San Francisco Favorites
Great Places to Stay
Splurges:
- The Fairmont- To me this is the iconic SF hotel. It sits high atop Nob Hill and is just the epitome of old fashioned SF glamour.
- Cavallo Point Lodge- while this is located in Marin county and not in the city itself they do offer free shuttles into Town multiple times per day making it a great getaway from the hustle and bustle. I highly recommend the spa and splurging for a suite!
- Hotel Vitale- The location on the Embarcadero is a great launching point for exploring the city and the rooftop view is amazing!
- The Mark Hopkins- This hotel also sits on Nob Hill just across from the Fairmont. It is the a similar style as a discounted price. The rooms and lobby are not quite as plush as its comparison, but it is more interesting than your typical hotel.
- Bike or walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. You can ride all over SF and the areas surrounding the bay. This is a great way to get some exercise to earn your dinner for later!
- Climb the Flibert Steps to Coit Tower. Wind your way through the back yards of some interesting houses as you climb your way up to Coit Tower. Then take the time to see the tower itself. This is a great place for views and for the cool art deco murals inside.
- See Golden Gate Park. This park is huge and has so much to offer. Pick up a map and pick an area to explore. I like seeing the animals as well as the Japanese Tea Gardens and the Windmill near the beach!
- Ride a cable car!
- Be at the Ferry Building for the Saturday morning market. Plan on staying to eat breakfast and maybe lunch. I could spend all day here, but they typically pack up by 1 pm. Go early for the best selection and the most food choices.
- Take public transportation and or walk. Especially being from Atlanta, I love that even the buses are efficient and clean.
- Take a Tour. There are tons, but I recommend the following:
- Top three old school bars that you have to go to once in your life: The Tonga Room, Harry Denton's Starlight Room, Top of the Mark
- Great Cocktails: Bar Agricole (just ask James Beard), Rickhouse
- Rooftop: Jones Even though the weather might be iffy, this is a great rooftop bar.
- New favorite restaurant - Rich Table (reservations go a month in advance)
- Fun nice trendy option- Canteen
- Dim Sum- Yank Sing
- Chinese- House of Nanking
- Good hole in the wall Italian- Sotto Mare
- Heard great things about-
- We love and had our rehearsal dinner at Bar Agricole
- Great Pizza/ Italian
- Flour + Water
- Delfina/ Delfina Pizzaria
Freight Kitchen and Tap
Earlier this spring I had the day off and a growling stomach. I decided to head out to Woodstock to check out Neel Sengupta's Freight Kitchen and Tap. With little traffic during the day, I made it up there from Decatur in less than 30 minutes. I was delighted to see the cute downtown area and even more excited to try out the great food and drinks. First the restaurant is full of ambiance. Located in an old train depot, you are able to walk through the large doors, and across the original wood floors. The inside is at the same time modern and rustic. You can really get a feel for what it might have looked like back in the day, but more than appreciate the cool bar, and cozy nooks for guest dining.
Then you peruse the menu, the culinary team of Chef Kyle Shankman and Bar Manager Chris Pease have developed tastes that appeal to everyone, but are far from ordinary. The beer list got my attention as I was able to choose from a great selection of rotating local and regional draughts as well as some favorite and unusual bottles.
For lunch the appetizers such as house made pickles, pimento cheese, and poutine caught my eye. We were wooed by the soup a hearty pork and green chile bowl that melted in your mouth. According to the menu and my taste buds, the pork was roasted 8 hours! The flavors were set off with citrus sour cream a perfect way to start our meal. For the main course we sampled two of the sandwiches. I couldn't resist the "Stake" sandwich a rich filet of beef sliced and served on a warm baguette with grilled tomato and blue cheese dressing. We also had to try the burger (a measure of any good restaurant). We opted for the "Steam Engine" basted in BBQ sauce and topped with caramelized onions, mushrooms, swiss and cheddar; paired with the sweet potato fries it was a hit.
Overall Freight delivers in flavorful food, unique drinks and charm. I cannot wait to head back up to Woodstock to enjoy the dinner menu and take on some of their house cocktails!
Wurstkuche Venice Beach
We discovered Wurstkuche in Los Angeles through a great Huffington Post article showcasing Zagat's best single item focused menus in America. It is important to note that I found the article through a friend, Neel Sengupta, partner in Crepe Revolution here in Smyrna/ Vinings. They made this short list for their tasty crepes. If you haven't tried their great specialties or one of their wine or beer nights you should! They offer a laid back atmosphere with high end flavors.
Now back to Wurstkuche, after reading the article, my mouth was watering to try all of these great spots. I was excited to know my in-laws were also eager to try their city's contributor. Driving through Venice, you could easily pass this place among the bike shops, boutiques and bars, but once you head inside, the space certainly stands out. The room is a rough and rustic combination of barn wood panels and smooth concrete. The front counter gleams full of their selection of about 20 types of house made sausages. What caught my eye however were the numerous taps running the length of the room. Not only do they sell gourmet sausages prepared in inventive ways, along with sides of thick cut Belgian fries, they have about 20 beers on tap, and many more in bottles. I was in heaven. It was hard to choose, but I decided on the mango and jalapeno chicken sausage served on a soft toasted bun with caramelized onions and hot pickled peppers and nice cold Houblon Chouffe.
Lucky for me my family members all ordered a variety of sausages. I sampled everything from the duck with bacon and jalapenos to the traditional bratwurst. Each sausage had a distinct flavor and style. I am envious of my in-laws proximity to this little gem. Now I have one more reason to love LA.
Now back to Wurstkuche, after reading the article, my mouth was watering to try all of these great spots. I was excited to know my in-laws were also eager to try their city's contributor. Driving through Venice, you could easily pass this place among the bike shops, boutiques and bars, but once you head inside, the space certainly stands out. The room is a rough and rustic combination of barn wood panels and smooth concrete. The front counter gleams full of their selection of about 20 types of house made sausages. What caught my eye however were the numerous taps running the length of the room. Not only do they sell gourmet sausages prepared in inventive ways, along with sides of thick cut Belgian fries, they have about 20 beers on tap, and many more in bottles. I was in heaven. It was hard to choose, but I decided on the mango and jalapeno chicken sausage served on a soft toasted bun with caramelized onions and hot pickled peppers and nice cold Houblon Chouffe.
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| Tasty Lunch |
Lucky for me my family members all ordered a variety of sausages. I sampled everything from the duck with bacon and jalapenos to the traditional bratwurst. Each sausage had a distinct flavor and style. I am envious of my in-laws proximity to this little gem. Now I have one more reason to love LA.
White Duck Taco Shop
I had been dying to try the White Duck Taco Shop in Asheville, NC for months. Over the holidays I was finally able to try out several of their tasty tacos. Located in the River Arts District, White Duck is a great launching spot for a day of browsing the amazing art galleries and artist studios that line the streets in this part of town. Here you will find anything from hand blown glass to amazing pottery along with a few cute eateries.
The White Duck menu focuses on "good and affordable" food. The tacos range from your typical fish taco enhanced by a fresh slaw and dressed up tarter sauce to those with an Asian and Greek flare. I was happy to have a few people along to help me sample. I ordered the gyro taco as well as the fish taco. The fish was lightly fried and flakey the flavor was set off by a creamy jalapeno tarter sauce and a crunchy fresh cole slaw. The gyro taco was my favorite! It featured thinly sliced gyro meat a great tzatziki sauce, cucumbers, pico de gallo, feta, and a corn tortilla. This was rich, flavorful and filling. It seems like two tacos are enough to fill anyone, but it's hard to resist trying more.
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| Fish and the Gyro |
We started with chips, salsa and queso which were unremarkable although we did enjoy the smokey chipotle sauce that came as a part of the selection. Other great tacos we tried were the jerk chicken, duck confit, steak and cheese and the Bangkok shrimp.
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| Duck Confit and the Jerk Chicken |
The duck confit was rich and unexpectedly paired with avocado which smoothed out the richness of the duck. The jerk chicken packed a spicy punch. The chicken seemed rubbed with a true jerk marinade of intricate spices. This was cooled with a purple cabbage slaw.
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| Bangkok Shrimp and the Steak and Cheese |
The restaurant has a great laid back feel. You can order and eat quickly although a line formed quickly after 1 pm. On a sunny day you can dine on the porch at a picnic table overlooking the river and the train. I can't wait to go back and try another great selection.
The Wedding
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| Photo Courtesy of Grek Slick www.oncestudio.com |
We chose our wedding location sight unseen based solely on a few things, cooler weather, amazing views, historic charm, and a Michelin star restaurant on the property. Cavallo Point The Lodge at the Golden Gate was once an army base turned state park turned luxury resort. Just across the Golden Gate bridge, you find yourself in another world of wildlife, cool air, and spectacular views of San Francisco and the bridge itself. The resort sits in a cove just a mile or so from Sausalito. When we stumbled upon their website last year, we were immediately sold on the views and the food.
We planned to have a small wedding with only immediate family, and we succeeded. With eight total guests and two small children we were able to enjoy the area with our families for a few days prior to the celebration, and to splurge on food and wine for our big night.
Smoked duck procuito over toast with foie gras shavings.
As the wedding approached, we had to narrow down our choices from the extensive menu. We featured foods from the area as well as wines from near by Napa Valley. To start we featured a local cheese and fruit selection served with champage.
As appetizers we offered grilled figs with Serrano ham, preserved truffle gougeres, and Our salad course included endive served with local goat cheese and preserved apricots.
Finally for dessert we enjoyed a dark chocolate malt cake with butter cream frosting and macarons de Paris in flavors of raspberry, pistachio and chocolate to honor our engagement in Paris.
Ahh... the benefits of a small family wedding. I am looking forward to sharing our adventures in Napa and our tasty travels down the Coastal Highway 1.
Great Article with an Atlanta Connection
I know I have not been doing very much this month, but I have been doing some great reading. Here is another great article with a connection to Staplehouse in Atlanta.
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/08/06/underground-supper-clubs/
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/08/06/underground-supper-clubs/
French Chocolate Heaven
As you walk into the shop, the smell of chocolate overwhelms your senses. You can dazzle your eyes at the chocolate counter and explore the cute packages of chocolates and treats and you can watch Robert and his family in action. When I was there for lunch recently, I was able to watch him hand dip chocolate caramel truffles! Finally don't miss out on the tiny but delicious lunch menu. We tried the turkey and brie sandwich served on fresh baked baguette, and the homemade spinach quiche. The breads and quiche are also made daily and are the closest to France I had tasted in a while. The quiche was light and flaky with eggs that were firm, but not overcooked something hard to find. They also offer them frozen so you can take one home.
Before leaving, we had to get some chocolates and try my personal reason for visiting, the macarons. These are very hard to find in Atlanta. Maison Robert offers about 10 flavors, each one delicate and full of natural flavors like sea salt and caramel and raspberry. The colors are so pretty and they taste amazing.
Northlake Thai
For a few years now, I have been keeping this place pretty much to myself. I love Northlake Thai. Its tucked away in a Kroger shopping center off Lavista Rd. between Decatur and Tucker. This group formerly owned the now closed Eurasia Bistro in downtown Decatur. The unassuming facade gives way to a nicely appointed if somewhat suburban restaurant. This is white tablecloth Thai!
Their menu has peoples favorite staples like curries and pad prik, but the chef is inventive and features gourmet ingredients as well as non-traditional takes on Asian fare.
Some of my favorites are the mango chicken which features a slightly spicy sauce and plenty of fresh mango slices.
Their menu has peoples favorite staples like curries and pad prik, but the chef is inventive and features gourmet ingredients as well as non-traditional takes on Asian fare.
Some of my favorites are the mango chicken which features a slightly spicy sauce and plenty of fresh mango slices.
Another traditional staple is pineapple fried rice. You can choose an assortment of meat, but the shrimp is the best. This somewhat expected dish is dressed up with herbs and served in a pineapple!
Final the specials are prepared daily and go well beyond what you might expect. The most recent night I visited they were featuring complementary appetizers with an entree. We were treated to a spring roll, small salad, and beef dumpling sampler plate. One of the featured entrees was the duck served atop eggplant with a slightly spicy soy sauce syrup and basil puree. The duck was tender and offset nicely by the roasted eggplant.
Northlake Thai is delicious. The wait staff are more than willing to offer suggestions. The menu is diverse and ever changing. I would recommend a drive almost OTP for this great restaurant.
Miller Union
Lured by meeting Chef Satterfield at my cooking class this week, I finally made it over to Miller Union! This westside restaurant has been popular for a year bringing in rave reviews as well as big names looking for a great meal. I met friends for a drink on the patio after a long day and was determined to stay for dinner.
The drink menu was well developed featuring a number of house specialty cocktails in the now popular old school/classic cocktail style. I tried the Artichoke Spaceship. I am not really sure about the name, but I am sure about recommending this drink. If you have been reading recently you will know by now I have been on a bourbon kick the past few months. Assuming I may need to move on to more refreshing drinks soon, I settled into what I thought would be one of my last rich drinks of the season. The Artichoke Spaceship was surprisingly light, and crisp. The bourbon was offset by bitters and lemon juice. It was served up and garnished with what I think was lemon or orange peel. Delicious. The wine list and other available spirits is enviable. I am looking forward to working my way through the drink list.
As an appetizer we tried the feta snack. We were not sure what we were getting and were pleasantly surprised. This mixture of feta cheese, buttermilk, olive oil, course salt, and fresh pepper made a fantastic dip for carrots, and red a black radishes.
I convinced a friend to stay for dinner. Moving inside, we were lead to a cozy two top. While the restaurant does have many tables, it is divided into several rooms making it much easier to have a conversation. The decor is stylized and classic. For dinner we started with the butter lettuce salad topped with green goddess dressing. The dressing was flavorful and creamy, the greens were fresh and included fennel a favorite of mine, but overall the salad was a little less inventive and layered than I had expected.
The entrees were perfect. My friend gave the house made sausage a try. It came out over pureed rutabagas and we added a side of the best brussels sprouts I have ever eaten. The sausage was spicy and rich.
The drink menu was well developed featuring a number of house specialty cocktails in the now popular old school/classic cocktail style. I tried the Artichoke Spaceship. I am not really sure about the name, but I am sure about recommending this drink. If you have been reading recently you will know by now I have been on a bourbon kick the past few months. Assuming I may need to move on to more refreshing drinks soon, I settled into what I thought would be one of my last rich drinks of the season. The Artichoke Spaceship was surprisingly light, and crisp. The bourbon was offset by bitters and lemon juice. It was served up and garnished with what I think was lemon or orange peel. Delicious. The wine list and other available spirits is enviable. I am looking forward to working my way through the drink list.
As an appetizer we tried the feta snack. We were not sure what we were getting and were pleasantly surprised. This mixture of feta cheese, buttermilk, olive oil, course salt, and fresh pepper made a fantastic dip for carrots, and red a black radishes.
I convinced a friend to stay for dinner. Moving inside, we were lead to a cozy two top. While the restaurant does have many tables, it is divided into several rooms making it much easier to have a conversation. The decor is stylized and classic. For dinner we started with the butter lettuce salad topped with green goddess dressing. The dressing was flavorful and creamy, the greens were fresh and included fennel a favorite of mine, but overall the salad was a little less inventive and layered than I had expected.
The entrees were perfect. My friend gave the house made sausage a try. It came out over pureed rutabagas and we added a side of the best brussels sprouts I have ever eaten. The sausage was spicy and rich.
My entree was the duck. I guess along with bourbon, duck has been a winter staple for me (lucky me!) The duck was seasoned perfectly, served medium over a bed of farro with apples and pecans and along side a celery root puree. The sweetness of the apples played well off the flavor of the duck and the celery root puree lighted what could be a heavy dish. I will be back for this one before the menu changes to spring!
Miller Union is the perfect place to dive into Atlanta's growing batch of farm to table restaurants. Chef Satterfield is doing it right. The food is amazing and the prices are reasonable. I would recommend taking a trip over to this Westside gem.