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Eleven Madison Magic, or, The Best Meal of my Life Part 2

[rating: 5]

In my review of the French Laundry I wrote that, in terms of my culinary experiences, I hoped that I hadn't peaked at 22. Two years later, I'm happy to write that after indulging in the 11 course tasting menu at Eleven Madison Park, that fear is completely gone...

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Eleven Madison Magic, or, The Best Meal of my Life Part 1


[rating: 5]

This is part 1 (lunch) of 2 reviews, otherwise it would be too long...

Let me start from the beginning...My love affair with Eleven Madison Park actually began at lunch last Thursday, where I limited myself (and my credit card) to 2 courses, dessert, and a couple glasses of wine. Instead of going into depth about every single course I had, let me say now that the dishes weren't just delicious, or even great, but that every dish blew me away. Every. Single. Dish.

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Market Bar. Market Epic Fail.

[rating: 1]

If this place was not one of the only places with outdoor seating over at the Embarcadero, there would be pretty much no reason to go here.

I'm pretty sure I could've swam to Alcatraz and back in the time it took to get our food, the attention of the waiter to get more food, and finally, the check. That's 3 trips to Alcatraz and back! Lets put it this way: I had absolutely nothing better to do but sit there for hours and hours, in fact I was trying to pass the time, and I was still freakishly annoyed with how long it took to perform every single service-oriented task, no matter how simple (i.e. fill up my water)...

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Need a Go-To Tacqueria to Satisfy Those 2am Cravings? Look No Further Than El Farolito

[rating: 3.5]

Ahhh Farolito. We've certainly had some good times together, haven't we? Like, that one time I came in drunk just before 2 and ordered a Super Carnitas Quesadilla? Or that other night when I stumbled in drunk after bar-hopping in the Mission, and ordered a Super Carnitas Quesadilla? And, of course, you can't forget the time when I wandered in drunk on a Saturday and ordered a Super Carnitas Quesodilla. Do you remember that!? Good times my friend, good times...

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Pomp and Circumstance at Acquerello? Hey! I Thought this was Supposed to be Italian!

[rating: 3.5]

Never having been treated to a full tasting menu (+ wine pairing) at an upscale Italian restaurant, I was quite excited to finally get in touch with my Italian roots and try (what I had heard to be) the best in this field in SF. While parts of the dinner were outstanding, my overall impression was that the food was very hit and miss...

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Thoughtful Mexican Dining in the Mission? Gracias Madre Delivers

[rating: 3]

I am neither vegan, nor do I live off of a gluten-free diet (thank god!). If I could have carnitas smothered in cream on top of pasta every night, I would. Well, that's a lie because that would be disgusting, but you get the point. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly satisfied by my meal here tonight.

Gracias Madres is very SF in the sense that they're taking a lot of seasonal ingredients (and maybe a few that are just past their season, i.e. butternut squash) and throwing them into classic Mexican entrees. Tacos with roasted asparagus is a perfect example. Although they haven't updated all the winter ingredients (kale, brussel sprouts, & squash, for example), they're certainly mixing things up. And, when the menu says "mushrooms" they don't mean flavorless button mushrooms, they mean shiitake. And if they mean shiitake, they mean business...Continue Reading

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Spork Excudes Fast Food Charm Without the Fast Food Flavor

[rating:4]

Miniature, plastic Pikachus decorate the restaurant’s entrance, greeting each customer when they walk in the door. Giant prints of 1950’s billboards hang from the walls. Shiny, illuminated cooling fans adorn the space above the food pass window. If walking into Spork feels a bit like walking into a modern-day drive-thru, that’s probably because this space was literally an old KFC that has been converted into a lively, quirky neighborhood restaurant. Although the days of serving buckets of chicken wings may be over, every detail of the renovated space, from the décor to the cuisine to the staff’s dress code, preserves the spirit of fast food culture...Continue Reading

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