8wilmot

[8wilmot]

[8wilmot]

Osito - Full of surprises. A very creative team - each dish is an adventure, wine pairing is extremely crafty. A very memorable experience. ❤️

[8wilmot]

Emerging from the pandemic and we are out again to explore food around town. Last weekend we went to Spruce. A $59 set lunch menu in a 1 star Michelin restaurant is an awesome deal.

We ordered the ravioli (so good), kale Caesar salad, duck croquet (so much flavor), and striped bass (how do they make the fish so soft?).

We ended the meal with two extra desserts.

Can’t wait to try their brunch menu, and I heard hood things about their burger!

[8wilmot]

With the pandemic still on going, we are pleasantly surprised that there are actually quite a few new cool spots opened at Noe Valley. Walked by Mr. Digby’s a few times, I noticed how lively the outdoor seatings area is. It probably has the largest number of outdoor tables in the hood - in the range of 20s. Finally I booked an outdoor table and gave it a try! Note that at 5:30pm on a Saturday, it’s extremely child friendly and less crowded. Our party was seated right the way and plenty of high chairs available when requested. Each seated table I noticed are with young kids. (Children free tables started to fill up after 6:30pm) Food is excellent, my favorite is the pork chop and spinach hot bread. Chicken pop pie is great too. I totally welcome this new restaurant in the hood. We now have a weekend go to. How nice!

[8wilmot]

For guests whom visit the Bay Area and want a little get away, Bodega Bay is a good choice. Only 1.5 hours drive away from the city. Bodega Bay offers quiet farms and ranches, great food and casual hiking trails. We purchased our first lunch at the Spud Point Crab Co, which is along the road that leads to the beautiful Sonoma Coastal Trail. Crab sandwich, seafood sandwich, prawn cocktails and clam chowders are all excellent! There are outdoor picnic tables on the site, or if you want more distancing, you can take your food and walk across to the marina park. The food is not fancy, with minimal seasonings but the seafood is the freshest I’s had for a long time.

[8wilmot]

Che Fico Alimentari was an obvious choice when we were unable to get a table at the upstair restaurant. The cured meat and foccacia were excellent but other dishes were just ok for me. Considered the price of the eatery, I recommend the Al Mano in Hayes Valley instead.

[8wilmot]

Took out of town guests to Liholiho Yacht Club. It’s an excellent choice. My favorite is the softcrab salad, kimchi fried rice, homemade spam (not on the menu) and the roast pork. The dessert baked hawaii blowed my mind - highly recommended. Even tho I had to stay up til midnight 30 days ahead to book the table, still well worth it.

[8wilmot]

Walked by the Dandelion Chocolate Factory in Mission and found out that there is a new hot spot called Bloom. We got luck out and able to grab a table for 2 without reservation. It’s a high tea (afternoon tea) place. Loved the interior decor! Every dessert is chocolate related - of course. If you are looking for a place to hang out with your girl friends. This is the place.

[8wilmot]

Stonemill Macha has been a popular Japanese cafe in town. The cake reminded me those I used to have when I was a kid in Asia. This time I had the cheese cake and roulette macha. Worth a trip to Mission to give it a try. Line is long but it moves fast.

[8wilmot]

My favorite Masala Chai from Samavor. Always delightful to reenergize with a cup of Almond milk Masala Chai. So excited that there is one right at the corner of the Fillmore street.

[8wilmot]

Middle price ranged Japanese restaurant is hard to find in this city where Omakase is everywhere priced from $200 or above. However, if you crave for some sushi rolls and hearty Japanese dishes in the Mission, you are in luck. Kazan on 24th Street is a hidden gem. No long wait in the Mission District, but reasonable quality and well priced. Grilled salmon collar is my favorite dish - juice and crispy.

[8wilmot]

I heard Uma Casa is the first Portugese Restaurant in the city - walkable from Noe Cottage. We got to give this a try this weekend. There was a slight wait at 7pm, but we got a reservation. The food was quite authentic. It reminded me the dishes we had when we visited Lisbon years ago. The style of cooking is similar to Spanish Tapas. Wine tends to be on the warmer and sweeter side. It’s a great food scene addition to the Noe Valley neighborhood.

[8wilmot]

Four Season’s MKT was never on my to go list for some reason. The entrance to Four Season seems a bit intimitating as there are always doormen waiting to open door for you. For those who are comfortable with it, it probably is not an issue. MKT locates at the lobby level of the hotel. Service for sure is excellent in this restaurant. Servers and staffs are super friendly. Food is good given the price for lunch is quite reasonable - you know, SF price. I love the tomoto soup and the unlimited bread provided is delicious. I booked the lunch table via open table and mentioned that it’s for my birthday. They even give me a complimentary bday cake - a cherry dark chocolate cake. Not many SF resataurant makes such gestures anymore. I had a great lunch and for sure will be back.

[8wilmot]

Meow! The one and only SF kitty cafe KitTea has been on my to do list for years! Finally, I got a chance to visit. It’s a Japanese styled coffee/tea shop that serves Japanese styled cakes. It functions just like normal coffee shop except you can reserve an hour time slot online to play with kitties in the next room. Play time isn’t free but the kitties there are chilled and friendly. The staff are very nice and the cats and venue are clean and well kept. If you are a kitty lover, definitely a shop to visit. It’s in the Hayes Valley neighborhood.

[8wilmot]

New hot place in town at #sfmission - Stonemill Matcha. Funny how I heard about this place twice from two different friends this weekend. It serves Japanese styled bakery and desserts. It also serves Japanese comfort food such as rice tea soup and port cutlet sandwich. Food are yummy and made in Japanese styled i.e. good presentation. The only downside is that it’s quite busy. Do reccomend folks to have a try.

[8wilmot]

Also at Yountville, there is this high end gourmet store named Atelier. Inside, you can find assortment of great cheese to go with your wine. I found two sheep milk truffle! cheese and a creamy cow milk cheese called Snowfield! So good.

[8wilmot]

Yountville is equivalent to good food to me! One of the most popular place there is Bouchon Bakery. You can almost always found a long line there. Everyone has to try their famous chocolate bouchon. I found the pork belly forcee yummy. Apparently, their sandwiches are also very popular!