Restaurant Cuisine
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Restaurant Cuisine
Izakaya Mai Restaurant Review, San Mateo
Posted on January 1, 2020
Izakaya Mai is a Japanese Izakaya or Japanese drinking establishment that also serves food. They are more small plate oriented restaurants. This restaurant has an extensive drink menu. They’ve been here for years. Several similar restaurants have opened over the years, but this still packs them in.. (Izakaya Ginji, Kokko)
Protege, Palo Alto
Posted on January 1, 2020
Best Restaurant on the SF Peninsula!
Why did we dine here? – Protege Palo Alto is a New American restaurant from French Laundry Alum Chef Anthony Secviar and Alum Dennis Kelly, Wine Master. This anxiously awaited restaurant was sure to amp up the fairly mundane local dining scene on the Peninsula. They received one Michelin Star in 2019. Our last visit was in the summer of 2020 after they reopened the patio.
Bistro Na’s, Tample City
Posted on November 12, 2019
Why did we dine here? – Bistro Na’s is the first Michelin Starred Chinese restaurant in the Los Angeles area. It is located in the San Gabriel Valley (SGV), about 20 minutes from Downtown LA. This spot is the first outpost of a chain with several locations in China. This is a beautiful restaurant, definitely worth dining at.
Otium, Los Angeles
Posted on October 8, 2019
Why did we dine here? – Otium is a modern American restaurant in downtown LA, right next to The Broad museum (Free admission! reserve online) We finish up at the museum and came to Otium for weekend brunch.
Santa Ramen Review, San Mateo
Posted on September 1, 2019Santa Ramen has a new owner in 2020.
Santa Ramen is a very popular Japanese noodle Ramen restaurant in San Mateo. Mr. Kazunori Kobayashi sold this location in 2020 but continues to be the proprietor of nearby Ramen Dojo and Parlor. Located in a small shopping mall with a Diddams Ninja Japanese supermarket, Party Supply and JoAnn’s Fabric, the restaurant has achieved a legendary cult following and has long lines at both dinner and lunch times. We have eaten here many times with our last visit in 2020.
Harbourside Buffet Restaurant Review, Hong Kong
Posted on August 28, 2019
Best buffet in Hong Kong? Harbourside is a restaurant in the Regent Hong Kong hotel that specializes in Buffets for lunch, dinner, and Sunday Brunch. They serve Asian, American, and other international dishes. Our last visit was in the summer of 2011 for Sunday brunch.
Charter Oak, St Helena
Posted on August 28, 2019
Why did we dine here? – Charter Oak was on our list of places to hit in the Napa Valley. We had a good experience at Meadowood, so why not try this spot. It made it onto the SF Chronicles Top 100 list in 2019, so we made sure we ate here soon.
SingleThread Farm, Healdsburg
Posted on July 24, 2019
One of the Best Restaurants around! Why did we dine here? – SingleThread Farm is a 3 Michelin star restaurant, 90 minute North of San Francisco. We were celebrating an anniversary and have always wanted to dine here.
La Bodeguita Del Medio Restaurant Review, Palo Alto
Posted on July 10, 2019
Why did we dine here? – La Bodeguita Del Medio is a popular Cuban restaurant in Palo Alto. We have been meaning to dine here for dinner for quite a while. One of us recently visited Cuba, so we had a valid excuse to kindle some memories. The place is pretty busy, so you need to reserve in advance.
Balthazar, New York City
Posted on July 3, 2019
Why did we dine here? – Balthazar is a classic French bistro in New York’s SOHO district. It has been packing them in for over 20 years. We have eaten here for breakfast in the past and decided to try their weekend brunch on our latest trip to the big Apple.
Neptune Oyster, Boston
Posted on June 20, 2019
Why did we dine here? – Neptune Oyster is a popular seafood restaurant in Boston’s North End. There is a wait there everyday, and a super long one during holidays and weekends. We finally got up the courage to give it a try. We had a 2 hour wait on the weekend.
SPQR Restaurant Review, San Francisco
Posted on June 19, 2019
SPQR is an Italian osteria, located in Pacific Heights, that serves wine and more casual food than their popular sister restaurant A16 in the Marina district. According to Wikipedia, “SPQR is an initialism from a Latin phrase, Senatus Populusque Romanus (“The Senate and the People of Rome” or “The Senate and Roman People”), referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic”. Executive Chef, Matthew Accarrino, prepares “sophisticated, yet soulful, Italian cuisine using the best local ingredients, traditional and modern cooking techniques delivered in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.” Our last visit for take-out
Gooyi Gooyi Restaurant, Santa Clara
Posted on June 13, 2019
Why did we dine here? – Gooyi Gooyi is an authentic Korean restaurant in Santa Clara’s Koreatown. We’ve found some of the best Korean joints down here plus our neighbor recommends this restaurant, so we had to give it a try. We got take out from them in 2020 during the Covid 19 Pandemic.
Bellota, San Francisco
Posted on June 4, 2019
Great Spanish Seafood. Why did we dine here? – Bellota (Acorn in Spanish), a new Spanish restaurant, is part of The Absinthe Group. This is a beautiful restaurant in the building that houses Air BnB. Be sure to visit the bathroom, you will see the impressive atrium. We have eaten both lunch and dinner here.
B. Patisserie Review, San Francisco
Posted on June 1, 2019
Why did we dine here? – B. Patisserie is a new bakery from Belinda Leong. She is a veteran of Gary Danko and Manresa. We couldn’t wait to give her place a try.
Gotham Bar & Grill, New York City
Posted on May 29, 2019
Why did we dine here? – Gotham Bar & Grill has been around since 1984 and is considered an institution of fine dining. One Michelin Star, 4.5 stars on Yelp. We decided to see if it lives up to the hype. The older set in the 40’s to 60’s were dining.
Island Creek Oyster Bar, Boston
Posted on April 15, 2019Last Updated: 4/15/2019
Why did we dine here? – Island Creek Oyster Bar is one of the top seafood restaurants in Boston. Several foodies recommend this spot and it gets a high 4.5 Yelp rating with over 1800 reviews. A classic spot near Fenway park. They also run the popular Row 34 restaurant in Boston that we like. Our last visit was in 2019.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.