phil h.

1/6/2016

I'm a movie guy. Whether it's Netflix on the couch or especially in the theaters, I'm a huge fan of film. I waited in anticipation for years for the Alamo Drafthouse to open in SF and after four visits, I can say it was worth the wait though there is definitely room for improvements.

First off, the good news - reserved seats! Zero tolerance policy for talkers / cell phone users!! Booze and food delivered to your seats!!! Solid beer selection and great bourbon list!!!! Fried mother frickin' pickles!!!!!

And with the good, there's always some bad - the much raved about queso was luke warm and the chips seemed right out of a bag. The popcorn is really good (and I'm a popcorn fanatic) but they really should offer two sizes as the bowl is huge and kind of embarrassing for a solo movie goer to tackle alone (though c'mon, you know I'm going to order it anyhow) And service can be hit or miss - on one visit I had to ask about my popcorn 40 minutes after ordering it, another we had food dropped with no napkins or silverware. And while the servers are pretty good at being stealth there were definitely a few instances of our seats getting whacked from the servers working the row behind us.

All in all, I've really enjoyed my visits to the Drafthouse and am already starting to become a regular. I have no doubt that the growing pains will work themselves out in the near future.

PS - please add Cherry Coke to your menu! The only time I drink soda is at the theater and I miss having a Cherry Coke alongside my big ass bowl of popcorn.

1/10/2015

When I first heard about Brewcade, I immediately thought of Barcade in Brooklyn, one of my favorite bars EVER. Similar sounding name aside, Brewcade really has to do a bit of work to catch up to the awesomeness that is Barcade. The gaming area is pretty cramped and it's weird basically being butt to butt with other gamers. And while the initial list of games mentioned a few pinball machines there are no pins to be found. One last gripe about the games - it would be neat if they kept a list of top scores (again, like Barcade does)

On the Brew side of things, Brewcade has a great selection of beer and actually a lot of interesting non alcoholic options. I haven't tried the snacks but it's nice that they do have some munchies available and also let you bring food in from the outside. There are plenty of tables to hang out while waiting for games to become available, actually I think they have too many tables. They could easily remove a few tables to spread out the games (or add some pinball!)

Overall, Brewcade is off to a pretty solid start. I've had a lot of fun going during non peak hours but when it's packed, it gets annoyingly crowded. I say if you're a fan of old school games give it a shot some lazy afternoon.

7/23/2014

I've been a fan of Tacolicious since day 1 so was excited to see how the team tackled Chinese food. I can say that after one lunch at iChino!, I'm a fan! Service was fantastic from the moment we walked in and while the bill for two is a bit more than I usually spend at lunch, it was definitely worth it.

Two of us split the following:

Mrs. Arcalas' Family Lumpia - pork, beef , carrots,  black pepper vinegar   $8
Nick Balla's  Dope Ass Japan-o-Mission Wings fishy - limey - hot-n-sour sauce $9.75
XLB (6) traditional  shanghai soup dumplings  $9.75
Forbidden Rice A La Plancha - Chinese sausage, edamame, egg $9

The wings are a must order for me and I will be doing so on each and every visit to  iChino! I also wouldn't hesitate to order the XLB and the Forbidden Rice again but would probably explore more of the menu first. The Lumpia were little bites of deep fried goodness but didn't really move me.

My friend ordered a Slushy Boba Cocktail and while I thought it was tasty and a pretty brilliant idea, paying $12 for it gave me more of a brain freeze than the actual cocktail.

Most of the complaints I've seen/read about  iChino! seem to be what I've heard about Tacolicious since the begin - it's not authentic, it's too expensive, it's too loud...yada yada yada.
Look, is it straight up, authentic Chinese food? No.
Is it as cheap as your favorite hole in the wall dumpling shack in the Richmond? No. But if you're in the mood to spend a bit more money on some fantastic ingredients while boozing it up in a fun, hip atmosphere, I highly recommend iChino!

7/4/2014 Updated review

New location, updated review. First off, I hate Yelp reviews that start "I really wanted to love this place..." That being said, I really wanted to love the new Loló. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed across the board.

First off, I love the whimsical nature of the new space (I love me some whimsy) The decor is bright and vibrant and sets the scene for a fun meal. Across the board, everything was fine but nothing excited. Chips were good and they kept refilling the bowl without asking but the guacamole ($7) was under seasoned and bland. Shishito Peppers ($7) were nice but it's really hard to mess that up. The Brussel Sprouts ($6) were cooked well but were drowning in some sort of balsamic marinade that made them way too acidic. Panko Avocado Tacos ($9) were good but $9 for two veggie tacos seemed almost comical. We also ordered a special of Stuffed Squash Blossoms ($9) that were fine but we had no idea they were deep fried until they arrived at our table. If the waiter would have described them as such (or to be fair we could have asked how they were cooked) we probably would have avoided them as we already had so many fried dishes.

Drinks were good but again, $11 for a margarita seemed a bit steep considering it was pretty pedestrian.

Maybe we ordered wrong. Or maybe I'm just a cynical old fart who is tired of 'new and improved' being code for 'prices going up across the board' Either way, I doubt I'll give the new Loló another chance.

7/4/2014

So here's the thing about Smokestack...well, actually, I can't quite figure out what the thing is. I really dig the space and could see myself bellying up to the bar for a beer or three often. But the BBQ component leaves me in a bit of a quandary. The food for the most part was good to great. The prices, however, are pretty outrageous. One beef rib will run you about $20. A smallish sausage with one side is around $11. Oh, and charging for sauerkraut to go with said sausage should be illegal.

The beauty of a BBQ restaurant where they have many items to choose from and priced by the pound is that you could walk up and order a few options to taste more of their menu. Charging $50 for one tray of food will not win over many people.
Fette Sau in Brooklyn does it right, Smokestack so far hasn't quite figured it out. I really hope things change because I do love the beer and would love to come for a casual meal sometime. But as things stand now, I doubt I'll be back for anything aside a drink.

7/4/2014

They cleaned up La Rondalla and in the process the bar lost a lot of soul. Stopped in for a quick happy hour drink before dinner and it was fine. Service was lackluster (you really shouldn't have to ask for water three times) and my $6 happy hour margarita was just ok.

We didn't eat so can't comment on the food but based on what we saw I doubt I'll be going back to try anytime soon.

4/17/2014

The first thing we noticed at Woodbury was that new bar scent. I'm sure it will dissipate after another Giants homestand or two but for us it was the perfect spot to meet up pregame. We got there before the crowds and had no problem getting a table, our waitress Bree was super friendly and had some great suggestions, and the tater tots were pretty great!

Also, the prices are pretty reasonable considering the proximity to AT&T Park ($8 for a PBR and shot of Fernet is a pretty great deal anywhere in SF actually)

Good stuff, I'll be back to try more of the food menu...you can find me over at the vintage Atari 2600 playing River Raid.

1/22/2014

Saint Frank is a fantastic addition to the hood! Awesome coffee served by super friendly folks in a welcoming setting.

They also have sweet and savory pastries from some of San Francisco's best bakeries...luckily they are located right next to my gym so my fat ass doesn't feel guilty getting a cherry/lemon scone to go with my almond milk latte.

11/1/2013

• ROTD 4/17/2014
• First to Review

I love tacos. In fact, I just completed my first Tacotober and am proud/ashamed to admit that I consumed 66 tacos in October. So when I saw Uno Dos Tacos open up in my hood I couldn't help but try them out.

The pedigree is there (opened by the Beretta/Super Duper Burger/Delarosa folks) and while this is considered a pop up, the quick remodel of the old Pesce space is vibrant and bright. But enough about that, on to the tacos! I had one fish, one carnitas. Both extremely tasty though pretty small - think 2-3 bites per taco, and if my taconomics are correct that makes them cost about $1.50/$2.00 a bite. While not cheap, I'm ok paying a bit more for fancy pants meat and tortillas made in house.

So I'm a fan, though now that Tacotober is over I might have to lay low on the taco consumption for a few weeks.

10/24/2013

*drinks review only as we didn't eat*

Sticker shock alert! $16 for a Templeton Manhattan. Wow. Even ordering a regular old Manhattan using well booze were $12 each.

Other than that, very cool space, I love a bar that has so many couches and different areas to sit. I can imagine it getting quite crowded on the weekend but on a Wednesday night it was pleasantly not packed.

One last thing, as much as I love 70's rock the soundtrack just seemed totally out of place to the setting.

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  Manhattan

  Manhattan