My laziness has finally caught up with me, and I decided to condense my reviews for these three places in one big brunch post!
Lets start with Q - I went here with my swim friends. It's all the way on Clement Street, parking is a pain here so be warned. The place itself is pretty small, we got seated all the way in the back. Our table was funky (in a good way), there was this tree trunk in the middle of the table, added an interesting touch to the decor of the place.
The service was a bit random... our server kept telling us that the coffee mugs were missing and brought us our three coffees one by one. The food was pretty good brunch fare. I got an omelet with corn and some spicy salsa. Lalitha got the french toast which was pretty good too. Overall I would say the place was good... was it worth the trek all the way to the Richmond though, not sure!
Ok the next place is also that side of town - Park Chow is right outside the Golden Gate Park. Again parking here is a pain, but if have a lot of money, you go into the park and park at the De Young :)Park Chow is really popular - you can tell because the place is pretty big, it has two levels but it was full. There's a really cozy feel to it, maybe because of the giant fireplace downstairs. We were a group of 8, so we got put upstairs in a large, spacious room. This place is good for kids - I always have trouble finding places to take my friends who have kids, so this is a great find! The food is a mixture of traditional brunch options with some Asian and Italian options thrown in. Pretty good food and service. Overall, this seems like a good place to start the day off with a nice relaxed lunch, and walk across to the park and hang out - definitely recommended!
Last, but not least is Chloe's - it's a block away from my apartment, and I don't go there nearly as often as I would like. Why? This place is super-popular, and tiny! Which means, you end up waiting for a table for at least 45 minutes, and they don't take reservations. But, Chloe's makes you wait for a good reason - the food is awesome, made with fresh ingredients and always flavorful. I love their rosemary thyme bread - the french toast and most of their omelets. So, if you have a couple of hours to spare one weekend, make the trip to Chloe's - it's definitely worth it!
Showing posts with label brunch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brunch. Show all posts
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Nirvana, Market Bar and Toast
I've decided I'm going to be lazy and combine reviews for three restaurants in one giant blog posting. Not that they don't deserve their own individual moment in the spotlight - at least Nirvana definitely does. But, these are restaurants I've been to over the past two months so some of my memories of the places are hazy and I'm going to get them all mixed up anyway :)
Lets start with Nirvana, an Asian fusion restaurant in the Castro. I tried this place for the first time with Judy, when I had just moved to the city three years ago. Wow .... time flies, and here I was again, celebrating my "surprise" birthday party with my awesome, awesome friends. From what I remember (very vaguely) the drinks at this place were really good! The food was pretty good too, but since I can't remember the names of any dishes, I'm guessing at least the vegetarian options were pretty standard fare. The seafood though, was a big hit! A friend of mine who doesn't really like seafood, started ordering seafood at every restaurant he went to for the next few weeks to see if he could find the same taste closer to home. Overall, I would recommend the restaurant - it's not that great for a date, but pretty good to go out with a group. Oh.. and remember, parking in the Castro is a nightmare, so take the muni :)
http://nirvanarestaurant.net/
After two months of no brunches out with Laxmi (parents visiting, south-indian breakfast every weekend at home, who needs brunch :)), we decided to go to Toast in Noe Valley, the Sunday after my folks left. For some reason this place is super-popular. We waited an hour and a half ( I kid you not!) to get a table. I mean yeah.. they make a good omelette, but don't people have better things to do on a beautiful Sunday morning? Apparently not! Anyway, once we were seated, the service was pretty quick. The restaurant has the usual brunch fare - I do recommend getting the omelette, it's perfectly made, with really fresh veggies, light and fluffy and most importantly, not runny. If eggs are just not your thing, the tofu scramble looked pretty good, and I guess you also can't go wrong with pancakes and syrup :)
http://www.toasteatery.com/
My last review is for Market Bar - it's this huge place with outdoor seating in the Ferry Building. The only reason I'm reviewing this place has nothing to do with food - it's the location! If there's one place in San Francisco that always makes me smile and want to give a great, big hug to the city, it's the Ferry Building. I don't know if it's because of the water and the Bay Bridge in all it's magnificence towering over the Bay on one side, or all the tall financial district buildings with busy people walking around purposefully on the other side that makes this such a special place. Every time I go here though, I can almost feel the vitality and energy around me lifting me up. So, anyway, back to Market Bar - we went here to celebrate Chetna's first marathon, we were a large group, and this place was awesome - they take reservations, unlike a lot of brunch places in the city, and it's big enough to accommodate a large group. The food... was as far as I remember, pretty lackluster. Once again, it was the usual brunch fare. I mean how wrong can you go with scrambled eggs and toast? So, go here if you need a place that is centrally located and can fit large groups - but if you are looking for a brunch place with really good food, you're better off picking your favoritest (I know it's not a word.. but you get the picture) person from the group and heading to one of the many smaller, neighborhood brunch places where you'll easily find a table for two (except if it's Toast :)).
http://www.marketbar.com/
Lets start with Nirvana, an Asian fusion restaurant in the Castro. I tried this place for the first time with Judy, when I had just moved to the city three years ago. Wow .... time flies, and here I was again, celebrating my "surprise" birthday party with my awesome, awesome friends. From what I remember (very vaguely) the drinks at this place were really good! The food was pretty good too, but since I can't remember the names of any dishes, I'm guessing at least the vegetarian options were pretty standard fare. The seafood though, was a big hit! A friend of mine who doesn't really like seafood, started ordering seafood at every restaurant he went to for the next few weeks to see if he could find the same taste closer to home. Overall, I would recommend the restaurant - it's not that great for a date, but pretty good to go out with a group. Oh.. and remember, parking in the Castro is a nightmare, so take the muni :)
http://nirvanarestaurant.net/
After two months of no brunches out with Laxmi (parents visiting, south-indian breakfast every weekend at home, who needs brunch :)), we decided to go to Toast in Noe Valley, the Sunday after my folks left. For some reason this place is super-popular. We waited an hour and a half ( I kid you not!) to get a table. I mean yeah.. they make a good omelette, but don't people have better things to do on a beautiful Sunday morning? Apparently not! Anyway, once we were seated, the service was pretty quick. The restaurant has the usual brunch fare - I do recommend getting the omelette, it's perfectly made, with really fresh veggies, light and fluffy and most importantly, not runny. If eggs are just not your thing, the tofu scramble looked pretty good, and I guess you also can't go wrong with pancakes and syrup :)
http://www.toasteatery.com/
My last review is for Market Bar - it's this huge place with outdoor seating in the Ferry Building. The only reason I'm reviewing this place has nothing to do with food - it's the location! If there's one place in San Francisco that always makes me smile and want to give a great, big hug to the city, it's the Ferry Building. I don't know if it's because of the water and the Bay Bridge in all it's magnificence towering over the Bay on one side, or all the tall financial district buildings with busy people walking around purposefully on the other side that makes this such a special place. Every time I go here though, I can almost feel the vitality and energy around me lifting me up. So, anyway, back to Market Bar - we went here to celebrate Chetna's first marathon, we were a large group, and this place was awesome - they take reservations, unlike a lot of brunch places in the city, and it's big enough to accommodate a large group. The food... was as far as I remember, pretty lackluster. Once again, it was the usual brunch fare. I mean how wrong can you go with scrambled eggs and toast? So, go here if you need a place that is centrally located and can fit large groups - but if you are looking for a brunch place with really good food, you're better off picking your favoritest (I know it's not a word.. but you get the picture) person from the group and heading to one of the many smaller, neighborhood brunch places where you'll easily find a table for two (except if it's Toast :)).
http://www.marketbar.com/
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
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/
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
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, August 21, 2007
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/
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/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)