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Style Asian
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California Cuisine | |||||||||
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Affronti The town of Healdsburg surrounded by over 100 wineries is a great Wine Country destination for both dining and shopping. Some of the best restaurants in the Bay Area are located here, as well as some of the most interesting specialty shops. |
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Auberge du Soleil We loved the Verjus Roasted Apricots, lemon brioche, pistachio frangipane with noyau ice cream. Superior service, excellent cuisine with lovely presentation and a spectacular view makes Auberge du Soleil a must for dining. |
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We loved this appetizer and would return just to have it alone. The entrees that we enjoyed were the Skate Wing with Bloomsdale Spinach, Niman Ranch bacon, sweet potatoes puree and brown butter Hollandaise and the Coca Cola Braised Short Ribs with spring peas and red onions. |
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Bayview
Grilled Sea Scallop-puree of eggplant, endive-leek-watercress salad, and lemon lime butter-the scallops were tender and the puree accented it perfectly. |
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The BLVD We love our trips to L.A especially dining and shopping in Beverly Hills. There is nothing like a late lunch at The BLVD in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel for excellent cuisine and of course people watching. |
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Brasserie Pea soup is a great test of how all soups at a restaurant will be. We found this to have a great consistency and delicious especially because of the duck. |
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Brix Roasted Chioggia Beets with Carmelized Belgian Endive, Crisp Ginger & Walnut Vinaigrette. This salad was truly unique and just wonderful! We highly recommend it! |
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Café Pinot We asked the concierge at our hotel, The Westin Bonaventure, where to have dinner in walking distance? He recommended Café Pinot. It is located in the heart of downtown adjacent to the historic L.A. Central Library overlooking Maguire Gardens. |
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Carneros The Entrees are all right-sized portions and all feature fabulous vegetables. Our favorite was the Grilled Sonoma CK Lamb Sirloin with lamb sausage stuffed gypsy pepper; eggplant relish and Italian frying pepper aioli. |
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Central Market We really loved the Organic Red Jewel Beets with Shaved Onions and Ricotta Salata Cheese. This was an amazing starter as the beets were sweet and the combination of vegetables and cheese worked well together. |
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Cocina Poblana We loved the Quesadillas Vegetarianas which consisted of two corn tortillas cut in half with Mexican and Jack Cheeses and rajas con crema served with salsa. We also loved the Camarones al Chipolte which was Chipotle and queso fresco spicy Jumbo prawns sautéed in Chardonnay garlic and mushrooms with a creamy Chipolte sauce. |
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Cortez Restaurant Executive Chef Jenn Puccio, who graduated from The New England Culinary Institute and has worked at some of the best restaurants in San Francisco, has taken over the kitchen at Cortez near Union Square. |
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Dining Around the Bay We had a fabulous seared Diver Scallop appetizer which had a lovely presentation, arrived piping hot and was fresh and tender. Next, we had the Grilled Chateau Steak au poivre served with sautéed spinach and garlic pomme frites with sea salt and aioli which was prepared medium rare as ordered and was quite delicious. Sorbet was the perfect light dessert. |
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Digs Bistro Berkeley has a new restaurant that is casual and cozy and has a small focused menu serving New American Cuisine with Mediterranean influences. It is so cute inside you feel like you are away for the weekend in Carmel or Mendocino. |
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Eatz We had a fabulous seared Diver Scallop appetizer which had a lovely presentation, arrived piping hot and was fresh and tender. Next, we had the Grilled Chateau Steak au poivre served with sautéed spinach and garlic pomme frites with sea salt and aioli which was prepared medium rare as ordered and was quite delicious. Sorbet was the perfect light dessert. |
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Eldorado Kitchen Our overall favorite was the Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut. It was served with fingerling potatoes, fennel, calamari, nicoise olives and roasted peppers. The fish was moist and perfectly prepared. It was a very healthy meal that was also tasty. |
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Fog City Diner A Classy Classic American Diner Small Plates:Crab Cakes with Sherry- Cayenne Mayonnaise-Spicy and fluffy, you can’t find better Crab Cakes anywhere; we also enjoyed the side of Black – Eyed Beans. |
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Gather Restaurant Downtown Berkeley now has a great new restaurant that features seasonal farm fare and organic fruits and vegetables that are carefully sourced and thoughtfully prepared by Executive Chef Sean Baker who honed his culinary skills at Millennium. They serve Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner in a comfortable environment which is very active and lively. |
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Glen Ellen Inn Restaurant Where Food and Wine Are Truly Beautiful Things Fire– Roasted Rack of Sonoma Lamb in Rosemary- Cabernet Reduction With garlic flan, and vegetable confetti- This is a large meal; even the heartiest of eaters will be pleased.en Inn |
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Graffiti We had Blue Point Oysters with chive and rice wine Mignionette. The diced red peppers in the Mignonette were a great addition. The Mulligatawny with grilled lobster tails was also excellent! Another crowd-pleaser was Dungeness Crab Cakes with micro greens and Crème Fraiche over white corn liqueur. They were entirely crab with no filler, which put them a “cut above” |
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Home Restaurant The Deviled Eggs with honey cured ham, red peppers, Dijon mustard, chives, parsley and aioli are also delicious, fresh and light. You must try the soups. We loved the Italian Butter Bean Soup with bacon and sausage in a tomato broth! The cornbread with honey butter was very light and the best we have ever tasted |
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Jeromes Jerome’s Mesquite Style BBQ is Texas Style as per new owner Brian Kaplowitz. Jerome’s has been a successful restaurant for 18 years. The food we tasted included BBQ Pulled Pork, BBQ Ribs, sliced beef Tri-Tip and potato salad. Jerome’s BBQ Pulled Pork was a crowd pleaser. |
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John Ash & Co. At Vintners Inn Elegant Setting-Classy Atmosphere World Class Cuisine and Wine Sonoma Duck Confit—with scallion pancakes, green onions, arugula and an Asian dipping sauce. |
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Jordan’s Restaurant Fine Dining with a Great San Francisco Bay View Jordan’s Spicy Crab Cake- Carrot, Daikon & Orange Salad with Sweet & Sour Chile Vinaigrette- Almost all crab which is unheard of these days and absolutely fantastic!! This was the Best Crab Cake we have ever eaten! |
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Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill We were very excited to hear that the Lake Merit Municipal Boat House in Oakland had been restored and the Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill was now open. We appreciated that valet parking was available in the evening, as parking can be very difficult around the lake. |
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Local Kitchen & Wine Merchant We ordered The Tasting Flight of European Rieslings and were pleased to see that they use Riedel wine glasses which make a big difference in the taste of wines. . We started out by ordering a delicious Pear and Cheese salad that consisted of Caramelized Bosc pears and local Point Reyes Blue Cheese with Black Pepper Gastrique. |
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Last Day Saloon Our favorite was definitely the Chicken Marsala. This entrée was served piping hot. The skinless, boneless chicken breast was prepared with fresh basil, shallots in a Marsala and mushroom wine sauce. |
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Latitude The most impressive of the Starters was the Goat Cheese Fritters with “Andate” Goat Cheese, Phyllo, Watercress and Pistachio Dressing. The presentation and flavors were superior, so we knew this was just the beginning of a Fine Dining experience. |
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Meadowood Meadowood is a World Class Resort which exudes casual sophistication, nestled in the hills of St. Helena just off the Silverado Trail It is very woodsy and secluded and our dining experience was much like being on a country estate. We enjoyed an exquisite perfectly paced fine dining experience at The Restaurant at Meadowood. |
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Meridian International Sports Café The Truffle Deviled Eggs with crumbled bacon, tomatoes and chives had a Dijon kick and were a wow!! We ordered the Chefs Dinner for two which included two entrée and a bottle of wine which was very value priced. We loved the Moroccan Barbeque Wild King Salmon with Jasmine Tea infused rice, spice rubbed vegetables |
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Moss Beach Distillery The Moss Beach Distillery is located a short drive down the coast from San Francisco, just north of Half Moon Bay off of Highway One. Built in the 1920’s the restaurant is rich in history and folklore, as it was supposedly a Speakeasy during prohibition and some contend that it is haunted as well. |
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McCormick & Kuleto’s We learned that all of their salmon was flown in on ice daily from Alaska and that there are five species of wild Salmon. We also learned that salmon can be prepared grilled, broiled, poached, baked, smoked or sautéed. It is filled with Omega 3 Fatty Acids which makes it a heart healthy meal and that the high oil content contributes to the rich and intense flavors. |
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MacArthur Park Real American Food! World Famous MacArthur Park Oakwood BBQ Baby Back Ribs- slowly smoked to perfection grilled over mesquite and served with housemade coleslaw, French fries and "Mac Park" barbecue sauce. |
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The appetizers and small plates were all quite fresh and tasty. We enjoyed the Little Moroccan Cigars Phyllo stuffed with chicken and Crispy Flatbread Zattar and roasted garlic hummus. |
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Marin Joe’s A North Bay Tradition The Della Santina family, originally from Lucca in Tuscany, has owned and operated the restaurant for half a century, serving great steaks, pasta and Italian specialties in a pleasing upbeat atmosphere. This is a great place to dine! Read the review for all the details. |
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Mexico DF When it’s time for a Margarita and some authentic Mexican Cuisine in an upbeat lively and friendly atmosphere Mexico DF is the place to be. Start with their Margarita Tepito on the rocks with 100% Agaves Tequila but beware that one might not be enough as they are habit forming. |
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McCormick & Kuleto’s Seafood Restaurant We always appreciate being invited to dinners where Chefs try out new dishes on us and welcome our feedback before they put them on the menu. McCormick & Kuleto’sExecutive Chef Liz Ozanich’s Halibut Dinner was one such recent occasion. |
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MoMo’s A Friendly Grill Balsamic Braised Beef Short Ribs with Garlic Mashed Potatoes-This hearty dish is prepared to perfection….the meat was so tender and flavorful. Great comfort food and our favorite entrée! |
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Moose’s Great Food and a Good Time Housemade Gnocchi, Shaved Alba White Truffle, Creamy Leeks. This is a very rich and special dish that will please true Gnocchi lovers. |
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Mosaic Restaurant & Wine Lounge |
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Nob Hill Grille One of the desserts that we loved was Peaches and Cream Crepes which consisted of bourbon macerated peaches with hand whipped cream in homemade sweet crepes. The team of Fabio Stefani, Rich Paez and Executive Chef Heli Samaniego has created a focused menu with something for everyone. |
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Netties Crab Shack To start you must try the fresh, just shucked Raw Oysters which come with a tasty light minuette sauce. Next we had a near perfect New England clam chowder, with smoked bacon. It was lighter than most and we loved the taste and consistency. |
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Nick’s Cove Nick’s Cove is located on the beautiful shores of Tomales Bay in Marshall which has been a scenic coastal fishing community for over a century. This hundred year old restaurant was a cornerstone of the community and now has been totally renovated. |
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The hearty portion of Steak Frites was very tender. This Grilled hangar steak was topped with herb salsa verde, a side of crisp frites and fronds of fresh Sausalito watercress. We saved room for dessert which was called Chocolate Milk and cookies. |
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Nobhill The Roast Filet of Beef Rossini with seared Foie Gras and mushroom potato cake and red wine reduction was so tender you would have not believed that it was beef. The Foie Gras melted in your mouth. I can’t remember a better Filet Mignon period. |
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Oola Restaurant & Bar Our first course was the Caesar Salad with Boquerones. The White large anchovy and the fabulous lemon anchovy dressing, basil and parmesan cheese made it a superior salad. Next, we had an order of Hamma Hamma and Kumamoto Oysters on the half shell which were fresh and tasty. |
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Olema Inn Delicious California Mediterranean Cuisine The Olema Inn is an historic landmark that first opened on July 4, 1876. The Inn has been meticulously and lovingly restored with 6 luxurious Guest Rooms upstairs and a comfortable Bar and lovely Dining Room downstairs. |
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Olema Farm House The Starters that we really enjoyed included the fresh, local Oysters. We had all types including Hog Island Oysters served three ways , grilled with herbed garlic butter, tangy citrus Barbeque sauce and fried with tarter sauce and Marin Miyagi Oysters from the Cove Mussel Company served raw on the half shell with classic cucumber mignonette. |
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Out and About The Dining Detectives have been Out and About and have found some restaurants that you would truly enjoy. Spring of 2008. |
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Paragon American Brasserie-Restaurant & Bar King Salmon Roasted With Charmoula With a Ragout of White Beans, Calamari and Manila Clams. The clams were stacked on top of the lucious King salmon. Just Great. |
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Pete’s Tavern Pete’s Tavern which is directly across from A T & T Park is San Francisco’s new favorite Sports Bar. Peter Osborne who also owns Momo’s right down the street just opened this classic Tavern that combines reasonably priced food and a fun atmosphere. |
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Pres a Vi
We started out with a delicious Beet Salad with red and yellow beets, baby arugula, Cypress Grove “Bermuda Triangle” chevre and excellent sherry vinaigrette. Next, we enjoyed the soup of the day which was a delicious Sweet Corn Bisque. A favorite appetizer that was just as good as on our previous visit was the steamed Duck Buns with Peking duck confit, hoisin, watercress and cilantro. |
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Risibisi Partners Marco Palmieri and Chef Fabio Flagiello -- both originally from Trieste, Italy-- have created a fabulous new destination restaurant in Petaluma.? The cuisine features modern interpretations of Mediterranean, French, Italian, Californian and Spanish dishes.
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Rocker Oysterfeller's The whimsical oversized teak rocking chairs on the front porch of the Valley Ford Hotel were a good indicator of the sweet and sincere hospitality that we were about to experience at Rocker Oysterfeller’s Kitchen & Saloon. |
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Sassafras Restaurant & Wine Bar Fresh and Sassy Modern American Cuisine The tomatoes were luscious and the Goat cheese was milder than any we had ever tasted. These were definitely some of the best appetizers and salads we’ve had all year! |
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Shokolaat Palo Alto now has a new restaurant to serve the discerning diners on the Penninsula called Shokolaat. It was recently opened by Executive Chef/ Owner Shekoh Moossavi and Pastry Chef/ Owner Mark Ainsworth and serves Contemporary European Cuisine in a modern, sleek and inviting atmosphere. |
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Sonoma Mission Inn House-cured Salmon and crème fraiche on scallion and leek flatbread-this was definitely the best choice of all the appetizers we tasted-This could be your main course-just add a Baby Spinach Salad.-True Heaven. Sonoma Mission Inn |
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Stormys Our choices for entrees included a beautiful house cut of Prime Rib with a light Au Jus and Creamed Horseradish. It was perfectly prepared rare as ordered. The vegetables which included delicious broccoli and carrots and the mashed potatoes were topped with red and green pieces of peppers |
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Spengers Spenger’s has always drawn a fun crowd. Such luminaries as Clark Gable, Carol Lombard, Errol Flynn, Ernest Hemingway, Robin Williams, Al Rossi and Tom Hanks have been known to dine at this historic restaurant. So much history, but now its time to move on to the main attraction---THE FOOD. |
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Toast Our favorite Entrée was the Grilled Marinated Lamb Chops with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables, lamb jus and fried onions. They were prepared rare as ordered and a huge portion. The wines we enjoyed were the Sorelle Bronca Prosecco di Valdobbiadene and the 2007 Haraszky Solus Sto Amador County Zinfandel paired well with the lamb chops. |
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Taste Restaurateur Tracey Berkner and her husband Executive Chef Mark Berkner have a passion for food,feature fresh, seasonal local ingredients and offer a memorable dining experience. The décor is very inviting with red interior, pendant lighting, hardwood floors and nicely spaced tables where you can choose to visit or not. |
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Tolay The table was elegantly set with stylish floral arrangements and the room with softly lit. Executive Chef Wayne Van Akin has designed a menu to reflect the bounty of Sonoma County. |
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Troya |
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Urban Tavern We started our dining experience with a refreshing Urban Tavern Signature Cocktail. The Summer Mellon Cocktail made with Skyy Vodka, honeydew melon, cucumber, lime, sugar and basil, helped us settle in. We perused the menu and ordered some appetizers. |
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Waterbar Restaurateur Pat Kuleto and Executive Chef Mark Franz created this wonderful restaurant with its modern playful décor including huge fish tanks in the dining room and casual outdoor patio dining. Both indoor and outdoor dining allows you to enjoy watching the world go by including sailboats, joggers, walkers, skaters and incredible Bay Bridge views. |
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Waterfront We were especially happy that we decided to try the Fish Special of the Day. It was mouth-watering Potato Pesto Crusted Baked Halibut topped with a tomato basil cream sauce. |
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William Tell House The Shrimp Cocktail was our favorite and is as pleasing to the palate as it is to the eye. We also enjoyed the Deep Fried Coconut Shrimp, perfectly crispy and accompanied by a tasty mango sweet chili sauce. |
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Wolfhouse The Starters included a fabulous Soup of the Day. It was a Red Curry Squash with lentils, coriander, tarragon and scallions on top. This was a great way to begin our meal and with its unique taste we knew we were in the right place. |
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Zagat Survey 2008 Gary Danko won two 2008 Zagat Survey Awards including Most Popular Restaurant and Top Food Restaurant in San Francisco. Tim and Nina Zagat announced the results of their 2008 San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants Survey. |
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TOQUES (MORE REVIEWS) |
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