As I was getting my haircut today, which I am rocking some new bangs, I was talking to my stylist about all the marvelous places to eat in SF. As the thoughts came to me in my head and I began drooling in my char, I realized I hadn't shared some of my finest dining experiences thus far in SF. Hence.. my newest blog post.
Although I have had my fair share of meals since living in SF, there have been a few that have stuck out in my mind as both delish and blog worthy. So let me begin by breaking down a few of the deserving dishes.
La Mar: Now it could have been the company that I was with that made this dining experience so amazing. I was with my boyfriend, brother, and his girlfriend. But to tell you the truth I could have been dining alone and I probably would have still licked my plate clean.
La Mar is down by the ferry building in the Marina. It is a Preuvian restaurant that is known for it's ceveche. Now I am a huge fan of sushi, so it isn't a far cry from their fellow friend raw fish drowned in spices and marinade. After opening a fine bottle of red wine, we dined on what I like to remember it as the best cheveche/only ceveche I have ever had. Now I'm not going to lie, I have nothing to compare their ceveche to, but I am pretty sure my mouth tasted some of the most flavorful ceveche there is out there. The instant it touched my lips a thousand spices and citrus flavor ignited my taste buds. It was like Cayenne pepper and an orange were throwing one hell of a party in my mouth. It was amazing. I tried not to lick my plate when I was finished =/. After dinner we thought about dessert but I had stuffed my face so much with the main courses that there wasn't even room if I wanted there to be. La Mar by far was a great catch!
Pied Piper: The Pied Piper was actually a mistake find as my co-worker and friend Alex strolled down the streets looking for somewhere to watch the Giants game after work. We looked all over the place in the Mission for a good sports bar and happened to give up when we set eyes on the Pied Piper. "$25.00 for a Kobe Beef Hamburger and Beer"... done & done!
As we entered the place looked as though it was some swanky hotel restaurant. It looked like it should have been filled with old gangsters and aged bottles of scotch. Alex and I found our seat right by a flat screen TV and marked our spot. We were not leaving until the Giants won the World Series!
After we ordered the most delicious drinks ever, a Gimlet for the lady & a Last Call Martini for this Miss, we set the task of ordering what we wanted for dinner. We settled on two pizzas one salmon and one caprice, but these were not what was so blog worthy. Although the pizzas were good, it was what we ordered with the pizzas that made my mouth water!
BLACK TRUFFLE GARLIC FRENCH FRIES.... OMG. -Holy Shit were these good. I mean forget McDonalds and whatever crack they sprinkle on their fries to make them so addicting. These french fries were sooo good- crispy in texture, golden in color, and the black truffle oil made them taste a bit like garlic and magic. Oh man were they good. I think I had to fight Alex for the last one just as Brian Wilson threw the closing pitch to WIN the World Series. These were so good, I would go back and get them again in a heartbeat.
Sidenote: The Mission was insane that night. As Alex and I left the Pied Piper, I have never seen so many crazed fans in one area. Union Square was a mess of people, there had to be thousands of people just standing in the square and celebrating the victory! Very Very cool night!
House of Sushi: One of my favorite things to eat has got to be sushi! Now there are thousands of places in Sf to go eat sushi, but House of Sushi has to be my favorite. One for its location: right on Polk street when you are about to go out to the bars. The second: the prices! When dining at "The House" you can get about 6 rolls and sake for about 40 or 50 bucks. Between two people that is perfect! My favorite rolls there are the Fatty Tuna Roll, Spider Roll, and Spicy Tuna Roll. I mean you pretty much cant go wrong with sushi it is pretty hard to mess up in my eyes.. anything you can dip in soy sauce and wasabe.. it's a done deal!
Philz Coffee: Now since I was talking about my first love, Sushi, it would only be right to talk about who I have an affair with in the mornings when Sushi just wont do it for me. Philz coffee has to be THE BEST place to get a cup of Joe in town. Thanks to the BF I have indulged in numerous cups of delicious Philz coffee on weekend mornings. Philz coffee individually makes each cup of coffee and filters the coffee by hand, so I am assuming not one cup is the same. I mean you take one sip of the Mocha coffee and it is like you died and went to sweetened chocolate heaven! If you maybe are a little hungover or are looking for that instant caffeine jolt, the Ether would be your choice. Hands down the place to go get coffee. I am trying to encourage them to make another location closer to my house, but for now it is definitely worth the trip to have a cup of their yumminess!
Crepe Cafe By My House: Funny thing... I have no idea what this place is really called. I literally refer it to people as "The Crepe Place By My House." Name doesn't matter... what does matter is that they do crepes right. There is only one girl who works there and she makes one hell of a crepe. You can choose from all different sorts of fillers from: Strawberries, pineapple, kiwi, mango, star fruit, blueberries, raspberries, snosberries from Willy Wonka for all I know! The fruit is key in the crepe but what makes it extra special is that what hold the fruit in the crepe and that my friends is Nutella! I mean a warm crepe, with fresh fruit, and ooey gooey Nutella holding it all together.... pure bliss! I mean if Gooey Butter Cake and these Crepes were in a fight, it would be a pretty good match up!
Needless to say after these dining experiences that I have had I may have had to loosen the belt buckle just a tad, but when you are in good company the calories are worth it! The places mentioned above are some of my favorite as far as taste wise, but it is always tucked away in my head of all the fine meals I have had with those closet to me out here.
There are some nights that we decide to stay in and cook something, whether it be grilled salmon, baked chicken, or my most recent favorite stuffed turkey peppers, what makes these meals so marvelous is the people that sit down and share them with you. I have had more fun cooking in a little kitchen and throwing spices into a pot and hoping they turn out good, than paying any top dollar amount for a meal. The fun for me comes from watching someone smile after taking a bite into something that I have cooked. I have been told that I need to make a street vending cart with some of my creations, so if all fails maybe that is my calling!
Regardless the moral of this blog is no matter what you are eating, take time to not only appreciate the food in front of you, but find someone to share you meal with. They can spice up and un-flavorful dish, make any dessert that much more sweeter, and they can be that ingredient that maybe you thought you were missing.
