Ferry Building, The Embarcadero, San Francisco (EOPB)

For foodies, the Ferry Building is a must!  Not only can you dine at a restaurant like the "Slanted Door" or try one of the gourmet delis, you can shop for everything you need for a dinner party and cocktails.  High-end meats, truffles, cheeses, baguettes, olives & olive oils, confections, etc., and tons of specialty gift shops line the entire building, making your holiday chores for entertaining really quite glamorous. The Wine Merchant is stocked with the finest wine and the staff know exactly what to recommend for that "Rombauer" taste, without the "Rambauer" price.  Excellent staff!!!!!!
One last comment on the shops, then on to the restaurants. The house-made mascapone from the cheese shop was too good to even try to describe.  OMG!

 

Soooooooooooooooo, Rosalie and I decided to take advantage of writing a food blog at Christmas in San Francisco, so we have been devouring all the Ferry Building has to offer. We had to go two Wednesdays in a row to even make a dent in the casual, but fantastic food and festive ambiance!
We first dined at "Il Cane Rosso", which is one of the deli style cafes.  The food was fresh, organic and delish!
I had the parsnip soup and an endive salad with herb roasted chicken and Rosalie had their famous Petaluma Farm's warm egg salad sandwich, served open-faced.














When you dine at one of these little cafes, plan on wearing a jacket,  because the cafe seating is along the huge isles where the doors open out onto the pier.  But............... you're in the Ferry building, so a good hot cup of "Blue Bottle Coffee" is right around the corner.

The second Wednesday, we tried "Boulettes Larder".  This lovely little gourmet deli served a delish special that day that Rosalie and I both decided to order.  (All the little cafes serve local organic fare, so the menus are usually decided on in the morning of the day you enjoy it.)  The dish was an herbed chicken with a brussels sprout puree, butternut squash and a tangy cranberry chutney.  A glass of Prosecco for the staff photographer and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc for me, topped our festive blog- lunch.  Fresh baked bread and European butter was enough to stave off dessert.
It was absolutely exquisite.
Now........., it was the Holidays, so we weren't trying to be so easy on the pocketbook.
Everybody deserves a little splurge at Christmas!!!!!!

Gorilla Barbeque, West Coast Hwy, Pacifica EOPB)

Gorilla BBQ is a fab find!  First it was featured on "Dinners, Drive-ins and Dives" and then neighbor Steve told me about it, so Rosalie and I are not exactly "Lewis & Clark" here.
If you don't know about it, let us tell you that the food is delish.  The venue is in a class of it's own and the staff and customers are "home-town" friendly.  As you can see, out staff photographer was snapping like crazy.
This place is famous for it's BBQ ribs, brisket, and pork.  (Supposedly, they cook up a mean chicken too.)
I had the pulled pork sandwich with BBQ sauce on the side and a side-order of coleslaw.  Rosalie had the brisket and both were unbelievable.  (Enough food for at least 4 people.)  When it comes to barbeque, this is the real deal.  You order in the caboose and dine up on the hill. It's freezing cold, so bundle up your appetite and enjoy!  Guy, Rosalie and I give it a huge "thumbs up"! (I wonder if Rosalie and I should have left our stamp on the wall?)

Cotogna, 490 Pacific Ave, Financial District (BDYW)

After New York, Rosalie and I had to wean ourselves off fancy fare and get back to the world of  "More is less Mula.......fab food that's easy on the pocketbook".  We decided Cotogna was a good half-way house, between Minnie's BBQ and Sardi's. 
It was a gorgeous Wednesday afternoon and the temperature in the city was in the 70's  We lucked out and got one of the 4 outside tables, had a glass of wine (Rosalie had presecco) and indulged. 
Cotogna is located right next door to the very elegant "Quince" and is owned by the same famous chefs.  Cotogna's interior is very cool, modern and chic, clearly catering to the young San Francisco professional.  The menu is modest, but offers brick-oven pizza's, pastas and the meats are cooked over open flames.
Rosalie had a pizza, topped with butternut squash, ricotta and sage, while I dined on organic beets in olive oil, topped with creme fraiche and focaccia that was absolutely delish!
This casual (compared to Quince) Italian restaurant is not "easy on the pocketbook" ($$$), but certainly provides a fab dining experience.
Rosalie and I were back from New York, but somehow found ourselves in Italy.  Salute!

Sardi's, Theater District, Manhatten, New York City (BDYW)

Rosalie and I took a "long week-end" trip to NYC.  FAB food!!!!!!  From "Un Deux Trois" to Todd English's new "Ca Va" restaurant at the The Intercontinental Hotel, we indulged and enjoyed.  We had delish breakfasts at the new Grand Central Terminal food court and the Lucerne Hotel's "Nice Matin" located on The Upper West Side.  We had cocktails on Bleecker Street in The Village and dined on steak at "Bobby Van's".  We both agree, though, that our favorite "dining experience" was (and always will be) lunch at Sardi's in the Theatre District.  Red wine, pasta, New York cheesecake and old Italian waiters.  That's a take!

Roam Artisan Burgers, Union Street, Cow Hollow/Marina (EOPB)

Sometimes, especially when you're trying new ethnic neighborhood restaurants, you just need a good burger. 
Rosalie found this eco-friendly burger joint on Union Street.
You order at the counter, and start by choosing your meat from hormone-free beef, bison or turkey, and of course they have veggie burgers.  Roam specialty burgers are pretty wild and can include fried eggs, jalapeno peppers, white corn-tortilla strips, etc.  Our custom burgers came with caramelized onions and included your choice of cheese and pickles.  They make the buns and pickles in-house!  The options and different combinations are endless!!!!!!!!!
I ordered an organic beer and Rosalie tried one of their agave nectar sodas, both of which were delish!  Probably the biggest surprise was the zucchini-onion haystack, which was even better than the fab sweet potato fries.
Bottom line:
Creative, great burgers with healthy ingredients, really great sides and a restaurant "green" policy that you rarely find when eating burgers and fries. 
Next time you're on Union Street, pass up "Perry's" and give "Roam Artisan" a try.  You'd never know it was good for you.

"The Trucks" (Mobile Gourmet), Hiller Aviation, San Carlos (EOPB)

This is one clever dining venue - brightly colored food trucks, parked together in a car park to create a  pop-up restaurant and "Bourbon Street-like" experience.
Rosalie and I skipped the city this week for the popular "gourmet food truck" experience.  It was an experience!  We only wish the food matched the creative, fun atmosphere. 
Rosalie and I chose the "Speedy Panini" truck for our lunch destination.  We both had sausage & red pepper sandwiches with Pecorino cheese on ciabatta rolls.  We topped it off with salted, chocolate-covered organic yogurts in waffle cones from "Swirl & Dip".  Actual dining is picnic-style, in an area shared by all the foodies. 
Unfortunately, although this sounds delish..... it wasn't that great and was pretty pricey too.
Great idea - very artsy, fab names (i.e., Rice Paper Scissors), bright, creative & inviting design styles.
It's a diversion from the sandwich shops you frequent all the time and kids appear to love it.
Bottom line, there are tons of gourmet trucks to try and the venue is cool.  Maybe the Lobster Shack" (pictured below) would have been a better choice. 
Regardless, it's another dining experience and worth a try for those of you who still think all food trucks are "roach coaches".  Pop-up restaurants seem to be all the rage!

 

 

Chile Pies & Ice Cream, 601 Baker Street, NOPA (North of Panhandle) (EOPB)

This Victorian (Mexican/All-American) corner pie shop is a fab find.  Sweet and savory pies made fresh every day with a crust that will melt in your mouth.   The menu includes the pies, plus organic ice cream, posole with free-range chicken AND vegetarian options, as well.
The atmosphere is reminiscent of your grandmother's kitchen with "pie crust cabinets", wooden tables and oil cloth covered seats on the chairs.   It's not old and stuffy, though.  There are plenty of tattoos and piercings that keep you in the present.
I loved the fact that the people who took our orders and served us, actually "loved" that we "loved" their food.  Smiles, everywhere, in this cute, immaculate shop!!!
I had the green chile chicken pie and Rosalie had the cheddar steak pie.  I think the staff knew we enjoyed ourselves when we ordered take-a-way, after devouring our pies.
I got posole with cornbread for dinner that night, topped by a piece of strawberry rhubarb pie.
Our staff photographer took home a piece of the lemon pie for her dinner and said it was delish!!!!!!!!
This one is a keeper.  You can't keep good pie a secret.

 

Nick's Crispy Tacos, 1500 Broadway, Nob Hill (EOPB)

If (by chance) you remember "The Gong Show", you will understand the double entendre when we say,,,,,,,,, "Nick's Crispy Tacos" gives you a BANG for your buck!
You may notice there are no pictures of the food below.  Yes, this is a food blog, but those tacos were not photogenic and Rosalie and I were completely distracted by the unusual decor!
Anyway, we both had a taco combo plate (one fish & one shredded pork).  We had them served "Nick's Way" since that's what they are famous for, but we're still not sure what "Nick's Way" actually entailed.
The staff was delightful and served us complimentary chips and salsa, just for being first time customers.
After ordering at the bar, Rosalie chose a dining spot in the adjoining night club, (yes, night club), dripping in chandeliers that sparkled above the rhinestone bar!!!  (I meant the room, not Rosalie.)
Unfortunately, the tacos were not delish...............but the people we met were great and it was truly a dining experience we will never forget.
"OLAY" to sparkle. everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!

Blue Bottle Coffee/Cafe at 66 Mint Street, south of Market (EOPB)

This Mint Plaza cafe, located just off Mission, is a chic and sleek coffee house that has a very cool vibe.  It's ultra modern in design with a "siphon coffee bar".  The gear to make the coffee is the main attraction and it produces the best cup I've ever had.
The line was out the door at noon on a Wednesday, so this place is no secret.  The parking on Mint is limited, but parking on Mission was no problem.
Rosalie had the Gruyere cheese & butter baguette and I had the baguette with ham & Beemster.
A great small menu of local and organic fare is clearly served to compliment the fresh brewed coffees. Cappuccinos, macchiatos, iced coffee and espressos are the staples of this Japanese style cafe. 
Blue Bottle is very unique and the desserts (although we passed) looked positively delish!!!