Spruce (San Francisco) - Q

I've been wanting to try Spruce ever since it made it into Esquire's annual 20 best new restaurants list. I've always trusted Esquire's list, as it has introduced me to many great new restaurants in the past. In fact, I had just gone to Luce, another of this year's 20 best new restaurants, the weekend before and had a fabulous meal (I'll have to post that one later), so I was eager for another culinary experience.

When I first entered Spruce, I immediately noticed the bar. It seemed mellow but a good place to grab a cocktail before dinner. Since I was there for an event, the hostess led me through the main dining hall to the private room in the back. The dining room was extremely dark, but I supposed that lends itself to a romantic atmosphere. As I weaved through the packed dining room, I saw couples after couples enjoying their dinner in candlelight, although I don't know how they can see what they are eating.

The private room was a little brighter, albeit not by much, but at least I was able to make out the faces of people I knew. The private room was reasonably big and held two long tables that seated ten each. Since it was a big party, we got to pick from a pre-selected menu. I chose the beet salad for appetizer, which came beautifully arranged. It looked like beef carpaccio to me, but again you can't really tell the difference in that light. The salad was refreshing and had a good balance between flavors and the textures of the beets and greens. I chose duck for my entree because the menu said it came with foie gras (and I can never turn down foie gras), and it did not disappoint. My eyes lit up as a generous cut of fatty foie gras atop of my duck materialized in front of me. The duck was flavorful and tender and the foie gras... hmmm, foie gras needs no description. The dessert was the most forgettable part of the meal - it was a trio of mini desserts: chocolate cake, some sort of cream with pomegranate seeds on top, and some other cake. (As you can see, it was truly forgettable.) Overall, the dinner was good and the food was solid. I would probably come back more often if I lived in Laurel Heights.

The best part is... (drum roll please) I think Spruce deserves a Q! I know it may sometimes seem that I've forgotten the these of my blog, but trust me, I haven't! I'm always looking out for high-Q places but they can really be hard to find sometime. As I passed the bar and dining room it looked like there were quite a few sophisticated and well-dressed men there, and the atmosphere is certainly romantic. My perception may also be skewed because there were a number of cute men at the event that I attended. Nonetheless, Spruce deserves a solid Q and I hope to find more places soon!

Shabu House (San Francisco)

If you are hungry and love meat, then you need to check out Shabu House. "Shabu shabu" is basically the Japanese version of fondue where you cook meats and vegetables in some sort of broth. Shabu House offers an All-You-Can-Eat option after 8PM everyday. I don't believe they take reservations for parties under 4 so be sure to show up early before it gets busy. There is usually a line on weekends, but it's definitely worth the wait. Besides, the longer you wait, the hungrier you get and you can eat to your heart's content! Prices have changed but it's still around $30 per person and there is also an All-You-Can-Eat & Drink option for a little bit more.

There is 3 broths to choose from. You can have either the traditional shabu of plain water, a ginger chicken soup, or spicy miso base. For me, I always pick spicy miso because it gives the meat and vegetables the most flavor! Once I have had the spicy miso broth here, it has spoiled me for other shabu places. This is one of the main reasons that makes Shabu House stand out. There are containers of garlic, daikon, and green onion on the table for you to mix with the sauces. Traditionally they give you a ponzu sauce and a sesame sauce. You can season, taste, or create the sauce to your own liking with the 3 accompaniments. With your meal, you get the traditional vegetable plates and udon noodles to add into the shabu. Of course this is unlimited as well, so feel free to ask for any particular vegetable but don't forget to save room for the meat!

The best part of the whole deal is the meat that they offer. You can choose either lamb or American Kobe beef or a combination of both! Personally I get both to start so I can see what meat is good that night. Most of the time I prefer the lamb. All the meat is freshly shaved to order so it may take some time for it to come out if they are busy. It might be a good idea to order the next plate of meat a little early if it's busy. The meat is usually pretty good and goes great with the spicy miso broth. To top things off, they serve you a scoop of ice cream at the end, which is a great way to cool off after a hot meal.

Double Decker Buffalo Wings

If only I knew about this place or thought about yesterday. After lots of research, the second place I chose was the Double Decker in SF. Albeit, it's located in a shady area as most people commented on the internet. The interior seems pretty clean where they prepare the food and the funny thing was everyone there was Asian, I think they spoke Cantonese. Everyone there was friendly. I just wish that we went on Wednesday night when it's all you can eat wings night for $11.95! Yum Yum! Of course we had to try it out ourselves to see if we liked it and then come back I guess. The dining area or waiting area by the kitchen was tiny. I didn't walk upstairs to go to their "dining" area.I ordered the Garlic Fries because I am a devout garlic lover! When I got in the car, I took them out immediately and they were so fragrant. Sadly, the fries were kind of soggy so they weren't that good and they lacked flavor. I know the pictures looks somewhat good, but to be honest I did a lot of color touch ups because it looked too bland. What really surprised me was that the Buffalo Wings were pretty good. They were much better than I thought they would be. Ms. Lin and I love good buffalo wings, but there seems to be a limited supply up in SF! The prices were reasonable and they were tasty. Their sizes were a little small, but it's still a better deal than Little Star Pizza. The buffalo sauce was tasty but a little bit on the sweeter side and not too spicy. Unfortunately I don't like things too spicy and Ms. Lin loves it hot! So we always do mild with hot sauce on the side for her. On the internet I read that they offer Inferno and I asked in Ms. Lin would like that but she actually declined! BOO! Maybe if she goes back by herself she can try the Inferno, if she dares!All in all I was satisfied with this place. The food was good and the prices were decent. They are on my list of places I might eat next Wednesday! Although once we go there for all you can eat wings, I am sure our pictures will be up on the "black listed" wall. O=P I kept looking at the fresh burgers they were making and they also looked good. They use a special ranch for their meat. I just might order take out and have them deliver to the apt. Yum Yum!

Double Decker
465 Grove St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 552-8042