Domo Arigato

I can always count on SS to steer me right when it comes to sushi. Hayes Valley newcomer Domo serves up an assortment of super fresh salads, rolls and nigiri in a super cute space, sitting just off the main drag on Laguna.

It's a good thing we got there early because by 7 pm, all 16-some-odd seats were taken.


The Sexy Mama was ... yes, you guessed it ... sexy—stuffed with broiled asparagus and tobiko, then topped with sliced lemon and salmon, plus a generous drizzle of yuzu cucumber salsa.


The crunch and spice of Domo's jalepeño hamachi roll with scallions and sea salt also got high marks, but it was the silky, supple hamachi belly nigiri (far right) that reigned supreme.

Mad for Macarons

"I'm bringing you something from NY, but I don't know if you're going to like them, but I'm bringing them for you anyway," said JC on the phone, the day before she was to fly in to SF. "OK, sure, bring it," I told her, wondering what the heck could it be.

Only THE most delicious sweet Parisian pastries from Macaron Cafe, opened by—what else?—a Parisian husband-wife duo. When JC handed them to me, she asked, "Do you even like macarons?" I told her I honestly didn't know. I can't even think when I might've had them. Sure I've seen them around—after all, SF is rife with French boulangeries, patisseries and bistros—but I'd always avoided them, mostly because the pastel colors signaled that these had to be too "sickly sweet" to be any good.

I was wrong. A luscious, creamy ganache filling comes sandwiched between two airy-crisp meringue domes, all of it bursting with flavor. The vanilla, mocha, chocolate, lemon, and peach ... I loved them all. Perfect with a cup of coffee or a strong cup o' tea.

The Best Kind of Vietnamese at PPQ

JC did not want me taking her picture. Oh no. No way. But since we go waaaaay back, I ran roughshod over her wishes and snapped one of her anyway. (Thanks, C!) Then it was down to business. We scooted down the street and around the corner to my friendly neighborhood Vietnamese eatery, Pho Phu Quoc, and made quick work of the spicy, tart green papaya salad covered with a generous handful of crushed peanuts and deep-fried onion strings. Almost as good as the addictive rendition that Charles Phan offers up at Out the Door.


Then we wolfed down PPQ's bouncy fresh spring rolls. All of 'em.


Moving right along, we slurped up the rare flank steak and beef ball pho. Beef balls? Not so much. It was the spongey texture that put me off. But the rest? AH-mazing. A subtly fragrant, steaming broth, sprinkled with scallions, it's the best noodle soup of its kind that I've ever had.

CAV Says It with Cheese

"You won't find a better cheese plate in town," our server declared as he slid this gorgeous plate across our table at CAV Wine Bar. "Funny you should say that," I said, "because I was just telling my friends that this IS the best cheese plate in town." For real though—I really did say it, because fully loaded, this trois-fromage medley kicks some serious ass.

I Dream of Bar Jules

I recently lost a bet to a coworker buddy of mine, never mind how or why. But the terms of the bet involved dinner—on me. Naturally, if I were forced to eat humble pie (figuratively of course), then I better damn well enjoy the meal. So I nominated new fave and Hayes Valley gem, Bar Jules, knowing I'd probably get a resounding "yea" from said coworker-buddy. After all, we'd only just been to the tiny eatery a week and a half prior—and savored every bite of our locally sourced, screaming-of-summer feast.

So imagine our dismay when we strolled up to Bar Jules tonight only to find it shut, closed, dark, dead ... to ... me. After a brief diatribe—read: rathole—along the lines of "this is why San Francisco can suck so bad sometimes. As if people don't eat on Mondays ... what what?!" we got over it and moved on to ever-so-lovely CAV Wine Bar. But since I've waxed poetic about CAV—on more than one occasion—this here blog post is all about the supercali-fantastic Bar Jules.


The menu (which changes daily) included a wonderfully sweet-salty yellow watermelon, feta and olive salad. My only criticism: it coulda used a bit of green to make it look as appetizing as it tasted (a chiff of mint or basil would've done the trick).


We split the fork-tender, flakey sea bass with farm-fresh English peas and baby carrots along with the luscious lamb lollies served over a bed of big white bean ragout. Laaaaaaaaaa ... in a word: heaven.


Thumbs (way) up on the quatro leches cake with a healthy helping of tangy-sweet macerated strawberries piled on. Doesn't look like much, but the combo of evaporated milk, condensed milk, dulce de leche and heavy whipping cream made this a decadent ending to the kind of meal that gets me dreaming of sugar and spice and all things nice (lamb lollies included).

Presidio Social Club

I joined Mr. and Mrs. H. last week at the Presidio Social Club for some feasting on the following:
braised short ribs with trumpet mushrooms and egg noodles, kobe beef sloppy joe, blueberry-marinated beets, mac and cheese, smashed peas with mint ...

It's stick-to-your-ribs comfort food with plenty of fun twists and turns.

Bali Pig-Out

I saw this monkey going to town on that coconut and I thought: that pretty much sums up how it all went down in Bali ... eating to excess, eating with abandon, eating a whole helluvalot.

Good times.

This is not just any cat poop ...

OK, granted this does not a pretty picture make, but I had to put it in. This here is cat poop—civet cat poop to be exact. The critters are fed coffee beans, lots of 'em. Because they'll only eat the best beans, what they crap out is some really choice coffee, so say the Balinese. I took a deep inhale off the little 1 oz boxes that they sell 'em in, and they did smell mighty good. So, I decided, what the heck, I'll buy one. But when I found out it would cost me $55, I recoiled. This shit cannot be that good. Plain ol' Balinese coffee will do me just fine.

Bumbu Bali - The Best Meal in Town

Bumbu Bali dazzled us so much that we went a second time, making it our last meal in town. From the crispy cassava chips with ear-tinglingly spicy sambal dipping sauce to the super-tender braised lamb shank in tangy tamarind-curry sauce, the restaurant's the king of the hill when it comes to authentic Balinese cuisine.

What's Balinese taste like? Well, I'd say it's got a little bit of Chinese, Indian, Thai and Malaysian going on along with some really inspired and yet simple flavor combinations I've never had before—like the I-can't-help-myself-I've got-to-have-more grilled chicken with roasted coconut sauce.


Dinner is served. Our hostess ever-so-graciously explained each dish on our overloaded tray (yes, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs) ...


The tender and smokey grilled chicken with roasted coconut sauce (Siap Mepanggang, top); beef, chicken and fish satay (right); and addictive and ubiquitous fried noodles (Mie Goreng, bottom).


The honkin' braised lamb shank with tamarind (Kaki Kambing).

Bali - A Feast for the Eyes

I've had one outstanding meal so far: at The Istana, super swank site of my cousin's Saturday wedding. But who's really counting (OK, I am, but not in an anal kind of way).

Really, what's been the best so far about being in Bali are the incredibly delicious sights and sounds. I'm eating it all up ... more to come (though prolly not til I'm back in the US of A) ...


Cliffside at The Istana in Uluwatu

More than Beer at Monk's Kettle

Monk's Kettle in the Mission is swimming in beer. It's got no less than two dozen on tap, and a whopping 124 (yes, I counted) bottled varieties. And that's not the best part.

What I love most about Monk's Kettle is the food: the spongey-chewy homemade giant pretzel, big basket o' crispety fries and the baked mac 'n cheese with bacon doused in a creamy bechamel sauce.


OK, so one of the salads was a wash, but I'm thinking roughage ain't Monk's forte. Next time, I think I'll try the lamb burger or the pulled pork sammy. Hmmm, or better yet the pot pie ... can't wait.

Pizzetta 211 is Unicorn Good

When it comes to thin-crust pizzas, Pizzetta 211's got the magic. The tiny Outer Richmond eatery—it seats maybe 14—kicks out some really tasty and creative combinations. Mr. H especially loves the egg, creamy ricotta, tomato, spring onion flower and pesto special. I have to admit the thought of ovos on my pie kinda put me off, but to my happy surprise, the entire thing worked. Really really well.

My number-one pie (we tried 3) was the prosciutto, nectarine, hazelnut, balsamic vinegar and fresh arugula combo. Turkey and cranberry, pork and apple, lamb and sweet potato, prosciutto and nectarine ... these are a few of my favorite things.


Even the freakout by a neighboring diner over the discovery of a creepy crawly in her pie couldn't bring us out of our pizzapalooza haze. From the way she was carrying on, you'd think she'd found a cockroach or mouse poop. But a mere potato bug? I'd be willing to bet it came straight from the farm as Pizzetta 211 gets its ingredients in fresh daily. Well, she may never go back, but I certainly will. Because right now, Pizzetta 211's got the best pizza in town.