Date night last night at Marlowe in San Francisco. I like the environment, like a combo of industrial and old wood, and the music (a sucker for the Dirty Dancing soundtrack). “Snacks” may have been the best part: the famous brussels sprout chips were crispy, tasty, a little oily… The peaches with burrata and “smoke” with arugula were rich sweet and just that little bit peppery… Delicious. I could have eaten more burrata but it is fair to say it was snack sized. The roasted bone marrow was nicely presented and tasty but nothing particularly special…our main dish lamb was well-seasoned and cooked, the side of the squash gratin beautifully flavorful. Tcho chocolate pot de creme disappeared quickly. A good date night. I would go again (but after I explore a number of the other restaurants also on my list to try – not an instant repeat).

Marlowe
330 Townsend Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
415.974.5599

Caught the tasting menu at Commonwealth and shared a wine tasting. Not inexpensive, but interesting, modern and enjoyable. Amuse was a delicate sashimi-like dish… cocktail an odd liquid-nitrogen frozen sake combination which was intriguing but less a drink and more a granita. Tasting menu featured lots of offal (e,g. sweetbreads, my favorite). Would go again, next time probably to order off the regular menu and pick and choose myself.

And it’s not often you find a restaurant donating $10 from each tasting menu to charity and taking votes on potential recipients. Not to mention its own parking lot. In the Mission? Beat that.

On Tuesday night I met the extremely lovely Foodhoe who invited me to join her at her reservation at incanto’s Fergus Henderson dinner. Henderson is famous for (as is Consentino) using the “whole beast” and as such we had an offal meal. It was delicious, but the company was even better. I’m about to leave town for ten days but I wanted to get this up before I leave, so here are the pictures. Enjoy!

The pictures will load in a gallery here. Mouse over the picture to get the buttons for “Next” and “Previous.” Descriptions of the courses are included in the picture captions.

If I were still looking for a place to live, Hayes Valley would be near the top of my list. And then I’d have to hope that being to close to Paulette’s macarons, Christopher Elbow’s hazelnut patties, La Boulange’s tarts, Suppenkuche’s wienerschnitzel (I had better stop there and save the rest for a Hayes Valley post) would be made up for by walking to and from my house. Somehow I doubt it.

Add to that list now the Fried Chicken Sandwich at the newly-opened Terra Bakery & Cafe at the corner of Hayes and Gough.

Served on a club roll with aioli and sesame slaw, the fried chicken sandwich is substantial but not too heavy. The breading is light and crispy and conceals chicken (all breast I believe) surprisingly tender and moist. I hate hate dry chicken and usually don’t like breast meat, but Terra’s is good enough to banish ghosts of icky sandwiches past. The sesame slaw brightens the flavor, and actually it might be that little more slaw could improve the balance of the ingredients (while making the sandwich more difficult to eat). While the club roll was a good choice and stood up to the fixin’s, I’ve had better bread. I see this chicken on bread with a crusty outside to provide structure, and a nice soft bready inside.

The plate included some mixed greens (fresh but nothing special), but perhaps next time I’d ask for extra slaw instead of the salad. I’m a sucker for anything with sesame. Well, that and raspberry limeade. Yummy, and perfect for a spring or summer day.

Terra has sandwiches, salads and entrees for lunch, as well as daily specials. The breakfast menu (served till 11 am) is filled with familiar favorites: eggs, omelettes, corned beef hash, French toast. I suspect they’ll be bring in crowds for breakfast and brunch as well as for lunch. They’ve also got a selection of pastries and bread – the neighborhood now seem to be bursting at the seams with places to get your hit of caffiene and a little sweet or flaky goodie.

The restaurant is cozy inside, dominated upon entrance by the pastry case and ordering counter. There are not that many tables, but there is also some sidewalk seating. The service was pretty eager. They do seem to be still ironing out some kinks (are we still serving lunch? who’s got which tables?) but who isn’t on the first few weeks?

I may be finding myself making excuses to get over to Hayes Valley to sink my teeth into another one of those fried chicken sandwiches. Maybe I’ll never be able to tell you what anything else there even tastes like.

I wonder if I can pair it with a piece of cauliflower tart from La Boulange down the street. Now that sounds like a perfect lunch.

Terra Bakery and Cafe
401 Gough St, at Hayes
415.863.2233

Places we kept going back to again and again: Camino, Pizzaiolo, adesso, Dosa, Corso Trattoria, Gregoire, Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe, Wood Tavern

Fun for a special occasion: Michael Mina, Commis (actually reasonably priced, so maybe not just special occasions)

For when you can't stop eating: Zabu Zabu, Espetus, farmer brown's brunch

Perenniels: Yank Sing, Bette's Oceanview Diner, Cheeseboard

It's New to Me: Katana-Ya

Over-rated: Chez Panisse Cafe

Next time: places we're looking forward to eating in 2010

The Michelin star ratings for San Francisco were released back in October. I haven't exactly made it a goal to eat at all the restaurants on the list, but I thought I'd examine the list and see which I've been to, and maybe revisit some I haven't been to in a while, and put others on my radar. Turns out I haven't been to many, especially not recently, so I can't speak much to whether they've earned the stars are not… but, here goes. And lots of others to come.

• Eaten eat (ever)
• Eaten at (in the past year)

Three Michelin Stars (exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey)

• The French Laundry — Great experience, worth it, would go again, but there are so many other places I want to try too in the meantime…

 Two Michelin Stars (excellent cuisine, worth a detour)

• Coi — Anniversary dinner there this year was inventive and interesting, didn't blow me away, but I would go again and eat in the lounge
• Cyrus
• Manresa – Dying to go again, the first time was a few years ago now and I was so jetlagged I can barely remember the second half of the meal
• The restaurant at Meadowood

One Michelin star (a very good restaurant in its category)

• Acquerello Luce (N)
• Ame
• Auberge du Soleil
• Aziza (N)
• Bouchon
• Boulevard
• Chez Panisse — After several visits I've decided the cafe just isn't really that interesting to me. Still haven't eaten at the restaurant
• Chex TJ
• Commis (N) – Good, relatively "reasonably priced" for a three-course dinner
• The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton
• El Paseo (N) closed since the Guide has been printed Santé (N)
• étoile (N)
• Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant Terra
• Fifth Floor
• Fleur de Lys
• Gary Danko
• La Folie
• La Toque (N)    
• Madrona Manor
• Masa's
• Michael Mina — I know most think it's overblown, but I actually like it. Especially just dipping in to eat at the bar quickly before the theatre
  
• Murray Circle
• One Market – Better than I expected, but due to its location, naturally has a real business-lunch feel
• Plumed Horse
• Quince (N)
• Range
• Redd
• Solbar (N)
• Trevese closed since the Guide has been printed
• Ubuntu — dying to eat here
• The Village Pub

Currently my favorite place in SF to go for a good sushi experience.
Here, one of the owners shapes some of the rice up for a piece of
nigiri. Below, I love the expression on his face as he blow torches
some daurade.

Sebo is like going to a neighborhood sushi joint in Japan, except
slightly more upscale than most of what you’d find down-the-block in
most neighborhoods. Also priced similarly to sushi jn Japan, which is
to say, steep but worth it (ok, and it’s actually still less expensive
than you’d get similar quality in Japan).

Sit at the sushi bar (I have never sat anywhere else) and ask the
chef to give you whatever he wants for the best experience. I’ve
managed to enjoy many things I hadn’t before by letting them guide me.
And if you get a “white guy” sushi chef? Never fear. One is co-owner,
and I’d be surprised if you could tell blindfolded which sushi was made
by whom. Nice short list of good sake too. Offer your sushi chef a
drink (on you) and have a toast.

They also have izakaya (pub food) nights on Sundays. I haven’t been yet, but I will. As soon as I get a local project again.

Who knew you could get a good, all-you-can-eat brunch in SF for just $15? And I don’t mean an Indian buffet — which, don’t get me wrong, is good in its own right — but just isn’t a Western brunch.

Or, in this case, a Southern brunch. Comfort food all the way. Hit farmer brown with Mosspink today after taking Bellodawg for a walk and swim at Crissy Field. Brunch is all-you-can-eat fried chicken, bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes, potatoes, biscuits and grits. There may have been something else, but I can’t recall. Plus, they also have (for extra) bottomless mimosas, sweet tea, lemonade… we had Arnold Palmers (sweet tea + lemonade). (also really liked the atmosphere)

And, I found out during the brunch that we got the house we bid on. Big YAY! And Mosspink was the one who referred us to the real estate agent! So I will probably have really fond memories of the restaurant.