shanghainese Chinese cuisine. To the right of this restaurant is the popular Indian Buffet: Sankranti
Californios, San Francisco
Posted on February 28, 2018
Why did we dine here? – Californios is a Two Michelin Star (in 2017) Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco, the highest rating of its type in the US. We were intrigued and hesitated to come here, but finally succumbed to all the positive accolades and were glad we did. ($177 for Mexican food?!) Chef Val M. Cantu crafts cuisine of the highest regard, having moved up from a popup years ago. Open the really heavy door and you will enter this fairly small restuarant. It almost seems like it should be twice the size, and a little less dark – hard edged.