Chez Papa Bistrot

French is one of my favorite types of food & Chez Papa Bistrot is 5 stars in my eyes. Located in Portrero Hill, this is a tiny restaurant that serves exquisite, quality goodness. I ordered 4 appetizers & loved them all!

lyonnaise salad, poached egg, yukon potatoes, bacon, smoked duck, sherry vinaigrette 

roasted bone marrow, garlic confit, parsley, caper, cornichon salad - seriously, one of the BEST THINGS I ever ate in my life! scoop it with a spoon & eat it with crostinis.

escargot, parsley, garlic butter

les moules (mussels), mushrooms, leeks, white wine, cream - served with french fries to dip

Mission Cheese

A few months ago, San Francisco opened up a cheese bar in the Mission district called Mission Cheese! Right up my alley! You can order, taste, & buy many many different types of cheese from cow, goat, & sheep's milk. They also offer other types of bites, including cheese sandwiches and mac & cheese. And wine & beer.

cheese board with anis goat cheese, aged cheddar, and sheep bleu ($10)

cheese board accompaniments - toastets, prunes, figs, apricots, olives

burrata grilled sandwich with tomatoes & green salad ($10)

mac & cheese - amazing bread crumb croutons! ($10)

Outerlands in Outer Sunset

Out in outer sunset district of San Francisco lays a random, hipster, skaterish, surfer-like restaurant called Outerlands. Even though the wait is pretty outrageous like any other fabulous brunch place, they do serve delectable food. The sandos are to-die-for, made from their fresh, HUGE, homemade sourdough bread. Two people can split one sando since it is so big & filling. But of course, I couldn't resist & had to have my own.

grilled cheese sandwich with veggie bisque

open face sandwich with mushrooms, spinach, cheese, & topped with 2 fried eggs; served with a vinaigrette salad 

Shanghai Dumpling King

Shanghai dumplings are one of my favorites at dimsum. It's filled with pork & a delicious soup. It's often served with a vinegar, shoyu sauce & eaten with a spoon to avoid the broth spilling all over. There's a place in San Francisco called Shanghai Dumpling King that specializes in these delicious dumplings. They also serve other types of dumplings & dishes. Everything is so affordable. The shanghai dumplings were 10 for ~$5.50. Three of us ordered 30 dumplings & 2 dishes, all for $12 per person, including tax & tip.

infamous shanghai dumplings

spicy chive/pork dumplings - really good too. also had a soup inside.

veggie/pork dumplings. was okay, pretty bland compared to the other two.

braised stringbeans with garlic & onions

preserved egg tofu (cold)

crab/pork dumplings ($8.95) - more expensive & only got 8 instead of 10. regular shanghai dumplings more worth it because you could barely taste the crab.

shanghai noodles

Limon Rotisserie

For a couple years now, I've heard many great things about the Limon restaurants in the Mission district of SF. Peruvian-style food, small dishes, served family style. The rotisserie is especially known for their chicken (kind of like huli huli chicken in Hawaii, but better). I was very impressed with the food, affordable pricing ($20 each including drinks, party of 8), & ambiance.

cevicheria - fish marinated with leche de tigre (citrus based), served with big corn kernals

carne (sirloin, eggs, & raisins), pollo (roasted chicken & olives), & veggie (mushroom, spinach, cheese) empanadas

yuca fries

dipping sauces (for everything)

tacu-tacu - mashed up rice & beans

infamous rotisserie chicken

ensalada rusa (root veggies including beets, peas, green beans, tossed with a zesty mustard dressing)

Living Vicariously through an ice cream adventure!

Yesterday a couple friends went on an ice cream adventure eating at the best places in San Francisco: 6 shops in one day! I followed them through text pictures & check-ins through facebook. Living vicariously...

#1 Michaelis: chocolate froyo with oreo topping

#2 Fraiche: "natural" froyo with homemade granola topping & blueberries burried underneath

#3 Miyako Old Fashioned Ice Cream: Mitchell's grasshopper

#4 Smitten:  lemon verbena. Made fresh to order!

Smitten's lemon verbena: how it's made!

#5 Three Twins: lemon cookie

#6 Bi-Rite Creamery: salted caramel

Favorite of the day was Smitten's lemon verbena, although Three Twin's lemon cookie was the best flavor. These crazies have inspired me to go on an adventure myself. Check back after the holidays for a shave ice, poke, and/or shrimp truck extravaganza.