Coi - Interesting but Disappoints....

Coi was DASF’s first foray into the Prix Fixe arena. In fact, the restaurant only offers the Chef’s 11-course tasting menu with 4 of the courses having two choices. Coi served up interesting and innovative cuisine using ingredients that are super fresh, a reminder of Winterland and Quince. Unlike Quince and Winterland though, some of the dishes did not meet our expectation. For the high price ($165 per person including tax and tip) and creative cooking of Chef Daniel Patterson, we had high expectations going in and unfortunately the flavors of some of the dishes were rather ordinary and boring. Only a third or so of the dishes wow us.

We had a small group for Coi due to some last minute illness cancellations: Lehman, Jason and the Phans.

The ratings:
Atmosphere: 90
Very nicely decorated, clean, modern, nothing crazy, but pleasant. There were some interesting art works and furniture (driftwoods, burl tables). The place is small and intimate.

Service: 92
Very good overall. Coi employs a team service approach. Each course was served to simultaneously to every guess at the table. The staff was efficient and knowledgeable. This is to be expected for this level of restaurant.

Food: 88
Coi is definitely adventure in eating. Chef Daniel Patterson is both creative and innovative in his dishes. We love the freshness of all the ingredients and the clean taste. However, that does not necessarily translate to great tasting food and flavors – not all of his combination worked well together. For example, the Monterey Bay Abalone sautéed with fennels sounded like a great tasting dish but it was prepared simply as any Chinese home chef would (by sautéing it with fennels with some garlic, salt and pepper – boring). Another dish (can't remember it specifically) was brought out and the waitress put some kind of perfumed food infusion on our wrists so we could experience the dish along with the aroma of the infusion. I personally didn’t think it did anything to elevate the dish, neat concept but that’s about it. The artisan goat cheese was goat cheese was too funky for my taste but Lehman enjoyed it. There were some hits, the Slow Cook Farm Egg was delicious and a Silken Tofu and Maitaki Mushroom combination was heavenly. As for desserts, not much to say other than blah. So for the price, I would much rather splurge it on Gary Danko or Micheal Mina.

Since neither Jon nor John was with us, I’ll provide this edition of “Phu on the John”:

Driftwoods and candles
Black river rocks in the sink
Calm and serene place

Mijina Cuisine – a Strong Start but only a So So End.

We had another large group that attended this month’s Dine About SF, including another newbie, Zeena’s friend Hiba. Hiba is a newbie for DASF but a seasoned eater! The rest of the group includes the Phans, the Chos, the Minns and the Currys.


Mijana Cuisine serves up authentic Lebanese food and for the most part, it did not disappoint (Zeena gave them the thumbs up for both authenticity and flavors). The space is comfortable and we even got decent entertainment! Overall, this place is an excellent value!!! On to the reviews:


Food = 88
The Mezzas were all excellent, especially since they were served with pita breads that were baked on premise. Zeena took charged and ordered the Cold Vegetarian Mezza Platters (Hummos, Baba Ghannouj, Tabbouleh, Warak Enab, & Falafel) and the Hot Combo Platters (Kebbeh, Borek, Jawaneh, Sambousik). She also recommended the Soujouk (spicy sausage) and the Kebbeh Nayeh (Beef Tartare with Burghul & Onions) that were both excellent. Zeena guided us the proper of eating the Tartare, by stuffing some in the freshly baked Pita and top with raw onion and fresh mint. It totally changed the flavor profile but it all go so well together. For entrees, Zeena ordered the Mijana Mashawi Special (Lamb Chops, Chicken Kebab, Kafta Kebab, Veggie Kebab) and Loup De Mer per my request (Whole Mediterranean Bass Deep Fried & Stuffed with Spicy Vegetables). After all the delicious Mezzas, the Kebabs, although pretty good, just wasn’t as good. In addition, there were consistency issues. Some pieces of the grilled meat were dried and overcooked, while others were moist and delicious.

Atmosphere = 82
We had a good table right in the middle of the dining room. The space is nicely decorated. However, an hour into our dinner, the music started and we were smacked in the middle of it. It was truly an authentic Lebanese dining experience but we thought the music was just a bit too loud. Shortly after the music, the belly dancer entertained us. I reserved comments on her to Victor and Ken, as they were “stared” down and invited to dance by the belly dancer.

Service = 83
The service was solid all around. They kept our plates clean and water glasses full. The only complaint I have was that he couldn’t split our check the way we like unless we do so equally 2-ways, 3-ways or 4-ways.

Tim Curry will be adding his "John on the Jon" column and I invite all friends of DASF to add comments!

Cassis Serves Up Good Food but With Poor Services

We had a large group attended this month’s Dine About SF. All but one was a DASF regular, Lehman’s special guest Jason. Rounding out the group: the Phans and the Chos (sans babies), the Minns (Freshly back from all their travels), the Martinovic and the Klinkes rounded out our table of 12.

Cassis took over the space of one of our favorite DASF restaurants, Winterland. The new owners made minor changes to the former Winterland space. They opened up the kitchen and added a faux brick wall in the main dining room to soften up the room. Cassis serves bistro food that is distinctively South of France and is run by two brothers who had run and operated restaurants in Southern France. We were waited on by one of the Meloni brothers. The food was very solid for a neighborhood joint but our experience was ruin by the poor service. Read more below.

Food = 85
Every dish was simple and solid. We started off with the Wild Mushroom Tart, the Tuna Tartare and a special appetizer of Wild Arugula, Prosciutto and Honey-figs for appetizers. The mushroom tart was a little lacking when it comes to seasoning. The appetizers were followed by Neapolitan-style thin crust pizzas that were excellent. For the main courses, we ordered the Risotto with Fresh Asparagus, Mushrooms & Tomato Confit; Beef Stew Cooked in Red Wine & Herbs; Pan-roasted Monkfish; Duck Confit and Juicy Duck Breast; and Pan Roasted Rack of Lamb. The risotto was perfectly cooked. The sauce for the roasted monkfish (creamy peppercorn was too strong). I would have like that sauce on meaty roast pork or grill steak (a la steak au poivre). The duck confit was a little dry. For dessert, we ordered the Tarte Tatin à la Sauce Caramel; Tarte au Citron and the Valrhona Chocolate Fondue. The lemon tart was very good (Avis thinks Winnie’s lemon bars are better) and the fondue was enjoyed by most of the ladies and Victor.

Atmosphere = 82
Cassis kept Avis’s favorite awning. The new owners opened the kitchen and added a faux cream brick wall that adds warmth to the main dining room. However, the loud techno music was too load and in sync with the type of restaurant.

Service = 60
The service here has to be one of our worse for DASF. Despite having one of the owners as our waiter, we did not get good service. The waiter was pleasant and friendly but he didn’t react warmly when I told him that we like to dine family style and share. This is surprising for someone who came here from the South of France with an Italian father, where that style of dining is common from that region. From my observation, it appears that they may be short-handed that night. All our food came out all at once (sans serving spoons and forks). I had to flag down the hostess for silver wares. The busboy/food runner kept rushing us (it felt like we were eating at TGI Fridays) and when they cleared our plates and dirty silver wares, they forget to replace with new ones. The plates were not dried and still have puddles of water on them. When the main courses came out, a few of us were missing knives. No excuses for this low level of service!

John Klinke will be adding his "John on the Jon" column and I invite all friends of DASF to add comments!

Palmetto Pleases, But Doesn’t Impress

A mix of old timers and first timers attended this month’s Dine About SF. On the roster:
veterans the Phans and Chos (sans babies), and the Carters (Jon joined, and Ella made her 2nd DASF). Julia Brown, in town visiting from Phoenix, made her 2nd DASF. Newcomers Ehren and Karen Kruger, “long time listeners, first time diners” rounded out our table of 9.

Palmetto, located on bustling Union St., offers fresh, simple, Mediterranean inspired cuisine. An accomplished chef who has worked at high end restaurants elsewhere in the city raised our expectations. And while every plate delivered, nothing truly stood out. Overall an enjoyable dining experience, Palmetto is a place most of us would return to for a reliably good meal, but not for any kind of special occasion.

The Ratings (luckily Julia was here to help me remember the #s!):

Food = 85
Every dish was simple and solid – no bad plates to speak of. But, nothing really impressed. We started with a cleansing, cold tomato flavored soup, compliments of the chef. Outstanding appetizers included the risotto balls, and the tomato salad with some special cheese Phu knew a lot about. Surprisingly, the chicken dish was one of the favorite entrees served with a nice sauce of red peppers and tomatoes. Fish dishes were good, not great (halibut and salmon) and hanger steak with porcini mushrooms had a delectable flavor, but a was too tough (although I’m told hanger steak is supposed to be tough. Perhaps we should have ordered the NY strip instead.) Two good desserts, the phylo-wrapped-lemon-infused-something-or-other excited the palate, and the espresso dunked vanilla bean gelato was outstanding. But the other desserts did not impress – they were out of the chocolate, and the crème brulee was too milky.

Atmosphere = 88
Palmetto is unassuming from the outside, but stylish on the inside. We had a nice booth table at the back of the restaurant – luckily next to some open windows with fresh air in an otherwise stuffy room (once again a very hot restaurant – a trend I’ve noted in previous write ups.). Lighting highlighted the food nicely, and exposed rafters made Jon feel right at home. Noise level was high – but this was good for sleeping baby Ella.

Service = 82
Our waiter was professional and efficient, but did not stand out. He seemed to lack some confidence. And, a few misteps brought down the rating: when the Chos and Jon joined the group a few minutes late, they were not given champagne glasses or poured any bubbly, missing serving spoons, not knowing they were out of chocolate cake when we ordered, and not offering dessert plates. Maybe not big problems for the novice diner, but not much gets by us!

Special note: while the hostesses had panic on their faces when I bounded in with Ella in stroller, they took our stroller without attitude and accommodated our little one without question.

Jon will be adding his "Jon on the Jon" column and I invite all friends of DASF to add comments!

See you in October. . .

A Neighborhood Visit to Sardinia

We dined at La Ciccia this month - a neighborhood restaurant at 30th St. and Church. Similar group as last month - our core diners were quick again and took the 8 spots available. In attendance: The Phans (without Isaac this time - he's become too active to wait through our drawn out dinners!), The Klinkees, The Chos, The Carters represented by Mollie and for her first ever Dine About - Ella! (Ella was kind enough to wait until after dinner to demand her own food.) While this core group makes for great company & a lovely picture (see pic to right) - the Klinkees even tried to implement joke night last night- what has happened to our other diners?!

Summary:

We found the service to be fun and professional, the food solid, atmosphere a little lacking -- all in all a nice place, but nothing extraordinary. A few comments sum up our experience:

"Nothing really knocked my socks off" - Cecilia

"It was good, but I wouldn't come back" - Avis

The Ratings:

1) Food = 84

All of the food was all inspired by the flavors of Sardinia. Yes, Phu did order the sardines! Appetizers were very nice (delicious cheese and 4 mushroom pizza), very tasty pasta w/ ~4 different meats, tangy arugula salad with vinegar soaked onions. Highlights of dinner - Bass served with a lovely tomato caper tapenade-like sauce; Hanger steak was tough, but nice flavor from the porcini mushrooms and whipped potatoes (no butter or cream, just broth and olive oil!); solid lamb chops. Desserts were very simple - we expected more (basic gelato, strawberries and vanilla ice cream, a very nice ricotta & pistachio flan like dessert.)

2) Service = 93

Very charming, informative waiter gave us the full story on how the dishes were prepared in classic Sardinia style! Dishes were cleared promptly, water glasses full, and no dishes were forgotten (see last month's review).

3) Atmosphere = 80

Can you say plain jane? I know this is a neighborhood place, but nothing on the walls (at least in the front where we sat) and some strange drift wood on top of the bar. Plus, once again a restaurant that was too hot. I've noticed this trend amongst many of the restaurants we go. It's SF people - open the windows and doors if the kitchen is giving off too much heat!

Once again a very enjoyable dining experience!! Add your comments! See you next month.

Paris Comes to San Francisco

Once again I've delayed too long in documenting our Dine About experience and I've forgotten many details. . .so, please add to this post!

We dined at Jeanty at Jack's on July 6th. Many of us attended Steven Gregory's gallery opening prior to dinner. Steven's photos are fantastic (who knew such a budding artist was among us!) - check him out at: http://www.sgphoto.info/. A very "cultured" evening - with scintillating art and food!

We had a solid old timers group for Dine About, consisting of the Phans (including perhaps the last visit for a while from Isaac), Klinkees, Chos, Son and Mollie. Jeanty, a classic French restaurant, pleased our palates and senses. Located in the financial district (Sacramento & Montgomery), this establishment (formerly a brothel) appears to attract mostly a lunch crowd, as we were one of only a few patrons that evening. But that suited us fine, as we got great service (except for a missed meal, see below). Jeanty reminded me of the excellent restaurants I've dined at in Paris - attentive, professional service and exquisite, rich flavors.

On to the ratings -- we had relatively large differences in opinion, so look for any comments on these scores:

Food = 88

A great start with soup and salads. Jeanty is known for their soufflé like tomato soup - rich soup surrounded by a puffed pastry - delicious. The salads were excellent (butter lettuce, and beets.) I did not take part in the steak tartare, but those who did found it quite good. Main dishes presented very solid flavors. The french always make a great Coq a Vin, the short ribs and sole also pleased. Desserts were fantastic - as can be expected from the French (Apple gallette, chocolate mousse brulee, and Crepe Suzette).

Service = 85

Top notch, subtle in meeting all our needs. However, they did forget one of our dishes, which turned out to be fine, since portions were huge (not typically french) and we were too full for the last dish.

Atmosphere = 80

Very charming setting, but we dined on the top floor of this former brothel and it was dreadfully hot!

I would recommend Jeanty for anyone looking for a little Parisian flair in the heart of San Francisco! And, save room for dessert!!

Two - Food Scores, But Little Else Pleases

We dined at Two this month. Two is the new Hawthorne Lane - same people, same location, just new restaurant.

A small, but lively group gathered for this month's DASF, including Phu and Winnie, 2nd month in a row for little Isaac, Lehmann, Rob and Kathy, and Mollie.

Overall the food was very good - every dish was solid. But a lot of noise, eclectic decor and average service made an otherwise great meal just good. I would, however, recommend Two based on the quality of the food and fairly good value. On with the scores:

Food: 90
The highlight of the night, besides the company, was the food. Every dish was solid. Interesting salads to start, with the avocado and chopped spring greens suprisingly good. Duck pizza also well received. 28oz steak was a hit amongst the meat eaters - great salt & pepper crusty outside. Roast chicken with quinoa very moist and flavorful. Sides hit the spot - carmelized broccoli and fries. And, suprising to me, the pork streusell was excellent - light & crispy outside and flavor pork inside. Who knew a German dish could be this good. Dessert were good - nothing amazing, but the Two Cupcakes (choc mouse and peanut butter) and strawberry rubharb crips put a sweet end to a nice line up of entrees.

Atmosphere: 80
The larger round bar from Hawthorne Lane remains - and creates a lot noise. Hairy lamps, '70s style wall paper, and beaming spot lights did not create a soothing atmosphere. However, extra points for nice bathrooms - we'll see if Rob adds his notes for "Jon on the John" this month.

Service: 70
This is where Two fell short. Very, very slow sums it up. Also, little to no personality from our waitress - although she did increase her score by being helpful in splitting up the bill between gift certificates, cash, and cards. At one point I commented that the whole wait staff seemed to be bellied up to the bar chatting. I think I was overheard by someone in charge, because our waitress came over soon after. The waitstaff are encouraged to go "casual" - most wore non descript jeans and boring to sloppy t-shirts and shirts. A little "two" casual for my taste - but that's a minor point.

Looking forward to our next outing!

Pres a Vis - Hits and Misses, but Overall Quite Good

Dine About was back on this month after a one-month in home special occasion last month. In April we brought Vietnamese to the Phan's who were caring for Isaac, just a couple weeks old!

A good group this time around tested out a new city location for DASF - the Presidio. Pres a Vis is in the new Letterman building (Lucas' new film studios). Their theme is tastes from around the world. Tough to pull off this very eclectic menu, but they do a good job mixing the right cuisines and flavors.

Mostly veteran DASF-ers with one new addition - Isaac Phan! At 1-month old he his already following in his parents culinary footsteps. Joining Isaac were: Pat and Yosef, Cecilia and Victor, Phu and Winnie, and me (Mollie). Dr. Jon, had a seat at the table, but got stuck again at the hospital.

Overall a very nice evening. Food was very tasty, with a couple dishes that wow-ed us, a couple that disappointed. Atmosphere was impressive, but service fell far short of expectations. I had better service at Pasta Pomodoro yesterday! I would recommend this place, but don't expect fine dining service.

Food: 87
Atmosphere: 92
Service: 70

Food: the duck buns were a big surprise hit, but the "spicy" hamachi rolls were bland. OK endive salad. Salmon and Black Cod - big flavors, delicious. Steak just ordinary. Dessert - beautiful plating and flavor to match. Creme brulee was actually unique with a crumb crust and chocolate with cherry ice cream made an impression.

Atmosphere: they've done a great job with the new Letterman building. Nice wood/glass interiors with mix of seating areas; great views. Entrance through pay garage took away from the luxury feel. Bathrooms - see next posting for "Jon on the John" - from guest commentator, Victor, I love poetry!

Service: you expect a lot more from a place like this. First we waited 45 minutes for our reserved table. . . points must be docked unless we're bribed with drinks/appetizers/apologies from the management - none of which happened. Waiter was a dud - no flair, no real interest in us. Water glasses weren't filled, unused wine glasses not removed, no clean plates. . . and a dump of the check at the end with no "closure - thanks for coming in" type farewell. The automatic 20% gratuity was too much.

Until next month - happy dining!

Salt House Doesn't Disappoint

Salt House, from the same folks that brought us TownHall, came with high expectations. They didn't disappoint.

We had a strong crowd of 13 participate in this months DASF. The restaurant is a small place and we had to split into a table of 8 and table of 5. We had regulars and some relatively newbies:

Table w/ 8:
The Phans on their last Dine About without a little one at home
Mollie and her visiting parents (yes, Jerry and Elna make another strong appearance!)
Steven and Zeena - had been to 1550 Hyde, but had never taken part in the ratings
Patricia - just a couple weeks back from her wedding and honeymoon abroad

Table w/ 5:
4 veterans: Victor and Cecilia, Avis and John
Newcomer - Lehmann

I'll be commenting here on the experience of the table with 8 (apparently the other table had quite a different experience.)

Food: 92 - very solid on all dishes; just a couple outstanding dishes: the salads (crab salad and mixed greens with warm homemade ricotta cheese), excellent patrale fish (very light with a spinach sauce; mashed potatoes a little on the salty side), and great coconut cake dessert. Fun "street food" fries with cheese and gravy and "franks and beans" (sausage with garbanzo beans).

Service: 96 - really outstanding and made the dinner stand out as one of our better overall dining experiences. The pacing of the 6 courses was perfect; new plates and silverware for every course (maybe that was a bit much).

Ambiance: 84 - not bad at all, and actually kind of eclectic and interesting. But nothing wowed us here. Look for John on the Jon by Klinkee (since Jon Carter was at work).

Another really fun evening of good friends and good food!

Perbacco - Nice Looking, But Not Much More

Once again I've let too many weeks go by before writing our blog entry on our latest Dine About SF experience. The details are a little fuzzy. . .

Particpants: Winnie and Phu, Patricia and Yosef, Maureen, and a newcomer - a friend of Pat's and Yosef's, Jon (who for once wasn't post call) and me. A festive and lively group!

Scores were mostly in the low '80s, except service that hit a new low, in the low '70s. Food, which had an Italian flare, was good, but nothing stood out (except maybe the breadsticks.) Average salami plate, strange tomato gnocci dish, and not much else that was memorable. What was memorable was our waiter. He had a certain harshness that made you feel just a little bit on edge. He lost big points when he said he couldn't split the bill on 2 (yes, just 2) credit cards!

Jon's "Jon on the John" column:
Overall - not good. I won't get into the details, but not real clean, steep staircase with old, high school style rubber matting to get to the downstairs bathroom, and tiny little stalls.

If anyone else can remember a bit more - please add a comment!

Jon and I won't be at the next DASF. . . looking forward to reading about it!

Eat Well!
Mollie

Terzo - Another Solid Neighborhood Joint

After a strong turn out for 1550 Hyde last month, we have a small group this time for Terzo during the holiday month. We also dine on the Third Friday for the first time for DASF, appropriate since Terzo means "Third" in Italian! We have the usual DASFers (the Klinkes, the Carters and the Phans). We were sat in the small back room right next to their wine cellar (should have brought my wine key with me). It is a nice, cozy and tastefully decorated room. The Pan-Mediteranian menu consists of mostly small plates for sharing, highlighting seasonal ingredients.

Ratings:

Overall value - 85 (good food at a decent price)
Atmosphere - 88 (love the cozy room and a roommie table)
Food - 85 (solid food overall but nothing stands out or memorable. The egg bruchetta was excellent but the Roasted Niman Ranch Beef with Chimichurri was bland and their version of the "calzone" was pretty ordinary too).
Service - 85 (The waiter did a decent job with moving from lighter fares to heavier dishes but they did not change our plates once, even though we were tasting many different dishes with varying flavors).

Terzo should do well in Cow Hollow. It is a cozy neighborhood restaurant with good food and reasonable prices.