Decidedly low-key, the interior is dark wood and un-fussy.  Annoyingly, the large window in the front was un-curtained, and was eye-searingly bright, an unwelcome contrast to the otherwise dim setting. The menu has the typical coastal seafood items, shrimp louie, fish and chips, various other deep-fried denizens of the deep.  Sarah ordered the Fish & Chips ($16.95, about the same price as Barb’s), an I had a cup of chowder ($4.25) and a shrimp louie salad ($14.50).

When the F&C arrived, we found ourselves quite surprised that anyone would compare this to Barbara’s.  While Barb’s is crispy and fresh, Ketch Joanne’s was a bit leaden, with a thin, slightly tough batter and forgettable fries.  My shrimp louie was mediocre, with somewhat wilted lettuce and too much thousand island dressing.

Service was fairly inattentive and brusque, and I had to remind them to bring my soup, which was the best thing we ate here.

The best I can say about Ketch Joanne is that it’s kid-friendly, and much easier to get a table at than Barbara’s Fish Trap, which usually has a hour-plus wait, but Barb’s also has a take-out window, which we always patronize. I can think of no reason for us to return to Ketch Joanne, especially since the prices are about the same.

My rating: Mediocre

Ketch Joanne (website)
17 Johnson Pier
Pillar Point Harbor
Princeton-by-the-Sea, California (map)
(650)728-3747

It’s always difficult for me to be objective about dim sum halls, as I love the hustle, bustle, and the randomness of carts coming by, contents unknown.  We started with shrimp stuffed tofu, which was great.  The tofu had a crispy fried exterior and a piping-hot interior, topped by a crispy shrimp.

Next we had Har Gao, which had fairly thick, chewy wrappers, and big pieces of shrimp inside, then continued with Siu Mai, which was very good, with more flavor than many.

In addition to Har Gao & Siu Mai, I always get the Char Siu Bao at a new dim sum place, and House of Banquet’s was very good indeed.  My favorite is still at Ton Kaing, but this one was a close second.  The bun was perfectly fluffy and light, and the char siu within was flavorful, with a lot of ginger, and not gummy.

Still hungry, and not seeing the stuffed wide noodles we often enjoy, I picked a seafood dumpling.  The filling was tasty and had a nice texture, however the tips of the dumplings were hard, presumably due to too much re-heating.

We thought we were done until we saw many folks digging into green balls.  Three children at a nearby table were particularly enthusiastic about them, so we decided they must be one of the dessert balls, and ordered one from a very-helpful staffer who came by and asked if we wanted anything from the kitchen.  The balls turned out to be black sesame balls, one of my favorite dim sum sweets, and these were a good, if slightly too-sweet rendition.

Service throughout was informal, as befits the tea house setting, but was unfailingly friendly and attempted to explain what some of the dishes were, despite there being a bit of a language barrier.  Our tea, a tasty oolong, was refilled often, and several times a friendly maitre’d came by to see if we needed anything other than what was on the carts.

The real treat, however, was the bill – just $14 before tip for the two of us!  Although I have not been to many tea houses in the Inner Richmond, House of Banquet is the best of the ones I”ve sampled.  We’ll definitely be back.

My rating: Very good

House of Banquet (website)
939 Clement St.
(between 10th & 11th)
San Francisco, CA (map)

Sarah & I arrived a few minutes before Linda and were promptly seated. We perused the menu, which features the usual greek/mediterranean items – dolmas, hummus, tabbouleh, moussaka, gyros, and so on. Once Linda joined us, we decided to start with the “Santorini Island Platter” ($15), a combo appetizer of dolmas, hummus, tabbouleh, babaghanoush, falafel, and spanikopita. Linda & I liked the dolmas (which Sarah detests as a rule, and generally avoids), but the falafel was only so-so, ditto the hummus, which wasn’t any different than what we get in tubs from Trader Joes. The baba was better (as it is at most places). The spanikopita was flavorful, and had a nice crispy exterior.

For entrees, I had the Smoked Pork Chops ($17), Linda the Adana Kabob ($14), and Sarah the Chicken Souvlakia ($15). Quite a mixed bag here…. My chops were tender and smoky, with perhaps a bit more sweetness than would have been ideal, but they were otherwise very enjoyable. Sadly, the same could not be said of either the chicken nor the adana kabob, both of which were very, very dry and had little flavor. Linda also had to send her plate back, as the (overcooked) vegetable side was cold, and Sarah felt moved to order a side of tzatziki ($1.95) to add some moisture back to her dish.

Sarah & Linda each had 2 glasses of Bolla Pinot Grigio ($4.95/glass), while I had 2 of Gnarly Head Zin ($6.95/glass). About an average wine markup, I think. Service, much-maligned on Santorini’s Yelp page, was fine, not especially attentive, but not bumbling either. Our total (1 combo app, 3 entrees, 6 glasses of wine) was $103 after tax, before tip. Although I liked my pork chop, I would have to explore many other restaurants in the general area before feeling moved to return.

My rating: Mediocre

Santorini (website)
242 O’Farrell Street
San Francisco, CA (map)

Over the next few days I will be working on recategorizing the existing 100+ posts, and then adding new content.

Also, please visit my restaurant review archives, which are pretty extensive, although less up to date than what is posted here.

Best,

Adam

The interior is much-changed, and gone is the signature Grateful Dead-inspired mural, replaced by a gold paint effect that mimics water leakage and damage. It’s a little stark (our waiter said they do plan on putting up some art), but nice. The new tables, made of wood salvaged from the old Levi’s building, are very nice, ditto the dark-paneled and black-upholstered booths. The bar’s kick-out is gone, and the west side of the dining room has a long communal table, one of the new’ish restaurant trends, and one that I rather like.

Menu-wise, the focus has landed squarely on their house-made charcruterie and sausages, with the former available, along with a selection of 5 cheeses, a la carte, and the sausages, 6 of them, are $12 which includes your choice of two sides. Local catch & chips, a $14 burger (ouch!), and various specials round out the menu. The new format encourages getting a bunch of smaller plates and sharing.

Before they closed we’d had the new burger a few times, and although $14 is a lot of money for a burger, it is very good, in my opinion the best one Magnolia’s served in the 5+ years I’ve been going there. Still, Nopa, Zazie, and The Richmond all have at least equally good burgers for less money.

This time we started with their brewer’s yeast pizza ($11) with cheese, mushrooms and watercress. The new chef previously worked at Pizzetta 211, one of our favorite SF pizza joints, and this pizza was worthy of that heritage, although not a thin or crispy-crusted a 211′s pies.

For entrees, Sarah had the local catch & chips (a ling cod), $14, and I had the lamb sausage w/sides ($12). I got the wrong sides, lentils and chard, but they were delicious, so I didn’t mind at all. The lentils were perfectly cooked, with some tooth in them, and the chard was sauteed with rather a lot of garlic. Presented in a spiral shape, the lamb sausage was very flavorful, if a touch dry. Even Sarah liked it, and she’s not a big fan of lamb generally. The F&C were good, with neatly-stacked fries and 3 fillets of moist cod. As has always been the case at Magnolia, however, the breading was a little doughy and not as crispy as would be preferable.

Service can be hit & miss, but opening day with a new menu isn’t the time to be critical, and they generously comped our sausage dish for having gotten the sides wrong.

All told, I’m pretty happy with the new Magnolia – although the prices make it one of the most expensive brewpubs around, the food has improved greatly, and their focus on local and house-made ingredients is welcome.

Located in a nondescript and somewhat run down section of town, Olivia’s featured heavy bars on the windows and doors and 60′s-era decor, with vinyl-covered seats and suchlike. This is the sort of place I’d never have noticed if it hadn’t been mentioned on an internet forum. Aside from us, a regular was at the counter, and one other table was occupied. We were seated promptly by a friendly fellow who took our drink order and left us with the menus.

The breakfast/brunch menu has the usual american standards, along with huevos rancheros and chilaquiles (both around $10). I chose the green chilaquilles after our waiter said they were spicy, while the red chilaquiles were not. Sarah, upon hearing that there was a choice in sauces on the chilaquillaes, a fact not mentioned in the menu, changed her order from huevos rancheros to red chilaquiles.

Our OJ arrived freshly squeezed and delicious, just like it should be, and the coffee was decent as well. Their very large boombox played a strange mix of Latin electronic dance music, 80s one hit wonders, and modern tunes.

My chilaquiles were tasty, although a somewhat different prep – the plate consisted of 3 piles, one of creamy refried beans, one of somewhat overcooked scrambled eggs, and one of tortilla chips drizzled with a tangy green (tomatillo, I assume) sauce. The eggs were forgettable, but the beans and chips/sauce were rather good. Sarah’s red chilaquiles weren’t as good, however, and the red sauce was too rich and too savory for breakfast, with a hefty infusion of garlic.

This was a nice place to try, although with its out-of-the-way location and so many other places in the general area, I don’t know that we’ll be back soon.

My rating: Good

Olivia’s Brunch and Fine Dining Restaurant
3770 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA (map)

The interior has gotten quite a makeover, and is now very red, with black accents and minimal decor. It’s nice in a modern sort of way. We sat by the window and enjoyed people-watching along Divisadero St.

I started with a Bloody Mary ($7), a good, but not great, rendition of this classic brunch cocktail, and Sarah had a chai ($2), served in a french-style cappucino bowl-mug. Chorizo is nearly irresistable to me, so I had to get the chorizo hash ($10), while Sarah, who has much the same relationship with both crab cakes and benedicts as I do with chorizo, had no choice but to try the crab cakes benedict ($10).

Our dishes arrived in short order, and both proved to be good – my hash consisted of a small pile of al dente potatoes topped by chorizo, a dollop of creme fraiche, and two poached eggs. The creme fraiche did a lot to elevate the texture and richness of the dish, and it was a good balance of spicy (from the chorizo) and creamy (from the creme fraiche and egg yolks). Sarah enjoyed her benedict as well, although she’s had better recently.

Service was fine, and the total was a reasonable $31, after tax, before tip. I thought the new Metro Kathmandu was at least as good as, and possibly better than, the Metro Cafe which preceded it, and look forward to trying some of their “nepalese” dinner items (nearly all of which are familiar Indian dishes, but oh well).

My rating: Good

Metro Kathmandu (website)
311 Divisadero St.
(between Page & Oak)
San Francisco, CA (map)
(415)552-0903

Our server was handsome, but a bit curt, neither smiling nor saying much during our stay. I decided to try the Pastitsio ($11.75), a baked dish of lamb, red sauce, and bechamel sauce that I’ve made once at home and liked very much. I was interested to see how a restaurant version compared. Kelly had an Alexander’s Salata ($5.25), and Sarah ordered the Gyros Plato ($11.95). The gals had sodas, and I had a Tamarindo ($8.25), a tamarind-flavored martini-like concoction.

My Tamarindo was a bit pale and watery, not a repeat item. The pastitsio, however, was delicious, with a thick, fluffy bechamel sauce, quite unlike the more liquid one called for in the recipe I made, and a flavorful tomato sauce. The lamb had good flavor as well, and the flavors and textures combined to make a very pleasing dish, very different than what I’d made, but overall better.

Sarah’s gyros were less successful, however. The seasoning was weighted too much on the salty side, and the slices were pretty dry as well. On the plus side, it was a huge portion, as was Kelly’s salad.

All told this was a tasty restaurant, but the service left me cold. It seemed like it’d be a great place for a large group, as it easily has the table space to accommodate a group of any size.

My Rating: Good+

Pegasus (website)
130 S. Halsted
(between Monroe & Adams)
Chicago, IL (map)
(312) 226-4666

Since we were a large’ish party, I’d made a reservation, but it didn’t look to have been necessary, as the place was only about half-full. We were seated at their only large table, in a covered outside area with heat lamps, which were nice, but at the edge of the patio, which was less nice, since half of the table didn’t get any heat.

We perused their extensive menu of margaritas and tequilas (they had probably 100 or more tequilas available!). Sarah, Adam & I decided on an “El Natural” margarita ($13, Partida anejo tequila, Partida aguave nectar, lime juice), Jim had the house marg ($8), and Diane had a Mojito ($8). We also ordered chips with guacamole ($7) and burned habanero and cream salsa ($4).

After a few minutes our waitress returned and asked if we’d like any drinks or starters. Hmm, no, nothing beyond the ones we just ordered from her a few minutes prior! Our drinks arrived and were curtly plopped in front of us, but tasted delicious. The El Natural margarita, served up and w/salt in a cocktail glass, was smooth and well-balanced.

Some of the chips were nice and crispy, but some were floppy and sad. The guac was good, but not remarkable, however, the burned habanero salsa was excellent, and very spicy. It proved too much for most folks at the table, so Heather & I wound up eating most of it, while others demolished the guacamole.

The menu consists of small plates, with no sides, so we got an assortment of dishes and Sarah & I shared ours. Heather & Sarah had lobster tacos ($12 for 2), Sarah & I split sides of roasted potatoes ($5) and mexican corn on the cob ($3 for 2 ears), Diane had the pork carnitas ($10), Adam had flautas ($12), and I had to try their unusual-sounding ground beef and pickle tacos ($5.50 for 2) and eggplant and potato tacos (also $5.50 for 2).

Our plates arrived all at once, pretty good timing, since we’d ordered so many of them! Sarah’s lobster tacos were tasty, and had enough lobster meat to actually taste like lobster, and my ground beef and pickle tacos were actually very good, if a little strange. They basically tasted exactly like you’d think they’d taste. The mexican corn was well-cooked and yummy, drizzled in butter and seasoned with salt and chili powder. I didn’t get to try it, but Diane said her carnitas were delicious, and everyone else enjoyed their dishes as well.

The eggplant and potato tacos were less successful, however, being mushy and bland, even with a liberal application of the provided (very mild) tomato salsa. Likewise the roasted chipotle potatoes, which were dry and under-seasoned.

Service was also a low point. Although water was refilled, and our dishes were delivered quickly and efficiently (not by our server), our main server was surly, un-courteous, forgetful, and bumped me fairly hard on several occasions without comment. Our second order of guacamole went un-fulfilled as well.

We were a little shocked by the final bill – $45/each including tip – quite a lot for somewhere with butcher paper on the tables, and food served in plastic baskets, although the cocktails of course accounted for a large portion of the bill.

All told, Sarah & I agreed that this place, although it had some pretty tasty items, wasn’t a very good value – I’d go elsewhere in the area before returning. I found it funny, though, that on this day, we had lunch at Good and dinner at Bad (which is what “malo” means in Spanish).

My rating: Good

Malo (website)
4326 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA (map)
(Silver Lake district)

We sat at a curbside table and enjoyed the people-watching in this diverse and colorful area. I inquired about the house-made beers on tap – they had 3, and I chose an IPA. They also had many other beers on tap, and probably 100 more by the bottle. My IPA was a medium-amber, and had a good balance of hops and malt, neither particularly bitter nor sweet. It was served in a large goblet that felt like more than a standard pint as well.

The menu is fairly typical pub grub, with burgers, salads, sandwiches, and the like predominating. I chose the Cobb salad while Sarah had the Cobb sandwitch with half fries and half onion rings (a nice option that I wish more places offered).

My salad was pretty good, but the lettuce was overly shredded, and the bacon too crumbled, making it more fine-textured than I prefer. Sarah though her ‘wich was alright, but basic, although the onion rings and fries were tasty and crispy.

Service was a little slow, but pleasant enough, and the environment was inviting.

All in all this was a pleasant place to have lunch with good company, but unless I was in a serious beer-drinking mood, I’d give it a pass next time.

My rating: OK

Good Microbrew & Grill (website)
3725 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles,CA (map)