Posted by Ed Levine, May 5, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Bill Addison sampled nearly 300 tacos and 100 burritos in an incredibly cool ten week-long quest for the best that the Bay Area offers. Do click through to his story because and admire with me the meticulous and thorough way he went about this Pancho Villian–sized task. I also admire his intestinal fortitude (literally). His favorite was the relatively unheralded Sancho's in Redwood City. Here's what Addison had to say about it:
Burritos and tacos are everything they should be at this diminutive storefront with expansion plans. Each element zings with freshness and quality. The bonus of well-made fish tacos, a rarity in the Bay Area, makes this a must-try. Super burrito: $6.55, Regular taco: $1.25
Sancho's
3205 Oak Knoll, Redwood City CA 94062 (near Canyon Road; map); 650-364-8226
Posted by Ed Levine, March 13, 2008 at 2:15 PM
When food critic Michael Bauer awarded four stars in the San Francisco Chronicle to the eponymous Michael Mina, many readers took offense at the very notion of eating in, enjoying, and writing about such a restaurant in these troubled times.
Bauer aptly explained why he feels it's important to write about four-star restaurants now. I am not a fan of over-the-top decadent dining, but from Bauer's review I would hardly call Michael Mina an obscenely extravagant restaurant. In fact, Bauer's review made me want to jump on a plane and eat at Michael Mina tonight.
Related: Does the World Need More Fancy-Pants French Restaurants?
There's now anecdotal evidence from at least one restaurant in San Francisco that reducing corkage fees (the charge a restaurant applies when you bring your own wine in) benefits not only diners but restaurateurs. Frank Klein at Fish & Farm charges $5 instead of the average $20 and has reported that about 40 percent of the tables taking advantage of the new policy also buy a bottle from the restaurant. Plus, they're bringing in some really interesting wines, Klein says.
Posted by Zach Brooks, September 12, 2007 at 12:00 PM
There are turkey sandwiches, and then there are (cue the Hallelujah music) TURKEY SANDWICH!
The difference? The former is usually made from a thinly sliced substance cut off a giant hunk of meat that sort of resembles a turkey breast, while the latter is a much more serious affair, requiring the roasting (and shredding) of an actual turkey before both the white and dark meat are piled high into what will become a (cue the Hallelujah music) TURKEY SANDWICH!
The New Crockery Cafe is a small mom-and-pop hole in the wall in the design district of San Francisco that specializes in the music-inducing kind of turkey sandwich. Every morning for 18 years they've roasted a whole 35-pound turkey, just for lunchtime sandwiches—and unlike at Thanksgiving, they never have leftovers. Around 10:30 a.m., the turkey comes out and is shredded just in time for the lunch crowd to arrive. By 1:30 p.m., the turkey is usually gone, a surprising feat, until you find out the sandwich costs less than $6.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, July 10, 2007 at 11:15 AM
Nobody entertains at home these days, says San Francisco Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer. In that vein, he blogs a list of his top picks for restaurants with private party rooms. Some of his choices:
- Frisson: It's great for a business dinner because the room is separate but looks out over the dining room. 244 Jackson Street, San Francisco CA 94111; 415-956-3004
- Foreign Cinema: The private dining space is an art gallery off the outdoor dining area. 2534 Mission Street, San Francisco CA 94110; 415-648-7600
- PlumpJack: The separate room has the same appointments as the dining room. 3127 Fillmore Street, San Francisco CA 94123; 415-563-4755
- Perbacco: Its upstairs private dining area overlooks the action. 230 California Street, San Francisco CA 94111; 415-955-0663
