2 posts tagged “restaurants”
Since I don't eat out very often, I usually make an effort to eat somewhere with a pretty good reputation when I do. Today I was down in Cole Valley getting manicure at Lavande (nice place, nicer price), and was looking for a place to eat. I ended up at Zazies, a french-style (if the fracophilic posters on the walls are any indication) bistro just around the corner from the nail salon. I'd noticed earlier, while on the never-ending quest for parking, that there was a substantial line in front of the location (which says something in an area of town with an eatery every 100 feet), so after the manicure, my dining partner and I decided to check it out.
The food was quite good (though I never did remember to ask them how they're dealing with all of the items on the menu that have spinach in them, considering the current status of spinach in the US) - I had an excellent cream of mushroom soup and a BLT that was made with chiabata, roasted tomatoes, spring greens and chevre. Just lovely. My big complaint would be that they serve their mimosas in juice glasses instead of champagne glasses, but given the fact that they do sidewalk service (where people bring dogs - destroyers of all things thin and glassy), that choice is both forgiveable and not surprising.
The restaurant was not Denny's cheap, but the food was good, and served
in a portion that you could actually finish without adjusting the
notches on your belt.
I'll admit that ever since I found out there was a long-standing polynesian-themed bar in San Francisco, I have felt I simply needed to visit. I speak, of course, of the Tonga Room at the Fairmont Hotel, up at the top of Nob Hill.
So - how is the Tonga Room? Well, at Happy Hour, I would say not bad, but more for the environment than the food. The drinks were pretty good, but the Fairmont's idea of Happy Hour pricing is what most places think of as a regular, if a bit expensive, price point. There was an all-you-can-eat buffet, but it required a one-drink minimum purchase, plus an additional charge atop that. However, the place is plastered with Tiki idols, it features a pool of water in the center of the room with a barge afloat in the middle, and lots of palm tree thatching. There is also an artificial rain shower (with thunder and lightening effects!) every fifteen minutes. Generally, it is kind of like the Tiki Room at Disneyland, but with more rum (kinda like if the Pirates of the Caribbean ran the place, instead of Dole).
The place is pretty darkly lit, but I did get a shot of the drinks, served as all kitschy drinks should be with a marachino cherry. My drinking companion commented that she was surprised that they were not served in Tiki mugs. Maybe there are drinks that are . . .
A "Tonga Itch" (front) and a "Blue Hawaii" (rear).
