San Francisco, February 2015

always a fun place, Pier 23

outside the Cliff House

the Cliff House

outside the Cliff House

desert, Stones Throw

they give you the check with 

a little stone, cute, Stones Throw

view of the spectacular Pacific Coast 

from the Cliff House

Graziano, Pier 23

the deck, Pier 23

crab salad, Pier 23

sweet potato fries, Pier 23

Shrimp Louie, Pier 23

a perfect salad wine, Pier 23

this is my dream wine cellar but I didn't even look at the wine list because 

I was so impressed by the cocktails, Hakkasan

Cliff House bar bottles

I never miss a visit to 

Café Claude in SF

The Niscose salad is always my favorite, Café Claude

excellent cocktails, Graziano had the simple martini while I experimented with 

the Chinese Mule (Purity vodka, Junnila sake lime) at Hakkasan

organic cucumber vodka sakatini, Hakkasan

yummy vegatable pot stickers, Hakkasan

the bar with a waiter in action, Hakkasan

we went to the W for an aperitivo and I sent the first sparkling rosé back because it had been opened for I don't know how long, apart from that the place just sucked.  Not what I remembered it to be in the late 90's when it WAS hip and happening, not any more!

Cliff House bar

night cap at The Scarlet Huntington Hotel Piano Bar, 

this my friends is a Vesper (Casino Royal) 1953 

Nolets Gin,  Ketel One Vodka Lillet, lovely way to finish off the evening

classic old school furnishings at 
The Scarlet Huntington Hotel Piano Bar

because my iPhone photos just don't do it justice, check it out

http://www.thescarlethotels.com/huntington-hotel-san-francisco/my-restaurant-and-bar/

this was really really tasty, oysters with 

avocado champagne  sauce! presented on a bed of sea salt and pepper corns

out of this world delicious! Stones Throw

appetizer, Stones Throw

a nice Pinot, Stones Throw

flank steak, 

Stones Throw

grilled scallops, Stones Throw

Stones Throw restaurant

mis en place & 

the Harris' Martini, great with steak

this is an American dinner,  

The Harris' Steak 

no white meat here at 

Harris' Steak House

fresh oysters at Union Larder

some paprika almonds went great with

the wine at Union Larder

Union Larder

window bar seats for people and 

cable car watching

Menu at Union Larder, great place 

great neighborhood

details at Union Larder

Osteria del Bosco, July 2, 2014

 I have to admit that I’ve got a new favorite Osteria…del Bosco.  In Italian Bosco means forest, and it is also the name of a small town just outside of Perugia on the way to Gubbio.

Luigi is the owner and host of this wonderful tasty oasis for foodies, Osteria del Bosco.

Owner & Sommelier Luigi

I’ve been 4 times now in the past year and it just keeps getting better.

Inside you will find a kind of old school simply furnished restaurant, while outside is a classic patio. 

view from parking lot of Osteria

What’s placed on the tables is what makes it special.  While I am usually pretty into the atmosphere aspect of dinning out, I can leave all that behind when the food and service distract my artistic eye.




Fabrizio the chef says that he is lucky because Luigi allows him to use some very high quality ingredients, which make all the difference in the world.  So true.   In every bit you can taste that difference, and also see it on the beautifully prepared plates.

Chef Fabrizio

This was a really nice little 

surprise that Fabrizio 

prepared for us in the kitchen. 

It was a sample of his innovative 

new vegan burger, 

served as an antipasto

Luigi is also a sommelier and totally into wine.  I have to say that he is a little challenging to please though.  On a recent visit to Vinosofia I couldn’t find the right wine for him, but his friends all confirmed that he has taste buds all his own.  These are some of the most interesting moments of being a sommelier/enotecaria.  When having guests like Luigi, that know what they like, which is not the usual or easy to please, I just hope Graziano will be at Vinosofia the next time he comes!

we started the evening off with a nice
Villa Franciacorta Brut

this was so colorful and delicious

California girls love these kind of plates

Carpaccio di salmon with apricots, 

peaches and almonds

Some of these photo’s are from a great dinner we enjoyed for Graziano’s birthday in July. 

I adore Barbaresco,
and this vintage was perfect

Fois Gras detail

When we selected the wine Luigi wasn’t quite convinced that it was ready yet.  So he called Graziano into the cellar and had him hand pick an older vintage, and it was perfect. 

fantastic Fois Gras

A couple others photo’s were from January & May.

Ummmm Barbaresco 

look at that color!

tartar detail

Enjoy and no drooling please.

Octopus detail

mis en place, inside from May 2014

Graziano and his digestivo

from the vintage in which he was born!

a little olive oil tasting on homemade bread
by Luigi's wife, from January 2014

a little complimentary salumi taste, 

from January 2014

Graziano's Grappa

nice Pinot Noir from our dinner 

in May 2014

front door of the Osteria

Franciacorta, homemade bread 

and a classic menu 

grilled steak

salad from May 2014

Grilled Octopus, 

from May 2014 

Grilled Snapper from lunch in January 2014