Love me some seafood. Can’t beat it when its super fresh. I ordered the ahi tuna burger – also known as the tuna ahi burger. I was a little surprised by the patty. For some reason, I thought it was going to be seared tuna steak but that was my bad. Even though it wasn’t what I expected, I was very pleased with my burger. The tuna patty was full of flavor and you could really taste the good quality of the fish. And you can’t go wrong with a side of fries. Next time, I’m going to get the artichoke salad with crab. A lot of diners ordered that and it looked delicious.

Ok, I had incorrect de ja vu when I walked into this place. I swore that we had a foodie at Dumpling Kitchen before but I was wrong. Just looked the typical sunset Chinese restaurant. Of course, we ordered lots of dumplings and noodles and everything was really good. Particularly the chow mein noodles. The dumplings were standard but nothing like din tai fung. But no place up here compares to the best dumpling house ever. I really liked the cold sliced beef – good spicy flavor and very tender. Me likey.

i had this delicious puff pastry about 3 years ago at an event on an organic farm in petaluma. and i never found anything as good. so when i found it at the alameda antique market, i became a giddy school girl. the owner guy is french so you know his puff pastry is amazing. i had the ham and cheese and was very very happy. if you are ever visit east bay farmer’s markets, you have to try these.

Ham and Cheese (left) and Spinach and Feta (right)

My ex-co-workers from Marin repeatedly told me the best pizza in Marin is Old Chicago. A thick crust with loads of cheese and delicious sauce that were pretty awesome. I can usually eat 2-3 slices of chicago-style pizza but I was only able to eat 1.5 slices even though i wanted to eat 4 slices. i’m so glad my co-workers shared this old and hidden gem to me.

Old Chicago Peperoni Pizza

another great production by Nick Fasanella. if you are familiar with Nick’s Crispy Tacos on Polk, then you will appreciate the fact that you don’t have to go to the crappy Marina to eat some real soCal tacos. underdogs is really a sports bar but if you can find a seat in the back, you can order some of the best fish tacos in san francisco. since i went to school in san diego, i like to consider myself an expert on fried fish tacos. fish tacos must be fried, topped with lots of fresh shredded cabbage and a nice splash of tangy mayo. then you add the special red sauce for some spiciness. nick’s way means there are two taco shells – one is hard, one is soft – and a nice helping of guac. i really miss authentic mexican food but the fish tacos from The Taco Shop are definitely a good substitute. No underdog here.

Fish Taco - Nick's Way

i can’t believe i was stupid enough to go to another place than kufu-ya for shabu shabu. what was i thinking? the spicy miso was really spicy with those hot peppers in the broth. it had too much other seasoning for me – tasted more taiwanese than japanese. the dipping sauces were not good – ick. this place won’t last. shabu pub is a dud.

midori means green in japanese. i think thats why midori beverages are green. makes sense now. there are some amazing japanese restaurants in my hood (tekka and okina) but they are pricey and very traditional. if you want more americanized sushi – with lots of rolls, spicy fish and cream cheese- then midori is the g-spot (go-to spot) for you. they have party sushi boats for large groups and a very large sushi and hot entree menu. the fish we shared was good and fresh. i also got the tonkatsu-don and it was standard. it needed a little more sauce for the rice but the pork was seasoned well. in addition to good food, the host/owner was very cool. he was very nice and honest – admitted to having a DUI so he couldn’t drink sake bombs. and if you are a regular, they keep a pair of chopsticks just for you at the sushi counter. that just makes me want to eat there more often cuz i was midori with envy when i saw ant and steph’s chopsticks.

it’s been a while since we ate at a german establishment for foodie. we’ve been to 2 pretty good german restaurants and schmidt’s was no different. maybe we don’t eat it often so everything always seems good but the sausage and schnitzel were very tasty. because of the size of our party, we had to get the family style menu. it consisted of lots of fresh salads, pea pancake appetizer, cured meat and cheese platter, sausage platter, crispy schnitzel and unlimited potato salad. the pea pancake – topped with salmon and creme fraiche – was my favorite. the mashed peas were a nice break from heavy potato pancakes that are common in german food. and the unlimited potato salad was a creamy, mayo-ey treat. and i actually drank some alcohol. i think i found my new favorite drink – orangina mixed with beer. mixing anything with orangina is damn good.

Pea Pancake