First off, I think it's funny that MB starts his article with some claptrap about chefs finally embracing California Cuisine. The problem I have with many restaurants in SF, and especially those that MB favors, is that they are too geared towards California Cuisine. Sure, I like food where the ingredients star, but seems like California Cuisine has become code for the most obscure heirloom fresh farm ingredients on our menu. If the food is good, I don't need a primer on where it came from, how it was raised, how many hours it rode. Just give me some good food goddamit. OK, rant over. Here's where I've been.
Absinthe: Went there after it opened about 10 years ago. Thought it good, but overpriced. Recently visited for lunch and the dining room was much smaller and cramped feeling than I remember and the menu was terribly disappointing. Food was good, but choose from not very interesting sandwiches/salads or overpriced entrees (sorry but $25+ for lunch entrees is too much). Does not belong.
Acquerello: Again, was there like a decade ago. Food was amazing and I still remember a pasta with a truffle cream sauce. Astonishingly good food, but back then, decor needed an update. If they haven't done so, then it really needs one now. Belongs.
Betelnut: It's been like 15 years. Remember it as a great, lively environment with much better food than was expected. Belongs.
Boulevard: Only had desert here, but it was fantastic. Belongs.
Chapeau: Anyone who knows any details about MB knows that he absolutely loves this place. I went to it when it was further out in the Richmond and thought it a good French Bistro, but not particularly memorable other than the most crowded dining room I've ever been in. On the fence.
Coco500: Took the baby there about three years ago. Was good, but not terribly memorable, mostly cause of the rugrat. On the fence.
Delfina: In my mind, the most overrated restaurant in SF. I was there shortly after it opened with as much fanfare as I've ever seen, and thought, mmm, interesting, rock salt really does make the flavors jump. It's good, bordering on great, but, at least in my experience, I didn't see a lot of originality or creativity and the food was so simply prepared that I felt it wouldn't take much effort to duplicate at home. But maybe that's the ingenuity of great cooking. Still, left a bit disappointed. I need to go back and try to block out the expectations before saying it belongs (though it probably does).
Fifth Floor: Went here for desert and cheese course. Felt a bit stuffy, but that's actually okay with me. Need to have dinner to have a decent opinion.
Foreign Cinema: Been here twice. I don't get it. That's okay, but I don't get it. Doesn't belong.
French Laundry: Funny that MB takes out Jardinierre because of price, but doesn't say anything about French Laundry. Money being no object, best meal of my life. Belongs.
Gary Danko: Better value than places like French Laundry. Some of the best service (I'll take a bit suffocating over ignored any day). Absolutely belongs.
Greens: Been here twice and didn't really understand it. Food seemed inventive in theory, but it never really grabbed me. Still, the view is amazing, it has a sneaky awesome wine list and probably belongs for these two elements alone.
House of Prime Rib: I've been going at least once a year for 35 years. Belongs.
Incanto: One of my favorites and I'm surprised that stuff MB actually liked this place. Menu is wildly inventive, straying far beyond MB's usual chicken/fish/steak wheelhouse. Absolutely belongs.
Koi Palace: Went here for my college graduation five years ago. Absolutely great, but the bigger the group the better. Belongs, but there are a lot of great Asian places not mentioned, so it feels a bit forced.
Mateo's Cucina Latina: Food is great, but watch out for the prices. It would be better integrating it's Yucatan heritage into the name rather than the generic "latina". Probably belongs, but again, there are a lot of great latin restaurants that get no love from MB.
Nopalito: I'm surprised that he dings other joints for losing focus. The menu here isn't particularly dynamic and the setting kinda sucks. Used to go here quite a bit, but the food isn't what it was. Doesn't belong.
One Market: Went here for the pig tasting menu. Strangely uninteresting. Would like to go back. Incomplete.
Piperade: Maybe the best tapas place in the US. Absolutely belongs.
Slanted Door: I've been here quite a few times over the years. I think it's living on its legacy a bit. Still, the digs at the Ferry building can't be beat. But there's a lot of much better Vietnamese food in the bay area. Belongs thanks to it's location and reputation, but I don't think I'd put it there.
Town Hall: Went there a few weeks ago for a work dinner. Not terribly memorable. Not really sure if it belongs.
Yank Sing: Food is pretty darn good. I want to dislike this more as a round eye version of dim sum, but can't seem to do it, especially after being in HKG. Belongs.
Zarzuela: Good, but not near the caliber of Piperade. More like comfort tapas. I don't think it really belongs.
Zuni Cafe: Every time I go here, I have so much fun. Food isn't always memorable, but such a good time. Belongs.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monday, January 17, 2011
One Market Dining Review
The wife and I stopped by One Market on whim last Friday night. Wanting to see a movie, we got waylayed by the typical SF traffic, so rather seeing another dumb comedy where the funniest scenes are in the commercials, we opted instead to hit up One Market. Strangely, I've never been there despite working in the vicinity for 10 years and having many friends who worked there at some point.
Other than the crazy guy swinging his arms at imagined bumblebees, getting in was fine. We were asked if the "exhibition counter" would be fine and, thinking that sounded fun, we went for it. It felt more like eating in the kitchen with the overbright lighting, heat from the stoves, and mess of a waiters station that greeted us. No matter, our waitress was prompt and very efficient (and struck perfect notes on the charm/leave us be meter). We went for the food of the week tasting, which was pork, my favorite. Unfortunately, the preparation were tired or derivative without much flair (other than the desert).
Course one was seared pork belly over spaghetti squash. Though it reminded me that I like Spag Squash more than I remember, the pork belly itself wasn't terribly interesting. The sear was more tough than tasty crunchy and the vaguely asian sauce was too sweet to give it a needed push.
Course two was a well executed shellfish and pork sausage stew? soup? broth? sorta thing. Calamari, clams, and sausage. But I've had better iterations of this with more verve at Spanish restaurants.
Course three, while well intentioned, really disappointed. Menu said pork shoulder, which is my favorite cut when slow cooked, but the sous vide version just didn't get me excited, lacking the rich, robust flavor I'm accustomed to. This might be an expectation thing as I think I expected something like a gourmet rendition of Carnitas rather than a fairly bland meat with an unexpected texture (I haven't decided if I liked the firm yet tender texture, but I think I do. Just wasn't expecting it). And I've already forgotted what it was served with.
Desert was a hit, with bacon ice cream and a chocolate cake. Tasted great though lacking inspiration.
Service was fine with a few missteps (the first course came well before we finished our cocktails and well before the wine pairing), but the waitress was on her game, extremely attentive without going overboard despite what looked like a pretty big station.
Other than the crazy guy swinging his arms at imagined bumblebees, getting in was fine. We were asked if the "exhibition counter" would be fine and, thinking that sounded fun, we went for it. It felt more like eating in the kitchen with the overbright lighting, heat from the stoves, and mess of a waiters station that greeted us. No matter, our waitress was prompt and very efficient (and struck perfect notes on the charm/leave us be meter). We went for the food of the week tasting, which was pork, my favorite. Unfortunately, the preparation were tired or derivative without much flair (other than the desert).
Course one was seared pork belly over spaghetti squash. Though it reminded me that I like Spag Squash more than I remember, the pork belly itself wasn't terribly interesting. The sear was more tough than tasty crunchy and the vaguely asian sauce was too sweet to give it a needed push.
Course two was a well executed shellfish and pork sausage stew? soup? broth? sorta thing. Calamari, clams, and sausage. But I've had better iterations of this with more verve at Spanish restaurants.
Course three, while well intentioned, really disappointed. Menu said pork shoulder, which is my favorite cut when slow cooked, but the sous vide version just didn't get me excited, lacking the rich, robust flavor I'm accustomed to. This might be an expectation thing as I think I expected something like a gourmet rendition of Carnitas rather than a fairly bland meat with an unexpected texture (I haven't decided if I liked the firm yet tender texture, but I think I do. Just wasn't expecting it). And I've already forgotted what it was served with.
Desert was a hit, with bacon ice cream and a chocolate cake. Tasted great though lacking inspiration.
Service was fine with a few missteps (the first course came well before we finished our cocktails and well before the wine pairing), but the waitress was on her game, extremely attentive without going overboard despite what looked like a pretty big station.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Little Work Diddy
I got a call from Fedex for a package my company was sending. The address was 12 New Terrorist, Suite 12. After calls with security from my organization and Fedex, we found that the correct address was 12 New Terrace. Someone jacked up the spell check.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Why waiters love you
I've been on a rant about waiters in San Francisco, but there are a lot of things you can do to make a waiter happy outside of a big tip. Here are a few things to do to look like a true pro when dining. Failing to do these does not mean that you will be hated by a waiter. My one big assumption is that the waiter actually cares about the quality of your dining experience. And these are all things you can choose to do. The inverse should not get you any less service than everyone else, but it will set you apart from other diners.
1) Leave a tip in cash. Different restaurant have different policies concerning how to declare tip or allocate to the support stasff. A cash tip puts the power in the hands of the waiter. Whether or not you agree with wait staff reporting less in tips, cash is always appreciated.
2) Request them by name when you return. I'm from the school that a good waiter never introduces themselves by name, especially in high end places. But as a patron, I will ask at the end of a particularly good meal so I can both complement the waiter to the host staff/management and ask by name for future visits. Failing this, most checks nowadays have the waiter's name on it.
3) Close your menu when you are ready to order. This is the biggest clue for a waiter to return and take your order. If the menu doesn't close, then simply put aside.
4) Ask for an opinion. This is probably a bit divisive, but every waiter should have enough of a handle on the food to offer an informed opinion. If a restaurant doesn't have sommelier, wine steward, or someone else with wine expertise, the waiter shoud also be able to provide solid wine recommendations. The better waiters I've known are happy to discuss the food or wine, as long as it isn't a lengthy discourse.
5) Be clear on your food/time requirements. At the very least, indicate food allergies, like dairy, peanuts, or wheat as well as vegan/vegeterian requirements. Some people with complex allergies present cards that indicate common items that they cannot eat. It may seem like overkill, but a waiter's job is to ensure that you leave happy and getting the right information is critical. If you have a movie, play, or just have need for leaving at a certain time, let your waiter know. They should be able to steer you in the right direction if something will delay you. Keep in mind that most places at lunch work on the goal of getting you out within an hour, not necessarily because they want the table turned (although this factors into it), but more because that is the expectation of most people dining.
6) Leave a taste of wine for the waiter. This is especially true if you brought your own or order an expensive wine. By no means mandatory, it shows a lot of respect for the waiter and the staff.
7) Use nonverbal communication. Pointing to an empty wine bottle, a subtle pantomime of signing a check, and even silverware placement are all clues as to your needs.
8) Look appropriate for where you are dining. Sure, a backwards hat, a Patrick Willis Jersey, and sweats works fine for a greasy hangover cure at Mel's on Saturday morning, but not at the hottest spot in town. Good waiters take pride in where they work and notice when someone respects their restaurant.
9) Be discreet with any complaints or mistakes. One time, after an anniversary meal, the waiter mixed up my check with another table. Happens and no big deal. I discretely called over the waiter. When he went to change the checks, the other table had a huge guffaw over how much I spent, going so far as to comment to me directly. Discretion is always appreciated.
10) Smile. Seems silly to mention it, but if you are enjoying yourself, smile. It's one of the clearest indications that you are enjoying yourself, which ultimately is the waiter's job.
1) Leave a tip in cash. Different restaurant have different policies concerning how to declare tip or allocate to the support stasff. A cash tip puts the power in the hands of the waiter. Whether or not you agree with wait staff reporting less in tips, cash is always appreciated.
2) Request them by name when you return. I'm from the school that a good waiter never introduces themselves by name, especially in high end places. But as a patron, I will ask at the end of a particularly good meal so I can both complement the waiter to the host staff/management and ask by name for future visits. Failing this, most checks nowadays have the waiter's name on it.
3) Close your menu when you are ready to order. This is the biggest clue for a waiter to return and take your order. If the menu doesn't close, then simply put aside.
4) Ask for an opinion. This is probably a bit divisive, but every waiter should have enough of a handle on the food to offer an informed opinion. If a restaurant doesn't have sommelier, wine steward, or someone else with wine expertise, the waiter shoud also be able to provide solid wine recommendations. The better waiters I've known are happy to discuss the food or wine, as long as it isn't a lengthy discourse.
5) Be clear on your food/time requirements. At the very least, indicate food allergies, like dairy, peanuts, or wheat as well as vegan/vegeterian requirements. Some people with complex allergies present cards that indicate common items that they cannot eat. It may seem like overkill, but a waiter's job is to ensure that you leave happy and getting the right information is critical. If you have a movie, play, or just have need for leaving at a certain time, let your waiter know. They should be able to steer you in the right direction if something will delay you. Keep in mind that most places at lunch work on the goal of getting you out within an hour, not necessarily because they want the table turned (although this factors into it), but more because that is the expectation of most people dining.
6) Leave a taste of wine for the waiter. This is especially true if you brought your own or order an expensive wine. By no means mandatory, it shows a lot of respect for the waiter and the staff.
7) Use nonverbal communication. Pointing to an empty wine bottle, a subtle pantomime of signing a check, and even silverware placement are all clues as to your needs.
8) Look appropriate for where you are dining. Sure, a backwards hat, a Patrick Willis Jersey, and sweats works fine for a greasy hangover cure at Mel's on Saturday morning, but not at the hottest spot in town. Good waiters take pride in where they work and notice when someone respects their restaurant.
9) Be discreet with any complaints or mistakes. One time, after an anniversary meal, the waiter mixed up my check with another table. Happens and no big deal. I discretely called over the waiter. When he went to change the checks, the other table had a huge guffaw over how much I spent, going so far as to comment to me directly. Discretion is always appreciated.
10) Smile. Seems silly to mention it, but if you are enjoying yourself, smile. It's one of the clearest indications that you are enjoying yourself, which ultimately is the waiter's job.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Writers on Waitrons
Usually, I enjoy the mindless articles at SF Foodie from SF Gate. But sometimes, they write some seriously dated and retarded stuff. Here's one of my favorites. The comments show how dumb some people are.
They give four reasons Why Your Waiter Hates You and not a single one gives any insight. It's basically three reasons why anyone would hate you and the most pretentious clabber about corks I've seen. Here are there reasons:
1)You're more interested in your smartphone than dinner. Uhh, doesn't this anyone anyone? Insert just about any word for dinner and it's still annoying when people are paying more attention to their iPhone.
2) You stay all night. Called campers, these are people who waste your time by either sitting through an extra seating, costing money, or stay past closing time, forcing staff to stay late. Duh. Anyone like having to stay late at their job when you're not getting anything for the effort? And does anyone like to lose money because some re-united old birds want to review the last 20 years in pictures? Really? This is news?
3) Bad Tipping. If you don't know by now that failing to provide at least a fair tip is a way of pissing off wait staff or anyone who counts tips as even part of their wage let alone almost entirely their wage, then I expect that you will have fun at your prom. The author makes a good point about tipping on booze, which is a real hot button topic for some people, but if you don't tip on booze, your waiter will hate you regardless if you thinkg it's ok.
4) Sniffing the cork. Nobody should hate anyone for being a wine novice. We all started somewhere. Sure, a few snickers will come, but this is far from something that's going to get you the stink eye if you go back. And then the writer completely misses the point on the reason for cork presentation. The only reason anyone should look at a cork is to confirm the wine's authenticity. Even if wine has leaked through, it doesn't mean a wine has gone bad. You taste the wine to determine if there are any faults. This is pretentious jibber jabber from someone who thinks they know more than they do.
There are quite a few things you can do to annoy a waiter, just like anyone else. Here are a few of mine.
1) Wear too much perfume or cologne. Too much scented stuff interferes with the sense of smell. While you are welcome to destroy your meal or wine, doing it to others is unforgiveable. Save that stuff for afterwards.
2) Children. Not children per se, but taking children who are too young to behave or in generally poorly behaved to a fine dining place is a no no. Even worse is the couple who brings in their children and expects the staff to play nanny for an hour. But the worst is changing diapers at the table, something I've seen done far more than should ever happen, even at fine dining places.
3) Sending food back even though nothing is wrong with it. If you want your steak well done, ask for it well done. And if you have allergies or speciic tastes, let your waiter know before you order.
4) Talkers. On a busy night, nothing is worse than getting a table that requires ALL of your attention. It's fine to ask questions, recommendations, etc., but be concise and spare the discussion about your Rat's menstrual cylce (happened to me once).
5) Showing up drunk. I've worked at some places near marinas and by far, the most annoying people I've dealt with as a stereotype are boat people. They've been swilling wine all day in the sun on their boat and show up half bombed thinking that they are the funniest people in the world. They're not.
6) Being wrong. I can't tell you how many times I've had people try to give me an idiot lesson on a wine region. Look motherfucker, I know my wines. It's my job. If your dumbass insists that Syrah is from Burgundy one more time, I'm going jab my corkscrew in your eye. And if you send a wine back, it should be for a fault, not because it doesn't taste like you remember.
7) Drink coffee through dinner at a high end joint. Coffee destroys your sense of taste. While you are welcome to do this, you will be ridiculed behind your back.
8) Act the perv. Nobody likes a perv. I've had a few propositions while working that I've taken people up on, but you'll know real fast if I'm intersted. If I'm not, shut up. And don't ask me about my co-workers. They are probably repulsed by you.
9) Hit your neighbor or get belligerent in any way. Okay. Obvious. But it happens, more often than you think. I've seen several low level fracases break out, usually because someone is too noisy and a couple looking for a romantic meal is seated next to them and asks them to "get those monkeys (kids) under control."
10) Expect freebies. I'll comp what needs to be comped. If your meal takes too long, I'll get you a desert. If we sat you half an hour after your reservation, I'll get you an appetizer. But I'm not giving you a free desert because you think I like you. I'm building a rapport to get tips and the kind of jackass who thinks this entitles him to a freebie is the kind of jackass that's too cheap to tip well.
Next list, why your customer hates you.
They give four reasons Why Your Waiter Hates You and not a single one gives any insight. It's basically three reasons why anyone would hate you and the most pretentious clabber about corks I've seen. Here are there reasons:
1)You're more interested in your smartphone than dinner. Uhh, doesn't this anyone anyone? Insert just about any word for dinner and it's still annoying when people are paying more attention to their iPhone.
2) You stay all night. Called campers, these are people who waste your time by either sitting through an extra seating, costing money, or stay past closing time, forcing staff to stay late. Duh. Anyone like having to stay late at their job when you're not getting anything for the effort? And does anyone like to lose money because some re-united old birds want to review the last 20 years in pictures? Really? This is news?
3) Bad Tipping. If you don't know by now that failing to provide at least a fair tip is a way of pissing off wait staff or anyone who counts tips as even part of their wage let alone almost entirely their wage, then I expect that you will have fun at your prom. The author makes a good point about tipping on booze, which is a real hot button topic for some people, but if you don't tip on booze, your waiter will hate you regardless if you thinkg it's ok.
4) Sniffing the cork. Nobody should hate anyone for being a wine novice. We all started somewhere. Sure, a few snickers will come, but this is far from something that's going to get you the stink eye if you go back. And then the writer completely misses the point on the reason for cork presentation. The only reason anyone should look at a cork is to confirm the wine's authenticity. Even if wine has leaked through, it doesn't mean a wine has gone bad. You taste the wine to determine if there are any faults. This is pretentious jibber jabber from someone who thinks they know more than they do.
There are quite a few things you can do to annoy a waiter, just like anyone else. Here are a few of mine.
1) Wear too much perfume or cologne. Too much scented stuff interferes with the sense of smell. While you are welcome to destroy your meal or wine, doing it to others is unforgiveable. Save that stuff for afterwards.
2) Children. Not children per se, but taking children who are too young to behave or in generally poorly behaved to a fine dining place is a no no. Even worse is the couple who brings in their children and expects the staff to play nanny for an hour. But the worst is changing diapers at the table, something I've seen done far more than should ever happen, even at fine dining places.
3) Sending food back even though nothing is wrong with it. If you want your steak well done, ask for it well done. And if you have allergies or speciic tastes, let your waiter know before you order.
4) Talkers. On a busy night, nothing is worse than getting a table that requires ALL of your attention. It's fine to ask questions, recommendations, etc., but be concise and spare the discussion about your Rat's menstrual cylce (happened to me once).
5) Showing up drunk. I've worked at some places near marinas and by far, the most annoying people I've dealt with as a stereotype are boat people. They've been swilling wine all day in the sun on their boat and show up half bombed thinking that they are the funniest people in the world. They're not.
6) Being wrong. I can't tell you how many times I've had people try to give me an idiot lesson on a wine region. Look motherfucker, I know my wines. It's my job. If your dumbass insists that Syrah is from Burgundy one more time, I'm going jab my corkscrew in your eye. And if you send a wine back, it should be for a fault, not because it doesn't taste like you remember.
7) Drink coffee through dinner at a high end joint. Coffee destroys your sense of taste. While you are welcome to do this, you will be ridiculed behind your back.
8) Act the perv. Nobody likes a perv. I've had a few propositions while working that I've taken people up on, but you'll know real fast if I'm intersted. If I'm not, shut up. And don't ask me about my co-workers. They are probably repulsed by you.
9) Hit your neighbor or get belligerent in any way. Okay. Obvious. But it happens, more often than you think. I've seen several low level fracases break out, usually because someone is too noisy and a couple looking for a romantic meal is seated next to them and asks them to "get those monkeys (kids) under control."
10) Expect freebies. I'll comp what needs to be comped. If your meal takes too long, I'll get you a desert. If we sat you half an hour after your reservation, I'll get you an appetizer. But I'm not giving you a free desert because you think I like you. I'm building a rapport to get tips and the kind of jackass who thinks this entitles him to a freebie is the kind of jackass that's too cheap to tip well.
Next list, why your customer hates you.
Adventures in Day Care
My daughter got bit at day care. Through her tears, she took a paint brush filled with paint and went afer her attacker, painting his face.
Awesome
Awesome
Thoughts on the Lisbeth Salander Trilogy.
I've been crushing books lately. I think it's mostly because my favorite two people at work left about six months ago, so I've turned to reading. But since I didn't post anything for six months, I figured I'd start with some short recaps.
The Girl who...Trilogy:
The Dragon Tatoo was great. A bit over the top at the end, but still exceptional. And Lisbeth is one of the most exciting and original characters I've ever encounterd.
Played with Fire: This is now one of my favorite books. Lisbeth kicks ass and doesn't bother with names. An amazing work with great pacing and an astonishing finish.
Kicked the Hornets Nest: Okay, but not enough Lisbeth doing her thing. She spends most of the book in a hospital, leaving Michael to do the work, but it's just not the same. And some of the conspiracy stuff goes a bit over the edge. Still immensely enjoyable, just not as much as the second.
The Girl who...Trilogy:
The Dragon Tatoo was great. A bit over the top at the end, but still exceptional. And Lisbeth is one of the most exciting and original characters I've ever encounterd.
Played with Fire: This is now one of my favorite books. Lisbeth kicks ass and doesn't bother with names. An amazing work with great pacing and an astonishing finish.
Kicked the Hornets Nest: Okay, but not enough Lisbeth doing her thing. She spends most of the book in a hospital, leaving Michael to do the work, but it's just not the same. And some of the conspiracy stuff goes a bit over the edge. Still immensely enjoyable, just not as much as the second.
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