Fog City Diner

location: 1300 battery, embarcadero

time of day: weekday night

i ate: cheddar biscuits ($5), mac n cheese ($13), chicken satay ($11), chicken & chorizo tacos ($10)

this iconic embarcadero restaurant is serving up modern versions of great classic comfort foods. i like the small plates that they offer but nothing really pairs well together. i definitely recommend checking out this spot at some point, it's not just for the tourists (or fans of so i married an axe murderer). there is a lot of history and humor. our waitress looked just like michael cera the night i was there. it was eerie.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: okay!

Hillstone

location: 1800 montgomery street (at embarcadero)

time of day: weeknight dinner

i ate: spinach and artichoke dip ($12), thai steak and noodle salad ($19)

hillstone has the best spinach dip i've ever had. fyi: it is not vegetarian (i asked). they make it fresh when you order it and it's warm and mixes perfectly with the salsa and sour cream on the side.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

Pier 23

location: pier 23, embarcadero

pier 23 is a fun, random, music infused bar & restaurant overlooking the bay on the embarcadero. there is a live band playing almost every day of the week and a great canopied patio in the back of the restaurant for bay view dining. i went with L on a winter night so it was dark and cold but the patio was lit up with string lights and we could catch a glimpse of light reflecting on the water. i imagine this place is best when visited on a sunny summer day.

we started with the clam chowder ($4) which was served a little too cold. i don't expect my soup to be piping hot, but this was a little too cold for my liking. we shared the grilled fish tacos ($13.50) and the seared tuna sandwich ($15). both came in big portions and it was more than enough food for the two of us. the fish taco has been featured on tv as one of the best in sf and i thought it was pretty tasty. the seared tuna sandwich was a little heavy. the sauce was overwhelming and the rest of the sandwich was underwhelming. it was just a little boring.

the service was quick and helpful. they gave us their suggestions when asked. everything seemed a little chaotic due to a big business group that ordered a lot of food and was obnoxiously loud. pier 23 is a big tourist destination being on the waterfront and having been featured on tv and their prices reflect that. i think it's a little overpriced for the quality that you end up getting. it would definitely be a fun place to drink on a sunny afternoon but i don't know that i'll end up back there for dinner.

tastiness: okay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!