Jambalaya!

When I think southern food it's all about fried chicken and pulled pork, mashed potatoes and gravy - meat and heart attacks! For a vegetarian that usually means making a meal out of sides of collared greens and beans and potatoes, maybe a dinner roll thrown in. So, imagine my joy on being introduced to Farmerbrown - a southern restaurant in the Tenderloin that has the meat and potatoes part covered, but also has a little something for vegetarians.

The little something I'm talking about is the vegetarian jambalaya - with fresh vegetables like corn, carrots, beans and peppers cooked with flavorful spices in rice, it is a real treat for your taste buds. Add some Tabasco for an extra kick and you are all set! If rice is not your thing (and butter is) there is a second vegetarian entree of grits with squash and pesto. Be forewarned though, there is enough butter in this to put a Paula Deen recipe to shame! And in case none of the entrees tickles your palate, there is always the option of the dinner made out of sides (mentioned above).

Farmerbrown is usually crowded, and waits for a table without a reservation can take up to an hour. The bar is open seating and has a Happy Hour menu in addition to the full dinner menu. The atmosphere is that of a moderately upscale restaurant - interesting artwork lines the walls and the music is peppy. Definitely recommended for a date or an evening out with a few friends.

www.farmerbrownsf.com

The best veggie burrito in Potrero Hill...

... and maybe even better than a burrito from the Mission!

I'm talking about Papito, just off Potrero Hill's happening 18th Street is this little Mexican restaurant that's run by the same people as Chez Maman. No... they don't serve Mexican food with a French twist (or attitude :)). They just happen to serve, what I think is a kick-ass veggie burrito.

So, what makes this burrito so awesome, take sauteed mushrooms, onions, beans, rice, lettuce and some fresh salsa. Slap on some guacamole and voila, you have a veggie burrito that is seriously fulfilling. If you are not a burrito person though, tough luck! I would suggest going to a different Mexican restaurant. I've tried a few other things on the menu, but nothing else stands up to the awesomeness of the veggie burrito here.

So, the next time you are grappling with restaurant choices in Potrero Hill, try the burrito at Papito!

Viva Las Vegas!

I was in Vegas recently for Cisco Live! It always amazes me how decadent Vegas can be - you work hard all day, but then you go out and have a great meal, and then party all night at the most glitzy clubs. I was there for four days - and whew, was that too much to handle!

Las Vegas is known for it's fancy restaurants and celebrity chefs. It's no wonder then, that one of the highlights of this trip was the amount of good food that was consumed. This review though, belongs to the restaurant that has to be the best restaurant I have eaten at in Vegas. That might not mean much - I'm hardly an expert on food or the best restaurants in Vegas. But let's just say that I could not stop eating, and when I did I was left with a feeling of such immense gratification!

Anyway, getting to the point, the restaurant I'm gushing about is China Grill in Mandalay Bay. It is a fusion Asian restaurant, serving sushi and sake for Happy Hour and dinner after. We went for a group dinner from work, and our server kept trying to convince us to get the Tasting menu for $69!!! "No, thank you" we said, and ordered off the regular menu. Tofu tots with miso cilantro dipping sauce, Udon noodles with vegetables in a spicy hoisin sauce, crispy spinach and three kinds of creme brulee later I could barely move, but I was in food heaven! I think the sentiment was shared with the rest of the folks at the table. Vrishab in fact insisted that this meal deserved a blog entry even though it was not in the foggy city :)

Back from the long hiatus (hopefully?)

It's been over a year since I last posted. Not because I've been sitting idle and not sampling the most awesome food in San Francisco. But because I got lazy writing about it... it's alright, it happens to us all.

I've been to so may great San Francisco restaurants in the past year - Schmidt's, Contigo, Gracia Madres, Another Monkey... the list is pretty long. I don't even remember what I had that was so good at these places, guess I'll just have to go back :)

So, this post is about Yield Wine Bar - while it's still fresh in my mind... three lovely ladies and a dog went to Yield one Wednesday evening. If you have a dog this is the place for you - they actually have dog treats and strict dog petting policy. So cute!! The people here are super-friendly and the vibe is very chilled out and comfortable. It's is kind of small though, but considering it's in the middle of nowhere in the Dogpatch of all places, it's probably not going to get super-crowded on a weekday.

For a wine bar the food is exceptionally good. You get small plates at Yield, and my only complain is that they are just that - small. The food is so delicious, but the portions kind of tease you saying "you can have two bites of this but not more". We had the sweet potato gnochhi, aparagus and pickled leek salad, cauliflower pakoras, spinach and artichoke dip and the Bermuda Triangle which is a soft goat cheese. If that sounds like a lot of food for 3 people, it's not! I think we could have easily eaten a few more samples. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a sucker for gnocchi, so it's no surprise that it was my favorite item in the menu.

The only dessert they had was apple pie... not the most enticing, so we skipped dessert. I would definitely recommend this place for a nice, quiet evening - it's good for a casual date and to just hang out with friends. And of course, if you have a dog it's the place to go!

http://www.yieldsf.com/YieldWineBar/Welcome.html