The new hot spot in town

For my bff's birthday I decided to take him to Zero Zero in SOMA...a new hot spot in town that I've been hearing about so much about lately.  NOTE: Due to the popularity, be sure to make ressies well in advance otherwise the wait is impossible.  A great place for family style sharing...known for pizzas and many Italian small plates.

Tomato Braised Chickpea, Rosemary, Burrata Bruschetta - Definitely for sharing especially if you want to try all the other goodies on the menu.  Both bruschettas were so good...great choice of toppings on top of a thick, soft in the middle but with a crunchy crust french bread.

 Chanterelle Mushrooms, Ricotta, Prosciutto Bruschetta - Just like the bruschetta above, SO good...a must order!

Fried Brussel Sprouts, Pickled Burdock, Pear, Pancetta - A bit over fried and a bit salty...so a no go.

Skillet Fried Chicken Thighs, Chili Sauce, Caraway Yogurt - Super moist on the inside but super crunchy on the outside...a great fried chicken!

The Castro Pizza - Sopressata, House Made Sausage, Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Basil - Pizzas are what they are known for here but I must say it wasn't my favorite.  Very similar to Delfina's pizza with a soft chewy crust...texture very similar to Indian naan bread.  I love naan bread but just not as my pizza crust.  And I'm not a fan of the burnt bubbles that leave a burnt taste on my tongue.  Also, the toppings were a bit salty.

Very cute dessert menu - simple and everyone's favorite...Soft Serve Ice Cream!  A bit pricey for dessert if you want the full kaboom but do note that it's big enough for 2 to 3 to share!

After pigging out on so many items between the two of us we decided to pass on the base and just got vanilla soft serve with pumpkin seed brittle and a side of hot fudge.  It was SO delish!  So definitely save some room in your tummy for dessert here!

Yes...Ramen again!

Tried a new ramen place which was highly recommended by several people...Himwari in San Mateo.

Started with the Spicy Tuna Poke...super tasty but just wish there were a few more pieces of tuna!

The highly recommended Tan Tan Deluxe Ramen - spicy broth with slices of roast pork, stewed pork belly and egg.  Will definitely order again!

Look at the number of pieces and the size of the stewed pork belly...so tender and sweet!

Holiday Party Yummy-ness!

Attended my bff's company holiday party at the Foreign Cinema in the Mission.  It turned out to be a wonderful time - great venue, great bubbles, great vino, great food and most importantly great people!  Have been to this resto several times for brunch which have always been outstanding food but never for dinner.  Here was the menu options for the evening...

Natural beef carpaccio, Dijon-horseradish sauce, gaufrettes, fried rosemary, Parmesan - This was my appetizer...it was very bland and completely lacked taste.

 Smoked salmon, salmon caviar, ruby grapefruit, frisee, créme fraiche - Definitely should have ordered this instead of the tasteless beef carpaccio.

House cured sardines & cauliflower, radishes, bagnet vert

Grilled cocoa-ajwaan kobe bavette steak, truffled potato-celery root puree, Zinfandel butter - I tried a bite of this from my bff's plate and it was simply delish!

Grilled Swordfish with fingerling potatoes, brocolli rabe and fennel - This was my entree, the fish was cooked perfectly...very moist and flaky.  And the fingerling potatoes weren't just plain old potatoes, they were seasoned and crispy...almost like a giant french frie!

Boulibasse - Mussels, Cod, and Scallops - I was debating between this and the swordfish but really glad I got the swordfish as I heard it was very bland.

My favorite sweet stop

Kara's cupcakes in the marina is by far the best cupcakes I've had!  And it's all about the chocolate velvet..a must try on your next visit...it just melts in your mouth!

Back to the usual favorite spot in our hood

For a causal spot in our hood with good vino and consistently good food it's always back to Delarosa in the Marina.  Tried a few new items this time...

Pappardelle Napoletana w/pork ragu - Tried for the first time and it was yummylicious!

Funghi misti, tomato, fontina, thyme pizza - Tried for the first time...was really good but I prefer couple of the other pizzas on the menu.

Meatballs in spicy marinara - Tried for the first time...the sauce is really tasty but the meatballs were a bit on the mushy side so it would not be a pick of mine again.

Orecchiette with broccoli pesto - Our usual must each and every time and as always...still our favorite item on the menu!

Margherita with burrata pizza - Another usual favorite...and still super yummy!

Another French Bistro

We've been wanting to try out this little french bistro after being featured on sfgate.com and after reading all the great reviews.  Booking over a month in advance, we finally were able to get ressies at L'ardoise in the Castro district.

Pomme Frites w/garlic mayonnaise  - a must with french food!

Tiger prawn raviole w/sauce vierge & fresh herbs - My favorite item of the entire meal.

Escargots in gueusaille, garlic & parsley sauce - looks like alien food but the sauce was actually very tasty and flavorful.

Duck foie gras terrine w/toasted brioche - foie gras is never appealing to my taste but the men loved it!

A great selection of french wine at very affordable prices aka very minimal mark ups.

 Pan seared black angus filet mignon w/pomme landaises & tarragon truffle butter - anything with truffle oil is just heavenly!

Almond crusted carribean sea bass w/lobster reduction sauce - was served luke warm which is a big pet peeve of mine but the tasty lobster reduction sauce made up for it.

Overall, it was good experience - cozy little place, great service and decent food but not our favorite french bistro...will not likely return with so many other french bistros in the city!

Chocolate molten cake w/ a raspberry puree - Both desserts were very average.

Apple tarte w/homemade whip cream

Who doesn't love spaghetti?!

Our favorite little hole in the wall that serves up the best homemade spaghetti and meatballs...Emmy's Spaghetti Shack in Bernal Heights.  They have a very limited menu...the spaghetti and meatballs, the meatball sammie, and the steak are the constant staple items.  In addition, there one other unique another pasta entree and a fish entree that changes from time to time.

For $12, you get a large portion of spaghetti and three giant meatballs topped w/fresh shaved parm

A bit pricey at $4 for 3 slices of bread but it is one of the best garlic bread I've ever had

Tonight's fish entree was the fish stew with two big pieces of halibut...super yummy!

More ramen please!

Back to a favorite ramen spot for lunch...Katana-Ya in Union Square.  If you can't make it there for lunch or for dinner do note that they are opened until 1am so maybe for your midnight snack!

Katana-Ya Ramen Special - gyoza, chicken karage, BBQ pork, corn

Ramen Combo - BBQ pork ramen and grilled salmon fried rice

A new HH spot!

We found a new HH spot with good food, great portions and awesome prices...The Fish Market in San Mateo and Palo Alto.  So if you have happen to be down in the Peninsula be sure to stop by.  HH hours are from 11am to 4pm on the weekends....$4 beers, $4 glasses or red or white wine, $5 calamari, $5 shrimp ceviche, $5 mahi mahi sliders, $3 giant fish tacos, and several other seafood goodies!

A nice lunch spot in the FiDi

Credo is a trendy little spot in the heart of the FiDi that serves up all kinds of Italian dishes.  Great place for a quick semi-fancy lunch with friends or business clients.

They start you off with complimentary fresh foccacia bread and marinated olives.

 

Pollo Panini - Grilled chicken breast on ciabatta with baby spinach, homemade mozzarella, sundried tomato pesto and parmesan fries

Funghi Pizza - Wild mushrooms, carmelized onions, oregano, fontina, and truffle oil

Afternoon sweet stop

Citizen Cake has relocated from Hayes Valley to Fillmore Street in Pac Heights.  After a long day of enjoying the spa and a big lunch we decided it was time for dessert and coffee to continue the day full of pampering.  I've tried the cupcakes from Citizen Cake once a long time ago at a bridal shower and remembered it being pretty good.  So I decided to stick with what I know...

Sticky toffee cupcake and the Lemon meringue cupcake...unfortunately they were both a big disappointment.  The frosting was ok but the cake itself was so dry and hard it tasted like it was a week old and staled!  (Note: $4 a cupcake which more than Kara's and Kara's is by far still the best cupcake place in the bay area!)

It was pretty obvious that we were disappointed in our cupcakes since most of it was left uneaten, so the manager came over to ask what we thought.  After breaking the bad news to him, he brought us a complimentary dessert which was a raspberry mousse cake...and now that was outstanding!  But not sure it's worth $5.50.  I will still stick to Schuberts mousse cakes...

Favorite brunch spots in the Mission

Foreign Cinema is my favorite brunch spot in the city...always a great menu selection that changes every so often so you will always get to try something new.  A major plus is the large patio perfect for outdoor seating on those random warm sunny days in SF. 

This may sound crazy but the $7 poptart is a must try.  If you liked the kelloggs toaster poptarts as a kid this is 100x better!  Home made with a very flaky crust and a creamy filling....it was so good I forgot to take a picture of it before it was devoured!

Scramble Rancheros: shell beans, salsa fresca, tortilla chips, arugula, queso fresco

Fried eggs deglazed with balsamic, garlic-potato hash, roasted greens, sliced prosciutto

Fritatta Special - with crab and asparagus

 
Maverick Restaurant is cute little restaurant that serves up all american home cooking with a slight southern flare.  It's a very small spot so be sure to make reservations.  Great mimosa selections too which is always a must for a perfect brunch!

Andouille Sausage Benedict - Poached eggs/crawfish and jalapeño hollandaise/english muffin/home fries

Crab and spinach mixture topped with poached eggs all on top of thick sliced brioche toast