Category: Restaurant Reviews

Meatloaf and macaroni and cheese? They said they wanted to go to a really nice restaurant. Are you sure about this? "Just trust me." With a completely unconcerned smile, my partner whisked me out the door and propelled me towards the car.

My friends had come from the East Coast to visit me here in San Francisco. Their week in town had nearly ended, and as a thank you for housing them while they were here, they insisted on taking us out for a wonderful dinner. At the time, I had only lived in the City for a few months, and as any transplant who works for a living can tell you, there aren't too many meals that cost more than ten dollars happening at first; San Francisco may be a foodie's wonderland, but the cost of living sure comes as a shock for a girl from Portland, Maine. So of course, I turned to my partner for a recommendation for a fancy dinner; as an eleven-year resident, and a hedonist like myself, she knows where to get the best in anything and everything around San Francisco. Her selection? The Blue Plate Restaurant.

The few tables in Blue Plate are occupied when we arrive, which is no wonder; its seating capacity is limited and intimate, but we don't mind waiting on the back patio. We are led to a table in the garden, where our host pays us exquisite attention despite the fact that we are the only people seated outside. Our wines arrive, and we are apologized to repeatedly for the wait; it seems the people inside are lingering over dessert. No worries, we assure the staff, but we are treated to an appetizer of Gnocchi in a garlic cream sauce for our trouble. The sauce is perfectly balanced, the Gnocchi perfectly cooked, and before we know it, we're being ushered to our table.

At my partner's insistence, we order the meatloaf and the macaroni and cheese to share. All I can think of are the meatloaves and macaroni and cheeses I've seen thus far, and for the life of me, I can't imagine any of it arriving on a plate at an upscale San Francisco restaurant. When the Blue Plate meals arrive, however, it all makes sense.

The portion of meatloaf is enormous, and it's pretty. Have you ever seen pretty meatloaf? No? I'm telling you, it's hard to believe, but it's the truth. The greens and potatoes round off the meal brilliantly, and with every bite, I can imagine the look on my face – caught somewhere between, "Are you kidding me?" and "Can we eat this every night? Please?" The macaroni and cheese is as far from the boxed stuff as you can possibly dream; served in an earthenware bowl, you know that they just finished melting the drunken goat cheese on the pasta and spread the breadcrumbs over the top only seconds before it hit your table. My friends were every bit as impressed with their meals as I was with mine, and my partner was able to wear an "I told you so" smirk all night long.

The portion of meatloaf is enormous, and it's pretty. Have you ever seen pretty meatloaf? No? I'm telling you, it's hard to believe, but it's the truth. The greens and potatoes round off the meal brilliantly, and with every bite, I can imagine the look on my face – caught somewhere between, "Are you kidding me?" and "Can we eat this every night? Please?" The macaroni and cheese is as far from the boxed stuff as you can possibly dream; served in an earthenware bowl, you know that they just finished melting the drunken goat cheese on the pasta and spread the breadcrumbs over the top only seconds before it hit your table. My friends were every bit as impressed with their meals as I was with mine, and my partner was able to wear an "I told you so" smirk all night long.

San Francisco is known for its broad scope and variety, particularly when it comes to food. It may be that you've tried Thai at ten different places so far and haven't yet found one that really delivers the "wow" factor. It may be that you want authentic Thai, but don't know which places you can trust to serve up the real deal. It may be that you're just looking for something new, and Thai seems to be all the rage these days. No matter what your reason, make sure your first Thai stop is the King of Thai Noodle House.

King of Thai has several locations throughout the City; while I've patronized one or two of the others, the 346 Clement Street location is nearest to home, so it's the one I stop by most often. The wait staff is always kind and attentive, even though the dining room is generally bustling with a young, noisy crowd. Despite this, takeout is nearly always ready for me within fifteen minutes of placing my order. They're open late, till 2:30 a.m. daily, and I've never yet seen an hour at which the dining room is less than half full, but I've also never waited more than ten minutes for a table. Given typical wait times for restaurants in San Francisco, I'd say they're doing something right, wouldn't you?

If you have never had Thai before, almost anyone will recommend you start off with Pad Thai, a traditional noodle dish in a lime juice based sauce, accompanied by stir fried egg, carrot, and sprouts, and topped with raw sprouts, crushed peanuts, and fresh scallions. It's how I started, and it's still the dish I fall back on when I can't make up my mind. I've recently, thanks to King of Thai, added Pad See Iew to my Thai repertoire; this dish of wide, flat noodles with vegetables in a sweet brown sauce is another wonderful introduction to Thai cuisine, but is flavorful and unique enough to satisfy the accustomed palate.

My favorite item at King of Thai, however, is the Tom Kha Gai, a spicy chicken soup with mushrooms, coconut milk, and lemongrass, to which a pint of rice noodles can be added, turning this soup into a hearty meal that totals a mere $7.50. Walk into this place with ten bucks cash (which is the only tender they're set up to take, so hit the ATM before you head in), and walk out with a sack full of great food. How much easier can it get?

Nearly every meal at King of Thai is between $6.25 and $6.75, and no one item on the menu is more than $7.95. The cooks and wait staff are willing to do whatever is within their power to accommodate your wants and needs, and rarely is there a price tag attached to adjustments to a meal. Perhaps that's part of the original premise established by the king of Thai himself, Mr. Toy. From their menu, "… His primary goal is for patrons to arrive expecting good things, leave after having enjoyed a great meal, tell others, and look forward to enjoying yet another joyous and tasty adventure." Well, they've certainly achieved that goal with me, and I hope you'll follow my lead straight to the King of Thai for what I know will be a "joyous and tasty adventure" you'll want to turn around and share, as well.

It's Sunday night. The fog rolled in early, the store I run closed late, and I know I didn't take anything out of the freezer for dinner. As a result of many previous occasions much like this one, the car practically steers itself towards comfort food and friendly faces – it's a Tommy's Joynt night.

Tommy's Joynt offers a variety of dinner plates, sandwiches, and daily specials, all available for enjoying in-house or for take-out. While the selection for vegetarians is limited, the carnivores out there, myself included, will struggle with the decision between main courses. While everything I've tried at Tommy's has been excellent, and enough food for two full meals, the old standby has always been the Meatballs and Spaghetti. Comfort food at its finest, this dinner delivers hearty meatballs, buttery pasta, and crusty dinner rolls for only $6.25. If you're looking for a little more variety on your plate, try a dinner platter with freshly roasted meats carved right when you order, dressed up with two large side dishes, for $7.95.

The first time you go to Tommy's, it's a good idea to be armed with a few key bits of information. First, it's cafeteria style dining, complete with checkered tablecloths, and the line starts right inside the door. If you want a chance to check things out before it's time to order, make your way past the line and observe from the dining area. The old-fashioned signs behind the cooks feature the menu's offerings, but no, those aren't outdated prices – you really are getting a full plate of home cooked goodness for well under ten bucks. Which brings me to the second point: Tommy's is a cash-only establishment, so make sure you hit an ATM before dinner or are prepared to use the one they have in the restaurant.

Next, while Tommy's isn't full-service wait staff, you will need to either flag down a server or head to the bar for any beverage with your meal besides water, which they keep full and ice cold, with cups alongside the pitchers at the end of the food line. Finally, the folks at Tommy's have been doing this for a lot of years – 60, to be exact – and they've got this down to a science. So unless you're sitting at the bar, prepare to be whisked through the process at breakneck speed. Unlike standard fast food, however, you'll receive a smile and a genuine greeting from every person you encounter, from the hostess to the line cooks; this family business is one that makes you feel like one of their own.

In addition to the home style cooking, Tommy's Joynt boasts a bar with an amazing array of beers from around the world – one patron says that "If they don't have the beer at Tommy's, good luck finding it in San Francisco at all," – as well as an unmatched list of specialty coffee beverages. Head over to http://www.tommysjoynt.com where you can check out photos of the restaurant, bar, and cooks' line, browse the food and drink menus, and learn a little about Tommy's Joynt's history. Then the next time "What's for dinner?" has you stumped, make your way to Geary and Van Ness for food, people, and an atmosphere that will make it seem as though there's only one answer that makes sense – Tommy's Joynt, of course!