Piccino

1001 Minnesota St (at 22nd St)
San Francisco, CA 94107

Ocassion: Double date dinner in celebration of Fiah's birthday! 08.05.12

marinated cucumber, little gems, citrus, juniper and fried capers

Light, refreshing and juicy.  The vibrant colors in this dish is appealing and the variety of textures in this dish makes it that much better.  The crisp of the lettuce, the plump and juicy chunks of oranges, crunchy cucumbers and the pickled onions.

farmer’s cheese, eggplant, nardello pepper, nepitella and pinenuts

The combination of slices of the smoky eggplants went really well with the creamy farmer's cheese.  The pine nuts added a nutty flavor as well as texture to this mushy/creamy dish.  I love eggplant anything and this was one dish I had to order.

creamy corn soup, charred corn and pepper relish

Probably one of the best creamy corn soup's I've had.  It was sweet, perfectly creamy with corn kernels in them. It was oh so good!

house made tagliatelle, monterey bay calamari, cherry tomato and lemon

baked semolina gnocchi, peas, carrots, parmesan broth and basil pesto

funghi: roasted mushrooms, stracchino and shaved garlic 

My favorite! Flavorful, delicious with super thin crust. If you're getting a pizza, I'd highly recommend this.

margherita: tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil

it's simple, but it's delicious. I just wish there were more basil leaves.

Piccino

1001 Minnesota St
San Francisco, CA 94107

Occasion: Dinner to celebrate GHT's birthday 02.23.12.

The Dogpatch is not the same as it used to be.  It's definitely a thriving neighborhood, growing, with many great foodie spots. Amongst them all, Piccino's menu offers a great variety of great eats.  I would consider it a hidden gem in the Dogpatch. If you haven't ventured out to this part of town, this is one spot you want to experience before it gets way too popular. Thank you chef Rachel Silcocks for an amazing meal!

Special thanks to our server, Hana, who picked out all our dishes for us. She knew our tastes too well.

Marinated Olives

I've never been crazy about olives, but I'll still eat it.  However, I really liked these olives.  Perhaps it was because there were garlic cloves, or the fact that I was super hungry. Either way, they were a great little snack to start us off with.

Fried brussels sprouts, lemon, garum and roasted garlic 

The tangy accent of lemon complemented the fried brussel sprouts perfectly, as the roasted garlic added a delicious flavor to the dish.  Soft, but each bushel still had a great crunch.

Roasted cauliflower, farro and almond gremolata

I've never been a big fan of cauliflower, probably because my parents always overcooked it, giving it an extra mushy and soft texture. I feel differently now about cauliflower, perhaps it was due to the fact that it was roasted. It left a smokey taste with a great crunch.  To add to the crunch texture the almonds were a great addition to the dish. I loved the flavors and the play in textures. I was such a fan of this dish.

Kale and butternutsquash, pomegranate, toasted pecan and celery root puree

Healthy and delicious. How could you resist a dish that is not only high in nutritional value, but so delicious? Love the crunch that the toasted pecan adds to the dish.

Pork and beef polpette, crushed tomatoes and parmesan

I love the combination of a pork and beef meatball.  I think it beats the classic meatball with it's flavor and it's softer texture. The crushed tomato sauce loaded on top of the meatballs were divine.  We all agreed on how simple, but delicious this dish was.

Baked semolina gnocchi, poached egg, root vegetable caponata, black olive and dried plum

Such a unique and innovative dish. I loved not only the presentation, but also the flavors in this dish.  The marriage of all the flavors worked real well together. When I see poached eggs, I think breakfast, but this dish was so much more hearty than your typical poached egg that you get served at breakfast. Definitely a must try dish.

House made fettuccine, hedgehog mushrooms, pecorino, monteporo and rosemary

Fettuccine in a delicious light creamy mushroom sauce.  The rosemary adds a distinctive fragrant taste to the dish.

Roasted young carrots with cumin and herbed creme fraiche

Delicious.  It had the texture of potato.  This was reminiscent of sweet potatoes with the sweetness of cumin along with the texture.  It was so good especially dipped in the cool herbed creme fraiche, which complemented the dish very well.

Pan seared black cod, sorrel fumetto, green garlic and meyer lemon

Crispy skin, soft buttery meat with a hint of acidity all combined together= delicious. Another great dish presented in front of us.

Rosmarino Pizza

with dumpling squash, gorgonzola, fennel, chili and pickled onion

Have I ever mentioned that pizza is my favorite junk food? Anyhow, this was definitely not your average pizza.  This gourmet pizza definitely had a great twist to it. The gorgonzola added a creamy texture and a rich flavor.  The pickled onion was another highlighted ingredient on the pizza.

Margherita Pizza

I love the simplicity of a Margherita pizza. Tomato sauce, basil and mozzarella cheese. Not the best I've had, but I still enjoyed it! Try it yourself to see how it compares to your favorite margherita pizza.

Zeppole with cardomom cream and candied orange

Reminded me of little sugared donut holes with cardamom cream. Oh so delicious.

Bittersweet chocolate cake with bergamot and buttermilk ice cream

There's something about chocolate cake that goes really well with ice cream.  Too bad, the cake was a bit to dry for my liking.

Spiced persimmon creme brulee with gingersnap cookies

Persimmon creme brulee was definitely unique. The spiced persimmon flavor definitely tones down the sweet taste of a regular vanilla creme brulee.  Gingersnap cookies were took crunchy for my liking.

Affogotto: Espresso and seven spice or jivara milk chocolate ice cream

There's something about the marriage of espresso and chocolate that makes a dessert taste so good.

Tommasso's Italian Restaurant

1042 Kearny St
San Francisco, CA 94133

Occasion: Double date dinner with the college roomie. Got to meet her boyfriend officially for the first time as her "boyfriend". Great place to have a get together or even just dinner. *Pictures taken on an iPhone with no flash*  02.08.12

 

Clams in a red sauce on

Toasted French Bread

That's what we came back for.  I love that the juices of the sauce is soaked up in the bread, making it extra flavorful and delicious.  There is a generous amount of clams and baby clam meat and it's just a great appetizer to have. Make sure you don't talk to much and let it sit on your plate because they're definitely best eaten when hot!

 

Mushroom sausage pizza

When Alison had suggested a Patxi's pizza place, for dinner,  I was kind of turned off by it since I had already had pizza twice in the past few days.  She apologized for wanting to order this, but I was completely fine with it.  I just didn't want pizza to be the main meal.  At least here we had two other dishes.  Pizza was amazingly delicious.  I love mushroom pizza and the Italian sausage definitely added great flavors to the pizza.  I liked that it was thin crust and it didn't feel too heavy as opposed to deep dish pizza.  I would definitely recommend this.

Meat Ravioli w/ Meat Ball 

Sorry to say that the meatball just doesn't compare to Tony's Pizza's, but the ravioli was stuffed with flavorful ground meat.  Only complaint is that there just wasn't enough. They should probably make a bigger portion.  I would definitely like that.

California Pizza Kitchen

5614 Bay St
Emeryville, CA 94608

Occasion: AK's birthday dinner celebration before a night of Mafia! We had a party of about 22.  The dishes below were shared among 6.  Perfect amount to not put you over, especially with so many carbs. 02.04.12

Vegetarian with Japanese Eggplant on whole wheat crust

with mozzarella, baby brocolli, eggplant, corn, red onion, mushroom, sun dried tomatoes and tomato sauce

My favorite of the bunch.  Have I mentioned that I like vegetarian pizzas before?  It was absolutely delicious and a favorite amongst our little group who shared it.

The original BBQ Chicken pizza

with BBQ sauce, smoked Gouda, BBQ chicken, red onions, cilantro and mozzarella

I mix of sweet and savory, with a bit of a smokey taste.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

It was sweet  and definitely had a kick to it.  If you'd like something sweet combined with spicy, I'd say it's a good choice.

Jambalaya

It wasn't that memorable...

Chicken Tequila Fettuccine

Spinach fettuccine with chicken, bell peppers, onions and cilantro in tequila lime jalepeno cream sauce

Pizzeria Delfina

2406 California St
San Francisco, CA 94115

Occasion: Lunch is served from one of our local favorites...02.03.12

 

 Insalata Tricolore
w/ lemon vinaigrette and grana padano

 Always got to get some greens in the system. So fresh and so good!

Panna
Tomato sauce, cream, basil, shaved parmigiano

Our favorite pizza from here.  The cream definitely balances the acidity of the tomato sauce and adds a sweetness to it.  Have I ever mentioned that I like vegetarian pizzas. This is definitely a winner.  Try this and you will not regret!

Roasted Cauliflower

I'm normally not a big fan of cauliflower, but these were seriously delicious!  It's not as mushy as if you were to steam or stirfy it.

Salsiccia
Housemade fennel sausage, tomato, bell peppers, onions, mozzarella

Another delicious pizza, but not my preferred choice.  Smoky taste of the bell  pepper definitely added  a nice crunch and flavor to the pizza.

Patxi's Chicago Pizza

511 Hayes St
San Francisco, CA 94102

Occasion: We ordered some deep dish pizza to celebrate some gift exchanging with the GCBA fam=] December 2011

Patxi's Favorite  

Pepperoni, mushrooms, and black olives

Veggie  

Mushrooms, onions, green peppers and black olives

Greek  

Artichoke hearts, feta, green olives and red bell peppers

I discovered that I'm more fond of vegetarian pizza's than I am of a meatlover's pizza.  I love my pizzas loaded with tons of veggies, especially mushrooms, bellpepper and artichoke.  Therefore, my favorites of the bunch were the vegetarian and the greek.  As if these pizza's aren't already rich and filling enough, adding more meat on it makes it even worse for my stomach to handle.  If you are a meatlover, by all means go for any of their meat lover's choice.  Their deep dish pizzas are not only delicious, they're so filling.

Tony's Pizza Napoletana

1570 Stockton St
San Francisco, CA 94133

Occasion: We decided to come back here one week later to celebrate one of Henry's little's cousin's 4th birthday. Party of 9. 9.24.11

Meatball with Marinara Sauce

The biggest and tastiest meatball I have ever had. The end.  A must try item on the menu, everyone in our group can agree with that!!

Calamari

It's hard to go wrong with flavorful deep fried calamari.  It was best eaten after dipping it into their sauce.  This is always a good appetizer to share with a large group of people before a meal. My favorite are the ones with tentacles. Delicious.  The adults really enjoyed it, but I'm not sure about the kiddos. 

Fratellanza Sicilian Pizza

with fresh mushrooms, pepperoni, Italian sausage and oregano

Sicilian Pizza has a thicker crust.  There's more starch, therefore more filling.  It reminded us of Golden boy's pizza that's located around the block, but not as good.  The bread was not as soft and fluffy and the cheese wasn't as gooey.  It's a guy kinda pizza, thus they were the ones that ended up beasting on it.

Margherita Pizza

made with dough mixed by hand using san felice flour then proofed in napolitan wood boxes, San Marzano tomatoes D.O.P., sea salt, mozzarella fior di latte, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil

I loved it so much last week, that I knew I had to get it again this week.  This was a favorite amongst the kids and us females.  Thin crust with gooey and stretchy mozzarella cheese. It's simple, flavorful and delicious, just the way I like pizzas.  For those who are vegetarians and don't eat meat, this would be a great choice.

Brooklyn calzone made with mozzarella, spinach, garlic and ricotta with roasted bone marrow

Delicious! It was my first time having one, or at least that's what I can remember.  It reminded me of an Italian empanada that's filled with cheesy goodness.  It has a somewhat pizza crust outside wrapped around cheese and spinach, almost like a veggie pizza sandwich.  It was best eaten when it's fresh out the oven.  Spread some bone marrow on top and it definitely adds flavor to it.

Gluten Free Pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, baby tomatoes, arugula, parmesian and prosciutto

Requested by Lincoln, since he is on a gluten free diet.  I thought the pizza was a little too sweet for my liking. I'm used to eating savory pizza and not used to it having a tint of sweetness.  The breading definitely has a different texture and taste to it as it is not as fluffy, nor did it taste as starchy.  It was decent though.

Gino's East

162 E Superior St
(between Michigan Ave & St Clair St)
Chicago, IL 60611

Occasion: After some souvenir shopping on Michigan, we decided to try Gino's East for some deep dish pizza.  We just had to compare it with Giordano's and Lou Malnati's. Our last meal in Chicago. 07.04.11

Sausage and mushroom deep dish pizza

After trying this deep dish pizza...I rank Lou Malnati's #1, Giordano's #2 and Gino's East #3.  When we first brought up the topic of deep dish pizza...way back in San Francisco, Thomas had mentioned that he disliked Little Star's deep dish because of the cornmeal crust.  He talked about deep dish with cornmeal crust and deep dish without.  For me I didn't think the cornmeal crust was bad at Little Star Pizza in San Francisco and thought it was no big deal.  Here at Gino's East, you can really taste and feel the cornmeal crust.  It's definitely noticeable and I can see how some people may not be a fan of that.  The cornmeal crust just didn't do it for me here.  In Chicago, I'd much rather prefer non cornmeal crust because it makes the crust less crispy and crunchy.  Too soft for me.

Giordano's Pizzeria

730 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611

Occasion: Ordered take out to hang out and chill at the hotel. A little snack before dinner. 07.02.11

 

Mushroom and sausage deep dish pizza

Stuffed with gooey cheesy goodness.  I loved how cheesy it was, yet there was a good balance of tomato sauce.  Once slice is definitely good for a meal.  I had my first slice of deep dish pizza outside of Chicago, in San Francisco.  It definitely doesn't vary by much compared to Patxi's in San Francisco, but I must admit...that this one is better.

Mushroom Thin Crust

I've definitely had better and it was nothing too spectacular, not to say that it was bad.  It was pretty decent.

Golden Boy Pizza

542 Green St
San Francisco, CA 94133

Occasion: Friday night pizza run! Had to fulfill my cravings.  Did I ever mention that pizza is my most favorite food?

Combination Pizza

Best eaten when it's fresh and hot. I love love love their pizza. Maybe because it comes in a square slice. Maybe because they use foccacia bread. Maybe because it brings back middle school after school memories.  Best pizza in the city!!

Pizzeria Delfina

3611 18th St
San Francisco, CA 94110

Occasion: Dinner catch up session with bAbiE tiff and diana.  March 23, 2011

Shell pasta stuffed with ricotta cheese

It was on the daily specials.  It was so good. I've found a new found love for ricotta cheese!  It was a very very good dish!

Magherita Pizza

Love love love margherita pizzas.  It fulfilled my pizza craving for the day.  I would definitely recommend coming here for their margherita pizza!

Capricciosa Pizza
Aside from our vegetarian pizza, we got onee with meat! This too was very good. It had artichokes on it. yum!