Pizza!

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I thought I was a true pizza lover until I read this recent article on Eater, The Ultimate San Francisco Pizza Glossary. Out of the twenty-four pizza restaurants and trucks located in San Francisco, I have only tried fifteen. I was shocked! They forgot my beloved Piccino but otherwise, a very strong guide to anyone looking to consume some pies. I can't wait to try the other nine places on the list...

The Grove

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The Grove is a quick-bite food staple of San Francisco. Each location is reminiscent of a remote cabin or lodge in the mountains; with its exposed wood beams, pine tables, large Navajo rugs covering the wood floors, rustic pillows scattered everywhere and a huge stone fireplace, which remains the focal point of most locations. You feel like you are stepping into a living room, not so much a restaurant. 

Berkeley Bowl (a delicious vegan salad), Spinach Artichoke Dip and Breakfast Burrito (hangover cure) 

Students are usually scattered amongst the tables, with laptops propped open and a cup of coffee by their side. Others are found leisurely reading the paper in an over sized chair, sipping their morning latte or nibbling on The Grove's American comfort food (think sandwiches, salads, breakfast, baked goods).

The four locations are conveniently located near prime shopping areas throughout the city; Hayes Valley, Fillmore Street, Chestnut Street and the Yerba Buena Gardens, so I often stop by The Grove after a strenuous day of shopping :) Our most recent visit concluded our Mother's Day shopping excursion. We each ordered a cold Hefeweizen and some very unhealthy/delicious spinach artichoke dip. We sat at a table near an open window to take advantage of the rare sunny day in the city. Sipping our beers while devouring the spinach artichoke dip; it was the perfect way to unwind after a long day fighting the retail crowds of downtown San Francisco. So if you're ever in the neighborhood, stop by The Grove to escape the hustle and bustle for a few minutes and just relax. 

The Grove, 2016 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115.
The Grove, 690 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
The Grove, 2250 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA 94123.
The Grove, 301 Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA 94123.

The Slanted Door

Slanted Door is one of those Ferry Building staples. It's always bustling with people; locals and tourists alike. It offers delicious modern Vietnamese food in a contemporary, open, airy space. If you don't happen to have a reservation (highly recommended for both lunch and dinner), they do take walk-ins. So one sunny Saturday morning we cruised the Farmer's Market and after eying the fresh produce and inhaling the delicious food aromas, suddenly we were hungry. We put our name on the wait list and 20 minutes later, we were seated overlooking the bay. That's the great thing about this restaurant - no matter where you sit, you can view the fabulous San Francisco Bay. And on a day like this (warm, sunny, not a cloud in the sky), it was perfect for a window seat. 

It's always fun to try as many things as you can at any restaurant. Slanted Door's menu is conducive to sharing. So that's exactly what we did. We ordered the following:

• crispy vegetarian imperial rolls, taro root, cabbage, glass noodle, roasted peanut 
• grilled organic chicken, rice vermicelli noodle, imperial roll, cucumber, mint  
• star route farm baby spinach, garlic, caramelized shallots

Everything tasted delicious and refreshingly healthy, aside from the "crispy" (a.k.a. fried) imperial rolls. They have a quite an expansive selection on non-alcoholic beverages, so instead of the typical weekend Bloody Mary or Mimosa, I opted for their twin girls pomegranate spritzer and Reid tried their lychee-infused iced tea. Such a great Saturday...I love long, leisurely lunches!

Slanted Door has become quite a staple in the city. It is so popular, in fact, that they started a chain of to-go restaurants. Out The Door offers selected dishes from Slanted Door, as well as new menu additions, so you can still sample the delicious Vietnamese cuisine, even if you don't want the complete dining experience. With three locations in the city, it's hard to miss. Grab and go for dinner or lunch. It's so easy!  

Slanted Door, 1 Ferry Building #3, San Francisco, CA 94111.

The Cheese School

In case you hadn’t already figured it out, I will say it once again. I love cheese! So, Reid, being the best boyfriend in the whole world, bought us tickets to The Cheese School, a school dedicated to teaching students about all things cheese. Wednesday night we attended the class Locavore: Cheeses of Marin, Sonoma and Napa. For two hours, we sampled a plate of locally made cheeses, learned about each cheese, the cheese makers and drank some vino. Obviously, I was in heaven. Our instructor was insanely knowledgeable, as she just recently finished writing the book, Cheese for Dummies.

A few takeaways from Wednesday’s class:

If you like to peruse the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market, I recommend searching for Andante Dairy and sampling their Cavatina, a pasteurized goat’s milk cheese. It was, by far, my favorite cheese of the night.

Both wines were great picks and reasonably priced around $20/bottle so they are worth checking out:

·       2011 Waterstone Winery Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon

·       2009 Twenty Rows Cabernet Sauvignon

Cheese needs accoutrements! The Panevino breadsticks and the Panforte, a Tuscan honey nut candy (purchase at these locations), were quite a hit.

This class is a great way to mix up your traditional wine and cheese night. It’s a unique date idea or a fun girls night out. The Cheese School offers a variety of cheese classes, instructed by different cheese enthusiasts, multiple times a week, at their cute, homey nook in North Beach. Sign up for a class soon!  

The Cheese School, 2155 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA 94133.

The American Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese is quite trendy in San Francisco right now. With restaurants like The American Grilled Cheese and The Melt, popping up left and right, it is apparent that others enjoy grilled cheese as much as I do. Turn this simple comfort food into quite the culinary experience by adding flavorful cheeses and crème fraiche (to the tomato soup) and you’ll soon have a cult following. Reid and I visit The American Grilled Cheese, located in SOMA, quite often; (1) because it’s conveniently located walking distance from our apartment (score!) and (2) it is simply delicious!

The majority of the seating is located outside (a pitfall for chilly SF days), but there are plenty of bar seats indoors, in case you forget your Patagonia. This cheese heaven offers seven types of grilled cheeses and two soups so you can vary your order a little bit each time. They also have a breakfast menu, mimosas and a few beers on tap…not too shabby for a grilled cheese restaurant.

I've sampled three American Grilled Cheeses: the Mousetrap (Tillamook sharp cheddar, creamy havarti, Monterey jack, on sourdough), the Mushroom Gruyere (fontina, gruyère, roasted wild mushrooms + gold potatoes, melted leeks, caramelized onions, thyme butter on levain) and the Jalapeno Popper (chèvre, Monterey jack, applewood-smoked bacon, apricot-jalapeño relish on levain). All are phenomenal but my go-top is the Mousetrap.  If you like spice, order the Jalapeno Popper. It is sure to leave your mouth burning.

Reid always orders the Club Turkey (Tillamook sharp cheddar, creamy havarti, Willie Bird smoked turkey, applewood-smoked bacon, Sierra Nevada stout mustard, roasted tomatoes, arugula) but last weekend he ventured out and tried the Foghorn Leghorn (Point Reyes blue cheese, creamy havarti, Zoe's Roasted Chicken, arugula, dill-dijon mustard on whole wheat). Although you can't go wrong with either, he's definitely more of a Club Turkey kind-of-guy.

Definitely take advantage of The Red, White & Blue Plate Special, which offers you a cup of soup and half of any of their grilled cheeses - allowing you to sample a little bit of each. We always order the tomato soup to accompany our sandwich; with crème fraiche and croutons, this tomato soup has won a place in our hearts.

The Mousetrap with tomato soup

The Foghorn Leghorn with tomato soup

The American Grilled Cheese, 1 South Park Avenue, Suite 103A, San Francisco, CA 94107.

Lucky Strike

  

The art of bowling may strike you as somewhat less than glamorous. Visions of bowling alleys smelling of stale cigarettes, dated 60’s décor, men in short-sleeved polyester shirts with embroidered name tags and clown shoes might flood your mind. But, my friends, bowling can, in fact, be very glamorous. Welcome to Lucky Strike, the new, very trendy, bowling alley/bar/restaurant that opened up in the old Borders space across from AT&T ballpark in SOMA. 

I was blown away with the old bookstore’s transformation. As we walked into Lucky Strike on Friday night, the place with swarming with young twenty-somethings, either perched at the expansive bar or dining at the surrounding tables. We proceeded past the restaurant/bar area, into the new era of bowling; where projector screens flank the end of each alley,  playing NCAA games (in the spirit of March Madness) and groups of people are lounging on couches, cheering their teammates to knock those pins down, as waiters serve cocktails, beer, wine and all that really unhealthy bar food that always tastes so good after you’ve been drinking. 

Along with fourteen others, we overtook two lanes at Lucky Strike and for a mere $60/person, we drank to our hearts content and bowled till we could bowl no more (for two hours). If only they offered the option of bumpers, as a high score of 26 proves I am no bowling champion. 

Lucky Strike, 200 King Street, San Francisco, CA 94107.

Piccino

Oh Piccino, I heart you so much. I remember before you moved and you were a mere hole in the wall, hidden in Potrero Hill. Now you have blossomed into a beautiful new space, with an expanded menu, maturing ever so graciously.

After multiple recommendations from Potrero Hill locals, Reid and I tried Piccino, a small, crowded, no frills pizza spot. The pizza was awesome. The space could have used some work. The next time we went, they had moved into a bright yellow building on Minnesota. With high ceilings, loft-like beams, lots of pine, bright lights, an open kitchen and spacious bar, the restaurant had done a complete 180. Now I adore this place even more because I am a stickler for great ambiance. It makes the dining experience just that much more fabulous.  

Reid and I visit this restaurant, at the very least, once a month. The menu does not change very often and each time we can’t help but order the same things and then rave about how delicious the roasted cauliflower with farro and almond gremolata is or how brussel sprouts can actually taste good if made by Piccino and cooked with lemon, garum and roasted garlic. Recently we added a third app into the mix; toma della rocca (Cheese! In case anyone was wondering…), hen of the woods mushroom and caramelized onion bruschetta. Yes, we devour all three apps and still have room for the two pizzas that won us over many moons ago; the funghi: roasted mushrooms, stracchino and shaved garlic and the salsiccia: house made sausage, mozzarella and red onion.

Last night we shared this special gem with Reid’s dad, Rick. Rick took cues from the veterans and let us chose the appetizers and he ordered a salsiccia himself. Wash the meal down with a Scrimshaw or a glass of Nebbiolo and you’re set. Taste buds are alive and satisfied. If you aren’t happy with their wines, walk next door to the very conveniently located, Dig, and pick out a bottle. Corkage is $20.  

Piccino, 1001 Minnesota Street, San Francisco, CA 94107.

Don’t forget to try their coffee bar, which adjoins the restaurant. Start that morning off right with a warm cup-o-Joe and a fresh pastry. The coffee bar is open daily from 7:00 am – 5:00 pm.

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.

Hotei

Although it is officially Spring, it sure doesn’t feel like it. The past few days have felt colder than ever. So what tastes best on a cold winter day? Udon! We’ve been on the hunt for our go-to udon spot; trying places all over the city. Saturday we might have found the one. Hotei, in the Inner Sunset, is an authentic Japanese restaurant with 15 types of noodle dishes. You choose the dish, the noodles and viola…a bowl of steaming broth filled with deliciousness arrives to warm you up before you venture out into the cold, again. If you aren’t in the mood for noodles, don’t worry, there are plenty of other Japanese dishes to sample.

Luckily we snagged the last 2 seater table upon arrival so no wait on a Saturday night…fabulous! We sat down in this no-frills, quaint little restaurant, sipping our green tea, contemplating all the options on the menu. I chose the Sansai with soba noodles, a variety of mushrooms and carrots. Reid chose the Niku with udon noodles, sliced beef and fresh vegetables. And since we were there, we might as well try a roll, right? We picked the 49er: salmon, lemon, avocado, tobiko and shiso. Everything was so yummy. I slurped my way to the bottom of the bowl. Needless to say, Reid did the same. He can’t wait to go back. He loves udon more than me so he was in heaven. He even perused the menu again Sunday morning, preparing for our next visit. I think Hotei just found some new regulars.

Hotei, 1290 Ninth Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122.

Luella

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I love, love, love Luella! It’s definitely one of my top 10 favorite restaurants in the city. I feel like it’s an untapped gem in the San Francisco restaurant scene. I constantly recommend this restaurant to people looking for a low-key evening with good food and good wine because every time I dine here, I’m never disappointed. Reid had never eaten at Luella so I was dying to take him - my treat! We walked into Luella and instantly Reid said, “I like this place.” It just has a warm vibe and just like Bacchus, not ostentatious at all. We wanted to try almost every appetizer on the menu but settled for two: the ahi tuna tartate tacos with lime vinaigrette and mango salsa (I’ve never not ordered these…they are amazing!) and the burrata with wildflower honey, toasted hazelnuts and grilled bread (who can pass up fresh burrata?).  

Ahi Tuna Tartare Tacos via Luella

Polenta Fries via Luella

Lasagna via Luella

Entrée choice for me: Roasted polenta cakes with wild mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan, arugula and champagne vinaigrette. If you love polenta, I also recommend the crispy polenta fries with spicy tomato vinaigrette - pure polenta deliciousness. Entrée choice for Reid: Short rib lasagna with Parmesan béchamel and tomato puree. Reid will never pass up lasagna. It’s one of his favorite dishes (of all time) and we all know I’m not whipping up any gourmet lasagna at home so he had to take advantage of the option.  No dessert for us, we were way too full.

Luella, 1896 Hyde Street, San Francisco, CA 94109.

Bacchus Wine & Sake Bar

Friday night we decided to have a real date; one of those nights where we actually get dressed up to go out. These don’t happen very often anymore so I was pretty excited, despite the down pouring rain. I planned a lovely evening in the quaint little neighborhood of Russian Hill. First, we stopped at Bacchus Wine & Sake Bar for a pre-dinner glass of wine. We were newbies to the bar. The only thing I factored into choosing this spot - it was a block away from dinner, which eliminated time walking/running in the rain. 

The focal point of the bar: the wine wall

The minute I stepped into the Bacchus, I was surprised by the tiny (I mean itty bitty) space. The bar is composed of two love seats, facing each other, crammed into a minuscule opening, overlooking the window at the entrance, a J-shaped bar with maybe 7 or 8 bar stools and a wood ledge mounted to the left wall creating just enough space to cram a couple more bar stools in for some additional seating. It’s not the place to bring a crowd, that’s for sure. As I looked around, there were pairs everywhere, deep in conversation with one another. It was the perfect spot to grab a drink; just the two of us. It’s not loud or ostentatious. You can order by the bottle, by the glass or even by the sip. We posted at the bar; Reid ordered a Malbec, I ordered a Pinot Noir and we relaxed, slowly decompressing after a long week. Dinner to follow....

Bacchus Wine & Sake Bar, 1954 Hyde Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

Deli Board

Who doesn’t love a good deli sandwich? Sure you can always hit up the deli at your local grocer but a restaurant specializing in deli sandwiches is pure bliss. Deli Board is a little gem in our neighborhood that some friends recently introduced us too. The little spot on the busy street of Folsom is always packed with locals. Be careful not to drive right past it, as the unassuming location does not have any outside signage. Walk into their open, loft-like space and notice the minimalist, no frills spin on the lunchtime eatery. The menu is posted on two walls, for you to ogle and contemplate which savory bite you should try this time. Today I went with the maeday, grilled squash & zucchini, goat cheese spread, sprouts, pepperoncini blend, organic greens, pickled red onion and their signature Board sauce on a whole-wheat role. Reid chose Reuben’s Cousin, a recommendation from staff; corned beef, coleslaw (substituted for the sauerkraut), Swiss cheese, Board sauce on a sweet French roll. Both of us were not in the least disappointed. We posted up at a table and devoured the sandwiches while listening to the classic beats of the 60’s.

Deli Board, 1058 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

Extreme Pizza

Happy Friday! It only seems befitting to begin this food blog with a review of a staple pizzeria in my life. For all of you that don’t know me, you will quickly find out that I love pizza. I could eat pizza every day if my jeans permitted. I’m serious. Who doesn’t love the cheesy goodness? So on that note, as much as I love dining out, sometimes it is nice to stay in, order take-out and open a bottle of vino. This is precisely how this Friday night is about to go down. Reid and I will order from our tried and true, Extreme Pizza. Extreme is no comparison to chains like Dominoes and Pizza Hut and ever since they introduced their whole-wheat crust, I love them even more. My go-to pizza is their Drag It Through The Garden, with fresh mushrooms, green peppers, red onions, artichoke hearts, broccoli, vine ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, tomato sauce, mozzarella and cheddar. With all these veggies, I will even argue that this is a healthy dinner option. Tonight we are doing the Half and Half option so we can order the Drag It Through The Garden and Pandora’s Box, which consists of spinach, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, garlic, fresh basil, oregano and mozzarella. How good does that sound? It tastes even better. 

Drag It Through The Garden

A slice of Pandora's Box