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Patricia Unterman
A slice of the Middle East
- Maher Abudamous, the dark, slender owner of Layaly, an immaculate Middle Eastern restaurant in the Richmond, happens to be a Palestinian from Jerusalem. For his small, perfect menu, he has plucked the best preparations from across the region — Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Jerusalem — and throws in a few of his own inventions.
- Maher Abudamous, the dark, slender owner of Layaly, an immaculate Middle Eastern restaurant in the Richmond, happens to be a Palestinian from Jerusalem. For his small, perfect menu, he has plucked the best preparations from across the region — Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Jerusalem — and throws in a few of his own inventions.
Take Mom out to the ballgame at AT&T Park
- Why do dads get to eat prime rib on their special day, and moms end up at a brunch buffet, one of the sorriest excuses for a meal that America has ever invented? Know what Mom would really like on Mother’s Day? She’d like a leisurely afternoon game at San Francisco’s incomparable AT&T Park, where the spunky, underrated Giants play the Phillies at 1:05 p.m. Sunday.
- Why do dads get to eat prime rib on their special day, and moms end up at a brunch buffet, one of the sorriest excuses for a meal that America has ever invented? Know what Mom would really like on Mother’s Day? She’d like a leisurely afternoon game at San Francisco’s incomparable AT&T Park, where the spunky, underrated Giants play the Phillies at 1:05 p.m. Sunday.
Deco, drink and delicious dining at Flora
- Is Oakland the new Brooklyn? San Francisco artists, cooks, writers and musicians I know, plus a bunch who are just starting their post-school adult lives, find the rents refreshingly affordable there and the food scene is heating up.
- Is Oakland the new Brooklyn? San Francisco artists, cooks, writers and musicians I know, plus a bunch who are just starting their post-school adult lives, find the rents refreshingly affordable there and the food scene is heating up.
Piccino is perfect for pizza and salad
- Piccino, a smart corner cafe in a remodeled, navy blue Victorian comes as a surprise in gentrifying Dogpatch, a sunny microneighborhood at the bottom of the eastern slope of Potrero Hill.
- Piccino, a smart corner cafe in a remodeled, navy blue Victorian comes as a surprise in gentrifying Dogpatch, a sunny microneighborhood at the bottom of the eastern slope of Potrero Hill.
Review: Good ol’ American beef at Ruth’s Chris Steak House
- Last week two of us serendipitously found a $25 promotional gift certificate to Ruth’s Chris Steak House in the mail. Fifty dollars off a steak dinner for two seemed pretty substantial so we headed right over. But as it turned out, a 50-buck credit barely makes a dent in a Ruth’s Chris tab.
- Last week two of us serendipitously found a $25 promotional gift certificate to Ruth’s Chris Steak House in the mail. Fifty dollars off a steak dinner for two seemed pretty substantial so we headed right over. But as it turned out, a 50-buck credit barely makes a dent in a Ruth’s Chris tab.
Florio: Simple, beautiful bistro dining at its best
- Hungry folks mill around the front door of SPQR, anguishing over whether they can endure the wait. I breeze by and find a seat at Florio, a few storefronts north, and one of my favorite little bistros anywhere.
- Hungry folks mill around the front door of SPQR, anguishing over whether they can endure the wait. I breeze by and find a seat at Florio, a few storefronts north, and one of my favorite little bistros anywhere.
Namu’s intricate flavors entice your palate
- In a barely noticeable double storefront on a commercial, if slightly barren, block of inner Balboa, Namu is a find: an affordable wine-and-sake bar with a menu of small, enticing Japanese/Korean dishes, with both counter and table seating.
- In a barely noticeable double storefront on a commercial, if slightly barren, block of inner Balboa, Namu is a find: an affordable wine-and-sake bar with a menu of small, enticing Japanese/Korean dishes, with both counter and table seating.
At Blue Bottle, coffee reaches the upper limit
- Starbucks vs. Peets? So old school. The hottest/coolest coffee drama in San Francisco today stars Blue Bottle and Ritual, two small, local coffee roasters that have elevated a cup of brewed coffee to grand cru heights.
- Starbucks vs. Peets? So old school. The hottest/coolest coffee drama in San Francisco today stars Blue Bottle and Ritual, two small, local coffee roasters that have elevated a cup of brewed coffee to grand cru heights.
Surf 'n' turf in the theater district
- When I told an old scriptwriter pal of mine to meet me at Fish and Farm, the new little restaurant in the Mark Twain Hotel, he shot back an ecstatic e-mail.
- When I told an old scriptwriter pal of mine to meet me at Fish and Farm, the new little restaurant in the Mark Twain Hotel, he shot back an ecstatic e-mail.
Jazzy soul food in the heart of the Fillmore
- The hottest block in San Francisco now is anchored at one end by Yoshi’s, a top flight jazz club and restaurant; and on the south end by 1300 on Fillmore, an evocative jazz lounge and high-concept dinner house featuring the polished American soul food of chef David Lawrence. Both new places are packed, but with different crowds.
- The hottest block in San Francisco now is anchored at one end by Yoshi’s, a top flight jazz club and restaurant; and on the south end by 1300 on Fillmore, an evocative jazz lounge and high-concept dinner house featuring the polished American soul food of chef David Lawrence. Both new places are packed, but with different crowds.
Secret’s out: Great rotating menu at Bar Jules
- Jessica Bonecutter was very deep in the weeds behind the stove at the opening of the Hog Island Oyster Bar in the then-newly renovated Ferry Building. People were pouring in, orders were piling up and service was breaking down.
- Jessica Bonecutter was very deep in the weeds behind the stove at the opening of the Hog Island Oyster Bar in the then-newly renovated Ferry Building. People were pouring in, orders were piling up and service was breaking down.
Review: Innovative Japanese dining with a California twist
- The yin-yang synergy of Hime, a new world izakaya — a Japanese pub — starts outside on the sidewalk in front of a giant Buddha that gazes serenely at six lanes of Lombard Street traffic. Those of us who have driven past this location for 30 years dimly recall that this 1950s-style ranch house used to be a coffee shop and pie bakery.
- The yin-yang synergy of Hime, a new world izakaya — a Japanese pub — starts outside on the sidewalk in front of a giant Buddha that gazes serenely at six lanes of Lombard Street traffic. Those of us who have driven past this location for 30 years dimly recall that this 1950s-style ranch house used to be a coffee shop and pie bakery.
Mexico City's fine dining scene
- Examiner food critic Patricia Unterman checks in with her latest report from her culinary adventures around the world. Today: Mexico City
- Examiner food critic Patricia Unterman checks in with her latest report from her culinary adventures around the world. Today: Mexico City