Millennium is a vegetarian restaurant in the middle of Union Square. It's in the Hotel California.. ok I almost made a cheesy Eagles reference here ;-)
Their menu is completely vegetarian, organic as far as possible, and according to their website they use fresh produce everyday and believe "that a gourmet dining experience can be created out of vegetarian, healthy, and environmentally friendly foods". Sounds like a perfect place to review for a vegetarian food blog.
So, after a couple of hours of holiday shopping at Union Square (which if you haven't gone and seen the tree already, you must!), I was ready to sit down and enjoy a nice drink and some good food. And Millennium, unlike A16 did live up to all my expectations. The drinks were awesome, and everything on the menu sounded so good, it was tough to decide what to get.
I've totally blanked out on what we ordered for drinks, but I do remember they were really, really good! As soon as our server described the soup of the day, both Laxmi and I were like "Ok, we have got to get that". It was a butternut squash soup with some other fancy things thrown in, which obviously I don't remember. And I don't suppose I remember the name of the salad we ordered either, or the main dish. So much for writing a review about a restaurant :) Anyway, the lack of details aside, what I'm trying to bring out here is - it doesn't matter what you order at Millennium, everything on the menu is so delightful that you can't really go wrong.
But wait.. what about dessert? Well... I have to say the one thing that didn't really hit the spot was dessert. To quote Laxmi, it tasted like one of those Sara Lee frozen thingies. I guess that just about sums up how good (or bad) it was.
Overall though, I think Millennium is definitely worth a visit. It's not cheap, but not crazy expensive, and compared with the other vegetarian-only restaurant in the city, Greens, I found it nicer in terms of ambiance, food, and service.
http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com/
Monday, December 17, 2007
A16
Yay... it just hit me that I have, in the past week, done exactly what I set out to do when this blog was created. And in case you are wondering what that groundbreaking thing was - it was to go through all(seriously?) the restaurants in the 2007 Michelin guide for San Francisco. I went to four of them last week - and what makes it even more fabulous is that it happened quite inadvertently.
Let me start with A16 - it's an Italian restaurant in the Marina that's wildly popular. So much so, that on a Tuesday night, we could only get reservations for 9:30pm. Their food is supposed to be excellent, and their wine list pretty impressive. But, I have to say... I was not blown away by the place. Maybe my expectations were too high.. maybe it's not the best place for vegetarians... maybe we ordered the wrong wine... maybe.
We started out with an arugula salad with olives and mandarin oranges. So, here's the thing about me and salad - I don't want to feel like a cow chewing grass when I'm eating my salad. I mean I am eating leaves, but it shouldn't feel like I'm eating leaves... makes sense? Anyway, after a very disappointing salad, we got a not-so-disappointing funghi pizza. The pizza was good... not awesome, but decent enough. As usual what saved the day was dessert - their most popular dessert is the "Chocolate budino tart with sea salt and extra virgin olive oil". The EVOO and sea salt added an interesting twist to the flavor, and the mousse was just perfect - the next time I think I'll skip directly to dessert.
Ok.. so I really didn't mean to slam this place so much. It is an awesome place to go on a date - the dining room is gorgeous, all candles and brick walls. It's romantic, but at the same time, not oppressively so - the crowd and the atmosphere make sure of that. And I guess if you know your wine (which clearly I don't) the experience will be better.
http://www.a16sf.com/home.html
Let me start with A16 - it's an Italian restaurant in the Marina that's wildly popular. So much so, that on a Tuesday night, we could only get reservations for 9:30pm. Their food is supposed to be excellent, and their wine list pretty impressive. But, I have to say... I was not blown away by the place. Maybe my expectations were too high.. maybe it's not the best place for vegetarians... maybe we ordered the wrong wine... maybe.
We started out with an arugula salad with olives and mandarin oranges. So, here's the thing about me and salad - I don't want to feel like a cow chewing grass when I'm eating my salad. I mean I am eating leaves, but it shouldn't feel like I'm eating leaves... makes sense? Anyway, after a very disappointing salad, we got a not-so-disappointing funghi pizza. The pizza was good... not awesome, but decent enough. As usual what saved the day was dessert - their most popular dessert is the "Chocolate budino tart with sea salt and extra virgin olive oil". The EVOO and sea salt added an interesting twist to the flavor, and the mousse was just perfect - the next time I think I'll skip directly to dessert.
Ok.. so I really didn't mean to slam this place so much. It is an awesome place to go on a date - the dining room is gorgeous, all candles and brick walls. It's romantic, but at the same time, not oppressively so - the crowd and the atmosphere make sure of that. And I guess if you know your wine (which clearly I don't) the experience will be better.
http://www.a16sf.com/home.html
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Mochica - Peruvian fusion
I am on a roll here aren't I? Three posts in one day... and I still have a few more places I'm itching to write about. I soooo happy :) The last couple of weeks have been great food-wise.
Mochica is a Peruvian restaurant on Harrison St, now when I think Peruvian food, I never think vegetarian. It's never been on my list of cuisines to try out because most other Peruvian restaurants in the city only have one vegetarian dish, some kind of veggie platter, which to me doesn't sound the most appetizing.
So, I was really excited about Mochica, when Latitha said they have an awesome vegetarian paella. Mochica has this warm, lively vibe to it... what ticked me off though, was the table we got. I have a problem with restaurants trying to squeeze in as many people as possible , resulting in someone having to sit painfully close to the kitchen. It really takes away from what would otherwise have been a great dining experience.
Anyway, except for the less than satisfactory seating arrangement, I was pretty happy with the place. They first brought out this salad made of chickpeas and corn fried in some batter, with onion and tomatoes.... very zesty. The menu has quite a few vegetarian appetizers, and of course the paella which we ordered for the main course. I have to say... the paella was awesome! It was so flavorful, hot and juicy, a real treat! Coconut flan followed for dessert.. and I forgave them for the crappy table... almost, ok, maybe if I went back and they gave me a nice table and the paella was still good, I would :)
http://www.mochicasf.com/
Mochica is a Peruvian restaurant on Harrison St, now when I think Peruvian food, I never think vegetarian. It's never been on my list of cuisines to try out because most other Peruvian restaurants in the city only have one vegetarian dish, some kind of veggie platter, which to me doesn't sound the most appetizing.
So, I was really excited about Mochica, when Latitha said they have an awesome vegetarian paella. Mochica has this warm, lively vibe to it... what ticked me off though, was the table we got. I have a problem with restaurants trying to squeeze in as many people as possible , resulting in someone having to sit painfully close to the kitchen. It really takes away from what would otherwise have been a great dining experience.
Anyway, except for the less than satisfactory seating arrangement, I was pretty happy with the place. They first brought out this salad made of chickpeas and corn fried in some batter, with onion and tomatoes.... very zesty. The menu has quite a few vegetarian appetizers, and of course the paella which we ordered for the main course. I have to say... the paella was awesome! It was so flavorful, hot and juicy, a real treat! Coconut flan followed for dessert.. and I forgave them for the crappy table... almost, ok, maybe if I went back and they gave me a nice table and the paella was still good, I would :)
http://www.mochicasf.com/
I left my heart.. in San Francisco
It felt so good to be back home after the "much-anticipated" road-trip through New Mexico, and I was so ready to try out some good old San Franciscan food in a good old San Franciscan restaurant.
And that's exactly what I did one lazy Sunday afternoon.... went down to the beach, stumbled upon this random band that was performing there (this is what I love about San Francisco, you never know what crazy thing you're going to come across next), had brunch at the Beach Chalet, and walked it off on the Lands End Trail. Ah... that was an awesome afternoon.
I wonder why I don't go down to Ocean Beach more often. There's something so romantic and beautiful about the beach, maybe it's the sound of the water, or the scent of the ocean, or just the constancy of the waves washing up on shore. Mesmerising... I like that word :)
Anyway.. this is a food blog, so I must focus... the Beach Chalet... it's this restaurant on the Great Highway which has great ocean views. I've heard that it can get really busy, so reservations are recommended. We just called in and put our names down while we walked on the beach - I thought that was pretty awesome of them to do that. A nice table for two by the window, and it makes for the perfect date spot. The food was really good... the omelette's fluffy, the bread soft and the orange juice freshly squeezed... what more could one want? I for one, always want dessert :) And I have to say... the creme brulee I had that day was one of the best I've had in a long, long time.
So... add this to your list of nice, romantic brunch places in the city, and remember... save room for dessert.
http://www.beachchalet.com/
And that's exactly what I did one lazy Sunday afternoon.... went down to the beach, stumbled upon this random band that was performing there (this is what I love about San Francisco, you never know what crazy thing you're going to come across next), had brunch at the Beach Chalet, and walked it off on the Lands End Trail. Ah... that was an awesome afternoon.
I wonder why I don't go down to Ocean Beach more often. There's something so romantic and beautiful about the beach, maybe it's the sound of the water, or the scent of the ocean, or just the constancy of the waves washing up on shore. Mesmerising... I like that word :)
Anyway.. this is a food blog, so I must focus... the Beach Chalet... it's this restaurant on the Great Highway which has great ocean views. I've heard that it can get really busy, so reservations are recommended. We just called in and put our names down while we walked on the beach - I thought that was pretty awesome of them to do that. A nice table for two by the window, and it makes for the perfect date spot. The food was really good... the omelette's fluffy, the bread soft and the orange juice freshly squeezed... what more could one want? I for one, always want dessert :) And I have to say... the creme brulee I had that day was one of the best I've had in a long, long time.
So... add this to your list of nice, romantic brunch places in the city, and remember... save room for dessert.
http://www.beachchalet.com/
Thai food... in New Mexico?
It's been soooo long since I got back from New Mexico, I wonder if I'll even remember all the food experiences we had there. Also considering the fact that I've been avoiding thinking about the trip all together, I'm not sure I'll remember anything good about it - but that's a different post for a different blog :)
The big food experience I was looking forward to in New Mexico was in Santa Fe. I had done my research, read reviews and done due diligence... or so I thought. Our first dinner in Santa Fe was supposed to be in the restaurant at the Inn of the Anasazi. All the tripadvisor reviews raved about it being one of the best restaurants Santa Fe has to offer. What the reviews didn't tell me though was that a. this place is fancy! and b. It doesn't have a single vegetarian dish on it's menu. Fancy I can take... but when fancy means a plate of boiled vegetables thrown together to look pretty, I can't. So, we walked out of there, and went to, of all places, a Thai restaurant, Ginja! Definitely not what I had in mind for an authentic Santa Fe dining experience... but I have to say, the food was really good.
The next day, after the fiasco of the previous night, I was beginning to doubt my restaurant shortlist. Should we go to Pasqual's which in addition to being on tripadvisor was also recommended by my clay teacher, Shelley. Or should we settle for the french crepe place on the square. Decisions... decisions.. I tell you, I have a tough life. In the end, we decided to take our chances on Pasqual's, and sure enough it was an awesome place. The waitress knew a few words in hindi, the decor was funky and they had some really interesting breakfast items. Overall definitely worth a visit if you are in Santa Fe.
Hmmm... so the rest of the trip is a little hazy in my head... selective amnesia? The only thing I seem to remember is the restaurant in El Paso, Texas. It was the last evening of our trip... and there was really no better way to spend it than drinking margarita's, listening to a Spanish band and eating authentic mexican food. Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey's, is the name of the restaurant, and if you are ever in El Paso, it's definitely worth a visit. The restaurant is huge, and looks to be immensely popular, we were there for close to 3 hours that evening, and it was packed throughout. The band was really cute... they played these obscure spanish songs that none of us had heard of, Nilu totally embarrassed them by requesting La Bamba, but they obliged. And got a roaring round of applause from us, and one other guy at the bar :)
Ohhh wait... there are some more hazy details resurfacing. The first restaurant we went to on this trip was in Chimayo - Leona's restuarant. It's right outside the Chimayo chapel. Run by Leona, it was this really cozy restaurant, couple of tables, completely unpretentious, with some really good food.
And of course there was Bamboo Garden - Carlsbad's finest Chinese restuarant, right next to the bowling alley where Nilu scored her highest bowling score (with no help whatsoever from the side rails ;-)).
I guess that's enough rambling about New Mexico... in a nutshell though, the two places I would really recommend are Pasqual's in Santa Fe, and the mexican place in Texas.
The big food experience I was looking forward to in New Mexico was in Santa Fe. I had done my research, read reviews and done due diligence... or so I thought. Our first dinner in Santa Fe was supposed to be in the restaurant at the Inn of the Anasazi. All the tripadvisor reviews raved about it being one of the best restaurants Santa Fe has to offer. What the reviews didn't tell me though was that a. this place is fancy! and b. It doesn't have a single vegetarian dish on it's menu. Fancy I can take... but when fancy means a plate of boiled vegetables thrown together to look pretty, I can't. So, we walked out of there, and went to, of all places, a Thai restaurant, Ginja! Definitely not what I had in mind for an authentic Santa Fe dining experience... but I have to say, the food was really good.
The next day, after the fiasco of the previous night, I was beginning to doubt my restaurant shortlist. Should we go to Pasqual's which in addition to being on tripadvisor was also recommended by my clay teacher, Shelley. Or should we settle for the french crepe place on the square. Decisions... decisions.. I tell you, I have a tough life. In the end, we decided to take our chances on Pasqual's, and sure enough it was an awesome place. The waitress knew a few words in hindi, the decor was funky and they had some really interesting breakfast items. Overall definitely worth a visit if you are in Santa Fe.
Hmmm... so the rest of the trip is a little hazy in my head... selective amnesia? The only thing I seem to remember is the restaurant in El Paso, Texas. It was the last evening of our trip... and there was really no better way to spend it than drinking margarita's, listening to a Spanish band and eating authentic mexican food. Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey's, is the name of the restaurant, and if you are ever in El Paso, it's definitely worth a visit. The restaurant is huge, and looks to be immensely popular, we were there for close to 3 hours that evening, and it was packed throughout. The band was really cute... they played these obscure spanish songs that none of us had heard of, Nilu totally embarrassed them by requesting La Bamba, but they obliged. And got a roaring round of applause from us, and one other guy at the bar :)
Ohhh wait... there are some more hazy details resurfacing. The first restaurant we went to on this trip was in Chimayo - Leona's restuarant. It's right outside the Chimayo chapel. Run by Leona, it was this really cozy restaurant, couple of tables, completely unpretentious, with some really good food.
And of course there was Bamboo Garden - Carlsbad's finest Chinese restuarant, right next to the bowling alley where Nilu scored her highest bowling score (with no help whatsoever from the side rails ;-)).
I guess that's enough rambling about New Mexico... in a nutshell though, the two places I would really recommend are Pasqual's in Santa Fe, and the mexican place in Texas.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Off to the Land of Enchantment
My much anticipated road trip through New Mexico is almost here :) I am sooooo excited!!! Hopefully I'll have some interesting places to blog about when I get back.
I know, I know ... this blog is supposed to be about foggy food, and there's no fog in New Mexico... but... there is food, and some good food from what I hear. And good food, foggy or not, deserves to be blogged.
I know, I know ... this blog is supposed to be about foggy food, and there's no fog in New Mexico... but... there is food, and some good food from what I hear. And good food, foggy or not, deserves to be blogged.
Slow down... take a deep breath....
.... and be prepared to spend a couple of hours from your busy life enjoying the simple things... a calming pot of tea, good food, and conversation. What more could one want on a Sunday afternoon? Laxmi and me decided that we've avoided each other long enough, and gossip must be shared, so a lunch/tea/gossip session was in order.... and this was the perfect place for it.
Samovar's menu warns you that their service is going to be slow... and they intend it to be that way. It's just what I needed though, after a grueling week at work, and walking ten blocks in the pouring rain the previous night.... I soooo needed the pot of Chill-Out Blend I ordered.
I've passed by Samovar so many times on my way to clay class, and I'm happy I finally got to try it out. It's a tea house in the Castro, and is pretty popular, so getting a table out front can be tough sometimes. We got a table in the back... which is not half bad. The great thing about this place, apart from the huge selection of teas (which really it should have, considering it's Samovar Tea Lounge :)), is that the food they serve is pretty awesome too. They have a good variety of smallish bites, and lunch size options, so if you are looking to hang out for a while, and just munch on something light, you have that option. Which is great, in this age of oversized portions everywhere else you look.
So, anyway, I had a tough time deciding what tea I wanted to get... they had some 50 different blends, and some interesting names too. I finally decided on the Chill out blend, and Laxmi got some Monkey madness something... both our teas were awesome, and I can't wait to go back and try one of the others. The food menu was pretty varied too... we ordered the butternut squash wontons (these are the best!), and the polenta waffles (Laxmi thought these were the best!), and the indian tofu curry (very avoidable). There were a bunch of other sides and main dishes, all of which looked really tempting.
Hmmm.. I think this is one of the most boring posts this blog has seen... what to do? I'm mellow. And if you want to be mellow too... go here.... on a day when you have some time to spare, and good company... or a book to read.... or thoughts to ponder....
http://www.samovartea.com/
Samovar's menu warns you that their service is going to be slow... and they intend it to be that way. It's just what I needed though, after a grueling week at work, and walking ten blocks in the pouring rain the previous night.... I soooo needed the pot of Chill-Out Blend I ordered.
I've passed by Samovar so many times on my way to clay class, and I'm happy I finally got to try it out. It's a tea house in the Castro, and is pretty popular, so getting a table out front can be tough sometimes. We got a table in the back... which is not half bad. The great thing about this place, apart from the huge selection of teas (which really it should have, considering it's Samovar Tea Lounge :)), is that the food they serve is pretty awesome too. They have a good variety of smallish bites, and lunch size options, so if you are looking to hang out for a while, and just munch on something light, you have that option. Which is great, in this age of oversized portions everywhere else you look.
So, anyway, I had a tough time deciding what tea I wanted to get... they had some 50 different blends, and some interesting names too. I finally decided on the Chill out blend, and Laxmi got some Monkey madness something... both our teas were awesome, and I can't wait to go back and try one of the others. The food menu was pretty varied too... we ordered the butternut squash wontons (these are the best!), and the polenta waffles (Laxmi thought these were the best!), and the indian tofu curry (very avoidable). There were a bunch of other sides and main dishes, all of which looked really tempting.
Hmmm.. I think this is one of the most boring posts this blog has seen... what to do? I'm mellow. And if you want to be mellow too... go here.... on a day when you have some time to spare, and good company... or a book to read.... or thoughts to ponder....
http://www.samovartea.com/
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Did someone say buffalo wings?
On a vegetarian food blog?!? Is nothing sacred any more?
Now, those of you that know me well... know, that if there's one thing that constantly tempts me to go over to the dark side it's buffalo wings and the orange chicken at Panda Express (I know... gross!) . So, then you can understand my joy on finding a restaurant that serves vegan buffalo wings a.k.a buffalo girls, in the Mission.
It's called Weird Fish, and has a kindof eclectic menu of tacos, bar food, and expensive and strictly avoidable sparkling wine (according to Nilu anyway). The beers were good though, beer is always good :)
On the menu for us that night was, obviously the buffalo girls - it's seitan, a dense soy product, coated with this buffalo wing sauce.... I could hardly wait! And some other tofu and yam thing, and tacos for the main course. I guess it's evident that the food was really not something I would be screaming from the rooftops about. But one sinful bite of the tangy, succulent, steaming, fake... umm... wings, and I thought I have to blog about this place, because even if the food is so-so, and the alochol is expensive, and the server ignores you half the time.... the buffalo girls were worth it!
http://weirdfishsf.com/
Now, those of you that know me well... know, that if there's one thing that constantly tempts me to go over to the dark side it's buffalo wings and the orange chicken at Panda Express (I know... gross!) . So, then you can understand my joy on finding a restaurant that serves vegan buffalo wings a.k.a buffalo girls, in the Mission.
It's called Weird Fish, and has a kindof eclectic menu of tacos, bar food, and expensive and strictly avoidable sparkling wine (according to Nilu anyway). The beers were good though, beer is always good :)
On the menu for us that night was, obviously the buffalo girls - it's seitan, a dense soy product, coated with this buffalo wing sauce.... I could hardly wait! And some other tofu and yam thing, and tacos for the main course. I guess it's evident that the food was really not something I would be screaming from the rooftops about. But one sinful bite of the tangy, succulent, steaming, fake... umm... wings, and I thought I have to blog about this place, because even if the food is so-so, and the alochol is expensive, and the server ignores you half the time.... the buffalo girls were worth it!
http://weirdfishsf.com/
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Mexico DF
Wow.. it's been 3 weeks since I had drinks here with my swimming buddies, Frances and Lalitha, and really, this place is so awesome I should have blogged about it the day I went!
Anyway, Mexico DF is right by the Embarcadero Y, and as you walk by you can almost feel the energy of the place. There are so many good, upscale restaurants catering to all the fi-di(?) crowd in this area, that I'm not surprised I had not heard about this place. Which is a shame, because I thought this place was really nice!
The first thing that got my attention were these really vibrant plates on the table. We didn't end up using them, so I'm not sure why they were there, but the sure do set the tone for the restaurant and give it a lively, happy vibe. Which is good! Well anyway, I was really fascinated by them, and the next time I go back I'm going to find out how I can get me some of those.... or if one of you goes you can buy one for me and make this little girl so so happy :) Hmm... I should really take my camera with me the next time I go anywhere, this blog posting could so have used a picture of those plates.
Ok, so I already liked this place because of the plates (I know.. I can't be so easy to please :)), but it got better. I looked at the drinks menu, and wanted to try at least 3 things on there.... obviously, me being the lightweight that I am could only order one, so I chose, and I chose wisely...I ordered the tamarind margarita. Did someone say, exotic! It had cayenne pepper on the rim, tangy tamarind mixed in with just the right amount (a LOT!) of tequila .... ah... divine!
Which brings me to the food - after the plates and the margaritas, I was expecting something amazing from the kitchen.... and it did not disappoint. Tomas, the guy who was serving us that day pretty much sold us on every single dish we asked him about. Actually he was the other great thing about the restaurant - he was so into the restaurant, and the food, and went into such detail about the taste, the smell, the history of the dish and told us all these stories about growing up in Mexico - it was really entertaining just listening to him talk. Plus, and this is probably why I liked him - he actually got us tasting tequilas for him!
We ended up ordering the mango guacamole, and enchiladas, the chile relleno. Not too much food - but with the cheese content it was pretty filling. The mango guac was y-u-m-m-m-y... I think (it was 3 weeks ago!). What I am sure of though, is that the caramel flan we had for dessert that day was one of the best I have ever(!) had in my life.
Ok .. I'm finally done raving about this place.. time to move on to my next posting, which hopefully won't take 3 weeks to post :)
http://www.mex-df.com/
Anyway, Mexico DF is right by the Embarcadero Y, and as you walk by you can almost feel the energy of the place. There are so many good, upscale restaurants catering to all the fi-di(?) crowd in this area, that I'm not surprised I had not heard about this place. Which is a shame, because I thought this place was really nice!
The first thing that got my attention were these really vibrant plates on the table. We didn't end up using them, so I'm not sure why they were there, but the sure do set the tone for the restaurant and give it a lively, happy vibe. Which is good! Well anyway, I was really fascinated by them, and the next time I go back I'm going to find out how I can get me some of those.... or if one of you goes you can buy one for me and make this little girl so so happy :) Hmm... I should really take my camera with me the next time I go anywhere, this blog posting could so have used a picture of those plates.
Ok, so I already liked this place because of the plates (I know.. I can't be so easy to please :)), but it got better. I looked at the drinks menu, and wanted to try at least 3 things on there.... obviously, me being the lightweight that I am could only order one, so I chose, and I chose wisely...I ordered the tamarind margarita. Did someone say, exotic! It had cayenne pepper on the rim, tangy tamarind mixed in with just the right amount (a LOT!) of tequila .... ah... divine!
Which brings me to the food - after the plates and the margaritas, I was expecting something amazing from the kitchen.... and it did not disappoint. Tomas, the guy who was serving us that day pretty much sold us on every single dish we asked him about. Actually he was the other great thing about the restaurant - he was so into the restaurant, and the food, and went into such detail about the taste, the smell, the history of the dish and told us all these stories about growing up in Mexico - it was really entertaining just listening to him talk. Plus, and this is probably why I liked him - he actually got us tasting tequilas for him!
We ended up ordering the mango guacamole, and enchiladas, the chile relleno. Not too much food - but with the cheese content it was pretty filling. The mango guac was y-u-m-m-m-y... I think (it was 3 weeks ago!). What I am sure of though, is that the caramel flan we had for dessert that day was one of the best I have ever(!) had in my life.
Ok .. I'm finally done raving about this place.. time to move on to my next posting, which hopefully won't take 3 weeks to post :)
http://www.mex-df.com/
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Chase away your sorrows...
Nepenthe - this absolute jewel of a place, sitting on a cliff in Big Sur, it doesn't get more picturesque or romantic than this.
After an awesome weekend exploring Big Sur (which btw is totally worth making a camping reservation 9 months in advance), we ended up at Nepenthe about an hour before the sunset. I had read a lot of reviews about the place, and the view, and how the terrace seating gave you unparalleled views of the sun setting over the Pacific, so I had a lot of expectations of the place. And it did not disappoint!
It's a pretty fancy place, and a bit on the pricy side. I, for one, think it's completely worth it though... it's a place where you could spend an entire evening listening to their eclectic collection of music, drinking wine and taking in the scenery. Funnily enough I don't remember anything about the food that day. I guess it wasn't bad, but maybe the beauty of the rest of the place just so totally overwhelms you that the food doesn't matter any more.
I'm going to end this post with this quote from their web-site -
"In Greek, Nepenthe means "isle of no care," a place to find surcease from sorrow. So it continues to be for travelers today. A place to stop, to dream, to lift a cup to kindness..."
www.nepenthebigsur.com/
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Panta Rei
I've been to 3 really nice places in the past week... not bad, after the 2 week lull.
This first one, I'm not sure would have even got a review from me otherwise, but this sweet little boy I know, can't stop raving about it. So... I guess I owe it a review.
Panta Rei is an Italian restaurant, on Columbus Ave. - one among many, many Italian restaurants in North Beach. As with most restaurants in the area, it's open late, so that's a plus. We got there pretty late, around 11pm, and Columbus was bustling as usual. It was a really nice night, so we got a seat outside next to the heat lamp, ordered some Chardonnay, and settled down to enjoy a nice, late dinner.
Which brings me to the food.... So, the one thing to die for, for any vegetarian diner here is the Spinach gnocchi (or at least that's what the sweet little boy claims). So, that's what we had... and a margherita pizza. Now, in my experience you really can't go wrong with a margherita pizza - tomato sauce, cheese, and basil. How much simpler can it get? But... this pizza, it just didn't do it for me... too much cheese, too little flavor. I was full with just one slice. The gnocchi on the other hand was pretty darn good... it had a nice cream sauce, lots of garlic, and lots of flavor. And it went well with the Chardonnay.
So there... that's my kind of blah review of Panta Rei. Did I loooove it? Probably not. Would I recommend it? Probably yes.... if you sit outside, with a nice glass of wine, and good company.
Apologies
to all you avid readers of my blog :) I've been a little lazy blogging. Actually, in my defense... I haven't really been to too many restaurants over the past few weeks that made me want to blog about them.
I think one place of note is Salang Pass, in Fremont of all places. It's an Afghani place that a co-worker recommended. We went there for a group lunch, and after an initial awkward few minutes wondering if everyone would be cool sitting on cushions on the ground and eating with their hands, it was a fun experience. The food was really good... and surprisingly had a lot of vegetarian options. For appetizers we had the Bolani - which is just this giant alu paratha, very flavorful and quite yummy! That almost filled me up, with the salad and the bread at the table we could have easily skipped to dessert, but everyone ordered entrees so I did too. And I'm glad... yummm... the Veg Sabzi Challow... you can't go wrong giving a south indian hot basmati rice. A lot of the dessert options at this place looked really Indian - they had a Ras Malai, and phirni and mango ice cream. I think we ordered every dessert on there, and the only one that really appealed to me was the phirni. It was cool, and light, and had this awesome rose fragrance that transported you to some nawab's palace somewhere in some other time.
Where else did I go this past 2 weeks? I wonder if take-out counts... oh well, might as well. I guess if I had to list my most frequented take-out place it would be Regent Thai on 29th & Church. And for good reason - it's cheap, the food is excellent, and it's 5 minutes from my place. I wish they would deliver! I'm thinking I'll write an entire blog entry dedicated to my favorite take-out places. Watch this spot...
I think one place of note is Salang Pass, in Fremont of all places. It's an Afghani place that a co-worker recommended. We went there for a group lunch, and after an initial awkward few minutes wondering if everyone would be cool sitting on cushions on the ground and eating with their hands, it was a fun experience. The food was really good... and surprisingly had a lot of vegetarian options. For appetizers we had the Bolani - which is just this giant alu paratha, very flavorful and quite yummy! That almost filled me up, with the salad and the bread at the table we could have easily skipped to dessert, but everyone ordered entrees so I did too. And I'm glad... yummm... the Veg Sabzi Challow... you can't go wrong giving a south indian hot basmati rice. A lot of the dessert options at this place looked really Indian - they had a Ras Malai, and phirni and mango ice cream. I think we ordered every dessert on there, and the only one that really appealed to me was the phirni. It was cool, and light, and had this awesome rose fragrance that transported you to some nawab's palace somewhere in some other time.
Where else did I go this past 2 weeks? I wonder if take-out counts... oh well, might as well. I guess if I had to list my most frequented take-out place it would be Regent Thai on 29th & Church. And for good reason - it's cheap, the food is excellent, and it's 5 minutes from my place. I wish they would deliver! I'm thinking I'll write an entire blog entry dedicated to my favorite take-out places. Watch this spot...
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Numbing cucumbers!
Yup.. thats actually a dish on the menu for Spices. It's a schezuan style restaurant in the Richmond that serves really really spicy food (if you want it spicy that is).
We went to Spices for dinner on Sunday, after a completely lazy afternoon, hanging out in Sausalito. Which reminds me, if you are in Sausalito, the "No Name Bar" is a nice place to hang out. They have live music playing in the evening till 7 pm, very laid back.
So, anyway, back to Spices.... I have not had such spicy Chinese food anywhere else in the Bay Area. It reminded me of Indian chinese on the streets from back home. And it has a really good vegetarian selection, so obviously I liked it. So, this is what I would recommend (in order) - ma po tofu (yummy!), numbing cucumbers (so good!) , eggplant in garlic sauce (yes, you read that correct, I am recommending an eggplant dish :)). A couple of noodle dishes on the neighboring tables looked good too, maybe I'll try them the next time I go.
Hmm... I was just reading yelp! reviews on this place and they sucked. Maybe I need to get stricter with my reviews, and not give every restaurant a 5-star rating. Watch out next restaurant.. I'm not going to be so easy to please any more ;-)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/xE_M6ntRnq4KTzXBHDVKCA
We went to Spices for dinner on Sunday, after a completely lazy afternoon, hanging out in Sausalito. Which reminds me, if you are in Sausalito, the "No Name Bar" is a nice place to hang out. They have live music playing in the evening till 7 pm, very laid back.
So, anyway, back to Spices.... I have not had such spicy Chinese food anywhere else in the Bay Area. It reminded me of Indian chinese on the streets from back home. And it has a really good vegetarian selection, so obviously I liked it. So, this is what I would recommend (in order) - ma po tofu (yummy!), numbing cucumbers (so good!) , eggplant in garlic sauce (yes, you read that correct, I am recommending an eggplant dish :)). A couple of noodle dishes on the neighboring tables looked good too, maybe I'll try them the next time I go.
Hmm... I was just reading yelp! reviews on this place and they sucked. Maybe I need to get stricter with my reviews, and not give every restaurant a 5-star rating. Watch out next restaurant.. I'm not going to be so easy to please any more ;-)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/xE_M6ntRnq4KTzXBHDVKCA
Foreign Cinema
Ok, I have been putting this off for a few days now... two awesome places to blog about this past weekend and I've been lazy about writing! I knew this would happen... but not after just 2 posts :(
Anyway, this past weekend turned out to be such a divine weekend in the city. Blue skies, warm weather and the outdoor patio at Foreign Cinema was the perfect place to be for Sunday brunch. This place is huge! I was pleasantly surprised that the indoor seating we got, was so bright and airy. The room has almost no doors and opens up to the outdoor seating, and with the sun out, is perfect if you want to sit in the shade but still feel like you're outside.
The food... was good... I ordered the egg tostadas, yummy! Laxmi recommends the chicken apple sausage, which according to her was the best she's had in a long time. We also saved room for dessert, and I'm glad we did... they were soooo good!
Well, this place definitely gets a rave review from me. I want to go back sometime for dinner, when they have the fire going and a movie playing (I forgot to mention, Foreign Cinema projects movies, much like a drive-in, on this huge white wall in the patio). How very romantic!
http://www.foreigncinema.com/
Anyway, this past weekend turned out to be such a divine weekend in the city. Blue skies, warm weather and the outdoor patio at Foreign Cinema was the perfect place to be for Sunday brunch. This place is huge! I was pleasantly surprised that the indoor seating we got, was so bright and airy. The room has almost no doors and opens up to the outdoor seating, and with the sun out, is perfect if you want to sit in the shade but still feel like you're outside.
The food... was good... I ordered the egg tostadas, yummy! Laxmi recommends the chicken apple sausage, which according to her was the best she's had in a long time. We also saved room for dessert, and I'm glad we did... they were soooo good!
Well, this place definitely gets a rave review from me. I want to go back sometime for dinner, when they have the fire going and a movie playing (I forgot to mention, Foreign Cinema projects movies, much like a drive-in, on this huge white wall in the patio). How very romantic!
http://www.foreigncinema.com/
Friday, August 17, 2007
Thirsty bear kills man for beer
And I don't blame him.... after a looong day at work, and battling traffic on 101, one sip of the beer at Thirsty Bear and I thought that everything was right with the world again. I ordered the Polar Bear, and Ashish the Brown Bear, and after our first sip, we both went Ah!
Having got that out the way though, there's really not much else I want to rave about Thirsty Bear. The tapas were so-so, and the gazpacho was a little too tangy for me. You really can't go wrong with Patatas Bravas, so I would say that's a safe thing to order here. Nothing to beat the ones you get at Picaro's, but decent. It seemed good for an after-work place, not too crowded though, and there weren't too many cute boys around.
So, overall... I guess I would have to say, if you like beer you should go here, otherwise it's completely passable.
http://www.thirstybear.com/
Having got that out the way though, there's really not much else I want to rave about Thirsty Bear. The tapas were so-so, and the gazpacho was a little too tangy for me. You really can't go wrong with Patatas Bravas, so I would say that's a safe thing to order here. Nothing to beat the ones you get at Picaro's, but decent. It seemed good for an after-work place, not too crowded though, and there weren't too many cute boys around.
So, overall... I guess I would have to say, if you like beer you should go here, otherwise it's completely passable.
http://www.thirstybear.com/
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Slow Club
Slow Club.. it's awesome that my first post turned out to be a really good pick. Siddharth and me went there for a "quick" lunch on Friday (it being a work day and all). It serves californian cuisine and looks like it might be a nice place to hang out for dinner and drinks as well.
And I have to rave about this place... they actually had quite a few veggie options, and several of them made me go ah! We settled on the spinach salad, the fennel and leek soup, and flatbread. And they had fresh bread, olive oil, outdoor seating and the sun. It doesn't get better than that!
Of the three things we ordered, I have to say the spinach salad gets my best recommendation.. it had strawberries, pecans and this really nice, almost tangy mustard vinaigrette. I need to learn how to spell!
We skipped dessert because we were so full... but they did look tempting. Ah, lazy friday afternoons, if I could have lingered and had dessert, I would have.
Definitely recommended!!!
http://www.slowclub.com/
And I have to rave about this place... they actually had quite a few veggie options, and several of them made me go ah! We settled on the spinach salad, the fennel and leek soup, and flatbread. And they had fresh bread, olive oil, outdoor seating and the sun. It doesn't get better than that!
Of the three things we ordered, I have to say the spinach salad gets my best recommendation.. it had strawberries, pecans and this really nice, almost tangy mustard vinaigrette. I need to learn how to spell!
We skipped dessert because we were so full... but they did look tempting. Ah, lazy friday afternoons, if I could have lingered and had dessert, I would have.
Definitely recommended!!!
http://www.slowclub.com/
Here we go...
I'm thinking of something funny to say to give this blog a good start.. something with San Francisco, and restaurants, and good food, and the company of friends. But I can't think of anything.. so wit will just have to wait for a later post.
This blog was prompted by me buying a copy of the Michelin Guide to dining in San Francisco. I plan to go through it (eventually!) and thought I would blog my experiences, good and bad, so I'm not dumbfounded when someone asks me, "You go out so much, what restaurant would you recommend for greek food in the marina?"
So... this blog is written from a vegetarian's viewpoint, it will be biased to restaurants that I think serve really good veggie food. And, if I do comment on maybe the chicken satay being good at so-and-so place it will mostly be heresay, and I make no guarantees about it actually being good.
Bon appetit!
This blog was prompted by me buying a copy of the Michelin Guide to dining in San Francisco. I plan to go through it (eventually!) and thought I would blog my experiences, good and bad, so I'm not dumbfounded when someone asks me, "You go out so much, what restaurant would you recommend for greek food in the marina?"
So... this blog is written from a vegetarian's viewpoint, it will be biased to restaurants that I think serve really good veggie food. And, if I do comment on maybe the chicken satay being good at so-and-so place it will mostly be heresay, and I make no guarantees about it actually being good.
Bon appetit!
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