(Recommended) Places To Eat List

Aperto on Potrero Hill. Pretty good italian food.

Pancetta hash was super yummy:



Butternut Squash Ravioli

 

Aperto's roast chicken is fantastic. Takes a little longer than other orders, but worth it. Their uber-rich Tagliolini Pepati includes bacon, japapeño, arugula and a few Italian cheeses. Last time I ordered it, I asked the waiter what makes it so rich and he said "there's about a whole stick of butter in each serving."

That area (18th Street on Potrero Hill) is one of the best neighborhood spots for informal to semi-fine dining without reservations. Chez Papa and Chez Maman are right across the street, as is the very good Chinese place (the name of which escapes me.) It's too bad that the venerable Thai BBQ up the street closed recently, but they had a good run for about 30 years or so.

 

Top Chef: The Tour 2010
6/12 San Francisco, CA
http://thetour.bravotv.com/

 

I am all over this..

PS- kirkland and I filmed all day on monday, Still far from being finished. I think it will be sweet.

 

I went to FL in 2001 when TK was in the kitchen all the time. The waiter told TK I was taking notes and he asked the waiter to bring me to the kitchen when I was finished with dinner. He gave me and my guest a full tour and chatted for 10 minutes. Great great guy.

Another time I was in Yountville I hit Bouchon and Ad Hoc on the same day. Sat at the bar at Bouchon to eat and chatted up the bartender. There was an error on some table's order and the bartender had them send the extra orders to us. Best trout I have ever had and it was free.

 

damn.... with western/eastern toy circles...even celebrity chefs....

henry = baller.

 

I remember you posting that photo years ago Henry and was jealous then as well. Let's hope the waiter doesn't walk back to tell TK that I am out front and that he should call the police.

How was your experience at Ad-hoc? I always joke that Ad-hoc gets FL's leftovers and table scrapings. I read the email daily and seems like somedays it's fantastic and somedays it's just kind of fantastic.

 

i signed up for their e-mail cause of you, and i salivate every time.
ad hoc had skirt steak last week! >< one of my top cuts from my favorite part of the cow.
i wish i could have gone that day

 

I thought it was fantastic. I don't know how the reservations work today but back then you had to make the reservations on the day of. I was literally eating at Bouchon when I called into Ad Hoc. Had a reservation for 8:00pm. Showed up at the restaurant at 8 and it was packed. We didn't get seated until 8:40. Everything comes out family style. We were starved so we were cleaning up all the plates. The waiter was super cool and kept bringing us second portions of everything. The food was pretty simple, comfort food but you could taste that extra Keller-care in every bite. And what also made it enjoyable was the totally casual atmosphere. You can wear jeans and a tee.....can't really feel comfortable doing that in any other Keller restaurant (except maybe Bouchon for lunch).

Since the menu is set and only like 3 or 4 courses, it can be hit and miss if you're a picky eater. I'm a regular at Lucques here in LA and they have a Sunday Supper which is very similar to Ad Hoc's type of set menu. Once in a while the menu will be composed entirely of items I am not particularly fond of (and I'm not picky....I seriously can eat more unusual things than Bizarre Foods dude).

 

Man I need to ASAP now. I just want to wear a Cro-Mags shirt to a Thomas Keller restaurant.
Speaking of I got the book as a gift for my birthday and have been pouring through. I love it.
Also here are some of my favorite Menus from the last month or so. I save them and bookmark them like a crazy person.
Henry have you been to The Bazaar yet in LA? It's Jose Andres's place. Not unlike Mini-Bar in DC but on a bigger scale.

3-4-2010 Salad of Baby Mixed Greens living watercress, shaved brussels sprouts red radish, nantes carrots, polenta croutons
sweet fennel vinaigrette
Buttermilk Fried Chicken carolina gold rice, hot smoked pork cranberry beans, roasted cauliflower capers, golden raisins, pine nuts
Pedrozo Dairy Northern Gold butternut quickbread
Assorted Cupcakes devil’s food, lemon curd, red velvet

2-21-2010 Endive & Living Arugula Salad baby chiogga, golden, and red beets toasted walnuts, sierra beauty apples grain mustard vinaigrette
Herb Crusted Colorado Lamb Sirloin smoked ribs, grilled pencil asparagus tfl garden spring onions, buttered barley plumped cranberries, green garlic
Springvale Farm’s Landaff irish soda bread honey butter [
Ice Cream Sundaes coconut ice cream, chocolate ice cream banana, candied almonds, pineapple sauce raspberry sauce

 

With a 2 year old at home who sleeps at 7pm, we don't get to go out for dinner much and since Bazaar opens at 3pm we haven't had a chance. Made a reservation for their private dining room once but had to cancel. My doctor is down the block from the hotel where Bazaar is so I'm always walking by and yearning to go in. So far all I have heard are good things. A few doors down from Bazaar is Matsuhisa. When I go there I sit in the Omakase room where they make all the "special" things (no whale). Once had Nobu cook for me there years ago. 3 chefs cooking in front of like 8 people. Really good stuff.

The fried chicken at Ad Hoc is suppose to be awesome. Wish I could be there for one of those nights.

Alex, I think we need to plan a foodie dinner at SDCC.

 

oh man!
hanger steak at ad hoc today! my absolute favorite cut of beef.

 

I'm a big fan of Andres and hope since this season of Top Chef is in DC they will feature him.
I went to Cafe Atlantico in DC a couple of weeks ago and even though it's not SF I figured everybody here may
appreciate some of what My friends and I ordered there. I strongly suggest if anyone is in the DC area to hit up Cafe Atlantico, Zaytinya or Jaleo. All are top notch.

Pan Dulce -sweet fried bread, plantains, maple syrup air

Eggs ‘Benedicto’ -pork belly pupusa, egg 63, avocado hollandaise, frisee

Pineapple-Lime Cake -pineapple-lime salsa, caramelized Brazil nuts, black pepper, Mexican sour cream sherbet


Last but not least I got this to go but once it got to the table I just scarfed it down.
“Medio Día”- café’s version of the classic Cubano sandwich, confit pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and yellow mustard

Don't have to ask me twice. I am down!

Lalo, Hanger steak is very under appreciated!

 

The Bouchon and Ad Hoc chicken recipes are on the Web for when Yountville is out of reach. I made the Ad Hoc version last night. Oh man, root veggies roasted in chicken fat ... awesome!

I prefer roasting a well-brined chicken the Bouchon way, though, followed by the beurre manie sauce technique described in Michael Ruhlman's "Ratio." It's all about high heat roasting.

 

Best roasted chicken I have had is Zuni Cafe's (San Fran). Judy Rodgers uses a dry brining technique that I tried on a turkey for Thanksgiving and it was amazing.

If you haven't tried it at Zuni please do. Made for 2 and takes like 45 minutes but the chicken and the warm bread salad it comes with are amazing.


Alex...we need to figure out what is the best restaurant in the area.

 

So, hmmm.. Is this how you thinned down ? I too should waste a couple pounds..

 

Yeah, that's a legendary preparation. I still haven't tried it (been years since I ate at Zuni) but her cookbook is at the top of my "gotta get" list. Thanks for the reminder.

I guess I should stop talking about home cooking. I'm not prepared to invite BASK and LASK to my place for dinner.

 

oh man!! medio dia cuban sandwich looks delicious!
i had the cuban sandwich at bouchon bakery, but that one you posted looks much better.

 

Big ups to midnight26am for reminding me to try the crab melt at Toasties over the weekend.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/toasties-san-francisco
Some pretty damn tasty stuff.
I like how it's mixed w/ artichokes.
The shallots also adds a nice kick to it.
I just wish they're opened later.

My new favorite place to eat at lately, since it's also right by my house, is Izakaya Sozai.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/izakaya-sozai-san-francisco
New place that just opened.
Place gets packed so I'd recommend getting a reservation.
They mainly serve yakitoris but the one ramen they have on their menu is delicious IMO.

 

Oh yea, this is for Alex and all the foodies:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/03/22/ja ... index.html
Looks like there's a few places I need to add to my list.

 

this is the best sandwich in city. Atomic Sub with Pastrami, turkey and corned beef...
http://www.yelp.com/biz/submarine-center-san-francisco

yes, i've been to Ike's.

 

Fuck. Those pastrami sandwiches look good.
Will let you know if it's the best in the city.

 

What new places were you interested in? I didn't really see anything new as far as SF goes. Also think it's weak that Volt is on there.

I felt all the nominations were safe with the exception of Flour + Water.