Dry Fried Chicken Many restaurants serve a version of dry fried chicken. I first had it in a Mission Street Chinese restaurant where it was called "Korean Chicken". The definitive version currently is at the Shanghai House. Shanghai Dumpling House Shanghai House in the Outer Richmond at 3641 Balboa sits opposite the Balboa Theater. The sleek glass and chrome facade belies the folksy slow service inside. The wait, however, is worth it. Service may take awhile because there is only one server and she moves to her own rhythm. They specialize in steamed dumplings called "xiao long bao". Ten in an order, everybody seems to order them as well as the dry fried chicken wings. The chicken wings aren't on the menu, but everybody seems to know about them and want them. These are big juicy chicken wings with a battered crispy skin that's hefty enough to carry the spicy sweet and sour sauce. Order the dumplings and chicken wings and then try out a couple of other things and you've got a great dinner.
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Hokkaido Seafood Buffet - San Mateo6/27/2011 Hokkaido Seafood Buffet - Steam Table Buffet we all shouted! Gluttony and guilty pleasures can't always be avoided. We promise ourselves, we'll just have a "little" and not overeat. Hokkaido Seafood Buffet in San Mateo was our destination. It's located in a suburban mall and you enter by walking by a skating rink to get to the restaurant. If you look at their website, you'll notice that the choice of languages is either English or CHINESE. Hmm, not the best indication of a good "Japanese" restaurant. The space is large and cavernous, but reasonably decorated as buffet restaurants go. There are lots of choices and several items can be grilled to order at one of the counters. This isn't gracious dining as your party is either coming or going and loading up their plate. I suggest sticking to the salads, hot entrees, or perhaps some of the Hokkaido dim sum. Not a date place and I'd pass on the sushi. Bitter Melon with Fish at B&M Restaurant "Oh no not fu gua (bitter melon), do I have to eat it?" That's what I groaned as a kid. My parents grew vegetables in the back yard and when it was bitter melon season, we saw it on the dinner table. This gourd contains quinine which gives it the bitter taste. Kids start eating just the meat cooked with the melon until they get used to the bitter taste. Then at some unknown future time and place, they realize they like it. B & M Mei Sing is a downtown restaurant on 2nd Street between Market and Mission - open only for lunch. Originally located across the street in a small storefront, it has since moved across the street into a larger 2 story space. They have devised a unique system of getting your food to you fast. They take two numbered chips and give one to you to place at the table. The other chip goes onto a countertop marked with squares. Each square represents a dish to be prepared. A person on the other side of the counter looks at the chip and calls out the menu item to the cooks. When the food is ready, there are runners taking the food and chip looking for you. When they are on a roll, your food can be ready by the time you pick up your silverware and tea and find a seat. B&M seems to be a favorite of office workers and postal carriers - a really good sign. The place is well maintained and fast. A not to be missed experience! Handrail at the Slow Club - San Francisco Could it be that the Slow Club has been around for 20 years? The industrial chic look that exploded on the scene during first dot-com bonanza was spear-headed by restaurants such as the Slow Club at 2501 Mariposa. Bare concrete, steel, and wood, seasoned the space with a studied tough no fuss attitude. It was noisy, crowded and the food prepared in the exposed kitchen was good. The bar at the back of the restaurant is connected to the main dining room by a ramp with these hand rails. Handcrafted angular steel brackets hold up the wood handrail. Notice where the bracket attaches to the wood handrail. If you are truly gripping the handrail, your hand will hit the handrail. This is the same problem with the handrail at the Bakar Fitness Center in San Francisco. Contrast this with the curved handrail brackets at the Brera Museum and at the Tivoli Garden's villa d'Este shown in an earlier blog. Those Italians designers were really thinking! Slow Club Twenty years later, the Slow Club looks the same and still contemporary -- others have caught up. Now it's less crowded, but the food is still consistently good. I'm always there for lunch, never for dinner. Miller's Pastrami Sandwich - San Francisco I had my first "real" pastrami sandwich at the famous Carnegie Deli in Manhattan - piled high and impossibly delicious. Katie always ordered the Chicken Soup, Alex always wants a piece of cheesecake, and Chris wants the dill pickles. Too bad it's so far away.
Ted, at Mock/Wallace Architects is the "Pastrami King" and blogs about all things pastrami at this blog-site. He'll tell you everything you want to know about Pastrami in the Bay Area and beyond. He says Millers East Coast Deli has the best Pastrami in San Francisco. When Alex suggested going there last week, I said "YES!" How does it compare to Carnegie? -- close. . . Regalito Rosticeria San Francisco I love Mexican food. I love the taco trucks and the quick take out joints. Sometimes, though, you want something a little nicer - a place where the food is freshly prepared with care rather than assembled from a steam table - place that addresses all the senses. I lived in the Mission for 10 years and spent plenty of time scouting out different places.
I'm glad to report that the Mission now has several places for a more refined experience. Regalito Roticeria is tops in my book for both great design and good food. From the carefully chosen artwork to the aluminum Emeco Navy chairs, dramatic color scheme, and good lighting design, everything comes together and shows the designer's sophisticated taste. It is stylish yet doesn't shout for attention. It's only open for dinner and can get crowded during prime dining hours. Wait staff are dressed in all black outfits and describe the specials of the day. It's possible to linger a bit with a glass of wine and enjoy a leisurely meal. Parking can be an issue as it is just off the hot Valencia strip. Reservations are recommended. Last Thursday May 26, 2011 Mock/Wallace partner Ron Wallace appeared before the SF Planning Commission to address the concerns of the neighbors regarding the opening of a Guatamalan restaurant. A plan to enclose the rear outdoor dining area solved the problem of noise and odor which were the primary objections of the neighbors. Even some of the neighbors directly adjacent to the project now support the project! In this photo taken from my television set, Commissioner Antonini voices his support of the project that will bring more than 60 new jobs to San Francisco. Pollo Campero is one step closer to opening its doors in the Mission. I was in SOMA walking to lunch on 4th Street towards Brannan when I spotted these yellow numbers set against a grey wall. It is the address of Zuppa Restaurant, an interesting place I haven't tried yet. The yellow and grey provide a nice high contrast without being too jarring. The font style reminded me of Corbusier Stencil Fonts. Chris has a set of metal stencil fonts that she used on (hand) drawings. They pay homage to one of the great architects of the 20th Century and give drawings a stylish look. She would lay the stencils on top of the drawing and using a soft lead pencil, form a letter allowing the pencil stroke to remain visible as part of the gestalt. Architects pay attention to the environment and try to do everything with a sense of visual purpose. By practicing this at all times, it becomes part of your approach to life. Le Corbusier's name was actually Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, but like stars today, came to be known by a single name. He was an architect, artist, and furniture designer whose iconic Corbusier Chair can be seen in modern interiors everywhere. Learn and be inspired by a Master. I found this website that gives a history of the Corbusier stencil font as well as this link to the Corbusier Foundation. Bistro SF Grill - San Francisco A struggling restaurant closed recently on California Street near Divisidero. It always was empty and forbidding -- dark and gloomy. Bistro SF Grill moved into the space and suddenly everything changed. Accented with bold red curtains, walls and chairs, the all burger restaurant is a beehive of activity. Changing the colors and adding two table outside made a big difference. Suddenly everything is more inviting. Clearly that was the case the other night when there was a large group having a birthday celebration.
Alex invited me to dinner and as a test, I had their basic bistro burger piled high with cheese, grilled onions and roasted red peppers. It was juicy warm and delicious. Different from the Zuni Cafe burger I really liked, but very good in a different way. This restaurant is dedicated to burgers in every form. And -- to top it off, they serve Blue Bottle coffee. It's dangerously close to my home on Pine Street. As I was putting away dishes one morning, I was admiring the Heath Ceramic bowls and cups that Chris bought. Chris once took me to the Heath Ceramic factory outlet near the picturesque houseboats in Sausalito, where they are still made today. They reflect a very California quality about them with their earthy colors and robust forms. Today Heath Ceramics have new owners who carry on the same tradition and now they also make ceramic tiles. Green Chile Kitchen - San Francisco Green Chile Kitchen a New Mexico inspired restaurant at McAllister and Baker Streets in San Francisco gets it. They use Heath Ceramics for their food service in their restaurant. It sets off the food beautifully. Green Chile Kitchen is informal, inexpensive, loud, sometimes crowded, and -- Chris loves their posole. AuthorCatagories
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