Perry's

location: 155 steuart street (on the embarcadero), fidi/soma

time of day: saturday brunch

i ate: zoe's bacon & tillamook cheddar omelette (11.75), bloody mary (7.5)

visit perry's on the embarcadero, union street, or at sfo.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

delfina pizzeria

location: 2406 california street (at fillmore), pacific heights

delfina pizzeria has two locations in san francisco. on this trip i had dinner with l at the location on california street. the other location, on 18th in the mission offers the same menu and a longer wait.

delfina offers traditional italian fare and neapolitan style pizzas. the atmosphere is warm, friendly and loud. all of the food tastes extremely fresh and is cooked to order. the kitchen area is open so you can watch the food preparation from the bar area or from your table. the california street location is really open but can feel like a tight fit because the tables are pretty close together. the line here can be very long with waits up to an hour, but i definitely think it's worth it.

we started with the stretched mozzarella/belfiore burrata ($10.25) which is a very generous portion of warm, creamy burrata served with toasted bread. it's enough to serve probably 3 or 4 but it's so good that l and i finished it with no problem. we shared the insalata tricolore ($8.50) which is a fresh bed of lettuce sprinkled with lemon and grana padano, a delicious semi-hard italian cheese. for pizza we went with the traditional margherita ($12.50) with tomato, mozzarella and basil. each pizza is about 6 slices and the margherita at delfina is pretty fantastic, it's one of my favorites in sf.

the staff at delfina is friendly, attentive and they're happy to explain the very italian menu without being condescending. the food is well priced and great for sharing.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

pizzetta 211

location: 211 23rd avenue (at california), richmond

pizzetta 211 is a a teeny tiny neapolital style pizza place with an every changing menu. the restaurant has 4 tables inside and room for 4 at the counter, making it a very cozy dining experience. i sat at the counter with L so we could watch the pizzas being made. it got a little too cozy at one point when the two people behind the counter got into an argument about the preparation of a pizza and we had to listen to and witness the entire thing. aside from the awkward argument the staff was really friendly and the service is very attentive and quick.

we started with the garlic soup ($6) and shared two pizzas. the pizza options the day we were there were all extremely creative, using fresh, seasonal, organic ingredients whenever possible. we had the housemade sausage pizza with broccoli raab and lemon zest ($14) and the butternut squash with fried sage and ricotta ($14). i loved both pizzas, the sausage was very flavorful and the butternut squash was very savory.

i loved my meal and definitely recommend going out of your way to check this place out. the restaurant is small and cash only, so plan accordingly.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

Tacolicious

location: 2031 chestnut street (at fillmore), the marina

the first time i had dinner at tacolicious was at dinner after the giants won the playoffs and i had sat across the street in the horseshoe for about 6 hours. i vaguely remember that meal. i recently went back with a & m and realized that this restaurant, under normal circumstances, is hard to forget. we went on a saturday night so we waited for a while and the restaurant is small and almost always crowded, however, it is worth the wait.

once we were seated we promptly ordered the chili con queso ($7.25), one of the best queso dips ever (and i can say that with certainty because i tried about all of the queso in austin and that city does it right). for dinner i had a lobster taco ($4) which was a special on the menu that week. i continually try lobster in different kinds of foods and i react to it in different ways. i didn't love the taco but i think it was less that it was delicious and more than i just didn't like the taste of the lobster. the tacos come with a few different sides of salsa, all fantastic on top of a tasty taco and after one i was pretty full.

tacolicious is a fresh and modern take on a taqueria. you can watch everything being prepared in the front kitchen but they use sustainable and organic meats and vegetables whenever possible. they also have a to-go location in the ferry building during the farmer's markets and according to their site, buy produce there when possible.

on a nice day in the marina you can sit outside in their small patio area. however, good luck to you on getting a table.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Cha Cha Cha

location: 2327 mission (at 19th), the mission

cha cha cha is a fun and tasty tapas restaurant with two locations in sf. i actually prefer the location at the top of haight street but i went to the mission location for this meal with r & k. the best way to eat cha cha cha is to order one of everything. it's all so good i find it hard to choose. but do choose wisely, especially with a smaller group, the portions are large and everything is pretty creamy and filling. you will be full. not mention, drunk, because you can't leave cha cha cha without a belly full of their delicious, fresh, home made sangria. the sangria is some of the best i've had.

at this dinner we had the bbq chicken quesadilla ($8.75), fried plantos maduros ($7.75), chicken paillard ($8.25), and fried new potatoes ($7.50. with big portions and cheap prices, your eyes can definitely become bigger than your stomach. my favorite dish at cha cha cha is the chicken paillard. the creamy sauce is amazing and perfect for bread dipping once you're done with the chicken. most of the dishes come with some kind of side or aioli which only adds to the richness of the food.

this restaurant is almost guaranteed to have a wait, especially on a weekend night, and they don't take reservations. the service is great and they are as accommodating as possibly.

recommendation: go early and wait for your table over a pitcher of sangria.

other location: 1801 haight at shrader

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

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!