Maverick

I once promised to post some brunch pictures from Maverick, one of my SF brunch mainstays. There are two critical factors about brunch at Maverick. First, the food is delicious. Second, they are on OpenTable and take brunch reservations. It's generally pretty easy to get in, and there is rarely a line like other top brunch spots (such as personal favorite Universal Cafe... and I won't even get into places like Dottie's or Mama's). The intersection of convenience and quality make Maverick a standard brunch stop. I guess it's at a slightly higher price point than the packed brunch places, but I'll pay an extra few dollars to avoid the hassle.

 

ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE BENEDICT - grilled andouille sausage, poached eggs, crawfish and jalapeno hollandaise, English muffin, home fries - $15If you're eating brunch at Maverick for the first time, order the andouille benedict. It's been on the menu for years, and it really is their best dish. I'm a sucker for any good eggs benedict, and these eggs are expertly-poached. Maverick then mixes it up by using andouille sausage instead of ham, and throwing some crawfish into the hollandaise. The result is a nice peppery kick that gives the whole plate some life. The potatoes are also excellent here - hot and crispy on the outside, smooth on the inside.

 

MAC 'N CHEESE - $6Their mac 'n cheese is also a winner. Extremely rich and comforting, and also an excellent pair with the hot sauce...

 

YOUK'S HOT SAUCE - free, but it'll cost you $7 to take a bottle homeAnd a fine hot sauce it is. In fact, it might be my favorite American-style hot sauce of all (though admittedly, I've never been to the south). According to the label, the sauce is based mainly on serranos, jalapenos, and cayenne. It's got a wonderful tangy bite that goes perfectly with the potatoes and the mac 'n cheese (or just about anything, really). Love this stuff. Looks like they're actually selling it online now too.

So that's a typical brunch at Maverick. Apologies again for the long long overdue post. If you're awake in the morning on a weekend and looking for some numnums, definitely check out Maverick. You won't have to deal with the 600-person line in front of Dottie's.

Woodhouse Fish Co.

One of the things I miss about Boston is a good lobster roll. My favorite, which unfortunately has not been captured here on Arthur Hungry, is at Neptune Oyster in the North End. It's hard to beat the simplicity of lobster on toasted, buttery bread. Woodhouse Fish Co. has long been reputed to serve one of the best lobster rolls in town, distance from New England be damned. Unfortunately, I've never made it to the original branch on Market, but they recently opened a new outpost on Fillmore, across from SPQR... right in the middle of one of my most frequent dining hoods. I was happy to check it out.

 

OYSTERS - Marin Miyagis and Blue Points - $2 eachWe started off with a few oysters. The Chronicle just ran an article about oysters being fine in months not ending in R - and I'm inclined to agree, as these were just fine on this pleasant August evening. The smaller Miyagis had a deeper sea flavor, but I actually preferred the clean, crisp feel of the Blue Points.

 

FRIED WHOLE-BELLY IPSWICH CLAMS - $15.50Another mainstay of New England seafood, fried clams are a bit rarer here in the West. These had nice, full bellies, and a lighter batter than the photos show. Served with a delicious dill-based tartar sauce... didn't touch the red stuff as I'm sure you could have guessed.

 

CLAM CHOWDER - creamy New England - $4.95Of course, we had to give the clam chowder a try. They offer New England, Manhattan, and "Hartford" styles - I just noticed the Hartford one while looking at the menu now, and wish I had noticed it while I was there. The New England was pretty standard - a solid traditional version, but not quite as interesting or delicious as the clam chowder at Hog Island or the seafood chowder at Bar Crudo.

 

SPLIT-TOP MAINE LOBSTER ROLL - $17The main event was again, solid and traditional. The split-style bun was well toasted and sufficiently buttered; the lobster serving was generous. Temperature was spot-on - cold but not icy refrigerator cold. Still, I must say I prefer the hot lobster with butter version at Neptune, rather than the more common lobster mayo salad seen here... but I guess it's a little much to ask for style diversity in lobster rolls in California. Both the fries and the cole slaw were very good, and worth a mention.

 

FISH & CHIPS - Anchor Steam beer-battered wild Alaskan cod with fries - $9.50 (2 pieces)We finished off with a small order of fish and chips. I've always found that beer-battered food simply isn't particularly photogenic, and my photographic non-skills probably don't help. Not that looks matter... I just care about personality! :) These fish and chips had a nice crunchy batter that gave way to very moist and tender fish inside (plus you won't find any Anchor Steam batters in Boston). They were a touch greasy, though.

The meal met my expectations - good, but not great. The food is certainly tasty, and will satisfy the occasional NE seafood craving I get. Next time, I'll try the Dungeness crab melt, which looked delicious when I saw it flying by to another table.

Maverick

Maverick is a pretty interesting story. Chef/owner Scott Youkilis is a lifelong chef who spent two years at Sociale before opening Maverick. It's not the most exciting pedigree, I have to admit; however, he is also the brother of Kevin Youkilis, the Boston Red Sox All-Star, noted for his extremely efficient on-base percentage and nicknamed the "Greek God of Walks" in the revolutionary book Moneyball. To my knowledge, Baseball Youkilis has no official involvement, and based on the fact that Maverick bears none of the trademark athlete-turn-restaurateur pitfalls, I can only conclude that Chef Youkilis has built this neighborhood spot just like any other successful joint, and the athlete connection is nothing more than a fun fact. The only thing they collaborate on is the signature "Youk's Hot Sauce" - a wonderful, peppery concotion served during brunch and sold by the bottle.

Named after an 1800s Texas cattle rancher, Maverick bills itself as a contemporary American eatery, with some visible influences from the South (as well as New Orleans in particular). The restaurant is tiny - it has maybe 10 tables in total. And for some reason, despite the fact that they serve an absolutely awesome andouille sausage benedict with crawfish hollandaise, the place is never so full that it becomes a hassle to eat there. It's become a go-to brunch spot for me that takes reservations and consistently delivers. But it's not a one-trick pony either; Maverick serves up some delicious grub at dinnertime as well.

 

BROKEN ARROW RANCH ANTELOPE TARTARE - ancho chili sauce, purslane, olive oil soaked toast - $13The tartare is a mainstay on the dinner menu, and for good reason. Antelope is lean, with a milder flavor than you might expect (not much gameyness, and not too far off from beef). It's quite well-suited for tartare, and Youkilis chops it to a nice size. The ancho chili differentiates it from the typical tartare by leaving a very delicate but noticeable heat in the back of your mouth.

 

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES - cornmeal crusted tomatoes, mizuna, heirloom tomatoes, buttermilk dressing - $10These tomatoes have a very nice, crunchy, and greaseless crust. The creamy buttermilk is a good complement to the acidity of the tomatoes. I must admit though that while I've found that I tend to order fried green tomatoes whenever I see them, they never seem to be as delicious as they looked in the 1991 movie named after them. That's not a knock on Maverick as much as it is a statement on the power of imagination when it comes to taste, I guess.

 

PAN ROASTED LIBERTY DUCK BREAST - Crookneck squash custard, squash blossom and russian kale salad, roasted figs, duck jus - $27I thought about ordering the fried chicken - Maverick serves one of the best in town. But I figured I'd be back to take photos of it another time, and this duck was really calling my name. I'm glad I strayed. The breast was perfectly cooked, and had a crackly but not fatty layer of skin. The figs, a pairing I usually find overly sweet, were mild and added just the right balance of flavor to the jus. The cheesy squash custard was a perfect substitute for mozzarella as a partner to the squash blossoms. This dish was a winner.

 

BLUEBERRY BREAD PUDDING - creme fraiche ice cream, blueberry coulis - $8Dessert was a totally pleasant surprise. I can't describe this any better than "blueberry muffin on steroids." Just imagine the best warm blueberry muffin ever, and put some well-made ice cream on top of it.

I really owe it to you guys to come back for brunch some time and take some photos. For now, these dinner pics will have to do. I really feel Maverick is one of the more overlooked restaurants in the city. To me, it's also one of the most convenient - it's always pretty close to full, with a lively atmosphere, and a reliable number of patrons to maintain steady business. But it's also never hard to get in; a few days of planning and it's easy to get a table, and often you can make a reservation the same day at decent times. The menu changes frequently enough to make it a regular member of the restaurant rotation. It's what a good restaurant should be: simple, consistent, and reasonable.

Paul's Famous Hamburgers

Well, I've started my last semester of school at BU. I just got back to Boston, and after being away from my apartment for 7 or so months, I'm finally starting to get settled back in. pauls.jpg

One of my first weekends in Sydney was spent doing something very typically Australian: surfing! Even though I grew up in California, I'd actually never gone surfing before. I guess I do live in the non-surfer part of Cali. Anyway, over in Australia I signed up for a weekend surf camp. Although I only managed to get up on my board for seconds at a time before wiping out completely back into the water, I had a ton of fun. More importantly for the site - on our drive over to surf camp, we stopped at this little place off the highway that claims to have Sydney's best burgers. Paul's Famous Hamburgers are supposedly known nationwide - at the very least, this article in the Sydney Morning Herald proclaims it one of the 50 foodie things to do.

the works burger - A$6.2 You guys will never guess the standard toppings in an Australian burger. There, "the works" means cheese, ham, a slice of beetroot, a slice of pineapple, and a fried egg. Yeah, pretty weird, huh? I was intrigued, and of course I had to order it. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. There is a beef patty underneath that pile there, somewhere. The burger itself was ordinary at best - neither the meat nor the bun came close to the quality you can get back in America. As for the toppings... well, they were okay, but I wouldn't be in a rush to order the works again. I prefer sauteed mushrooms and onions... Later, I saw that beetroot was absolutely standard on Australian burgers, and no different than lettuce or onion or tomato. It's actually a pretty good burger topping, as it adds a nice refreshing element with a bit of tang. The egg and pineapple, while almost always available, didn't come standard. I didn't have too many burgers in Sydney, as I quickly discovered they aren't nearly as good there as they are back home. There are at least some things Americans still do best. :)
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Pajo's at the Wharf

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So over the summer I did manage to spend 10 days in Vancouver. My cousin Karen got married, and I was able to get up there for some time before I left for Sydney. As usual, my cousin Geoff was ready to head around to new spots as well as old favorites. One of the first places on the list was Pajo's, a fish and chips place in Steveston. SaabKen over at VanEats recommendeded the place when I posted about Matt Murphy's in Boston, and Geoff was keen to try it as he had heard good things too. Steveston is actually quite a bit of a drive from Vancouver proper... a good hour if I recall correctly. That's probably the longest I can remember driving for chow in Van. It's in a little area called, funny enough, Fisherman's Wharf - a far more modest place than our famous one in SF, but with a good number of restaurants and shops. Pajo's literally sits right on the wharf - it's actually on a little floating wooden dock thing, on top of the water. I wonder how they power those deep fryers...

small halibut and chips - C$7.79 The fish and chips come in these cute cardboard cones. The nearby picnic tables have holes fitted specifically for us with the cones, so you can just put your meal into the table and eat from it with ease. The fish was very hot, crispy, and extremely flaky. It didn't suffer the soggy aftermath of being completely wrapped in newspaper and fully exposed to steam, which would be my only complaint about Matt Murphy's. This halibut was extremely tasty, but I do admit it got a bit on the greasy side after a while. The chips were excellent - thickly cut but still extremely crisp on the outside and not too heavy or dry on the inside. The tartar sauce was okay, but not as sublime as Matt Murphy's. According to Geoff, this tasted a little bit better than Mr. Pickwick's, the other place that SaabKen mentioned, but Mr. Pickwick's is a LOT closer to my usual Vancouver location. So I guess if you happen to be in Steveston, be sure to check this place out. Perhaps next time I'm in Van I'll try Mr. Pickwick's...
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Eats

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Yet another place we used to go to every once in a while during high school was Eats, a tiny little neighborhood breakfast joint at the beginning of Clement. They serve a reasonable and simple Sunday brunch - eggs, pancakes, etc. I went back last week with Bart, Mario, Angela and Annie after a night at Kirk's place. It was actually a Sunday, and they only have one or two tables that can fit 5, so we ended up waiting quite a while as the people at the table we sought sat around and stared at the check for a good 20 minutes. They left eventually though, and all was well...

joe's scramble - ground beef, spinach, onions, mushrooms and parmesan with home fries and toast- $7.5 Joe's scramble is sort of my go-to dish at Eats. For those that don't know, it's a San Francisco breakfast item that is pretty common throughout the city. I think the beef and spinach make for a great hearty breakfast. Eats' 3 egg scrambles are just the right size - they're very generous but I usually don't feel overstuffed walking out. Every once in a while you get that craving for an egg breakfast, and Eats is a good place to satisfy it. It's now my last night in Paris. We're having our final dinner at Le Cinq in about half an hour, then it's back to SF tomorrow morning. I've got a couple more things from SF to finish up before you guys see the biggest string of Arthur Hungry posts ever!
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Philly Cheese Steak Shop

One of our old high school stomping grounds was the Philly Cheese Steak Shop on Divisadero. They have a bright yellow canopy and sign that's hard to miss. Back in high school, we went through tons of their frequent eater cards which reward you with a free sandwich after 10 stamps. Tuesdays were double stamp days, so you'd get 2 for every $5 spent. Boy did we abuse that...

10" deluxe steak (tomato sauce + mushrooms), twister fries anda drink - $7.44 Somehow it seems smaller than I remember it, but that may be because of all the times I used to get overzealous and order a 15". I'd say the Philly cheesesteak is greasy deliciousness in its purest form. During freshman year I went to visit Danny at Penn, and I got to try the real deal there. I must say the cheesesteaks in SF are not the most authentic. Cheese Steak Shop seems to chop it up and mix it more than they do in Philly - the result is a fairly different, but also delicious sandwich. I don't know which kind I like better, actually...
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Mo's

Of course, it was time for my 6 month checkup at Mo's. I'll swing by some time today to snap a picture of the place. Mo's is still without a doubt my favorite straight-up hamburger place in the world, as I've mentioned numerous times on this site.

alpine burger - sauteed mushrooms and gruyere - $7.95 The price seems to be fluctuating now by a quarter or so, but at least it's staying under the $8 dollar mark. Of course, the normal mushroom burger is under $7, and I think a regular burger is around $6, but I just have to like the alpine the best. One of the best things about this burger is that their sauteed mushroom concoction, simple as it may be, is the best burger topping I've ever had. That, coupled with the fact that they know what a medium rare burger is, means one delicious piece of meat. Honestly, I'd pay $10 for this. Probably $15 if I really had to.
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Kitchenette

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Oops - I accidentally skipped a post. On our very brief trip to NYC, Geoff and I had only one noteworthy meal. I managed to meet up with Danny (!!!!) and a couple of his friends for brunch before we hopped on the bus back to Boston. We ate at a cozy little spot in SoHo called Kitchenette, the homey type of place that doesn't seem to exist in Boston. The restaurant is very small, almost cramped, and was very busy when we went at noon on a Saturday. The room had plenty of bright, natural light, and was buzzing with jovial conversations. We actually had to squeeze the 5 of us onto a table for 4, but it was worth it.

turkey sausage, grilled onion and swiss cheese omelette - $9 After browsing through numerous tasty-looking brunch options, I ended up settling on the turkey sausage omelette (actually I think everyone got the same thing!). Beautiful in its simplicity, this omelette was the best I'd had in a long time (though I guess I don't eat omelettes all that much). The sausage, onion and cheese were all delicious and plentiful, leaving no single bite of the omelette to fend for itself as egg alone. The accompanying home fries were just average, but the homemade biscuits were absolutely great - hot, doughy, and buttery-rich. I have no idea what was in the jam/butter concoction, but it was awesome. As for our other NY meals: we got ripped off at some crappy cafe near Sean's place, and we had a pretty boring late-night/early-morning post-party meal in Koreatown. Nothing to get excited about... Also, I just realized as I'm posting this that this is actually the first NYC post on AH. Perhaps I'll have more time to go down there and eat next year.
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Houston's

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Well, I'm back in San Francisco. Just arrived last night, and I'll be here for about 3 weeks or so before a much-anticipated trip to Provence and Paris. I've got a few more places from Boston to post about before I switch coasts again - first up is Houston's (Boston). With a Houston's so close to my home in SF, I never really thought I'd go to the one in Boston... Actually, I had no idea there was one in Boston at all until Yuen called me up and suggested we go there. I've had pretty good experiences at the SF one so I figured why not. The place is down by Faneueil Hall, flirting on the edge between hardcore tourist area and downtown. From the outside, their sign looks the same except that it's blue instead of red. The interior is eerily similar to the one in SF - almost identical, actually. Dark wood, a pretty good-looking bar, and big comfortable banquettes deliver a pretty cool vibe. The menu, it turns out, is pretty much exactly the same as well.

guacamole

portuguese-style littleneck clams - $14 It was just me, Michelle and Yuen, so we decided to split a couple of apps. The guacamole was a special (didn't catch the price) and surprisingly good. It had nice, big chunks of avocado - something I tend to see a lot less in Boston. The clams were served with chorizo and a tasty broth with plenty of garlic, shallots, and parsley. It was an excellent dip for the accompanying grilled bread.

hawaiian ribeye - $27 I couldn't decide what main to get so I just gave up and went with the ribeye. The steak is marinated a bit with a hint of sweetness. It was nicely charred and tasty, but slightly overcooked (medium rather than medium rare, but not flagrant enough to complain about). I love the fries - thin, crispy, and even served with mayo (they actually ask if you want ketchup or mustard or mayo!). Anyway, it was another solid meal at Houston's, which appears to be a pretty good chain, relatively speaking. It definitely isn't cheap though.
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Great Bay

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Mike wanted to show Mishi some place nice so we checked out Great Bay, which I heard a lot of good things about. Keith and I tagged along. Great Bay is a seafood restaurant inside the new Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square. The place has a pretty cool underwater theme going, with an "island" in the center of the room which puts out raw food and appetizers. A nice-looking bar runs along one wall. We sat in the back part of the main room. I've read numerous reports that Great Bay is the best place in Boston right now for good, inventive seafood preparations.

halibut tacos, mango salsa, pickled onions, avocado - $12

maine diver scallops, blood orange, leeks, Carolina white rice risotto - $32 I thought the food was really good. The halibut had a nice fresh taste with a slight tang. The shells were crisp and held their form well. The mango salsa was sweet and refreshing. My scallops were also wonderful - big, plump, tender, and tasty. They had a beatufiul smooth texture. The blood orange sauce went well together with the risotto. Very good scallops overall - Ahrie, you'd like these. Food around the table was not as successful. The prices are fairly steep here, and Mike and Keith didn't find their dishes very exceptional or worth the money (they had salmon and cod, I believe). The big problem with this place however was the service. Our waiter was generally friendly, but there is something very strange with the timing here that needs working out. We went in the middle of the week and the place was mostly empty, but for some reason we waited an hour in between courses. We ended up staying there for something like two and a half hours, which was far longer than we wanted. By the time our mains came, everyone was so hungry and frustrated that we were probably angry at the food. I guess I was lucky to have picked the best dish. That said, come dessert time, we figured we were there for that long already so we may as well stick around a bit longer.

homemade butterscotch pudding, caramelized pecans, whipped cream - $9 We were so glad we stayed. Their signature butterscotch pudding is absolutely decadent - rich, smooth, creamy, and just all-out awesome. One of the best desserts I've had in a long time. That said, it's definitely quite heavy, and the four of us barely finished it. In general I thought my food was pretty good, but the place certainly isn't cheap. I really hope the timing issues were either bad luck, or get worked out, because it really ruined the whole meal for us. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if I stopped by just to eat that pudding again...
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Sonsie

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Okay, so I know I promised to update more, but I've been entering crunch time lately here at school. Had 2 papers to work on this week, and now finals are coming up, so I'm not gonna promise much! I'll note that I do have a stockpile of photos sitting on the computer that need to be posted. Here are some pictures from Sonsie on Newbury St., which I've been to a couple of times this semester. I went for dinner a while back with Mike, his girlfriend Mishi who was in town for a little bit, and her friend Amy. Sonsie by virtue of its location is considered to be a bit of a touristy spot. I guess there's some truth to that, but it really is an excellent Newbury St. people-watching spot on warm afternoons. At night, the dining room is dark and naturally has a bit of a less casual atmosphere. It's crowded anyway even when the big doors to the sidewalk are shut.

stewed black mussels fra diavolo with toasted bread fingers - $11.5

flash fried calamari with lemon parsley gremolata & roasted garlic mayo - $10.25 Mike and I both ordered two courses each, intending to eat them ourselves, but when the apps came out we just had to share. These plates were huge, and both were actually quite good. I get the feeling Sonsie does a pretty good job with these table-style appetizers. The mussels weren't very spicy but still had a nice flavor and texture. I don't recall any bad mussels in the lot, except one that was pretty much closed shut. The bread and broth were great, as is common with mussel dishes like this. The fried calamari was a well-executed version of a very normal dish. The squid was tender and the batter was crisp.

grilled loin lamb chops with creamed spinach & truffled potato croquettes - $27 I elected to go with the lamb chops (I was largely convinced by the spinach and the potatoe croquettes), and I was pretty happy with my choice. The lamb chops had a nice gamey flavor, but were perhaps a bit too charred. The sides were all pretty good, but didn't sit too well - they got cold pretty quickly, and had I known, I would have eaten it all up quicker. It was a decent dish but nothing special. I made another quick stop at Sonsie a bit back on an afternoon with Keith, Steph, and Felicia. The cafe menu during the afternoon is pretty limited, with just a soup, sandwich, a couple of salads, and the full list of pizzas. The front section of the room is open to the sidewalk, and you get a great view of the activity on Newbury.

traditional boston clam chowder with hand made crackers - $7 I just wanted a snack anyway, so I decided to give their clam chowder a shot. $7 is pretty hefty for a bowl of soup when a decent-sized pizza is just a few bucks more, so I was taking a bit of a risk. Unfortunately, the chowder didn't turn out very good. It didn't have too much flavor and was too creamy and thick. The cracker thing was alright, but it was kind of like a biscuit/cookie type of thing more than a cracker - I would have preferred good oyster crackers. Basically, I think Sonsie is a great place to sit with some decent food. If you need a place to just chill when the sun is out, Sonsie is a good bet. Just make sure to get a pizza and not the soup. The food at dinner wasn't good enough to make me want to go back there given the number of places I still want to try around Boston, but if I need a break while shopping or something it's a pretty decent choice.
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Audubon Circle

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One of the best places around BU campus to eat has to be Audubon Circle. It has a simple, modern decor, with some tables lining the black walls and a very sleek (and long) black bar. Check out an older visit here. They a variety of simple dishes, and put out very reliable pressed sandwiches and burgers. They also do a good job with ribeye. On weekends it gets a bit busier as the bar crowd fills up. It's a great spot to stop for a nice lunch though.

crispy cod cakes, roasted corn tartar - $8

burger with swiss cheese, onions, portabello mushroom, and roasted potatoes - $8 I think the prices may have gone up by a dollar or so, but it remains an extremely good deal. The cod cakes came out hot and crisp, but were a bit dry on the inside. I guess when I saw it listed I was reminded of the bacalao I had at Piperade back home. I set the bar high, but I wouldn't order these again... probably the worst thing I've tried on the menu. The burger, on the other hand, is pretty damn good. They're not afraid to cook it medium rare and it comes out very juicy. The bun and the toppings are all exceptional. It's not Mo's, but it's the best burger I've had near campus (far better than the one I had at Sunset Grill). The roasted potatoes are very well done, but honestly I still prefer fries with my burgers.
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Chart House

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Sorry about the slow updating... real work is gonna start soon. Then again, that may mean I'll update more to procrastinate my big paper. Anyway, I've been to Chart House a couple of times this semester. Chart House is a very reliable seafood/prime rib place near the Aquarium, and I stop by every once in a while (here's a past trip that wasn't a full meal). It's actually one of the first Boston restaurants I ever went to. The restaurant has two floors, with a pretty big bar area on the bottom. The place has a pretty old-school feel to it - apparently the building is one of the oldest along the wharf. Hmm, from their website, it seems it's a pretty big national chain... Well, either way, the food is still pretty good. They make a mean prime rib.

clam chowder - $5.5

crab-stuffed mushrooms baked in a white wine sauce - $10.95 I am by no means a clam chowder expert, but I think Chart House does it extremely well. It comes piping hot (which has been a problem in other places) and is neither too thick nor too thin. There are lots of tasty clams and not too much potato. As for the mushrooms, I think the word "rich" sums it up best. Each large mushroom is stuffed with a good amount of crab, and the whole thing is covered in a very thick, very creamy, very buttery sauce. They were great, and quite filling.

fried calamari - $8.95

lobster spring rolls with tangy mustard sauce - $10.95 We had a decent-sized group of people so the fried calamari was a safe choice. Chart House does a pretty good version, although I'm not a fan of the dipping sauce we got. It was some kind of weird very sweet (supposedly Thai-style or something) stuff rather than your typical marinara. The pseudo-Asian theme continued with the lobster spring rolls which were good but not great. The skin was the really thick and really fried egg-roll type. The sauce was indeed tangy - it had an almost horseradish-like kick to it.

prime rib, Chart House cut - $22.95

baked crabmeat-stuffed flounder with rice pilaf - $25.95 The main event here is the prime rib, and boy it's good. I admit I once ordered the bigger Callahan Cut, and it was way too big. The prime rib here is tender, juicy, and just all-around great. I suppose some may be put off by the big red chunk of meat bathing in its own juices, but carnivores such as myself adore the sight. You can also get a topping of jumbo lump crab with avocado pico di gallo (sadly not pictured) which really makes the prime rib great. The second time I went this year I decided to try out fish because I'd gotten the prime rib the past few trips. It was good but perhaps a tad overcooked. It wasn't as flaky and moist as I was hoping for. The buttery sauce of course fixed everything, and paired with the rice it was still pretty good.

hot chocolate lava cake - Godiva chocolate liqueur cake with molten chocolate center, chocolate sauce, Heath Bar Crunch & vanilla ice cream - $8.95 The other reason to go to Chart House is their excellent rendition of this now very common dessert. I prefer the one here to the overhyped version at Finale. I think the key is the Heath Bar Crunch, which melds wonderfully with the ice cream and the molten cake. The serving is huge and can be shared by a good number of people (especially people who are stuffed from prime rib). Generally I think of Chart House as the place to go to fulfill that prime rib craving I get every half-year or so. The place isn't inventive or anything, but it doesn't try to be, and the quality has been very consistent for me. You get exactly what you expect.
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Town Hall

townhall.jpg I went for a nice lunch at Town Hall with my mom and Auntie Maggie. I had a nice time there on a past trip with my dad (here). Town Hall won Best New Restaurant for 2004 from San Francisco Magazine, and has gotten some pretty good pub. The space is bright and relaxed, and there's a big communal table near the entrance that is reserved for walk-ins if you don't have a reservation. We got a table near the back of the room that got tons of natural light from the tall windows. The food is mainly classic American stuff with new twists and some Creole influence thrown in. Also, the desserts are great.

Bakewell Cream biscuits with Smithfield ham and hot pepper jam - $10 The food this time was great - perhaps even better than the last time I went. The Bakewell Cream biscuits were soft and fluffy, steaming hot and fresh out of the oven. The Smithfield ham was a bit like the leaner part of a really good prosciutto, sliced a little bit thicker than your typical Parma. It had a great taste and texture, without being dry or tough. The pepper jam added a kick of sweetness and a tiny bit of heat - a very interesting taste. I loved this dish! It was also a pretty big serving for a lunch app.

Paul's ale battered fish and chips, malt vinegar and house-made coleslaw - $15 They made a great version of fish and chips, although I admit I'm not an expert on this stuff. The fish was tender and flaky. The batter was fairly light, which I liked. The fries, coleslaw, and tartar sauce were all very good.

mocha toffee bread pudding � la mode Town Hall has a signature chocolate and butterscotch pot de cr�me which after 2 visits I still haven't tried. I just couldn't resist the description of this bread pudding, and I certainly don't regret my decision. The bread pudding had a deep, chocolate flavor, and was burning hot when it came out. The ice cream was perfect to cool it down. The pudding also had a nice, almost doughy texture, and no weird ingredients getting in the way. I swear I will try the pot de cr�me next time though. Really!
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In-N-Out Burger

innout.jpg Of course, no trip to San Francisco is complete without a visit to In-N-Out. Not to mention the fact that Geoff had never been before! Anyway, I probably don't need to explain this, but for those still living under a rock, In-N-Out is a legendary burger chain in California. It puts other fast food burgers to shame and emphasizes the freshness and quality of its ingredients as well as its beautiful simplicity. There are, however, quite a few items that you can order from the secret menu that aren't listed - check out a pretty complete list here. This time we went to the Daly City location, which is in a sort of mini strip mall that contains the In-N-Out, a Krispy Kreme next door, a big parking lot, and nothing else. Perfect!

double double, animal style, no pickles, french fries - $5 something cents I usually get the same thing. Animal style just means they use grilled onions instead of raw ones, along with a thousand island-like special sauce. For those not from California, it may be tough to understand how much looking at this picture makes me crave In-N-Out. I want it. Badly. Now.
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Houston's

houstons.jpg One of my first meals in SF was with my mom and Uncle Calvin at nearby Houston's, which serves pretty good standard American fare. I really liked the crab cakes I had there last time, and my mom was happy with their varying vegetarian plate. I didn't realize it was such a big chain until just now when I checked out their website, but despite the numerous locations Houston's seems pretty reliable. At least the one near the Embarcadero - haven't tried (or seen, for that matter) any of the others.

"knife and fork" baby back ribs, cole slaw & french fries - $22 I'm not sure if I took down the price right, but it's somewhere in the low 20s. These ribs were very good, and amazingly, they were actually "knife and fork" tender. The meat came right off the bone, and I didn't even have to use my hands. And the portion was just right - there was plenty of meat without being overwhelming. I finished the whole plate and was very full, but not stuffed. The cole slaw is great too - refreshing and crisp, a good rest from the ribs. The fries were crispy and just the right thickness. Houston's continues to satisfy...
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Milestone's

I had lunch with my mom, Aunt Grace, Uncle Stephen and Karen at Milestone's on Robson St. It's a chain grill type of restaurant.

hot spinach-artichoke dip, fresh cut salsa, sour cream, tortilla chips - C$9.29

prime rib beef dip, blue cheese butter, onion strings, curly fries, asian slaw - C$11.99 Pretty solid CPK-type stuff. The spinach dip was good but I'm not sure if it's as good as CPK's. Still, I think this combo is pretty foolproof. The beef dip was nice. The beef was tender and flavorful, and the onion strings were a nice touch. The bread was average. The curly fries were really good. Overall, the place is pretty much what you'd expect - a solid spot for burgers/sandwiches/etc., and a good place to bring the family.
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The Capital Grille

Keith's mom was in town for a couple of days earlier in the semester, and she was kind enough to take us all out to The Capital Grille. I've long wanted to try this place - it's one of the more recognized and famous steakhouses in Boston. I'd walked past it many times (it's got a pretty nice location near the Prudential Center). Of course for us college kids, steakhouses are generally something left for when parents are around...

baked prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes and parmesan toast

14 oz. dry aged steak au poivre with a courvoisier cream sauce - $32.95

cr�me brul�e with raspberries Didn't get a good look at the prices as Keith's mom was treating us, but I did jot down the steak. From the outside, I always thought the place looked a little intimidating - looked like one of those old-school stuffy restaurants. Definitely not the case! The inside is very open, with a bit more casual of an atmosphere than I expected (although, I wouldn't recommend walking in in shorts and sandals). The service was very friendly and not snobby at all. The food was good. My appetizer was a special that night - usually I order caesar salad, but the description of this was too good to resist. The cheese was just slightly melted and mixed perfectly with the saltiness of the prosciutto. The tomatoes added a refreshing balance - sadly, it was the last time i had heirloom tomatoes this year. The steak was cooked well - perfectly medium rare. And boy was it peppery! I don't normally order steak au poivre - but any steak au povire fans out there, I urge you to try this. Very intense peppery flavor. The sides, not pictured, were average (we had the usual - creamed spinach, onion rings, etc... they weren't special enough for anyone to clean them off after being filled by their steaks). When dessert time came around, the waiter made the lofty claim that they serve the best cr�me brul�e he's ever had. How could I not order it after that? It turned out quite good; creamy and not too heavy. The raspberries were delicious. I highly doubt it's the best I've had though (although I can't think of a specific place I've had it better, I'm sure I have). Dave's cheesecake, on the other hand (sorry again, not pictured), was fantastic. Get that instead of the cr�me brul�e. Thanks again Keith's mom!
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California Pizza Kitchen

Yes, I eat at chains too! California Pizza Kitchen is a place that I've ironically never been to in California, but have gone to a couple of times here in Boston. They can make a pretty decent pizza. This is an early dinner with Keith and Jackie at the Prudential location.

spinach & artichoke dip - $7.49

bbq chicken salad - $9.99

"white pizza" - mozzarella, fontina, ricotta, parmesan, pecorino romano, spinach, garlic & bacon - $11.49

"sicilian" - thin crust with italian sausage, capicola, salami, fontina, mozzarella, parmesan, oregano & basil - $11.49 The spinach artichoke dip is really the reason we go back. That stuff is just so cheesy, creamy, and delicious. A lot of these chain-type places serve it, but I think CPK's version is the best. Plus... it's vegetables! :) The chicken salad is pretty good too, at least for a mass-produced type of salad. The chicken is acceptable, and I like the tortilla strips. The white pizza was way too heavy for me - the fontina and the ricotta really overpower everything. The sicilian is a pretty solid choice, but I think I prefer the normal crust they have to their thin crusts. Update - thanks to Jackie for the prices. Apparently she orders takeout from them a lot.
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