Shimizu: New Kid on Piedmont Block

Friday Date Night: July 30, 2010 @ 9 PM

I decided it was time to forgive Shimizu for taking over Szechuan Garden--a beloved Chinese-Korean restaurant that resided on Piedmont Ave for a decade or maybe more. Shimizu did not really do anything bad or wrong. It's just guilt by association.

So, last Friday my guy and I decided to pay Shimizu a visit at 9 PM to check out the new kid on the block.

It was a beautiful evening on Piedmont Ave. It was not too cold and every restaurant on the entire block of Piedmont Ave was packed with merry diners.  Parking was difficult and we had to circle the neighborhood few times  We saw that there was a line at Shimizu. One more try and we snagged a parking space at Shimizu's free parking lot!  We were seated as soon as we walked in. The diners were finishing up their dinner.

 I was almost expecting the neurotic classical kitschy decor of Szechuan Garden to greet us but we were welcomed by a cozy contemporary sushi joint. 

The highlight of the evening was the "FLAMING DRAGON." This sushi came wrapped in a foil and arrived on table still "on fire." No, don't call Oakland Fire Dept yet. The flames are meant to "cook" the sushi. When the fire goes out, you open the foil and voila! There comes your hot steaming sushi roll of deep fried shrimp, crab and spicy tuna with salmon, yellowtail, tuna and tobiko.

Shimizu is not for the sushi purist. However, Shimizu has an extensive menu of very creative sushi including a lot of deep-fried stuff. This is a place to bring your adventurous spirit and try the sushi rolls with creative names.

Everything we had was noticeably fresh. The sushi rice was cooked properly--not too sticky or too hard that they fall apart. The portions were adequate with generous portions of fish on top of the sushi rice.

The GYOZAS were crispy, light  and not greasy. 

The 4 OYSTERS ON HALF-SHELL were freshly shucked and came chilled in ice with ponzu sauce.

The FATTY TUNA  nigiri was delicious at a market price of $12.95.

We also had TAKO nigiri, CHARISMA (deep fried shrimp, crab and spicy tuna with tuna and avocado) as well as ICHIBAN (Eel, cucumber with spicy tuna.)

Szechuan Garden will always be missed by Oakland old-timers like me who had many cozy memories of the place and the owner.  But Shimizu is also a very much welcomed addition to the neighborhood.

Very friendly and efficient staff.  Nice ambiance. Good sushi. I think we found our new favorite sushi place in our hood.
 
Our tab came out to be $77 including a soda, small hot sake and tax before tip.  Yes, we were very hungry that night!

FOODIE GIRL'S RATING:  4 STARS for creative sushi rolls, very nice staff and contemporary ambiance.

Bar Bambino: Italian in San Francisco

Amore! A delicious dinner in the San Francisco Mission District to celebrate my friend Russell's birthday.

Bar Bambino is urbane, chic and sophisticated. Small but its classy chic ambiance made up for its lack of space. The lamps were strategically placed for mood lighting along with tealight candles. Furniture comprised of heavy dark wood tables and chairs.

However, my friends and I were seated on the patio with the plastic roof covering and metal tables/chairs. It was perfect for a beautiful summer day in the City--well, until it got chilly which luckily for us we already finished dinner.

After my dining experience last night, I will best describe Bar Bambino as an expensive small plate restaurant. Even their main dishes were small. Luckily, the celebrant is picky and does not have a big appetite. So we paced our orders based on what the birthday boy wanted. A good thing because we would have ended up with a hefty bill if it had been based on my boracious appetite alone. However, the food was PACKED with flavors. Simple. Italian. Californian. Seasonal. We loved almost everything we had.

Russell, Heather, Mickey and I  shared:

GRILLED PROSCUITTO-WRAPPED PEACHES W/ DANDELION GREENS $11: This was the BIGGEST HIT amongst us. The crispy salty was wrapped around the tangy-sweet peach slices over the bitter dandelion. So simple yet so delicious! I will definitely try to copy this at home!

FLATBREAD W/ SALMON: Thin-crust pizza with salmon. It's okay. I've had better. Not worth the $14 price tag.

BIGOLI W/ SARDINES, SAFFRON and SULTANAS $15
(Whole wheat pasta tossed with crispy Monterey Bay sardines, cherry tomatoes, and raisins in a saffron sauce) This was sweeter than we expected. We were looking more for the "anchovies on pizza" experience plus the sardines were not crispy as described. This dish was okay.

CRESPELLE W/ PORCINI and SPINACH $18
(Buckwheat crepes filled with mushrooms, spinach, and a dollop of mascarpone.) Another simple dish but another big hit! Earthy, bursting with flavors and delicious!

SCHARZWALDER CHERRY TORTA $9 (Bar Bambino's version of a Black Forest Cake. Boozy cherries, on top of a knock-your-socks-off chocolate cake, alongside whipped brandy cream) Cake for the birthday boy and was brought to him with a lighted candle. Yes, it was a boozy cake but not "knock your socks off" enough for us. I found it too sweet and not complex. Just too sugary with pasty consistency.

TAB: $118 including 2 wines, a cappucino and 18% tip.

Overall, we had a very fun, peaceful and enjoyable dinner. We were not stuffed but satisfied with our meal, even the picky birthday boy. The wines were very nice and refreshing even for being the cheapest ones on the menu ($9 per glass.) The service was very professional but not stuffy.

ARRIVEDERCI!

Bar Bambino
2931 16th St
San Francisco, CA 94101
(415) 701-8466
www.barbambino.com

Foodie Girl's Ratings: 4 (Lovely but portions left me wanting more. Pricey!)

Food:     4.5    Delicious and creative.
Service:  4.5    Professional but not stuffy.

SR24: Flavor Explosion + Distracted Staff

 I developed a crush on SR24 as soon as we walked in. Being the new kid on the block, SR24 is an asset to the now trendy Temescal neighborhood. It is small but chic. It can probably hold less than 50 people at the most. The walls are painted in burgundy and on the ceilings are wrought iron chandeliers. It is fun to watch the kitchen staff prepare you food at the open kitchen.

And we did hit it off right away. The staff was pleasant, neighborly and very attentive. He suggested a very nice Argentinian chardonay for me I really really liked for its sweetness and being refreshing. ($5)

What made me decide to check out SR24 was the the PUMPKIN JOJO's. ($5) I love food with funny names. We enjoyed this appetizer of deep-fried, battered pumpkin strips seasoned with coarse seasalt. It was hot, fresh and the combination of the sweetness of the pumpkin, saltiness of the sea salt and spicy kick of the chili sauce were fun in the mouth.

I chose a DOUBLE-THICK PORK CHOP ($25). It came with arugula, peach and toasted pine nut salad. What a nice combination. And the pork chop was definitely generous that I had to take half home. One of the best I've had. Well-seasoned, juicy and thick. Perfect! Well-deserved 5 stars!

Now, my guy was very unhappy with his RIBEYE. For $35, this steak was thin and not the most tender. He gave me a bite and although not tough but we would have expected more for the price. As a comparison, we just had a filet mignon at Bobo's-- a steakhouse in SF. My guy's $40 bone-in filet mignon (for $5 more) was so much bigger, juicier, and so tender it was really a melt in our mouth experience.

Although he was jealous of my porkchop, we stil agreed that we like SR24--until our server disappeared and turned into a bartender after we got our food. 20 minutes after we finished our meal, we were drumming our fingers and waiting for the dessert menu. It is not often that I order a dessert at a restaurant but last night I really wanted to try those donuts! We were completely forgotten by our server that we flagged a different one to pay the bill. We were not offered the dessert menu. We left a little disappointed.

Oh, SR24, you had so much potential. You were declious. I love that you are cute, use seasonal ingredients and creative with your dishes. I love that you serve Acme bread. You got me a little tipsy with your refreshing wine. Apart from the overpriced steak, I thought you were affordable.

I really wanted to continue our relationship but why did you end up ignoring me? You and your staff work too hard. You probably need to hire more staff to help you can provide us the attention that we deserve.

Maybe a second date? Coz I really dig you. :(

Tab: $83 including tax, 18% tip, a glass of wine, an app and 2 entrees.


Foodie Girl's Ratings: 4 (Enjoyed it!)

Food:        4.5  So delicious!
Service:   3.0  Started out great but became non-existent.

Ladies Who Lunch: Afternoon Tea at "The Rotunda" at Neiman Marcus

"Ladies who lunch is a phrase to describe slim, well-off, old-money, well-dressed women who meet for lunch socially, normally during the working week. Typically, the women involved are married and non-working. Normally the lunch is in a restaurant, perhaps in a department store during shopping. Sometimes there is the pretext of raising money for charity."

For an hour and a half, I pretended that my girlfriend and I were the "Ladies Who Lunch." Let me just speak for myself but I am far from meeting the "Ladies Who Lunch" qualifications.   I do not think I got the job!

 Despite the fact that I will not be considered one of the "Ladies Who Lunch" anytime soon, my girlfriend and I had a wonderful time! Over cups and cups of delicious hot tea, we only talked about food and shopping.

I had the PINEAPPLE GREEN TEA. This tea was so good and so exotic! My friend enjoyed the traditional BREAKFAST TEA (with milk and sugar, please!)

And we devoured:

Lobster Pie

Chicken Sandwich

Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwich

Egg Salad Sandwich

Scones with Creme Fraiche, Honey, Lemon Curd and Jam

Brownies

Madeleines

Banana Bread

Strawberry Tarts

And Neiman Marcus is the place for feel fabulous. It is hard not to when towering above you is a glass ceiling crafted with such masterpiece, and you are being surrounded by fine old architecture.

It was a very enjoyable tea time for me and my girfriend.  A rare treat of afternoon off and so divine!

FOODIE GIRL'S RANKINGS: 4


SERVICE:      4       Friendly and attentive staff.
AMBIANCE:  5       One of the most beautiful lunch places in San Francisco!
FOOD:           3.75   I had better tea sandwiches and cakes at the Fairmont in Victoria, BC and Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.


Tab: $35 per girl before taxes and tip

Fried Snicker Anyone? Sinfully Yummy County Fair "Cuisine"

Saturday Date with my guy and we found ourselves at the Pleasanton County Fair. What do you do at a fair when you are too chicken for rides like me?!

Aside from petting the sweetest furry creatures like little bunnies and baby turkeys, my sweetie and I plunge into the the deliciousness of fair cuisine.

Sweetie started off with the "barbecued beef sandwich* from Big Bubba's Barbecue stand. Not to be outdone, I ordered a turkey drumstick (which my sweetie would not let the opportunity go without not commenting what's already expected, "You look like a caveman!") The drumstick was so huge that it won't fit into a picture.

Of course, a trip to the fair would not have been complete  without an order of garlic fries.

And the most sinful food of all:  DEEP-FRIED SNICKERS BAR! I just had to try it. Sweetie and I shared this Hot. Melt in your mouth. Deep Fried but not greasy morsel. The batter was thin enough that it was not noticeable. Call it a mutual BIG F (foodgasm)!!!! 

Just in case you decide to visit this food fair heaven next year:

http://www.alamedacountyfair.com/2010fair/General_Info/index.php?row=0

Be sure to dress comfortably and wear comfy shoes. It was sweltering hot!

The fair is huge and lots to see.