We appreciated the intimate setting of this restaurant, it was upstairs and through the bar…read more The food was beautifully plated and the ingredients were so, so fresh. Our favorites were the trout, halibut, and vegetable apps (crudités and roasted veggies). The downside is that the portions are very small (especially the Dungeness crab) and it ended up being quite $$$, so set expectations accordingly.

Came here for a tasting dinner. Overall an okay restaurant, 3.5 stars. The kanpachi starter was…read moreamazing. The chicory salad was also unique and tasty. Risotto desperately needed salt. Fish dish also needed seasoning and overall better preparation. Chocolate cake was good but then again it's chocolate cake and hard to make it bad. Service was great, very attentive. Ambiance was not great. Very dark and dated decor. The head chef has a very impressive resume. I think they need more time to figure things out but think this place has potential with the chef.

My very pregnant best friend is turning 40, and we were on the hunt for a chill, comfortable dinner…read morespot in the Mission that still felt special. Big Finish Wine Tavern understood the assignment. Making a reservation online was seamless. I was initially intrigued by the advertised "$7 x 7" happy hour... which, unfortunately, does not exist. The only $7 item available was a pimento cheese dip that, frankly, was disgusting and didn't measure up to the quality of any of the items on the regular menu. It might be time to retire that sign. Now for the good news: everything else was fantastic. The wings and burrata were a strong start- flavorful, well-executed, and a solid appetizer choice. The pork chop was phenomenal. There's a reason it's the signature dish. It had depth, richness, and the kind of bold flavor that made you pause to admire its complexity and simplicity. Absolute standout. The halibut and pappardelle were clean, well-prepared, and crowd-pleasing, though they didn't deliver the same punch as the pork chop. I'd put the broccolini in that category as well. nicely done, but not the star of the show. The salads, on the other hand, are destination-worthy. The chicory salad alone is enough to get me back to the Mission again and again. big, bold flavors with just the right balance. The tavern salad leaned heavily into pickle-forward territory, which I loved, but it may not be for everyone. Dessert? Whew. The sticky date cake was hands-down the best dessert I've had in a long time and a clear winner over the pot de crème. No contest. We also sampled a couple of N/A drinks, and each one was thoughtful and genuinely delicious- not an afterthought, which I always appreciate. And for my fellow Star Trek fans: do not skip the bathroom. Trust me. Huge thanks to the hardworking team at Big Finish Wine Tavern for making my bestie's prego-40th celebration feel special. I can't wait to see how the menu evolves. This place is such a bright spot in the SF dining scene.

My friend and I came a little after 5pm on a Friday and it was relatively empty, but then got…read morepacked around 6-630pm. We ordered a couple of glasses of wine (on and off the HH menu), apps, entree and dessert to share. I am writing this review to comment purely on the porkchop. This was one of the best pork chop dishes I have ever had (including at more fancy schmancy establishments). It was cooked to perfection and the flavors and textured all went together beautifully. ORDER THE PORK CHOP!

House of Prime Rib (HoPR) is an iconic SF resto serving every meat lover's wet dream: thick slabs…read moreof juicy, perfectly medium rare prime rib. For the voracious heffas, they even have a 48 oz Triple King Henry VIII Cut on the secret menu. And, for those with more champagne tastes and studio size carnivore appetites? There's PrimeBird @NightJar. I'm neither of those but wanted to experience Chef-Owner Kim Alter's modern and elevated take on HoPR's classics. PrimeBird is a new pop-up at NightJar, a new event space next door to Chef Alter's fine dining resto, Nightbird and cocktail bar, Linden Room. They took over ACME Floral Shop. Open for dinner only: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays from 5 pm - 8 pm. Indoor dining only. No takeout, delivery, or outdoor seating. Rezzies available at OpenTable and are hard to get since there's only 14 seats. You have to book directly through the restaurant's website and not on OpenTable's website. TIP: Check in the wee hours of the morning, two weeks from your desired date. M E N U Prix-Fixe Three Course HoPR-inspired Menu: Salad, Aged Prime Rib w/ sides, and Dessert ($80 pp). No substitutions. For drinks: champagne, wine, martini, and manhattan. 16% service charge (line for add'l tip) and 6% sf healthy mandate. D R I N K * Martini: Infused Gin w/ summer herbs, dry vermouth, lemon, olives, caper berry ($17) // 4 stars: https://tinyurl.com/zu23trkc - Requested lemon twist, no olives. Smooth and stiff with citrusy botanical flavors. In HoPR fashion, there's enough left in the shaker for another glass. F O O D (1) SALAD * Little Gem Salad w/ green goddess dressing // 3.5 stars: https://tinyurl.com/2stemys8 Fresh, light starter of little gem lettuce, buttery avocados, and watermelon radish with a creamy herbaceous dressing. Wish there was more acid and something crunchy for texture. Tossed tableside like HoPR. * House Sourdough Bread // 4 stars: https://tinyurl.com/mt5z9tfv Warm, crusty bread with a nutty tang served with a rich, velvety butter. (2) ENTRÉE * Dry Aged Beef Rib // 4.5 stars: https://tinyurl.com/38mncrym The 60 day dry aged prime rib was incredibly tender, just melts in your mouth. Even cookery throughout (sous-vide?). Good beefy flavor and umami from the dry aging process. While the small portion was expected, it wasn't enough to satisfy my carnivorous craving. * Sauces: - Rib au jus // 3.5 stars: Deep complex flavor but very salty. - KA-1 // 4 stars: Their spin on A sauce; strong salty-sweet tang. - Smoked Wagyu Hollandaise w/ aged bone marrow // 5 stars: Rich and decadent with a kiss of smoky flavor. - Creamy horseradish // 3 stars: Not potent enough, tasted like sour cream. * Sides: - Creamed Spinach // 3.5 stars Reminds more of bitter collard greens. - Mini Baker w/ all the things // 2.5 stars Underwhelming, the baked potato w/ sour cream, bacon, and chives was firm and dry. Didn't finish. - Truffle & Cheddar Yorkshire Pudding (portion for 2 shown) // 4 stars Served warm, poofy with hollow hole, thin and crispy exterior and stretchy interior. Delicious on its own with a cheesy earthy flavor but a good vessel for sopping up the sauces. (3) DESSERTS * Cheesecake w/ strawberry, rhubarb, graham // 3 stars: https://tinyurl.com/4eje5bs8 Mid, more like pudding with apricot (didn't have strawberries or rhubarb). * Chocolate Cake Petit Fours // 4 stars: https://tinyurl.com/bdevjcrk Complimentary for my friend's birthday. Everything you expect from a [mini] chocolate cake...rich and decadent with a bitter sweetness. * Chocolate Chip Cookies w/ sea salt // 3 stars: https://tinyurl.com/muttv37v Probably would have tasted better had they warmed it up so the chocolate chips become melty. S E R V I C E Refined and approachable with well-paced courses. So sweet of the staff to bring petit fours with a candle for my friend's birthday. Allow 90 minutes for dinner. A M B I A N C E Moody and intimate with six tables to seat 14. Great for a quiet dinner. P A R K I N G Difficult street parking. Nearest parking lot/garage is 2.5 blocks away at 110 Franklin or 360 Grove (Performing Arts). Overall, I appreciate Chef Alter's ode to HoPR but it left us wanting more specifically the main event: THE prime rib. While we left stuffed from the carbs, I hope they consider offering a larger cut option for us baby carnivore heffas.

Primebird Review: HOPR-Inspired Dinner…read more 10/10 - Little Gem Salad with Creamy Green Goddess dressing - Amazing, light, good flavor. Wish I had more. Better than HOPR. 7/10 - House Sourdough Bread. It's good. It's fine. It's bread. 9/10 - Dry Aged Beef Rib - Perfectly cooked but the stars of the show here for me that made this dish were the hollandaise and horseradish sauces--so flavorful and unique. Sauces: 5/10 - Rib Au Jus - Like homemade A1; tangier. 10/10 - Smoked Wagyu Hollandaise - Excellent. Everyone's favorite. 9/10 - Creamy Horseradish - I don't normally enjoy horseradish so its very subtle flavor suited my palate very well. Horseradish lovers may find it too light. 8/10 - Mini Baker with all the things - cutest baked potato. I don't normally do baked potatoes but this was a perfect size with a good topping ratio so it stayed flavorful. 9/10 - Creamed Spinach - Good, like HOPR. 9/10 - Truffled - Cheddar Yorkshire Pudding - Good slightly better than HOPR. 7/10 - "Cheesecake" Strawberry, Rhubarb, Graham - okay good. Ambiance was unique. There were very few tables spread very far apart so the experience felt very intimate. The walls are painted black with spotlights on the dark wood tables for your food. If I had to sum it up, the vibe makes you almost feel like you're dining at a museum where you're able to interact with (and eat) the art.

Stem seems to be working their way back to pre-pandemic glory, but they're not quite there yet…read more Everything good, but used to be amazing. Staff is excellent on events and they seem to be going that route vs dinner service.

I first encountered STEM at a the Foodwise Summer Bash (a food festival) where they had a stand…read moregiving out canapés. I've been trying to visit since then, but it's been tricky because they're only open for weekday lunch! I was finally able to visit at 1:30 on a Wednesday. Got lucky and snagged the last street parking spot. Beware of limited parking! The restaurant is upstairs in a building with plenty of other businesses. You order at the counter and pick your table. Thoughts: - grilled cheese is yummy - tomato soup is flavorful, tastes delightfully herby - garlic fries are disappointingly under-seasoned :/ - Sicilian pizza is light and crispy, tastes great - a little pricey, but this is typical of a nice farm-to-table restaurant in SF I recommend, and would return!

If you're looking for a slightly upscale drinks with friends and food for the table, Noeteca is the…read moreright spot! We had a group of five sharing, incredible, red wine and table charcuterie. The wine was fantastic. I highly recommend the Beaujolais! The charcuterie was fantastic and the bread was so soft and fresh. I liked how the charcuterie with salami came with these vinegary-onions and pepperoncinis. We had such a good time in the service was great! The space was very clean, the outdoor area is wonderful. It was just a little windy that day. The server was very kind and helpful, he had great recommendations! I really enjoyed my time there and I can't wait to go back with more friends!

Used to go here all the time over a decade ago and it was amazing. I am fairly sure it's under a…read morenew management probably for sometime, and while they were super nice and they clearly kept many of the same menu items, the quality has gone downhill a bit. The salmon on a thin flatbread was tasty, but again it didn't quite have that next level chef taste to it more standard corner Café than anything. We also got the beet salad, which honestly felt a bit like it came from a can and had bottled Italian dressing put on top of it. The people were super nice. The location is amazing and overall, I'll probably go back, but the quality is not the same as it used to be. I'd honestly rate it 3.5, but you can't do half star ratings. Always been a pet peeve of mine about yelp. Dogs ok outside.

The Liberties is our neighborhood spot. It's a cozy cafe, a family-friendly hangout, and a good pub…read moreall at once. During the day, it's one of the rare spots where you can post up and work without paying an entry fee, especially hard to find in this part of town. The tea and pastries are solid, the seating is comfortable (indoor tables, seats at the bar, plus a lovely parklet), and Sean greets everyone and remembers the regulars, which makes the whole place feel warm. This is one of our favorite family spots. Kids are welcome inside and out, and the other families are so warm that we've been invited to join tables more than once to watch a soccer match or catch whoever's playing music that night over $4 tater tots at weekday happy hour. They host live local music several nights a week, including bluegrass. Shoutout to Doug and the whole crew. The service is consistently kind and the vibe is exactly what a neighborhood pub should be: welcoming, cozy, and laid-back. Grateful to have them just down the street.

There's trivia on Mondays at 7! Lots of seating in the front, and they've got a back room too. The…read morewaiters / bartenders are super friendly and lovely to talk to. They serve a decent amount of food! I forgot to eat dinner before coming to trivia and was happy with the portion. The sweet potato fries were super yummy!

We had a good brunch here on a Saturday morning. There was no need to have booked - the place was…read moreempty when we arrived at 10.45, but it was busier when we left around noon. We sat outside in one of the parklet booths. Service was relaxed, which suited us. Wagu beef skewers, pesto eggs Benedict were both good. Big servings of potatoes with a spicy kick. Would definitely go back.

A great brunch option for those wanting to avoid long lines in Portrero. Came here for lunch over…read morethe weekend and waited only 15 minutes which is relatively short consider some of their competitors in the area. The restaurant is spacious with tons of natural light and plenty of outdoor (covered and uncovered) seating. Staff are accommodating and efficient in turning tables over. The group I was with all enjoyed our meals and drinks. The menu is diverse with twists on brunch classics (like pesto eggs benedict), healthy bowls, salads, and sandwiches. The food is seasoned the right amount, not too oily and not too salty. It felt like a very healthy, organic, and clean tasting meal. Highly recommend supporting this local business!

LITERALLY THE BEST SANDWICH I HAVE EVER EATEN IN MY LIFE…read more I immediately knew I wanted the OMG. My husband suggested we share that and a salad. Thank goodness he loves me because I ended up wanting to order another, but he gave me half of his half. The ratio of everything is PERFECT. The flavor's on point. The bread unbelievably perfect. Everything about this sandwich was perfection. I am going to dream about this for a long time and can't wait to go back to have a whole one to myself.

Four years later and it's time for an update on Heroic Italian which still operates out of Swirl…read more(wine bar) with "booth" seating in a Castro Street parklet, sidewalk tables, and a bit of indoor seating designed for wine bar patrons. Two of us lunched here recently over an IPA, tomato soup (reported to be quite good), and a Chicken Caesar Salad (my order). Earlier, we'd directed two others to eat here and stopped by as we left to see what they thought. So, four people's thoughts here, with myself as the final arbiter. Inquiring about my lunch after I'd asked of hers, my friend heard this in response: "Very good, but the anchovy seems to have gone missing", This was a very amply-sized Caesar with tons of chicken, fresh and tasty, but the menu had mentioned anchovies (as every Caesar should have) and I detected none. I'd order this again and put a special note in to remind them that yes, I do want anchovies (note: all ordering is done via QR code). As we left, we stopped by the table of the folks we'd pointed here to see that they were happy. They both said "good" with the younger of the two (a self-professed "vegetarian foodie") assigning a rating of 7.5 to the pizza he'd ordered, sans meat. Despite my being marginally less enthusiastic about their offering than I was 4 years back, I continue to recommend Heroic Italian as a tasty lunch spot in the Castro.