Crepes-a-Go-Go, San Francisco, CA & Washington, DC

For reference, I have never been overly excited about crepes...until recently. On a trip to San Francisco last year, my good friend, Naida* and I decided we would head over to Berkeley for a day before attending the annual Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park. Parking around Berkeley for a few hours is fairly uncomplicated, just watch those meter times. After finding spot on a side street, Naida and I headed to Telegraph Avenue, which is one of the main drags through the town. Like Haight-Ashbury, Berkeley has a lot going on and all types of people of all ages milling about the neighborhoods. We window shopped at tattoo parlors, bought a few trinkets from street vendors and took in all of the sights. I happened to look across the street and spot a ‘Crepes’ sign. We had not eaten much that day and I thought a crepe might be a great snack to hold us until dinner. This was a hole in the wall spot that changed my view of crepes forever. They have a sweet menu (dessert or breakfast treat) and then a savory side (lunch or breakfast meal) from which to choose. All of them sounded delicious, so it was difficult to decide. You can have something as simple as sugar and butter or cheese and smoked turkey or a more creative version such as the King Samm (Nuetella, banana, coconut and Almond powder) or sauteed spinach with caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes and feta. Decisions, decisions. Naida knew she wanted the cheese, spinach and egg. I anxiously pondered - they all sounded great and I did not want to miss out on anything. Finally, I ordered the cheese, avocado and tomato. We both chose Swiss for our cheese and took a seat in the narrow space to watch the action behind the glass.

A gentleman quickly drizzled the crepe batter onto the crepe griddle with the ease that he had been making these a good while. Naida’s came out first and mine was close behind, both in roughly five minutes. These crepes were like no other. They were folded in half twice so a triangle shape is left, which was placed in a paper triangle holder so you can easily eat it on the go, if needed. The Crepes-a-go-go crepe itself is thicker than a typical crepe, somewhere between a pancake and a thin crepe, which can be too thin and ‘weak’ in form, in my opinion. They have a very thin crispy layer on the outside which I definitely liked! Naida and I could not take a bite without talking about how great these were...as in, we said it in between EVERY bite. The tomatoes on mine were fresh and flavorful, as was the avocado. I decided Swiss was the perfect choice for this combination, but cheddar, feta, Monteray Jack and ricotta were also options. We did not want these crepes to end but had to finish up and continue on our Berkeley adventure. We paid a little over $5 per crepe. That’s a deal.

After our day in Berkeley, we settled down for dinner. Upon finishing, we decided to find out if other Crepes-a-Go-Go locations existed to grab a dessert crepe. We had satisfied our savory crepe fix earlier and now needed to try a sweet crepe to make sure Crepes-a-Go-Go was a good as it seemed. I rely on a friend to help me in these situations since to this date, I refuse to get on the smart phone bandwagon. He sent me address of another Crepes a-Go-Go in Berkley and then two in San Francisco. We were set! After our delicious dinner at Zachary’s Chicago Pizza (review coming soon), we headed towards the University Avenue Crepes-a-Go-Go. Thanks to Naida and her trusty maps, we found it fairly easily. It was empty, but we arrived close to closing time. Perusing the menu, we saw Nutella, various fruits and a variety of sauces (caramel, chocolate, etc). I quickly decided we should make our own and opted for peanut butter, honey, coconut and whipped cream. Naida was certain this would be terrible, but as she always says, she should trust me more. Our crepe was ready within minutes and turned out fantastic! Naida could not believe how tasty my concoction was. As I had presumed, it was a perfect combination. We satisfied our sweet tooth and headed home to rest and gear up for San Francisco’s two-day Outside Lands 2010 Concert.

Post day one of Outside Lands, Naida and I decided to check out yet another Crepes-a-Go-Go. Who says three times in thirty-six hours is too much? Not us. After visiting two locations, we figured finding the third would be easy. We were not quite expecting what we found at number three. Our difficulty locating this third Crepes-a-Go-Go was easily explained when we finally found it - it is a mobile food truck that sits on a street filled with a bunch of clubs. We were traipsing back and forth looking for a storefront and no wonder we missed it. Slightly nervous, we approached the the truck, but once we saw the menu, we relaxed. It was Crepes-a-Go-Go...on the go-go. Naida and I ordered straight off the menu for our savory crepe to share, roasted eggplant with zucchini, bell peppers, basil, sun-dried tomato and feta. We then tried our combo from the previous night but instead of honey, we went with maple syrup - even better! We sat in this slightly run-down picnic area, ate our crepes and watched the clubbers go by. It was a very mental and memorable moment. I would only have this experience with Naida and I am so glad I have her as a friend, with whom to share these bizarre memories and laughs. The crepes were just as delicious and this location stayed open until 3-4am to grab all of the clubbers with late night cravings.

While we were at the late night spot, the owner of the San Francisco area Crepes-a-G-Go locations, drove up to drop off supplies. We chatted with him for a few minutes and when we mentioned being from Virginia, he said there were Crepes-a-Go-Go franchises in Washington, DC and Maryland. I could not believe our luck! As soon as I was in the DC area, visiting Naida, we put visiting the Dupont Circle location at the top of our list. After a sobering, yet necessary experience at the United States Holocaust Museum, Naida and I needed a pick-us-up and headed for Dupont Circle. After being nailed by a parking prince of darkness in front of the museum, we were pretty cognisant about where we parked. After checking the meter about ten times, we walked into Crepes-a-Go-Go. While all of the locations have essentially the same menu, there were a few ingredient differences. Of all things, peanut butter was not listed, but we did not fret. We had already decided to order one savory crepe and one dessert crepe. Our museum visit lasted about three hours longer than expected and we had dinner in a short time, so sharing one of each type seemed like the way to go. Something we had seen at the late night San Francisco location, the sauteed spinach with caramelized onion, sun-dried tomatoes and feta caught our eye and along with that, we made a version of the dessert crepe from the west coast. Delicious! For the second, instead of peanut butter, we opted for Nutella, honey (no maple syrup on the menu), coconut and whipped cream. While the maple syrup is thicker and I still prefer that over honey, we still loved this crepe. Our treasures came out in under ten minutes and the place was pretty busy. Small, but cozy, this location was filled with some obvious Dupont Circlers, but I think a few others were like Naida and I, who had come from another part of DC to nab a crepe. Thoroughly happy that we had made it to one of the east cost Crepes-a-Go-Go’s, we relaxed for a while before journeying to our next destination. I cannot wait to go to DC again to get another crepe!

~Alex

Check locations for hours.

DC
2122 “P” Street, N.W. (just off DuPont Circle)
Crepes on the Walk -- 701 7th st NW (outside the Verizon Center)
MD
514 Main Street Gaithersburg MD 20878 (in the Kentlands)
http://www.crepes-a-gogo.com (the DC & MD locations website)

CA
2334 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley
2125 University Ave, Berkeley
350 11th Street between Folsom & Harrison, San Francisco
2165 Union Street, San Francisco
1220 Polk Street, San Francisco

Mocca - San Francisco, CA

San Francisco's alleys house splendid treasures; restaurants, boutiques and pedestrians taking detours from the busy main drags. Another beautiful day and another mission to find a charming cafe, outdoor seating preferred, led us to Union Square where the action is. We strolled past the Square where many people were taking their lunch breaks. It was very busy and why not, this large block is situated such that people can sit on the stairs, benches and chairs that are
often set out for an even from the evening before or an upcoming soiree. They may have brought their lunch, grabbed something nearby or be starting, completing or taking a break from a potentially endless shopping spree. Excitedly, we poked our heads around corners and into potential eateries and then we saw a bass player and a trump player in front of an alley cafe. We knew that was us!

There were two open tables outside and while one of us stood guard, the other two ventured in to preview the selections. Inside, the cafe was small with a few tables and a large display case. A chalkboard displayed the menu. There was a beef tip sandwich, a grilled vegetable sandwich, various salads, vegetable sides and a plethora of desserts. I had to focus on the food and not the desserts. I get distracted by beauty easily! The day before I had the grilled eggplant sandwich, so I decided I needed to have something different this day. The fresh tortellini salad caught my eye. A bed of greens topped with ricotta-filled spinach tortellini and chilled shrimp. This dish was beautiful. The pasta was marinated in vinaigrette and the chef topped the entire dish with a little extra. Laine had already ordered, but hailed me and suggested we split the Caprese salad, which looked tasty from our side of the line. I agreed and moved down the line. Amazingly, I passed up dessert because I knew I would have something divine later and did not want to have the sugar crash when we had the entire day in front of us. It was hard, I will admit. I paid (almost $30 for my salad and the salad Caprese) and trotted out to meet Laine and Maryland at our table.

Sitting outside was a treat and the live music made it even more so. My tortellini salad was delicious, decently-sized shrimp and very fresh pasta. Laine and I concurred that the salad Caprese was not to be celebrated. The mozzarella was fresh, but the tomatoes were terrible. They were the large, pinkish variety and had absolutely no flavor and this snack was $12, so it certainly should have been better. We did not let this ruin our lunch and finished up to get on with our day. I do like Cafe Mocca but would be leery of the salad Caprese.

Maryland ordered the beef tip sandwich with a side of greens. It was plentiful and she said scrumptious. Cafe Mocca offers a lot of choice and was very busy at lunch, which is a good sign. I believe sitting outside is more enjoyable as you have people standing in line right next to the inside tables. Prices are a little higher for lunch,
but the choices are unique and overall, the quality was very good, aside from the 'mators'. My salad was $14 but it was worth it. Gourmet lunches always are. The folks at Mocca move you right along in line, so I recommend you take in the selections before getting in line. They don't play during the bustling lunch hour.
~Alex

After wandering aimlessly the previous day, Alex and I decided we wanted a plan for our Saturday lunch. After lightening our wallets in some of our favorite stores in Union Square that fine morning, we spied Mocca down an alley. Jackpot! They had a beautiful Caprese salad in the window that I knew I had to try and an “authentic” Nicoise salad. When we arrived back at lunch time they were swamped. One table was open outside so we grabbed it and took turns placing our orders. I have read a lot of reviews that talk about this place like it is run by the “Soup Nazi”. That may be so, but was not my experience. I did ask a few questions and they were politely answered. I had forgotten to order the Caprese and reminded Alex to add it to her order for us to split.

The good news: Mocca has one of the best Nicoise salads in the history of the world. I loved it! It comes with a couple of pieces of crusty bread which were excellent. Very hard and buttery flavored. Everything about that salad was fresh and flavorful. Bravo!

The bad news: the Caprese salad stunk. The one on display looked so lovely. Two large tomatoes, sliced and restacked in a ball, with fresh mozzarella and basil slices slipped in-between. A very unique presentation. The one Alex brought to the table looked equally appetizing. The first bite was a gigantic disappointment. I swear they bought those tomatoes at a grocery store. They had a mealy texture like those tomatoes that come in a three pack covered in plastic. You know the ones I mean! I was hoping for some fresh summer tomatoes. What a let down.

Oh well, it was going to take a lot more than a couple of bad tomatoes to ruin my mood and my day. Mocca is on the pricey side for lunch, but I don’t mind paying a little extra for location, ambiance and good food. Steer clear of the Caprese and enjoy their other offerings. There is enough variety to offer something for everyone. They also serve beer, wine, and mixed drinks for those enjoying a day off and seeking such libations with their meal.

_Laine

Mocca is open 8am-6pm Monday through Friday, 8:30am-4pm Saturday and closed on Sunday. I assume they have some very interesting breakfast/brunch treats.

175 Maiden Lane
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 956-1188

La Briciola - SOMA, San Francisco, CA

A South of Market recommendation from a wonderful friend, Briciola has a wonderfully bright, yet cozy atmosphere. Candles, white tablecloths and white cloth napkins calmed me instantly. This weeknight was not extremely busy, but there were a few other tables filled with diners. That is a better sign that the empties Laine and I have experienced at times in the past. Upon my friend's suggestion, we let the waiter know who had sent us and this was followed by delivery of Tagliere di Salumi, coppa spek prosciutto, salami, olives and marinated vegetables. Full of flavor and a nice way to begin the meal, we were very appreciative of the gesture. As I am steering away from meat, I concentrated on the marinated vegetables and olivees and they were phenomenal. The fresh bread and olive oil also met my expectations for fine Italian dining. Bread is a good meter by which to judge a restaurant. The menu has a lot of options, many pastas such as, ravioli, gnocci, linguine and many more with wonderful sounding variations such as pesto, string beans and potatoes or sausage and broccoli rabe. I was having a very hard time deciding, but after pondering and asking Alessandro's opinion (our friendly, very pleasant waiter), I ordered the Ravioli di Cernia, seabass filled ravioli with a lobster reduction. Upon its arrival, it also had baby prawns in the lobster reduction. Can you say oh my! Honestly, this was one of the most interesting pasta dishes I have ever consumed and what taste. Very different and all of the flavors complimented each other like nothing I could have imagined. The portion was generous and I was happy as a clam. Maryland ordered the Agnello al Brunello, the rack of lamb, green peppercorn and Brunello red wine eduction. Her plate was completely filled with succulent-looking meat and vegetables. She was excited and very pleased with her selection as well. Because we love dessert, we had to end with something dolce and the Profitterolles alla vanilla, pastry puffs with vanilla ice cream and chocolate had our name written all over them. This is such a wonderfully
presented and fun dessert and Briciola did not disappoint. We were fully satisfied and so glad my friend had given us this wonderful suggestions. Prices are reasonable for fine dining and Briciola specializes in Tuscan and Piedmontese cuisine. I will definitely visit Briciola again.

~Alex

La Briciola is Italian for "The Crumb". This seems an odd name choice to me. There are too many derogatory ways you can play on that word, but I am sure they had their reasons to use it. I was significantly wiped out by the time we made it to Briciola. The walk from our hotel was further than I expected. Additionally, it was about 9pm PST, making it 12am EST according to my stomach’s clock. Way too late for me to be that interested in eating. I decided to keep it light and opted for combining a salad and an appetizer, rather than selecting an entrée. Of course, you end up spending more when you do that, but I didn’t really care at the time. Briciola has a nice wine list. I love Italian wines and they are a staple in my family wine collection. I selected a glass of 2007 Pinot Grigio Le Notti, Friuli and liked it so much I had another before my meal was over. My salad choice was Spinacina, a spinach salad including honey caramelized walnuts and goat cheese. It had a delightful vinegar based dressing and garlic seasoning. Quite nice! My appetizer was the Sfogliatine con gamberi e asparagi; a puff pastry roll with asparagus, shrimp and crab reduction. The preparation and presentation was flawless, and I liked it, but it didn’t knock me out. I don’t think I would order it again. As an appetizer accompanying an entrée it would be on the heavy side.

I was not as enchanted with Briciola as Alex. Our server started out very charming and attentive, but disappeared by the end of the meal. (See my pet peeves). Perhaps we were not so charming? By this time we were one of only two tables still dining. It made me wonder if he liked the person who referred us. Why would you neglect the table of diners who were referred to you by a friend? I had to get up from my seat, walk over to the bar where he was laughing it up with his co worker, interrupt the joke and request the check. Basta! Of all the places we dined in SF, I would have to put this one at the bottom of my list.

_Laine

Briciola serves lunch between 11-3 Monday through Friday and serves dinner seven days a week between 5-11.

489 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107
South of Market District

www.labriciola-sf.com/

Café Metropol - San Franciso, CA

After walking around a good deal of Union Square and the Financial District on Thursday, we were pretty sure that finding another café style bistro for lunch on Friday would not take long. How many people work downtown? They’ve all gotta eat somewhere right? Maybe it was the heat or maybe it was because we were still getting our bearings straight, but we seemed to roam aimlessly for quite some time without stumbling upon anything that might measure up to our expectations. Then, while wandering down Sutter Street we came upon Café Metropol. One peek inside at their showcase of offerings and a few words with the charming man in front (had to be an owner) and it was a done deal.

Metropol has a few tables in front for dining al fresco, and again, these were popular due to the heat. We opted for a table as close to the front door as possible. The owner really was charming, in a very European way. We asked his recommendations and he made everything sound like manna from heaven. When it came to salads, his number one choice was the Ceviche. I followed this queue and ordered it. Our friend Jackie could not decide on one and opted for their salad sampler, which gives you up to 4 salads to sample, a great idea. My Ceviche was wonderful. They didn’t vary much from the traditional recipe of fish, peppers, tomato, avocado, onion, cilantro, olive oil, and salt. Why mess with a good thing. They did add small shrimp and crabmeat, two of my favorites, and some sort of noodle I couldn’t quite place. Perhaps a rice noodle? The portion was perfect. I was full, and satisfied. Jackie enjoyed her sampler, favoring the beet salad with pears and blue cheese on organic mixed greens, as her top choice. They had a lovely dessert tray which was brought out upon request, but I will let Alex wax poetic on that course…

The service was attentive and friendly. The interior has a modern European flair. I saw quite a few people order pizza which looked and smelled good. I saw one child dining there and I would take a child there for lunch, but I can’t speak to whether or not I would at dinner. Overall the atmosphere is casual and relaxed. If we were not tasked with getting to a concert that afternoon, it is the type of place where we could comfortably linger over a drink and chat. I noticed that the employees seemed very familiar with several diners. It’s nice to see local regulars dining in a restaurant. That is a sign to me that there is consistency in their service and menu. Bien cuit, Metropol.

_Laine

I was determined that we were not going to eat somewhere mediocre and we would stop and look, maybe go in and then decide we could find something much better. I was looking for a bistro, with which I have had the best luck, especially if I am wandering a little aimlessly. Becoming a little frustrated as I do when I am in the middle of a city and cannot find somewhere to eat and the problem usually is that you are one street over from 'restaurant row', at least in my experiences. When I spotted the wicker chairs and bright yellow awning, it was almost as if Metropol popped up just to serve us! We could only be so lucky. We quickly perused the specials board and decided this was a fit.

Seated quickly at a cute inside table that was dangerously close to the dessert case, we excitedly scanned the menu. Everything we saw come out looked delicious. Grouper, salmon, white and black bean salad, meatloaf, ravioli, pizza and many others. On the outdoor patio, a little girl had a lovely looking Pizza Margarita and while it was a pretty good size, she was munching away at it with no problem. I would like to have had a bite!

Maryland opted for the Salad Sampler, which she could build with her salad choices. Some she included were the Slow Roasted Beet Salad, the Chicken Caesar Salad and the Ceviche Salad. She was very pleased and said the beet and ceviche were her favorites.

Another hard decision for me, but if these were the only hard decisions I ever had to make, I would be one joyful person. I finally settled on the Grilled Eggplant Focaccia Sandwich with fresh Mozzarella, greens, tomatoes and Dijon mustard. Served with a perfect little mixed greens salad (one of my favorite additions to a burger or sandwich), this sandwich was perfect. The focaccia was very fresh with herbs and olive oil and the grilled, marinated vegetables and mozzarella were made to perfection. I could eat this sandwich daily. Perfect in size, it did not stuff me but I was fully satisfied. I say that but then I had to again investigate the dessert case, at which I had peeked previously. There was a chocolate three-layer cake, a few berry pies and then there it was...the pear almond cheesecake. WOW! I did ask our waitress, to be sure, if she had a favorite and without hesitation she said the cheesecake. I needed no other reassurance. A light, almond-flavored cheesecake filling with fresh, poached pears atop, this variation of the popular dessert is definitely the best I have ever had. I am saying that with all honestly and truthfulness. I talked about it for the rest of the day and told everyone I knew what I had had. Calls, text messages. I would have emailed had I been near a computer! Unbelievable. Whatever you do while you are in the Bay Area, visit Cafe Metropol and order this dessert.

Prices are reasonable, service was good and the atmosphere was lively, yet relaxing, like any European cafe should be. Metropol serves lunch and dinner daily.

~Alex

Café Metropol
168 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
Tel: 415.732.7777
Fax: 415.732.7778

Café Claude - San Francisco, CA

My good friend Melissa offered up three suggestions for my first day’s lunch in San Francisco. The one that struck me as most appealing was Café Claude, a Parisian style bistro. Alex found this ironically delightful, as it is one of her favorites! After navigating across country, through airports and a hotel check in, I was starving when we arrived there on Thursday afternoon. Café Claude is situated on more of an alley than a street, close to both Union Square and the Financial District. The café has outdoor seating available, but since we had arrived during an unseasonable heat wave, all these tables were taken. I found this odd until I quickly learned that many businesses (and homes) do not have air conditioning due to the rarity of hot days. Inside was a tad on the warm side.

Since I was on a mini vacation, I completely abandoned my usual MO and ordered the pasta special for lunch. Good choice! Consisting of penne pasta with chicken breast, arugula, sundried tomato pesto (this is what did it!), and sautéed cauliflower. I don’t even like cauliflower. In fact, it is accurate to say I DISLIKE cauliflower, but for some reason, this preparation had me devouring it. If permissible, I would have licked the bowl when I was done, it was that good. Melissa said her she loves their Nicoise (funny right!) and it was her order for the day. It looked fabulous, coming with fresh tuna, cooked to order. She said it was delicious.

In addition to being adventurous in ordering my entrée, I added wine too. Two diners at our table opted for French wine, Macon Villages at $9 a glass. Since I was in California, I thought I only appropriate that I order a “local “selection. The server didn’t really say the label, simply asking if we wanted French or CA. I ended up with Nickel & Nickel Chardonnay, which at $15 a glass, it cost more than my $14 entrée. Can you say “SUCKER!”? Actually, it was a very nice wine, and prices on the bottle range around $45. Considering that I sometimes pay as much as $3 for 15 cents worth of diet Coke, I shouldn't complain.

I would definitely head back to Café Claude again, for lunch, dinner, dessert, or an afternoon respite from sightseeing and shopping. Live jazz is provided Thursday through Saturday nights 7:30-10:30pm.

_Laine

A San Fran friend recommended Cafe Claude to me and when Melissa suggested the same location, I thought 'genius! I have dined there previously and it is nothing short of fantastic'. Cafe Claude has always been busy the times I have dined there and this time was no exception. I love French bistros because of this. People drinking, eating and looking happy and relaxed but chatting and gesturing as they share stories and catch up. Initially, I judge a restaurant by its bread, if offered. Claude offers French rolls, crusty on the outside and soft in the middle. Just right and incredibly delicious. Butter is served room temperature which makes for easy use. I hate cold blocks of butter. On this particular day in time, I opted for the Lasagne, a vegetarian version of fresh egg pasta, roasted eggplant, zucchini, spinach, tomato, béchamel and herbes de Provence. Another in our party, Maryland, also dined on this selection and we agreed that it was mouth-watering and wonderful. It was the perfect portion for lunch and with the fresh pasta large assortment of vegetables, it packed flavor. Lasagna can often have more pasta than meat and vegetables but this was not the case. The vegetables and cheese ruled the roost here. For a dish that can be heavier with the cheese and pasta, lasagna at Claude's is filling but not dauntingly large. A good thing for a midday meal.

My first visit to Claude was also during lunch, with Nikki. We sat outside and it was a wonderful day, as it so often is in the spectacular city of San Francisco. Going with my usual desire, I opted for the onion soup gratinée with Gruyere cheese and baguette croutons and the pan seared salmon with fava beans stew, pistou, egg plant caviar, and basil leaves. Onion soup is at its finest with Gruyere cheese. I have had this adaptation in a few other establishments and yes, the top shelf cheese makes a difference. Others work, but be honest with yourself about quality. The salmon was fresh and the mixture of the accompaniments was delectable. Nikki ordered the Endive Salad with Belgium endives with blue cheese, walnuts, diced apples, tomatoes and chives and for her meal, the flank steak, marchand de vin sauce, served with pommes frites. All exceptional, particularly the pommes frites. I will eat those at any time of any day in a French bistro. That should sum it up! Nikki was very pleased with her meal. I enjoyed some of the Endive and was also very pleased.

During another visit, Maryland and I sat at the bar for a drink. As I have still not mastered the art of drinking regularly, I am careful as to what I order. No fruity drinks with umbrellas or mixed drinks (read bad hangover), but I like something to soften the edge of liquor. Vodka has proven the safest vice for me and some brands offer flavors, such as lemon, orange, blueberry, espresso, caramel and bubblegum is the latest of which I have heard. Maryland is always up for anything, so we asked David, the friendly bartender for their flavored vodka selection. They do not carry any, he said (I decided this might be a good thing later)! But, he calmed me when he said he would make us something similar but nicer. It was a smooth vodka with fresh lemon rind finely grated into the drink and a slice on the rim of the delicate miniature champagne flute for garnish. Ah, the presentation. It was picture ready. Delicious, fresh and my new favorite drink. Who needs run of the mill, mass-produced flavors, anyway. We enjoyed our drinks and chatted with a friend who manages Claude and had a fine afternoon break. Our drinks were $8 each, a deal in all many ways, I must say.

If anyone informs me that they plan to visit the Bay Area, my first suggestion is to find Café Claude, tucked in a bright and relaxing alley right off of the busy streets of downtown. My second piece of advice is to start shopping after lunch...great treasure to be hunted, mates.

~Alex

To view a 1 minute video of Café Claude "Click Here"

Café Claude
7 Claude Lane
San Francisco, California 94108
hours
Monday-Saturday: 11:30am-10:30pm
Sunday: 5:30pm-10:30pm
Happy Hour: Mon-Sat 4-6pm

Zona Rosa, San Francisco, California

For quick and casual Mexican food, take a seat in Zona Rosa in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. This is a no frills kind of place, but very inexpensive and quick. A quick trip through the cafeteria-style line and you can have a burrito, quesadilla or homemade chips and homemade guacamole. The portions are large and everything is fresh. The guacamole was very good, some of the best I have had. You get to see a fun mix of people while dining, which always makes the experience more intriguing. Anything less would be unheard of in Haight-Ashbury. Following lunch, you can roam Haight Street and visit the plethora of clothing and souvenir stores (where you can wheel and deal on some of the merchandise - always fun!) as well as a few tattoo and piecing studios, Soul Patch being my choice and recommendation.

Zona Rosa is located at:
1797 Haight Street
(between Cole St & Shrader St)

Put on your most casual, fun and eclectic apparel and head on down to the neighborhood where the push and pull of gentrification is constant, but also where you can still see the psychedelic and grunge influences. Visit the Grateful Dead House while you are there for a groovy time.

~Alex

Rose's Cafe, San Francisco, California

En route to the Outside Lands Music Festival, I came upon Rose's Cafe on Union Street with my friend, Jackie. We wanted something scrumptious for lunch before we journeyed to the concert in Golden Gate Park. We definitely found the place. Serving brunch until 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays and lunch and dinner daily, Rose's is a bright representation of an Italian cafe with seating inside and on the outdoor patio. The brunch selection includes Breakfast Pizza with Fontina, Smoked Ham & Eggs, Potato Hash, Spinach, Scallions, Corn & Smoked Mozzarella with Organic Poached Eggs, Linguine, Clams, Garlic, White Wine & Chile Flakes as well as an enticing variety of soups, salads and sandwiches. Jackie and I started with a wonderful piece of the Crescenza-Stuffed Focaccia and then opted for the Heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil pizza and the Rigatoni, Marinara & Reggiano. We finished with the Chocolate Layer Cake with Caramel Ice Cream and the Vanilla Panna Cotta with fresh strawberries. The food and service were both wonderful.

Prices are very reasonable.

http://www.rosescafesf.com/about_us.shtml



~Alex

Lulu Restaurant and Bar, San Francisco, California

I recently visited the wonderful city of San Francisco. One word, fantastic. My first evening in town, I went with some friends to Restaurant LuLu, a renovated 1910 warehouse in the SoMa district of San Francisco. The restaurant is open and airy and the kitchen has rotisseries and grills on display for the guests. Restaurant Lulu offers a contemporary cuisine and a wide variety of choices. Between the members in our party, we had the Tomato, Eggplant and Chard Gratin, the Pork Loin, a gourmet pizza and some other delicious selections. We chose sides, such as a gourmet macaroni and cheese, polenta, roasted cauliflower with black olives and rosemary and roasted seasonal vegetables. Dessert followed, warm chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream and an assorted cookie plate with chocolate ice cream. There were many choices, it was difficult to decide. There is a large wine selection at the bar that carries over to dinner. Service was spectacular.

Entree Prices average $25-$30. If you are in San Francisco, Restaurant Lulu is a must.
www.restaurantlulu.com/LuLu_about.html



~Alex