Dinner with Sissy

Burrata and Wine from the Tap - Delfina
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I have affectionately referred to my sister as "sissy" for as long as I can remember.  As a name... "I miss you Sissy", or as a noun... "That's MY big Sissy!"  You get the idea :-)

Well, Sissy came to visit on Tuesday night this week, and I could not have been more excited.  While it was primarily a matter of convenience, (the passport office is located in San Francisco) it was just nice to see her, and spend time one-on-one.  I love her husband to death - he is funny, sarcastic, and just fun to be around - but I do miss having just 'sister time' with her.

Anyway, with just one night to hang out, we walked to one of my FAVORITE restaurants in this city for dinner (and several glasses of wine).  Delfina is a fabulous pizzeria in my neighborhood, that boasts the most fabulous thin crust Neapolitan style pizza.  It's loud, and small, but feels cozy, and kind of fancy (even though it's NOT)... and did I mention that the food is out of this world??


Salsiccia Pizza - Delfina
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We sat up at the bar that looks into the open kitchen - my favorite spot.  I love to watch them flip the dough, and make your food right in front of you.  Everything is SOO fresh, and the fact that they have wine on tap (yep, ON TAP) makes me love this place even more.


Deep fried Zucchini blossoms - Delfina
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My favorites?? The fresh burrata from the 'starters' menu - they serve it with peppery arugula, toasted crostini, and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top - heavenly.  I also LOVE the meatballs, but last time we came here, we went a bit overboard on the ordering so we held off on their meatballs for another night. Instead, we got one of their new additions to the menu - the stuffed zucchini blossoms that are overflowing with cheesy deliciousness.  These bad boys got battered and deep fried - I don't even want to know the calories - and the deep fried basil put this dish over the top.  Amazing.

For the finale, we got the salsiccia pizza - I could eat it every night and never tire of it, but I also love their panna pizza, the margarita, and the prosciutto pie.  Look at the full menu here - you will see how amazing (and reasonable) looks!!  If ever in SF - I highly recommend this spot.

A word to the wise - don't come starving.  They don't take reservations, and the wait can be pretty long on weekends, but trust me when I say it's worth it.  Order a glass of wine (or two) from the hostess, and you'll be fine :-)

The House

Doesn't this look so good?  We had lunch today at a restaurant called The House.  Located in Northbeach, you'd never notice this un-pretentious restaurant, but the food is phenomenal, and the prices are totally reasonable.  I'd describe it as asian fusion - there is a ton of seafood on the menu - all super fresh, and they use really interesting flavor combinations.  So amazing.  HIGHLY recommend!!

Anyways, I have been totally MIA this week - so busy with work!  (why do the short work weeks always feel the longest)?!  I am so looking forward to the weekend already - some warm weather, and a little field trip to the south bay for my best friend's gender reveal party.  Have you heard of this new phenomenon?  Pregnant women throwing parties to reveal if they are having a boy or girl?

I hadn't heard of it, but I am so excited to see her, rub her belly, and catch up.

Happy Thursday!

San Francisco Eats: Absinthe

We are lucky boys and girls tonight... after a very long day at the office, we are heading out with one of my favorite sales teams for dinner at Absinthe.  I know we are so spoiled!  Last night it was southern Italian at A16, tonight it's French at Absinthe.  Life is rough but someone has to do it!

xo

Date Night

Photo courtesy of Dipity
Tonight, Kris and I are heading out for a much needed date night - nothing over the top, just dinner and a late movie.  Kris has been working such long hours and I've had back to back client events every night... it feels like we are ships in the night!  Well, I'm putting a stop to that.  Date night it is...

I have been dying to go to Out The Door - the cost efficient sister restaurant to The Slanted Door. Take a look at the menu - everything is amazing - the crab cellophane noodles are TO DIE FOR, and the shaking beef?? Don't even get me started.  It's a short walk from our apartment, and is totally on the way to the Kabuki movie theater - possibly the best  theater on earth (you can reserve your seats in advance, there is a bar in the  theater, and the seats are sooooo comfy - my biggest complaint about other theaters).

I can't wait for some romance!  Happy Saturday night!

San Francisco Eats: Gary Danko

Today, our lovely partners at Collective media took our agency out for lunch - not only did they invite the entire agency team, but they rented out Gary Danko - one of the most premier restaurants in San Francisco.  They arranged to open the restaurant for our group, selected a phenomenal menu, and we spent a glorious 3 hours there this afternoon indulging over food, fabulous company, and wine pairings.

We started with this incredible butternut squash soup with apple compote and aged balsamic (I WISH I could make that), and moved on to scallops.  Then we moved on to filet mignon with risotto, and finally dessert.  What I wouldn't give if unbuttoning the top button on your jeans was socially acceptable!

Yet another over-the-top fabulous meal - with all of this holiday indulgence, I won't fit into my pants soon!

San Francisco Eats: Quince

I like to consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world, because part of my job requires a certain amount of wining and dining.  This means that at the ripe age of 27, I have eaten at some of the finest restaurants in San Francisco, and being an adventurous eater and a total foodie myself, I consider this an amazing treat!

Last night, we went to one of my all time favorites - Quince.  It is tucked into this cute little neighborhood - not quite downtown, not quite North Beach - and it reminds me of New York.  Lots of old original brick buildings, and leafy tree lined streets.  Not many people know about it since there are a lot of art galleries, and design studios located in these three blocks, but it really feels like you are in a different city.

In terms of fanciness, this place takes the cake - no suit required for men, but its fancy enough that there is a chauffeur to escort you to the bathroom - that kind of fancy :-)

In my humble opinion, Quince is the best restaurant in this city - better than Gary Danko's by a long-shot, and maybe a hair better than Michael Minna.  Perhaps its the service and ambiance that put it over the top.  As you can see from my sweet pics below (that I subtly snapped on my new iPhone) the food is incredible, and if you go, you MUST get the cheese cart!  You smell it before you even know it has rolled up, there are over 30 cheeses to choose from, and it is just to DIE for!!

Also - wine pairings - it's a bit pricey, but honestly the food is just good food without it... the wine pairings bring out all the best flavors and subtle hints that you just wouldn't fully appreciate otherwise.  Also, hearing the sommelier explain how they work together really changes the experience of savoring your food, and tasting each flavor.

This is the lamb - oh my god - they even took it off the rack for fanciness, and it came with a delicious demi glaze, and roasted root vegetables - half of which I couldn't even tell you.

And the infamous cheese cart - so fancy!

And my cheese selection - from the left, a bleu cheese from Ireland, then a creamy goat from Sonoma, then a fennel encrusted and infused cow's milk cheese from another cool place, and finally the triple creme from France.  Poor guy got cut off in the picture, but it was literally like butter... but better.