Tag: Salmon | Winston Wanders

An Extraordinary, Ultra-seasonal, Japanese-inspired Tasting Menu in Wine Country

Post author:Winston
Post published:06.01.2017
Post category:Reviews
Post comments:0 Comments

What:

Single Thread
@ST_Farms
Newly opened and it’s already been awarded the San Francisco Chronicle’s highest honor — four out of four stars by critic Michael Bauer. I don’t always share my food opinions with Bauer, but when it comes to the level of brilliance and care coming out of Single Thread, it’s hard to disagree.

Where:

Downtown Healdsburg
131 North Street Healdsburg, CA 95448
[wpgmza id=”302″]

When:

Despite its high-end concept and rather expensive price point, they do manage to keep the entire experience quite approachable and not stuffy, unlike many other tasting menus at this price point. Still, you’ll definitely want to save this one for a VERY special occasion based on cost alone. A 10-course tasting menus costs $255 per person (which comes to around $295 with tip included) and the wine pairing add-on costs $155. We visited Single Thread to celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary with a bang. (more…)

Pristine, but Pricey Sushi Tasting Menu on Divisadero

Post author:Winston
Post published:10.27.2016
Post category:Reviews
Post comments:0 Comments

What:

Ijji
@IjjiSF
A microscopic, unmarked, serene sushi den specializing in high-quality nigiri most of which is imported from Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji market

Where:

Lower Haight / Divisadero Corridor
252 Divisadero St. San Francisco, CA 94117
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When:

Definitely splurgy in terms of pricing, so save this one for a special, intimate date night. (more…)

Lord Stanley Brings Super-Restrained Scandinavian Style to Russian Hill

Post author:Winston
Post published:04.29.2016
Post category:Reviews
Post comments:0 Comments

What:

Lord Stanley
@Lordstanley_SF
You can file this one under ‘I just don’t get it.’ Despite the fact that Bauer and most SF reviewers absolutely adore this trendy Nordic date spot, I just can’t seem to understand the effusive outpouring of positivity.

Where:

Russian Hill / Polk Gulch
2065 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
[wpgmza id=”269″]

When:

It’s definitely suited for an elegant date night, but don’t expect extraordinarily exciting flavors. (more…)

A Grand, New, Cal Mexican Hot Spot in Downtown Paso Robles

Post author:Winston
Post published:08.11.2015
Post category:Reviews
Post comments:1 Comment

In general, Paso Robles is a pretty quiet, sleepy, little wine town. Whether you’re looking for a nice place to drink or eat dinner downtown, people tend to recommend the same handful of places. That’s probably because new bars and restaurants don’t open very often, and the options always are what they are. But, when new bars and restaurants do open, they tend to cause a big stir. Recently, a massive new bar and restaurant popped onto the downtown scene – a trendy, upscale, Baja-style Cal Mexican joint called Fish Gaucho and I knew on my most recent trip that I had to see for myself what all of the hype was about.

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A Hawaiian Oasis Hidden Away From The Santa Cruz Tourists

Post author:Winston
Post published:07.16.2015
Post category:Reviews
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When people hear “California”, visions of sun-soaked, brah-filled, coastal, Southern California beach towns usually fill their minds. Imagine the level of surprise and disappointment we’ve seen on our unknowing out-of-towner guests’ faces when they come to visit us in San Francisco and are faced with our unusual patchwork of foggy and rather chilly micro-climates instead of a permanent summer. It always throws them for a (disappointed) loop. Really, Nor-Cal and So-Cal are so extremely different that it would probably make sense to consider them two separate states, but that’s a whole ‘nother conversation.

But, there is a place like this dreamlike version of California that does exist in Nor-Cal and it’s actually not that far from San Francisco. This place actually has that stereotypical beach bum vibe where surfers and skaters live their carefree suntanned lifestyles and tourists flock to catch rays of sunshine. This place is Santa Cruz.

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Where to Go For Boatloads of Fresh Sushi That Paddle Right Up to You

Post author:Winston
Post published:06.22.2015
Post category:Reviews
Post comments:1 Comment

The Japan Center Mall is a mysterious maze-like shopping center full of stalls selling Asian miscellany and a wide variety of authentic Asian eats. There are many places you could choose to eat at – with specialists for just about every Japanese food type you could think of. There are in fact a number of sushi options, but there is only one sushi purveyor inside of this massive mall that I find myself consistently returning to. It’s called Isobune and its a truly special place.

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Where to go for Innovative Twists on Japanese Traditions in Austin

Post author:Winston
Post published:05.27.2015
Post category:Reviews
Post comments:0 Comments

Everyone that’s even partially aware of the Austin dining scene has heard of Uchiko. It’s generally regarded as one of the top dining destinations in the city and I’ve known for many years that I needed to see what all of the excitement was about for myself. I think the restaurant may have actually first come to attention when the now-famed chef Paul Qui tore his way through Top Chef Season 9. He basically wiped the floor with his competition utilizing his signature Asian fusion style and I took notice. Paul has since moved on from Uchiko to work on other Austin ventures such as his food truck East Side King and namesake restaurant Qui. But, Uchiko remains as exciting and buzz-worthy as ever.

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Bold, Playful Flavors Found at Montrio Bistro in Monterey

Post author:Winston
Post published:04.09.2015
Post category:Reviews
Post comments:1 Comment

Every month or so, we like to head south of San Francisco down to Monterey. For us, it’s a nice way to take a mini-vacation and because it’s a beautiful place within driving distance and we have family there to crash with. We’ve done a variety of food exploration in the area on our own, but as is usually the case, a recommendation by a local resident usually holds more weight than what I can uncover. In our hosts’ opinion, Montrio Bistro is one of the best restaurants in all of Monterey and it happened to only be a five minute walk from their downtown home.

The restaurant is located right on the main drag of town and even though we had headed over quite late on a late Sunday night, it still wasn’t easy to grab a table for four. Quick on my feet, I pulled up OpenTable at exactly 8:48 PM and successfully nabbed a table for us all at 9:00 PM. Bam, that did the trick. Only a few minutes later, my name was called and we were seated in the surprisingly bustling restaurant.

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Quenching Late Night Sushi Cravings at Ryoko’s in Union Sq.

Post author:Winston
Post published:04.06.2015
Post category:Reviews
Post comments:0 Comments

Back when I was living in New York, I think I took for granted the fact that it really was “the city that never sleeps”. Literally any hour of the day, I could get my hands on anything I craved. Bars stayed open to 4, delivery services ran around the clock and worked lightening fast, and there was always a restaurant open serving exactly what I was in the mood for, no matter what crazy hour it was that I wanted it.

Now, let’s compare that to San Francisco, where bars start winding down at 1 AM and close at 2. It’s a place where most restaurant and bar kitchens close around 10 PM and food delivery is an utter joke. If it’s past 10 PM and you feel like having a great late night meal, you’ve got to approach the situation with a little more care and a lot more knowledge.

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O-Toro: Another Solid Spot for Fresh Sushi in Hayes Valley

Post author:Winston
Post published:03.27.2015
Post category:Reviews
Post comments:0 Comments

*Editor’s Note 4/17/15: O-Toro has since relocated to a larger space only a block away at 298 Gough St.

I’m constantly looking for sushi joints in the Bay Area serving really high quality fish at very reasonable prices. I’ve got spots all over the region (see: Wayo, Tataki, Sushi Tomi, Live Sushi Bar, and Geta) and I’ve even already got a place I love in Hayes Valley, but Domo is quite small and doesn’t take reservations so it’s not super easy to rely on it as a go-to spot in that neighborhood. Only a few blocks away is another well-reputed sushi den called O-Toro that actually does take OpenTable reservations and also sounded like it had a lot of potential to become my new go-to sushi bar in that neighborhood.

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