Foreign Cinema 10 ($$$)

Foreign Cinema

Foreign Cinema is located in the heart of the Castro district of San Francisco. You would not know if from the street but this restaurant is the trendiest and ritziest restaurant in San Francisco. The restaraunt consist of four district features. In the front there is a small oyster bar that seats only about six but they will serve to any table. The main dinning hall has an open view of the kitchen, a bar in the back and a wall of high windows which look out into the covered patio. The patio tent is clean so that on a good night sitting outside you might see the stars shining. On one wall of the open courtyard the restaurant will project a old foreign film, thus the name. On this particular night we watched the Diving Bell and the Butterfly. This restaurant also houses balcony seating, is attached to a bar, club and an art gallery.

All their menus are updated and printed daily to reflect the very best of the market and what is in season. So on any given day you may have a different menu then any other day. On this occasion I had fried chicken on rice and stewed vegetables, my husband had lavender beef, and our friends each had duck in cherry port reduction. But of course we started out with oysters and a 2003 California chardonnay. We finished with Opera cake and North Beach coffee. Everything was wonderful! It was a perfect night!

My fried chicken was very good. Nearly half a bird the chicken looked really imposing on my plate and turned out to be more breast meant than I had expected. It was spiced and breaded but it didn’t feel heavy or oily to eat. It was really very good and I ended up sharing it will everyone because there was so much.

10 taste

10 service

10 atmosphere, romantic location

Price $$$$ for two people eating moderately, wine or champagne will add more to the price.

10 overall. I could eat here over and over I love Foreign Cinema

Goldy's Breakfast Bistro 10 ($)

Goldy’s Breakfast Bistro

Goldy’s is the best breakfast in America, according the Idaho attractions website. I haven’t eaten everywhere in America yet, but I can say that it was the best I have ever had in America.

Located in an unassuming brick building in Boise’s downtown district it would be very easy to miss. In fact my husband and I did walk right past it when we explored downtown the day before. Goldy’s has about 14 tables all together, six tables on the indoor balcony level and about eight more on the fist floor. There is usually at least a ten minute wait because the tables are always full for breakfast. At Goldy’s breakfast is served until 2pm.

I had heard that the salmon hash was excellent so I started with that and then one biscuit and gravy. Kris ordered the A dark forest ham breakfast sandwich.

Everything was exceptional! The salmon hash was made with diced potatoes, red bell peppers, onions and capers and of course salmon smoked to tender perfection and salted before being added to the hash. It was covered in hollandaise sauce and came with an egg. After the salted salmon and the capers the hash was really very salty even for me, a salt lover but eaten with the egg and possibly a piece of toast it was really very good. I give Goldy’s a 10 out of 10 for taste.

Goldy’s also gets a 10 for service. For price Goldy’s rates $ for two people and coffee.

Overall I give Goldy’s a 10 out of 10 for breakfast. Even though I ate a lot of food, I was completely satisfied without being overly full and felt satisfied all day until about seven at night. It was very hearty without being too fried or buttered tasting.

108 S Capitol Blvd
Boise, ID 83702
208-345-4100

Jack's Urban Eats 7 ($$)

Jack’s has two locations one in midtown and the other in Lomman’s Plaza. I have eaten at the one in midtown once and the one in Lomman’s Plaza twice, there isn’t really and difference between the two that I can tell. They are both always busy. The first time that I ate at Jack’s Urban Eats, I have a club sandwich and cheese mashed potatoes. The sandwich was not really that impressive. The bread seemed stale, the lettuce and tomato was really not the ripe or fresh and I over all was not impressed. I was further disappointed by the gritty, plastic cheese flavored potatoes. They were horrible. It tasted like who ever had made them had not first mixed the powdered milk cheese flavor with boiling water but had instead, poured the powder directly into the mashed potatoes. It was atrocious.

I have since tried it twice more, because I always give a place a second change. The second time I took my mother in law out to lunch, she likes a lot of chicken and a lot of American food so this place is perfect for her. All that stands out in my mind about that experience was that it was better than the first time I went.

So today when I Kris and I went for lunch I was not really expecting more than a slightly better than fast food sandwich and a mostly lettuce salad. I am happy to say that my expectations were not met. I ordered the Chicken wings sandwich. I had crispy friend strips of chicken with house wing sauce that was neither too mild nor too tangy, with blue cheese, tomato and lettuce. I also ordered macaroni and cheese as the side. My sandwich was so good. It really hit the spot for a hungry meat eater on a hot summer day.

For taste I give Jack’s Urban Eats a 7 out of 10. It is a great lunch or light meal kind of restaurant. All their dishes are Cali-American, American food taken to the next level. Their meats are carved strait from the bone and put directly on your sandwich or salad. This means that the meat is moist, fresh and slow roasted or cooked in its own fats and juices to retain its favor.

For atmosphere it gets a 7 out of 10. It is cafeteria style to order but your plates are served to you after you pay. Jack’s is more casual than many restaurants, but it has a fun, young attitude and is often full of young professionals, and students.

For the price of two people to eat lunch order a side dish and get a soft drink Jack’s gets a $$. It is possible though to get out of there with just $. The salad plates are large enough to share or you could easily skip the side dishes and still feel full at the end of the meal.

Arioli Bodega Espanola 9 ($$$)

Arioli Bodega Esanola

A Spanish restaurant in midtown well known for its wine!

On this occasion out Kris and myself invited two of out friends out to a wine bar. We had planned on visiting 58 degrees but when we got there and found out they didn’t serve appetizers or anything we walked back to Arioli. Arioli is a little Spanish restaurant. They serve excellent wine, and authentic Spanish cuisine. I ordered mussels in white garlic and wine sauce, calamari in spicy tomato and capers sauce and the pork loin in balsamic and port reduction with figs and onions. It was all very good.

I give Arioli a 10 out of 10 for taste. It was authentic, cooked very well, balanced to perfection, familiar and still exotic. The pork loin was the best, and while I could barely eat any more I finished the entire dish it was that good. The color and spice were so rich and thick. The aroma was sweet and tangy. The pork cut was on the fatty side but it was cooked to perfection.

The service here is very homey. The owner is a very gruff friendly neighbor sort of man. He often stays late to keep his customers happy, he makes excellent wine recommendations and usually comes and greets each table at some point during the night.

Arioli keeps a very nice table, but I would rate the atmosphere at an 9. It is a very romantic restaurant; quiet and cozy. In the summer they have a secluded garden patio that is very nice in the evenings. If you go for a nice summer night plan on spending the entire night talking and drinking very good wine.

For price I believe we paid $$ for dinner but I was the only person eating and then another $$$ for the wine.

Over all I give Arioli a 9. Delicious, colorful, and full of character; the flavor will seduce you.

1800 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 447-9440

Wasabi and Ginger 8 ($$$)

May 04, 2008 after Maker Fair.

After a day at the fairgrounds I really needed some real food, something light and refreshing. Sushi!

Wasabi Ginger was not my first choice, second choice or even my third choice. But #1, 2, and 3 Zagat rated sushi restaurants are closed on Sunday. So we drove around until we found Wasabi & Ginger. This restaurant was on the smaller side despite how it looks from the inside, a little neighborhood kind of place, where many of the locals grad take out. I didn’t really have very high expectations but I was pleasantly surprised about the quality and innovation for the cut rolls we ordered. I had a Volcano Roll and a Money Train Roll. The Volcano had tuna, unagi and mango, the sweet tangy mango contrasted the more rich flavors of the unagi and tomago. I have had a few rolls that try to incorporate fruit before and many of them have failed miserably, but this one succeeded where the others failed.

Kris ordered the Fantastic Roll. It was a special that was described as having asparagus and spicy tuna in it, but when they brought it out it was nothing like the description. Kris also ordered a Nigiri of Toro. It was old, and not that fresh anymore, but it was buttery all the same.

Price wise Wasabi and Ginger would rate a $$, very reasonable for two people who ate three rolls, an order of Toro and a beer. The décor was a little lacking in style and newness but it was obviously a nice family operations. The Sushi chiefs were friendly and the service was very prompt.

Taste wise I would rate it an 8; better than expected and better than many that I have had. The Sushi Chiefs were all Japanese men who knew their fish. The rolls were not very traditionally Japanese but their California fusion was much better than many local sushi places I have eaten at here in Sacramento. I thought the chiefs were perhaps a little heavy on the sauce but it was mostly on the plate so you didn’t have to dip it if you didn’t want to.

Overall I would give Wasabi and Ginger an 8 because I liked their food, the service was prompt and I thought the chief was innovative without being intrusive with his California fusion rolls. They are available to do catering, take out and delivery.

2299 Van Ness Ave. at Vallejo
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-345-1368

www.wasabiandginger.com

Thai Basil gets 8 ($$)

I love Thai Basil. It is in my opinion the best in Sacramento for Thai food. The vegetables are always fresh, the curry is fresh. Nothing ever tastes like it was made in large quantities. The fish and meat was definitely frozen but Thai Basil is generous with the portions. They have a few locations, two I have eaten at: the Midtown location a number of times and the Roseville location twice. When ever I go I am completely satisfied for what I paid, what I expected to get and the quality of the food preparation. The only problem I have ever had there is when the waiter got my order wrong. I was in a hurry and so did not have the time to let them correct the mistake though they offered.

One of the dished that often gets overlooked it the green curry. This dish is my favorite, at any Thai restaurant but I like it best at the Roseville Thai Basil. Green Curry is light and almost flowery in taste. The taste of green curry has a lot of bouquet to it, but not a lot of spice or musk usually associated with curry. When I order green curry the dish comes as two bowls. One bowl has the jasmine rice in it. And the other is shrimp, scallops, and mussels swimming in green curry along with, broccoli, green beans and bean sprouts. Then you just add the elixir to your rice. It’s divine.

For food taste I give Thai Basil an 8. They use fresh produce, but not fresh meat. All their dishes can be made vegetarian. It just means you get soy tofu instead. And their general mixing of flavors is brilliant.

For price I give Thai Basil an $$ even with an appetizer and a drink.

For ambiance: I have to give Thai basil a 5 unless you are out on the back patio of the downtown location. The back patio is a smaller enclosed out door seating area near a fountain, and under an old growth oak tree. The back patio is quieter, and more private feeling. They have since put a lounge and night club on the floor above Thai Basil so their reputation is growing.

Overall I rate Thai Basil at an 8. Its not the best, it could be better, but its still delicious just the way that it is.

Sushi Ran 9 (3x$$)

Sushi Ran

This little restaurant located in the quaint and expensive Sausalito is supposed to be the best sushi on the West Coast. I expected it be an expensive and trendy place and it was, but not necessarily upscale. Kris and I got all dressed up and I wore my birthday dress. We probably looked out of place, him in a suit and me in a cocktail dress, but it was a celebration and we didn’t let appearances stop us. Weather or not it is the best in the west, Sushi Ran is extremely popular so I recommend making a reservation no matter what time you expect dinner.

Sushi Ran has an interesting custom of over pouring their sake to over-flow the sake glass until it runs down the sides into a bamboo cup. I really don’t think this is a traditional custom, but rather something that sushi ran started so that their customers feel like they are getting their moneys worth. In either case the taste of the sake from the bamboo cup is supposed to contaminate clean taste of the sake. It is much better to drink sake from a ceramic or glass container.

The Toro was spectacular and best I have ever tasted. Sushi Ran flies fish in daily from Japan; this makes the biggest difference when eating sashimi. On this occasion Kris and I shared an order of Toto, a platter of nigiri and vegetable tempura. My only complaint would be how much wasabi was used. The sushi was often way too hot for Kris and I and we had to keep asking for water. After dinner we had banana foster for dessert. I was a little disappointed that they didn’t have a green tea ice cream but the foster was really pretty good. And I don’t usually like bananas.

The service was nothing to get excited about. I needed to ask for service on a couple of occasions and the woman got our order wrong once and then billed us incorrectly later but it figure it was really busy and perhaps she was new or something.

For Price Sushi Ran rates $$$$$$$ for two people who share an appetizer, order toro, share a 7 piece nigiri platter and drink a glass of sake. It is expensive, the toro was worth it though.

I would give the quality of their fish a 10 out of 10. The fish was fresh, caught healthy, and the best cut. The wasabi though strong was authentic, and mixed correctly to have that really clean burn and flowery after taste. The sake was smooth, I just cant remember what it was.

The atmosphere was trendy, and popular but local feeling. I got the impression that most people eating there eat there on a relatively regular basis. Due to the crowd though, it would not be a very intimate kind of restaurant and so not good for a first date. You have to yell a lot to be heard in Sushi Ran.