Fog Harbor Fish House

Normally, I avoid pricey restaurants located in tourist trap areas like vegan restaurants (sorry vegans...  I'm a meatarian).  Something about paying top dollar for average food while waiting for a table amongst other tourists (won't catch a local eating there!), could be cause for revoking my foodie card.  However, we ended up at Fog Harbor Fish House located at Pier 39 for a couple of reasons.  First, our ferry brought us to pier 41 from Sausalito.  Second, Cable Car Guy and Girl wanted to meet up with us for dinner and it seemed to get good reviews online.  Third, it was kid-friendly (4 kiddies at the table!).

I wasn't holding out for much, but to my utter surprise, the first dish was very good!  Seemingly translated directly from French, the Mussel Fries were on point and dare I say #lit?  Each mussel was open and the meat was fat and plump.  They were barely cooked through which meant they were buttery, tender and sweet.  The sauce consisting of sambuca cream, shallots and fennel was in the background and didn't interfere with the natural brininess and sweetness of the mussels.  We also ordered 2 bowls of their Award Winning Clam Chowder and it seemed to live up to its namesake.  Although a tad on the thick side, it was creamy and full of potatoes and tender clams.  There was a noted brininess to go with the sweetness of the broth.

For myself, I decided on the Mixed Grill consisting of grilled salmon, swordfish and shrimp with citrus beurre blanc, asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes.  Once again, they nailed the execution of the proteins where the salmon was still pink in the middle while the swordfish was tender and flaky.  They had been grilled enough on the outside for some smoky caramelization.  As for the shrimp, they were meaty with a sweet snap.  Even the sauce was nicely balanced as well as the vibrant asparagus.  Viv had the Seafood Penne with fresh fish, clams, mussels and shrimp in a tomato cream sauce.  By appearance alone, the dish was ho hum.  However, it ate decently with al dente pasta and again, on point seafood.  I thought there was too much sauce in the dish, but it was tangy and creamy.

Cable Car Girl opted for the Crab Roll featuring crab, celery and shallot aioli served on a buttered roll.  This thing was stuffed solid full of fluffy crab with only a modest amount of crunchy celery.  I thought the aioli was mild-tasting with aromatics, but it could've used more acidity.  The roll was soft and nicely toasted.  This was worth the money in my opinion due to the amount of crab and overall execution. Cable Car Guy went for one of their Dungeness Crab Ravioli consisting of cheese ravioli simmered in a shallot butter sauce, with spinach, tomatoes and topped with fresh crab meat.  We would've preferred the crab to be in the ravioli, but the generous amount on top was good.  The pasta was al dente, but the cheese filling was a bit lifeless.

For my son, he had the kid's Fish & Chips which was actually quite the portion and didn't really differ from the adult size.  Unfortunately, the beer batter was far to thick and dense, which was a tragedy as the fish itself was flaky and moist.  Underneath, the fries were thin and very crunchy.  They were more like crisps, but were good nonetheless.  My daughter ended up with the Kid's Salmon with a side of rice and it was not bad.  The salmon was prepared just as good as the fish in my mixed grill.  However, as you can clearly see, the lack of sauce made the dish rather plain and dry.  Despite the lackluster kid's meals, the rest of the items we had at Fog Habor were good and definitely bucked the trend of the typical tourist trap.

The Good:
- On point execution of proteins
- Nice location with a view
- Kid-friendly

The Bad:
- Is not cheap
- Kid's meals were a bit lackluster

Napa Valley Burger Co.

The plan was to cross the Golden Gate Bridge and then make our way to Sausalito - all on foot.  Yes, the whole journey would've taken roughly 2 hours and plenty of exerted energy.  That would be level 3 whining from my daughter on a good day, but since she was a bit under-the-weather, we figured that it would be full DEFCON 5.  That hardly seemed worth it so we simplified things by taking the ferry from the Ferry Building to Sausalito instead.  I've made this trip before and for the amount paid ($12 for adults and $6 for children), it is well worth it for the city views, Alcatraz and Golden Gate Bridge.

Once there, the first order of business was to look for food.  We didn't want to over complicate things, so we headed to the Napa Valley Burger Co (didn't I have a burger last time in Sausalito???).  There was only one burger on my mind and it was the James Beard Competition Burger featuring a 1/2 pound of certified Angus Beef blended with pinot noir, marinated cremini & oyster mushrooms, cheese, arugula and basil aioli on a brioche bun.  This was a tasty concoction where the meat was fairly moist despite the aggressive smoky char.  There was a balanced amount of woodiness from the mushrooms while the pinot was understated.  For my daughter, she didn't want a burger and had the Kid's Twin Mini-Hot Dogs with fries instead.  Nothing complex, but they were cute and fairly well-priced.

My son had eyes on the Yountville Burger sporting smoked bacon, white sharp cheddar, crumbled croutons, arugula and roasted garlic aioli.  Once again, the patty was subjected to an aggressive char which made it crispy on the outside.  The smokiness of the bacon really came through as well as the sharpness of the cheddar.  I thought this was a very solid burger except for the bacon not being crispy enough.  Viv went in a different direction and had the Cranberry Turkey Burger with a natural turkey and onion patty, Swiss cheese, watercress and cranberry chutney.  For a lean turkey patty, it was actually moist and well-seasoned.  The lettuce, tomato and red onion were supremely fresh which added a crunchy brightness.  However, the chutney was too sweet and overtook the flavor profile.

We also shared an order of their Parmesan Truffle Fries which were very crispy, yet at the same time, not overly heavy.  Being a shoestring fry, there wasn't a lot of potato texture left, but I didn't mind it.  I liked the restraint of the truffle oil and really enjoyed the plethora of shaved Parm.  This was flavorful and aromatic on its own.  In the end, Napa Valley Buger Co did the job and the kids went away happy.  Prices were on the higher side, but then again, we were in Sausalito.

The Good:
- Not complex food, but the burgers were good
- Not cheap, but fairly affordable compared to other spots

The Bad:
- On the pricier side, but as I mentioned, not in relation to other spots

Sam Wo

For those about to leave comments criticizing me on even thinking of visiting the legendary Sam Wo in San Francisco, please be aware I've visited the city and surrounding Bay Area over a dozen times.  So with that in mind, I'm acutely tuned into the Chinese food scene (or lack of).  Hence, I was very skeptical with Eater putting Sam Wo in their 38 Essential Eats list.  Despite all the warning signs and the fact I live in Vancouver (that happens to have some of the best Chinese food in North America and the world), I had to see for myself why Sam Wo is so beloved with lineups that border on incomprehensible.

We went at opening and secured a table immediately and ordered the signature item being the BBQ Pork Rice Noodle Roll served with their famous hot mustard.  When it arrived, it looked more round than the usual rice noodle roll and completely overstuffed with lean BBQ pork, cilantro and egg.  Since it was served lukewarm, the rice noodle was a bit gummy.  However, if it was hot, it would've been on point due to its elasticity.  The roll itself was nothing special, but the dip was money with a vinegary sharpness.  Since we were ordering congee, my son wanted to get the Salty Donut.  That we did and it was not crunchy and overly dense.  This was not good at all.

About that congee, we got the Fish "Jook" as it was phonetically translated on the menu.  Fairly silky with soft grains of rice, the congee was medium-thick in consistency.  It was lightly seasoned where the sweetness of the fish came through.  There was a considerable amount of what we thought was some type of cod (possibly snapper?).  The fish was not particularly flaky and moist.  It was a bit chewy for some reason.  Moving not the Wonton Noodles, it reminded us of the 1980's.  Reason being?  The wontons were all pork with some water-chestnuts.  If we compared it to similar wontons, these were good with tender bouncy pork that was mildly-seasoned.  The noodles were too soft and over done while the soup was pretty bland.

To add more carbs, we got the Duck Fried Rice (minus the green onions) and it was pretty good.  The rice was dry and fairly nutty while not greasy.  There was ample amount of tender duck, but an equal amount of duck skin which was not appealing.  We found that the amount of seasoning was just right.  Our last dish was the Broccoli & Beef which was below average.  The dish was far too watery and the broccoli was overdone.  The beef was somewhere between chewy and tender.  As you can probably guess, we weren't super impressed with the food at Sam Wo.  Sure, it is more of an ol' skool style of Chinese food reminiscent of the 80's, but even with that being said, I've had better Cantonese cuisine in San Francisco during the 80's.

The Good:
- Friendly staff
- Decent value

The Bad:
- Not sure what the fuss is about the food, it is merely average at best

Kin Khao Thai Eatery

The first time I ever heard of Pim Techamuanvivit was when she was more affectionately known as Chez Pim at a food conference in San Francisco many years back.  She went from cooking, reporting and writing about food to opening her own Northern Thai joint in Kin Khao Thai Eatery.  For 2 years running, the place has earned a Michelin Star for its flavorful Northern Thai cuisine that tries hard to not be cliched.  We decided to hit up the place for some lunch since we were longing from so form of Asian food.

To start, we had the Pretty Hot Wings marinated in nam pla fish sauce & garlic.  We had the sriracha & tamarind glaze served on the side (so that the kiddies could eat it).  Featuring rendered and lightly crispy skin, the wings were succulent and well-brined.  I could taste the fish sauce and garlic immediately.  I found the glaze to be balanced where the spice from the sriracha wasn't overwhelming.  We also gave the Nam Tok Beans a go and they were surprisingly tasty (I wasn't sure about this dish when I ordered it). As described on the menu, it consisted of ayocote negro beans tossed Isaan-style with lime, chili, rice powder, light soy, shallots, scallions, mint and cilantro. What we found was nicely blistered beans that were soft, yet firm enough with an impactful level of tang, spice and aromatics.  

Onto the mains, the Khao Man Gai was a surprisingly small portion consisting of 4 pieces of chicken breast (albeit a good size), that were tender and not dried out.  The rice was aromatic and the chicken fat did come through.  It was only mildly salty which was fine since the ginger condiment made the dish.  Compared to another famous version of this dish found in Portland (Nong's Khao Man Gai), I found the sauce to be saltier with the soy sauce being more apparent.  It was equally tangy and sweet though.  Featuring a large confit, then fried muscovy duck leg, the 5-Spice Duck Noodle Soup was solid.  The broth itself was not overseasoned with 5-spice, hence, I could taste the duck meatiness as well the garlic oil.  The flat rice noodles were slippery and not too soft (as opposed to the rice vermicelli as stated on the menu).  I found the duck leg really good with tender meat that was flavorful without being salty.

Our favorite dish was the Pad Kee Mao (stir-fried drunken noodles with ground pork, rice noodles, garlic, Birds Eye chili, onions, bell peppers and holy basil ).  This was the beneficiary of caramelizing wok heat that created a mild smokiness.  The dish was lightly spicy with aromatics coming at us left, right and center.  There was only a hint of xiaoshing wine to go with the sweetness and savoriness of the noodles.  The squeeze of lime completed the wealth of flavors.  Although this meal was on the pricier side, the flavors were on point and then some.  Execution was also on point.

The Good:
- Wealth of flavors
- Spot on execution
- Solid service

The Bad:
- Pricey
- Portion size is modest 

Delarosa

Once again, great plans didn't really pan out due to the fact we were tired and really didn't want to walk another 30 minutes to grab dinner.  Not mentioned in the House of Prime Rib post, we actually hiked it up the hill from SoMa to Van Ness!  So instead of visiting Una Pizza Napoletana, we stayed close to the Marriott Marquis and hit up Delarosa instead.  Therefore, we stuck with the pizza theme close to home.  The place seemed to be fairly highly-rated and judging by the continual lineup, it appeared to be more than a consolation prize.

After a half an hour wait, we got right down to the food starting with the Meatballs in a spicy marinara sauce.  Tender with the right density, the meatball was just loose enough without being crumbly.  Hence, they were succulent while still meaty.  They were mildly seasoned and peppery while the tangy spicy sauce added plenty of punch.  That was good, but the Dungeness Crab Arancini were even better.  These crispy little balls of aborio rice, cheese and crab were on point.  Outside, they were lightly crispy while on the inside, the rice was not too soft and completely cheesy.  The noticeable chunks of crab were fluffy and plentiful.  On the side, the calabrese ailoi provided a creamy tartness. 

Adding veggies to our meal, we resorted with the Fried Asparagus with lemon aioli.  You see, my son loves veggies as much as Instagrammers love dark restaurants.  Since he doesn't mind asparagus, especially fried asparagus, it was a no-brainer.  These were a bit greasy, but nicely crunchy while keeping the veggie firm.  The side of lemon ailoi was creamy and definitely tangy.  For our pasta, we went with the Linguine with prawns.  This was flavorful without being too salty.  Instead, the garlic and chilis provided the punch while the olive oil and aromatics from the prawns added another layer of flavor.  The pasta was on point being al dente.

Lastly, we had the Margherita and Burrata Pizza which was loaded with cheese.  Unfortunately, it was also the beneficiary of too much sauce which made parts of the crust soggy.  Despite this, the sauce was tangy and bright with a mild spice.  The creamy cheese was stringy and definitely apparent.  The crust was still nutty and crispy where it hadn't softened up.  For dessert, we had the Donuts with 3 dips.  They were yeasty and soft being almost fluffy.  The chocolate dip was dark and bitter while not being too sweet.  As you can probably guess, we enjoyed our meal at Delarosa and can definitely see why it is so busy, even on a weekday night.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Solid eats from the dishes we had
- Decent service

The Bad:
- Busy, there is a wait most-of-the-time
- Pizza crust was good, but soggy in spots due to the amount of sauce

Deli Board

After some gluttonous eating over the past few days, especially our visit to the House of Prime Rib, we needed to bring it down a few notches.  We couldn't sustain the overload of calories as well as the dent put into my bank account.  Hence, for a quick lunch, we made the medium-long walk over to Deli Board on Folsom from the Marriott Marquis in Downtown San Francisco.  Now this place is famous for their enormous sammies, which really wasn't dialing it down too much from our previous meals!

Before the sammies, we got a bowl of Matzo Ball Soup served in a plastic take-out container.  I mention this because the soup was freakin' hot and let's just say I do not recommend holding it like I did for the picture!  It was good though being lightly salted and full of natural chicken flavour.  The matzo ball was fluffy and light as well.  We only went with 2 sammies since we weren't very hungry (still digesting all that meat from the night before!).  The first was for the kiddies and it was a custom Turkey and Bacon with greens and board sauce.  I don't know about you, but the amount of tender and moist turkey in this thing was outrageous.  Very filling, but at the same time, great quality and it tasted great with crispy bacon and not overly heavy bread.

For Viv and I, we shared the Boca with a tonne of meats including corned beef, pastrami, brisket, muenster cheese, Board sauce, brown mustard & pickles.  Due to the types of meat, the sandwich ate saltier and more full-bodied.  Naturally, it was also a touch greasier as well.  However, all of this was quite fine by us as the sammie burst with flavor as well as a touch of tang and sharpness.  Yes, half of it was more than enough!  As you can clearly see, the sammies at Deli Board are huuuuge and quite tasty to boot.  Yet another spot I'd do again when in town.

The Good:
- Large and full of meat
- They taste good
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Not really that spacious, better get it to go during peak times
- Might want to go with a paper-based bowl for the soup

House of Prime Rib

Okay, okay, okay...  We all know that House of Prime Rib can be rather touristy since it has been on featured on Food Network.  Yes, I've seen it all before - the roaming carts of whole prime rib and the fact they serve nothing but (except for one fish of the day dish).  The all-inclusive price gets you a  sourdough loaf, salad prepared table side, a slice of prime rib (in large, larger and larger!), a choice of potato, a "vegetable" and Yorkshire pudding.  Despite the "cliched" item on my bucket list, it is somewhere I've wanted to try for awhile (especially since I have relatives in San Francisco and have visited the place at least a dozen of times).  So off we went, including the kiddies, for some serious meat!

To begin, we were served a Salad with iceberg lettuce, watercress, crumbled egg and beats.  It was prepared table side with a zesty Thousand Islands dressing spiked with seasoned salt.  Although it was aggressively dressed by the overly-showy table side delivery, it was still quite good.  I liked the crunch of the lettuce with the texture of the eggs and the watercress.  It was flavorful with a tang and spice.  After we dusted that off, we were introduced to the chef who carved our slices of prime rib.  In the Cart, we found 3 different racks of rib (assuming different doneness), au jus, creamed corn and creamed spinach.  With each slice of the beautiful meat, we could hear birds sing...

For my daughter, she was able to get the Kid's Cut which was still a generous portion.  She chose to have mashed potatoes and creamed spinach as her sides.  For $14.95, it also included a glass of milk and a humongous ice cream dessert.  She wasn't able to finish, but put in a good effort to do so.  Personally, if you have younger kids, don't be afraid to bring them because this was reasonably-priced and portioned.  Viv and my son went for the City Cut that was small in my eyes, but more-than-enough for them.  They both chose creamed corn as their vegetable and it was sweet with appealing pops from the niblets.  It wasn't too creamy, so it was probably the lighter of the 2 choices.  I found the mashed potato to be salty and a bit dense, but the ample jus helped with that.

If there was any doubt, I went for the King Henry VIII cut that was definitely large and included the rib.  I found the medium-rare meat to be buttery soft and tender.  It wasn't over-seasoned which meant I could taste the natural flavors.  I paired it with the creamy horseradish that was provided (along with regular horseradish).  The side of creamed spinach was extremely rich and salty from the addition of bacon.  I got a baked potato and it was soft and fluffy where they weren't shy with the butter and bacon bits. So as you can see, the menu ain't complicated.  But do one thing and do it right which is House of Prime Rib in a nutshell.  I would totally do this again.

The Good:
- Does one thing and does it right
- It may seem expensive, but it is worth it

The Bad:
- Not particularly great for someone who doesn't like prime rib 
- The kid's portion was as large as the city cut (if you were comparing prices)