Where-To-Wednesday Adventure #7: Cotogna

Welcome to May – where April showers brought May…showers. Blah, what’s a girl to do but EAT! And so, up and onward to our next Where-To-Wednesday adventure! Our 7th W2W on May 11th, was chosen by Melissa, and tried as she could, it took this patient lady a month’s call in advance to get us resos at this next destination: Cotogna. “Never heard of it” you scoff? Perhaps. But you will. And maybe not just here. Maybe you’ll read about it in US Weekly with pictures of Blake Lively herself who we were told dined there a few nights before us. Or Hugh Jackman who was scheduled to lunch there on Friday. (Sorry, you can take the girl out of Hollywood, but you can’t take Hollywood out of the girl. I love this stuff). But remember, you heard it here FIRST. And the bigger question is,  did WE eat dinner at the same restaurant as Ms. Blake Lively and Mr. Hugh Jackman? OR did they eat at the same restaurant as US? I suppose it's one in the same, but, for the record..it's the latter. And for good reason, Cotogna is, quite frankly, de-lic-ous. I’m still licking my fingers over here. With good food, good times and good friends celebrated by myself, Melissa, Elizabeth, Becky, Chelsea, Lindsey and Amanda…it just doesn’t get any better! As you can tell the night was a success, but check out the details below on our solid 0/10 scale to get the dirt!

Ambiance: 10 Can I live here? First of all, there is a wood-burning oven in the back, and that smoky, seductive smell is enough to make your mouth water if you weren’t already hungry walking in. The restaurant itself is on the smaller side, catering mainly to two-tops (which is why getting a table for anything more than 2 can take a little longer) and is comfortably quaint. As you know, we dined here for dinner, and they had candles set at each table that cast a warm, inviting glow across the restaurant. And as the sun sets, it gently lights the restaurant through the tall windows across two sides. Exposed brick on another side reminds you that you are indeed in San Francisco, but all in all, you may forget you’re out because you’ll feel so at home.

Wine: 8 We only ordered one bottle. We only ordered one bottle over and over again, which we obviously liked, but it’s difficult to judge the wine in general. The bottle we chose, was one recommended by our waiter as it was from a region where his relatives resided, and it paired very well with our food: the Soave “Vigne De Mezzane,” Corte Sant’ Alda 2009.  Whew, that’s a mouthful. And I wish I knew more of what it translated to other than “good.” Okay, moving on, here’s the cool part about their wine list – every bottle is $40. That’s right. I consider that pretty average for dining out, and now you don’t have to fret about spending less or more on bottles when you make your decision. The wine list is your oyster!

Food: 10 One word: Damn. And Good. Okay, make that two words. And what else could you expect from a restaurant whose chef, Michael Tusk, just won the coveted James Beard Award for Best Chef- Pacific. ‘Nuf said. Check out what we ate, which will also give you a pretty good feel for the entire menu because, well, we eat a LOT.

-          Warm Ricotta: Mixed with fava beans and red onions, this dish is warm, delicious with a little kick of salty goodness. It is served with a crostini that is buttered and toasted to perfection.

-          Zucchini Sformato with squash blossoms: I’ll admit it, this dish didn’t exactly turn me on when I read it on the menu. So when we ordered two dishes of it, I sighed in sadness. But alas, you got me Zucchini, you got me. It was blended to a rich, velvety creamy dish, adorned with a crispy zucchini on top – adding a new dimension to the dish. And a party to your mouth. That’s right people.

-          Eggplant “alla parmigiana”:  this one I thought was a little overpowered by the parmesan cheese. Very good, great consistency but a little too cheesy.

-          Pizza Bianca: topped with asparagus and spring onion this dish is very refreshing. It has a zing of lemon thrown in there, and with one bite you taste how crisp, warm and light this pizza is.

-          Chilled snap peas: The crisp slightly sugary snap pea paired with a tangy yogurt, was the perfect combination.

-          Yellowtail Crudo: The yellowtail is also a refreshing start to the night, with espelette pepper and lime.

-          Farm egg Raviolo: it’s true, I need to brush up on my Italian, but the name of this dish is teaching me slowly. Raviolo: one. Ravioli: more than one. I’m a big fan of the latter. Raviolo, on the other hand, you’re such a tease. And hardly a “dish” unless you’re an ant. But if you’re sharing plates like we were, it is one worth trying. It’s a bit heavier than most of the other dishes here (which I found to be on the lighter side yet filling), filled with parmesan and surrounding by warm, rich butter. It came with focaccia bread on the side, which was equally – maybe even moreso – amazing: salty, garlicky…focaccia: you could have been my whole meal and I’d have left a happy girl.

-          Tagliolini: topped with Dungeness crab and the compliment of lemon, this pasta dish is refreshing and yet it’s creamy, warm homemade taste give you the satisfying smile on your face.

-          Tagliatelle: mixed with suckling pig ragu and English peas, this dish is a little heartier than the rest but fixed similar to the Tagliolini.

-          Agnolotti “dal plin”: allow me to translate – pasta. Surprise! Because we haven’t eaten quite enough pasta at this point. This dish is light yet rich and satisfying – and I realize the contradiction there, but…you just have to taste to understand. They are delicious, warm purses of pasta cooked just right – not too al dente – filled with meat.

-          Wood Oven Roasted Sand Abs: We actually didn’t order these and they came as a mistake, but…come on…who are WE to turn food away. We’ve only eaten half the menu at this point. Step aside people, we’re moving in. The sand abs were light and delicate, with a hint of butter and the freshness of parsley – and were even adorned with edible flowers!

-          Tai Snapper: Paired with asparagus and lemon thyme, it presented a mix of a refreshingly light taste, mixed with the indulging luxury of butter. We liked this dish better than the sand abs.

-          Skirt steak: served with ramps and roasted fingerling potatoes, the steak was nestled nicely in a sea of garlic and deliciousness. It was perfectly prepared – we ordered it medium/rare – and was a nice cut of steak – much thicker than I would have imagined.

-          Dessert: Question of the night: if you’ve had 13 dishes, is your “dessert side” still hungry? The answer: YES!

-          Bomboloni:  These are little mini-donuts filled with rich ricotta cheese, to dip in a limoncello sauce and devour!

-          Milk Chocolate and almond milk Budino: this is a graham cracker-like dessert that you dip in a chocolate pudding type of consistency (which I’m guessing is the “budino”…who needs Italian classes? Not this girl!) served in a classic mini-pitcher.

-          Cherry and almond crostada: this crispy, flaky, decadent crostada mixed with warm sweet cherries is the perfect end to the night

Price: 9 I won’t lie – it was a little expensive when the bill came. Okay, we alone paid the mortgage on our waiter’s apartment, but it was worth it. And as I type out all that we ate, it’s all making sense now. Eat the whole menu, pay for it.

Noise Level: 9 We had the biggest table there, and me and my Grandma-type hearing could still the girls at the other end of our table just fine. It’s a smaller restaurant, but quaint enough that everyone respects the noise level and the space around them.

Service: 8.5 Our server wasn’t overly attentive to our table – we had to ask for a few things multiple times, but it wasn’t for lack of being busy. If our waiter wasn’t at our table, he was at the next – helping and serving away! They did a great job spacing out the food so there was constantly something new coming.

All About The Area: Cotogna is nestled in the heart of Jackson Square – an area I have to admit I don’t typically frequent. The area itself is where eager antiquers meets hungry dinner goers looking for that extra something. There are a few little restaurants on this street, that I’m sure I’ll be back to check out. Being off the beaten path, the restaurants on this street aren’t the same loud, boisterous, packed restaurants you’ll see a block away on Columbus – but rather the hidden secret a select group of people have stumbled upon to enjoy.  That’s right, I’m talking about you – go get ‘em tiger.

Overall Grade: 9



Our Wine: the Soave "Vigne De Mezzane," Corte Sant' Alda 2009 



Tagliolini with Dungeness Crab

Agnolotti "dal plin"

Tagliatelle with suckling pig ragu and English peas

Farm egg Raviolo

Wood Oven Roasted Sand Abs

Skirt Steak

Eggplant "alla parmigiana"



Milk Chocolate and almond milk Budino





Bomboloni

Where-To-Wednesday Adventure #6: Limon

Laura chose our 6^th Where-to-Wednesday adventure…a Peruvian adventure that is! That’s right, down to the Mission we went to explore Limon, the Peruvian restaurant that has everyone all abuzz. Now, to clarify right off the bat, this is the Limon on Valencia…not Van Ness. The “non-rotisserie”…shall we say? Or perhaps the “almost-like-Van-Ness-Limon-but-missing-my-favorite-whole-chicken-dish”? …oh details. As this particular Wednesday would have it, the working world was flourishing and not everyone was able to make it, so it was up to myself, Elizabeth, Ellie, Terra, Becky, Bree and Melissa to rock this joint...Check out our yays and nays below on the 0/10 scale. Bon appetite!

Ambiance: 6.5 Before I start this, I will caveat by mentioning that we were seated upstairs in this loft-like restaurant conveniently stationed 15 feet above the chefs cooking with open flame. Yay. It wasn’t long before the open flame which cascaded a light glow across the room..even upstairs…lost its enchantment. Maybe it was because we became accustomed to it…maybe it was because it was followed by it’s main sidekick: smoke. I’m going with the latter. If you enjoy sitting in a smoke filled room, where you can actually begin to feel your body and hair pick up the heavy scent of smoked food, this is your haven. I, for one, am not a fan of hot boxing my kitchen. To top it off, the lights above us were constantly flickering. Perhaps that was a tip they picked up from the local library to signal it was time to leave. Or, maybe it was just a coincidence…you decide.

Wine: 7.5 Limited options at best, although the Robledo Sauvignon Blanc from Lake County was a hit amongst our group..and thank God, because we were thirsty little fishes. The Sauv Blanc does tend to be our go-to each week, along with Chardonnay. Why, do you wonder, did we not order the Calera Chardonnay from the menu? We would have, you see, but they were out of it. How, oh how, can one be out of one of the most popular white wines on a Wednesday? This keep happening to us (yes, I’m looking at you Farmer Brown), so I’m going to say it: people, if it’s Wednesday, keep your wine stocked full…we’re a’comin!

Food: 7 Have you ever seen someone across the room and you’re sure you know them somehow, but you can’t remember how or who they are? This is how I feel we’ll remember Limon – this place…we went to one time, and the food was…there was food, we think, at least we’re pretty sure we ate there, but we can’t really remember because it was, well, forgettable? Sigh…I had high hopes Limon…I did. I will say that we tended to order just the small plates (cold and hot) so if you come  here for dinner, you may have a different experience:

 - Ceviche de Pescadado: very refreshing, perfect mix of sweet and tangy – a good starter. Not the best ceviche we’ve had, but good.

 - Calamares Rellenos: These stuffed calamari are sautéed with artichokes, English peas and spinach in a delicious saffron sauce. They are like little pockets of goodness. Not amazing..but good.

 - Arrox con Mariscos: this was a Peruvian-style paella laden with saffron rice, roasted red peppers mixed with a spicy pimento sauce. It’s a’ spicy! If you like spicy, this one is for you.

 - Veggie Empanadas: warm, crispy pastry dough filled with butternut squash, zuchinnis, corn and carrots served with rocoto sauce…it had a curry flavor to the dish, and was overall pretty good.

 - Jalea: crispy fried seafood - definitely needs the tartar sauce dip alongside it to add a kick to it

 - Quinotto de Vegetales: a light dish filled with yummy veggies that warms you up. The crispy sweet potato chips add a solid crunch to the otherwise soft dish

 - Sweet Potato Fries: they were… sweet potato fries. Nothing record breaking here folks.

 - Truffle Mac and Cheese: delicious – really good! But dare I say it…mac and cheese at a Peruvian restaurant? Don’t get me wrong, I love me some mac and cheese just about any minute of the day..I’m just saying.

 - Anticuchos de Pollo: I wish I could tell you that we specifically ordered ours “plain, taste on the side, please” but we didn’t…and yet…that’s what we got. Blah.

- Dessert: Moving right along to what is one of the most thrilling moments of the meal…ordering dessert! Why is it that no matter how full you are, your “dessert side” is always still hungry?

- Bandido (warm chocolate cake): I wish I could give you the review on this chocolate cake, not just because chocolate cake is my favorite (although that’s a pretty solid reason) but because we like to review ALL the desserts. Don’t judge, we share ;) Unfortunately, they were out of the chocolate cake. I must know, who is this chardonnay and chocolate bandit running wild in Limon on Wednesdays??? Damn you, bandit, damn you.

- Profiteroles: these were definitely a highlight of the night. The cream puffs were surrounded by a sea of gooey caramel and chopped pecans. Heaven!

- Panna Cotta de Mango: creamy and delicious the mango and vanilla panna cotta was mixed with a berry compote giving it a kick. A perfect palate cleanse.

 - Note: I will say this – I’ve personally eaten at the Limon Rotisserie on Van Ness and the food experience was much better. And their whole chicken is a MUST order…absolutely delicious. You’ll be gnawing on the bone when the waiter comes to take your plate away.

Price: 8.5 – Pretty average price, for…a pretty average meal. Zing! You knew I’d throw that in. We spent about $50/person to split all the above plates plus several bottles of wine.

Noise Level: 6.5 – Very noisy. Bring your hearing aids and crank them.

Service: 6 – Perhaps the staff was busy eating all of the chocolate cake and drinking all of the chardonnay, but in any event, they were not busy helping us. We had to literally get up and go find the waiter multiple times to take our orders and eat their average food. Granted, we were on the second and smaller level but, if you’re not going to go up there, then don’t have a second level people!

All About The Area: I’ll be honest, we didn’t get to tool around the area too much while here. The Mission is a creative area and I personally love the mix of the grit and charm of the area, and the ability to experience different styles of food and interpretation within each of the restaurants. It’s not the Marina though people so…don’t rock your stilettos and expect to charm your way through anything. Bring your smarts, people.

Overall Grade: 7



Quinotto de Vegetales



Ceviche de Pescado

Sweet Potato Fries

Mac & Cheese

Arroz con Mariscos (paella)

Jalea



Calamares Rellenos (I think...)






Our surprised little faces that the chocolate cake and chardonnay were STILL no where to be found...

Where-To-Wednesday Adventure #5: Farmer Brown

Our fifth Where-To-Wednesday adventure was chosen by Lindsey on February 9th and took us down a path less traveled to the loin. Yes, the Tenderloin, that is. Situated right off of Market street, I for one, ventured out on foot, confident in it's safe vicinity to the bustling sidewalks of one of the busiest streets. Perhaps not the smartest decision as I would later found out - however - the discovery of this hidden gem amongst the grit around it, was well worth the risk. After a long day of work, filled with incessent request, questions and demands, nothing hits the spot like a big dose of southern soulfood. Mmmm. Mmmmm. Mmmmm! Thank you Farmer Brown, for giving us somethign to look forward to that Wednesday - and a must-repeat for all of us as well. And by all of us, I mean Ms. Lindsey who chose this gem, Chelsea, Elizabeth, myself and two newcomers: Ellie and Laura – so happy you could join and we hope you frequent every month! So, by now you know the drill - the usual suspects are given our grades below on a scale of 0/10. Enjoy!

Ambiance: 9 Chic marries urban, and Farmer Brown is their baby. As you dine, R&B favorites fill the air and kick start the evening. "Is that Computer Love?" I ask? Yes. Hello Zapp and Roger. Welcome. As you glance around the room to see if anyone else is kicking their heels to these blasts from the past, you are instead mesmorized with the enchantment of room around you, as the glow of low candles on each table light up ignite an exciting vibe of warm comfort. You can easily get settled and ready to stay all night. We did - apologies wait staff, it felt so good to stay!

Wine: 7 And..we're grading on a curve. With all of the fabulous food, it seemed the wine list was an after thought. "We need wine???" And no my friends, 5 wines, does not a white wine list make. And when you're out of one of those...well, shame on you. And one has to wonder, with so few wines, how did our waitress know nothing about them? But alas..we will get to that.

Food: 9.5  If food can be perfect, this is pretty damn close. This is also why the only picture I have of the food is a half-eaten shrimp and grits (above) because when food is that good, taking pictures of it doesn't come to mind as fast as eating it. Down home cooking, this food truly fills your soul...and your tummy. Eat..we did. And notes..I took. If you haven't eaten already...I suggest you do before you read this. Or at least grab a stick of gum. Ok, hold onto your seats, here we go.

 - Mac and Cheese: may I suggest this be a full DISH rather than a side, because "amazing" is just not good enough to describe it. The side portions are small, so of course we ordered two, but oh is it worth it. Gooey tillamook engulfs the shells and truly melts in your mouth. Delic! And definitely one of the favorites.

 - Shrimp and Grits: These have a little kick to them - perfect for those who love the heat. Mixed with sweet white corn, red pepper, celery and onions all over stone ground grits that are hands down the best grits I for one, have ever had - this dish is fantastic.

 - Catfish:  light and crispy on the outside with just the right amount of seasoning and cooked to perfection. To be honest, we expected a little more for the catfish, but all in all, a good dish.

 - Porkchop: - With a hint of apple melted in through sauteed apples thyme, this bone-in porkchop is filled with flavor

 - Pulled Pork Sandwich: a sandwich for dinner? Should we or shouldn't we? Should - and glad we did. Hands down my absolute favorite on the menu. The bun is perfectly toasted, and the pulled pork nestled in between defines the perfect combination of salt, sweet and tang. Perfection.

 - Meatloaf:  rich, hearty and bursting with flavor, this will transport you right back home to Mom's cooking. With pickled green and mashed potatoes, this dish was a hit.

 - Fried Chicken:  a must-have for a soulfood restaurant, right? Well, it was moist, I'll give you that. But not as flavorful as the rest of our options. An "eh" in the grand spectrum. Although, it did come with more mac n' cheese. Ok fried chicken, your stock is rising.

 - Dessert: Although we split the above 6 ways (yes, ALL of that was only shared by 6 of us), and we all swore up and down how full we were, the buttons on our pants beginning to give way...when dessert called, we answered. Cake? Pie? Hmm..why don't you just bring us one of everything. Yes, everything. And please designate someone to roll us each out of here when we're done.

 - Red Velvet Cake: rich, heavy and smacked by the devil himself

 - Pecan Pie: the pie itself is delicious, with sweet buttery pecans igniting your taste buds. And the surprising part: the crust was even better. Buttery, delicious..it melts in your mouth.

 - Double-Chocolate Cake: Not just rich, Zuckerberg rich. I dont' know how one human being could manage to take down a whole slice.

Price: 9 - $62 each, which may sounds  little steep, until you consider this. Through the course of this dinner, we consumed 4 bottles of wine, appetizers, and all but 2 things on the menu...all but 2 things!!!!

Noise Level: 8.5 – You can easily converse amongst the music playing in the background and a crowded restaurant. And oh yes, did I add that this place was completely full and difficult to get a seat without a reso - so make sure you plan ahead.

Service: 6 – Nothing special here. Our waitress offered no help, didn't know what wine was to water, and to be quite honest, I think she forgot about us towards the end. Thankfully, we were having too good of a time to notice.

All About The Area: Which brings me to where our story started, the area. Don't come alone, don't come late at night, and 2 words: pepper spray. On the way out, we stepped outside to hail a cab (after turning down the restaurant's offer to call us one - how nice! And how silly of us to say no), we got cat-called by a man and then just plain ole yelled at by a woman. This all within 8 seconds.

Overall Grade: 8

Where-To-Wednesday Adventure #4: Zadin

January 12^th marked our fourth Where-To-Wednesday adventure, which was chosen by Chelsea and took us to the Castro. Loving the Castro area, we had high hopes as the Castro has tons of delicious restaurants competing for food lovers’ stamps of approval. You’ll need to read on to get the full experience…let’s just say that when Chels herself couldn’t make it that night…she may have known something we didn’t. I kid Chels, I kid…still…myself, Elizabeth, Lindsey, and two of our newcomers this week – Joce and Terra – had high hopes for the contemporary Vietnamese cuisine offered at Zadin. Ok people – 0/10 read on for our full experience.

Ambiance: 6  Low lighting typically leads to comfort – you know what I mean, snuggling up in front of a fire, watching the sun set, you get where I’m going. Unfortunately, Zadin didn’t. This café-ish restaurant may have flown for a quick lunch, but dinner it did not. It was not a dining experience that you wanted to stay and relish in, but instead, eat and leap.

Wine: 9.5  We originally ordered a Sangiovese, but our waiter spoke up (and glad he did) to recommend the Malbec. It was pretty spectacular – smooth, velvety and medium-bodied - and extra points for steering us in the right direction.

Food: 7  I feel slightly off about this, because we did substitute various ingredients from the dishes, so I can’t accurately say that our grading is representative of what you would get if you came and ordered the same dishes, but..who am I to hold an opinion back?? Here we go:

-          Fish Rolls: this is a house specialty, as it should be! They were unique and absolutely delicious  with fried basa, rice vermicelli, mint, cilantro and red leaf lettuce wrapped in rice paper.

-          Summer Rolls: we opted for the vegetarian tofu option and it wasn’t as good as  the Fish rolls

-          Pho Ga: This was chicken noodle soup – garnished with onions, scallions cilantro and friend shallots the broth was very good, however, the chicken was extremely chewy. I mean, pull-out-of-your-mouth-you-can’t-eat-this type of chewy.

-          Dau Hu Xau Ca Tim (it sounds so official): this is spicy tofu and eggplant – it was bland and overcooked. I actually forgot there was even eggplant in this dish it was so forgetful.

-          Pho Ap Chao: These were pan fried pho noodles – this dish came with shrimp and chicken, however, we opted for the vegetarian tofu option…which someone translated to no noodles. Fail.

-          Bo Luc Lac: This is shaken beef, otherwise known as “superstar of the night.” These filet mignon cubes are seared medium rare along with red onions, scallions and garlic – served with yam fries! We couldn’t get enough!

-         

Price: 9.5 – Amazing – ended up being 30-something each. Lunch prices for a dinner meal. Although…you know what I’m thinking.

Noise Level: 9 There is an endless chatter in the background as groups gather around you, however, the entire time it was very easy to hear each other.

Service: 8.5 It took a little while to get their attention, but once we did, they were great. Very good recommendations, great service to keep the flow of the meal going – really liked them.

All About The Area: The Castro is definitely a favorite of ours – full of energy, life, and excitement there is always something going on here. Everything is close together and easily accessible, with bars and restaurants a stone’s throw away. We will definitely be back to the Castro soon! Zadin, now…that’s different story.

Overall Grade: 8 (thanks to price and wine…yes, I said it.)

Where-To-Wednesday Adventure #3: Alembic

Our third Where-To-Wednesday adventure was chosen by Amanda and led us, via the enchantment of unique cocktails, to the eclectic restaurant “Alembic” located in the Haight on December 15th 2010. Amanda, Elizabeth, Chelsea, Melissa, Becky and myself may as well have been cocktail virgins, because we had no idea what we were in store for. But with the help of our amazing waitress, we were able to find cocktail substitutions and wine that not only complimented our meals, but fit our unique tastes perfectly. Per usual, various aspects of the restaurant are graded below using our 0/10 scale:

Ambiance: 8 – Alembic, known for their unique cocktails, opens with a bar in the front and a small but cozy restaurant in the back. Make sure you have reservations or come early, because the bar crowds quickly, and there is a no-standing rule. The restaurant carried a casual and relaxed, yet eclectic vibe.

Cocktails: 9 Cocktails…yes, the cocktails. My oh my, the cocktails. Knowing that Alembic is known for their delicious mixtures, we all kicked off the night with a round of our own. A few rough starts with cocktail selections that made us look as though we were having our first drink, were led to a successful finish, after a few coughs and many thanks to our server whose recommendations were always a welcomed refreshment. The “southern exposure” proved to be quite a hit, which was served up with gin, fresh mint, lime juice, a touch of sugar and a little shot of fresh celery juice (the wild card). It was clean, refreshing and not too strong. For those of us who opted for the prix fixe meal in advance, cocktails were paired with each course, to draw out and highlight the flavors associated with each dish. As I search for a word to describe the cocktails paired with the food, “strong” is the only adjective that comes to mind. Tasty, yes, but perhaps better fit for a Friday night rather than a Wednesday, with two more days of work hanging over our heads. I myself, ended up opting for a glass of wine instead of the cocktails..you love what you know, right? The wine was absolutely delicious! With multiple glasses of the same wine, you would think we would remember what the wine was…or perhaps that’s exactly why we don’t. It was similar to a Malbec, and was a medium-bodied deliciously inviting wine, with the perfect hint of spice and smooth to keep the sips coming. The wine was, of course, recommended by our amazing server and this one also delivered a winner.

Food: 7 We kicked off the dinner with a few orders of the Homemade Sumac potato ships which were a hit – carrying a garlic-lemon yogurt sauce for dipping. They had  just the right amount of spice, salt and cool to be a refreshing start to the night.  We then moved on to the Prix Fixe portion of the evening which we all opted for. A few of the girls chose the Hiramasa Crudo, a very tender fish served with celery ribbons, asian pear, yuzu-yogurt. Another popular selection was the slow roasted pork loin, served with broccoli rabe and fingerling potatoes – a delicious option, albeit not very much of it, which left us wanting more! Overall, portion sizes were a bit on the small size, but with so many various dishes, we were able to still save room for dessert! And so glad we did -  the hazelnut cake was a all-over favorite – laden with salted caramel and compressed asian pear, it was a perfect marriage of salty-sweet.

Price: 7 - Overall, the cost was pretty average and the Prix Fixe option that include appetizer, entree and dessert for $30, was just perfect for all of us.

Noise Level: 7 – The tables are situated pretty close together, cramping the restaurant a bit and leading to a noisy dining experience. With a larger group girls, it was difficult to hear each other, and this place is probably better suited for a round of cocktails, or a smaller group of people.

Service: 9 – Great service – our server was a world of knowledge and had great recommendations for us all which were a hit every time! She listened to exactly what we were looking for and recommended the cocktail(s) that fit each of our criteria – amazing!

All About The Area: Alembic is located in the Haight-Ashbury area which has very eclectic vibe to say the least. It’s a very busy area – amongst many boutiques and restaurants with the same look/feel and even a few hookah bars. (Am I the only one who knew these existed before I moved to SF??) It’s more of a no-nonsense area without the frills served up in the Marina and definitely a fun and unique experience for a night-out to escape from the atypical.

Overall Grade: 8