Embarcadero St. at Broadway
Pier 7
San Francisco
415-391-2696
Karen and I now have a new favorite restaurant.
In every aspect that makes a restaurant great, this place made top scores.
Excellent food, excellent service, excellent ambiance.
Karen and I went to the Waterfront after our matinee of Sleeping
Beauty at the Ballet. The Waterfront has complimentary valet
parking, which is nice given the state of parking in the city.
We started with cocktails. I had an Old Fashioned, while Karen had a
Cosmopolitan. After our waiter served us, he asked if we wanted to wait
and enjoy the view and our drinks a bit before ordering. So we did.
We then ordered the Duck Fois Gras as an appetizer, which we shared.
It was incredible. Smoky, rich, and flavorful. While we were eating, our
waiter came over and pointed out a very interesting ship (small European
clipper body, Chinese square sail) because he didn't want us to miss it.
Very nice.
We then had our main course. I had the Veal chops with seared spinach
and a potato cake. While Karen had Lobster with green beans and potatoes.
The Veal was tender and had a rich smoky flavor. It is a wonderful state
of affairs when you are at a fancy restaurant and you want to pick up your
dinner with your bare hands and gnaw on the bone because it is so tasty.
The spinach was equally excellent. It actually tasted smoked. Everything
on the plate complimented each other. The Trellis Cabernet Sauvignon also
worked well with my meal and my pocketbook.
Karen's Lobster was equally divine and I'm not just saying that. Even
the ornamental lettuce (which in most places doesn't taste very good) was
tangy and tasted of oranges and light spices. They had perfectly removed
the claws from the shell and the lobster tail was split for a minimum of
eating effort. The lobster was cooked in butter and a light basil and cream
sauce and there was a center piece of whipped potatoes.
We finished by sharing a Creme Brulee. We hadn't planned on desert,
but the meal was so incredible that it seemed a profanation not to finish
it with a sweet.
And so we did, and so we reveled in the pleasure of it. And in the sight
of the sunset and then the darkness as the lights of the Bay Bridge and
the little pier next to the restaurant came on and glistened in the night.
And we were very, very happy.
Now I won't say that we can afford to eat there every week. But really,
this is my new favorite restaurant.
Santa Cruz
Front Street
This is an excellent deli in downtown Santa Cruz.
There is always a big crowd, but its worth it.
They have a great eclectic selection. This last time I had a Castroville
Italian. Artichoke hearts, sweet peppers, salami, and provolone cheese
on a sourdough roll. Had myself a Sarsaparilla to drink, some sourdough
bread chips to eat and coming in at around $6, I was a happy camper.
