after dinner sneeze

t says: It’s funny. As “the new guy” at work one question I get asked frequently is “so, where you from?”. The good news is that that the motivation for the inquiry nowadays is different than that I’ve encountered previously:

<Enter flashback …>
“Where are you from …?” “NJ”
“Yea, but where are you really from … ?” “NJ”
“Yea, but where are your parents from …?” :-/ “Still NJ”
<Exit flashback …>

Currently, when folks ask where I’m from, I instinctively answer “San Francisco”. I assume it’s because I think I’m being asked “where did you just come from?”. And while SF is true, I also recognize that we’ve spent less time there than almost anywhere else:
Vineland, NJ = 18 years
Baltimore, MD = 4 years
Pittsburgh, PA = 1 year
Philadelphia, PA = 10.5 years
San Francisco, CA = 3.5 years
Washington, DC = 6 months
So I guess I’m actually still “from” NJ, right?

But man do we miss San Francisco. Sing it Tony Bennett.

So … what’s the point of this post?

Well, after I tell people I’m from San Francisco, I often get asked about how it was (answer: “Awesome!”) and [inevitably] the food (also: “awesome!”). However, as I look at the blog, I realize that we/I kinda fella asleep behind the wheel for our SF time, so I’m going to put all of our best dining experiences into a single post for handy reference (also so we know where we want to revisit in the future).

We ate a lot of ramen in SF – these are our faves:
– Orenchi Beyond – best in the city for pork-based ramen – just make sure you add enough of the add-ons or at least some extra noodles because the base bowl is rather sparse
– Nojo – best in the city for chicken-based ramen – get the one with the whole braised leg in it (and all that lovely burdock! – if they charge you extra for burdock it doesn’t matter – you need it)
– Ramen Yamadaya – best in/near Japantown
– Tsuta (SF) and Nagi (Palo Alto) were two spots we regretfully never made it to :-(
– Mensho was woefully overrated/overhyped
– Ippudo was very consistent for a good downtown ramen spot

‘Elevated’ Mexican: Nopalito (don’t forget to go to Bi-Rite for dessert!)

Contempo-American-but-still-keeping-it-fresh: Statebird Provisions

Pizza: Long Bridge

Korean: Jang su Jang (Milpitas)

Place-you-overlook-because-they’re-always-there: Limon Rotisserie

Place-that-you-keep-thinking-is-overhyped-but-isn’t: Souvla

Easy-get-together-spot-with-kids: Spark

Wine bar without pretense: Ungrafted (can also bring kids)

Casual seafood-and-stuff: Anchor Oyster Bar (may or may not be BYO?)

Classy seafood-and-stuff: Petite Crenn

Brunch: Zazie vs. Plow

So-good-but-you’ll-feel-too-full Brunch: Brenda’s

Best BYO Dinner: Zazie on Tuesdays

Classic Sushi: Kiss Seafood

Modern Sushi: Robin

Takeout Sushi: Sushi Live

Pastas: Flour & Water vs. SPQR

Hot Chocolate: Ice Cream Bar

Chocolate Chip Cookie: Tartine Manufactury (not Bakery)

General Pastries: Neighbor Bakehouse (although B Patisserie is a contender)

Classic Ice Cream: Bi-rite Creamery

Fun Ice Cream: Uji Time

The one that got away: Atelier Crenn