april 8, 2001
having friends with good jobs means that they have some disposable income they can put aside for eating out. and although i don't make as much as them, i still tag along for the experience. ha ha. plus, being in the bay area - where people take food very seriously (too seriously?) - there are lots and lots of great places to eat. here for your reading pleasure, is a list of some of the places i've eaten and really enjoyed. i'm gonna try to hit up different price ranges, locations, etc. i'm not a restaurant critic, but i can play one on my website!
hamburger - mo's
mo's is this little hamburger place in san francisco's north beach. their hamburgers are awesome. big, tasty, messy...all the things a great burger should be. they also have good milkshakes. try the raspberry chocolate.
pizza - zachary's
if you like deep dish chicago-style pizza, then you gotta go to zachary's. there have (to my knowledge) two locations in the east bay, near berkeley. the lines are always out the door, and with good reason. try the chicken special.
korean bbq - palace bbq buffet
at most buffet places, the 'quantity' far outweighs the 'quality' of the food. but the beef at palace buffet is dope! you get your cuts of beef (and chicken and pork too), as much as you want, and cook it at your table. if you're in santa clara, and feel like a korean caveman, eat here.
more beef - house of prime rib
the prime rib here is *really* good. you also get your salad, bread pudding, potato, and creamed spinach. and get this - you get seconds too! this is one of the best deals in san francisco, among similar steakhouses.
vietnamese (high-end) - slanted door
this place in san francisco's mission district is one of the most popular restaurants around these days. the dishes here are uniquely delicious - you'll experience lots of new (and as martin kang says, "HECKA good!") tastes, all influenced by vietnamese cooking. try the spring rolls, "shaking beef" (filet mignon cubes), and the rack of lamb. oh yeah...call well in advance for a reservation.
california - plumpjack
this is a classy little place in the marina that's also a tough reservation. the menu's "californian- mediterranean - french" entrees are all excellent. you'll also get some of the best service around, and if you're into wine, plumpjack has a very good list, but at very reasonable prices.
dim sum - ton kiang
dim sum's a fun thing to do for lunch. and ton kiang, in san francisco's richmond district, is a good place to do it. the servers come around with all different kinds of dumplings and vegetables - you choose what you want. there are hundreds of chinese restaurants in the city, but the good, fresh dim sum here helps distinguish ton kiang as one of the best.
ha ha...that's good enough for now. maybe i'll list some more restaurants another time.