tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65456032011-12-14T18:50:34.474-08:00A Bay Area food blog, inspired by Sauntering.Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comBlogger751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-898085062042243132008-05-06T13:57:00.000-07:002008-05-06T14:08:47.397-07:00

Wow, it's been over a year since I posted here. That's a shame. I'll try to work on that.Anyway, I just finished writing up this long, rather detailed set of notes on my process when perusing the aisles at a wine retailer (like klwines.com or thewineclub.com, my 2 favorites in the Bay Area) looking for things to buy. It struck me that I ought to post those thoughts, as others might find them

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1172014730403076552007-02-20T15:38:00.000-08:002007-02-20T15:38:51.153-08:00

Restaurant Reviews by Food BloggersGreat concept - search restaurants by food blog ratings, all aggregated into one site. Should be rolling out in SF soon.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1168686218778455812007-01-13T01:43:00.000-08:002007-01-13T03:33:03.336-08:00

website - half renovation, half reinvention of the space previously occupied by Hawthorne Lane, Two opened just 2 days ago. The first thing you'll notice walking up to the entrance (which is in the parking lot) is that adjacent to the door are a collection of iron and stone ants. Fun and quirky. The door handles throughout are all fun metal sculpture resembling gnarled vines. It's a great way

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1168640182689326702007-01-12T13:29:00.000-08:002007-01-12T14:58:46.240-08:00

website - located on Jackson St, just off of Columbus in the oddball land of old brick buildings known as Jackson Square, tucked between the Financial District and North Beach, your first impression is of the cool and vaguely aggressive entrance, an alcove inset into the wall with a massive, dark wood door set at an angle. It's reasonably unique, and certainly a striking first impression.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1163560487852689012006-11-14T18:20:00.000-08:002006-11-14T19:14:47.916-08:00

website - located in the Hotel Adagio on Geary between Taylor and Jones, also known as right on the edge of the ugly part of the Tenderloin (one of SF's rather less savory parts), it's not what you'd expect on viewing from the outside. Cortez is a modern Mediterranean (fusion, perhaps) restaurant, focusing mostly on small plates, though they've added some larger main course options to their menu

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1153960996052714452006-07-26T17:02:00.000-07:002006-07-28T09:37:18.836-07:00

website - So I must admit I was perhaps somewhat intimidated by the knowledge of my impending meal here for a few days before it happened. French Laundry is, after all, considered one of the finest restaurants in the entire country - no small honor. Yet, I'd been awaiting this dinner for years, and here it was! The ExpositionLocated in an obscure stone building with an exceptionally subtle

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1152653343264247562006-07-11T13:03:00.000-07:002006-07-11T14:29:03.370-07:00

website - handily located in the middle of SF's Civic Center, which isn't too far from the Opera or Symphony for those of you looking for a pre-or-post show meal, it's a reasonably ordinary rectangular space with a bar along the front half, spruced up with some fun lighting (especially the small star-like lights opposite the bar), and most of the restaurant seating is on what are essentially

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1150146351827240052006-06-12T13:01:00.000-07:002006-06-12T14:05:51.886-07:00

website - at the corner of Market and Church. It's a pleasantly open restaurant, with a big bar along the back wall. Though this was a brunch outing, so we didn't start with a drink.One of the first things out of the waiter's mouth was that they have a make-your-own Bloody Mary bar for $3. I must admit, that's a pretty good deal (it gets you a glass with a shot of vodka; the rest is up to you)

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1145057561754452702006-04-14T15:50:00.000-07:002006-04-14T16:32:41.830-07:00

website - neatly tucked away on a little alley off Taylor St near Post, Le Colonial has a great, enveloping atmosphere. Dark, with an old stamped-tin ceiling, it's decorated with accents that successfully take the diner out of San Francisco. They've even got an outdoor eating area with heat lamps which is fantastic on warm nights.We started our evening upstairs in the bar for some drinks, where

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1137032445057312932006-01-11T18:20:00.000-08:002006-01-11T18:20:45.093-08:00

Extratasty search for & tag your favorite boozy drink recipes. Nice clean interface too.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1133565949162877042005-12-02T15:25:00.000-08:002005-12-02T15:25:49.206-08:00

Ever wonder what human tastes like? Here you go. It's a fascinating, startling, and somewhat disturbing read. But once you get to the bottom, you'll know. And forever after, you'll wonder...

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1130353544884924782005-10-26T12:02:00.000-07:002006-06-12T14:20:05.113-07:00

website - It's a very attractive location on Union St between Webster and Buchanan in the Marina, with a nifty glass-walled front space providing a great view of passers-by, which can be a treat in warm summer weather. The restaurant is long and narrow, with a large, well-stocked bar along the middle with flatscreen TVs. It's a very modern feel.Unfortunately, I only recently noticed this post,

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1128632387680589272005-10-06T13:59:00.000-07:002005-10-06T13:59:47.713-07:00

Accidental Hedonist - Seven Wine Topics This is a great food blog, and this article was interesting enough to be worth linking here. Tips on ordering in restaurants, best value pairings for food, what to do with wine that doesn't taste good, and more.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1124305292374636132005-08-17T12:01:00.000-07:002005-08-17T12:01:32.406-07:00

Academic Paper Says Edible Meat Can be Grown in a Lab on Industrial Scale Um. Yeah. That's creepy.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1123789391646855222005-08-11T12:43:00.000-07:002005-08-11T12:43:11.683-07:00

The Bacon Show It's a bacon recipe blog, with a new recipe involving bacon every day. Enough for a lifetime of artery clogging goodness!

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1123716608669393222005-08-10T15:38:00.000-07:002005-08-10T16:31:02.046-07:00

website - On Market St at Noe. It's a very funky, very Castro tapas place. The first thing you notice walking up is the large, pink window. Then you notice the enormous solid wood door. Inside, all the walls and ceilings are shiny white plastic, with lots of indirect pink lighting, a blue-lit bar, and more shiny plastic tables and seating. Yeah, it's funky. The second thing you'll probably

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1122062076952396602005-07-22T12:34:00.000-07:002005-07-22T12:54:36.956-07:00

website - 807 Valencia in the Mission, at 19th st. It's a reasonably retro little burger joint, exactly as it says, and the menu is about as extensive as the one you'd find at an In-n-Out. Your options are:hamburger with friescheeseburger with friesgardenburger with frieschicken breast with friesbeef hot dog with friesfriesYup. That's it. OK, so they know what they want to specialize in. How

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1121717992359960992005-07-18T12:39:00.000-07:002005-07-18T13:19:52.390-07:00

Examiner review - Guardian review - located at 2424 Van Ness Ave at Green St, Yaya is self-described as Mesopotamian cuisine, masterminded by Iraqi chef Yayha Salih. It's a reasonably intimate restaurant, with beautiful murals of old Middle Eastern cities adorning the walls, and small drop lights suspended over the tables, all placed behind a bar in front separating diners from the business of

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1121287406022608202005-07-13T13:34:00.000-07:002005-07-13T13:43:26.023-07:00

website - On Castro St in downtown Mountain View. This is really a location that I should have reviewed many years ago, as it remains my favorite Indian restaurant in the South Bay. Sue's seasonings and curries are completely unique in my many years of avidly consuming Indian food, and they're almost universally wonderful. The ingredients are of high quality and never fatty or gristly.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1121286778965649682005-07-13T12:50:00.000-07:002005-07-13T13:44:03.413-07:00

website - previous review - (1075 Sutter St at Larkin in SF) First, let me say that my second trip to Saha was just as fantastic as the first, though I managed to emerge much less overstuffed, which was a plus. In fact, the only downside to the entire meal was that it took about 30 minutes for us to order, which was at least partly our fault as it was clear for a part of that time that we were

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1121114086616771842005-07-11T13:34:00.000-07:002005-07-11T13:34:46.643-07:00

If MSG is so bad for you, why doesn't everyone in Asia have a headache? Like pizza? Parmesan cheese on your spaghetti? Tomatoes? Soy Sauce? Then you like MSG.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1120248823325261262005-07-01T13:13:00.000-07:002005-07-01T13:13:43.346-07:00

Burritoeater Blargh OK, this is fantastic. It's basically every burrito joint in SF, indexed and sortable by name, neighborhood, rating, and number of visits. I love it. I also love that the 2nd highest rated burrito joint in the Mission is 2 blocks from my house. And I haven't been there yet. This will soon change. My only disappointment? No community ratings. Therefore, I highly suggest

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1119902462488887392005-06-27T12:39:00.000-07:002005-06-27T13:01:02.496-07:00

website - This was my second visit, and as such will be a somewhat shorter review. For more details, check out my first visit from the column on the right.This time I wanted to try out the $15 prix fixe option. Sunday through Thursday, diners can spend about $15 (some options can adjust it a buck or two up or down) for one of 4 appetizers, one of a number of noodle options, and a dessert.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1119049339066715912005-06-17T15:25:00.000-07:002005-06-17T16:02:46.893-07:00

Citisearch review - At the corner of 21st and Valencia in the Mission, Firecracker is a nifty little Chinese restaurant with a very funky atmosphere. One of the first things you'll notice after passing the maroon curtain separating the door from the body of the restaurant are the bar stools along the back, with gauzy red fabric hanging beneath them lit from within by a light bulb. While seated,

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1118693626866684352005-06-13T13:13:00.000-07:002005-06-13T13:13:46.880-07:00

Comments from a sommelier on restaurant wine A great blog entry, also mentioned over at Vinography, on how wine really should be handled at a restaurant.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1116556105294883902005-05-19T19:04:00.000-07:002005-05-19T19:28:25.300-07:00

website - on 18th St just off Guerrero in the Mission, this little restaurant packs a wonderful Italian punch. It's quite small, and notoriously difficult to get reservations for, but during the right time of year, the patio out back is a perfect place to eat, being out in the air (yet covered), and often much quieter and less hectic, not to mention more intimate, than indoors.Service, while not

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1115666212015773642005-05-09T11:33:00.000-07:002005-05-09T12:19:17.813-07:00

website - at 1155 Folsom St, between 7th and 8th streets in SOMA, Triptych is a only slightly transformed industrial space, perhaps a one-time warehouse or car shop which is now a combination restaurant and art gallery. It's a fairly small space, with an entirely separate small area of outdoor seating in back. The walls are open corrugated steel, with a couple of skylights and large sheets of

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1114646240605175192005-04-27T16:31:00.000-07:002005-04-27T16:57:20.610-07:00

website - at the corner of Hayes and Laguna in Hayes Valley, it's a very whitewashed, rather loud and quite simple, basic space with big unfinished hardwood tables. Clearly utilitarian, guests are intended to get in, drink fantastic German beer, and eat some hearty German food. Suppenkuche is as authentic a German restaurant as you're likely to find in the bay area. There will be no wine

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1112816860630458212005-04-06T11:31:00.000-07:002005-04-06T12:47:40.633-07:00

website - 1075 Sutter St at Larkin in an area of SF sometimes known as the Tendernob. Thankfully, it's far enough from the real Tenderloin to not have the feeling of being an unpleasant neighborhood. Located in the Hotel Carlton, it's a pleasant space defined primarily by a red and white theme, including some intriguing globe lamps, skylights, and gas lanterns. It's a pleasant, mildy romantic

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1108587600316752512005-02-16T12:36:00.000-08:002005-02-16T13:02:39.853-08:00

website - At the corner of Guerrero and 22nd St in the Mission, it's got a great French-colonial atmosphere, and an even better chef!Their wine list, while not massive, certainly covers the basics, and with most bottles averaging $25 ($40 marked the top of the range) and a markup of clearly less than 100%, I give them a tip o' the hat for understanding what so few other restaurants seem to have

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1108073507746908792005-02-10T13:53:00.000-08:002005-02-10T14:11:47.746-08:00

On Bayshore, in Burlingame. Suffice it to say that this wasn't exactly a destination restaurant experience, but that I ended up there for lunch recently. Upon first viewing the building as we pulled into the largely empty parking lot, it was immediately clear that we were about to enter a place that really thought it was in the early 1800s, except that it didn't quite know what the early 1800s

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1107229006763721672005-01-31T19:11:00.000-08:002005-01-31T19:36:46.763-08:00

website - in a homey location at the intersection of Battery and Green in San Francisco, Piperade feels a bit like a somewhat modernized slice of the Basque country, with lots of exposed wood, a very homey earthy atmosphere, and even a large "Sheepherder's table" in the middle with a sculpture of wine bottles above it for big parties or those who like meeting new folks over dinner. The food was

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1106775411104038922005-01-26T13:44:00.000-08:002005-01-26T17:30:19.073-08:00

website - a beautiful location with black tinted windows an a monogrammed doorway at the intersection of Hyde and North Point, GD is everything a top quality restaurant can and should be. From the moment the door is opened for you, to the 3 people who greeted us as we walked in and took our coats, to the gorgeous interior decor (complete with 2 red backlit Buddha sculptures), to the flawless and

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1106599310278859462005-01-24T12:41:00.000-08:002005-01-24T12:41:50.276-08:00

Wikipes For those of you who know about wikis, you have probably been waiting for something like this. For those who don't, a wiki is a web page that is universally editable. As in, by anyone. This means that anyone and everyone can add and update recipes to a massive, free database. Cool!

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1106343793613150672005-01-21T13:56:00.000-08:002005-01-21T13:43:13.613-08:00

website - The restaurant at the Pan Pacific Hotel in San Francisco, at Post and Mason. The interior of the hotel is quite attractive, with a great vaulted space in the center all the way up to the roof, with glass elevators floating up and down a central column providing interior access to the surrounding rooms. The restaurant is completely integrated into the hotel, adjacent to a very artistic

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1105741103019837092005-01-14T13:51:00.000-08:002005-01-14T14:26:03.793-08:00

website - located on Divisadero just south of McAllister, this hole-in-the-wall pizza joint looks more like a trendy bar when you walk in the door. It's dimly lit, with a very rectangular shape emphasized by the blocky rectangles of art on the walls, seating down the left, and a moderately sized bar along the right wall, with black curtains at the front and back. One immediately notices a

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1105662063536011832005-01-13T16:21:00.000-08:002005-01-13T16:21:03.536-08:00

little star pizza Deep dish pie that's gotten an awful lot of good reviews over at SFSurvey, many claiming a superior product to Zachary's. That means it'll be a challenge to the lovely product produced by Patxi's Pizza down in Palo Alto (see my previous review). Well, having acquired a $25 gift certificate through SFSurvey, I'll have a report ready for you all tomorrow. We'll see about this

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1105650649892702602005-01-13T13:10:00.000-08:002005-01-13T13:10:49.893-08:00

Vinography: Recommended restaurants So this is not only a great food & wine blog, but he also recommends a number of Dine About Town restaurants for you to attend, and even is kind enough to categorize them! Basically, best food, best value (eg, normally frickin' expensive), and best wine list. So go eat already!

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1104886150272639602005-01-04T16:04:00.000-08:002005-01-04T16:49:10.273-08:00

website - corner of Cyril Magnin and Ellis in downtown San Francisco. It's an interesting, 2-story restaurant and wine bar, with a serious emphasis on wine. A truly massive wine list (which is even online), and also a large selection of wines by the glass, by the half bottle, and by the flight. As if that's not enough, the prices on the bottles are fairly reasonable as well, especially for a

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1104789709623379522005-01-03T13:35:00.000-08:002005-01-03T14:01:49.623-08:00

On Valencia, between 19th and 20th streets in the Mission, this place is something out of a wacky, retro-modern tropical dream. Beyond the plain glass front are funky painted walls indirectly lit from below, and diffused by a layer of mesh sheeting. In the space between these odd edges are a mix of light wooden boothes and crazy, rounded metal and clear plastic chairs, all sharing space with

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1103326789238731152004-12-17T13:53:00.000-08:002004-12-21T16:14:34.690-08:00

At Columbus and Filbert in SF's North Beach. What can I say? When it's my favorite Italian restaurant in the City, I'm gonna go back a few times. Here's the prior review for reference. Just because if it's true enough to say once, it's true enough to say again, this is a wonderful tiny restaurant. It has all of perhaps 8 or 10 tables in a tiny little slice of Venice, artfully decorated with

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1103071226432839362004-12-14T16:40:00.000-08:002004-12-14T16:40:26.433-08:00

Accidental Hedonist - 2004 Food Blog Awards, Nominations How cool! Someone in the food blogging world has decided to host an awards show. OK, maybe not so much a show, but they're doing a full set of awards. Best overall, Best Post, Best by Humor, Best by Chef, etc. If you like reading this, you'll doubtless find many, many others you'll enjoy reading as well.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1098320471582831742004-10-20T17:58:00.000-07:002004-10-20T18:01:11.583-07:00

Just have to say... I learned last night that good deep-dish pizza requires a nearly disturbing amount of butter. Not that this should suprise me, because, well, it tastes damn good. But still. When you're face-to-face with that much butter... it's an impressive sight. Not for the faint of heart. Or of artery, for that matter. Damn tasty, though. And very good with zinfandel.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1095993271952082122004-09-23T18:55:00.000-07:002004-09-23T19:34:57.356-07:00

website - located on a wacky little back alley named Cosmo Place, near Taylor and Post in San Francisco, this is the Bay Area's instance of the French Colonial Vietnamese restaurant chain. Sporting some evocative atmosphere with patchwork tile floors, rattan, and shuttered windows, there's even a patio for that after-dinner cigar, as well as a nice upstairs lounge where drinkers can select from

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1095983180216039602004-09-23T15:45:00.000-07:002004-09-23T16:46:20.216-07:00

Terribly sorry for this interlude, but I have to say, F*CK BLOGGER. Their interface is complete crap. You type an entire review, click 'preview' to make sure you like how it looks, then (following what you expect to be standard web format) click the back button. Lo and behold, your entire post is gone, unless you'd had the forethought to click 'save as draft' before previewing. You all were

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1095978451906820122004-09-23T13:36:00.000-07:002004-09-23T20:32:02.186-07:00

The Mediterranean Food Tube! Today, after devouring my delectable meal of chicken and potato-y goodness, I just had to start this. The keys to a good shawarma? #1: lavash bread. None of this pita crap. Pita falls apart too easily, doesn't have the great texture and flavor of lavash, and doesn't tube the food as well. #2: spicy. That red Mediterranean spicy sauce is the shit. A necessity.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1095816227326978902004-09-21T17:52:00.000-07:002004-09-21T18:23:47.326-07:00

website - at the intersection of Cole and Carl in San Francisco's Cole Valley bases its selection around small plates and an interesting selection of wine. The restaurant is an unusual mix of modern design and old, warm wood architecture, and is unfortunately rather loud as a result of all the hard surfaces. The wine bar is significantly more intimate and subdued, and has less of a noise

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1093913193802522652004-08-30T17:45:00.000-07:002004-08-30T17:46:33.803-07:00

My coworkers and I have long joked about "tube food" being perhaps the most perfect, efficient form of take-out edibles available. Burritos, shawerma, wacky wraps... you name it, and somehow tubing it only seems to improve the combination, while simultaneously making it neat & easy to eat on the go. The thing you don't often see, however, are tube related serving suggestions. I just finished

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1093896131519061772004-08-30T12:19:00.000-07:002004-08-30T13:02:11.520-07:00

review - nearly hidden in a piazza at 206 Sheridan in the California Ave-centered 'other' downtown Palo Alto, this almost entirely outdoor Italian restaurant is a great find. A bunch of tables with umbrellas centered around a wacky bit of fountain art of a woman holding a washing machine pouring out water, it's got nice ambiance, especially on warm evenings (and they've got heat lamps for those

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1092866336959399862004-08-18T14:57:00.000-07:002004-08-18T14:58:56.960-07:00

Interesting. Just noticed that in changing the title of a post, apparently the links to it no longer work, and Google no longer finds it. That kinda sucks. So now I changed it back again. My apologies for all the repeat posting. One more to fix...

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1091736624886502492004-08-05T12:32:00.000-07:002004-08-05T13:10:24.886-07:00

review - located at the corner of Green and Hyde in San Francisco, this little neighborhood Californian-Italian restaurant is great! First, so long as you don't mind being a bit warmer, I strongly recommend the table located upstairs immediately above the kitchen. You get to watch everything being prepared! (Though you might not really want to know just how much butter goes into those scallops

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1091565211691282322004-08-03T12:45:00.000-07:002004-08-03T13:33:31.690-07:00

reviews - Located at Columbus and Filbert in SF's North Beach, this tiny Venitian restaurant has rapidly become my favorite source of Italian food in the city. The location, a real hole-in-the-wall comprised of perhaps 8 tables, and full of candles, dark red walls, and all sorts of Venitian decor, is quite the romantic spot. The wine list, which is quite extensive (over 6 pages now, I believe),

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1090448735664311432004-07-21T15:25:00.000-07:002004-07-21T15:25:35.663-07:00

Krispy Kreme introduces glazed doughnut frozen beverage that's all i've got to say. barf.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1090276624135482792004-07-19T15:18:00.000-07:002004-07-19T15:37:04.136-07:00

website - in the new SF ferry building. Long had I heard the praises of this Vietnamese fusion restaurant, and yesterday I got to sample its wares. The result? It's certainly good, but didn't live up to the reputation. First, quite a nice wine list, clearly well chosen to pair with their food. Lots of white, including a great selection of riesling and other light, crisp, fruity wines. We

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1089147917927516242004-07-06T13:31:00.000-07:002004-08-18T14:57:16.706-07:00

(last updated 8.16) website - On Emerson between University and Lytton in Palo Alto. So, after reading Garth's review, and talking to everyone else who'd been there, I had to get off my bum and go eat some pizza! And thus, the review. It truly is a Palo Alto-ified version of Zachary's Chicago Pizza. Between the old Left at Albuquerque location and the Gelato place, they've completely transformed

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1087584745474743672004-06-18T11:52:00.000-07:002004-06-18T11:52:25.473-07:00

Garth's Blog A good friend of mine, and longtime rabid customer of that greatest of Chicago-style pizza establishments on the West Coast, recently discovered that some of the iconic pizza joint's previous employees decided to make a go of it on their own, and have concocted their own slightly different (yet apparently equally delectable) pie at a new restaurant, Patxi's. Go! Eat! Die the little

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1086118981480227312004-06-01T12:43:00.000-07:002004-06-01T12:43:01.480-07:00

Soft drink names by county What do you call it?

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1085441707626242812004-05-24T13:56:00.000-07:002004-05-25T12:03:39.013-07:00

website - Yeah, so it isn't in the Bay Area. But I was in Vegas, and it was tasty, so I figured I'd review it anyway. First, you have to know that this was one of the big Vegas casinos back in the Rat Pack days, and the House of Lords was one of the very popular restaurants of the day. All the big names of the day had been there, and it still maintains that Old Vegas atmosphere, which is really

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1084237955175463172004-05-10T16:36:00.000-07:002004-05-10T18:17:41.560-07:00

website - A Greek restaurant, twin to Evvia in Palo Alto, at Front and Jackson in SF. I rapidly begin to realize that all the fancy restaurants are clustered in the Financial District. So there were many, many of us, which we took as a good excuse to order a lot of appetizers. Yum! First, a brief note about the wine: 3 bottles. Unfortunately, I didn't make notes, and they don't have the list

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1083268500671134482004-04-29T12:55:00.000-07:002004-04-29T12:59:17.500-07:00

SFSurvey.com Gotta say, as a reviewer and (very) frequent diner myself, I approve whole-heartedly! And anyone & everyone can review, which is exactly as it should be. That, and being free, unlike friggin' Zagat "pay us for our cheezy quotes" Guide. So Go! And Learn! And for the sake of foodies everywhere, Review!

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1083186715929173612004-04-28T14:11:00.000-07:002004-04-28T14:17:47.186-07:00

website - At California and Battery in SF. For my birthday my girlfriend decided that she would treat me to a dinner at Aqua, frequently declared to be one of SF's top 5 restaurants, and often rated as one of the more expensive ones. Well, cheap it ain't, but damn good it certainly is. We elected to go with the seasonal tasting menu, which is $85/person for 6 courses. They have a truly

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1082487745834688532004-04-20T12:02:00.000-07:002004-04-20T12:06:30.966-07:00

KBS Beer Bottle Collection Now that's a collection I can stand behind. Preferably with a bottle opener. In a similar vein, we have The Beer Advocate, which is also a very tasty proposition. yum.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1082154014325952632004-04-16T15:20:00.000-07:002004-04-16T15:24:13.966-07:00

Just wanted to note that there's a reasonably new crepery in downtown San Mateo, Krazy Krepes (150 S B St), and they're quite good. Makes a very tasty lunch. Average $5-8 for a crepe, and they're plenty big enough to be filling. Also a coffee bar, and they use Guittard chocolate syrup. Sooo good... drool. Anyway. Just being inspired by my lunch.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1081989519122946082004-04-14T17:38:00.000-07:002004-04-14T17:42:35.966-07:00

Random complaint. I detest the fact that the Blogger BlogThis popup window defaults to an alphabetical order of the blogs you own for posting comments to, and that that order cannot be changed. Why? Because I nearly never post to this blog spontaneously, while I nearly always post to Silbakor spontaneously. But nonetheless, this one shows up as the default selection. So I end up with random,

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1081455440600206152004-04-08T13:17:00.000-07:002004-04-08T13:21:09.186-07:00

EPICURIOUS: POCKET FULL OF DOUGH Proof that the the effect of a little palm grease hasn't changed much. Reasonably impressive, though. I like the changing of a 1.5 hour wait behind 50 people to a whopping 45 second wait. Now if only I could afford to drop a Benjamin anytime I wanted a table Right Now.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1081291389030842242004-04-06T15:43:00.000-07:002004-04-06T15:46:54.560-07:00

theyrecoming - Pumpkinfest 2003 Now this, being a cake, is actually an appropriate post for this blog. At least, it's sort of a cake. Hopefully it at least tastes good.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1079991210570239232004-03-22T13:33:00.000-08:002004-03-22T13:37:15.716-08:00

website - On Kipling in downtown Palo Alto, this enormous Mediterranean-styled restaurant provides some pretty darn tasty family-style food and a great wine list. There's a nice selection of shareable small plates, and all the large plates are combined (eg, 1 plate of 3 servings of steak) and intended to be shared around. It's a great place to go with large parties because (a) they've certainly

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1079145129083252762004-03-12T18:32:00.000-08:002004-03-12T18:35:20.700-08:00

website - At Battery & Green in SF, this Basque restaurant really suprised me with its quality/price ratio! Going there, I expected in advance that the food would be good, but to come away having only racked up a $400 bill for 7 people, including 2 bottles of wine and a 25% tip, seemed reasonably extraordinary to me given how good it was. (The chef also gave us a free round of drinks at the

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1079143301812450102004-03-12T18:01:00.000-08:002004-04-02T17:58:09.560-08:00

website - Located at Powell & Union in North Beach, this little gem is a far superior replacement of whatever used to occupy this place. Which should be obvious, considering the number of times I've been past that corner, and couldn't tell you for the life of me wtf used to be there. Anyway, the first thing they've got going for them is that they're open until Midnight(!) in a city notoriously

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1079141832813550202004-03-12T17:37:00.000-08:002004-03-12T17:40:24.310-08:00

Just so you all can start drooling in advance, I thought I'd put up a little taste of what tidbits I've in mind for future commentating. I'll also see how many gratuitous food references I can work into this, just cuz. Expect such delectable morsels as: chocolatiers wine & liquor stores Thai Indian fancy (eg, not grab the tinfoil wrapped tube & go) Mexican brewpubs Italian Shawermas (like

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1078431442429478202004-03-04T12:17:00.000-08:002004-08-18T14:59:22.483-07:00

(last updated 08.11) Sooner or later, I had to start this one, so it may as well be now. Pizza, like burritos, is one of life's perfect feel-good foods, when done right. Unfortunately, far too many out there just don't do it right. For something so reasonably simple, consisting mainly of bread, sauce, cheese, and toppings, it's amazing how many opportunities there are to completely ruin the final

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1078176138659319712004-03-01T13:18:00.000-08:002004-03-01T13:25:14.996-08:00

Given that a number of my posts are likely to be rather topic specific, such as the taqueria/burrito commentary below, it seems to me to make rather more sense to go back and edit those posts when I have something to add, rather than simply making a new comment about it, which few people are likely to connect if it happens to be some months later. So don't assume that just because you've read it

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1077930560485733792004-02-27T16:50:00.000-08:002004-09-07T16:39:21.830-07:00

(last updated 9.7.04) I do have some preferences as far as Taquerias go, and I figure I'll mention them, broken down by the cities in which I've sampled... and oh, how I've sampled. mmm... Food Tube. Mountain View: The Best: Taqueria La Bamba, at Rengstorff and Old Middlefield. Far and away the best outside of San Francisco. Grilled tortillas, which gives the burritos that extra tasty flavor

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1077929379757218782004-02-27T16:41:00.000-08:002004-02-27T16:52:31.966-08:00

I suppose if this is to be of any use to people (for my intention, should this all come to pass as Sauntering would have it, would be to educate and inform, not simply provide a foody commentary for ones amusement), I ought to give a wee bit of background on me. Or at least, say something about my tastes. So, let me begin by claiming that while I am something of a picky eater, my tastes are

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6545603.post-1077921678896949222004-02-27T14:37:00.000-08:002004-02-27T14:44:11.076-08:00

Welcome. This should prove an interesting test of wills: the epic struggle between my inherent laziness, and the insistent pestering of Sauntering. Who will win? Who will lose? Tune in over the weeks to come to see.

Hoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16446512617400993283noreply@blogger.com