Foodie Girl SF

The American: Grilled Cheese Kitchen

2011-03-06T13:18:00.000-08:00

1 South Park @ 2nd street Yes, I'm back! At long last I've returned to you few, and quite possibly zero at this point, loyal readers. I mean, I know all of your days are spent wondering when you'll be able to read about my eating escapades, and to that I give you the answer - today. And nothing like a grilled cheese to bring me back. Grilled cheese sandwiches have got to be in my top 10

2010 Resolution: Oysters - Conquered!

2010-02-16T16:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, it finally happened - I ate an oyster, and FOUR at that! I can't believe it's taken me this long to write about it, but there was a slight speed bump in wanting to share the good news, but I'll get to that later. First the oyster...Josh & I had a lovely day exploring Carmel-by-the-Sea and decided to stop into Flaherty's Seafood & OYSTER bar for the big event. If I was reviewing the

Taco Truck #1: San Bueno

2010-02-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

Sansome & Pacific parking lotNow most doctors, psychiatrists, nutritionists, mothers or really any healthy person would tell you that emotional eating is never a good thing. If you're sad, bored, happy or any other emotion, figure out a way to enjoy it or to deal with it aside from grabbing for food. Well, nine times out of ten I try to listen to that way of thinking, but there are some times

And now Mozz Stix!

2010-02-01T21:12:00.000-08:00

Seriously, I'm sorry to be "cheese this" and "cheese that", but I don't know how many of you have ever tasted the ooey gooey, stretchy deliciousness of homemade mozz sticks?! The leftovers of the cheese I made the other day only last about a week and it was getting firmer and firmer, so what better way to use it than to FRY it? They turned out closer to potato wedges than sticks, but who really

RAVE: Homemade Mozzarella!!!

2010-02-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the large pictures, but I made my own freaking Mozzarella CHEESE!!! I actually can't believe it myself, and I owe it to my fabulous friend Emily for giving me this DIY kit. What was the event, you ask? Well Josh's birthday just passed which meant the annual feast of chicken parm with homemade sauce, homemade caesar dressing, decadent dessert from scratch and whatever other big

Velvet Cantina

2010-01-16T14:12:00.000-08:00

3349 23rd Street @ BartlettI don't have too much to say about the food specifically, but Velvet Cantina is cheap, crowded and fun. We were meeting up with 2 other couples for dinner and Josh & I got there a half hour early (parking in the Mission is a crap shoot) and spent about 20 minutes trying to get a drink at the PACKED bar. To avoid having to deal with getting the bartender's attention

Tipsy Pig

2010-01-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

2231 Chestnut Street (between Scott & Pierce)Mmmmm, I liked this place! When I got there at 5:30 it was empty, but when my friend Lauren and I left at 8:30ish it was bumping and packed - and quite the meat market too, but I guess that's just what the Marina is like. The Tipsy Pig has a wonderful long bar and the interior is entirely wood and has a great rustic pub feel. We only shared a few

Foodie on a budget

2010-01-12T18:54:00.000-08:00

Ah, to love to eat, but to be on a budget (and a new year new diet) is just plain sad. There are really only 2 solutions - #1 COOK, and #2 - TACO TRUCKS/FOOD CARTS - and San Francisco has plenty to offer. So in 2010, I will both cook more and try all the really good cheap eats that San Francisco has to offer. There may be a little more cooking than taco trucks/food carts, because honestly,

A Foodie's Dilemma & 2010 Resolution: Oysters

2010-01-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

So readers (all 6 of you), I'm stuck with a dilemma - how can I call myself a "foodie" when I don't enjoy, let alone try to eat, one of life's greatest delicacies - oysters? Josh is a full lover and advocate of oysters, and tries to get me to sample them at every turn, but I CAN'T do it. And to top it off, we even visited a family owned (important to me) sustainable (even more important to me)

Brussel Sprouts!

2010-01-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

Um, excuse me, but did everyone know that brussel sprouts grew like this?!?! I guess I never really thought about it until I started to see them sold this way in the market. I've got to say, brussel sprouts are currently my vegetable of choice, I can't get enough of them. And now you add this little bit of character to them, and I'm obsessed! I recently bought one of these stalks and it

Pete's Tavern

2009-11-02T17:58:00.001-08:00

128 King Street (between 2nd & 3rd Sts.)All right, I've got a very mixed review to give Pete's, but not because of anything bad, but there is SO much potential, but from what I've seen, it hasn't been tapped into. To be fair I haven't ever been there before a Giants game, so it might be more along the lines of what I would hope for it then, but on Football Sundays, it falls short. Pete's is

The Buena Vista

2009-10-27T17:30:00.007-07:00

2765 Hyde Street (between Beach & North Point)I can't believe how many times I had visited San Francisco without ever going to the Buena Vista. I finally had my maiden voyage after living here for 6 months and a friend from NY came to town. We went for the sole purpose of having an Irish Coffee - and it didn't disappoint. The ambiance is no frills and the staff that works there looks like they

Ace Wasabi's Rock N' Roll Sushi

2009-10-27T17:30:00.003-07:00

3339 Steiner Street (between Chestnut & Lombard)Honestly, I'd just say "eh". From the reviews that I've read, I thought our fun loving group of 6 was going to walk into a party that served sushi. We were psyched & ready for some sake bombs and good times, but even though it was super crowded upfront by the bar, in the back it was quiet and dull. The lights were even turned way up, and it was

Epic Roasthouse

2009-10-27T17:30:00.001-07:00

369 The Embarcadero (Under Bay Bridge)Sadly, San Franciscans you're not going to like this comment, but once you've had a steak at a New York steakhouse - it's hard to match. This was definitely a great meal, but there was something missing that I couldn't quite put my finger on. First of all this dinner was a gift from good friends and a celebration of our first anniversary, so it was enjoyed

Mabel's "Just for You" Cafe

2009-08-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

732 22nd Street (b/w 3rd & Tennessee)Breakfast done well, although not perfect, but still pretty great & simple. Don't let the line of people outside scare you off, they serve free coffee and it moves in a quick and fair manner. Also, there were tons of people with young kids there - so bring 'em if you've got 'em - but take note you'll have to leave the stroller outside. We got an order of

Long time no blog...

2009-08-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

Heeellllllo! I apologize for my lack of presence on FoodieGirlSF for the past couple months, I've had a "summer hiatus" and other matters needed my attention. However, I'm back, and crafting up my latest review, so keep an eye out for new insights & gripes in the coming days...

RANT/RECOMMENDATION: Slow Cookers

2009-07-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

I'm about to venture away from my restaurant reviews for one brief moment to talk about slow cookers. As a newly married owner of fantastic kitchen gadgets, I've just cooked my first meal in a slow cooker, and although the recipe wasn't perfect, the ease of having it cook itself on my counter was awesome. And the clean up is minimal. I can't wait to do short ribs, pulled pork or a winter stew.

The Ramp

2009-07-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

855 Terry Francois St (between Illinois & Mariposa)Okay, I've got to say I'm a little embarrassed and saddened that it's taken me this long to find out about The Ramp - it's awesome. I mean who doesn't love sitting outside and dock-side, to eat Chilidogs, Fish & Chips and Huevos Rancheros while relaxing with friends? It's a dive, but not a gritty one, it's just more of a spot you'd expect in a

Greens

2009-06-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

Fort Mason Center Building A, at Laguna StreetUPDATE: I returned, and loved it all over again. This time I recommend getting the grilled artichokes - they come with a lemon oil & fresh mint - delicious! And the Gratin has the best vegetables possible wrapped into a circular tart with three different types of cheese, it's amazing.Most people turn their noses up at vegetarian eating but Greens

Bummer

2009-06-26T08:14:00.001-07:00

So I didn't make it through to the next round for the Murphy-Goode contest for A Really Goode Job, but I had a great time planning and filming my video, so all and all, it was still a great experience. Thank you to everyone that voted for me!

VOTE FOR ME!

2009-06-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

Please vote for me for the Lifestyle Correspondent position at Murphy-Goode winery! My audition is only 60 seconds, so it'll only take a minute, PLUS it's hilarious! Only 2 days left until they choose the top 50, so VOTE NOW!http://www.areallygoodejob.com/video-view.aspx?vid=ZDy86x_y8OU

Brickhouse Cafe

2009-06-19T18:27:00.003-07:00

426 Brannan Street (between 3rd & 4th)Brickhouse Cafe is in my neighborhood, so I've gone a couple times now, once for lunch and another time for breakfast and I really like it. There are a ton of food options, a fun lodge feel, and booths - enough said. The Veggie Melt is good, the bread is better, and the Country Western Scramble will soak up your previous night or fill you up for the day.

The Slanted Door

2009-06-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

1 Ferry Building @ The EmbarcaderoSeriously, it wasn't what I would have hoped for. The Slanted Door is one of "THE" places to eat in San Fran, but I had a few complaints that didn't start it off well. First of all, I'm fine when having to wait 5-10 minutes for a later reservation, since the earlier reservations are finishing up their meals. But when it's a 7pm reservation, and you end up

Poleng Lounge

2009-06-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

1751 Fulton Ave @ Masonic AvePoleng Lounge is a great spot to start off the night sharing SMALL dishes & funky cocktails with friends, but not much else. Thankfully the crew I was with were all eaters, so we tasted almost the entire SMALL dishes menu (sense a theme?). However, be warned, although it's a restaurant, it's a "lounge" - so the crowd is young and the music is loud. We were in the

Bacar

2009-06-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

448 Brannan between 3rd & 4th StreetsMy husband and I went to Bacar for dinner last night with a lovely gift certificate that we received from a good friend for our wedding. Neil, thank you for the gift, please don’t be disappointed in the review. My first beef was with the hostess – rude & snotty. Never the way you want to start a meal, especially at such a nice restaurant. They weren’t busy

RANT: Bathrooms

2009-06-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I'm going to start to include reviews on the bathrooms in the restaurants I check out. For some reason, since I was a wee little one (pun intended), I've always reviewed bathrooms to my family. I guess even at an early age I understood that the cleanliness & design of a bathroom can really speak to the cleanliness of the kitchen (and restaurant), and to the unique eye of the

Pirate Radio Café

2009-06-04T09:41:00.000-07:00

2781 21st Street at FloridaThis isn't a review, I just need to comment on how excited I am to try Pirate Radio Cafe's new Maple Bacon Latte - I mean seriously? Whoever came up with this idea, and then actually executed it well enough that they can sell it for $5 a cup, is an insane genius. It's a double espresso spiked with maple syrup and homemade bacon, sprinkled with Bac-Os. So now your

Tommaso’s

2009-06-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

1042 Kearny Street, between Broadway & Columbus Ave I’m learning that Tommaso’s is an Italian institution in North Beach, and there some restaurants that I’ll respect just for the fact that they’ve been around since 1935 – honestly, you can’t argue with that. Then you add the wood burning oven and I understand why everyone loves Tommaso’s, except me, I just like it. It’s a small restaurant

BarBer’sQ

2009-06-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

3900 D Bel Aire Plz, Napa, CA I feel like every TV show is doing nothing but highlighting BBQ across the country now that we’ve officially started summer. While it’s fun to watch, I just want to reach into the TV and try the ribs, barbecued chicken and coleslaw straight from those southern restaurants. Well I don’t have to imagine it with BarBer’s Q just up in Napa. Even though it’s a little

Taylor's Automatic Refresher

2009-05-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

1 Ferry Building at the Embarcadero When out and about on the Embarcadero and at the Ferry building, stop into Taylor’s Automatic and grab a beer or lemonade, burger or sandwich and sit outside in the bright sun, and cool breeze coming off of the bay. Taylor’s is known for burgers, but the fish tacos and BLT were the choices that my friends and I all loved. Everything on the menu is worth

Beretta

2009-05-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

1199 Valencia Street at 23rd Street A “no reservations” policy is always tough for popular restaurants, so I imagine othe reviewers have been hard on Beretta, but if you can get in the door, you’ll definitely enjoy your dinner. Beretta is Italian, but has the close quarters of a French bistro, so make sure you don’t mind overhearing your neighbors conversation or more importantly have them

The Monk's Kettle

2009-05-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

3141 16th Street, between Valencia & Guerrero Street Warm & cozy interior with booths and friendly staff – check! Delicious hearty menu to stand up to any dark and heavy stout – check! Beer list that rivals most encyclopedias – check! This funky beer heaven is worth the headache it provides for parking. The Giant Pretzel, Cheese platter or Charcuterie plate are all perfect options to pair

Paragon Restaurant & Bar

2009-05-26T11:10:00.001-07:00

701 2nd Street at Townsend Street I’ve been to the Paragon location in Portland, OR and my experience there is the primary reason I wanted to visit the SF location. If you’re ever in Portland, make sure you go to Paragon and get the Grilled Cheese – it will blow you away. It’s the BEST I’ve ever had. So that being said I had hoped the same would ring true in SF, but it didn’t. The Grilled

E&O Trading Company

2009-05-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

314 Sutter Street between Grant & Stockton My first comment on E&O is that it has fantastic ambiance. The bamboo, wood, wicker & oversized light fixtures will make you feel as if you’re entering a cool oasis on a hot day. Coupled with the chilled out lounge music pumping, this place had me as a fan as soon as we walked through the door. The Pan-Asian menu and exotic cocktails complete the

NOPA (sorry, this is a LONG review)

2009-05-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

560 Divisadero Street at Hayes Street This review is out of control with detail, and the length of it, but honestly, NOPA is foodie heaven – it’s perfection. It’s REAL food, with serious attention and love for flavor, fresh ingredients and unique combinations. This is the type of place that chefs go to eat, and it’s not the least bit pretentious. The staff is incredibly friendly and

Franchino

2009-05-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

347 Columbus Ave, between Grant Ave & Vallejo StreetLast night my husband, two friends from out of town and I went to Franchino, and while the owner is an undeniably charismatic man that brought us laughter throughout our meal, the food wasn’t anything that we’ll go back for. When we were first seated the owner asked if we’d like an assorted Antipasto platter, which I will always accept, and

Tres Agaves

2009-05-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

130 Townsend Street at 2nd Street When it comes to gourmet Mexican, look no further then Tres Agaves - especially when you’ve decided to actually appreciate tequila and learn about the good stuff as opposed to the Jose Cuervo we all have a love/hate relationship with. The staff is fully versed and knowledgeable on the vast list of tequilas and what makes each one unique. If you can swing it,

Half Moon Bay Brewery

2009-05-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

390 Capistrano Road, Half Moon Bay Drink here, but don’t eat! I got sick from an appetizer, and returned weeks later with family, and my brother got sick from a salad. Don’t let this deter you from visiting, just eat before you go. The beer is amazing and delicious, and the selection is great. Not to mention the fire pits outside where you can sit fireside, while

21st Amendment

2009-05-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

563 2nd Street, between Bryant & Brannan Streets 21st Amendment is a fantastic bar, restaurant & brewery extraordinaire! I will always recommend it to anyone looking for a well priced, delicious meal, and fantastic house brews that will knock you out with flavor or alcohol content. The layout is perfect for lunch, dinner or brunch, and especially for the craziness before a Giants game - they

Gordon Biersch

2009-05-18T13:47:00.002-07:00

2 Harrison Street at The Embarcadero Wow, if you’re in the mood for fries and garlic, look no further than Gordon Biersch. The fries are LOADED with garlic-a-plenty. But as for the rest of the menu and the restaurant lay-out, it’s an easy option, but nothing unique. I’ve been when it was convenient, but haven’t gone out of my way to visit. It’s a perfectly good restaurant, but remember it’s

Nama Sushi

2009-05-18T13:47:00.001-07:00

227 King Street at 3rd Street If you like to eat rolls when you have sushi – go to Nama! They have a fantastic and gigantic selection of any combination you can imagine. I joke that to a certain extent it’s sushi that’s been modernized & Americanized. The huge selection of rolls seem to have been born out of a conversation with my friends trying to imagine every strange and delicious

Harvey’s

2009-05-18T13:34:00.001-07:00

500 Castro Street at 18th Street Aside from the prime location within the Castro, and being named after the great Harvey Milk, the food & drinks are delicious, and staff is extremely welcoming and friendly. Now the reason Harvey’s has a place in my chubby little heart is they have ended my pursuit for an acceptable and worthwhile plate of nachos. In general there are a

Osha Thai

2009-05-18T13:24:00.002-07:00

2033 Union Street, between Buchanan & Webster StreetMmmm mmmm mmm! While I’ve only had lunch here – and they have a GREAT lunch special, I intend on going back for dinner as soon as I can. Osha has multiple locations, so I can’t speak for any of the locations aside from Union Street, but imagine they’ve all got to be pretty good. The Union Street location is a low-lit, minimalist spot that has

Harris’ Steakhouse

2009-05-18T13:24:00.001-07:00

2100 Van Ness Ave at Pacific AveI haven’t got a ton to say about this one. It’s an old school steakhouse, so don’t look for too much ingenuity in the food. It’s meat and potatoes, plain and simple. It’s traditional in every sense, right down to the large murals of hunting scenes with dogs and horses all throughout the dining room. The two things that I did really enjoy

Joe’s Cable Car

2009-05-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

4320 Mission Street at Silver AveMy husband & I saw Joe’s Cable Car featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives on the Food Network, and since my husband is a serious burger-fanatic, this was one of the first stops we had to make in San Fran. The restaurant is definitely a warm place, and Joe (the owner) is as charismatic in person as he was on TV. Such a friendly man! I was a little hung-over, so I

HiDive

2009-05-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

Pier 28 ½ at Bryant StOh HiDive, sweet HiDive. This was one of the first spots I hit when I first moved here, and I’ve enjoyed it many times since. It’s a great spot for brunch & lunch. Solid Bloody Mary, and while I wish (and am surprised they don’t) they offered a pint sized mimosa, they don’t. But the Breakfast Burrito (a must try) is delicious and honestly can fix a hangover in 10 minutes

Ozumo

2009-05-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

161 Steuart Street, between Mission & Howard StAll right, I’m possibly going to be disowned by my brother for this review, but honestly, I don’t get it. It’s definitely got a great front bar scene, and I know it’s one of “the” spots for sushi, but seriously, I don’t get it. I’ve visited twice now, and have had the amazing fortune of being treated both times, so if I knew the actual financial