Why did we dine here? – Yemeni’s Restaurant happened to be located in an area of San Francisco that we were in. A quick Yelp search uncovered this restaurant. There was a TV playing Middle Eastern music videos blaring in the background, along with a mostly Middle Eastern crowd. Being adventurous, we decided to give 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.
Why did we dine here? – Capo’s is owned by Tony of Tony’s Pizza fame. We had to give his new place a try, being big pizza and Italian fans. This place transports you back to the old days with red leather booths, exposed brick, and old school antiques.
Cash Only.
Pizzetta 211 is a small but cozy 4 table, 4 seat counter restaurant in San Francisco’s Richmond district. We first dined there in 2008 and finally returned in April 2013.
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
Introduction
Welcome to Foodnut.com’s Beginners Introduction to an Authentic Chinese dinner. This article follows our Beginner Introduction to Chinese dim sum. In this guide you will find a comprehensive introduction to Chinese Food that will help guide you in your new exploration into Chinese food. Authentic Chinese food is foreign to many people, so we thought it would be useful to write up a short tutorial on what to expect, and what to order.
We would like to help people expand beyond the usual potstickers, broccoli beef, sweet-and-sour pork, General Tso’s chicken, etc. No sharks fin dishes here. Many Chinese restaurants can be a loud and intimidating place with lots of different foods, faces, and languages being spoken. We are seeking to bridge the gap and get more folks into world of Chinese dining. No more looking around at other tables and pointing their dishes.
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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
Memphis Minnie’s is one of the best barbecue places in San Francisco. It is located in the colorful lower Haight district. They specialize in slowly smoking meats from 4 to 18 hours over white oak logs. Memphis Minnie’s prides themselves in cooking items from scratch. They have BBQ plates, sandwiches, burgers, and even catfish. Our last visit was in April 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)
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.
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.
We recently finished up our culinary tour of Rome in the Summer of 2012. It was interesting to see how authentic Italian food and restaurants in Rome compare to the ones we have in the San Francisco Bay Area. Below are several Roman restaurants we dined at.
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.
We recently finished up our culinary tour of Sorrento in the Summer of 2012. This is a very touristy area, one of those classic challenges for foodies. Avoiding a tourist trap is very difficult. Below are several restaurants in and around Sorrento that we dined at.
RE Foods
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.
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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? – Quadri is a popular restaurant that overlooks St. Marks Square in Venice, Italy. We chose this relatively new restaurant because of its convenient location and the fact that it had one Michelin star. This restaurant has stunning decor which blends Italian style with modern sensibility. With a view of St. Marks square, you can watch all the action while dining on some of the best food in Venice. Our focus was on seafood, as Venice is known for fresh food from the sea. Considering the amount of water around here… This restaurant was a major splurge! It was our only meal in Venice.
We recently finished up our culinary tour of Germany in the Summer of 2012. It was interesting to see how authentic German food and restaurants in Munich compare to the ones we have in the San Francisco Bay Area. Below are several Munich restaurants we dined at. See our Tantris Review for a two Michelin Star Munich Restaurant.
Wirtshaus In Der Au
Why did we dine here? – Tantris was designed to be exotic and different. This restaurant has two Michelin stars (the only one in Munich) and stands out from the crowd with its crazy decor. We wanted to eat here as a fine dining contrast to all the meaty and loud restaurants we ate at. Check out our other Munich restaurant reviews.
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.
The Restaurant at Meadowood is the other 3 Michelin Star restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area. Everybody knows about French Laundry. This restaurant has long been at the top of our Must Visit list. We finally found a good excuse, a special occasion nonetheless, so we blocked off an evening to drive up to this lovely location.
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.
