Yip on Mangarosa

Mangarosa *1548 Stockton St @ Union * San Francisco, CA 94133 * (415) 956-3211
Cuisine: Brazilian
Neighborhood: North Beach

The Scene

COLOR!! A lot of red. A lot of orange. A lot of bright yellow. Art on the walls is of ... what else ? Different interpretations of Mangos! They also have an inviting bar that might be nice for after-work drinks.

The Menu

Lots of apps. Lots of small plates. Ideal to share entrees family style. The Brazilian cuisine is a nice North Beach alternative to the traditional Italian fare.

The Food

I started with the signature house salad, which was horribly inedible. I took two bites and stopped eating, but the group had ordered lots of apps so I had a few other things to taste. The beer fries were the best thing we had all night. Warm spinach salad was pretty good too. Crab and Artichoke dip is usually one of my favorites to order at restaurants, but here the ruined it -- it was horribly fishy tasting. Our table was so full from all the starters we ordered that you would think the staff would know to hold the entrees until we had somewhat powered through. No, unfortunately we were bombarded with plates and had to do a shuffle to make it all fit or decide we were done with our half full appetizer plates. I had scallops, and I tasted a few other entrees that I was equally unimpressed with, average at best.

The Service

Our waitress was very attentive and responsive (we were a big group), but there were a couple of big service slip-ups. (1) The menu didn't state that the artichoke app had bacon. When my vegetarian friend realized this after a bite or two, the waitress wasn't nearly apologetic enough and surprisingly didn't remove this item from the bill at the end of the evening. (2) One girl at the end of our table ordered a bottle of wine. The waitress misunderstood and brought her just a glass. When we clarified, they brought the bottle, but the bill reflected a by-the-glass purchase as well as the bottle. In both cases, real customer service would have left the restaurant acknowledging and not holding the customer responsible for their mistakes.

The Bathroom

By the sink, there is one of those magnifying lighted mirrors you use at home to maintenance your eye brows and apply your makeup. I couldn't help but wonder what-de-heck it was doing there ?!!?

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In a spoonful, I think it was overpriced for what it was. The service was attentive when you needed another fork, but didn't deliver when it came to making sure patrons want to return.

Yip gives it 1.5 spoons.

Yip on BlueJay Cafe

BlueJay Cafe * 919 Divisadero St @ Golden Gate * San Francisco, CA 94115 * (415) 447-6066
Cuisine: Southern, Soul Food
Neighborhood: Western Addition

The Scene

I have a special place in my *heart* for New Orleans, and this place reminds me of an off-the-beaten path secret diner in the deep South. I felt instantly at home when I entered this casual eatery.

The Menu

Its all the things you imagine: biscuits & gravy, fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, pork with apple sauce. Prices are more than reasonable, too.

The Food

I was so looking forward to my meal of fried chicken with a side of macaroni and cheese. Surprisingly, neither was award-winning. The chicken was overdone and dry. The mac and cheese, now a staple in so many SF restaurants, really should never be done poorly. Unfortunately, this one ended up pretty much a tasteless bowl of empty calories. My friends pork was a lot better, and we topped the meal off with an individual-sized blueberry pie.

The Service

I noticed it is difficult to get their attention, and they are pretty spacey. I enjoyed my meal with a friend who eats their regularly for the their weekend brunch, and he said the service we received was stellar compared to their usual commitment to their customers. So don't expect much.

The Bathroom

Its clean enough. Charming with a little bit of artistic flare.

*************

In a spoonful, the food is mediocre. The decor is quaint. The service is non-existent, but somehow, I know in my heart, this place is worth a visit. Maybe try the brunch, but not when you've been out late the night before.

Yip gives it 2.5 spoons.

Yip on The Rotunda at Neiman Marcus

The Rotunda at Neiman Marcus * 150 Stockton St @ Geary * San Francisco, CA 94108 * (415) 362-4777
Cuisine: California
Neighborhood: Union Square

Ladies that Lunch. Enough said. Unless you need to know that they lunch in head-to-toe Chanel.
The Scene

Basically you come here to feel like a queen. The decor is gorgeous. The view is spectacular. And one of these days I am going to sit by the window and really enjoy it. Somehow, I sit at the same table every time I go here (which is more often than I would like to admit). This makes me feel even more special, like they know that is "my" table. An insider tip: even though NM only takes their own credit card or AMEX, the Rotunda also takes Visa and Mastercard. Who knew?

The Menu

I love that even the exterior of the menu is fun and classy looking: browns, pinks and lime green colors in stripes and polka dots. While you are perusing your choices, all meals here start with a tiny teacup of chicken broth consommé and a NM famous popover with strawberry spread and butter. The menu consists of lots of choices of apps, salads, sandys, and entrees. It's all a bit over-priced, but its no surprise there is a price attached to public access to high society.

The Food

I was in the habit of trying new things every time I went here, but I have recently fallen in love with the Grilled Beef Tenderloin Salad. The secret to this is to ask them to make the salad fresh, dressing on the side, so it isn't soggy. I also like the Grilled Ahi Sandwhich, but I wish it was paired with some kind of wasabi mayo instead of lemon caper aioli. Lobster bisque is one to be missed, and so are the lobster spring rolls. If you leave room for dessert, the chocolate cake is super rich, but yummy, and best when accompanied by a glass of milk.

The Service

When I was here with a friend of mine a couple of visits ago, he blantantly mentioned not 5 minutes into the meal: "My friend here is a restaurant critic." which of course ensued in even more excellent service than usual. I don't doubt you'll receive nearly the same level of service, but bepreparedd that they move a bit slow. But since this is a "leisure" lunch, you really shouldn't be in a hurry anyway. Watch out for the soda refills; since they come out of cans or mini bottles (different day, different casing) you'll be charged for additional refills even though the staff may forget to mention this.

The Bathrooms

They could stand to be sassed up a bit given the beauty of the restaurant itself: no attendant, no products. But at the same time, there's nothing offensive about them.

*************

In a spoonful, there aren't a lot of good places to snack downtown in Union Square that are not overpriced and over crowded. At least this place treats its patrons with the touch of class that everyone can appreciate. For me at least, this place is the perfect post-shopping guilty pleasure. And I really can't get enough.

Yip gives it 3.5 spoons.

Yip on Suppenkuche

Suppenkuche * 601 Hayes St @ Laguna * San Francisco, CA 94102 * (415) 252-9289
Cuisine: German

The Scene

Consisting of long communal tables with minimal decor (unless you can the expansive beer taps), there is really no place to wait for the reservation you can't make (they only take resies for parties of 6 or more) because the bar is usually packed with people who come here for the true prize to be had: the beer.

The Menu

The menu consists of German and English translations, mostly meat dishes, with a few vegetarian options. They also have a menu of just beers. Good luck working your way through the list.

The Food

Portions are large so even though this restaurant is not technically "family style," you should plan to approach it that way so you can try multiples. Best app I had was the Semmelknadel Mit Pilzrahmsoe (Bread Dumpling with Mushroom Sauce). The one to miss was the Reibekuchen Mit Hausgemachtem Apfelmus (Potato Pancakes with Homemade Apple Sauce): very overdone and more like a super crispy hash brown than what you think of as a potato pancake. The shared main courses were Wiener Schnitzel Vom Schwein Mit Bratkartoffeln Und Granem Salat (Breaded and Sauteed Porkloin with Roasted Potatoes and Green Salad), Gebratene Rehmedaillions In Rotwein-pflaumensoae Mit Rotkohl Und Spatzle (Sauteed Venison Medallions in Red Wine Plum Sauce with Red Cabbage and Spatzle), and Gegrillte Nanberger Bratwurst Mit Sauerkraut Und Kartoffelbrei (Grilled Pork Sausage with Sauerkraut and Mashed Potatoes). All pretty heavy and none too memorable in my opinion, and all side accompaniments taste pretty much the same.

The Service

I think our waitress may have been visiting from Germany because she buxom buxon, beerfest blonde that the male patrons at my table couldn't stop gawking over. The not-so-equal eye candy for the ladies seems to stay behind the bar.

The Bathrooms

If it were up to me, a place that specialized in serving beer when you obviously can't get away from having to visit the facilities would take a little more pride in them. Small and yucky. And not just cleanliness yucky. A fresh coat of paint could do wonders to this whole place.

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In a spoonful, come for the beer and maybe an app. I'm not super into German food (even though I am over 1/2 German by heritage), but if you are, you might have better luck than me. Sit at the bar so you don't have to wait and get quick refill service.

Yip gives it 2.5 spoons.

Yip on Ottimista

Ottimista * 1838 Union St. @ Octavia * San Francisco, CA 94123 * (415) 674-8400
Cuisine: Wine Bar with Tapas/Small Plates
Neighborhood: Cow Hollow

This location has turned over several times over the past couple of years, each time producing a totally different menu, with a totally different decor. I thought the previous tenants offerings seemed average to me, they seemed quite popular with the local neighborhood crowd when they launched. I was a little surprised to see them go out of business with such a prime foot-trafficked location when there are so many other horrible places in the city that seem to stay in business for ages. Who knows how long this one will last...

The Scene

Feels like a wine cellar with kind of a Spanish flair. They have a cute outdoor patio out front conducive to Cow Hollow people watching, as the natives stroll down Union Street for shopping or spirits. They have many small tables and a long group table in the back perfect for tastings. They also have these beautiful slightly pink water glasses that remind me of vintage carnival glass, though I suspect they are actually reproductions from Anthropologie. I think I saw behind the bar that they actually have them for sale for interested patrons.

The Menu

To be fair, this place IS really more of a wine bar first and a restaurant second, but since this is blog is all about EATS, that is really what I chose to focus my review on. They have a small menu mostly consisting of small plates and cheeses, perfect for pairing with a glass of wine. I didn't touch the desserts, but they had a healthy number of offering in the chocolate and pastry category.

The Food

We started with the trio of Crostini (truffled white bean puree, pea puree with onion confit, and pear with blue cheese and walnut paste). I thought they were all pretty bland and tasteless. Next up was the salad of organic greens with prosciutto and melons. The melons were tasty fresh watermelon and honeydew slices that were strangely and unnecessarily salted. I'm not sure why they felt salt on the melons was necessary. They did recover themselves with the third and larger installment of our meal with the braised pork with polenta. It was fabulous and the very attentive bartender gave us a great suggestion of wine pairing with a red that really brought out the smoked pork flavor.

The Service

We sat at the bar, which is totally the way to go. Even though the establishment was super crowded (they do good business for 6-8pm on a Tuesday!), we got a lot of personal attention from the bartender. He was super attentive and served the courses in a timely manner. One thing to say about the wines is that for us California types that are used to a pethora of Napa Valley and Sonoma options, it can be a little difficult to nagivate their wine options. I have found that it can be hit or miss, so ask for a suggestion from the well-informed team behind the bar. I was happy with both the glass of red and white they suggested with our food.

The Bathroom

Two single stalls, which are both unisex, have a little personality to them and nicely scented candle burning. One funny thing is that in the first bathroom (to your left), there is a small fold-top desk in the stall with the toilet. Of course curiosity got the better of me and I had to see if there were some top secret papers in it, but alas, it was just aerosol air freshener and pest control spray. Yipes! I'd be better off if I didn't stick my nosey nose in where it doesn't belong!

*************

In a spoonful, come here for a taste of wine and a tasty snack, but ask for house recommendations on both.

Yip gives it 2.5 spoons.

Yip on Andale

Andale * 2150 Chestnut St bt Sutter/Pierce * San Francisco, CA 94123 * (415) 749-0506
Cuisine: Mexican
Neighborhood: Marina

The Scene

Comfortable. Casual. They have a nice patio which you can enjoy day or night. It is flanked by an indoor-outdoor fireplace which I appreciate for both warmth and ambiance.

The Service

It is a bit more "fast-food" than the casual dining, as you order at the counter rather than getting table service. They do deliver your food via a table number system.

The Menu

Overall a good amount of traditional Mexican flair, with kind of a healthy twist. Meaning this is not heavily greasy which you sometimes find in more authentic Mexican joints vs. the Calif/Tex-Mex at Andale.

The Food

I ordered a mesquite chicken salad which consisted of romaine lettuce topped with chicken, goat cheese, avocado, tomato, and instead of the roasted garlic vinaigrette, I topped the salad off with deliciously fresh pico de gallo. A friend of mine ordered the same and then also got a side of rice, beans and tortillas to make a healthy tacos which I thought was just superb. They also have a self-service salsa bar, like most Mexican joints. And even though I recognize this to be an industry standard, I think it is pretty unsanitary and gross. One thing I LOVE about this place, which I learned on my most recent visit and wish I knew the numerous times before, is that they offer FREE REFILLS on the aquas frescas. This is unheard of!! So delish, I had 3 glasses of the fresh cantaloupe juice (usually I go for the watermelon, but decided to switch it up), and I would have had more if I was not going to a movie directly after and didn't want to be visiting the ladies room several times over the next two hours mid-flick. Note that restaurants don't get any accolades for free refills on sodas. I actually despise places that don't offer free refills on fountain soda - the ice costs them more than a second serving of the soda! But aquas frescas is an entirely different ballgame altogether!

The Bathroom

Not too much to mention, except that if you find yourself here on a bad date, there was a window in the bathroom that could be used as an alternate escape route. I wish more places offered this kind of insurance policy.

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In a spoonful, this place is good but by all means a lot of places do it better. It's a nice "healthy" option if you find yourself in the Marina looking for some Mexican delights. I would consider visiting here instead of Starbucks for an afternoon refreshment of bottomless aquas frescas. Now, if only they had wireless internet, I could blog all my city eats there ...

Yip gives it 3.5 spoons.

Yip on Bacar

Bacar * 448 Brannan St. @ 3rd/4th * San Francisco, CA 94102 * (415) 904-4100
Cuisine: California
Neighborhood: SoMa

The Scene

Nested in SoMa, the decor in this restaurant is near flawless; modern but also warm, not cold or sterile. Walls flanked with exposed brick and old loft-like windows, there are also beautiful oversized floral arrangements at the entrance and throughout the dining room. The music was also pleasing, as we were there on a Sunday (the only day of the week they don't have live music).

The Menu

There is no way to write about this place and not acknowledge the superb wine list. First of all, they have the most extensive by-the-glass list I have ever seen, probably over 100. Then the "real" wine list is over 35 pages. It's a bit overwhelming to say the least, with wines on this list that could easily break the bank (I saw a few that were $600+/bottle!). But they have a very helpful and non-pretentious Sommelier, who helped make a couple of great appropriately priced recommendations. The food menu had just the right number of choices, though I was disappointed that two choices I was enticed by they were out of. It was a Sunday when we dined and the waiter informed us they had quite a few more patrons the evening before than expected.

The Food

Our table for four ordered all different meals, which lucky for me (and for you readers) means lots of tastes and lots of opinions. We started with the fritto misto with chili aioli (fried calamari with a few other treats) and the mesquite grilled jumbo artichoke with lemon aioli. The artichoke was one the best I have ever had. Usually the outside pieces are less than edible, but every piece of this was dee-lish. Between the four of us, we ordered the mushroom pizza, the salmon, the halibut, and the pork chop. HANDS DOWN, this pork chop was the best I have ever had, and others at the table agreed. I had food envy, wishing I had ordered that instead of the halibut, which admittedly was seared perfectly, but tasted a little fishy. For dessert, they decorated the plate with a candle and some chocolate icing proclaiming "Happy Birthday" to celebrate our dining occasion. We had chocolate crunch bar with raspberry garnish and a peach cobbler-like crumble. Tasty desserts and timely coffee refills.

The Service

With the sommelier and the waiter's recommendation of the best pork chop of all time, the service was really excellent. They even replaced my friend's soiled napkin with a fresh one when she left the table to use the ladies room.

The Bathrooms

I had been here a couple of times and remember the downstairs bathroom having something special about it -- a nice sink or something. But on this occasion, there was a private party downstairs so we used the upstairs bathroom. It was generic; clean, but nothing special.

*************

In a spoonful, this place is great for both a special occasion or a more casual Sunday night meal. Food is rich and plentiful, so the ideal way to go would be a couple of salads or apps to start and then split an entree. READ: (broken record) get the pork chop!

Yip gives it 5 spoons.

_______________

UPDATE: I wrote this review the same night after my meal. But some circumstances had changed, and I feel that I must make an amendment to my highly coveted 5 spoon rating. I mentioned I thought there may have been some problems with the fish. Unfortunately, both my friend and I felt sick later that night, and we ordered two different fish dishes. We both called the management team the next day to discuss the issue, and the manager was skirting the issue and wouldn't take responsibility that their food made us ill. He casually mentioned that I could ask for him the next time I was there, and he'd try to accommodate something. I wasn't satisfied with this response, nor did I think it matched the level of service I had come to expect from Bacar.

Yip on Senses

Senses * 1152 Valencia St @ 22nd * San Francisco, CA 94119 * (415) 648-6000
Cuisines: California, Small Plates
Neighborhood: Mission

The Scene

They have a beautiful long shared table in the center of the restaurant which looks like the kind of place I'd like to go on a date. The music was soothing but strangely the lights were kind of fading in and out, maybe to enhance the "senses" ? The wood tables are beautiful wood and the bench seats were some kind of faux suede, which was soft but unfortunately didn't dust clean after each patron. It was a bit crumby when I sat down.

The Service

Our waiter kind of hovered and kept coming back in an untimely manner, which I didn't care for, but wasn't helpful or "service oriented" at the same time. For example, it reads on the bottom of the menu that menus are reprinted every Monday with their ever-changing offerings (natch, we are eating on a Monday). But somehow they are out of two of the wines we wanted to order by the glass (even though the menu was supposed to be freshly printed that day). And when the waiter offered an alternative option, of course it was $3-4 more per glass than what we originally wanted. And they didn't offer to comp the difference on the higher alternative they had to offer because they were out of the other. Who ever heard of being up-selling on wine before the meal has even started ?!

The Menu

This is a pretty new restaurant and the waiter never explained to us "how it worked." There were like 10 choices of Small Hot Plates, Small Cold Plates and Large Plates.

The Food

Interesting combinations. And when I say interesting, I mean strange. I tasted both the filet and the seabass, both of which passed, but no better than that. I had an appetizer of mozzarella, figs and port. Again, interesting (read: abnormal, astonishing, astounding, atypical, bizarre ... I could go on and on). And I also had a small plate of scallops, that for some reason needed to come from "the left kitchen." And arrived at the table 10 minutes after the filet and seabass for my two dining partners. No room for interesting (read: unusual) desserts.

The Bathroom

I don't mind having to walk by the kitchen to get to the ladies room. Heck, the kitchen in this restaurant is exposed, so hopefully I'm not seeing anything anyone wouldn't want to see while they are eating. Unfortunately, it didn't smell too good back there. And the bathroom was just as "interesting" as the food. Everything was misplaced. The toilet paper was on a table instead of near that toilet. The paper towels were on the other side of the wall from the sink. And I don't know where the heck the trash can was.

************

In a spoonful, I think its pretty missable.

Yip gives it 1.5 spoons.

Yip on (415)

(415) Restaurant and Lounge * 415 Presidio Ave @ Sacramento * San Francisco, CA 94115 * (415) 409-0400
Cuisines: Asian, All types (Japanese, Sushi, Thai ...)
Neighborhood: Presidio Heights

I walked by this place a bunch of times intrigued before I even knew the name (I took an interior design class at the JCC, which houses this place). I went here on a special occasion (my girl, Skip, took me there to celebrate my 'floating holiday' birthday) so all those together I had high expectations. It was also on Daily Candy a few weeks before so I knew it would be popular.

The Scene

Well, they had printed match books, which my loyal followers know is always a good start for me. They also have beautiful overhead lighting, which I am also a sucker for and a welcoming bar, which I find myself thinking would be a great place to have a glass of wine and a few bites of sushi on a school night. I am blown away and in love with the subtle animal print on the floor, looks like a tiger. Also, we were seated near the rear of the restaurant which a friend warned me might smell like chlorine, because I guess the JCC pool is on the other side of the wall? Not a drop of it hit my nose the entire night. Nothing to fear; ignore the rumor.

The Menu

Usually I feel like places that are TOO eclectic, don't seem to do a lot well. It's like their menu is all over the board (the restaurant downstairs from my apartment has all day breakfast, rotisserie chicken, sweet + savory crepes and Mediterranean cuisine, and let's not forget the gelato). But this place found a good way to combine Sushi, Thai chicken, and noodles. I think I even saw some Chinese dishes on the menu. Eclectic but focused. And I wanted to try it all.

The Food

Everything we had was fresh and good, maybe even above average, but not spectacular. Some sushi, some Thai, and fondue for 2 for dessert. Despite how full we were, it sounded so yum, we went ahead. Again, good but not spectacular.

The Service

Overall very good and attentive, coming back frequently to make sure our wine and water glasses were full. Also helped appropriately portion our ordering which was mostly a bunch of apps and sushi. One slip up came when I ordered a cup of coffee and it never came, but at least he also forgot to add it to the bill.

The Bathroom

Posh like the rest of the restaurant. The candle they had in their smelled divine, and I was tempted to steal it... but I didn't. But why no toilet seat covers? I'm noticing this trend with nicer restaurants in the city -- like they are too posh to be sanitary ?!

************

In a spoonful, the decor is fantastic. the food is average to above, and the service is the same. I admit that I may be a bit over excited between the matchbooks, the decor and the floating holiday birthday. But I'd say in my personal, professional opinion, it's worth more than just the suggestion of a visit. Try it.

Yip gives it 4 spoons.

Yip on Little Star Pizza

Little Star Pizza * 846 Divisadero St @ Fulton * San Francisco, CA 94117 *(415) 441-1118
Cuisine: Pizza
Neighborhood: Western Addition

Buzz in my ear for months is that this pizza palace rivals the East Bay haven for deep dish delight: Zachary's. I'll be the judge of that, which I am sure is of no surprise to you. Note that they only take cash and there is no ATM (that I could see) on-site.

The Scene

Unassuming and dark from the street, this place has a small waiting area and access to the bar where you can get a beer while you wait. And a wait there will be, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. There are some sweet painted details on the wall and it's all around unassuming, but in a good way. They have a jukebox that I never graced but the music was perfectly pleasant during our stay.

The Menu

Salad, Garlic Bread and pizza. Just like a pizza place should be. No need for spaghetti or all that stuff. Oh yeah, and they have beer and wine too. And if you're lucky like us, when you go to the bar and order drinks, you order 2 glasses of wine and get a beer for free!

The Food

We ordered a mixed green salad and garlic bread to start. The salad was tasty, even though salad isn't my favorite part of a pizza meal. I do feel that some leafy greens are a necessary evil to what is going to be a filling and calorie loaded meal. The garlic bread is a must, but be sure to be prepared to "build your own." And don't expect them to tell you how. What comes to the table is some deliciously freshly toasted bread, a dish of perfectly melted butter and some roasted heads of garlic. Figure out on your own and invite the look of a perfectly annoyed waitress that you should pull off a piece of bread, butter it slightly, and scoop out some garlic cloves and spread away. It's yip yum once you make it happen. For the main course, we of course ordered the deep dish, signature 'Little Star' which consisted of spinach, ricotta, feta, mushrooms, onions, and garlic, and of course, topped with signature Chicago-style chunky tomato sauce. My first impression: no Zachary's. Sauce can't compare and could use a few more spices. My second impression: pretty good but too many onions.

The Service

Aside from the snottiness on the garlic bread, food was prompt (with our expectations managed for the wait time usually associated with deep dish).

The Bathrooms

I liked a cutie note they had posted in the bathroom (they have a nice minimal mural of a bird flying) that "We don't graffiti in your house, please don't graffiti in ours."

*************

In a spoonful, pizza is good, atmosphere is hip, service is fine. If you're craving Chicago style pizza and can't make it to Berkeley this will do. Though it can never be a replacement.

Yip gives it 3.5 spoons