Little Skillet - TBD

Little Skillet has a cult following. Tons of people line up in front of their little shop-window for their beloved chicken and waffles, and then squat along the sidewalks in their alley to chow down. B had been raving about Little Skillet’s chicken and waffles, so I was anxious to finally get my hands on some. And frankly, I was underwhelmed – the fried chicken was good, but the waffle was soggy. Even B said he prefered their square waffles from before and the quality wasn’t as good this time. Since I am also a huge fan of farmerbrown (their main restaurant), I’m hoping this was just an off-day for them.
Fortunately, their grits were on-the-money. Stoneground grits with BBQ pulled pork and chedder…Mmm, mmm, good!!

I'll have to give this place another go around. Especially because of the way B described his previous experience, with that starry look in his eye as he talked about the perfectly toasted waffle and juicy fried chicken. However based on this experience, I won't wait in a long line for it.

BITE METER: Little Skillet – 3.5 bites (out of 5)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Being the ever thoughtful husband, B prepared a wonderful picnic for us in Tiburon. He woke up early in the morning and made a tangy shrimp salad with capers and fresh dill, a scrumptious chicken curry salad with grapes and almond slivers, and bought some St. George cheese and Acme Bread to round out our meal. We washed it all down with a bottle of 2005 Red Car Syrah, which we purchased from a trip to Sonoma a few years back (we fell in love with the wine during a dinner at Cyrus).
Eating food prepared from the heart and looking out onto the beautiful bay – I couldn’t ask for more.

BIX – An Oldie But Goodie

I have always liked BIX but haven’t been in several years, so I was delighted when B surprised me with reservations as a start to our Valentine’s weekend. BIX has been around for over 20 years, and there’s still no other restaurant like it in San Francisco. Hidden in a small alley, entering BIX is like going back in time. The restaurant is a throwback to the supper clubs of the 1940’s and creates a swanky, jazz lounge mood with its dark mahogany walls, plush booths, and tuxedo-dressed waiters.

Steak Tartare – still *THE BEST* steak tartare I’ve ever eaten. It’s meticulously prepared table-side with a medley of shallots, capers, and mustard, and served with slices of black olive toasts. It’s meaty but light and satiny, and the flavors are fresh and vibrant.

Seared Scallops with Butter Beans – Mmmm, butter beans. I’ve never had butter beans before and these were soft and creamy. I actually enjoyed the beans more than the scallops. The scallops were nice, but could have used more of a sear on the outside.
Black Truffle Burger with Truffle Fries – they don’t mess around with burgers here. This open-faced burger was huge with a generous layer of truffle shavings. The burger was thick and juicy, but I couldn’t really taste the truffles. The truffle flavor was actually more pronounced in the fries, which were delish! I looooooooove truffle fries dusted with parmesan cheese – seriously, one of my favorite things to eat in the world.
Bananas Foster with Dark Rum & Vanilla Ice Cream – I was surprised they didn’t prepare this table-side…must be a fire hazard. I wish they had caramelized the bananas more, but the dessert still satisfied my sweet tooth.

To sum it up, BIX is a classy restaurant serving classic food.
[TIP: Request one of the booth upstairs – it’s much cozier.]

BITE METER: BIX – 3.5 bites (out of 5)

Market by Jean Georges – Come for the Crispy Clams

I had lunch at the new Market by Jean Georges in Boston. The restaurant was much smaller than I expected since it was inside the W Hotel. The large windows filled the restaurant with natural light, but the décor lacked character. It felt a bit one-dimensional, like it was trying too hard to be modern. However, it didn’t really matter since my attention was on the great food and thoughtful service.

Cherry-Yuzu Soda – this house-made soda was terrific. I loved the flavor combination. It was sweet, but not too sugary, and refreshing with just the right amount of tartness from the yuzu.

Crispy Clams, Basil Salt, Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce – AMAZING fried clams! They were meaty, flavorful, and perfectly crispy on the outside…and oh-so-good with the frothy sweet chili sauce. This dish epitomizes Jean Georges’ style – a mix of bold flavors, always playfully contrasting sweet, spicy, savory, and sour tastes. The mossy green color from the basil salt also provided a unique and intriguing presentation.
Cod, Miso-Yuzu Broth, Shimeji Mushrooms, & Side of Wild Rice – not the most attractive plating, but a nice harmony of flavors…the delicate cod, the clean and subtle broth, and wholesomeness of the wild rice and mushrooms. This dish tasted good, and also felt nourishing and healthy.
Soy Glazed Short Ribs, Rosemary Crumbs, Apple-Jalapeno Puree – my least favorite dish. Although the combination of ingredients was interesting, the flavors didn’t really shine. There wasn’t a lot of taste in the apple-jalapeno puree, so it was like eating an ordinary short rib with apple slices…not bad, but not great either.
Passion Fruit Soufflé – recommended by our waiter, I was a little weary of this dessert because passion fruit is often too intense and tart, but he steered us in the right direction. The soufflé was light and airy, and the passion fruit sauce was bright with just enough sugar to keep it from being too tart.

I didn’t come to Market expecting it to be as mind blowing as the Jean Georges flagship restaurant in New York (nor as expensive), but I did expect it to have a certain level of quality and follow a similar approach to food, and Market did not disappoint.

BITE METER: Market by Jean Georges – 3.7 bites (out of 5.0)

Neptune Oyster – Where Seafood is King

Neptune Oyster is a no frills restaurant where the focus is on serving great seafood. It’s a narrow, rectangular shaped restaurant with a few tables/banquettes alongside the bar – the space is very tight so get ready to know your neighbors. The dark brown wood, the white tiled walls, and cozy, red booths give it an old East Coast bar/bistro feel.

They don’t take reservations and are quite popular, so B and I came early (before 6pm) to try to beat the rush. Unfortunately, there was already a crowd, and we had to wait 30 minutes.

New England Clam Chowder – not as thick or buttery as most new England clam chowders, but still very hearty and the seafood flavors were much more distinct in this chowder. I could really taste the clams, which were large and tender. The firm chunks of potatoes and celery also added a nice contrast to the texture.

Oysters and Sea Urchin – they have one of the largest oyster selections I’ve ever seen, and I appreciated the helpful descriptions listed on their menu for each oyster (e.g. nutty finish, sweet pea taste, salty, sweet, size, etc). The Wellfleet and Kusshi oysters were my favorite, although the Kusshis weren’t as plump or crisp as the ones I had at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco. Sea urchin was good, but wasn’t that creamy.
Warm Buttered Lobster Roll – heaping with warm, sweet buttery meat from a 1 ½ lobster in a toasted roll…straightforward and perfectly executed. It’s also served with a generous portion of fries - because the fat from all the butter isn’t unhealthy enough, of course. :-)
Lobster Stroganoff with Wild Mushrooms – again, they don’t skimp on their seafood here…there was more lobster than pasta in this stroganoff. And because they use crème fraiche instead of sour cream, the sauce was less tangy and enhanced the sweetness of the lobster meat. The egg noodles were delicate, while the flavors were rich and earthy. Admittedly, I thought the dish could have used a little more salt or something else to perk it up. It’s a huge portion, so I got kind of bored half-way through it - although B loved this stroganoff and happily finished the rest.
Overall, I really liked the unfussy personality and plethora of seafood at Neptune Oyster. I will definitely be coming back to check out their Fish Taco Sundays and Lobster Spaghettini Mondays.

BITE METER: Neptune’s Oyster – 3.5 bites (out of 5.0)

Starbelly – Did Not Tickle My Belly

I really wanted to like Starbelly…unassuming location in the Castro, casual and cool atmosphere, pleasant service, fresh and local ingredients…but the food was mediocre. The highpoint of my dinner was dessert – the salted caramel pot de crème.

Grilled little gems salad with market oranges, raw milk feta & toasted almonds – the lettuce had a nice smokiness from the grill, however, it was overdressed and soggy. This salad had potential because all the flavors were there, but they were muddled because the ingredients weren’t proportioned correctly.
Market mushroom pizza with gruyere, thyme & roasted onions – they murdered this pizza with too many red onions. The overwhelming, sweet red onion flavor completely masked the taste of the gruyere cheese and delicate mushrooms. What a tragedy.
Pan roasted black mussels with Mexican chorizo, market chilies & cilantro – the chorizo added a meaty richness to the mussels, but it was difficult to enjoy because the mussels were so puny. If a restaurant does not have decent size mussels, they should not serve them. Period.
Grilled Sonoma lamb chops, cheddar grits & braised greens, fresh quince chutney – finally, a well-executed dish. The lamb chops were juicy, well-seasoned, and nicely complemented by the quince chutney. The grits weren’t bad, but they weren’t memorable either.
Salted caramel pot de crème, rosemary cornmeal cookies – this pot de crème had me swooning it was so good. The rich, creamy caramel had just enough salt to curb the sweetness on the finish and make it incredibly enticing for another spoonful. This rivals Town Hall’s butterscotch and chocolate pot de crème.
For the most part, the food at Starbelly is unoriginal and needs refining. What good are fresh and local ingredients when you don’t balance them correctly? If it weren’t for that ridiculously delicious pot de crème, I would only give Starbelly 2.0 bites.

BITE METER: Starbelly – 2.5 bites (out of 5)