San Francisco Noobs» Restaurants

Bistro Central Parc – Heaven in Your Mouth

Casi — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:35:50 +0000

Do you enjoy eating deliciously melted brie? How about scallops that melt in your mouth? Bacon bits from heaven? Chocolate with chocolate inside? Since I’m sure you said yes to all of the above, I want you to feast your jealous eyes on the amazing dinner I had at Bistro Central Parc. Peacefully sitting on the corner of Grove and Central, this spot has a welcoming aroma of every good food smell you have ever experienced.

Thanks to CitySearchSF and the hard work I did going to restaurants, parks, movie theaters, bars, and pretty much every other place this amazing city has to offer; I was rewarded with a golden ticket to have a delicious dinner for two at this semi-new restaurant. Of course I brought my lady in crime Lauren who loves to be wined and dined as much as I do!

When the owner of the restaurant asked what we would like we simply handed her the menu and said surprise us! I think this is the best way to get the perfect experience at a new restaurant.

They certainly delivered their best plates on the menu, starting with Galette de Pomme de Terre, Crie chaud (for all you noobs out there – like me – melted brie spread over a potato pancake on a mountainous mizuna salad). First off, brie is good with pretty much everything, but melt that sucker and throw it on a crispy potato and deliciously seasoned salad and you have heaven on earth!

Next we each got Rissoto aux Coquille St. Jacques, which is a beautiful tower of perfectly cooked rissoto and scallops laid in a pool of lobster sauce. This was probably my favorite part of the meal. The lobster sauce was just incredible, and the scallops were the best I have ever had!

While we sipped wine and admired the other patrons delicious looking plates, our third dish came out: Poussin a l’americain, jus de poulet. The Cornish hen was laid upon a hill of potatoes and bacon all marinated to perfection. You know me, I love me some bacon!

Just as we were undoing the top button of our pants, our dessert arrived. It was like heaven opened up and dropped the two glowing dishes on our table. One was a cream cake of some sort that we discovered (after a long conversation) tasted just like wafer crackers and vanilla ice cream. The second, and the most decadent of the night, was the chocolate souffle. The melt in your mouth outer cake was only outed in taste by the gooey chocolaty center. Like I said: heaven! Both desserts were topped with an intricate web of caramel and sugar that gave the dishes a unique look on top of it’s amazing taste.

I just want to thank the amazing people at Bistro Central Parc for spoiling us with the best gourmet meal I have ever had. I will be back!

♥ Casi

A Grandview of San Francisco

Casi — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:47:35 +0000

Memorial Day = No Work = BBQ = Beer = Sun = Fun

Well I did all of those, but not in the conventional way. It was more like Memorial Day = No Work = Pizza = California Tan = Overcast with glimpses of sun = Fun

It was a big day for Greg and I who have now officially been together for 9 years! We spent the first half of the day in bed drinking coffee before we decided to actually get up and do something. So, we decided to go to the top of the world. Well, San Francisco’s world.

We went to the Grandview Lounge at the Hyatt near Union Square. Grabbed a spot by the window and stared with our mouths open at the amazing view! 360 degrees of SF is viewable from the 39th floor, worth every nauseous moment I spent up their (I have a thing about being in high buildings. My stomach doesn’t like it! But my eyes do!).

I had my first California Tan (Anchor Steam and Guiness) and kicked back (trying not to look down) and enjoyed the view! I’m telling you, if you haven’t been up here it is an absolute MUST! But until then, enjoy these beautiful pictures I took with my iPhone. Can you imagine the pics I would have if I had a “real” camera!

♥ Casi

P.S. Get excited for a new post June 7th about the park hopping adventure you all sent me on! I found some great places to read my new book: Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh. So be sure to come back with your happy face on because there will be a great giveaway!

Shrimp Corn Dogs and Meatloaf Sliders at Urban Tavern

Casi — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:47:14 +0000

Yea, that’s right! I said SHRIMP – CORN – DOGS!!!!!

Thanks to San Francisco Citysearch I got the privilege to have one of the most impeccable meal’s and dining experiences I have ever had. As one of San Francisco’s Citysearch Dictators (yea, that means I’m awesome), I am part of a small group of super-users who get the benefit of going to special events at new restaurants, bars and other local hot spots. Another advantage, which I reaped the benefits of Monday night, are awesome prizes for Dictator reviews.

After reviewing my ass off I finally won an amazing dinner at a hotspot I have been dying to try, Urban Tavern. It was a dinner for two, so of course I brought my trusting sidekick (and boyfriend) Greg to this awesome Monday blues buster for some grub and cocktails after work. I’m going to make this a succinct review so I don’t drool all over my laptop.

We started off with a glass of wine each, 2007 Pinot Noir Symposium for him and a glass of 2006 Merlot Camp Masut for me. I won this tasting by ordering the better wine. They were both delicious, but even my Merlot hating boyfriend stole multiple sips from my glass.

We then moved on to appetizers of mussels and clams with chorizo and peppers. Ummmmm YUM!!! This was my first attempt at eating mussels, and I have to say I’m glad I went with the delicious shell fish. The chorizo totally complimented both the clams and mussels which were in a soup of lemony goodness! To our surprise, the Dining Manager Kyle showered us with more appetizers! This is where I was introduced to the genius that is Shrimp Corn Dogs and Meatloaf Sliders. The dill sauce that came with the Shrimp Corn Dogs was good, but I’m thinking a spicy flavorful cocktail sauce would have been better (like a gourmet catchup!) My favorite appetizer was the Meatloaf Sliders, but it was followed CLOSELY by the Shrimp Corn Dogs and Clams and Mussels.

For our main entree (YES! We ordered more), I got the steak and fries. All I can say is “It’s all about the butter sauce!” Who knew a square of butter doesn’t just go on pancakes! Greg ordered the Braised Baby Back Ribs. These MAJORLY tender ribs laid on a bed of toasted farro, which is now Greg’s new essential dinner side dish.

Even though we begged them not to (maybe not hard enough) they sent out dessert for us as well. Colin, the Chef, personally brought out a Sticky Toffee Pudding and their specialty banana pudding in a jar. (*Insider Tip from the chef: Strawberry goodness in a jar will be the next seasonal dessert). You all may know that I have a thing with bananas (if you don’t know, just be happy you haven’t heard the story), but if you like banana’s you will LOVE the banana jar dessert. I’m not a dessert person, but both were amazing and officially put me into a heavenly food comma.

All in all, this was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had! Our waiter was perfectly attentive and full of menu tips. It was great to chat with the manager and chef. And, as expected, the food was GREAT!

Maybe that wasn’t as “succinct” as I had hoped, but trust me, I could have gone on and on and on about my new favorite downtown dining spot. I see many more Meatloaf Sliders and Shrimp Corn Dogs in my future!

If you think you would be a great San Francisco Citysearch Dictator sign up here and tell them Casi sent ya!

♥ Casi

P.S. Sorry for the not-so-great iPhone Pics

P.S.S. They have Anchorsteam on tap, which is one of my favorite beers.

Louis’ Restaurant – Outer Richmond

Casi — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:50:42 +0000

After a long day of work last Thursday Greg and I decided to get some fresh air and some grub. We walked over to a local restaurant called Louis’ Restaurant. It’s a small diner looking over the Sutro Baths in the Outer Richmond District. The views are awesome, the people are great, and the food is pretty tasty. We sat by the window (most of the seats line the window so every spot has a great view), ordered a cheeseburger (for me) and a bacon omelet with hash browns (for Greg). Both were very good! They even serve our new favorite beer, Anchor Steam! This is a spot we will be returning to (especially on those hungover mornings!)

One Tip: Cash Only (there is an ATM there)

<3Casi

Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant – Outer Richmond

Casi — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 18:07:45 +0000

Greg and I come from Southern California so we know good Mexican food! We have heard rumors that GOOD Mexican food in San Francisco is few and far between. This makes us sad because 3 out of 5 of our top favorite foods is part of the Mexican food group (tacos, chips, and salsa…which we could seriously live off of!).

After 12 days away from good Mexican food on every corner, we decided to venture off to a place that was suggested to us by a few people. It took us this long to make it to Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant because we were a bit irked by the fact that the main draw to all the people who suggested the place was the margaritas. Yea yea, margaritas are AWESOME, but (unfortunately) you can’t live off of margaritas! We were starving and ready to get our grub on with some tasty Mexican FOOD!

We skipped the margaritas this time to save some cash for the rest of our evening, but every table was filled with empty margarita glasses and pitchers. Greg got a taco with double rice (no beans) and I ordered a quesadilla with steak (an unusual order for me). The taco and quesadilla were given a 7 out of 10. They were both edible, but isn’t anything with enough cheese!? The rice was basically white rice with a few chunks of tomato and the guacamole with my quesadilla was basic (didn’t taste homemade). The service kinda sucked. Yes it was crowded (and extremely loud), but thats no excuse to have two empty sodas and an empty basket of chips for 20 minutes (especially since we were sitting right in the front of the restaurant where every waiter had to pass by us to get anywhere else in the place).

The one major compliment we both had, which will get us coming back for more, is the good chips and salsa! BEWARE! The green one is the spicy one! (A little back words I thought). They gave us two big bowls of salsa that lasted us through a basket of chips and both our meals, surprising since in the past we usually have to ask for refills on salsa too.

My final say on Tommy’s would be: It’s a great place to go after work for some chips and salsa and a margarita. Maybe, after a few margaritas we would splurge on a quesadilla!

<3Casi

OSHA Thai Restaurant – Embarcadero Plaza

Casi — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:43:03 +0000

Monday night Greg and I went to OSHA Thai Restaurant with some family. Greg is not the most adventurous of eaters and hasn’t had fish besides shrimp and maybe some imitation crab his whole life. San Francisco is a melting pot of all different types of food, so he has decided to be a bit more open minded. That even means trying out a few fish dishes, cooked fish that is. We eased him in slowly with some Yellow Cury Chicken, Garlic Pepper Lamb, Spicy String Beans, a Tuna Tower, and Halibut over a bed of baby mushrooms. We all absolutely loved everything that was ordered! Including the tasty beer we both got called Anchor Steam.

Another great part of the restaurant is the outdoor patio. It was a warm night (which is rare in San Francisco), so it was great to be able to enjoy our meal outside with awesome views of a water fountain and the Embarcadero Clock Tower.

This place gets an A+ from both of us (as well as the bathrooms), and we will definitely be coming back soon!

<3Casi

Duboce Park – Great for People and Dog Watching!

Casi — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:30:04 +0000

Before Greg and I went to Zeigeist we decided to head over to the Mission/Castro area a little early and enjoy some lunch at Duboce Park. We brought cheese and crackers, bought a mystery beverage in a paperbag, and sat in the sun. Duboce Park is a great place to bring your dog (and your kids if you have those). There is a doggy park, playground, basketball court, and plenty of grassy areas to kick back and relax (or get your tan on which we noticed a couple of old men doing in their booty shorts!)

We also saw a cute little cafe across the street where we picked up some coffee. The food looked and smelled pretty tasty. And Greg’s Bathroom Report came out to an A+.

Here are some pics (be sure to check out the old man tanning! HOTT!)

<3Casi

Lunch At Boudin Bakery In Fisherman’s Wharf

Greg — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:46:50 +0000

Since I’m not the biggest fan of seafood, it wasn’t easy to find something to eat at Fisherman’s Wharf. We walked by 100 restaurants before we stumbled on Boudin Bakery. I was sold on the thought of amazing fresh sourdough bread, Casi was drawn to the clam chowder and crafty animal breads on display everywhere. The place is filled with energy as baskets of bread are zipped around the building on a carbalicious carousel.

In the back of Boudin you can order meals. I got “The Italian” sandwich which was amazing even though they put mayonnaise on it =( Casi’s clam chowder bread bowl looked so good I even tried a little. Fun place. Great energy. Great Food.

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