Piperade

Having been away from the evening restaurant hunt for a while now, lunchtimes are a new opportunity to discover those hidden and even the not so hidden gems. Last week, compliments of a new epicurious friend I was introduced to Piperade in the Advertising Gulch of the city just off Telegraph Hill. An inviting exterior lures you into a stylish living room with dark wood and splashes of red. All the staff sounded Spanish which was the first clue that this restaurant was indeed a Basque concoction, starting with its name which is also their signature dish. Piperade is a typical Basque dish coming from the word for pepper and also mirroring the colours of the Basque flag. Chef Hirigoyen adds an egg on top of the onions, peppers and tomatoes to make a perfect hearty lunchtime meal. I am already looking forward to coming back and exploring more of the menu. This place is definitely one of San Francisco's places to check out as a visitor or a local. Enjoy!

Akiko's on Bush

In need of a drink, instinct would usually send me to Rickhouse, the ever trustworthy post work watering hole but tonight I was lured elsewhere. This ended up being a pleasant surprise with even more pleasant company. Round the corner from the office, located on Bush between Grant and Kearney, Akiko's is easy to find and immediately inviting. We were served by Ray, who upon leaving, we discovered was the owner along of the restaurant with his dad the sushi chef. Service was great and we were treated to a tasty selection of rolls, sashimi and seaweed salad. Feeling like a back street Shibuya sushi joint with one of the fanciest bathrooms I have come across, Akiko's is definitely a place to check out for a quick drink or some rolls. Make sure to say hi to Ray if you make it there!

Chez Spencer ce soir

Since I have now been to Chez Spencer 3 times, it is about time I put down some finely chosen words about this legendary city joint. This round was a dinner with the boys. Hidden from the street next to neighbouring and better known Nihon, Chez Spencer lures you in through its herb and flower garden into the high ceilinged inner sanctum. Laurent and Erin opened the restaurant in 2002 and named it after their son. Since the doors opened they have delighted diners with well crafted French fare and exceptional, mostly French service.

For starters go for the Green Asparagus and / or the Scallops and heart of palm salad. I prefer "and" as opposed to "or", the scallops are too good to miss. Main course in my book needs to be the Fillet Mignon. Other popular dishes are the Risotto and the Rack of Lamb. You think you will be able to walk away without dessert but its really not recommended or possible. Go chocolate or profiteroles. Chez Spencer will leave you very satisfied time and time again. Don't over indulge, use as a special occasion night out and make sure you spread the word - Chez Spencer is an SF classic.

Dream Farm lives up to its name

When we moved out of the city, it was a happy hello to Marin and a sad goodbye to all the fantastic culinary excitement that the City had served up to us. However Marin seems to have a few little gems of its own. Thursday night we checked out the oft talked about Marinatas (to be reviewed in another post) and walked past the alluring window of Dream Farm. After checking out the menu and speaking to the owner we put it on the hit list. Tonight as we are still waiting for our little one to grace us with her presence we decided to give Dream Farm a test drive before settling back in for a night of the Grammys.

Right on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard the unassuming, warmly lit Dream Farm welcomes in the diner in search of quality fresh organic fare in a classy dining room setting. With only 50 minutes to order, eat and get back home we skimmed the menu. We started with a frise salad with ricotta and blood orange and the crab cakes. The crab cakes melted in with a light tartar sauce with a rocket side, delicious. For main course we had the roast chicken with green beans and creamy mash and the spicy marinara seafood capellini. The only shame about the experience was that we didn't have more time to savour it. An excellent spot and very reasonably priced, we can't wait to go back. If you live in San Rafael, San Anselmo or anywhere in Marin, do yourself a favour and pay Dream Farm a visit!

Le Garage delivers first funky brunch spot over the bridge

Last week on a flight to LA I had the pleasure of sitting next to a very pleasant French chap who also shared a passion for quality dining in SF. One of our fears of moving over the bridge was that we would leave the funky city restaurant scene behind and be stuck with "the local Italian, Indian" etc. To our pleasant surprise we have discovered that there are more and more fun spots in Marin to check out for us married folk. Renault shared one of his favourites in Sausalito, Le Garage and being a dedicated food hound, we paid it a visit today with some in towners.

Finding Le Garage may be the only negative I can find to mention about the restaurant. Just be determined and keep heading towards the water and eventually you will see signs. From the outside is it is nothing special but once inside you are immediately taken by the atmosphere. Great music, bold colours, 50's retro bars stools and views of the marina in what was clearly a converted Garage. Greeted by the owner, we were shown to a comfortable booth where we perused the short but creative brunch menu. Classics like Eggs Benedict were matched with more interesting fare, like Oeuf a la coque, Frisee au Lardons and a quiche Lorraine. The service was excellent, the food perfect. This is definitely on the recommend list for brunch with friends and I can imagine that the scene will be even more appealing in the summer months, dinner menu also looks tasty. Bonne chance!