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

The best pizza in town!

I'm sure most of you have heard of Tony's Pizza Napoletana in the North Beach district of SF, but have you tried it??  The best classic italian style pizza I've ever had!

I tried both of their top medal winners...

 The savory Cal Italia - asiago, mozzerella, italian gorgonzola. sweet fig preserve, proscuitto, parmagiano and drizzled with balsamic.  The sweet and salty mix together perfectly on this pizza!

And the infamous Pizza Margherita which they only make 73 per day so get there early!  Your very basic traditional pizza but with the imported italian tomatoes and the homemade sauce, this pizza is outstanding compared to any other margherita pizza's I've had!

Our usual HH stop

Convenient (in our "hood"), great HH deals ($6/glass of red or white wine from 5 to 7pm), great outdoor patio (heated and loungey couches)...aka the perfect HH spot!  Bin 38 in the Marina district...

Our always and a must is the cheese plate but once in awhile we'll splurge and get some other goodies.  Our new found favorite is the Sugarpie Pumpkin Bruschetta - truffle mascarpone, fried sage, and pepitas

And once in awhile we'll splurge on a BIN Burger - caramelized onion, cornichon, smoked gouda, french fries, and roasted garlic aioli

Everyone's favorite item...mac and cheese

We were appliance shopping at Atherton Appliances last weekend and they happened to be having a cooking demonstration. Lucky us cause we were served one of the best home made mac and cheese ever!  And I don't even like mac and cheese to begin with but when you add bacon to anything I will more than likely end up loving it :)  Thank you Joseph!

This particular recipe consists of 7 different types of cheeese (brie, gouda, and can't quite remember what else but I'm sure any good cheese is just as yummy!), bacon pieces, roux mix (butter, flour and milk) and then topped with bread crumbs.  

Chinatown

Working only a few blocks from Chinatown is a great perk!  Here are a couple of places I often go to indulge during lunch...

Penang Malaysian - Great spot for great malaysian food!  My favorite dish here is the coffee short ribs...has a hint of a coffee taste on top of the sweet savory glaze.  They also have several great noodle dishes...tons of variety on the menu so you can try something new each time!

Z&Y Restaurant - This place serves mandarin style dim sim (soy milk, shanghai dumplings, onion pancakes, etc) as well as szechaun style fare which is typically very spicy!  Their house special is the explosive chili chicken...and explosive meaning you will leave with a numb tongue and lips!  It's a must try as long as you can handle the hotness!