California | Tabemasu

You are here: Home » Archives for california

2Sep/114

Saison

Posted by Claudine

Saison

Saison’s website proclaims that there is no dress code, and urges folks to “come as you are.” While the food is elevated, there’s a nice dichotomy between the white-tablecloth cuisine and the service and warmth of the staff. We had finally made it - after a couple of years and one pop-up when Chef Skenes was away.

How to describe Saison with words of praise that have already been said in a style far better than mine? DD and I had a wonderful meal here, full of beautiful and delicious moments. Sometimes, it might be better to just let the food speak for itself.

Tagged as: california, chef joshua skenes, chefs, michelin, restaurants, san francisco Continue reading

20Jul/110

Outerlands

Posted by Claudine

Outerlands

If ever there was a space that could inspire dreaming, it would be the inside of Outerlands.

It’s gorgeous, with walls, chairs and countertops made out of reclaimed wood. A slanting driftwood mosaic covers part of the kitchen counter. Proprietors David Muller and Lana Porcello initially started by feeding friends out of their ocean beach abode; soon the initiative blossomed into a full-fledged restaurant. And indeed, they seemed to have captured the feel of Ocean Beach perfectly. It’s moody, but warm, the grey light from typically overcast Outer Sunset filtering in via only 3 windows. There’s a sense of escaping to the end of the earth, and its distance from the rest of the city out on Judah and 45th may be both curse for some and a boon for those of us who live relatively close by.

Tagged as: brunch, california, favourite, neighborhood gem, outer sunset, restaurants, san francisco Continue reading

29Jun/110

Nopalito

Posted by Claudine

Nopalito Signage

You’ve got to respect and honor a chef who, so entranced by the offerings of his sous for family dinners, opens up another restaurant just to highlight their cooking. Nopa’s been a favourite of ours for some time, serving great, well-executed, responsibly-sourced and sustainable food, fantastic cocktails; a bright and airy convivial space that boasts a gorgeous mural by local artist Brian Barneclo… my personal favourite is their hefty pork chop, brined just so, about an inch thick, well-marbled, hugely taking up the size of the serving platter… but that’s for another post.

Tagged as: california, chef laurence jossel, chefs, cocktails, latin, mexican, nopalito, restaurants, san francisco Continue reading

17Jun/114

Smith@Saison

Posted by Claudine

Saison

Of late, I've been able to resist temporary temptations. For over a year since it opened, I made scant little effort to get to Plum until I heard visiting Southern chef Sean Brock was coming to town and would be cooking special dinners at Coi and Daniel Patterson's outpost in the East Bay... I hastily made sure we had a spot then. The same applied for Saison. In all fairness, we had been trying to get here since Chef Josh Skenes was only doing 2 dinners a week in the Stable Cafe space - we'd make reservations and then have to cancel them. But this week, we stuck to our Wednesday 9pm timeslot for Smith@Saison - Chef Jeremy Fox's 4-day installment while Skenes is off accepting his shiny Best New Chef award at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.

Tagged as: california, chefs, french, jeremy fox, pop-ups, restaurants, san francisco Continue reading

3Jun/112

Cucina Urbana – San Diego

Posted by Claudine

Cucina Urbana Interior

Whenever I'm able to visit San Diego, I take the opportunity to get together with my family - my sis and her husband live there, near USD, and my parents usually make the 2-hour drive to have dinner with us as well. I have to admit that I didn't know much about Cucina Urbana, or the Urban Kitchen Group before I decided to make a reservation here - San Diego has always been somewhat of a black hole for me in terms of dining. But, thanks to a couple of local blogs (Alice Q Foodie and Capt'n Jack's San Diego Restaurant Reviews), UrbanSpoon, and yes, I'll admit it -- Yelp -- as well as confirmation with my sis that C.U. was an establishment she and Paul had wanted to check out - I booked it for a Tuesday night dinner.