Pacific Catch

location: 2027 chestnut street (at fillmore), the marina

there are two pacific catch locations in san francisco. the one is in my neighborhood and the original is on 9th & lincoln. the marina location is tiny. as you can maybe tell in the picture i posted it probably holds about 15 people inside and 8 outside (weather permitting). when you dine at this location you're pretty much dining with the parties on either side of you, so it's not very romantic, if that's what you're looking for. it is however, really great. the menu is asian/island influenced seafood. the options are sandwiches, salads, various types of fish & chips, and various rice bowls.

i went for a dinner with d and we started with the shrimp ceviche, the portion was smaller than i expected, admittedly, but it was full of shrimp and and avocado. for dinner i had the california salmon sandwich. the salmon was served with avocado, tomato and a really fresh tasting citrus aioli that really brought the sandwich together, the fresh baked bread is great too. it was complimented by a light coleslaw and fries.

the have a decent wine list and a small bottled beer selection. i had a couple glasses of white to compliment the fish, a glass was $8, pretty typical in the marina.

the service here is fast and friendly, everyone seems to be happy even though they're working in such close quarters. the waiter gave us really nice pours on our wine and some recommendations for ordering from the menu. i ran into someone i knew on the way in and ended up at the table next to his party. we weren't there together but it really felt like it. it's definitely not the kind of restaurant you walk into to have any kind of private conversation.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

Parilla

location: 1760 polk street (at washington), nob hill

parilla is a really standard mexican food restaurant. when i say there's nothing particularly special about it, that's not a bad thing, but it's true. the food and service are good and the atmosphere is fun. i used to live around the corner so i've been for dinner a few times, it's definitely a place i go back to even though i no longer live in the 'hood. they have really great margaritas and really great queso. the menu is pretty much what you'd find at other semi traditional mexican restaurants in the city. burritos the size of your head, cheap tacos and entrées that come with too much food. i love their tortilla soup and on this outing i had the chicken quesadilla, which is impossible to screw up.

the last time i went we ended up being there on a trivia night (wednesdays, apparently) so we formed a team. m, d and i were the bay street gang, of course. and we actually ended up winning a round! the prize? a pitcher of our choice. that's a pretty good deal.

the service can really vary, as can the drinks. i guess it just depends on how many bodies are in the restaurant and who's behind the bar.

recommendation: go for the happy hour, stay for the trivia.

tastiness: okay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: okay/yay!

Bistro10 UN

location: the art institute, 1130 market street ( at 7th, un plaza), civic center

bistro10 un is the student run restaurant in the culinary program at the art institute in un plaza. the restaurant is open thursdays and fridays during lunch time, which is actually the class session time for the students in the program. the students seat you, take your orders, and make the food.

the menu changes every 6 weeks and is offered at either two items for $12 or three for $15. it's a really great deal, as their are a lot options and everything is seasonal and fresh. i opted for three courses because i thought it was such a great deal. i started with a chicken tortilla soup that was

really delicious. it was spicy but not overwhelming and was generous with the cilantro which i really like. for the main course i had the burger with caramelized onions on a brioche bun. the meat was cooked well done, per my request and to perfection. the wine soaked onions were great on the burger and the lettuce and tomato were kept to the side, which was nice presentation and always my preference. i shared the pear tart for my dessert because i was very full and satisfied by the end of the meal.

the students that run the program talked to us about their experience and answered our questions about the program and restaurants and even let me take a little tour of the kitchen. i was pretty much sold on culinary school after this meal.

the staff was friendly and accommodating. i went with a large party during a work lunch so it was slow meal. it took almost two hours from start to finish, not something i would normally expect from a lunch outing. but the students are learning so i was ok with the slow service.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: okay!

Coming Soon!

As you can see I took a break from posting about restaurants but I have not stopped going out. I've been distracted by other things happening in my life and I haven't found the time or motivation to sit down and write about all of the wonderful and not so wonderful meals I've had lately. My goal over the next few weeks is to finally review all of them. Be sure to check back for my thoughts on the following places:

Bistro10 UN

La Parilla

Pacific Catch

Garibaldi's

Pier 23

Chestnut Street Diner

Da Flora

Foreign Cinema

Giordano Bros.

La Fitte

The Brixton

Cha Cha Cha

Tacolicious

The Grove

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!