Ti Couz

It's hard to realize that Ti Couz has been in business for 15 years already. The consistency of the quality of fare is quite good, and the charming ambiance of the venue only adds to the experience. Ti Couz has satisfied many a palette for those 15 years with unfaltering flavor and textures and a menu I can't imagine that anyone wouldn't find something to enjoy from. Menu options include various salads, including a Veggie Salad of broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, tomato slices and corn on a bed of Spinach and four kinds of lettuce, all lightly blanched so the freshness comes to the surface where it's lightly tossed in their excellent house Vinaigrette dressing. There are also a couple of seafood dishes, including an excellent shrimp cocktail and raw oysters with mignonette, as well as french onion soup and a soup of the day. The main attraction though is the crepes, and they offer both savory and sweet varieties and you can order one of the specials or assemble your own from a nice list of ingredients. Favorites of mine include the Champignon, or a mushroom crepe with a gorgeous and rich mushroom sauce, the Saumon Fume, or salmon crepe with finely-sliced scallions and creme fraiche, or as a make your own a crepe with ham, eggs and cheese which is especially tasty for brunch. On the sweet side, who can resist a crepe with banana and Nutella - delicious! There is a well-appointed and affordable wine list, and on warm days and evenings there are several tables outside. Hope you stop in sometime soon for a relaxing and tasty meal. Enjoy.

Ti Couz

3108 Valencia Street in San Francisco

Dinner at Ramblas Tapas

Ramblas Tapas is a cheery and casual tapas spot in the Mission that you can usually count on for a tasty, fun and inexpensive meal. A few of us recently enjoyed dinner there. We sampled several items including the Spanish Tortilla with potatoes and onions, salsa verde and aioli. The Tortilla is served in fairly large wedges which actually makes for a nice texture in your mouth and certainly an attractive presentation as well. We also had a refreshing Spanish "Wedge Salad" Little Gem lettuce, creamy Spanish blue, apple and radish chips. The dressing was especially rich and creamy and the textures of the other elements all worked nicely together. The Herb Crusted Grilled Chicken Spanish chorizo with citrus salsa verde was salty and tasty, and the Price Edward Island mussels Spanish sherry-cream and grilled garlic toast are always a winner. Ramblas offers happy hour from 5 to 7pm on weekdays whereby you get a free drink, so it's a great time to stop by. Hope you enjoy.

Ramblas Tapas

557 Valencia Street in San Francisco

http://www.ramblastapas.com/

Puerto Alegre

Puerto Alegre in the Mission has a fun and casual vibe with bright colors and always a good crowd. The margaritas are great but make sure you just order regular margaritas - the only choices listed on the menu are the much more expensive, top-shelf varieties. I can't taste the difference anyhow. The chips and thick and super crunchy, and I really enjoy the red salsa with big chunks of tomato and a good amount of cilantro. The tostada salad is fairly large and comes with tons of shredded chicken. The soft chicken taco with grilled or shredded chicken and side salad makes a gorgeous lighter meal. Lots of tasty fried items too of course. Perfect for brunch too with a nice egg menu as an addition, and also great for groups. Enjoy.

Puerto Alegre

546 Valencia Street in San Francisco

Cheap Wine Night at Maverick

Maverick, self-described as an American Eatery and Bar, is a charming, neighborhoody spot in the Mission which has various regular events, including Junk Food and Wine Pairings, as well as Cheap Wine Nights on Mondays. The already reasonable wine list is offered at a 40 percent discount, making some of the selections downright cheap. The space is small but simple, elegant and comfortable. The brick walls and clean lines work well with the muted colors of the tables and chairs and lend a somewhat airy vibe but still one that you want to be in. The food menu is fairly limited but certainly covers all of the bases. There are around 8 each of appetizers and entrees and a few desserts on offer. We dined last night on gorgeous mussels cooked in a white wine sauce with tasty and rich pancetta and served with several creamy dollops of a smoky aioli which was gorgeous with the luscious bivalves. We also shared a side of asparagus which was well-seasoned and served with a nice amount of butter but not too much. The stalks were delightfully crisp and were of a green color that you can only get with very fresh product. We also had the Southern Fried Chicken which is rich, crispy and utterly decadent. It's buttermilk-soaked Mary’s free range chicken served with bacony collard greens, Nora Mill “Georgia Ice Cream” grits, and brown chicken gravy which was obviously started from the luscious chicken drippings. We shared two bottles of white wine, a Grüner Veltliner Der Pallerhof Österreich from Austria followed by a Pinot Gris Claudia Springs from Anderson Valley. At $34 and $30 pre-discount they were both certainly a deal. The Gruner was nice and refreshing but a bit floral for our taste. We thoroughly enjoyed the Pinot. The staff is knowledgeable and courteous and definitely can enhance your dining experience in a positive way. All in all a great way to start off the week, and one that hopefully fits in with the budget as well. Enjoy.

Maverick

3316 17th Street near Mission in SF

www.sfmaverick.com

Brunch at Luna Park

On a recent sunny and warm Sunday a nice set of folks and I dined at Luna Park for brunch. We arrived somewhat on the early side for brunch and the place was already buzzing with folks in the mood for some tasty food and drink. The ambiance at Luna Park is casual, comfortable lively with bright red table- and bartops, exposed brick walls adorned with funky prints and paintings, lively light fixtures and a peek into the kitchen in the back of the space. This day the doors and windows in the front of the restaurant were open and the lovely day was able to be at least partially enjoyed even while inside. We settled in and everyone was immediately happy with the menu as it ranges from breakfast staples to more lunchy items as well as fun dishes such as goat cheese fondue. Brunch drinks are fairly pricey at $8 a pop but most folks had at least one mimosa or similar drink. The orange juice was ok but definitely was not freshly squeezed. I had the Cobb Salad which is a hearty mix of mixed greens, chopped tomatoes, chunks of chicken breast seasoned with rosemary, sliced avocado, tasty crumbles of bacon and chopped hard-boiled egg. The dressing is mildly creamy and tasty with a velvety texture and rich flavor reminiscent of the avocado in the dish and is well-seasoned with salt and pepper. Others opted for dishes including the French Toast, Monte Cristo, Salmon Hash, Nicoise Salad, Chilaquiles and Steak and Eggs. Everything was delicious. The French Toast was especially decadent and came with winter berry compote and mascarpone cream. It was likely a small dinner later that day for those who indulged in that menu item. I have had the Nicoise Salad many times for dinner at Luna Park and the dish is the same for brunch and certainly still quite a nice meal. The salad features mixed greens topped with rare seared tuna slices, potato, fresh green beans, tomato, olives and chopped hard-boiled eggs all lightly dressed with a vinaigrette dressing. The Chilaquiles were a big hit as well. The dish includes fried tortillas with spinach, tomato, beans, avocado and eggs. The eggs were well cooked and the flavors combined well. All in all a successful start to a lovely Sunday for sure.

Luna Park

694 Valencia Street in San Francisco

http://www.lunaparksf.com/

Picaro, Inexpensive Tapas in the Mission

The Mission certainly offers quite a few tasty choices as far as tapas spots go, but Picaro is one which is centrally located, consistently tasty and inexpensive. There are four tables outside for enjoying your meal when the weather is nice, and the indoor portion of the restaurant is good-sized and earth tones, simple wood tables and other furnishings, Spanish paintings and other decor and friendly staff give off a nice and comfortable vibe. There's a short wine list as well as several beers on tap and sangria on offer as far as libations go. I had the Marques de Riscal, a dry white wine, last time I was there and at $5 a glass it certainly works just fine. Patatas Bravas, the standard fried potato dish, is nice and somewhat spicy at Picaro. Tortilla de Patata, potato and oniion omelet; Championes de Ajillo, or mushrooms sauteed with garlic; Pollo al Ajillo or garlic chicken, are other standbys that Picaro does well. I also almost always order grilled calamari when I see it on a menu since I much prefer it to the fried variety, and Picaro's take on the dish is delicious. Ropa Vieja, or stew with beef, chicken and chorizo is another solid dish. Picaro is a good place to just know about and stop in when you are in the neighborhood and are looking for a relaxed place to enjoy tapas for not a lot of money. Enjoy.

Picaro

3120 16th Street in San Francisco

Maverick American Eatery & Wine Bar in the Mission

Last night I had the pleasure of joining a nice group of folks for dinner at Maverick in the Mission. It was a gorgeous and quite warm evening outside and a lovely occasion for a fun dinner out. Located just off Mission Street on 17th Street, Maverick is a small place but one with style and class for sure. Clean, minimal decor, brick walls, nicely finished hardwood floors and simple furnishings lend an elegant feel to the ambiance, and one which meshes well with the somewhat simple yet delicious menu options. The glass windows which stretch from floor to ceiling and form the front of the restaurant were opened throughout the evening, allowing us to enjoy the warm weather while at our long table just near the entrance to the space. The restaurant uses fresh, seasonal ingredients in combinations which aren't always one you may have had before. We ordered family style so each of us were easily able to sample quite a few of the menu items. To start the evening, I ordered a glass of Tocai Friulano David Noyes, North Coast, 2004. The nose was somewhat grassy yet clean and the finish was refreshing and tasty. A perfect choice for the wine ranging food options to come. We started with Sugar Pie Pumpkin Fritters, which come with toasted cumin and coriander yogurt sauce and are served on a bed of arugula. The fritters were light yet crisp and quite sweet, and the yogurt sauce was a nice cut to the fry. We also sampled the Maverick Salad, which is baby mixed lettuce, Thompson seedless grapes, Persian cucumber, aged goat cheese lightly dressed with champagne vinaigrette; Lobster and Shrimp Salad, which is butter lettuce, sugar snap peas, diced yam and Yukon gold potatoes with flambeau radish; Baltimore Crab Fluffs, which have a nice amount of lump crab meat and are served with tartar sauce; and Barbecue Meatballs, which are beef, veal and lamb meatballs with pomegranate and smoked chili barbecue sauce, creme fraiche and sliced baguette for soaking up the tasty sauce. The meatballs were delicious and really had the sweet/savory components working nicely in tandem. I wasn't a huge fan of the Lobster Salad as I thought the creamy dressing was a bit overdone and didn't allow the essence of the lobster and shrimp to shine. For entrees, we tried the Grilled Caribbean Cobia, Braised Creekstone Farm Beef Short Ribs, Grilled Broken Arrow Ranch Antelope, and Southern Fried Chicken. The fish was perfectly cooked and served with warm farro salad, roasted brussel sprouts, chestnuts, carrots, celery and leeks with a gremolata sauce. The sauce was slightly sweet and the balsamic vinegar essence was very tasty and a nice complement to the fish and vegetables. The Short Ribs were melt in your mouth tender and delicious and the chanterelles they were served with soaked up all of the rich sauce and were very tasty. I had never had antelope before and was quite pleasantly surprised by this dish. The antelope wasn't all that gamy really and had a nice, earthy flavor. The pesto-like sauce it came with was delicious and didn't overpower the flavor of the meat. The Fried Chicken was, not surprisingly, delicious and decadent. The chicken meat was nice and moist and the fried coating wasn't too thick but was crispy and tasty nonetheless. It's served with blue lake green beans, smashed fingerling potatoes and with andouille sausage gravy which is salty and has great depth of briny sausage flavor. Maverick is an elegant yet approachable venue, as is its menu, and really a lovely spot to spend time and enjoy a delicious meal. I think the group generally all had a really positive experience. They also do Saturday and Sunday brunch, which I am curious to go back for.

Maverick

3316 17th Street in San Francisco

http://www.sfmaverick.com/