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the decor is old and outdated with salamis and sausages hanging from the wall and old SF memorabilia on the walls.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!