Beijing Buffet - South San Francisco, CA

This is what you get when you stay at hotels near the airports, this instance Four Points by Sheraton, SFO. All I have to say is: What is it with Chinese buffets that make us go there and as soon as we enter and fill up that first plate we realize the big mistake we just made. So bad and probably so unhealthy, both on nutrients and hygiene.

This place could have seated about 500 people, it was huge but still only about 3 tables were occupied. A senior couple, a couple out on a date and a family with small children. I figured if the elderly couple and the small children would survive this I would too.

One last thing: How do these places stay in business????

Overall Rating: N/A
Food Rating: N/A
Cost: $$

Address: not provided but if you stay at the Four Points by Sheraton, SFO, just look across the main road and you won't miss it.

Colibri Mexican Bistro - San Francisco, CA

Another day, another lunch......I had planned on going to a place called Asia de Cuba at the Clifton Hotel but unfortunately they were setting up for some event and the restaurant was very loud and very empty. I started walking back to my hotel and saw this Mexican restaurant and the menu in the window looked intriguing; not the standard Mexican menu you are used to consuming. The only items that were "typical" were the Guacamole, Chicken Relleno, Quesadilla and Carne Asada. The staff was friendly and very calm even as the place was filling up.

I ordered a water and the traditional Chicken Mole. I was tempted to order the guacamole but it was $10, very large and I did not feel like spending $30 in total on lunch. When my water arrived I was also served some mini tortillas, instead of the traditional chips, with three different salsas; spicy chile poblano, a mango and a tomatillo salsa. The mini tortillas were home made and excellent, both in taste and texture. The chicken mole was also very delicious, moist and juicy, served with succulent mole sauce and dirty rice. Overall a very well balanced and hearty meal focusing on the traditional central Mexican cuisine.

This is the place to go for the one who wants a different flair of Mexican food than what you normally would see. If traditional is not what you are looking for, there are plenty of tacquerias around the same neighborhood for you to enjoy.

Overall Rating: 4
Food Rating: 4
Cost: $$

438 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
http://colibrimexicanbistro.com/mylink.php?id=3669

Ike's Place - San Francisco, CA

Ike's Place....the second place I have now eaten at that has been showcased on Man vs. Food. Not the easiest place to get to if you are staying downtown San Francisco as it is located in Mission but a place that you need to go to at least once. I drove my rental but you can probably take a cab or even the train down Mission Ave.

By the way, from now on I will include a picture if possible with my posts.

I found a parking spot for my car a couple of blocks away and walked swiftly to the shop as I was both hungry and excited. As I approached the "hole in the wall" restaurant I noticed that the manager was standing outside with the whole cash register taking the orders and I quickly understood why since "the hole in the wall" was really a hole in the wall and consisted of the kitchen and the two fridges with sodas. There were two Ikea patio tables outside with seating for about 8 people, on a good day, next to 3 trash cans part of the recycling program; one can for garbage, one can for compostables and one for recyclables. Nice touch as every effort counts on this planet.

He asked me if this was my first time and proceeded to hand me the menu with 100+ sandwich combinations. The best way to approach your choice is to tell him what you feel like eating, construct your own or the way I approached it; What is the craziest you have on the menu? Of course his answer was; The craziest thing on the menu is not on the menu....it is what we call the Kryptonite. The Kryptonite consists of Ham, Turkey, Pastrami, Roast Beef, Salami, Bacon, Jalapeno Poppers, Onion Rings, Mozzarella Sticks, Lettuce, Onions, Tomatoes, Dirty Sauce, Pickles, Peppers on a loaf of bread. The type of bread is usually decided upon after they see what they have in the perfect size. I believe I got french bread. It was enourmous but surprisingly tasty. Some bites where salty meat with some lettuce, another gave you a jalapeno popper, a third gave you some turkey, bacon, Mozza stick and dirty sauce. I gave it my all and left only with a couple of bites left to eat. It can easily be shared between two people.

They have happy hour between Mon-Thur 4PM-7PM which means free soda and chips.

Excellent place with great sandwiches, awesome quality ingridients, fresh vibe and in a cool neighborhood. Must try!

Overall Rating: 5
Food Rating: 5
Cost $$

3506 16th St
(between Prosper St & Sanchez St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
http://www.ilikeikesplace.com/meats.html

The Chill Cafe - San Francisco, CA

Once again it is funny how one comes about a place to eat at and then how you actually make the decision of entering and eating there. This place called The Chill Cafe is not eye popping when you walk by but it did have a nice plaque on the sidewalk showing one of its Vietnamese-style sandwiches. The picture looked very inviting and it was a streetfood I have always wanted to try. I just finished a client meeting and my trusted client is always up for something new, he loves sandwiches, so this place seemed like a lay-up. He had never heard of it which made it even more interesting because now I am taking a native of San Francisco somewhere they have never been, major pressure to deliver......

At first sight of the menu you only see coffee, smoothies, yoghurt and crepes but then in one spot on the chalkboard menu you see 4 sandwiches; Chicken w/ Lemongrass, Ham and pate, Tofu w/ Lemongrass and the new one; Roasted Pork. We both opted for the Roasted Pork and a glass of water. The sandwich came in a warm sourdough sub with a carrot/coleslaw, fresh sliced jalapenos, lettuce and a spicy dressing.

What a sandwich this was.....one of those moments that unless I knew it wasn't good for me I would order a second. It was warm, crispy, savory, moist, salty, spicy, sweet, sour........it was like a Thai beef salas served on a bun. I felt like I was eating my favorite Thai type flavors for lunch in a sandwich.

Absolutely a place to visit for a quick and cheap lunch that is not traditional fat and calorie packed like typical fast food. I didn't have any of the Frozen yoghurts but they looked really good and they speak highly of them as they do not only come in a ton of cretive variations with various toppings but also they are natural, non fat, and contain live and active cultures. They also have some tasty looking Crepes that i have to try next time.

Thumbs up all the way!

Overall Rating: 5
Food Rating: 5
Cost: $

125 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
http://thechillcafe.com/dessert/san-francisco/chill-menu-sf/

R & G Lounge - San Francisco, CA

The name of this restaurant doesn't really scream Chinese food but the neighborhood does. It is located in Chinatown, San Francisco, on the classic Kearny Street nestled amongst many other Chinese restaurants, everything from high-end to low-end take out joints. Sure I walked by some lost souls such as Burger, Mediterranean and Sandwich places but I guess that comes with any local neighborhood and it makes it that more entertaining when walking around.

The restaurant has a nice look to it with a modern bar on the main floor and the seating area downstairs. I was directed downstairs and seated immediately. The place was packed which is always a good sign and I got the table next to the water tank with their live crabs which weren’t bad as I at least got some company at my one-top table.

They serve you complimentary tea and which was a nice touch especially since the tea was good and even though I had no plans on ordering tea it hit the spot. I ordered the egg rolls and the R & G Special Beef (Secret Sauce), Stir-fried top choice sliced beef marinated with chef's special sauce. The egg rolls were good and the “special beef” even better. It had a nice sweetness to it as it still kept its savory and salty integrity that you look for in beef. The beef was very tender and sort of melted in your mouth. The beef accompanied by some Sambal Olek and steamed white rice balanced out the dish and it became a complete meal. It was a really good meal and one of many other dishes I would have liked to try from the expansive menu of what we would consider non-traditional Chinese restaurant menu items. Looking around at other tables and the inviting dishes really had me contemplating ordering something else but that will have to wait until the next visit.

Come here if you want a more authentic choice of Chinese dishes and do not come here if you want Sweet & Sour Chicken, Sesame Chicken, General Tso's Chicken or Chop Suey. This restaurant is a true recommendation for a great place to eat Chinese food. Only negative with R & G Lounge are the prices as they are at the higher end of what you expect to spend at a Chinese restaurant.

I will leave you with my final epiphany regarding Chinese food. Chinese food is not to be eaten alone, you need to make it a family affair. I say this for two reasons:

1. Chinese food by itself is quite savory and heavy on flavor, i.e. ordering only one dish can make it seem quite dull towards the end of your dish as it sort of takes over your palette and belly.
2. If eaten with a family or a larger group you can enjoy the possibility of ordering from all over the menu mixing and matching flavors, scents, types of meat and texture and SHARE. Now you can switch from one flavor element to another and one texture to another when you want to. It will also be easier on your wallet when putting your total dining experience into perspective, i.e. I am not talking about it being easier on your wallet in absolute terms.

Overall Rating: 4
Food Rating: 5
Cost: $$

631 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
http://www.rnglounge.com/menu.pdf

Blanco Cafe - San Antonio, TX

Another client meeting another lunch.....this time in San Antonio, the heartland of South of the boarder cuisine. Great traditional Mexican restaurant with super speedy service. Probably 5-10 minutes from order being placed to food on your table. Exactly what you want when eating lunch.

I ordered the #4, Carne Asade a la Mexicana with rice, beans, lettuce, guacamole and flour tortillas. Everything was good but the highlight of this meal were the home made flour tortillas. These were some of the best tortillas i have ever eaten. They reminded me of a cross between a classic thin tortilla and a pita. It was a bit thicker, almost like a pancake, and a traditional tortilla taste with a hint of sweetness. When I think of it it almost reminded me of traditional Naan bread from an Indian restaurant I visited in London last year with my dear friend Karambir.

All in all, for a great Mexican meal when in San Antonio visit Blanco Cafe.

Overall Rating: 4
Food Rating: 4
Cost: $

419 N. St. Mary's (Downtown)
San Antonio, TX 78205
http://www.blancocafe.net/StMarysMenu.html

312 Chicago - Chicago, IL

312 Chicago.....one of those places you always walk pass, look into, always want to try but never do. So how did I finally end up eating lunch there? Well, I was invited by a former alumnus from my university who also lives in Chicago, that in itself is a rarity, and it is was his choice of venue.

The thing here was the choice of the restaurant and it was two fold; it is one of his favorites and the funny part which was that he thought it was located in between both our office buildings but little did he know that Morningstar has moved offices last year and the location was now 5 blocks away from both of us.

The place has one of those cigar bar lounge feels to it and I was sort of impressed, until I learnt that it was supposed to portray a rustic Italian place. It did not fit the picture and from here on out it sort of went down hill. I take that back as the bread was excellent and it came in three different kinds, baguette, nut/raisin and focaccia. That combo with some good olive oil, fleur de sel and cracked black pepper is always a great one. After this it went down hill again.

I elected the Pappardelle with Slow Braised Pork Shoulder, Porcini Mushrooms and Parmesan for my entree. For those who do not know what papardelle here it is straight from our friends at Wikipedia: Pappardelle (sg.: pappardella) are large, very broad fettuccine. The name derives from the verb “pappare,” to gobble up. The fresh types are two to three centimeters (¾-1 inch) wide and may have fluted edges. Dried egg pappardelle have straight sides. This traditional noodle, a cousin to the smaller tagliatelle, was traditionally paired with wild boar sauces and rich hare sauces.

The pasta itself was (or looked homemade) and tasted great on its own but all the other nice ingredients that are supposed to accentuate the pasta (the cheap carbs.) were just awful. The meat could have been anything and resembled nothing of Slow Braised Shoulder and I don’t even recall the mushrooms hitting my mouth ever. It really looked like some pasta or papardelle in a brown/grey soup/sauce if you know what I mean, i.e. not appetizing. We can go back to the verb "pappare" which means "gooble up" (if you paid attention and reading the Wikki description you would know what I am talking about) and "gooble up" is really what I had to do the get this all down.

Overall pretty unimpressive lunch considering the impressive prices or expensive prices in not to cause confusion.

I am not returning unless someone insist that we go as there are many other better Italian lunch places in Chicago. Looking back, my culinary intuition was telling me to go in there as I walked by the restaurant every day but my primitive human instinct kept me out until this rare coincidence. Trust your instincts!!

Overall Rating: 3
Food Rating: 3
Cost: $$

136 N. LaSalle Street
Chicago, IL 60602
http://www.312chicago.com/downtown-chicago-dining.php

Ryan's Bistro - Omaha, NE

I just finished up a client meeting and it was now time for me to take my clients out for lunch. Immediately the discussion started abround where we should go and of course I was faced with the standard question of “where would you like to go?” I have always been intrigued about this question when it is asked to a non-local on his or her first visit to their city. What are you supposed to answer on that? As always I would like to answer that: “I have no clue as I am not from here and have never been here” but the more politically correct answer would be “I am flexible, whatever place you recommend” which is of course the answer I used. The first few ideas thrown into the mix by my clients were Chili’s, Olive Garden, and Outback which I politely declined as we have those everywhere. Then one of my clients said “how about Thai?” I liked the sound of that but his boss declined it and that trumped that idea. After some back and forth it was decided on to go to a place called Ryan’s Bistro. I was excited because the CIO told me that it may be hard to get a table there and those are words I always like to hear. Packed places for lucnh usually means great food.

Ironically upon arrival the place was not even half full and we were seated immediately. The worst thing with empty restaurants is that the wait staff throws themselves on top of you as soon as you are seated by the hostess and are so eager for some business. We fought her off quickly by ordering some drinks and proceeded to tell her we needed a few minutes before she should return again. I glanced over the menu and at first glance I was impressed as there was a great selection of sandwiches, salads and entrees in line with what you should expect from a bistro. By this time the waitress had already been over once again asking if we were ready for our order but we politely turned her away and asked her to give us a few more minutes.

I ordered the Corn Chowder as I never had anything like it and the Brisket Melt with Au Jus because not only am I a brisket fan but I also love French Dip so what better way than to combine them both. Now here is when it starts getting funny…….

I was served the soup and it was plated in the most unusual way, a plate with a small square soup bowl with some greens underneath the “soup square” that were wilted and quite unattractive. Were the greens/salad leafs there for a purpose such as decoration or where they there as a coaster type functionality in order for the “soup square” not to slide on the plate? Secondly, it was served in a square soup bowl…..have you ever tried eating soup out of a square bowl with a round tool, i.e. the spoon? It is almost like trying to fit a rectangle into a round hole, it just doesn’t work so of course there was soup left in the bowl that you could not get out unless you drop the spoon and drink it. By the way, the soup was pretty bad so it was probably lucky that one couldn’t get all of the soup out of the bowl. It was sweet, almost like a dessert and the texture very odd. If you ever tried to puree corn as you would puree carrots you would now what I mean. Corn is almost one of those vegetables that if you are making a soup you leave the kernels whole. The waitress also said that the would be beautiful hints of nutmeg but for those of you like me that love putting nutmeg in everything and anything you would notice that there were no hints at all.

On we go to the sandwich….what a train wreck that was. I honestly don’t know what I ate because it had no resemblance to brisket nor did it taste like it. The bread it was served on was like a sandwich roll made out of Wonder bread, the second it hit the Au Jus it became a nice bread sponge that fell apart or started running down your hand like if it was melted cheese. By the way my entree also had lettuce leaves/greens under my sandwich as did my soup if you recall. This place started to look like one of those places that Gordon Ramsey in "Kitchen Nightmares" or Thomas Hellstrom in "Hellstrom rydder op" have on their shows. This place is in dire need of help on all levels.

My clients did mention that the restaurants around this area have seen a lot of turn over; no wonder if this is how they run them and the food they serve.

Finally I have visited a place I would not visit again. No thank you to this one!

Overall Rating: 1
Food Rating: 1
Cost: $$

17607 Gold Plaza #107
Omaha, NE 68130
http://www.ryansbistro.com/ordereze/Content/1/Summary.aspx