Ed "SF Travel Examiner" U.'s Profile

Samiramis was the Queen of Babylon to whom the legendary Hanging Gardens were built in tribute by King Nebuchadnezzar II. Now that piece of mythological trivia probably has nothing to do with the price of fava beans at this dimly lit store in the Mission, but what the hey, it makes for an interesting story, doesn't it? Jamie W., my friend Linda and I stumbled upon the store on the way to Old Jerusalem, which is quite fitting since it felt like a quick trip to the Middle East. There are some fascinating goodies in here not the least of which were raw almonds still in their leafy coverings, which the owner salted for us to nibble on. Tasty in a most unexpected way.

But I have to tell you I was most intrigued when I discovered this little store was just profiled in the New York Times a month ago. The young manager's name is Wadee Imseeh, an accountant from the West Bank, and he took over from the man who owned it for nearly four decades. I can't begin to tell you about all the exotica in here from all the different jars of tahini to the hookahs on the top shelf to the vats of olives in the back ready for the scooping (see photo). Linda was excited to find fresh fava beans in the tiny produce section in front. I will definitely come back for the hummus in the refrigerated section and the four kinds of zaatar he sells. Indeed a whole new world for me.

Dining at Old Jerusalem is like going back to the homeland dancing the hora and singing 'Hava Nagilah'. How disingenuous of me since I'm not Jewish. My people aren't even from the Middle East, more like a few thousand miles to the east past the Silk Road. But I feel like an Israelite when I come here because the walls are filled with murals of Jerusalem in all its historical glory. This is no formica-laden fast-food shawarma place like at the very end of The Avengers where you wonder how they managed to stay open when most of Manhattan was destroyed. No, this feels like a family-run operation with the staff as nice and attentive as can be. The youngsters at Oasis Grill could take a cue from this place.

Jamie W. and I have been on a Middle East kick lately since the cuisine is so tasty and healthy at the same time. That's why we've been wanting to try Old Jerusalem for a while since we kept seeing it from the 14 as we passed by. They don't disappoint. Good-size portions and executed in a home-style fashion. You are first given a plate of pickled beets and parsnips with green olives followed immediately by a full basket of homemade pita slices with two dipping sauces - a chunky chili-tomato and a yogurt blended with tahini and cilantro (see photos). Highly addictive stuff out the gate. Jamie ordered their daily special, the $14.95 Lamb with Okra, a savory stew in a spicy red sauce accompanied by their special rice (see photo).

I tried their $13.95 Vegetarian Combination Plate, quite a full platter with two falafel balls, hummus, ful, baba ghanoush, Arabian salad, dolmas, marinated eggplant and roasted cauliflower. Genuinely delicious and highly recommended for non-veg-heads looking for something different with a diverse array of flavors. We came back less than a week later, and I tried two small plates to fill my belly - the $7.45 Mossabaha, a heaping spread of hummus dip topped with whole chick peas, lemon juice, garlic, pepper and olive oil; and the $4.95 Jerusalem Salad, which was actually a watery tahini sauce mixed with tomato, cucumber, parsley with olive oil and lemon (see photo). Repeat visits are inevitable.

FOOD - 4 stars...solid, home-style Middle Eastern fare well executed and mostly satisfying
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...atmospheric murals bring a unique spot to the Mission
SERVICE - 4 stars...really friendly and helpful with the menu
TOTAL - 4 stars...takes me back to the homeland...oh wait, I'm not from the Holy Land

David's feels like it's lost in a time capsule somewhere between Mayberry and Petticoat Junction where people whistle on the sunny side of the street and have not become cynical from being stiffed by tourists buzzing through town. Jamie W. and I knew we couldn't afford the calorific Home Style Cafe with their artery-clogging biscuits & gravy, so we searched for an alternative which we were hopeful could provide a healthier alternative. David's is not a place that's obvious from Hwy 1 as it's hidden away in the Boatyard Shopping Center where you have to make a right onto a quiet road and drive into an unmarked parking lot with a suburban maze of shops. David's is somewhere to the right if that helps.

Once you enter a rather cavernous place decorated with all sorts of scenic paintings from what I assume are local artists, you are greeted by at least three women who want to make sure you feel right at home. It's comforting to be away from home and feel like your mom is serving you. Almost immediately, we received complimentary carrot and celery sticks with a cup of ranch dressing. Perhaps it was just a mother's intuition that led her to realize we were eating plant-based that day. Well, I did let a little poultry into my life since I ordered a $9.95 Chicken Caesar Salad, which came in a large bowl with the dressing on the side (see photo). Hmmm, she knew to put it on the side. Thanks Mom...

FOOD - 3 stars...nothing fancy here but the portions are abundant and satisfying
AMBIANCE - 2.5 stars...like Fingerhut had a sale and threw in a gallery of art, too
SERVICE - 4 stars...Mom knows best, and she's only open until 2PM
TOTAL - 3 stars...say hey to Aunt Bee for me, ya hear?

As fate would have it, my trip up to Mendocino with Jamie W. gave us an opportunity to patronize a fine-dining establishment that completely caters to our current dietary needs. Believe it or not, the last time I had red meat was on March 27 when we splurged and went to the House of Prime Rib for a final act of carnivery. Oh I'll have a steak sometime in the future. I'm not a fanatic after all, but we're actually liking the focus we've been placing on plant-based eating. Located in a wooded glen just before you reach Mendocino proper on Hwy 1 going north, Raven's at the Stanford Inn serves only a vegan dinner menu. It wasn't the most memorable dining experience I ever had, but they came close sometimes.

The upscale lodge-like setting is nice, and you can get a view of the approach to Mendocino through the trees. The staff appears quite young for the most part like members of a cult, but I don't really hold that against them except the rote way they described the healthy dishes being served. First up was the amuse bouche - a corn tortilla shaped like a Ritz cracker with a pinto bean puree piped on top (see photo). A healthy bite but a bit dull. Things improved with the appetizers. The first was the fresh-tasting $10 Roasted Beets and Frisée, a pile of frisée with julienned Big River beets and a dab of lemon-walnut pâté on top, all doused lightly with a roasted shallot vinaigrette (see photo). Solid execution on a familiar dish.

The second was the $8 Tamari-Maple Glazed Tofu in which they sliced a piece of firm tofu into five pieces, drizzled a wasabi emulsion on it, sprinkled sesame seeds, and set all of it in a pool of maple syrup infused with tamari (see photo). Slightly contrived for my taste, but the sweetness of the syrup was a treat. Jamie ordered an intriguing entree, the $18.50 Ravens Portobello Reuben, an open-faced variation of the classic deli favorite that still uses the sauerkraut and Russian dressing (on the side, of course) but then uses slices of peppercorn-caraway-poached portobello, avocado, arugula and a heaping dollop of cashew cheese to round it out atop whole-wheat bread. It came with a few herbed polenta "fries" (see photo).

My entree was the $25 Sea Palm Spicy Peanut Curry, a hefty twist on a Thai-accented dish that uses locally harvested sea palm, which is a kelp that they boil to turn into a noodle-like texture. It was mixed with lots of squash and red onions and a thick curry infused with peanuts. There were ramekins of lime slices and raw peanuts to use at your discretion (see photo). I liked it for the full flavors that were achieved, but given the casual presentation, it struck me as excessively priced given you can find sea palm quite easily on the nearby beaches. We passed on dessert simply because nothing tempted us significantly, but we were pretty well sated anyway. It's worth strolling the bucolic grounds. You're in Mendocino after all.

FOOD - 4 stars...nice presentations, healthy ingredients, good flavors, somewhat pricey entrees
AMBIANCE - 4.5 stars...what you think of when you visit Mendocino
SERVICE - 4 stars...attentive though rather overstaffed
TOTAL - 4 stars...classy vegan fare worth a try even if you are carnivorous

Jamie W. and I really enjoy tooling up the cold coast and visiting Ft. Bragg, a small, former logging town overshadowed by the manufactured quaintness of Mendocino. In fact, we just went up there for the fourth time since 2009 this past weekend, and we were hankering for some Mexican food. We like the Purple Rose up on the northern end of town on Hwy 1, but this time we decided to go deeper into the residential area about ten blocks east on Oak. Busy little intersection on a Friday night just before 8PM. Ricarda's operates in what looks like a small house next to the corner market. All the formica tables with plastic tablecloths are fairly crowded together (see photo), but luckily, business was on the light side that night - just a big family and a couple of guys at another table.

This is definitely a place for the locals, which is exactly what we wanted. The menu is pretty standard (see photos), so chances were minimal that we could stick with a plant-based diet that night. Still, I did my best and ordered the $6.50 Vegetariano Burrito, which was stuffed with rice, black beans, sour cream , cheese and lettuce, but the nice surprise was the grilled vegetable medley inside with bits of broccoli, peppers and onions nicely mixing with the other ingredients (see photo). It was quite tasty and plenty big. As a side, I also went for one of their $3 Hard Shell Tacos with Chicken which was overflowing with the same filling as the burrito except it had pieces of grilled chicken inside (see photo). That was pretty good with a solid crunch of the corn tortilla the nice bonus here.

Jamie didn't trust how they would prepare a vegetarian burrito and went full gonzo with a $7 Super Burrito with Carnitas. The fifty-cent premium gave him more melted cheese on top as well as a special sauce (see photo). He somewhat regretted his choice because the burrito was drowning in a sauce which was already on the greasy side. He envied my selection of a cleaner burrito. We also got a basket of their chips, which tasted like they were baked, and their fresh salsa (see photo). That was good eating, and Ricarda runs the place like everybody's kindly yet intimidating aunt. There is a gallery of photos of her younger self on the wall in glamorous poses that must reflect a dream she may have had outside of a taqueria. This place is definitely worth a try if you're in the parts and wanting to avoid the tourist traps.

FOOD - 4 stars...solid, no-frills Mexican with a standout veggie burrito
AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...relaxed with what appears to be a regular customer base
SERVICE - 4 stars...it's all about Ricarda and the man quietly busing the tables, likely her husband
TOTAL - 4 stars...either here or the Purple Rose for solid Mexican, and Ricarda's has longer hours

It would be downright criminal of me not to comment on the Copenhagen Metro. Why? Because I think it may be the most efficient metro system I've ever used. Quite a statement from a self-proclaimed subway connoisseur like myself, I know, and I realize other cities have far more complicated networks of trains that need constant coordination. After all, there are only two lines in Copenhagen that meet at the Christianhavn station. It's just that I need to let the world know that this is how the Danes run a metro system - or more personally, I just need to let the bureaucracy who runs San Francisco's BART and MUNI train systems know that this is how it should be operated. The contrast in passenger experience is startling.

I have to admit I am embarrassed by any tourist who visits my fair city and encounters the dependably delayed arrivals, the passive-aggressive operators, and the seats encrusted with all sorts of bodily fluids - all hallmarks of San Francisco public transportation. But not in Copenhagen. Beautifully maintained trains. 24/7 service. On time. No human operators, completely computer-operated. No unresponsive fare gates, no temperamental ticket machines. A Copenhagen card takes care of all your transit needs when you're there. I was honestly tempted to stay on the train and go up and down the M1 line because it was such a comfortable ride. So in closing, Barcelona has a nice metro, and so does Lisbon, but I think I'll take Copenhagen.

When I first walked by this closet of a place late one evening, I remember wondering why there was a biotech office in what looked to be a prime retail area near Union Square. I mean I'm all for combating debilitating and rare diseases, reducing our carbon footprint, and feeding the hungry, but hey, I could go for a bag of cashews, too. I miss the nut lady at Morrow's Nut House on Geary, but that's another story. Anyway, I didn't realize until weeks later that this place was the Crepe O Chocolat shop that friends of mine used to rave about. Apparently caught on the same health-centric wave I seem to be on, the Frenchwoman who runs the place has changed the name to Bio.

"Bio" appears to be short for "Biologique", the French term for "organic". Now I have no idea whether their menu changed significantly due to its identity makeover, but she and her assistant appear to focus on organic and gluten-free items for breakfast and lunch with quite a display case of appetizing-looking sweets and pastries (see photos). Lots of exotic-sounding beverages, too, like French cider and spicy lemon cha. Given my plant-based emphasis lately, I was more than happy to give it a fat-free try. It was hard not to order any of the almond cookies or the coconut cake or chocolate-covered grapefruit slices - all vegan, of course - since they did look tantalizing from my woefully deprived sweet tooth. I was able to hold on to my willpower, no small feat since I haven't had a cookie since February (!)

But what I really wanted at that very moment was the $9.25 Quinoa-Stuffed Portobello, but they were not making it on that particular day, so I settled on their daily special, the same-priced Kale Salad wth Quinoa and Brussel Sprouts (see photo). There are just a couple of little outdoor tables already occupied, so I took my box of healthy goodness back to the office. Well, it was certainly abundant with dark leafy greens, so I know it had to be good for me. I just think it needed more of a contrast in flavor between the sprouts and the kale, even though the quinoa helped provide some texture to it. Service, I found, was a bit on the surly side, perhaps the result of multi-tasking when I couldn't tell if she was paying attention to my questions. Ah the French...

FOOD - 3 stars...healthy abundance but a tad bland for my curdled taste buds
AMBIANCE - 3 stars...a busy closet with a lot of good-looking edibles on display
SERVICE - 2.5 stars...a tad surly but understandable given how long people take to order
TOTAL - 3 stars...a Bio break is not a bio break

I had been wanting to try Marnee Thai since, well, you guessed it... I saw all three guests on "Check, Please! Bay Area" rave about it while Leslie Sbrocco was having one too many glasses of her reserve chardonnay. Unanimous praise is not that unusual on that program, but the dishes looked so uniquely succulent for what I thought would be just another Thai place that I couldn't resist its allure. Now here's the challenge these days. Jamie W. and I are going all plant-based with our dining choices, so we were wondering if we would be able to find anything on the menu to compete with the likes of the Spicy Angel Wings or the Stir-Fried Stewed Pork Belly, both of which I would have easily ordered and devoured just weeks earlier.

Well, it turns out our concerns were unfounded as their vegetarian options are genuinely tasty and satisfying here. First things first, Marnee Thai passed my spring roll test, the true litmus for the quality of any Southeast Asian fare that lies ahead of me. The $7.95 Summer Rolls, a seasonal special, were crispy-fresh with just the right consistency in both the rice noodles and the wrapper. Yes, I recognize there was shrimp in them. Don't expect me to be perfect, OK? Bottom-feeders are in my diet, I swear. Regardless, the hoisin peanut sauce was the perfect complement (see photo). We then shared two veg-head dishes. The first was Jamie's predictable choice - the $9.50 Pad Thai Vegetarian, which mixed the savory fried rice stick noodles and fresh bean sprouts with a bounty of stir-fried vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, snap peas, asparagus and baby corn (see photo).

Warmed tofu, egg and a carpet of ground peanuts completed the picture. It was a nice, fresh execution on an old standby. But I have to tell you I was completely blown away by the $9.50 Spicy Ma Kuer, a peasant-style plate of sautéed eggplant with mushrooms, fried tofu, baby corn, bell pepper, chili, garlic and Thai basil (see photo). Again, it was the consistency of the eggplant that really made this dish almost carnivorous in nature. But the eggplant has no face and no mother, so I'm cool. I would order that dish again in a heartbeat, and I can't wait to try the Pumpkin Curry next time. So if you find yourself in the Inner Sunset after an afternoon traipsing around Golden Gate Park, I say this is a great place to rest your weary bones and indulge in some of the tastiest Thai food I've had in this fair city of ours.

FOOD - 5 stars...robust flavors pop at this compact, busy place
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...a bit tight in there
SERVICE - 4.5 stars...genuinely attentive and quick
TOTAL - 5 stars...could be my go-to Thai vegetarian place from now on

It's hard to remember Neeto's since it's so hidden away on Stevenson unless, of course, you happen to work nearby. It's not that they do anything particularly wrong. In fact, there is quite a hard-working regular crew here. It's just that the food they make is just not that memorable. It's not a place you seek out and shout "Eureka!" You don't even feel like whisperimg "Neet-o". You just kinda shrug and go in knowing you can get a decent, less-than-extraordinary salad or sandwich that will hold you over until dinner. Sometimes, it's perfectly acceptable to have a middling lunch because you don't feel entitled to anything more on a work day when you feel like you're not accomplishing much. I hate when that happens.

It's not that I consider Neeto's cruel and unusual punishment for a slow work day, but it must be more than a coincidence that I find myself here when I am feeling particularly sluggish and apathetic. Back when I was somewhat more indifferent about my diet, I would get a $6 Bowl of Clam Chowder or even an $11 Prime Rib Sandwich (see photos). But lately, I've been picking up the $9 Classic Caesar Salad with Garlic Chicken (see photo). I really wish they wouldn't heat the chicken up because by the time I get back to the office, it wilts the lettuce already wet with dressing. But it still tastes alright when you're in a hurry before a meeting. Perhaps one day I will eat in the cafe itself. I did once with a colleague but I haven't been motivated to repeat the experience. Guess it wasn't so neet-o.

FOOD - 3 stars...middling food for a middling work day
AMBIANCE - 2.5 stars...a workplace cafe which benefits from its hidden location since it rarely gets too crowded
SERVICE - 3 stars...certainly nice enough...and I like that he asks if I want the cornbread...yes please
TOTAL - 3 stars...gee, I guess I'll go back...(yawn)

Since Jamie W. and I embarked on a plant-based way of eating a couple of months ago, believe it or not, we've been trying out places around the city that we wouldn't have dared try before. Vegetarian fare was anathema to us when a slab of pork would please us to no end. Alas, while I haven't completely gotten over my love of the pig or frankly any edible creature that had a mother, Thai Idea definitely goes a significant way to fill the gap by serving vegetarian dishes you just wouldn't expect to be so tasty. Deep in the 'Loin as it is, it has a surprisingly calming ambiance that's jarred periodically by the cacophony of mouthy veg-head diners who obviously don't know how loud they are.

The menu is deceptively similar to any standard Thai restaurant with chef's special plates that feature "veggie meat". Now I usually run away from meat replacements like this, but I have to admit that the $11.95 Bangkok "Duck" was almost as good and savory as the real thing. Because it was crispy-fried and glazed liberally with tamarind, the flavor and texture of the faux-duck confit really delighted me, and the shallots and chili complemented it nicely (see photo). Jamie went for the $9.95 Pad Thai, which really didn't miss the flavor of meat given the pan-fried rice noodles, sprouts, ground peanuts, egg and tofu cubes that were served in an abundance (see photo).

I've always said you can tell how good a Southeast Asian restaurant is by the quality of its spring rolls, and the $7.95 Fresh Salad Rolls were a good litmus test. They were delicious creations with bean sprouts, lettuce, carrots, mint, glass noodles, and cilantro piled into a thick roll of rice paper flecked with sesame seeds and served with a luscious peanut sauce (see photo). I would definitely order those again in a heartbeat. It's good to know you really don't have to sacrifice flavor when going vegetarian in this town, and Thai Idea is a solid place to get a meat-free fix that doesn't taste like it was ground from bales of wheat.

FOOD - 4 stars...first-class vegetarian fare for meat lovers in need of a forks-over-knives alternative
AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...sleek and modern with a high chance of loud vegans in the room
SERVICE - 3.5 stars...quietly effective
TOTAL - 4 stars...definitely give it a try, you health nut!