Strollin' Down the Boulevard

I always like it when my dad takes me to dinner because he picks the "hottest" places in SF. We definitely have different sources for defining hottest though... for me, I  like trying the new, weird & unique hole-in-the-walls, for him, it's all about the 10+ year renowned, Zagat rated, WSJ recommendations. I'm all about variety, so it's an awesome change.

For his bday celebration last night, he decided he wanted to try Boulevard down in SOMA by the Embarcadero. Last week, I had pre-emptively made reservations since I know this place fills up. I even had to call them in because their online service wasn't working. We were kind of late, so we called to warn them... but for some reason they had lost the reservations D: !! Luckily, they were very nice about it, and told us that they would make space for us.  Points.

The inside of the restaurant is very cute. It is dimly lit and supposed to be themed all Parisian style. I think the logo is loosely based off of a Metro sign. There are French looking show posters on the walls, and the ceiling has a really nice brickwork design. All the lighting fixtures are made of pretty blown glass as well.

We were both starving and ready to EAT :D. The bread was pretty tasty, and I highly enjoyed that they put salt (maybe even fleur de sel  :O) on the butter. For appetizers, I ordered a ricotta & nettle tortellini. As per fancy restaurant norm, it came with 3 small pieces. They were totally delicious though! I'm not entirely sure what nettle is (some black type of leaf), but it tasted really good in the cheesy parmesan sauce. The pasta tasted homemade and was the perfect chewy consistency. My dad ordered a weird calamari type dish. It had little tubes of Octupus filled with lobster and a couple fried anchovies. Weird looking but he claimed it was awesome.

fancy looking knife

My entree was the pork chop steak thing. It came out looking highly fancy, bone in and all. The meat on the pork was SOOO juicy, possibly the juiciest pork I've ever had. I don't eat a ton of pork though, so I'm no expert. I think my favorite part were the mini potatoes. They were skinned and so golden buttery delicious! My dad noted that you can usually tell you are at a good restaurant by the quality of the side dish veggies. True story. He ordered the California swordfish. I tried a piece and it was excellent! I really liked that the little cauliflower stalks on his were green. Weird colored veggies make me happy.

We of course had to get dessert. I decided to go with a really random thing: a honey pinenut tart. It basically looked like a gooey granola bar and had a very great honey taste to it. It was quite unique so it satisfied me. It also came with a little scoop of grapefruit rosemary gelato on a thin cookie which was excellent. My dad kept it simple by ordering the carrot cake. I thought his was alright, but not anything too memorable. He also ordered a strawberry cheesecake bon bon to split which was only mediocre.

 The wait staff was very nice, and although the food was quite pricey, I highly enjoyed the meal. It definitely will be an expensive dinner, but I would recommend Boulevard as a special occasion type place to check out if you are looking for something more traditional.

ByeBye Ken!

Due to mass stress for the past week, I got way behind on my blogging. Gotta hurry and catch up before my 6:00 flight to Berlin :)

Sadly, Ken left EA a little over a week ago. Although I didn't really work with him or see him much, losing our amazing plant lunches is totally a heartbreaker. Because I <3 him so much,  I was even willing to go to an expensive restaurant that I've been multiple times to support his goodbye lunch :). Old Port Lobster Shack in Redwood City.

This place has always been a favorite of my dads since my family used to live in Maine before I was born. It's a cute, small shop with a ton of thematic decorations and nautical charts all over the walls that remind me of things my parents used to hang up when I was much younger. They specialize in lobster rolls and dishes. I unfortunately do not like lobster, so I have to get creative

Other times I've been I tried the pulled pork which was quite tasty. This time was a Lent Friday though, so I had to go veggie. I ended up ordering a side of mac &  cheese and a side of sweet potato fries. WIN!! Not only was it a meal of my two favorite foods, but it also ended up being waaaaay cheaper than everyone elses meal. Mine was $9 for a ton of food, whereas the lobster mac was like $20 :D

Food there is pretty tasty if you are willing to pay. Be warned that it gets super crowded at lunch... we had to wait in line for like 15 mins and struggle to get a table large enough to accommodate the whole group

Forever Love- Shamrock Shake

I never know why people obsess so much over the McRib sandwich when clearly McDonald's most amazing and beloved seasonal item is the highly festive St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Shake. To be honest, I don't even objectively like the taste of Shamrock Shakes that much... but something about them is so magical that I can't not get one every year.

1980s cup w/ Uncle O'Grimacey

I have been lucky to always have someone in my life to support me in my obsession. When I was younger, I'd have to hope for a late Ash Wednesday so my mom and I could enjoy them before her intensive fasting began. After I got to Penn, I had my awesome el Seandola to go on crazy, worst-franchise-location McDs tours with in search of this delicacy. I will never forget our Retailing class where I tried to cram our 3 ghetttttto McDs futile quest for the SS in to a 10 min semester-end project about strategic accessibility. One of my finest moments at Wharton. And now, I found out that kwdomke also shares my passion for this elusive shake!

Last night, we decided to finish up Mardi Gras revelry by hitting up the Fillmore McDonald's for a Shamrock Shake. It continues to blow my mind that the restaurant portion of that location closes at freaking 8pm. Despite the extensive foot traffic, they won't serve you via drive-thru unless you have a car, so we had to walk to our vehicles and drive commute back. so silllllly.

check out the packaging! and a very hyper post Mardi Gras Sharon

Major update!! For the first time since the 1980s when McDonald's phased out Uncle McGrimacey, there is some intensive new packaging on the Shamrock Shake! Rather than the typical, opaque soda cup of the past, now they are McCafe-ing it up in a fancy clear cup. They even put whipped cream AND a cherry on top!? This is completely unprecedented and slightly unwarranted in my opinion. I think something as inherently amazing as a Shamrock Shake can stand on its own compositional merit without having to rely on fancy packaging. Just me though :p.

Either way, I am overjoyed I got one before I started my Lent-an ice cream fast today. St. Patrick's Day is a week from tomorrow, don't miss out!

Tots, Funnel Cake, and a Burger on a Krispy Kreme Bun :D

wwf @ the coffee shop

Sometimes I scare myself because I tend to build restaurants and their ridiculous food items up so much in advance that when I actually get there,they aren't that great... especially yesterday. I could barely work because I  was so busy planning for the most potentially epic Roommate Dinner Night ever! So epic that I even did the unspeakable and opened it up to non-SF roomy friends! I was finally going to Straw, the brand new carnival themed restaurant in Hayes Valley that's been getting insane Yelp buzz.

salt + macchiato

Straw is a totally weird-trendy-hipster hole-in-the-wall place on Octavia right off of 101. I had read some reviews that crowds could get bad, so I planned ahead and arrived about 15 mins early for a Monday 8:00pm dining session. It was totally packed!! I spoke to Ari (the crazy nice owner) and he was extremely helpful about my situation. He was very honest in telling me it would be like 1.5 hours before we could seat my party of 7 no matter what permutations we split in to. I was kind of depressed and waited outside for the rest of the group. As people started to arrive (and sadly some dropped out <3 eugi & manu), we determined it was worth it. Cutting our group to 5 helped lower the wait to 45ish mins, and after a quick pit stop at my trunk for emergency granola bar rations, we settled at an adjacent coffee shop.

tilt-a-whirl booth!!

Beyond being so helpful/accomodating with taking names down, Ari was also super cool by personally coming and fetching each party when their table was ready. Ken, James, Carlos, Yee Cheng and I ended up having a lot of fun in the shop despite being starving :). Highlights include Ken mistaking sugar for salt and dousing his macchiato with it, and then completely slamming me down for being too bitchy sometimes :P. James also started pregraming with cinnamon french toast.

Then we were collected and seated :D!! Straw is super tiny but really cozy. Everything about the furniture and decor screams carnival. All of the wall hangings are pictures and signs from rides, the lamps are made of glass jars, there are hay bails in the background, and even one of the booths is made from a tilt-a-whirl cart. The menus were adorable and made individually using old hard book covers. We had pre-browsed the menu and were totally ready to go.

cute hand-made menus

For appetizers, we got: mac & cheese w/ apples & bacon, sweet potato tater tots with blackberry bbq sauce, cheesey corn fritters con fraiche, and mini-corn dogs! All were totally amazing. We shared and devoured them within minutes. The apples added a really great touch to the mac & cheese, I really want to try it at home. I also was really impressed by all of the sauces that came with the items. The corn fritters had a very spicy & awesome aoili that I ended up dipping pretty much everything in. Plus... freaking sweet potato tater tots?! That is inherently unprecedented win :D. I wish wish wish I wasn't still a bit sick so I could have tasted them in their full glory, but I really liked the juxtaposition between those and their blackberry sauce.

mac&cheese w/ apples, sweet potato tots

corn dogs

We all decided to get different "carny" sandwiches because they were too bizarre to pass up. Additionally, it looks like Straw has a monthly changing menu of more legit entrees. I had to go with the "ringmaster" sandwich- a hamburger with a freaking Krispy Kreme donut for a bun!! The rest of the table got: Waffle w/fried chicken, swiss & raspberry jam, "hot tamale" (buffalo chicken), "bearded lady" (pulled pork w/ blackberry coulis & gorgonzola cream), and "boxcar children" (pb&j w/ ham). I think I would have enjoyed the sandwiches regardless of the taste just because of the funny names and crazy ingredients.

corn fritters

I LOVED my burger on a donut <:D. It was actually a lot tastier than I was expecting and something every person should try once. I think it's the same concept as fries & ice cream, mmm. I ended up splitting half & half w/ Ken's waffle sandwich. I didn't like that quite as much because I'm anti chicken, but the waffle portion was delicious. I had small bites of the others and nothing disappointed.

BURGER ON A DONUT! + chicken waffle sandwich

Despite being totally stuffed, we HAD to get dessert. Carlos & I split some funnel cake!!! It came with 3 dipping sauces (choco, vanilla, strawberry) and was pretty awesome. Ken got this ridiculous "flying saucer" which was like.... chunks of chocolate covered in this peanut butter cream mass with things of bacon stuck on top. As I don't like any of those components I didn't really try it, but he seemed to enjoy. James got a big thing of orang-blossom cotton candy. I hate cotton candy, but this was AWESOME! Very melt-in-your-mouth flavorful fantastic. Finally, YC got a gelato medley... rosemary and pineapple-lavender I think? He had attempted to get an inverse root beer float (root beer gelato w/ cream soda), but sadly they were out.

We ended up splitting it all evenly, and with tip it was only $25 a person. This wasn't bad at all considering how much we ate, and how much fun we had at the place. Ken was super happy because they donate 10% to charities on Mondays (this month's is Spark). The bill was a lot of fun because our waitress was super cute, and so we liked getting to talk to her more. I think my favorite part was how down to earth the staff was, they seem to really really care that you are having a good time and treat you like you are friends.

funnel cake & "flying saucer" pb, choco, bacon

This was one of the most fun dining experiences I've had in the Bay Area. The food is great, but more than that, it's just a really enjoyable time to relax with friends and enjoy a very unique meal. I'd get there ASAP before their liquor license goes through and they get even more crowded!! Highly highly highlyyyyy recommend :)

Chow Down on Church

Another one of the great traditions in my life right now is "Roommate Dinner Night." Although it uses the same pick-a-place out of a hat technique of Fancy Foods Wednesday and Movie Night, RDN is by far the most exclusive of the clubs. To be part of it, you must live in San Francisco and have a cool roommate. Surprisingly few of the people in our group fit that mold, so the only current members are me, Eugi, Manu, and Panch.

This week's RDN was my pick of Chow in the Castro. As per usual, Manu & Panch had to work late, so it was just Eugi and me. Chow is apparently a four location chain in the city. It features a broad menu of American and (shudder) organic foods to fit all palettes. Also apparently has a good brunch. It's a little bit hidden, right off of Market on Church. I really liked the entrance because you have to walk through a big velvet curtain after the main door! You feel like a magician :)

The restaurant is very homey with fall colors and almost a 1920s saloon vibe. We were able to sit by one of the big glass windows at the front letting us mass people watch outside. It seems like a really "local" place. For a Monday night, there was a hugely steady crowd, and everyone seemed to know what they were doing. 

I actually bought a beverage (which almost never happens at restaurants). Along with a wide variety of drinks and alcohol, they had some interesting add-ons. First there was "Hot Lips" soda (apparently raspberry and cherry) and then something called a "Blushing Girl." I was of course intrigued, especially when I found out it consisted of vanilla ice cream, orange yogurt, and raspberry soda. SO GOOD!!!! It tasted like an Orange Julius made with froyo. It was totally overpriced at like $6, but I really really enjoyed it.

I had a hard time picking my entree among the many safe choices. I ended up with a fried egg, ham and cheese sandwich (egg is another of my keywords that I always have to order). I was very tempted to try one of the pizzettas though. My sandwich was quite tasty!!! I was a bit confused when it came out with the fried egg on top, but some quick re-stacking mitigated any worries I had. The bread was like grilled cheese consistency which always makes me happy :). It also came with yummy fries.

Eugi ended up getting a side salad and a burger on a baguette. The choice of roll made it seem way classier than a typical burger and he seemed to enjoy it as well. We both noticed that it looks like the menu is changed seasonally, so definitely some incentive for repeat visits. RDN ftw!

Build a Potato

Last summer, I saw an article about a brand new restaurant, Hot Spud,  that serves entirely build-it-yourself baked potatoes. Being a potato lover and an obsessive trendy food trier, I was 110% on board... until I read the location: Fisher-freaking-man's Wharf. File that one away under "never." As a snooty wannabe local SF-er, I HATE Fisherman's Wharf. Even the thought of it brings back horrible memories of my family's dysfunctional vacation there when I was 8 years old.

potato ordering bar

Then I took on the task of localizing Carlos who has been highly sheltered from SF experiences.  He suggested we check out Musée Mécanique at the pier. As much as I dreaded it, this place sounded pretty awesome, so I agreed to head over as long as I got my potato for lunch.

menu with options

We decided to try our luck on Sunday. Luckily the weather was gorgeous and it was fairly early, so things were pleasant. I even found a free parking space only a few blocks away after some patient circling :D!! This set the right tone for the afternoon.

Hot Spud is located just a street away from the main Wharf area, but it didn't seem too badly touristy. They have a cute, modern interior with both counter and table seating. When you enter you see a giant bar of all the toppings. You are allowed to either choose a recommended combo or you can make your own from scratch. Toppings range from meats, to tons of veggies (including jalapenos, corn, even some fruits), to sauces, to things like tortilla strips. It's essentially a salad bar for a potato. AWESOME!!!

sharon's potato

We both ordered pre-made combo potatoes that we totally substituted in to customized items. Mine was a steak potato with chipotle sauce, corn, green onions, peas, and jalapenos. He ordered a chicken one with alfredo sauce, cheese, jalapenos, corn, bacon.... and I'm not even sure. They were pretty tasty! The only thing I didn't like was the chipotle sauce on mine, it had an odd flavor. Everything else was really good. I ended up eating like a third of his potato because the alfredo sauce was such win.

The place is slightly pricey, around $9 for a potato. They give a local discount though (to me at least, haha apparently Carlos's accent and flusteredness made him seem like a tourist), and I think everything in that neighborhood is expensive due to the rent.

carlos's potato! so much win <3 mmmm

I really liked the worker, he cared about our experience and came to ask if we were enjoying it. Next time you are in that area, skip Bubba Gump's, Rain Forest, Hard Rock... and check this place out!

At Home in the Castro :)

I freaking love the Castro! It is the only neighborhood that is always hopping no matter what the day or time. Plus, I miss my beloved el Seandola so much, and it reminds me of his awesomeness (altho he's not that awesome considering he doesn't even read my blog >:P)

Last Friday, despite being up for like 2 days straight due to the International Date Line and some serious bummed-out-ness about leaving Japan, I knew I had to go out. As much as I am in love with Tokyo, San Francisco means everything to me and I had missed it very much <3. What could be better than eating dinner at Home, a comfort-food stop in the Castro?? :)

The location is great, right by the downtown cross-section of the neighborhood on Market St. There is ample seating, and a full menu with a lot of traditional "home-cooked" favorites. Since Eugi was super hungry, and owed me big-time for withholding important information :P, we got lotsa food! The appetizers all looked amazing. We ended up with beer-batter fried beans and macaroni and cheese. Loved them both!! The batter on the beans was crazy addictive. I wanted to gobble up the whole plate. The mac & cheese was very homemade tasting, and had a great combo of cheeses. In my haste, I spilled quite a bit on the table :( so I didn't consume as much as hoped.

Meal-wise, I got a pork chop with applesauce dressing and cheesy grits. SO GOOD! I'm not a big meat person, but pork has always been one of my favorites. The sauce really well illuminated the flavors. Also, the way the meat sat in the cheesy grits was perfect. By the end they got all melty and mushy around it, mmmmmm. I love cheesy anything. Sadly I was full and couldn't finish (having like 5 meals in one "day" will do that), but I totally would go again.

The portions were HUGE! Eugi ordered chicken and got half a freaking bird. His side was Rice-a-Roni. This made me happy for multiple reasons. 1. Rice-a-Roni rocks 2. It's the San Francisco treat! How regionally appropriate :D 3. He's from Italy, was unaware of the brand, and I got to sing the jingle and describe the 90s commercial to him <:D

Rice-a-Roni, the flavor can't be beat~~

Recommend!