The Brixton

location: 2140 union street (between webster and fillmore), the marina

with a restaurant almost every other door on union street in the marina it can be hard to stand apart from all of the others but the vibe of the the brixton is very unique. it's dark bar, low lit chandeliers and big booths give it a style all it's own in a pretty cookie cutter neighborhood. the bright neon sign outside is inviting and the dark wood paneling inside is comfortable, makes you feel you want to stay a while.

i made a reservation to have dinner with j, as the website recommended, it seemed unnecessary when we sat down, but by 30 minutes later there wasn't an empty seat in the place. we started with the warm onion dip ($7), which was what drew me there to begin with, and it was delicious. exactly what i was expecting and when we ran out of chips, they gladly gave us more. they also offered bread as an additional side to our tasty dip treat. for my entrée i enjoyed the salmon cooked with brussel sprouts and fingerling potatoes ($20). i also stole a few fries ($5) from j, because everything was so good. by the time dessert rolled around, we couldn't stomach another bite.

from the bar i had the brixton manhattan ($10), an interesting take on an old favorite. they shake up bulleit bourbon with st. germain elderflower & fernet branca. although i was skeptical at first, i really liked it.

the friendly staff didn't rush us through our meal even though we took our time and the place was filling up. they were also accommodating of j's veggie diet and answered our questions about the menu.

recommendation: great first date spot.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

Giordano Bros.

location: 303 columbus (at broadway), north beach

giordano bros. in north beach is a home away from home for anyone from pittsburgh. i was introduced to this great sandwich place and bar by two friends from pittsburgh and i've been in love ever since. coming here on a steelers day is like stepping into another world. it's packed shoulder to shoulder with die hard fans, the beers are cheap and the food is cooked to order and to perfection.

the bar is known for their all inclusive sandwich. modeled after primanti bros. in pittsburgh, pa, they put everything on the sandwich itself. meat, fries, and cole slaw loaded between two pieces of fluffy white bread. they have sides you can order as well, but you quickly learn you didn't need a side of onion rings once you start attacking your sandwich. i feel full after one half but it's so good i end up completely full after the whole thing.

the bar tenders and cooks at giordano bros. are as friendly as can be, as long as you're not annoying them with questions like "what comes on ____ sandwich." there is one answer: meat, fries and cole slaw.

they offer beer & wine only. if it's a game day, show up early. if it's nice you can sit on the patio and enjoy watching the tourists and passers by on columbus.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Foreign Cinema

location: 2154 mission street (between 21st & 22nd), the mission

i was treated to dinner at foreign cinema by my amazing roommate d and joined by our friend m. the three of us started our night next door at laszlo while we waited for our table at foreign cinema. we made a reservation weeks in advance which i think is pretty necessary at this restaurant. even on a rainy night the restaurant was packed.

at laslzo we were able to order appetizers from foreign cinema, as the restaurants are conjoined. we started with cocktails and louisiana jumbo prawns ($15 for 6). they were jumbo and they were amazing. they came with a really great aioli sauce that i liked so much i dipped my bread in it as well.

once we moved over to foreign cinema we were seated outside, although it was raining, it was covered and the heat lamps were on. we had really great seats to see the film playing that night. it was hard to pay attention with all of the commotion and they fact that it was a foreign anime film, nevertheless, i love the idea of having films playing on the back wall. the outside is decorated with old movie theater speaker boxes which add the perfect touch.

we shared the sauteed calamari which was a little too chewy for my liking, i didn't each much of it, but i did like it. for my entrée i had the blackened chicken with couscous and veggies ($26), it was absolutely delicious. almost a half chicken, blackened to perfection. for dessert, which i rarely order, i had the affogato ($6). it was the perfect ending to a great meal.

the menu at foreign cinema changes daily and you can check the movie that is currently playing on their website.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Da Flora

location: 701 columbus ave. (at filbert), north beach

da flora is an authentic venetian restaurant in north beach. owned & run by flora, she hand writes the italian menu daily and has an extensive list of italian wines available. having never been to venice, or italy for that matter, this is what i would expect it to be like. low lighting, nice ambiance, and a long meal with limited interruptions by the wait staff. i went with L & j for dinner so we opted to share a bottle of wine with our meal. the waitress was helpful in selecting a nice red and also in giving us recommendations and information about the food on our menu.

everything that i ate at da flora was amazing. i can still remember the tastes and smells of my dinner there. even the focaccia bread starter was memorable. i started with the crab, grapefruit & arugula salad ($12.50) that was covered in a delicious champagne vinaigrette. i could eat that salad every day and never get bored. for my main entrée i had the penne pasta ($20), covered in a spicy marinara sauce with guanciala. i had never even heard of this italian meat before my meal at da flora and i absolutely loved it.

i've read a lot of complaints about the service at da flora on the internet but i disagree that the wait staff is rude. they're attentive, they'll answer your questions and they expect you to be polite and have manners when dining in their restaurant. otherwise, they pretty much leave you alone. i don't like it when a server comes by my table a lot during the meal or makes me feel rushed, so i really enjoyed the atmosphere at da flora.

recommendation: perfect first date spot.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Chestnut Street Diner

location: 1312 chestnut street (between van ness & franklin), the marina

chestnut street diner is around the corner from my apartment so i checked it out for breakfast on a lazy sunday with d. we recently learned that the same family of sisters owns the diner, the market on the corner of chestnut & van ness and the small cafe across the street. they're all very nice but i wouldn't recommend paying for breakfast at this diner that you could make better and faster at home.

the service at chestnut street diner was extremely slow although it wasn't packed and our waitress seemed annoyed when we asked for things like water and more coffee. it took her about 15 minutes from the time we sat down until she took our order. i wasn't expecting much out of my two eggs, sausage, hash browns and toast ($8) and i ate most of it. i think next time i'll save my time and make breakfast for the roomies at home.

tastiness: okay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: nay!

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!

Garibaldi's

location: 347 presidio (between sacramento & clay), laurel heights

my dad works a couple blocks away from garibaldi's and treated me to lunch on a day off. i was hoping to see some elite san franciscan's as their website claims it's a "second home" to sf celebs but i didn't. i did see a lot of ladies who lunch and a couple of other father's taking their daughters (or mistresses) to lunch. it was a nice day in laurel heights and the big window at garibaldi's allows for a nice, sunny lunch atmosphere.

we both had the same thing, a chicken blt with salad. i had an anchor steam, d had a stella. it was a really great sandwich, but i can't really speak to the rest of the menu or what it might be like for a night out to dinner. i thought it was pretty expensive, i think the tab was about $40 for two beers and two sandwiches, and it seemed like we were paying more to be eating at garibaldi's than anything else.

our waitress was very friendly and the service was quick. i'd definitely have another lunch date with my dad at this restaurant. i don't know that i'd end up there for any other reason.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!