View from my window seat

In typical local fashion, I had never been to the Cliffhouse in San Francisco. Venturing out to Ocean Beach only to freeze to death by the salty sea never appealed to me and so the historic Cliffhouse remained a mystery. Like with all famous towers, inside holds an elegant restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows to reveal breathtaking views of the bay. When I discovered that Sutro’s at the Cliffhouse was offering a Dine About Town menu, I jumped at the opportunity to make reservations for lunch. I was lucky to get a window seat on a beautiful day in June. The first course was a creamy asparagus soup topped with slivers of almonds and lavender petals, making it almost difficult to plunge my spoon into such a work of art. This was followed by a grilled-chicken breast sandwich on a

Asparagus Soup

local dutch-crunch roll served with crispy fresh fries. For vegetarians, they offered a tasty spring vegetable pasta, which looked like a farmers’ market in a bowl. Two courses for $17.95, plus unlimited viewing of the waves beneath the tower was the best meal deal I’ve had in a while. Normal menu options and prices are a bit steeper, but still manageable for special occasions. They offer a wide range of local seafood and organic produce fit to satisfy both locals and our guests. 

Chicken-breast Sandwich

Spring Veggie Pasta

Sutro’s at the Cliffhouse

1090 Point Lobos Ave (between Great Hwy & Merrie Way)

San Francisco, CA 94121

(415) 386-3330

www.cliffhouse.com/sutro/index.html

Mon-Sat 11:30 am – 9:30 pm Sun 11 am – 9:30 pm

$$$

It’s nearing the end of May and it’s pouring outside—wouldn’t expect anything else for summer in San Francisco. As the fog rolls in and raindrops fall, my appetite for warm, soupy, noodle-ly dishes intensifies. Friends of mine who are hardcore ramen connoisseurs have mesmerized me with stories about the delicious and authentic ramen served at Katana-Ya. According to those of superior ramen knowledge, Katana-Ya is the next-best thing to sitting in a ramen house in Japan. Having never been to Japan (except for an overnight layover many years ago), I was eager to try this tiny piece of magic hidden away by the bustling crowds of Union Square. Their menu is incredibly large for such a small restaurant and features, in addition to their famous ramen, various sushi rolls (which you can watch the chefs make if you sit at the counter), donburi rice bowls, curries, and appetizers. The Katanaya Ramen is a combination of fried chicken, chasu pork, pot stickers, seaweed, egg and corn. Other ramen soups include Spicy Tofu, Green Onion, Butter Corn, and Kimchi. Each is served in a rich broth of your choice: soy sauce, salt or miso. You can even get your soup extra spicy! It arrives in a large bowl, steaming with flavor and intensity. The noodles have the perfect amount of bite, encouraging the diner to slurp them down greedily for full effect. You can enjoy all this under red lighting and funky beats playing in the background. Please note that they don’t offer a vegetarian broth option and they do use MSG in the broth. After all, they have to maintain their authenticity.

Courtesy of Randy F. "Katanya Raman" Yelp.com

 Katana-Ya

430 Geary St (at Mason St)

San Francisco, CA 94102

(415) 771-1280

Mon-Fri 11:30 a.m. – 1 a.m. Sat-Sun 12 p.m. – 1 a.m.

$$

My biggest money-saving rule is to bring my own lunch to work. So when I started working in the Financial District where an average lunch is upwards of $10, my no-outside-lunch policy became even stricter, exhibited by my half-hour lunches to prevent me from wondering my neighborhood on an empty stomach. However, with rules come exceptions, and I on occasion find myself lunchless and hungry. That’s when I treat myself to a delicious, healthy salad or sandwich from Mixt Greens. Self-proclaimed as an “eco-gourmet” restaurant, Mixt Greens prides itself on its use of fresh organic ingredients all produced by local farmers. Even their building is made of recyclable, renewable materials. The menu offers a variety of inventive salads and sandwiches. The Siam with Tofu is a blend of mixed greens, papaya, jicama, mango, cucumber, red pepper, fresh herbs, spicy peanuts in a thai lemongrass vinaigrette topped with perfectly marinated tofu pieces. For something heartier than tofu, try the Bachelor and enjoy pieces of grilled flatiron steak over red leaf lettuce, roasted potatoes and blue cheese or the Maui and feast on coriander crusted seared ahi tuna on top of mixed veggies with mango and macadamia nuts. You can also build your own salad from their voluminous ingredient list. Specialty sandwiches include the Loafer (kobe meatloaf, tomatoes, garlic mayo, butter lettuce on an torpedo roll) and the vegetarian Farmer (burrata cheese, grilled zucchini, red peppers, portabella mushrooms, basil, aioli, balsamic reduction on an bread herb slab). Make time to wait in line as the lunch crowed gets serious. If you’re in a rush, they have plenty of already made salads freshly boxed-to-go. No need to feel guilty about using their containers or utensils—both are biodegradable and can be easily tossed in the compost. And my guilt about spending the $10+ for my salad? Well, I consider it a donation to Planet Earth and my stomach.

Courtesy of Dave B. "Always fresh fixings" Yelp.com

Mixt Greens

475 Sansome St

San Francisco, CA 94104

(415) 296-9292

www.mixtgreens.com

Mon-Fri: 10:30am- 3pm

$$

Other locations: 120 Sansome; 560 Mission St

House Special Chicken Wonton Noodle Soup www.washingtonbakerysf.com

My parents have been taking me to Washington Bakery & Restaurant since before I could see over the bakery counter. According to my mother, this is the only decent place in Chinatown to get a good meal at a fair price. With no authority to argue with her, I have continued to frequent this place into my adult age. Its causal, almost diner-like atmosphere sets the scene for delicious, no-fuss Cantonese comfort food. Chow down on some Hong Kong Style Beef Chow Fun or House Special Chow Mein. Their won-ton soups continue to be my comfort staple—savory, plump little balls of pork and vegetables in hot, soothing broth. When I dine with my parents, we always get our appetites ready for the House Special Chicken Wonton Noodle Soup served in a giant clay pot with won-tons, silver noodles, vegetables, and yellow chicken. For only $20, this dish can satisfy a party of four. My family, however, won’t settle for “satisfied” and so we’ll order in addition some tasty finger foods like Deep Fried Chicken Wings with Spicy Salt. For dessert, select from their colorful bakery of pastries and breads or their milk tea drinks with or without tapioca pearls. And just in case you’re not completely convinced this is the best deal Chinatown has to offer, it will actually accept your credit card ($15 min).

www.washingtonbakerysf.com

733 Washington Street (at Walter U Lum Pl)

San Francisco, CA 94108

(415) 397-3232

www.washingtonbakerysf.com

Mon-Sun 7:30am-9pm

$

I could hardly contain my excitement when I saw an e-mail from Open Table, announcing that reservations are now open for Dine About Town San Francisco. From June 1^st through June 15^th, many of San Francisco’s premier restaurants are offering special prix-fix lunch and dinner menus at an affordable price. Enjoy two-course lunches for only $17.95 and three-course dinners for $34.95. The list of restaurants spans across all of the city’s diverse neighborhoods and features flavors from around the world. This is a great opportunity for both visitors eager for a taste of San Francisco and locals anxious to finally try that restaurant we’ve been drooling over. Book your tables soon–it’s a foodie eat food city out here!

 The top restaurants on my to-dine list are:

 Absinthe Brasserie and Bar

Chapeau

Foreign Cinema

 For more information and a complete listing of participating restaurants and menus, visit www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/taste/dineabouttown/

 For reservations, visit http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=4&ref=296&pid=67

www.cinderellabakery.com

There is an art to frying dough. It takes tradition, history, passion and skill to be able to create the simple masterpiece that is a piroshki. Enter Cinderella Russian Bakery & Café. As the oldest Russian bakery in the Bay Area, it prides itself on creating authentic Russian pastries and dishes from old family recipes. Though it’s a tiny bakery with limited seating, the menu serves up a huge selection of goodies. For those who have not had the fortune of biting into a warm, savory piroshki, it is basically fried dough stuffed with stuff. Cinderella offers both meat and vegetarian piroshkis that are equally delicious. Try the beef with gorgonzola or the cabbage—you’ll be licking the grease off your fingers. For those who prefer their pastries sweet, try one of their homemade honey cookies or a freshly baked strudel. Accompany that with a cup of freshly brewed Ritual coffee. For larger appetites, Cinderella has a Café Menu made for take-out only. It features Russian soups, salads, and other specialties such as the Pelmeni (Russian style dumpling filled with meat and topped with sour cream) or a Blinchiki  (Russian style crepe). Unfortunately, this Cinderella has a curfew of 6pm so make your move quickly.   

436 Balboa St (between 5th Ave & 6th Ave)

San Francisco, CA 94118

(415) 751-9690

www.cinderellabakery.com

Finding a good Italian spot in North Beach can be quite overwhelming at times. The streets are filled with restaurants one after the next, often with a host or hostess standing outside with a menu, hoping to lure you in. Thankfully, Panta Rei Resturant is here to make the choice a little easier. Nested on a busy street corner, this modern Italian restaurant with its sleek, industrial décor welcomes you to share its passion for traditional cuisine of the Lazio region in Italy. The menu offers an array of fresh pastas, which changes daily. Try the Pappardelle Verdi All’Antra (green fettuccini with duck in pink brandy sauce) or their Tortelloni Verdi (spinach ravioli in mascarpone sauce). For seafood lovers, the Linguini Nere (squid ink linguini with seafood) is served with a generous portion of shellfish over delicious, creamy pasta.  Can’t decide on just one? No worries, their Tre Pasta (three pastas: ravioli, penne, and gnocchi) allows you to sample the versatile handiwork of the chefs. Their extensive wine list features selections from both Italy and California. If you’re having trouble deciding, the staff is more than willing to help you choose the right vino for your palate. Salute! 

Linguini Nere

Panta Rei Restaurant  

431 Columbus Ave (between Green St & Stockton St)

San Francisco, CA 94133

(415) 591-0900

www.pantareirestaurant.com

www.enjoyveggies.com

For those vegetarians out there who miss the taste and look of meat on their plate, you can now enjoy delicious imitations to satisfy that meaty nostalgia. Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant is a Buddhist Chinese restaurant that features all your favorite Chinese dishes—beef and broccoli, Kung Pao chicken, won ton soup—in its vegetarian form. The imitation meat is made of soy products, yam or wheat gluten. Under Buddhist practice, they don’t use any garlic, onion, eggs, or diary in their dishes. Despite these restrictions, they still manage to create the distinct flavors of Chinese cuisine. The menu has 125 dishes (some with pictures) for you to select from. The Veggie Tri-Spice Chicken comes in a clay pot packed full of veggies and pretty convincing pieces of “chicken.” The Black Pepper Steak arrives on a bed of tender spinach, looking almost like its actual counterpart. Try the Spinach and Pine Nut Fried Rice to add a little crunch to your meal. They also have vegan ice cream for dessert. Their Lunch Special includes an entrée with a side of rice, soup, and a spring roll for only $7.50—perfect for those working in the Financial District. Go ahead, enjoy!

 Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant

839 Kearny St (at Washington St)

San Francisco, CA 94108

(415) 956-7868

www.enjoyveggie.com

Other locations: 754 Kirkham St

Wasabi PLANT Burger

Forget any images you may have of a vegetarian restaurant, serving you carrot shavings with a side of pretension. The Plant Organic Café offers affordable and hearty meals aimed to show just how delicious being healthy can be. Its mission is to serve fresh, local, organic vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes that will turn any die-hard carnivore (myself included) into a plant-loving patron. The vegan Wasabi Burger made of lentils, mushrooms, beets, cashews, and bulgur wheat topped with sauerkraut and wasabi aioli is the perfect combination of tart and heat. It comes with a side of fresh salad with champagne vinaigrette. For those tired of the veggie burger option, try the Tempeh Rueben sandwich or the Quinoa Bowl with veggies and ginger miso sauce. If nothing on their menu strikes your fancy, be your own chef and build a salad from a wide selection of vegetables, fruits, and dressings. Wash it down with a glass of refreshing Fennel Apple juice or one of their vitamin-packed smoothies. They also feature a tasty brunch menu on the weekends.

Plant Organic Café

3352 Steiner St (between Lombard St & United States Highway 101)

San Francisco, CA 94123

(415) 931-2777

www.theplantcafe.com

Other locations: 101 California; Embarcadero, Pier 3

Courtesy of Jonah T. "Duck Hash" Yelp.com

While breakfast is the most important meal of the day, brunch is better because it means you don’t have to get up as early. All San Franciscans know the famous Burma Superstar restaurant, and have probably tried the sister restaurant, B Star Bar, down the street when the wait at the original is too long. The hip and modern B Star Bar, known for its fusion of Burmese and other Asian influences has expanded its culinary creativity to a brunch menu available on weekends before 11:30am. The menu features a wide range of fusion breakfast/brunch delights to satisfy the curious palate. For something sweet, try the Azuki Banana French Toast with red beans, mascarpone, cinnamon, and almonds or the Strawberry Nutella French Toast. For a more savory and hearty meal, the Duck Hash with potatoes, peppers, and two poached eggs will leave you feeling satisfied and a bit gluttonous (duck for breakfast!). The menu also carries the Burma staples without the long line: Vegetarian Samosa Soup and the Tea Leaf Salad—complexly delicious! There’s patio seating in the back, which is perfect for the lovely spring weather we’ve been having. Reward yourself after a week of hard work and experience a different flavor of brunch—you’ll have a new reason to be excited for the weekend.

B Star Bar

127 Clement St (between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)

San Francisco, CA 94118

(415) 933-9900

www.bstarbar.com