Foreign Cinema: A year-round favorite in the Mission

For years, my husband and I have loved the unique Cal-Med style food, professional service and "industrial chic" environs at Foreign Cinema. We've enjoyed romantic champagne brunches - they carry one of my favorite bubbles, Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé - many a dinner with friends, and a few family meals with the kids. After 10 years in business, this place still impresses.

It was around 1:00 p.m. when we arrived last weekend and both the dining room and courtyard were packed. Good thing we had reservations. The hostess, coffee server and waiter were all friendly and performed their jobs seamlessly. The food was great, as always. I like that they change their menu everyday, it keeps each visit interesting and fun. Our three-year-old daughter seemed to enjoy our brunch as much as we did. And, she had a good time drawing with crayons on the white butcher paper they conscientiously placed over our white tablecloth.

During the day, the patio is a bright, cheery space and after sunset, a flicker and glow emanate from nightly films they project onto the brick wall. The dining room has a warm yet urban feel and casual elegance that makes dining here feel like a treat. Whether you sit inside or out, it is a hip place to hang out and break bread with friends any time.

This Mission District destination is also a cool setting for private parties. There are several options, including a spacious art gallery adjacent to the patio, a mezzanine and a small Director’s Table. Lazlo bar located in front of the restaurant is also available for buyouts. My friends and I have often boogied to the grooves of the DJ and enjoyed late night drinks there.

Here is the line up of food we ordered:

Baked eggs in chicken hash ($15) - Oooh, my kind of dish! Two eggs sat atop chicken hash, kale, tomatoes, onions, and chickpeas in a spicy red sauce. I loved all the ingredients and especially liked that it packed some heat. The grilled papad, or thin Indian flatbread, was nice although a hunk of French bread would have soaked up that sauce better.

Madras curry roast chicken ($16) - Another delightfully spicy dish. There was a perfectly roasted half chicken with crispy skin and juicy, tender meat. It was accompanied by basmati rice with golden raisins, red onion raita and broccoli rabe. Mmmmmmm.

Fruit "pop tarts" ($6.75) - There was a choice of apple and strawberry that day and we opted for apple. It looked kind of like a pop tart dusted with confectioner's sugar but tasted much better. Unlike the sickeningly sweet kiddie version, this was like a warm apple turnover.

Kids' portion of French toast with a side of slow-cooked brown sugar smoked bacon - Our daughter had two pieces of baguette French toast with maple syrup and an order of delectable, chewy, slightly sweet bacon. Mommy had no self control and ate half of the bacon, oops! The kids' menu ($10) consists of a three course meal starting with fresh fruit and ending with two scoops of homemade ice cream with whipped cream. Besides French toast, entree choices included scrambled eggs and a grilled cheese sandwich.

I also give them thumbs up for serving delicious decaf coffee from Caffé Roma in North Beach.

Foreign Cinema is always worth the trip to the Mission District.

For more info: Foreign Cinema. 2534 Mission Street, between 21st and 22nd Streets. 415.648.7600.

Juban - fun, do it yourself grilling in Japantown

This yakiniku, or "grilled meat" joint is a good place to take people for an interactive eating experience. Bigger kids especially love being able to cook their own food. There are 16 grills at the tables and 8 more built into the circular bar at the center of the large dining room. That's a lot of cooking going on at the same time, but it never gets too smoky or hot which is a huge plus. They have a pretty extensive Asian menu with a la carte meats, veggies, seafood and accompaniments which are served family style. They also have a handful of soups, and rice and noodle dishes. If you prefer, you can opt to have the prix fixe menu for $62.25 or $82.75 which feeds two to three people each.

Juban is not a fancy place, but it's a fun spot for casual celebrations like birthdays. I also like the little touches, like special plastic kids' dinnerware and utensils (my daughter was thrilled to get a Winnie the Pooh set) a small bucket of ice to keep my bottle of sake chilled, and wet napkins at the end of the meal for everyone.

Two favorites are the miso salmon ($9) and sea scallops ($11). The beef tataki ($7.50) actually tastes better heated up and cooked through on the grill; it brings out the nice, strong ginger flavor and makes the meat more tender. The onmen ($7.50),hot somen noodles with egg, spinach and shittake mushrooms, is apparently a favorite among young children, but the beef broth was very subtle and proved to be too bland for my preschooler. She enjoyed the grilled items over rice much more.

They didn't have lobster tails the night we went, so my son ordered the rib eye ($9.50 instead and was very happy with it. He also ordered the green tea mochi for dessert but they didn't have it, so he got green tea ice cream ($3) which he enjoyed. They do carry top of the line Wagyu beef which we will have to try the next time we go.

Juban Yakiniku, Japantown, San Francisco. See web site for other locations.

Sundance Kitchen's manager keeps Island spirit alive

I've mentioned this before, but not in so much detail. I was saddened when Honu's in Buchanan Mall closed, but excited to discover that former owner Pat Da Silva-Fong manages Sundance Kitchen next to the Sundance movie theater. She has infused Hawaiian influences in their menu and brought live entertainment to the new venue on Friday and Saturday nights, starting at 9:00 p.m. Granted, it's not the same as Honu's - it's a lot bigger and thus not as homey, and it's pricier. Still, it's nice to see that the Island spirit that made Honu's such a favorite still lives on, just around the corner from Pat's old digs. One of the pluses about the new spot is the full bar makes a mean green tea cocktail with top shelf vodka.

Here are a couple of our favorite dishes:

Kobe beef sliders($11.95) - a trio of yummy, beefy burgers with arugula, carmelized onions and tomatoes.

10" Ultimate Hawaiian Pizza ($11.95) with kalua pork and pineapple - a great take on this style pizza - salty, sweet, slightly greasy, cheesy goodness.

My son was pleased to see that they kept the recipe for kalbi short ribs ($14.95), although now they serve it with kimchi fried rice, a little too spicy for his taste. They are cool about substituting white rice, though.

Kokkari - Greek fare good enough for the gods

Several years ago, when I was still working in an executive briefing center for a high tech company, my friends and I used to meet at Kokkari from time to time and have dinner before heading out for late night dancing and drinks. It was always bustling with attractive people, the food was consistently tasty, we loved the rustic and inviting atmosphere, and it was spacious enough to accommodate our larger numbers without feeling cramped.

It had been awhile since I'd been back, but last week, my girlfriend and I met there for lunch since she works nearby. Immediately, the friendly hostess and warm Saloni, or front room, with a large stone fireplace and dramatic bar, beckoned me. We were seated at a cheery table by the oversized window along Jackson street in the Kouzina, or kitchen dining area, with high ceilings. Although two different people asked us what type of water we wanted, the rest of lunch service was seamless. The food was better than I remember.

We shared grilled lamb riblets ($9.25) lightly seasoned with oregano and lemon which were hearty, finger-licking starters. We split dolmathes ($7), a plate of grape leaves stuffed with rice, dill and mint. I loved the lemony flavor and dill. We also had the oven roasted prawns ($12.75) with creamy tomato sauce and a nice little zing from feta cheese. My friend had the colorful Kokkari salad ($8) with arugula, cherry tomatoes, super crunchy Cretan rusk croutons and myzithra cheese in a vinaigrette. The croutons had a characteristically dry and hard texture which I imagine would be good for teething babies to gnaw on. Nevertheless, my friend enjoyed her salad. My charcoal-grilled octopus salad entrée ($14.50) with Greek peppers, frisée and white wine vinaigrette was fresh, filling and flavorful. The octopus was plentiful, had nice smoky flavor and tender, chewy texture.

They have a number of good wines by the glass, like a dark, deeply fruity, deliciously easy to drink Melville syrah ($13) from Santa Barbara.

This is still a wonderful place for both personal and business dining. They have multiple seating arrangements including: a grand hand-carved, wooden chef's table that seats 24 in the Kouzina; a 30-seat private Oenos, or wine room, adjacent to the Kouzina; and a lovely Hania room that seats 10 just a short elevator ride downstairs. Even their restrooms, located beyond the Hania room, are charming, although I wouldn't recommend dining there.

For more info: Kokkari Estiatorio, 200 Jackson Street at Front, San Francisco, 415.981.0983. Their sister restaurant, Evvia Estiatorio, is located at 420 Emerson Street in Palo Alto.

Dine in casual elegance at Zinnia

Chef Sean O'Brien, who developed a loyal following at Myth, opened Zinnia with his wife Patricia last October. They offer delicious New American cuisine, including some Myth favorites like potato gnocchi, rigatoni with foie gras cream, roasted black cod, oysters in the half shell and his signature dish, seared sweetbreads. Located where Cypress Club, 500 Jackson and Scott Howard used to be, Zinnia is an upscale but unstuffy spot to grab cocktails and dinner.

The interior is spacious, simply adorned and warmly lit, with a relaxed, loungey feel.

They have fun specialty cocktails like the Jalisco Sour ($10) with tequila, lemon and orange juice, egg white and bitters; and The Secret Garden ($12) with Square One organic cucumber vodka, St. Germain elderflower liqueur and Prosecco. They make a pretty good Pimm's Cup ($10) with Pimm's No. 1, lemon-lime soda, ginger, mint and cucumber. My husband and his buddy are always happy whenever they see Trumer Pils ($5) and Chimay Red Label ($9) on the menu.

We love (exclamation point) the Hood Canal Oysters ($13), half a dozen Washington oysters presented with slurpalicously good lemongrass and lime juice topped with Yuzu tobiko. The poached Jidori egg ($11) is a winner, too, especially because I enjoy breakfast/brunch items any time of day, and this one is tasty. The egg sits atop chicken hash surrounded by beech mushrooms with chicken jus. The large crackling lends the perfect amount of salt and decadence to finish the dish. Another star on the menu is signature seared sweetbreads ($12), which are plated with bacon, sherry vinegar and haricot verts. They are addicting, and I could devour them by the bowlful.

The pastas and dishes from the sea come in two sizes. Rigatoni ($13/19) with foie gras cream, maitake mushrooms, and Marsala is nice although the foie gras is very subtle and the dish itself is surprisingly less memorable than the rigatoni they made for my daughter which had a rich and creamy, cheesy, buttery sauce reminiscent of mac and cheese. Seared Tasmanian trout ($15/26) in saffron sauce has a nice crispy skin with tender meat that is a pretty pink color similar to salmon. It comes with heirloom carrots and turnips. Scallops ($17/28) are seared to perfection and served with pioppini mushrooms, fennel, crispy potatoes and lobster sauce. You get two scallops with the smaller portion and three with the large.

The item that is just so-so is proscuitto wrapped escargot ($12) with crispy fennel, mache and rouille. They are salty little nuggets that could be anything, really, because you can't tell there is escargot in it.

The staff at Zinnia are impressively accommodating to the toddler set. We think their cozy booths by the window along Jackson Street provide a perfect, kid-friendly corner. When we ate dinner there recently, the hostess doted over our daughter and gave her a big box of crayons with a notepad to keep her occupied. Our server promptly sent out warm bread and butter for our hungry youngster to nibble on while the kitchen prepared her half order of rigatoni. And, they brought my daughter's food out along with the adult appetizers, so everyone was happy.

Zinnia may not be affordable everyday, but it is certainly a nice place to go on occasion. If you want to sample their fare at smaller prices, check them out during Halfsy Hour in the lounge and bar. From 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. on weeknights, they offer half price specialty cocktails, wines by the glass and premium beer, along with signature half portions of dinner menu items.

Tajine - solid Moroccan food in disco environs

The other night, my husband and I joined a couple of foodie friends for dinner at Tajine which reopened on Thursday on VanNess at Pacific. We were in the mood for something casual, inexpensive and relatively kid-friendly since we were bringing our three year old daughter with us. We had never eaten at Tajine’s previous locations but had heard good things about the food.

Let’s see. There’s friendly staff including chef/owner Mohammed Ghaled personally welcoming us at the door? Check. You can bring your own wine without a corkage fee? Check. They have decent, if not large, portions of affordable Moroccan food? Check. Kid-friendly? Check.

Those are the pluses. The decor and seating configuration, on the other hand, reflected more of a lounge vibe and was not very conducive to having a relaxed, liesurely dinner. Or maybe I’m just an old, forty-something fuddy-duddy. There were black and silver couches, orange ottomans, disco balls, spotlights and a glowing, neon-lit bar. My husband and I sat on the sofa and towered over a very low standing table to eat while our friends sat opposite us on round ottomans that were better suited to the height of the table, but were seemingly not very comfortable. My friend said it reminded her of the way people crouch and eat at street vendors in Asia.

Tables around us were literally folded up and rolled away just before 10:00 p.m. to make way for the nightclub that Tajine transforms into on Friday and Saturday nights. It was a little off-putting to see and hear the staff putting away furniture as we tried to finish our meal. I imagine it would have been better if we sat on the floor on pillows, because we all would have been at the same eye level with each other and it would have felt a tad more homey.

That night, it appeared that more emphasis was placed on the Heights nightclub aspect than on the restaurant itself. It’s unfortunate because most of the food was delicious. We all agreed that one of the highlights were Merguez sausages which were flavorful, slightly spicy sausages atop cucumber slices. It was the perfect size to share between two people and whet our appetite for the entrees. We also enjoyed the lamb tajine, succulent pieces of lamb, that were moist, tender, and falling off the bone. Prunes added sweetness and brightened the dish. The chicken with olives and preserved lemon was a winner, too. There were really tender pieces of chicken bursting with flavor from the briney olives and tangy preserved lemon. You have to soak up the sauce with the bread they pass out, delish! Our friends also thoroughly enjoyed the chicken bastilla which was enormous! It was made of phyllo stuffed with ground chicken and sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

The two dishes that fell short were my lamb couscous which had generous portions of couscous and vegetables but no so much lamb and was pretty bland overall; and the lamb kababs which also came with couscous and veggies. The two skewers looked good but were overcooked and dry.

I might go back with a group since it’s inexpensive, you can bring your own wine and it’s kid-friendly, but not on a Friday or Saturday night.

Oyaji - sushi and izakaya style fare in the Outer Richmond

There's a little gem tucked across the street from the Lincoln Park Golf Course on Clement Street that serves good izakaya style dishes and sushi. I like the hot towels they pass out when you sit down, and enjoy eating in their cozy, semi-private booths. They have a killer crab and cucumber salad (kani su), delicious skewered chicken meatballs (tsukune) and great nigiri. My son loves the shrimp tempura as well as the Oyaji beef which is grilled rib eye with sauteed onions and Oyaji sauce served on a sizzling platter. It's not on the menu, but my daughter usually starts with a takuwan roll. She enoys the skewered duck (aigamo), too.

We've happily devoured the fried whole flounder (karei karaage), eyeballs and all. Cabbage rolls, stewed pork belly (butano-kakuni), and steamed clams in sake (asari no sakamushi) are pretty tasty, too. I always have saba sashimi, it's my favorite.

Last night, we tried skewered chicken gizzard (sunagimo) which, all I can say is, truly an acquired taste. The crunchy texture totally threw us off. I can't say that I'll be ordering that again anytime soon. We also sampled sautéed squid in butter and soy sauce (ika sauté) which my husband devoured - I got one little bite. The cha-shu ramen had great chewy noodles and tons of tender pork but was a little salty.

Oyaji always seems to be bustling, even on a weekday night. Last night, there were a mix of locals and Japanese people in business attire. Take a look at the photos of all the food we ate. Our bill came to a respectable $66.80 - it also includes tea and a soda.


For more info: Oyaji Restaurant