Kokkari

Kokkari is a San Francisco staple. Located in the Financial District, this restaurant dishes up phenomenal Greek, Mediterranean fare. It’s a tad more on the expensive side but worth every penny. I've never heard anyone speak poorly about this restaurant. Locals and out-of-towners all rave about the food, the ambiance, the staff…everything about this place makes for a memorable dining experience. I’ve organized business dinners, wined and dined the parentals and we’ve had date night here…it works for every occasion.

Why not celebrate a birthday, as well? That's exactly what we did. Reid and I treated his Uncle to a delicious birthday dinner at Kokkari. Even though it was a Sunday night, at 5:30 pm (yes, we dined at senior citizen hour), the restaurant was filled, making me feel less guilty about the early evening dinner resis. Score of the night; we were seated in the main dining room (a first for me). Try to request seating in this area, as it is the best view in the house. Not only is it prime for people watching, but you can also view the huge fire pit, where Kokkari roasts the house meat of the night (vegetarians: you might not love this room so maybe stick to the back dining area).

Now for the best part, the food! Of course, we ordered appetizers; some zucchini cakes with cucumber & mint yogurt dressing and Tiropitakia, which is a filo pie filled with melted feta cheese. Everyone always raves about the zucchini cakes and I had never tried them. They were lightly fried; I added a dollop of yogurt and sprinkled a couple baby cucumber slices on top...heaven! And, we all know I have an obsession with cheesy anything, so the pies could hardly disappoint. The flaky filo dough was still warm with the gooey cheese in the middle. Are you hungry now?

Tried-and-trues I also recommend:

The baked Feta - wood oven baked Greek feta with tomato, capers & Metaxa brandy and the Melitzanosalata, Taramosalata, Tzatziki, Favosalata or Tirosalata with housemade grilled pita.

For entrees, we ordered the following:

Me: Galeos - Pacific halibut steak pan roasted with lemon braised baby carrots & Amphesa olives.

Reid: Arnisio Souvlaki - spiced lamb skewer grilled with onion, bay leaf & tomatoes with tzatziki & potatoes

Uncle Dane: Arnisia Paidakia - lamb chops grilled with a lemon-oregano vinaigrette & Kokkari potatoes

Yum, yum and yum! We even had the waiter bring birthday dessert: a bowl of baklava ice cream with a candle, of course. We didn't embarrass him with the happy birthday serenade but still brought the spotlight on the birthday boy...Happy Birthday,  Uncle Dane!

Kokkari Estiatorio, 200 Jackson Street, San Francisco, CA 94111.

FYI: Uncle Dane informed us Kokkari has a sister restaurant in Palo Alto, Evvia, 420 Emerson Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301. I’ve never been but I’m sure it’s fantastic.