And by trendy, I mean, when it is packed the hostess sends you to the bar to wait.  The unfortunate thing is that the bar is cool but always packed, and doesn’t have any service. There’s someone to clean up the bar seating area, but s/he can’t take your order. For that you have to physically walk up to the crowded bar, squeeze in between two people and order your drink or food. It’s ridiculous.

However, we’ve been back two or three times because the food is really, really good. Honestly, that’s the only reason we come back. The table service borders on annoying, like a gnat that hovers, to clear your plates or refill your water glass at the moment it gets below a millimeter full. Yet, where they could improve is with a description of the food when they set it down in front of you.

And while I spewing areas of improvement, it would be great if they had multiple types of wine glasses. After all, anyone who knows anything about wine doesn’t really want to drink their pinot noir in a cabernet glass?

But back to the food and the real reason why you should check out Cucina Urbana next time you are in San Diego.

The board: they often have “board” specials which are served on a mini pizza peel. We had the polenta with a pork ragu and let me tell you, 3 days later and I’m still thinking about it, it was that good! The dish was served tableside where the creamy polenta was spread out on the board and then a savory pork stew-like ragu was spooned into the center. If you like pork and you like polenta, you will LOVE this dish.

Although I’ve had their mason jars of delicacies in the past and I really wanted to have the decadent savory chicken liver mousse again, I felt like it might be too much food so we skipped it and went for salad and pasta.

The chopped house salad was slightly overdressed but had great flavor and a slight kick with the pepperocinis.

You can’t go wrong with any of the pastas. All homemade, all delicious and all moderate  portion sizes.

You definitely need a reservation, or you can try your luck at the bar.

505 Laurel St. (5th Ave.)
San Diego, CA 92101
www.urbankitchengroup.com
619-239-2222

From takeaway containers ready to eat on the spot, to picking out your fruit for the week, locals as well as tourists can get delicious fresh delicacies here. The locals tend to go to the back of the boqueria and avoid all of the dazzling colors of symmetrically aligned fruit and sweets. My favorite spot was a bakery on the right hand side perimeter as you are entering the boqueria from the street. They not only had the best Iberico ham and cheese sandwich, but they had homemade fresh baked goods too. My favorite: the honey almond torte. (kind of like elephant ears).

You can also get great deals on olive oil, saffron, and olives. Plus nuts and chocolates by the piece or by the pound. Great spot if you want to bring back any food souvenirs or if you just want to grab a sandwich for the plane ride back (which is what we did). Just when I thought I had enough of Spanish food, the airplane food on Air France was so terrible that the ham and cheese sandwich from the boqueria was more than welcomed and hit the spot!

The reviews  have been uneven, mostly due to service issues. However, the food was quite good, and so was the wine we brought – a 1986 Mouton Rothschild, still a little young, but opened up nicely and was outstanding for a 100 point wine.

Here’s what we had:

To start:

• Polenta Fries – served with a lightly pickled hedgehog mushroom relish. Quite yummy. You get 6 to a plate and they are fat thick version of steak fries. Tasty if you like polenta.
• Foie Gras – with huckleberries, rome apples with longpepper. It was placed on the smallest piece of brioche I ever saw – could have used more of that, but otherwise, the sauce was so delicious, you needed to reach for a piece of bread to sop it up and serve as a vehicle to your mouth.
• Seasonal salad with asparagus, romaine, shaved parmesan in a light vinaigrette.

Entrees:

• Mushroom Risotto with asparagus and black truffle oil. Creamy and rich. Plenty of asparagus and mushrooms throughout, but if you don’t like asparagus then steer clear from this dish as it is one of the two main components.
• Black Sea Bass perched atop of an artichoke filled ravioli in a creamy daikon sauce, fava beans and marcona almonds. The almonds gave it a crunch, the ravioli was tender and melted in your mouth along with the fish which was perfectly cooked.
• Halibut with English peas. If you like halibut then you’ll want to get this dish. Light and healthy, yet packed with flavor.

Dessert:

• Lemon semifreddo – the crust was a little too hard, good, but not great. Could use some refinement.
• Assorted ice cream  and sorbet – you get 3 scoops and as contrary to as boring as it sounds, the vanilla bean is a MUST get.

Here’s what we had:

• Chips and Guacamole – homemade guac with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and avocado. Quite good. Appeared to be made fresh, daily.
• Grilled fish taco – accompanied with slaw which they refer to as “crakslaw” – was delicious. Next time I’m going to try the Baja style fish taco (I know the grilled is more healthy, but the Baja is probably full of good guilt.
• Grilled Shrimp taco – also accompanied with the “crakslaw” and a orange-mayo sauce that had a slight kick.
• Softshell crab taco – deepfried softshell crab with the “crakslaw” and orange mayo sauce was outstanding. A MUST order!

They often have Happy Hour specials from 3pm-6pm such as $1 tacos. So definitely check it out.

Located 1310 Grant Avenue  San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 362-6163

http://nicostacossf.com/

Here’s what we had to start:

• chicory salad with walnuts, dates, parmesan and champagne – a fantastic salad that had crunch, citrus and sweetness. Yummy!
• steamed manila clams with fennel sausage and jalapeños-vinaigrette – let’s just say we wanted to drink the jalepeño juice at the end but thought it wouldn’t be too classy.

Then on to entrees:

• braised gulf flounder and shrimp with green cabbage, bacon, celery root purée and meyer lemon – this was my favorite. If you don’t go with their famous oven roasted chicken, then this should be your next choice.
• seared hawaiian ono with black trumpet mushrooms, asparagus, sunchokes and horseradish vinaigrette  - a crispy seasoned skin that was not only healthy but earthy and tasty.

Here’s what we had:

Hot and Cold Foie Gras - textures of grapes, challah toast, almonds, sauternes gelee. Since they are going to outlaw this soon in California, I had to get it. The seared foie gras was perfectly seared and the grape relish gave it a nice balance. The pate was silky smooth and melted in your mouth with the sauternes gelee. Served with two narrow slices of challah toast (like brioche).

Mendocino Uni Flan - dungeness crab fondue, saffron, sichuan pepper, aged kaffir lime - wow! This was deliciously unctuous and the Dungeness crab balanced the flavor of the uni perfectly. A winner for sure!

Brillat-Savarin Ravioli - chanterelles, sage, brown butter, mizuna, pistou, hazelnuts -  Oh my God! I love brillat-savarin cheese by itself. It’s like butter. I would have never thought it could withstand the inside of a ravioli but it was exquisite – really. Heavenly.

Foraged Mushroom Risotto - sylvetta, parmigiano-reggiano, white truffle butter and shaved truffles. I love a good risotto, yet if not done right it can be quite pedestrian. However, I think it was the shaved truffles and the truffle butter that put this over the top and a creamy sensation in your mouth.

Sauteed Skate Wing - squash, baby turnip, matki beans, brown butter, apple, garam masala.  I love Indian food, but I didn’t love this. It was different and flavorful, but it just didn’t work for me. Also, the amount of Skate Wing was too much fish for a 3-course meal. 

Duo of Quail – made up of the breast and thigh, this was delicious but again, with a 3 course meal it seemed like it was too much food. But this was a winner for entrees.

Dessert:

Walnut and Date Tart - goat cheese cream, poached pear, persimmon sorbet, pomegranate date puree, pear espuma.  The goat cheese cream was like eating soft cheese cake – it was really, really good. All in all thought, the desert was tasty, but not too sweet. Solid. But next time I’ll try the Milk Chocolate Mousse Bomb!

Within the Hotel Palomar

Jerusalem Artichoke dish at Commonwealth SF

To start off you get handmade potato chips that are lightly dusted with seaweed and served with a malt vinegar foam.  They offer a 5 course tasting menu for $65 of which $10 goes towards a local charity or you can go a la carte. We opted for the latter.

Here’s what we had:

• Pumpkin salad asian pear, chicory, idiazabal cheese, almond tuile, cocoa nib
• Jerusalem artichoke, onions cooked in hay, chickweed, quinoa, quail egg
• petrale sole, wrapped in feuille de brik, nicoise olive, celery root, grape, spinach, verjus
• butter poached hen, savoy cabbage, black trumpets, rutabaga, vanilla
• pork loin and belly, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, beech mushrooms, mustard, apple, miso

The pumpkin salad was refreshing, healthy, and delicious. The apple balls burst

Pumpkin salad at Commonwealth SF

in your mouth but the dollops of goat cheese with the cocoa nibs and the pumpkin were an amazing combination of flavors that made you want more.

The jerusalem artichoke was one of the most delicious things I have eaten in a long time. I’m still thinking about it (so you should definitely order it). The artichoke was cooked two ways – the leaves were fried up like potato chips and then the pulp was mashed up. I never knew quinoa could taste so good and combined with the artichoke, chickweed and onions it was a symphony going off in your mouth.

The pork loin and belly were also delicious, but then again, I’m partial to anything bacon related. The brussel sprouts and kohlrabi were flavorful accompaniments to the already delicious pork.

The petrale sole was good, kind of like a play on fish and chips. However, compared to everything else we had it was the least favorite of the five. Just nothing special here.

I’d definitely go back again here. Two thumbs up.

We had the “Winter” theme and my only gripe is the way the menu is written. It seems to be written in that trendy fashion where they highlight the local winter vegetable, rather than what is the main component of the dish – which is confusing. When I see chestnuts in bold and listed first, I expect that to be the main component of that particular dish, but it was not. So, a word to the wise, ask about the dishes so you know what to expect.

All in all, was very good and we’ll definitely be back for the Spring or Summer menu. In the mean time, here’s what we had:

• CHESTNUTS with boudin noir (blood sausage), quince & Brussels sprouts
• BRANZINO soft & crunchy potato, chard, guanciale & sweet onion
• PARSNIP glazed with maple, dayboat scallops, caraway seed & mushrooms
• KOHLRABI “Bourguigon” root vegetables in a red wine sauce with hints of star anise

The branzino was delicious. It not only looked beautiful on the plate but the textures of the crispy fish skin, with the soft gnocchi and chees that oozed out as you cut into the fish was amazing.

The chestnuts were fine and they weren’t the star of the dish, the boudin noir (blood sausages) were the star.

The kohlrabi, which seems to be trending now through SF and NY restaurants these days was delicious. The red wine sauce and the kohlrabi itself were cooked to perfection. The only thing that didn’t taste right was the giant white carrot.

The scallops with parsnip were flavorful. Maple glaze on anything just about makes my mouth water.

Skipped dessert, too full. But will definitely be back for a follow up.

1085 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94103
RESERVATIONS » 415.341.9000

We had everything from venison to swordfish and 95% of it was outstanding, but pricey. I loved the Symphony Of…five items including a small caesar salad, foie gras lollipop, duck confit on crostini, goat cheese mouse and whipped tuna with caviar. Save the lollipop for last and you will think you went to heaven.

The foie gras torchon with a vanilla pineapple glaze resting on thin slices of pineapple and a wine gelee  also melted in your mouth. The richness of the foie gras was balanced nicely with the acid in the pineapple. The Baekeoffe of Foie Gras was also delicious. I’m telling ya, you can’t go wrong with foie gras.

I previously had the halibut and I’m not sure if it was the tomato corriander coulis or what about it but something didn’t work for me on that dish. I didn’t finish it. Recently I went for the Hawaiian Swordfish and although I’m not a big swordfish person, the flavors were so good that I could have licked my plate if it were ladylike to do so. The scalloped marble potatoes and the reduction sauce they were in went really well with my pinot noir. The scallops are always delicious. The Jumbo Louisiana Prawns were also spectacular and the puree that they rested in was to die for, I think it was artichoke.

The venison was great. Chef Keller also has a special sirloin called the Filet Mignion “Rossini” with foie gras and truffles,  need I say more? But note that there is a $25 up-charge for this dish.

For dessert we had Golden Brown Apple tart which was better than the special plum souffle (should have gone for the chocolate souffle). The apple tart was served with maple syrup ice cream that was heavenly.

All in all, Chef Hubert Keller did not disappoint. It’s no wonder Fleur de Lys is a 2011 recipient of the Michelin Star. We will definitely be back!

Reservations are a MUST.
777 SUTTER STREET
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109
TEL 415.673.7779

From the creators of Marlowe, comes a new restaurant on Washington Square. The ambiance seems to satisfy anyone, from a formal dining room for the romantic or business meal to outdoor seating for people gazers or a communal table near the bar – Marlowe is intent on making a space for everyone to call their own.

The menu is made up of a lot of small plates for sharing or you can get an entree. Great inventive cocktail list and decent affordable wine list. The menu is made up of several small plates under Raw, Fried and Smoked. The next section is salads and soups, followed by entrees and sides.

Here’s what we had:

• Raw: Halibut crudo with avocado and a touch of chili oil – this really was to die for. The Asian flavors exploded in your mouth and hit you with a hint of hotness by the chili oil. Six to a plate, could have eaten the whole thing as an entree! A must get!
• Fried: Lemon, basil burrata – Thinly sliced lemon rounds deep fried served with melted burrata cheese and some raw basil on the side. The trick here is to get the right amount of burrata and basil on the deep fried lemon peel. Otherwise, you’ll either get too much lemon or too much basil. By the 3rd one you’ll have it down. Unique and refreshing.
• Smoked: Fish dip – reminiscent of the traditional kosher whitefish salad, made with sable fish and served on super thin toasts and served with a tangy hot sauce on the side. De-lish!
• Smoked: Deviled eggs. It’s not hard to screw up a deviled egg, but it’s a challenge to make them stand out from their ordinary pedestrian appeal, yet, Park Tavern manages to do this by placing a thin crispy pork chip on the top of each egg. For a $1.50 each, you gotta try them at least once.
• Soup: This Chanterelle mushroom soup with a poached egg in the middle seemed almost like a deconstructed take on French Onion soup in its deep brown savory broth. Quite good.
• Side: Polenta. Wow is all I have to say here. This savory dish of creamy polenta baked in the oven drizzled with balsamic vinegar, truffle oil and thinly sliced nectarine was so decadent that the sweet cornmeal almost made it seem like a subtle dessert. A must get.