KelsEats

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I already wrote about it for Examiner, but after another meal that left me in disbelief, I have to write about it again. I’m making it my personal mission to make sure that anyone considering dining in the Mission doesn’t overlook one of this areas best options: Bar Tartine…

Tags: california cuisine, chris kronner, new american cuisine, sf examiner review, the mission

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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…

Tags: california cuisine, fine dining, flatiron, french restaurant, james beard award, Michelin-rated restaurant, new york city, Relais & Chateau restaurant

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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.

Tags: california cuisine, fine dining, flatiron, french restaurant, james beard award, lunch, Michelin-rated restaurant, new york city, Relais & Chateau restaurant

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Momo’s, I wanted so much to dislike you! You’re huge, you’re flashy, you’re packed, and I’m jealous of how much money you make (at least on game days!). But I have to say, for the type of restaurant you are trying to be, you keep it real, and I can’t help but be a fan…

Tags: california cuisine, soma

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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

Tags: burgers, california cuisine, sf examiner review, the mission

Let’s face it, there are some restaurants that a diner can’t help but enter with high expectations. Many of these restaurants live up to said expectations; a select few exceed them. Then, once in a blue moon, you stumble upon a restaurant that doesn’t just go above and beyond, doesn’t just become another entry in the book of memorable meals, but redefines your concept of food. Coi is one of those restaurants…Continue Reading

Tags: 100 best of the bay, california cuisine, Coi, Daniel Patterson, financial district, fine dining, Michelin-rated restaurant, tasting menu

An excerpt from my latest SF Examiner article:

Is it a pirate ship? Is it an oceanic habitat? Is it a warehouse sprinkled with a few tables, posing as a fine-dining restaurant? Or is it simply a place to kick back after a long day of work for a drink and a solid meal? After visiting Anchor & Hope, an unassuming restaurant tucked away on a side street in SOMA, I’m convinced that it’s all of the above.

This is not the sort of restaurant where you sit back in your seat, sip your whiskey rocks, and let the mood lighting ease you into the setting – the second you step foot inside, the spacious, barge-like environment embraces you head on. From the wooden rafters, the lengths of rope hanging from the ceiling, to the lamps painted to resemble giant eyeballs, it’s clear that you’re here for a deep-sea culinary adventure.

Dive in…

If you’d like to read the full article, please go here.

Tags: california cuisine, seafood, soma

In a sense, Saison is a play of contradiction: a sophisticated restaurant tucked into what looks like the back alley of a Mission warehouse, a French country-side interior with Led Zepplin and Lynyrd Skynyrd serenading diners in the background, and seemingly simple food which, in actuality, requires an astonishing amount of patience and technique to prepare. And when I say patience, envision a chef carefully balancing tiny flower petals, one by one, onto a bite-sized piece of sashimi with tweezers. And that’s just the amuse-bouche…Continue Reading

Tags: 100 best of the bay, california cuisine, fine dining, french american cuisine, Michelin-rated restaurant, tasting menu, the mission, vegetables

One Market. One Michelin star. One hell of a good lunch.

From the outside, One Market resembles many of its Embarcadero neighbors – a conspicuous, sprawling, posh space dotted with white tablecloths and men in suits. But don’t let the exterior fool you. Unlike many waterfront restaurants, which exude a Power Lunch confidence but have little substance, the quality of the food being served inside far surpasses its nearby competitors…Continue Reading

Tags: 100 best of the bay, american food, california cuisine, embarcadero, fine dining, Michelin-rated restaurant, sf examiner review

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When I walked into Frances, I wasn’t sure if I had entered a restaurant, or a room in my friend’s upper-middle class, suburban home. Cream walls, walnut tables, black-and-white stock-art – if Restoration Hardware died and came back as a restaurant, this would be it.

Starting with that first impression, it’s clear that they want you to feel at home. I was almost surprised that a Labrador retriever didn’t greet me at the door with a pair of slippers. Much like a pair of Ralph Lauren khakis, both the atmosphere and the attitude of the service embody this feeling of relaxed casual, but still exude a certain air of sophistication…Continue Reading

Tags: 100 best of the bay, california cuisine, Melissa Perello, sf examiner review, the castro