"sf dining" news and stories

So I forced one of my friends to snatch a copy of this past Sunday's edition of the San Francisco Chronicle with the knowledge that the Sunday magazine would have the annual Bay Area Top 100 Restaurants. I got it in the mail this morning, and was excited to look through it, but the first thing that caught my eye was the story about a Burrito Eater.

Charles Hodgkins is the Burrito Eater. His website, www.burritoeater.com, is basically a food blog in which he chronicles his quest for the "nine mustache" (out of 10) rated burrito in the Bay Area, ranging from Baja Fresh to holes in the wall. When he started, he thought he would have hit them all by the time he had eaten from 50 or 60 taquerias, but he says that there are over 170 places to get a burrito from a walk-up style stand. His top two favorites are Taqueria San Francisco and Papalote.

I wonder if Charles has ever pondered the idea of coming to Los Angeles.

How late am I to this party? But I forgive myself because I don't live in the Bay Area anymore (It's been 10 years! Sarah, you've got to let go!)

Michael Mina, San Francicso chef and restaurateur has opened a restaurant in southern California, Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach in Dana Point. The restaurant is designed by Tony Chi as a modern American tavern. As such, chef Mina's menus are catered toward southern California coastal living with modern Americna cuisine, with a slight bent toward seafood. Uh, yes, I'll start with the toro sashimi with osetra caviar and sudachi lime; then as my entree, I'd like the suckling pig with root vegetables, wild arugula, and truffle sauce. This time I don't think I'd mind the caviar or the truffles.

Michael Mina owns a restaurant that bears his name in San Francisco, Arcadia in San Jose, and has three restaurants in Las Vegas. Ah, but I will never forget him at Aqua (Yes, it's been that long).

So I'm poking around trying to motivate myself to plan a trip up to the Bay area sometime in the next few months, when what to my wandering eyes do appear, an announcement that SF Dine about Town is here!

The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau and Visa are sponsoring this city-wide, month-long event that is now in its 5th year. There are almost 100 Bay Area restaurants that are participating by offering a three-course prix fixe meal at lunch ($21.95) or dinner ($31.95) or both.  Reservations specifically for SF Dine About Town can even be made via OpenTable.

I think the event is purely a promotional thing for both the Convention Bureau and Visa during a month which is typically slow for restaurants. Works for me, because a few of the restaurants are on my SF To-Dine List (A16!). Although, now I need to find a way up to SF. Unless we can convince Visa to do the same thing in LA!