Paladar Cafe Cubano

329 Kearny St
(between Bush St & Pine St)
San Francisco, CA 94108

One of my favorite lunch stops is Paladar Cafe Cubano, 2 blocks from my office in the Financial District (and next door neighbors to my dad's restaurant). We are friendly with the owners Vicki and Rita, two of the nicest restaurant owners I have ever met. They love what they do and have such passion for their food that it shows in the quality and presentation. The cafe is small but they make the best of their space and function as a full service restaurant (difficult to do in this area of SF because most eateries can only fit a few tables).

One of my favorite dishes there is the ensalada de la casa (mixed greens with veggies) and add grilled steak. The meat is marinaded perfectly, it's so delicious. The salad has a light tasting lemon-shallotvinagerette dressing that is very refreshing and compliments the meat wonderfully. You also have the option to add chicken or shrimp as well as steak to any salad on the menu. I'm also a fan of the shrimp and sometimes order it on the 5 greens salad which has arugula, watercress, avocado & cucumber with mint vinaigrette dressing.

The cubano sandwich is probably one of their most popular lunch items which has Niman roast pork, ham, swiss, pickles, mayo & mustard and is served warm with a small mixed greens salad on the side. I love getting some of their homemade chipotle aioli to dip my sandwich in, gives it a little kick of spice! If you're in the mood for a treat as a side to that sandwich, then I recommend adding the fried yuca (listed on the menu as an appetizer) which is served with the chipotle aioli for dipping. The fried yuca has a similar consistency to a french fry, crispy outside, soft and potato-like (but sweeter) inside.


Fried Yuca

Cinecitta Ristorante & Bar

663 Union St
(between Columbus Ave & Powell St)
San Francisco, CA 94133

About 2 weeks ago we started having warmer than usual weather in San Francisco (it was short lived, as usual) but it made me start to crave authentic Italian food. Warm weather in the city reminds me of living in Rome, the hussle and bustle of a city, but being able to sit outside and enjoy a pizza and then stroll through the streets with a refreshing gelato. Thus I began my quest for the next best thing to being in Italy for Italian food-North Beach in SF. Not nearly the same atmosphere, but only a convenient 15 minute walk from my office.

Cinecitta is one of many small Italian eateries that you'll find in North Beach, just off Columbus where most of the restaurants are. Columbus feels very much like walking through Italian streets, in that you are surrounded by restaurants with so many hosts offering you menu's it can be confusing which one to choose! Luckly having learned from experience that the restaurant that doesn't chase after customers usually has better food and service. I had read about Cinecitta on yelp and decided to give it a try. It's just past most of the Columbus restaurants, off Union Street.

The restaurant is small with 4 tables in front, a few tables inside and a long bar. The service was great, we met the owner who is from Rome, huge points for that! She made recommendations on the menu as well as offered to explain any items we were unfamiliar with. Other than authentic Roman style pizzas (no stuffed crust here!) they offer appetizers, salads, panini's, calzones and a few entrees. I ordered the Trastevere-for 2 reasons, 1) It's named after the neighborhood in Rome I lived in and 2) It sounded delicious! It has tomato sauce, mozzerella cheese, arugala and proscuitto with a sprinkle of parmesan on top. My friend had the Alla Romana pizza which is also very delicious- tomato sauce, mozzerella cheese, sausage, salami, and pepperoni.


The Trastevere

After dinner we walked around and got gelato at Naia, not the best I've had but my favorites Straciatella and Chocolate Hazelnut (usually called Baci) are pretty good. They were lacking in some of the best Italian gelato flavors though, mainly the fruit flavors like Strawberry (Fragola)and Mixed Berry (Fruitti de Bosco). Naia does however have some unique options like Guinness, and some typical American ice cream flavors as well.

Oasis Grille and Bar in Pleasanton

780 Main St
Pleasanton, CA 94566
(925) 417-8438

It's been a long time since my last and first review but here is #2! I've been to Oasis twice now and haven't been disappointed. They serve Afghani/Meditteranian cuisine in the heart of downtown pleasanton. The ambiance is great, very cozy and classy inside, including a lounge area if you're just interested in appetizers and drinks. There is also a beautiful outdoor patio area to enjoy the abundance of sunshine and warm evenings in Pleasanton. The staff is very helpful and knowledgeable about the menu, which is crucial at a restaurant serving food many customers will be unfamiliar with.

Now for the food! For appetizers, the Pumpkin Borani is delicious, sort of a dessert before dinner. The Oasis sampler contains a smaller portion of the pumpkin borani, grilled shrimp and hummus stuffed cucumbers. Another great appetizer is the Tour of the Meditteranian, a trio of spinach artichoke dip, hummus and cucumber yogurt served with bread. Both samplers are great options to introduce your palate to the Meditteranian flavors that accompany many of the main entrees on the menu.

For dinner I have had the Kabob's both times. They offer a list of choices and you can choose just one meat or do a combination. I have tried the steak, shrimp and the koobideh (beef blended with herbs and spices, served with grilled tomato) which is fantastic! They offer a choice for sides, the garlic mashed potatoes are really delicious as is the seasoned basmati rice. My mom ordered the lamb shank, which was very tender, although the sauce could have been a little more exciting, served with fresh asparagas. The dinner menu also offers Meditteranian inspired flatbread pizzas, grilled salmon, stuffed chicken, pastas and a few traditional Afghani dishes, as well as an international wine list. Overall both visits to Oasis have been fantastic, I always recommend this restaurant to people in the area looking for something a little different than the usual dinner fare


Pumpkin Borani