Kemp M.'s Profile

I hit Costco to get a couple of new rear tires. After waiting for an hour in line, the sales rep walked me out to my car took a look and said they did not have the tires to fit my car (even though the Website said they had them.)

The sales rep was kind enough to refer me to Larkins Bros. I pulled in, walked up to the counter and 45 minutes later drove off with the new tires at a great price. (They even rotated the tires without charging.)

I would recommend Larkin Bros to anyone.

I used to cycle past this place when training for a multi-day ride. One day I convinced my training partners to stop here for lunch. Since then is has been one of my favorite post bike-ride/hike/kayak stops. The outdoor seating and food are great when you need to re-charge.

Get the trio of salsas and a couple tacos. This is enough to fill-up most anyone. I strongly suggest the fish taco, but I like to mix it up.

They also have a special drink - the Michelada. Get one.

Go. Eat the Cuban. Bring a friend.

Hint - Get it to go and take it to the Napper Tandy around the corner, grab a booth and a beer to go with this meat orgy.

I lived in Noe Valley for 6 years and it took Anthony Bourdain and a friend's birthday for me to set a reservation at Incanto.

The menu changes regularly, so reviewing each dish serves little point when they are no longer on the menu. Still, a quick recount of the dinner can't hurt.  

Appetizer
- Ox tongue
Entrees
- Pork Belly
- Veal
Dessert
- Cheese Plate

Amazing. It was all amazing. The food, the service, the ambiance; it was all perfectly aligned with a price that was appropriate, if not inexpensive considering the overall experience.

Let me elaborate on the service. It was first class, perhaps some of the best I have ever experienced. Our waiter knew the menu backwards, took care of each of our needs, suggested our wine and yet he was not over-attentive.

This made for a very special occasion.

I will go back here again and again.

I took a date here in an effort to try to complete 7X7's list of 100 things to try before you die. We were there specifically to try the chicken pot pie.

My date looked gorgeous.

The conversation was excellent.

The pot pie was okay.

The steak was stringy.

The service was wonderful, the setting was nice, the food was underwhelming. I might try Liberty Cafe again, but I am going to give it a few months.

Our party of four showed up with no reservation on a Sunday night. We were quickly seated at the bar, which in most circumstances is not ideal for sharing 'small plates,' but the bar was more than wide enough and we had a great view of the kitchen.

The food was terrific. We shared six plates and raved about each of them. A couple of highlights are:
- Shaved Asparagus (served as a salad)
- Calamares (not fried) and
- Albondigas (lamb and pork meatballs).

The wine was good, and seemed reasonably priced.

The staff was nice, knowledgeable and brought our food out at a leisurely pace allowing us to enjoy the meal.

On the whole I was very impressed that this new restaurant seemed to run like they had been open for years. Bring friends so you can try as many plates as possible, and expect to have to wait for a table. From what I have heard, this place has been very popular and there's usually a wait.

Enjoy.

The standard fried chicken was terrific. Each serving is prepped when you order it - there are NO HEAT LAMPS here.  The chicken is moist, the crust is crunchy and it comes to the table HOT.

We also had an order of the spicy fried chicken which was the same as the fried chicken just coated in a sweet hot sauce. On the grading scale the dish got a B-.

The salad bar was anemic, but the rice was a great touch.

This is a come as you are chicken joint with a Korean twist. Prepare to eat with your hands (and get a little messy.)

It was a cold and windy night when three friends and I were determined to eat at Anchor Oyster Bar. We waited outside for upward of 40 min. in biting wind for a table, and we were rewarded greatly.

Awesome waiter move no. 1 - We all got small servings of the clam chowder (on the house!) served to us outside to help keep us warm.

Awesome waiter move no. 2 - Once we were seated, he placed an order of their terrific (and warm) garlic bread on the table to help us warm up (again on the house!)

We agreed to share the Caesar salad and each ordered an entree from the daily specials (unfortunately my companions were not oyster fans - poor planning on my part.) The Caesar was excellent and the dressing was obviously made on site. We all noted a taste of horseradish which really livened up the salad.

We shared entrees and they were all fantastic. I had the breaded scallops, with vegetables, potatoes and homemade tartar sauce. Cooked perfectly, the scallops were tasty and the home made tartar sauce pushed them over the top.

Service was top notch.

Food was amazing.

Will I go here again? Absolutely.

For good affordable steak dinner, Izzy's is a consistent favorite.

My Fliet Mignon has always been cooked perfectly medium rare. Add two sides (Izzy's potatoes and creamed spinach are the best in my book) and you have a very filling meal for under $30.

Wine selection and prices are on par for an SF steakhouse.

The dark interior wood and impressive bar let you know you are in a steakhouse.

Consistency and price make Izzy's a top choice.

With 17 people in our brunch party, we were no easy group to handle, but the staff served us well and kept the mimosas coming.

The food was good. It was really good. I had the biscuits and gravy which comes with two eggs. The sausage gravy was tasty without being greasy, the biscuits were flakey and they cooked my eggs perfectly over easy.  I shared a side of bacon with another member of our party. $2.50 got us only three pieces of bacon. I will admit it was some of the best bacon I have had, but $2.50 seems a little steep for three slices.

Note: In my book quantity does not equal quality. The portions here are not large, but the food is good. Some in our party felt they were on the small side, but I was very satisfied when I walked out the door.

Other dishes that received good reviews from our group included the French toast and the egg white omelet.

I have yet to try Levende for dinner, but I would definitely recommend their brunch.