New 2-star to Coi (kwa) in North Beach. *Why* is North Beach Restaurant in there? Kind of mysterious about some other restaurants that were left out. Chez TJ’s went down 1 star, but understandably as a chef moved on. The media event was nice, the tablehopper didn’t table-hop, which was kind of funny. I loved meeting Paolo of Eater SF, who’ve I’ve enjoyed reading for quite a while.

There was a waiter who was a dead ringer for John Edwards. For such a foodie town it was a lot sparser than Tokyo or New York parties of the same purpose. We have less media? We don’t care as much? I have no idea. Note: I’m guest blogging for their contest, which has some neat prizes and I’ll post all the info here. Posted more thoughts on the guide on my blog: banane.com.

Michelin folks were very nice and appeased my concerns about French reviewers- they’re all American in our cities- and ethnic cuisines, etc. They’re going digital with a mobile app called ubiubi.mobi. One question from the audience: “how are you responding or reacting to Yelp, will you add comments in your guide, or guest reactions?” Led to a rambly answer by Jean-Luc about the history of the guide, and how he predicts people will still be using paper to read from in 10 years time. I think a better answer (I know it’s weird to answer for him) would be that there are *so many problems with Yelp* that they don’t compete, but complement each other. For a well-chosen, selective guide with good iconography and a respected reputation, it’s a relief for the 400 reviews for 1 restaurant on Yelp that are actually dialogues of teenieboppers flirting with each other. Disagree? Comment!

“Michelin 2009 Released” on Eater SF

Stars Shine In Third Edition Of Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country (press release)

I’m hardly breaking new ground by reviewing Zuni, but more and more, I’ve run into people who’ve lived in San Francisco for at least a couple of years and have never eaten there. My advice: invite some out-of-town guests to visit and take them to Zuni.

Zuni Café
1658 Market Street (btwn. Franklin and Gough)
415.552.2522

• What kind of food is it? Fresh, sustainably grown / harvested ingredients prepared in French and Italian styles.
• What can you get to drink? Full bar with some spins on classic cocktails (I like the balsamic bloody mary), a one-sheet wine list with a good breadth of choices, nice selection of non-alcoholic beverages.
• Would you eat there again? I do. Probably too frequently.
• Would you eat there once a week (or more)? Short answer: Absolutely. Longer answer: It’s a little pricey for weekly dining. That being said, you can spend under $30 by getting a burger and plate of shoestring fries. Unfortunately, they only serve the burger at lunch or after 10 p.m., but it’s completely worth altering your plans to eat at those times. The burger is wonderful.
• Would you go out of your way to eat there? Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes.
• Would you recommend the place to your friends? I have and will continue to do so.
• Would you take your parents there? The in-laws, even. I’d suggest going after 10 p.m., perhaps after a night at the symphony. Order the caesar salad and some raw oysters to start and the roasted chicken (Sweet Jesus, the chicken!), a burger and fries for entrées. Depending on how much you like your in-laws, I’d also advise a bottle (or three) of wine.
• Would you take a first date there? Absolutely. I’m not going to get along with any girl who doesn’t like the food here.
• Would you take kids? I suppose. Point of fact: the children I’ve seen eating at Zuni are some of the most well-behaved I’ve ever seen. My deepest thanks to those parents.
• Do they take reservations? Yes, and I would highly recommend making them. However, the limited bar seating is first-come, first-served and the full menu is available there.

What more can I say? I’ve never had a bad meal at Zuni. In fact, one night a couple of years ago, they made a truffle burger (hamburger patty studded with chunks of black truffle) that might have been one of my most transcendent burger experiences. I check the menu for that burger to this day.

Before you protest about a totally positive review, I must admit, the chicken was a touch dry the last time I had it, which merely brought it down to the level of a normal restaurant’s instead of head-and-shoulders better as is typical. But, for my money, Zuni is consistently one of the best eateries in The City and will continue to be one of my must-dine-if-you’re-in-San-Francisco restaurants.

Breakfast/brunch at Cafe Divine (Union & Stockton)- get seated at the sidewalk tables, and, with mimosa in hand, watch people in the park. I’d recommend the fruit bowl w/ granola or the poached eggs. Divine doesn’t have a huge menu but the ingredients are top notch. OR hit La Boulange (Columbus, Green) for a pastry and a bowl of cafe au lait. Describe how the park used to be the common for the neighborhood- the patch of ground where you could garden or keep livestock. Mention the falsehood that DiMaggio married Marilyn Monroe at the church- actually just photographed in front of it.

Get a post-breakfast gelato at Naia on Columbus or the gelato place up Union St. Pavel’s yogurt is great, as well as Nutella flavor. Sit in the park and watch people.

Walk down Columbus to Molinaris’ (at Vallejo) and get the very affordable North Beach Special sandwich: layer upon layer of mortadella. Or, just sample the $1 finger-size fennel sausages.

Stop at Stella’s Bakery (Columbus near Vallejo) or Victoria Bakery (Stockton & Vallejo) and buy some pignolas, apricot tart, or almond cookies. Get cappuccino #1. Sit outside and watch people.

A little downtime browsing titles at City Lights (Columbus & Broadway): note, bee-line for the Staff Favorites shelf near the magazines.

Get cappuccino #2 at Caffe Trieste (Grant & Vallejo). Sit outside, watch people, and chat with regulars.

At this point your guests may want to leave and sample another neighborhood- but you could stay here and eat dinner and get a drink, which is another post in itself. If they’re feeling over-caffeinated and full, tell them to hike up to Coit Tower, you’ll meet them at FilmYard (Grant & Stockton) afterwards, or sitting outside Caffe Puccini (Columbus & Vallejo) sipping cappuccino #3.

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Cyrus sits mere steps from Healdsburg Square which itself is mere minutes from dozens of wineries and tasting rooms. And what better way to end a long afternoon of tasting (and spitting, of course) wine than to sit down with an eight-course tasting menu with accompanying wine flight?

To the questions, then…

Cyrus
29 North Street
Healdsburg, CA
707.433.3311

• What kind of food is it? Contemporary French-Cal, complete with Champagne / caviar cart and cheese course.
• What can you get to drink? Full bar with cocktails like the Rhubarbarella, dictionary-thick wine list.
• Would you eat there again? Absolutely. You’re paying, right?
• Would you eat there once a week (or more)? I’ll need to discuss that with my financial advisor.
• Would you go out of your way to eat there? It’s in Healdsburg. I have no choice but to go out of my way to eat there.
• Would you recommend the place to your friends? Yes. The trust-fund friends, at least.
• Would you take your parents there? We did. They enjoyed it immensely. I believe the words “life experience” were used.
• Would you take a first date there? That’s one hell of a first date. I was unaware that Scarlett Johansson was interested in dating me.
• Would you take kids? No. Please, no.
• Do they take reservations? They’re recommended, in fact. However, there is some lovely bar seating available, and you can enjoy many of the menu items without actually sitting down for a full dinner.

Dinner at Cyrus was a stellar dining experience, simple as that. The setting was lovely, the service wonderful, the food delightful. If you’re looking for a splurge restaurant, you could do much, much worse than this little gem nestled along Wine Country’s road less travelled. You could not do much better.

* Medjool on Mission. Huge roof deck with capacity for crowds. Tiny little elevator, but that’s the only real drawback.

* El Rio, of course, huge deck

* The Ramp- huge back deck with open area

* Personal favorite: Fish! in Sausalito, lots of deck and locally fished seafood.

* Almost all of the Ferry Building restaurants have outdoor eating

* Epic Roasthouse & Waterbar on Embarcadero

* Palomino & Gordon Biersch have outside areas

* The Waterfront on Embarcadero has a wind-protected open area

* Pier 23 has a tarp enclosed back area (they may open it once in a while)

* Most North Beach places have outside sidewalk seating.

* Metro Hotel on Divisadero near Haight has a beautiful back garden.

Please comment with your favorites!

Also see: Eater SF’s El Fresco Options, CitySearch Round-up

The second annual San Francisco Cocktail Week is coming. Running from May 13th – 19th, SFCW celebrates, as the name suggests, cocktails and “the dynamic beverage culture of our community.”

From the Opening Gala at Harry Denton’s Starlight Room to the Closing Party at Absinthe, attendees will be able to learn more about the history of cocktails, observe San Francisco’s bar illuminati in action and, more importantly, sample the essence of their labors. Select restaurants will offer tasting menus with specially paired cocktails. Neighborhood-favorite Elixir will celebrate its 150th anniversary with a tribute to the Sazerac. On the 14th, you’ll even be able to imbibe with the best — renowned guest bartenders from across the country will display their craft at bars around The City.

So put on your drinking shoes (closed-toe highly recommended) and come celebrate San Francisco’s hallowed place at the altar of fine drinkables. Just don’t forget to designate a driver or MUNI navigator.

You won’t find star ratings here. You won’t find a lot of flowery descriptions of food or snarky comments about service. And you especially won’t find any charming back story about how the chef’s first job was cleaning the deep fryers at McDonald’s before securing the financing to open a wildly successful San Francisco bistro.

Instead, you’ll find the answer to ten questions that, to me, encapsulate the San Francisco dining experience:

• What kind of food is it?
• What can you get to drink?
• Would you eat there again?
• Would you eat there once a week (or more)?
• Would you go out of your way to eat there?
• Would you recommend the place to your friends?
• Would you take your parents there?
• Would you take a first date there?
• Would you take kids?
• Do they take reservations?

Our first entry:
Bar Jules (And yes, I know that I got scooped by Michael Bauer at sfgate.com yesterday. Bar Jules deserves all the good press that it gets.)
609 Hayes (at Laguna, next to Suppenküche)
415.621.5482

• What kind of food is it? Fresh California with a French bistro influence.
• What can you get to drink? Wine, beer, Blue Bottle coffee, rosebud tea.
• Eat there again? Absolutely.
• Eat there once a week or more? Sure. Menu changes daily, but it’s a little pricey.
• Go out of your way to eat there? Yes, but it’s more a neighborhood place.
• Recommend to friends? Absolutely.
• Take your parents there? Yes, probably for a weekend lunch.
• Take a first date there? Yes.
• Take kids? Yes, for lunch.
• Take reservations? For parties of 6+ only.

The Wife and I had lunch there on Saturday, and it was wonderful. If they have Meyer Lemon Cake on the menu when you go, get it.

No, really. I don’t care it you don’t have room for dessert; get it.

Amongst the participating restaurants in Dining Out For Life this Thursday, April 24th are numerous joints ranging from high end to many mid priced indie run spots from the ballpark’s Acme Chophouse to Alamo Sq Grill, or Anchor Oyster Bar in the Castro.

In the chain dept. all the local Amici’s Pizza & Pasta Pomodoro locations…

Whether you like Askew or Zazil, there’s something on the list in almost anyone’s potential price range…

more info and link to the
complete list at

http://www.DiningOutForLife.com/SanFrancisco