It was a good day for Cafe Murano

1777 Steiner Street

San Francisco, CA 94115          

       

Cafe Murano- Free Wi-Fi, cozy little cafe with good prices and good food (mind the spicy mustard though)

 After a trip to a friend's bridal boutique up the street (The Bella Bride), my friend and I decided to stop in for a quick bite to eat. This place is pretty small with odd tables and chairs placed in no sequential order. However, this place is quite lovely with many french posters including many Pellegrino inspired pictures hanging on the walls. I think the owners must be friends with the Pellegrino people because there are endorsements everywhere!

Review: We ordered two sandwiches: Tuna w/ cheddar & pickles and Curry Chicken w/raisins and tomatoes. The great thing is that both plates came with a fresh bowl of fruit. Not the fruit that was pre-packaged and tastes stale or like water, but fresh fruit. The mango was super sweet. I also had an orange SanPellegrino *surprise, surprise*.

Tuna : 4/5 (yummy, mustard too spicy) -Nina

Curry Chicken: DELISH! 5/5 - Rachel

For a carbonated drink, it was yummy!

Rating: 5/5. The prices were just right and the fresh fruit and made-to-order sandwiches were not only healthy, but very tasty. However, they used some spicy mustard and from what I understand, they seem to use this mustard on everything. If you aren't a fan of horseradish or don't appreciate the spice of it climbing up your nostrils/back of your neck, you might want order it sans the mustard. The curry chicken was seasoned with curry powder just right and the nuts & raisins complimented my palate.

mMm mMM Lentils!

98 Battery St
(between Bush St & Pine St)
San Francisco, CA 94111

Here is another review on one of my favorite lunch spots in the FIDI. The building I work in is in between John's Snack and Deli (previous revue) and Hadi's Cafe. This is a quick and easy lunch spot always filled with hungry patrons. They serve mainly Greek/Mediterranean foods but offer bagels, sandwiches and salads as well.

Review: I have ordered many dishes here including: Chicken Gyro, Mediterranean plate, Falafel Wrap and Lentil Soup. You really can't go wrong with anything you order here. It is family owned and operated and you can see them prepare each dish with fresh ingredients. I often check out a restaurant's health inpsection score card so I'll  know if I can expect to have food poisoning after. You will be happy to know that they have received a rating of 100% from the health department. Not very many places I've been to have had the honor of  receiving such a high score.

Lentil Soup $3.25 for Heaven!

Ratings: Lentil Soup- I have been on a lentil soup kick for a couple months now and have sampled about five different bowls and none have compared to Hadi's Lentil soup. If you are a fan of garlic and broth based soups, you must try this soup. First of all, lentils are extremely healthy for you (they serve as a good source for lean protein and fiber, help lower the risk of heart disease and help lower cholesterol). The garlic in this soup must be cooked for many hours because once it hits your tongue, it just melts. This itself deserves 5 stars.  5/5

Read more about the benefits of Lentils: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/608067/the_nutritional_benefits_of_lentils.html?cat=5

Falafel Wrap- I was once turned off by falafel because it was really dry and tasteless. Hadi's falafel wrap is simple, yet delicious. It's not dry or tasteless and comes in a pita with Tahiti, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onions and Hummus. The sweet lady at the front will ask you if you want it spicy and I must warn you, it's SPICY! If you want my advice, get the spicy on the side. It's really good in smaller doses. 5/5

Chicken Gyro- For some reason, everyone who was in line with me yesterday ordered this dish. Of course, I noticed that this was the common topic on yelp, but was more influenced to try it out for myself with the recurring order yesterday.  The chicken was nicely seasoned and moist and the wrap came with lettuce, tomatoes and sauce. I myself do not like creamy sauces swimming in my wrap and for some reason, it was yesterday and had to scoop some off with my spoon. The wrap itself was very tasty, but the overwhelming drizzles of sauce took off a point for me. Maybe it was a boo-boo? 4/5

Mediterrean Plate- Everything is pretty good, however I have had better dolmas. The dolma skin wasn't as easy to cut with my teeth in comparison to many other dolmas I've gobbled up. This also deducted a point for me, but overall, a light and satisfying meal. 4/5

Korean/Mexican Fusion? Ole!

Lunch time is one of my favorite times of the day..... especially when it's Kimchi Burrito day.

I'm an avid user of yelp.com and have always noticed this one hole-in-the-wall in the FIDI (Financial District of SF) that serves kimchi burritos and other "to-go" korean dishes/mini-mart items/lottery tickets. Lines are always out the door and congregate for one special dish: The bulgogi kimchee burrito.

Location: John's Snack & Deli  (rated 4 solid stars on yelp.com)

40 Battery St

San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 434-4634




Specs: Fresh, made-to order bulgogi beef, sauteed kimchi, salsa , lettuce, cheese, cilantro all wrapped in a soft tortilla shell. When I say made-to order, I literally mean that they bring out a hot-pot and start cooking the marinated beef right in front of you. As you can see, I more than obliged to take a photo with my blackberry...or maybe it was just an excuse to stain my clothes & hair with the aroma of sizzling Korean beef!!

Review: I had prepared myself for a decent burrito and a bit of sweetness (per the reviews I read). When I read the title, " Kimchi Burrito ", I'd anticipated it to be fiery goodness and hoped that those who mentioned the sweet factor were over-analytical food snobs. Although the burrito featured sauteed kimchi and deliciously marinated bulgogi beef, the other reviews were right on..a little too sweet for my taste. I ordered it without cheese since I'm lactose intolerant and really didn't notice a difference. The flavors of the beef, the kimchi and the salsa were quite pungent and worked well with each other. Next time, I think I'll order it extra hot and perhaps request fresh kimchi.

Rating: 4/5 - The, "little-too-sweet" factor subtracted a whole point for me.

Until next time, happy eating!

It's a Starbucks Morning!

Hello! This is my first review in this food blog and I'm very excited to start sharing my experiences with you.

STARBUCKS in the morning - VALENTINE'S DAY Edition!

 I got my regular Grande Green Tea  (China Green Tips) with 1/4 cold water so that I still have taste buds at lunch. I noticed that they have a giant heart printed on their eco-friendly cups! This is one way to get in the love-day spirit. I love their classic Green Tea because it's very clean tasting and not to mention, super healthy for your body.

* healthmad.com/alternative/10-great-benefits-of-drinking-green-tea/

If you know one thing about me, I generally do not like breakfast foods (ie..muffins, scones, donuts). Instead, I opt for a nice hearty serving of steel cut oatmeal with dried fruits, slivered nuts and brown sugar. It's a no frills type of breakfast food that I like to have when I want to stay satisfied for a few hours. Although it's not the most gourmet version of oatmeal, it certainly does the trick for someone on the run!

For those of you who do like to indulge on Eggs Benedict, Belgian Waffles or even just a good bowl of Honey-nut Cheerios, remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

*Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.
Adelle Davis

(1904 - 1974)