Town Hall

location: 324 howard street (at fremont), soma

town hall is a really great dining experience. it's delicious, comfortable and has great service. the new-american inspired menu offers food with a big southern influence, particularly louisiana. there are no vegetarian options, so i recommend this spot to people who are series about a great piece of meat or fish and who are willing to shell out some money. town hall is great but it is expensive. the portions are small but they are tasty and memorable and it is obvious that careful consideration goes into each dish. like i said, it's a experience.

i met c at the bar for a couple of beers before we headed to our table. the first thing i noticed were the amazing chandeliers, the restaurant is dimly lit with wide open windows to peer outside and provide light in the early evening.

i started with the bbq shrimp covered in worcestershire sauce atop garlic herb toast ($15). for a starter the shrimp was pretty pricey but i'm still thinking about the sauce. c and i dipped the rest of our table bread in it because it was so flavorful. for my entrée i had the blackened salmon with white corn maque choux, okra & red wine sauce ($26). my meal was absolutely wonderful. the salmon was cooked to perfection and paired with the okra and maque choux it made for perfect bites. although it was very expensive i thought it was worth it.

the bill came in the middle of a novel and people had signed it to leave their mark on the restaurant. apparently willie brown has been there!

i probably won't go again unless it's for a special occasion but i absolutely recommend this place for anyone looking for a great meal in sf.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

Submarine Center

location: 820 ulloa (at claremont), west portal

commonly known as west portal subs, this sandwich shop is a traditional sandwich shop that has been on the same corner in west portal for over 25 years. it's not trying to be fancy or special and that is what makes it so great. it's just good.

the decor is old and outdated with salamis and sausages hanging from the wall and old SF memorabilia on the walls. the old school menu provides basic meats and cheeses and some other specialty items. the sandwiches are priced either mini, center, or super. the super being a reasonable price of about $7 or $8 for a huge sandwich.

all sandwiches are toasted in the oven and then covered in a fantastic italian dressing like sauce which is what people have come to love so much. i went with the super turkey & cheese with everything and it was huge, delicious and i ate every bite.

the men working at the sub shop were friendly and didn't mind me taking photos and asking lots of questions. they know my friend L by name and were happy to see her face when we walked in. the kind of service you expect to find at your neighborhood sandwich place. west portal subs isn't super convenient to get to unless you live near it, but there is a muni station nearby and i certainly recommend making the trip.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

American Grilled Cheese Kitchen

location: 1 south park ave. (2nd, between bryant & brannan), soma

american grilled cheese kitchen is a quick, casual lunch spot in soma. it's been there for a little over a year, started by a woman who won a grilled cheese contest and quit her job to start her new life calling. the food is tasty and quick, perfect for a lunch break, although too far away from my office to enjoy it often. i had a day off so i met up with d and we had lunch on the patio outside the restaurant. there is a limited amount of seating inside but because it's so quick the spots in and tables outside seem to open up pretty fast.

the menu has several different unique grilled cheese sandwich options. word on the street is that they also have a secret menu, but i'm guessing if you don't see what you want on the menu you could probably just ask for it and they'd put it together for you. it's a very fun and relaxed environment. i had the jalapeño popper which has chevre & monterey jack cheeses, bacon, & jalapeño-apricot relish. the cheeses melted together to creat a very creamy texture. the sandwich was amazing until about half way through when the jalapeno became very overwhelming. the portions are pretty small so i was able to finish the whole thing. the apricot provided a nice refreshing compliment to the hot jalapeño.

for the size of the sandwiches they're a little expensive. my sandwich was $9 and our total lunch was $24 (two sandwiches, 2 lemonades). i certainly couldn't afford that for lunch everyday or even every week, but it seems like a nice treat if it's convenient to you!

follow american grilled cheese on twitter.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

Wayfare Tavern

location: 558 sacramento street (between montgomery and sansome), fidi

when tyler florence touches food you can guarantee it will be good. the expectations were pretty high for my dinner at wayfare tavern and they were met and exceeded! from the minute the doorman let us into the restaurant to the time he put us in a town car after our meal i felt like i was being taken care of. wayfare tavern is a dimly lit, two story, homey restaurant on a random corner in the financial district. there is large bar downstairs with brown leathern bar seating and a more formal dinning room upstairs. exposed wood table tops, a fire place and deer heads mounted on the wall give the atmosphere that you're right at home, although it's nothing like my home.

the food at wayfare tavern is american comfort with a little kick. the bread they start each table off with is crispy on the outside like a croissant and flaky and fluffy inside like a biscuit. j and i had the mac 'n' cheese as a starter and we were amazed by how delicious a bowl of mac n cheese could be. it was perfectly crisp on top and cheesy in the middle. the chives & breadcrumbs added the extra flavor that set them apart from other mac n cheese i've had and loved. a simple dish that would be difficult to replicate. for dinner i had the grilled santa maria tri -tip with slow roasted heirloom onion, truffle butter, and Kennebec potatoes. i ordered the meat well done and it was cooked to perfection. very little red but still as juicy as possible. the onion, potatoes and truffle butter all mixed together with the meat on my plate for one of the best meals i've had. ever.

the restaurant is all about wine. with a long list of wines available the menu separates the wines and makes suggestions for the kind of thing you might want for your meal. the cocktail menu has several different artisan choices with fresh and exotic ingredients.

the wait staff at wayfare tavern are there to serve you. like it's homey atmosphere the waiter almost made me feel as if he was our butler. he was happy to answer questions about the menu, the food, cocktails and the restaurant itself.

if you're planning a dinner at wayfare tavern make a reservation and be prepared to open your wallet. we each had only one cocktail with our meal and it was still over $100.

recommendation: have the mac 'n' cheese, no matter what else you do.

tastiness: yay!

food/drink vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

Gialina Pizzeria

location: 2842 diamond street (between bosworth & chenery), glen park

gialina pizzeria is located in the cute business area of glen park, a neighborhood i have ventured to only two times. it has been on my list for quite some time so i had to take full advantage of my dinner there, ordering several things on the menu. L took me to dinner for my birthday and we were greeted by a warm, friendly wait staff who sat us at an adorable corner window. even on a wednesday night gialina was crowded but they allowed us to take our time and didn't make us feel rushed. it was a particularly warm october night so we had a bottle of crisp, white italian wine and started dinner.

we started with the farro salad with heirloom tomatoes, basil & burrata which was wonderful. the two pizzas were had were the atomica which had mushrooms, mozzerella, chilies and red onions and the black mission figs with fontina, caramelized onions and speck. both pizzas were fresh and flavorful. we ordered two thinking we would carry something home but finished both. the pizza are traditional neapolitan-style thin crust. we finished the meal with a slice of ricotta cheesecake with figs and pistachios which was, to my surprise, one of the best pieces of cake i've ever had.

gialina is a hidden gem. i'm sure many people are aware of it's amazing food but it wouldn't be the same in another location. it's definitely worth the travel from the other side of the city for a great pizza dinner.

recommendation: make the trek.

tastiness: yay!

food/drink vs. price: yay! (although i didn't pay the menu is moderately priced)

service: yay!

Woodhouse Fish Co.

location: 1914 fillmore street (between pine & bush), lower pac heights

i've been wanting to try this place for a while now and thought it would be fun to invite l to the city to enjoy some lunch with me. her treat of course! we went to woodhouse for a saturday afternoon lunch and it was very delightful. it wasn't too loud or too crowded and there was no rush for us to finish our meal, so we took our time. both of us decided trying everything on the menu was out of the question although i think we would have accepted the challenge. we opted to share the items we were most interested in so that we could sample the most of the menu.

the fried calamari is accompanied by a fantastic chipotle aioli. it was a delicious starter although l felt it was pretty similar to all of the other fried calamari she's had. we shared a cup of the clam chowder which was nearly perfect. it was thick but still creamy and didn't have an overwhelming amount of potatoes. i was glad we opted for the cup because i don't think we had any idea what was next.

we ordered two different sandwiches because the entrées all seemed like too much for lunch. i had the toasted-buttered dungeness roll while l opted for the bay shrimp & avocado roll. and we ordered a side of onion rings to share, although we never really got to them as we were so full. the crab sandwich was a more than generous portion of fresh crab in a delicious hot, toasted & buttered roll. it required nothing else because the crab alone was amazing. the bay shrimp & avo sandwich was great as well. l couldn't figure out how to eat it because it was such a heaping sandwich. it was covered in a sweet & tangy sauce that accompanied the shrimp and avo wonderfully.

the menu is very reasonably priced ($11-20 for sandos, $14+ for entrées) considering the portions and everything is fresh and delicious. the lunch was paired with a great glass of oyster bay sauvignon blanc.

the view out the window onto fillmore street makes for a lively dining experience and the interior decor brings you right to the ocean. they even have a tv (with a gorgeous frame) showing fisherman out on their boats or docked at land. the wait staff was extremely friendly and they offered suggestions for next time!

this was one of the best lunches i've had in a long time. i'm looking forward to going back for a dinner date.

recommendation: perfect for a date with your mate or your best friend.

tastiness: yay!

food/drink vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Sushi San

location: 1434 lombard (at van ness), the marina

j and i wandered into sushi san when it was too hot to be in our apartment and we wanted to eat something cold (aside from miso soup, which i can never turn down). it was an unexpected surprise. i'm always looking for cheap, quality, fresh tasting sushi and this place really hit the spot. they had a lot of vegetarian roll options which is always something i'm mindful of since i'm often eating with a veggiesaurus. the roll selections they had were classic, nothing too over the top or zany but also not boring. and they don't cover their rolls in fish eggs which is huge plus in my book. i really hate that.

i had the meal that included soup, salad, and a couple of different rolls. the salad was a little heavy on the dressing so i didn't love it or even finish it. the soup was great. and had those cute, long japanese mushrooms floating around the top, which i had never seen before. my rolls were perfect portion, tasted very fresh and left me full and satisfied. the prices were really decent and the restaurant serves beer & wine.

the wait staff was super friendly and attentive, even letting me take a picture of the roll preparation. they also deliver!

recommendation: don't wait until it's too hot to check this place out.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

Unwind

location: 1875 union (at octavia), the marina

unwind is a new restaurant on union that is really good but seems like it has a lot of room for improvement. it's trying hard to be a certain kind of spot but i don't think it really knows what it wants to be. the inside feels really warm. big window looking out on union, wood paneled walls, bar eating right where the food is being prepared and a lot of tables. the back patio area is very open, with a glass cover so you can sit outside but not be outside. there's an outside bar and a lot of table seating and about 5 too many televisions (i think there were 7). it doesn't scream "place i want to get rowdy and watch sports" so it seems like a waste to have so many tv's up, especially in one medium sized spaced.

the menu is inventive with different categories for selecting food. the cuisine is mostly traditional american dishes, some with a new spin, but ultimately pretty classic. you can taste from the "mingle" portion of the menu where everything is served a la carte and you can select just one or many, great for sharing. the "relax" section offers salads and sandwiches and the "unwind" section is the bigger portioned entrées. it all seems a little cheesy, like they're onto something and they haven't quite figured it out.

i had the mac 'n' cheese which was absolutely wonderful. 4 kinds of cheese with bacon bits and breadcrumbs. you can't go wrong. the classic steak and caesar roll surprised me. i thought it would come on bread, like a roll, but it was literally meat wrapped around a piece of lettuce. it was ok but i don't see what is so classic about it. i've never really seen anything like it before. i had the chicken capellini pasta which was really good but a little bland. all of the flavors of the pasta worked well together (olives, tomatoes, garlic, & capers with a little olive oil) but the chicken was boring. it was just grilled and didn't have much flavor.

the bar makes signature drinks that are classic with a twist. i had the original creamsicle which was probably the best i've had when trying that drink and a new american classic cherry coke which made me wish i had ordered another original creamsicle. the prices for all of these treats were decent. i thought some things were priced better than others. the mac 'n' cheese was shared by three people and was cheap but the entrée i had seemed a little overpriced.

the wait staff is friendly but i think still they're all still trying to figure out their shtick. it just opened so i'd like to give it a little time and see what changes they make in the next few months.

recommendation: give it some time before you unwind.

tastiness: okay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

Dosa

location: 1700 fillmore (at post), lower pac heights

everything smells good at dosa. from the second you walk in until the moment you leave, your sense of smell is overwhelmed. the drinks at the bar are garnished with pieces of trees and fruits that are flavorful and smell amazing. and the dishes are filled with some many different flavors and scents and they all come together in amazing dishes that look like art and taste like heaven. maybe that's a little overboard but i haven't tried anything i haven't like at dosa. i don't eat a lot of indian food and dosa makes it easy to decide because everything is good.

the dosa, which is a thin, bubbly crepe like bread, filled with various ingredients like potatoes and/or onion, is the main staple of the menu. you can order from a variety of different dosas and each comes with a bowl of lentil dipping soup and two different different sides, one is red and tomato-y and i'm not sure what the other is, something similar to hummus. i don't know what it is but i'll still eat it, it's that good.

dosa also serves various entrees and starters, two of which we tried on this visit. the vada pav, a vegetarian slider, was a a real hot potato. patty that is, mixed with onion, chili powder and other hot flavors. and the dahi papadi chaat which was a cool, creamy blend of yogurt and mint-cilantro chutneys mixed with potato on a hard crispy flaky bread. we were full from the appetizers before our food showed up.

dosa is a great food sharing experience. the restaurant is set up with many communal dining tables and food is intended for sharing. the dishes come in huge portions and everything is worth trying. the lighting is dark, almost too dark in some parts of the restaurant. the wait staff is attentive and very helpful in selecting and explaining dishes (and helping with pronunciation). the wait here can be long but it's worth it. the bar is pretty big and they serve exotic drinks with combinations you wouldn't see in most bars.

the prices at dosa are high. but in my opinion you really get what you pay for. a satisfying and fun meal that's more of an experience than most places. plus left overs that are almost as good the next day. tip: reheat your dosa in the oven.

recommendation: make a reservation and save your pennies.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Soluna Cafe

location: 272 mcallister (at larkin), civic center

soluna cafe is right next door to hastings so it makes it pretty convenient to pop in here for lunch, even on a busy day there's enough time for a sit down meal. the menu has a variety of gourmet bar eats and is fresh and mostly local ingredients. they serve a variety of salads, sanwiches and hot entrees like mac 'n' cheese (which is fantastic). i've had the same sandwich both times i've been for lunch because i loved it so much the first time. it's a crispy chicken caeser sandwich served on a ciabatta roll. the chicken has been perfectly crispy yet moist both times i've had it and the lemon slices and caeser dressing help it maintain it's juiciness. accompanied by the truffle fries and a glass of homemade limeade and this is one of my favorite lunches. it's a little bit more expensive than what i would typically expect to spend on lunch in civic center but it's very good. they have some really great options on the dinner menu that i would like to check out. there's a full bar and a happy hour that goes until 7.

recommendation: if you're looking for somewhere to eat in civic center, look no further.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

Pier Market

location: pier 39 (fisherman's wharf)

i recently marked pier market off of my list in my ongoing search for the best clam chowder in san francisco. if you can handle pier 39 on a freezing day in the summer at the height of tourist season, i suggest checking it out now. for those of you less interested in the spectacle that is pier 39, wait. i went with l on a thursday night trip to the wharf so it was pretty crowded but the restaurant was able to accommodate us with a really nice window seat inside, instead of under a worthless heat lamp. i already knew what i wanted when i got there so i didn't really peruse the menu, particularly because based on the prices listed i had no interest in over paying for something i guessed would be mediocre. the clam chowder & salad combo is probably the best deal they offer. at $10.95 it's the same price as some bowls of chowder down in that area and it comes with a nice side salad. it did not top my list, but i wasn't expecting it to. the chowder had a low potato ratio which is important to me, it tasted fresh and the sourdough bread bowl was the perfect size.

recommendation: if you're already at pier 39 i recommend. may not be worth travelling a far distance for.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

Citrus Club

location: 1790 haight street (at shrader), the haight

c has been raving about citrus club for a while and i finally had a chance to check it out for dinner with her. from the outside it looks like it could be a run down little hole-in-the-wall but once you're inside it's spacious with low lights and wooden decor.
the food is mostly thai noodle and soup dishes. i had the shanghai noodles which came on a plate bigger than my head. the portions, most likely meant to be served family style, are large and inexpensive. the shanghai noodle dish included both beef and tofu with a mixture of veggies and a delicious sauce. i like any place where i can spend less than $10 and have enough food for two meals, in this case it was dinner and lunch the next day. i would like to go back with a bigger group and sample more from the menu. my experience this time was great. the wait staff was friendly and quick, the food was delicious and the company was great.

recommendation: take the family!

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe

location: 566 columbus avenue (at union), north beach

mario's is not a cigar store. it may have been at one point. it's kinda boho but it's mostly just amazing. this cafe on the corner of columbus and union has a spectacular view of washington square park and st. peter & paul church (my fave in sf). it's small, the people that work there are nice and they serve delicious hot foccacia sandwiches made with bread from liguria bakery, which is just around the corner.

i've been here a few times and i'm always waiting for my next trip back. i went with l & j and we split red & white house carafes and ordered sandwiches. i had the hot foccacia with turkey and melted pepper jack cheese. it also has onions and dijon mustard. just 4 simple ingredients that make up one of the best sandwiches i've ever had. and it's cheap.

the menu is mostly sandwiches, a few dinner entree options, and some salads. the service is quick and it's a great atmosphere while you're waiting. usually feels like it's mostly regulars sitting at the bar, most likely talking about yesteryear.

there is limited seating outside, which makes it perfect for a sunny north beach day. they serve food until about 9 or 10 and beer and wine even later.

recommendation: if you haven't been, go. now. bring me.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!