Restaurant Cuisine
Soup Dumplings! Why did we dine here? – Chef Zhao Kitchen is a Shanghai Chinese restaurant in Palo Alto, near 101 and Embarcadero. This is a sister restaurant to Cupertino’s Shanghai Garden.
Confusing things, Chef Zhao Bistros in Mountain View and San Mateo are unrelated both cuisine-wise and with owners. This restaurant has been getting some good local buzz, so it was time to check it out.
Why did we dine here? – Sushi Ota is a well known Sushi hot spot in San Diego. We were vacationing in San Diego and decided to give it a try. We were trying to find something representative of this town and came up with this?! They are rated 4.5 stars on Yelp. Also they are famous for their Uni but had ran out.
Best Authentic Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown. R & G Lounge is a popular Hong Kong style Cantonese Chinese restaurant in San Francisco. Since 1985 they have been serving top notch Chinese food in Chinatown.
Bread heaven! Why did we dine here? – Tartine Manufactory is Chad Robertson and Elisabeth Prueitt’s new bakery, ice cream shop, and restaurant. We love their bread, so we could not wait to try their sandwiches and desserts. This 5,000-square-foot restaurant is home to their bakery, so you can see them working their magic. They crank out a lot of bread than the old Tartine Bakery 18th street location, making it easier to score this fantastic bread. Bread from 10:30 until it is sold out.
Better Italian than SF? Why did we dine here? – Angelini Osteria has long been dubbed the best Italian restaurant in LA. We finally made time to dine at this small, cozy restaurant near the end of 2016. Yes, we did see a celebrity dining there. Our timing allowed us to catch them when Truffles were all over the menu! (Big$$)
Il Fornaio (The Baker in Italian) is an Italian restaurant serving “creatively prepared, premium-quality Italian cuisine based on authentic regional Italian recipes.” They have 21 locations, many in California. They have been around since 1972, initially starting as a baking school. Now they are owned by a Private Equity group, no doubt trying to squeeze out profits.
Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant is one of best Cantonese Chinese restaurants in Southern California, according to several different sources. Foodnut agrees, it continues to be our go to place when we are in Southern California for Dim Sum.
Marnee Thai has been serving up Thai food since 1986 in San Francisco. They have 2 locations in San Francisco’s Sunset District. We were in the neighborhood and having not eaten here in a long time, decided to give them a try. Our last visit was in October 2017.
Where do well heeled Silicon Valley people eat?
Why did we dine here? – Plumed Horse is a long standing (1952) restaurant located in Saratoga, not far from the Montalvo winery. This location used to be a stable, hence the name. Peter Armellino (Jardiniere, Aqua SF, Village Pub) is the chef.
Why did we dine here? – Sushi Gen is one of those place we love to write about. Great Food at a reasonable price. Do not take our word for it, look at the ton of 4.5 star ratings on Yelp. There are a ton of high end Japanese places in LA, but few affordable spots serving good food.
Why did we dine here? – Mister Jiu’s (Bar Agricole) is Brandon Jew’s long awaited Chinese restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown. He took years to remodel the old Four Seas restaurant and assemble a cast of pros (Pastry Chef Melissa Chou – Aziza) with solid pedigrees. It was at the top of our hit list, but we somehow managed to give them two weeks to get into their groove. Not a large restaurant, but a clean modern look with a large stenciled drawing on the wall. (It too 4 1/2 years to do) Initial reports from Yelp feel into the disappointing 3 star range.
Why did we dine here? – Bird Dog is a popular new restaurant in downtown Palo Alto. This brings some sophisticated SF style innovative dining to the Peninsula. The interior is impressive, especially for a restaurant down here. Robbie Wilson was the chef of Matsuhisa in Aspen, Colo., and most recently headed up the kitchen at Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos (Santa Barbara County)
Insider Tip – On the fence? Especially about the prices. Eat at the bar.
Why did we dine here? – Yankee Lobster is a casual seafood restaurant near the end of pier in South Boston. They also run a commercial lobster operation. This is an order at the counter, pay, and wait for food to be delivered place. Decor is pretty low key, making this a casual spot. A nice out of the way location that fewer tourists dine at.
We sought to find the Best Croissants in San Francisco. Time to line up bright and early. Ah somebody has to do this right? Here are the top candidates for your consideration..
Why did we dine here? – Two words: Lincon Center. Lincoln Ristorante is located right in the middle of Lincoln Center next to the reflecting pool, making it a super convenient place to dine before a play, performance, show, ballet, movie etc. Wish we had so many fantastic activities like this in San Francisco!
Why did we dine here? – Famous Vietnamese restaurant Brodard, in Southern California. Home to the largest Vietnamese population in the US, you would expect to find some great restaurants. Many Yelp reviews mention dining here whenever they are down here. We had to give this place a try on our latest SoCal trip. The place was packed and very loud.
Why did we dine here? – Noodle Heaven! Best Pho? Momofuku Noodle is part of David Changs Momofuku empire. We choose this restaurant due to its accessible menu and moderate cost. We were not interested in his higher end places.
Why did we dine here? – Don Antonio by Starita is a popular pizza restaurant in New York City’s Midtown area. It brings together 2 pizza superstars: Roberto Caporuscio of Kesté Pizza & Vino in New York City, and his maestro, Antonio Starita of Pizzeria Starita a Materdei in Naples. Starita in Naples remains our top Pizza experience, so we had to try this place out.
Why did we dine here? – The Best Milk shakes of course! Black Tap has rocked the social media world with huge shakes covered with all sorts of crazy candies, cookies. It was definitely on our must hit NYC list. This restaurant is notorious for waits up to 3 hours, something we did not look forward to.
Why did we dine here? – Shockingly Good! Xian Famous Foods was made famous when Anthony Bourdain featured it on this TV show, No Reservations. The restaurant was recommended to us, so we had to add it to our NYC hit list. They have several locations in New York and Flushing, so we decided to eat at the Chinatown location as we were touring the city. In 2019 we ate at the West Village location.
Why did we dine here? – Babbo is celebrity chef Mario Batali’s and Joe Bastianich’s flagship restaurant serving regional Italian classics. How could we pass up trying his Italian food? We had never been to one of his restaurants and figured he better know how to cook his native food. Alas he was not in the house. This place is very busy, with them asking Opentable reservations to call and get a token. They received 1 Michelin star in 2016.
Why did we dine here? – Chungdam is Korean restaurant located in the Santa Clara Koreatown area. It has been on our bucket list for a while. A combination of a modern beautiful spot with great Korean food attracted us to this place. We have dined at several restaurants in this area, including: Jang Su Jang, Tobang, Gooyi Gooyi, and Ilbunjee #1.
Why did we dine here? – Akiko’s Restaurant is a small Japanese restaurant that has been on our list for a while. They are known for serving fresh fish but now have a lots of competition from newcomers. (Kusakabe, Yoshizumi, Juni, An, etc) The restaurant is stealth, without a sign in the front. It is located below the irish bar sign. They had a chef change from Ricky Yap to Geoffrey Lee in 2014.
Why did we dine here? – Merrimans is a popular restaurant on Maui, perfectly situated on the coast by the beautiful Kapalua Beach. It is well reviewed and we were playing at the beach next door, so it was high time to try this place. This restaurant also has locations on the Big Island, and Kauai. The same owner runs the more casual Monkeypod Kitchen.
The Andaz Hotel in Wailea, Maui is the closest thing to paradise. Beautiful beachfront property, where the resort fee gets you free GoPro rental, Yoga Classes, SUP Classes, snorkel rentals, and a lot more..
See our full list of Maui Restaurant Reviews
Beijing Restaurant San Francisco is a Beijing style Chinese restaurant in San Francisco’s Excelsior district that opened in early 2009. Located a couple blocks off Highway 280 near City College, this place has gotten lots of hype on Chowhound. It is a family owned place that focuses on authentic Beijing dishes. Basketball player Yao Ming had been here 2 days earlier to one of our visits. We dined here last in 2016 when we learned they have added a location in the South Bay.
Palo Alto Creamery has been serving up classic burger joint food since 1988 when Robert Fischer took over the business. They used to have 2 locations in Palo Alto, with the downtown location open since 1923 in previously known as the Peninsula Creamery. Stanford Shopping Center location closed in 2013.
Steak on the Peninsula. Town Restaurant is a steakhouse serving American comfort food in downtown San Carlos. It opened in 2006 and has gotten positive press, so we figured we would see how it stacks up. Over the years, this restaurant has been consistently busy. Town is definitely a hit with the locals, many of which can just walk over for a meal. Our last visit was in December 2015. It is so busy, we had to make a reservation over a week in advance.
Taqueria La Cumbre Mexican Restaurant has a location in San Francisco and San Mateo. We tried the one in San Mateo, located near Caltrain. They have everything from burritos to tacos to caldos to plates. The San Francisco location has lines often times. Our last visit was in 2017. The great thing about his place is the parking lot!
Why did we dine here? – Best Sushi in the San Francisco? Sushi Yoshizumi, San Mateo, California is a new One Michelin Star receipient for 2016. They serve the expert crafted omakase menu of Chef Akira Yoshizumi. Ingredients are sourced both domestically and internationally (Tokyo) for his Edomae sushi style cuisine.
Why did we dine here? – Excellent, Authentic Thai in San Francisco. Kin Khao means “to eat” or “let’s eat” in Thai. They received one Michelin star in 2016. We have thought about dining here for a while. It is run by the famous food blogger of Chez Pim – Pim Techamuanvivit, girlfriend of Manresa’s chef David Kinch. Kin Khao is located in the first floor of the Parc 55 hotel, so it gets a ton of tourists, lucky them! Be sure to enter on the Mason and Ellis door.
Foodnut visits The Buffet at the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas for Dinner.
While not up to the level of the Caesar’s Bacchanal Buffet or Cosmopolitan’s Wicked Spoon, The Buffet at Aria is a solid buffet with a good selection.
Our top buffet in Vegas is the Bally’s Sterling Sunday Brunch
Why did we dine here? – Champa Garden is a Thai restaurant not far from City College in San Francisco’s Ingleside district. The original location opened in Oakland in 2006 and is well loved. Our friends like this casual restaurant, so it was time to give it a try. Last to go visit was in early 2017.
Lavash is a family owned upscale Persian restaurant in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset Irving Street district, that opened in late 2007. Mayor known for their Iranian food including fire grilled kabobs. This restaurant has gotten high reviews on Yelp. They use high quality ingredients including Niman Ranch meats. Our last visit was in September 2017.
Why did we dine here? – An oasis in the middle of nowhere. We’ve read about this place for many a year and finally got a chance to dine here, on the way home from Tahoe. Bull Valley Roadhouse serves farm fresh American Fare & Pre-Prohibition Cocktails. This restaurant is located on the South side of the Carquinez Bridge, at the end of a windy road.
Why did we dine here? – Lers Ros is a popular Thai restaurant in San Francisco with a newly opened location in Hayes valley. We have never dined here previously, so it was a good excuse to check out the new location. Lers Ros means “excellent taste of the food” in Sanskrit. Tom Silargorn is the owner and chef. Michael Bauer has this restaurant in his top 100 Bay Area restaurants for 2012. This review is the culmination of two visits. The restaurant is extremely noisy during peek times and also cramped. Last visit was in 2017.
Why did we dine here? – El Sinaloense is a hidden gem of a Mexican restaurant in San Mateo that few know about, but those that come, return. Tucked away behind a Safeway, this place is one of the top Mexican restaurants in San Mateo, if not the best. Lots of locals and families come here for dinner. A friend recommended this spot, so we gave it a try. It is actually difficult to find a good Mexican restaurant. Forget about recommending Chevy’s.
Insider Tip – Service can be slow, so do not come in a hurry.
Why did we dine here? – Locanda Positano is the sister restaurant to now closed Acqua Pazza in San Mateo and has received some high accolades on Yelp. We were in the area, love Italian food, and decided to give them a try.
Locanda means inn, in Italian. Positano is a scenic town hugging the Amalfi coast of Southern Italy. We’ve visited there but did not have a meal. Our last visit was in Spring 2017, where we found service had fallen.
Why did we dine here? – An Japanese is a new Japanese Edomae-style Sushi restaurant in San Francisco’s Japantown, taking the place of crusty old Ino Sushi. It is run by the folks behind Koo in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset district. Hayakawa San and his wife run this small restaurant. Definitely and intimate affair here.
Coconuts Caribbean Restaurant and Bar is an Caribbean Island focused restaurant that has been open since 2008. They focus on Jamaican classics like Jerk Chicken. Some cool Steel drum live music was playing on our 2009 visit, by 2016, the place was so loud on a Friday night, you could not hear much. Its chef also runs the cult classic Back-A-yard restaurant in Menlo Park.
Shabuway is a Japanese hot pot restaurant in San Mateo that opened in 2004. They also have a location in Mountain View, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Jose, and Union City. You cook vegetables and thinly sliced beef at your table in a your own boiling pot of watery broth. Shabuway does not take reservations and insists all folks are present when names are called. Our last visit was in 2016, where we get a sense that the business changed hands.
Hakka Restaurant SF is a family run Chinese restaurant in San Francisco’s Outer Richmond District that opened in early 2010. It has garnered some foodie attention on chowhound. While they serve a wide variety of Chinese dishes including Americanized standbys, they are known for their regional Chinese specialties. We returned for to go in late 2015.
Why did we dine here? – Ilbunjee #1 is a Korean BBQ restaurant in the Santa Clara Koreatown district. We find the best Korean in the San Francisco area right here. LA still eclipses our offerings though.
Why did we dine here? – Trestle is a small restaurant in San Francisco’s Jackson Square district. Their claim to fame
is a three course prix-fixe menu for $35 per person, with an option to add an additional pasta course for $10. $60 for bottles of wine! The team behind this popular restaurant also runs Stones Throw on Russian Hill and Fat Angel.
Why did we dine here? – Raku is a popular Japanese restaurant in Las Vegas. Some friends loved this place and suggested we dine there. Raku are located about 15 minutes from the strip, right in the middle the Chinatown strip mall area. Chef Mitsuo Endo has been packing them in for many years.
Himawari is a Japanese Ramen Noodle house located in downtown San Mateo. Every block down here has a Japanese restaurant. Their chief rival, a couple miles away, is the legendary Santa Ramen along with its sister Ramen restaurants. They have a broader menu than Santa Ramen, with Rice Bowls, lots of appetizers, and many ramen options. We came on hot day and noted no air conditioning, just ceiling fans cranked up. Last visit September 2017.
A video review of the newest BonChon Chicken location in San Mateo, California.
