United States
Why did we dine here? – Apex is the restaurant located in the Montage Deer Valley Resort. We were on vacation here and wanted some Foie Gras and found that this restaurant served it. This is a very high end hotel that looks beautiful. We came into this restaurant not knowing much about it, but seeing that the Yelp reviews were generally favorable.
Why did we dine here? – Coqueta (Spanish for flirt or infatuation) is a new restaurant from Michael Chiarello of Bottega, Napastyle fame.
This time he focuses on Spain’s signature ‘small plates’ from Madrid, Catalonia, the Basque Country and beyond. We loved Bottega so giving this
place a try was a no brainer. They are located a couple piers down from the Ferry Building. Take a walk after dinner and burn off the calories.
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.
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.
Fifth floor is a restaurant in the SF Downtown Hotel Palomar, and has been around for ages and seen many a top chef come and move on. (George Morrone, Melissa Perrello, etc) We haven’t been back in many years, so it was time to refresh our memory. Our last visit was in April 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.
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.
Best xiao long bao in San Francisco?
Shanghai Dumpling King is a Shanghainese Chinese restaurant in San Francisco’s outer Richmond district. It was recently featured on Check Please. They have a weekday lunch rice plate special menu. Our latest visit was in 2013, after 4 years. We were in search of the best Shanghai steamed dumplings in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Why did we dine here? – Outerlands has established the outer sunset into a foodie destination. No reservations, so there is a line out the door before the place opens. Lana Porcello and David Muller have created an oasis in this cold drab, often foggy part of town where the Muni Metro clanks through every couple minutes. We came for lunch and waited 20 minutes. On another occasion we had dinner.
Why did we dine here? – Lolinda is a new Argentinean steakhouse that combines latin american flavors with Californian sensibilities. This Mission district restaurant is by the Beretta & Starbelly team. They focus on a lots of meat dishes in the small tapas format for sharing.
Osha Thai is a popular Thai restaurant in San Francisco that has grown to seven locations and was started in 1996 by sisters Wassana Korkhieola and Lalita Souksamlane. Osha means delicious in Thai. We visited the third Street location near Moscone Center. They focus on fresh, seasonal, local ingredients while serving both traditional Thai cuisine and modern interpretations. Our last visit was in April 2013 where we saw quality had fallen off. Be sure to try Kin Khao.
Why did we dine here? – Elliott’s Oyster House is located on the waterfront, smack dab in the middle of different attractions we were visiting. They have their Oyster New Year event every year, leading to crowds of oyster fans from all over. You can also visit Taylor Shellfish Farms in Seattle to purchase a wide variety of local oysters.
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Pike Place Market is America’s oldest food market. This 9 acre market has been in its current location since 1907. Home of the legendary flying fish at Pikes Place Fish, this market is a wholesale fruit and vegetable market most of the time and a retail market with 200 small vendors. Right outside of the market are several streets full of food related shops, restaurants, bakeries, and more. This is where a lot of the interesting finds are located. We were suprised by the variety of seafood as well as produce in some of the markets. Clearly there were many items that we don’t have in the San Francisco area.
Why did we dine here? – Canlis was established in 1950 and still draws a crowd for its fine food, service, and location. This restaurant even requires a suit or a sport coat. We decided we should try this Seattle institution and see what all the hubbubb was about. Jason Franey from Eleven Madison Park in New York City became chef in 2008 and elevated the food to a new level.
Why did we dine here? – Din Tai Fung is a popular Xiao Long Bao (small bamboo steamer bun in Chinese) – Shanghai Steamed dumpling restaurant with locations in Bellevue, Los Angeles, Taipei, Japan, China, Singapore, and several other countries. We have dined at the location in Din Tai Fung’s Shanghai’s touristy Xintiandi and Din Tai Fung Hong Kong. The Los Angeles location is in Arcadia with Yelp reviews unfortunately indicating it is a step down from the ones abroad, although some say it is better than the original in Taiwan.
Why 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
Why did we dine here? – Summer Jo’s is a unique restaurant in Grants Pass, Oregon, right in the heart of the fertile Rogue Valley. We were on a road trip and were passing through the city on our way to the Northern California coast. They run an organic farm and also have a restaurant that utilizes their vegetables, flowers, and culinary herbs.
By 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
Alexander’s Steakhouse is a modern high end steak restaurant that opened Early September 2010 in the South of market (SOMA) area of San Francisco. Their other location in Cupertino, just off highway 280, has been serving top notch steaks since 2005. On our last visit during the pandemic, we ate outside at the Cupertino location. They feature 28-day aged Certified USDA prime Angus steaks while the Palo Alto location uses USDA Choice Grade meat. (Top 1% of beef)
Everett and Jones is a Barbecue restaurant with locations in Berkeley, Hayward, Sacramento, and Oakland’s Jack London Square. We ate at their Berkeley location, which is much more informal than their flagship Oakland one, which has live music. Our last visit was to the Berkeley location in 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 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 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.
Why did we dine here? – Black Bear Diner is a chain with many locations in Central California. We kept passing locations and decided to see what this place was all about.
Why did we dine here? – Larks is a popular restaurant in Ashland. We were here to see a theater performance at the legendary Shakespeare festival. This restaurant is located in the historic Ashland Springs Hotel, only 3 blocks from the theater. Larks opened in 2006 and has won several dining awards.
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.
Why did we dine here? – Cat Heads BBQ was a pop-up that has morphed into a permanent restaurant in the former Big Nate’s BBQ location. We are being BBQ fans, always on the lookout for new openings.
Why did we dine here? – South Legend is a long standing Sichuan Chinese restaurant in Milpitas that has been listed in the Michelin Guide. We were in the area and decided to give this restaurant another try.
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 2013 Foodie bible Michelin San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country Restaurants 2013 was just released. Less than $12 at Amazon.
Farmhouse is a One Michelin Star restaurant and Inn located in the heart of the Russian River Valley, Forestville. We have never ventured into this region and came here for dinner after a long day of playing in the River at Guerneville. This restaurant and inn are located on beautiful grounds full of plants and other vegetation.
Why did we dine here? – Brown Sugar Kitchen is run by Tanya Holland, who draws upon her African-American heritage and her formal culinary training from France. This restaurant is located in an industrial part of Oakland, not far from Emeryville. We happened to be in the area and had this legendary place on our hit list. Our meal was for lunch on a weekday, so the wait was short. This place is packed during the weekends for breakfast.
Why did we dine here? – Crown Princess is a top rated Chinese restaurant in Downtown Toronto. We were here for a couple of days and wanted to try several Chinese restaurants to see how they compared to the ones back in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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.
Twenty Five Lusk – 25 Lusk is a long-awaited and hot restaurant from an All-Star team that opened in the middle of October, 2010. Tucked away in an alley, this place will draw much walk-in traffic! They serve “sophisticated, contemporary, approachable fine dining specializing in neoclassical-influenced cuisine”, which probably means locally inspired California cuisine. Our last visit was in 2012.
Ad Hoc at Home – This book is full of Thomas Keller’s insights from Ad hoc.
Be sure to check out the French Laundry Cookbook
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.
Why did we dine here? – Redd Wood is the sister restaurant to Michelin-starred Redd in foodie heaven, Yountville. We love Redd, so we were just waiting for our next visit to this area for an opportunity to dine here. Redd is one of those top notch places that falls below the radar of many folks. This restaurant is located in the northern part of Yountville, not far from the French Laundry.
Why did we dine here? – Press is a Steak House in St. Helena that has received positive press from Michael Bauer. We were nearby and decided to give this beautiful restaurant a visit for dinner. A surprising mainstream change from the California cuisine that we normally have, at a place like Terra..! This restaurant is situated next door to foodie heaven, Dean and DeLuca.
Make sure visit them before coming here for dinner.
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.
Why did we dine here? – Soowon Galbi is a popular Korean restaurant in LA and one of the highest rated on Yelp at 4.5 stars. It is located right in the heart of Korea town, in a nondescript strip mall. LA is renown for some of the best Korean food in the US, so we had to give this restaurant a visit. We had previously dined at Genwa Korean in Los Angeles and wanted to see how this place compared.
Why did we dine here? – Providence is a seafood restaurant run by chef, Michael Cimarusti. It has been top rated and focuses on seafood in its purest and simplest form. Located in Patina’s formerly digs, this restaurant was our fine dining destination on our recent trip to LA.
The modern decor features an ocean theme with barnacles and fins hugging the walls. 2 Michelin Stars in 2009.
Gioia is a top rated Pizza place in North Berkeley. It has been there since 2004. As they put it: “Gioia Pizzeria takes the best of pizza traditions from the old world and the new. Classic flavors and ingredients such as artisanally made sausage, fresh mozzarella cheese and arugula come together in inspired traditional ways, seasoned with the influence of Bay Area kitchens such as Zuni Café, Chez Panisse and Oliveto” Gioia is a small hole in the wall with minimal counter seating. The place specializes in thin crust pizza and is known for local, organic ingredients. It was rated as a top pizza place by Michael Bauer. Our last visit was in late 2011 and we noticed prices had gone up. Their San Francisco location opened in 2012, we dined here in May 2012. It is located right next door to burger heaven, Polkers.
Why did we dine here? – Genwa Korean BBQ is a popular Korean restaurant in LA’s Mid-Wilshire District and one of the highest rated on Yelp at 4.5 stars. It is located in a new housing complex, not far from Koreatown. LA renown for some of the best Korean food in the US, so we had to give this restaurant a visit. They were remodeling next door when we dined in 2012.
Why did we dine here? – We were on vacation in Pismo Beach and found some positive buzz for Ventana Grill. It is located right by the water with killer views of the Ocean, especially during sunset.
