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
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.
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.
