Peninsula
Ben Tre Restaurant, Millbrae – San Mateo
Posted on May 9, 2017
Why did we dine here? – Ben Tre (A city in Vietnam) has three locations on the San Francisco Peninsula.
Browsing Category
San Francisco Peninsula
Michael Bauer’s Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants 2017 Review
Posted on April 29, 2017We review the San Francisco Master Foodie’s Michael Bauers Top 100 2017 list.
Aina’s Spam Musubi
Il Fornaio Review
Posted on January 14, 2017
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.
Pancho Villa Taqueria, San Mateo
Posted on November 29, 2016
Bird Dog, Palo Alto
Posted on November 28, 2016Why 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.
Palo Alto Creamery, Palo Alto
Posted on February 29, 2016
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.
Town Restaurant Review, San Carlos
Posted on February 22, 2016
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, San Mateo
Posted on February 16, 2016
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!
Sushi Yoshizumi, San Mateo
Posted on February 15, 2016
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.
El Sinaloense, San Mateo
Posted on January 4, 2016Why 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.
Locanda Positano, San Carlos
Posted on January 1, 2016Why 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.
Coconuts Caribbean, Palo Alto
Posted on November 16, 2015
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 Restaurant Review, San Mateo
Posted on November 15, 2015
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.
Himawari Restaurant, San Mateo
Posted on September 18, 2015
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.
BonChon Chicken, San Mateo
Posted on September 6, 2015A video review of the newest BonChon Chicken location in San Mateo, California.
Howie’s Artisan Pizza Restaurant Review, Palo Alto
Posted on January 19, 2015
Howie’s Artisan Pizza was opened by Howard Bulka in late 2009 into Town & Country Village shopping Center of Palo Alto. He had worked at various restaurants including Marche. Inspired by the New Haven school of East Coast pizza-making and the renaissance of artisanal products including organic, natural, and local ingredients. Our last visit was in the beginning of 2015 when we noticed that pizza prices went up again.
Espetus Churrascaria Restaurant Review
Posted on November 24, 2014
Espetus Churrascaria is a Brazilian steakhouse serving Rodizio style food. They focus on meats straight from the fire brought to your table, continuously through the meal! You can stop the meat parade by flipping the table card to red. They have a salad and hot plate bar with lots of different options including asparagus, bean salad, eggplant, rice, beans, cod, and much more. Do not eat too much of this stuff otherwise you wonder have room for all the meat. Vegetarians should stay away.
Espetus Churrascaria has locations in San Francisco and San Mateo. We tried the brand new San Mateo location for dinner. It is all you can eat, with lunch going for $25.95 with 7 meat options, $37.95 on weekends. Dinner is $54.95 with 14 meat options. Kids are 50% off. Our last visit was in the Summer of 2014.
Jeffreys Hamburgers San Mateo Review
Posted on June 16, 2014
Jeffrey’s Hamburgers is a popular burger joint in downtown San Mateo open since 1997. They also have a location in Menlo Park. They serve American fast food including burgers, hot dogs, fish and chips, salads, fries, and shakes. Seems like every town has a place like this, San Francisco has its Mel’s Drive in..
Pacific Catch Restaurant Review, San Mateo
Posted on March 31, 2014
Why did we dine here? – Pacific Catch is a small string of restaurants in the Northern California area. They were started by the founders of World Wrapps. The first location open in San Francisco on Chestnut Street in 2003, with the San Mateo branch opening in 2014, right next to the Century Theaters multiplex.
Yakitori Kokko, San Mateo
Posted on March 9, 2014
Japanese Izakaya is hot in the SF Bay Area right now.. Yakitori Kokko is a Japanese Izakaya or drinking oriented establishment (like Sumika in the South Bay, Ippuku in Berkeley or Izakaya Mai in San Mateo) that serves casual food focusing on skewers of meat and liquor. It is run by Japanese folks and feels pretty authentic. Yakitori means chicken grill, so the focus is on charcoal grilled meats. The place has gotten some good buzz, so we decided to give it a try. Our last visit was in the summer of 2015.
The Kitchen Dinner Restaurant Review, Millbrae
Posted on February 10, 2014
The Kitchen is part of a restaurant group that owns highly regarded Chinese Cantonese restaurants in California including Asian Pearl Peninsula. We’ve been to most of them and find them pretty good. This review concentrates on dinner. The food here is pretty authentic Chinese Cantonese food, so some may not like this type of more hardcore cuisine. Do not come here for General’s Chicken or Broccoli Beef. Another review covers The Kitchen dim sum lunch. Our last visit for dinner was in 2015, a meal where we found that their quality has improved. We’d consider this #2 behind Koi Palace. The Kitchen has recently remodeled the dining room, making it much more open, spacious, and modern.
Seven Hills Restaurant Review, San Francisco
Posted on January 13, 2014
Why did we dine here? – Seven Hills is a quaint neighborhood restaurant in San Francisco’s Russian Hill. We used to live nearby, had heard all the rave reviews, and finally had an excuse to dine there. They proudly list the various local suppliers they use on their website.
Michael Bauer gave it a 2.5 star, Very good rating in 2013. A high 4.5 stars on Yelp.
Donato Enoteca Restaurant Review, Redwood City
Posted on January 1, 2014
Donato Enoteca is an Italian Restaurant in downtown Redwood City, located right next to City Hall. They serve modern Italian focusing on fresh, simple ingredients, and focusing on the chef’s Donata Scotti (formerly of La Strada) Northern Italian roots. Our last visit for dinner outside in 2020 during the Covid 19 Pandemic.
Yuzu Sushi and Grill Review, San Mateo
Posted on November 10, 2013
Yuzu Sushi and Grill is located in a sleepy shopping district in San Mateo across from the former location of Alhana foods. It is a sister restaurant to Burlingame’s well respected and Michelin Bib Gourmand Sakae Sushi. We decided to try it to see if it was a lower cost but similar quality version of Sakae Sushi. Sakae Sushi has lots of exotic seafood air freighted in from Japan. Our last visit was in April 2014.
Hong Kong Restaurant Review, Palo Alto
Posted on September 29, 2013
Why did we dine here? – Hong Kong Restaurant opened in 2012 in Palo Alto, where several restaurants including a Thai one had come and gone.
Over the last couple of months, it has established itself as the go to Chinese restaurant in this area. We have eaten there for dinner as well as for a for a fixed menu meal. Our last visit was in February 2014.
Gorilla BBQ Restaurant Review, Pacifica
Posted on September 23, 2013
Why did we dine here? – Gorilla BBQ is a restaurant located inside a railroad car on the side of Highway One in Pacifica. We’ve read about this place (it was featured in the Wall Street Journal) and finally got a chance to try it, after driving through the beautiful new Tom Lantos Tunnel.
Kani Kosen Restaurant Review, Pacifica
Posted on August 5, 2013
Why did we dine here? – Kani Kosen was recommended by a friend. This is a old school, little known sleeper restaurant located in a strip mall off the main drag. No one would find this place unless they knew about it. They specialize in fresh fish and sushi.
Paul Martin’s American Grill Restaurant Review, San Mateo
Posted on July 22, 2013
Why did we dine here? – Paul Martin’s American Grill is a new restaurant chain from the P in PF Chang’s. This new dining establishment open in San Mateo’s Hillsdale Mall in July 2013. They have a location in Roseville as well as 3 in southern California. Normally hearing the above would cause us to run, but we were nearby, so we gave it a go.
Dumpling Empire Restaurant Review, South San Francisco
Posted on July 8, 2013
Why did we dine here? – Dumpling Empire is a new Chinese dumpling shop in South San Francisco, right off Grand Ave. It reminds us of Town of Dumpling in San Mateo. Simple, small (10 tables), family run, reasonable prices, plain decor.
Shalizaar Restaurant Review, Belmont
Posted on May 30, 2013
Shalizaar is a Persian Cuisine restaurant in Belmont. It moved here from a smaller location in San Mateo, which is now home to another decent restaurant: Tannourine. They specialize in Persian Kabobs and become immensely popular, leading to an expansion of the restaurant. Shalizaar has a large wood fired oven at one end of the dining room constantly making flat bread. Our last visit was in June 2016.
Sundance the Steakhouse Restaurant Review, Palo Alto
Posted on May 13, 2013
Why did we dine here? – Sundance is the steakhouse on the San Francisco Peninsula. This place has been here for ever and is liked by many. It’s interesting that the reviews on Yelp are all over the board. We hadn’t been here in probably 10 years, so it was time to give it a try.
Fey Restaurant Restaurant Review, Menlo Park
Posted on April 22, 2013
Why did we dine here? – Fey Restaurant recently opened in Menlo Park. It has gotten positive buzz, so we decided to give it a try. The owner has owned many different Sichuan Chinese restaurants including Little Sichuan in San Mateo and Classic Sichuan in Millbrae. She has built up a fan base and hopefully has found a restaurant that has some staying power.
The restaurant features somewhat neo-classical lighting and decor, probably from China. They have a small parking lot in the back, so you might have to park on El Camino Real.
New England Lobster Market and Eatery Restaurant Review, Burlingame
Posted on February 18, 2013Why did we dine here? – New England Lobster Market and Eatery has been selling Maine lobsters, Dungeness crab and shellfish since 1986. They recently opened an
eatery in Burlingame’s hotel row area, just south of San Francisco Airport (SFO). Being a fan of crustaceans, we had to try this restaurant.
Insider Tip – Great place to purchase shellfish to go
Inshou Restaurant Review, San Mateo
Posted on January 25, 2013By Henry Kwan
Why did we dine here? – Inshou recently opened in the Marina Plaza shopping center, just off Highway 101’s Hillsdale exit. We were shopping at Marina supermarket and decided to give this new place a try.
San Mateo is home to a large Japanese and Asian population making it ground zero for some excellent Japanese restaurants including Hotaru, Yakitori Kokko, and Sushi Sam. Our last visit was in November 2013
Mokutanya, Burlingame
Posted on January 14, 2013
Why did we dine here? – Mokutanya is a modern Japanese restaurant located in a non-descript strip mall in sleepy Burlingame. A friend suggested this restaurant, so we were excited to give it a try. The food and atmosphere exceeded our expectations. Kokko and Izakaya Mai is one of the better skewer restaurants in this area and Mokutanya exceeds it in terms of quality and fun.
Big Bubba’s Bad BBQ Restaurant Review
Posted on January 1, 2013
Big Bubbas Bad BBQ is a food concession that appears at some of the country’s largest State Fairs, Nascar Races, and Livestock Shows since 1996. You will find them in California, Colorado, and New Mexico. We have eaten their food several times over the years and found it to be pretty good. Our last visit in 2013 was during the Maker’s Faire in San Mateo.
The Sea by Alexanders Steakhouse Restaurant Review, Palo Alto
Posted on December 31, 2012
The Sea by Alexanders Steakhouse is a new seafood oriented restaurant in Palo Alto by the folks behind Alexanders. They focus on the freshest, wild, and sustainably harvested products. This restaurant is a nice addition to the South Bay scene. There really aren’t many places of this caliber down here.
Birch Street Restaurant Review, Palo Alto
Posted on December 19, 2012
Birch Street is a French-Californian bistro in the California Avenue shopping district of Palo Alto. The focus on local, organic, and sustainable ingredients from the local farmers market. They use to be known as Bistro Elan and were located around the corner. The new restaurant is fairly small and much more casual. We liked the old restaurant, so it was a no brainer to give this one a try.
San Bruno Korean BBQ Restaurant Review, San Bruno
Posted on December 3, 2012
Why did we dine here? – San Bruno Korean BBQ is an all you can eat $23.95 Korean buffet located almost across the street from Asian Pearl Peninsula.
We’ve passed by this location many times and read the Yelp reviews, so we finally decided it was time to give it a try.
Left Bank Restaurant Review, Menlo Park, Santana Row
Posted on October 29, 2012
Left Bank is a Brasserie style French restaurant. They have 3 locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and got started in 1994. They serve seafood from the CleanFish Alliance of sustainable seafood products. Our last visit in September 2012, was to the Santana Row location in San Jose.
New Michelin Guide San Francisco 2013
Posted on October 24, 2012
New 2013 Foodie bible Michelin San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country Restaurants 2013 was just released. Less than $12 at Amazon.
Divino Ristorante Review, Belmont
Posted on October 22, 2012
Wakuriya Restaurant Review, San Mateo
Posted on September 3, 2012
Wakuriya is a Michelin Starred Restaurant in a San Mateo strip mall. They’ve been around for several years and have established themselves as one of the finest Japanese restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. The owner and chef Katsuhiro Yamasaki used to work at Kaygetsu (a now closed Japanese Fine dining restaurant). His wife also helps to run this tiny restaurant. You need to book roughly one month in advance as this restaurant only has 4 tables and a small counter.
Amber India Restaurant Review, Mountain View
Posted on August 13, 2012
All Spice Restaurant Review, San Mateo
Posted on August 1, 2012
Why did we dine here? – All Spice is one of the highest rated restaurants on Yelp (4.5 stars) within the San Francisco Peninsula. We’ve heard good things about this restaurant. A recent review on Check Please reminded us. Their unlucky but cozy mini Victorian location just off El Camino Real has housed The Dining Room, Dolly Marie, among others. This restaurant focuses on seasonal food along with the traditions of Indian cuisine.
Orenchi Restaurant Review, Santa Clara
Posted on July 2, 2012
Why did we dine here? – Orenchi is a very popular Japanese Noodle House that has been on our hit list for a while. They are a sister restuarant to Sumika in Los Gatos. The broth that they use is cooked for a minimum of 18 hours. It is made with organic chicken, Canadian black pork, and filtered water. There is a line much of the time. We had to wait approximately 45 minutes for a Saturday night dinner. They close up when they run out of broth, which happened about 8:30pm on this particular evening.
Kunjip Restaurant Review, Santa Clara
Posted on February 29, 2012
Why did we dine here? – Kunjip is a top rated Korean restaurant in Santa Clara, situated in a Korean focused strip mall. They focus on soups and noodles, no BBQ unlike most other places.
Tobang Restaurant Review, Santa Clara
Posted on February 27, 2012
Why did we dine here? – Tobang is located next door to the Korean restaurant Kunjip in a Santa Clara strip mall full of Korean merchants. We had enough soup and noodles there, and wanted some Korean BBQ.