tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54803590263565814212024-03-13T09:03:40.346-07:00H U N G R Y _G I R L _E A T SA Hungry Girl's Guide to the ever-thriving and always exciting San Francisco Food Scene.Hungry Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923432042195981897noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480359026356581421.post-47181536669894103492011-09-17T23:59:00.000-07:002011-09-17T23:59:00.029-07:00Full-on Monet<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As Cher, the star of the 1995 hit comedy, Clueless, accurately quipped, "No, she's a full-on Monet. It's like a painting, see? From far away, it's OK, but up close, it's a big old mess." </span><span style="font-size: small;"> A full-on Monet would be an appropriate definition for all things related to "<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-grove-san-francisco-2">The Grove</a>". </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of all the available options in Hayes Valley, it's a head scratching mystery why I'm often found dining at this establishment. Uninspiring subpar fare, disinterested cashiers and unnecessary lengthy wait times. Seriously, why bother?</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I keep secretly wishing their food will improve but after 8 tries, it is time I finally bid adieu. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXC1BlvsIR1Uz1jWytYbSuOC44cKMBLfua_fqxPLTQFKZ6NfvtElXUHQAkWGzLege47C-DCjKWohcm-7JlEDNaK9P_vIOp8RE8uFahr3nWHaEgvUe2MCDUdJvr6awLZL34rF_t55zfpp8/s1600/IMG_3070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXC1BlvsIR1Uz1jWytYbSuOC44cKMBLfua_fqxPLTQFKZ6NfvtElXUHQAkWGzLege47C-DCjKWohcm-7JlEDNaK9P_vIOp8RE8uFahr3nWHaEgvUe2MCDUdJvr6awLZL34rF_t55zfpp8/s640/IMG_3070.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPtwHl3CnQEMlL5vQXElg5fdOv_HEvk1UP2_eXvLwr0_PXNDTxULa6C4PQmX1H9v3ZzLtQKJDObjyjj4jCckPshQLNB8crMUpb_HA4R49gaC1kgMHbUMeBP6-JI-gCX-tbAkuZSf8bzs/s1600/IMG_3073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPtwHl3CnQEMlL5vQXElg5fdOv_HEvk1UP2_eXvLwr0_PXNDTxULa6C4PQmX1H9v3ZzLtQKJDObjyjj4jCckPshQLNB8crMUpb_HA4R49gaC1kgMHbUMeBP6-JI-gCX-tbAkuZSf8bzs/s640/IMG_3073.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="color: #666666;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Chicken Caesar Salad with Croutons</span></span></i></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></span></i></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Turkey Club with House Made Chips</span></span></i></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></span></i></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Grove's Signature French Onion Soup</span></span></i></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</span></span></i></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: black;">After a 20 minute wait on a lazy Saturday afternoon, our three entrees finally came, delivered by a very rushed server. Upon digging in, I surveyed all three dishes. Looks amazing, could this time be any different than the last?</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">My salad was drowning in overly tart Caesar dressing while the abundance of the creamy dressing stole the show from my excessively wilted romaine. </span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: black;">The intensely grilled bread encapsulating the Turkey club a.k.a the giant crouton, made it a difficult feat to stomach while the house made chips were lacking in flavor. </span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: black;">The most unforgivable abomination were the salt levels in their "Signature French Onion Soup". Having just came back from Europe, I had very fond memories of said soup, while dining casually at many sidewalk cafe's littered all over Paris. The Grove's version was teeming with inexplicable saltiness, rendering it inedible. </span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: black; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In a city like San Francisco, deemed "America's Culinary Mecca", the options are seemingly endless. With only 3 meals a day, approximately 90 meals a month, why waste valuable stomach real estate on chains such as "The Grove"? With every experience comes a lesson learned and after 8 tries, I finally got it.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: black; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div>Hungry Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923432042195981897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5480359026356581421.post-55363767754170582372011-09-13T23:39:00.000-07:002011-09-18T00:04:22.213-07:00Brunching in the Sun<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Life is about simple pleasures. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Brunching in the bright sunshine with great company, it just doesn't get any better than that.</span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.foreigncinema.com/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Brunching at Foreign Cinema </span></span></a></span></span></div><br />
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</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Mimosa</i></span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Foreign Cinema's Strawberry Pop Tart</i></span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Perfectly Seasoned Crab Cakes & Greens</i></span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Pilsner & Apple Omelet: Fontina, Black Truffle, Creme Fraiche, Crispy Yukon Gold Potatoes</i></span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Hog Island Clam Bake with Romesco Sauce, Jalopeno & Pasillas</i></span></div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Baguette French Toast, Peaches, Orange-Cardamom Butter & Syrup </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
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</i></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Foreign Cinema is a gorgeous backdrop for those rare occasions when the stunning San Francisco sunshine decides to make its much coveted appearance. Beautiful bright rays puncturing every imaginable surface, the sun-filled courtyard radiated with warmth, infectious laughter and beautiful people. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Situated on a bustling Mission street, Foreign Cinema is most known for their nightly showings of their well-chosen Foreign and Independent films, projected onto the vast blank wall surrounding their huge outdoor patio.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">With signature California/Mediterranean dishes in conjunction with their spacious, streamlined decor, this is a </span><span style="font-size: small;">great location for a romantic date or a fun meal with a close few.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Quick tip: Their ample seating fills quickly, avoid the crowds by reserving your seat at www.Opentable.com!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Hungry Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14923432042195981897noreply@blogger.com0