Dinner at Il Ridotto

Nearby Burano offers picturesque compositions of color and canals
2017 Burano, Italia

Venice day three featured a delightful mourning tour of the island of Burano, which is located north of Venice, and past Murano in the Venetian lagoon. While predominantly known for its lace work, I was especially captivated by the beautifully colored homes lining the various canals that crisscross the island. For those who are artistically inclined, I highly recommend making a sojourn with camera or sketch pad, and just lose one's self for a few hours.

Burano, with Venice in the background
2017 Burano, Italia

Making our way back to Venice, our next stop was the island of Murano, with its famous glass furnaces stoked by some of the most talented glass craftsmen in the world. Originally in Venice, the glass makers were asked to leave in the 13th Century due to the high risk of fire. Murano had a monopoly on glass production until the 16th century, when trade secrets found their way around Europe.

Losing their monopoly did little to change the perception of Venitian/Murano glass, as artisans on the island still employ centuries-old techniques to this day. Taking a slight tangent: Dale Chihuly worked at the Venini factory in Murano early in his career, where he learned the team technique for blowing glass. This technique would serve as one of the pillars that would define his work. If you are ever in Seattle, you can see one of the largest collections of Chihuly's work at the Chihuly Garden & Glass Museum.

The afternoon took us back to Venice, first for a quick lunch near the hotel, and then to the nearby Arsenale - the former shipyards and armories of the City of Venice - to check out the Biennale di Venezia. Held every odd year, this exhibition transforms the old Venetian arsenal into a giant collection of contemporary visual art. While not my cup of tea - I prefer impressionist and realist works personally - it's a must-see exhibit for those who enjoy contemporary art.

Today's final adventure - the culinary sort - took us a block or two outside of St. Mark's Square to a small restaurant nestled in the Campiello (small square) Santi Filippo E Giacomo called Il Ridotto. Named after the nearby Ridotto Theater, a small Venetian theater that shares a similar sense of size, this nine table restaurant is the passion of Chef Gianni Bonaccorsi who wanted to open a fine dining restaurant. Featuring both five course prix fixe fish and meat menus, as well as a la carte options, Chef Bonaccorsi and his team have been rewarded with a Michelin star since 2013.

Dinner at Venissa

The story on how I came to visit Venissa - the subject of today's review - captures perfectly just how difficult it can be to plan a trip with more than one person,  separated by multiple time zones. When the Madre and I were creating the shortlist of restaurants in Venice for which we wished to visit, I mentioned Venissa as a top choice. Clearly she did more research than I did, because her response was not wanting to dine at a restaurant that required a close to 30 minute water taxi. I agreed, and I figured the subject was closed.

It is possible to get to Venissa via Vaporetto - Venice's water buses. Just
give yourself plenty of time!

Fast forward a few months, to the eve of departing for Italy. Our itinerary had been set, and Venissa was on the list. I gave it no second thought, completely lapsing on the transportation challenges of this restaurant. It appears the Madre did as well.

At our hotel in Venice, we approached the concierge, and inquired on the best way to get to tomorrow's dinner. A blank stare met us, and then the exposition started. Thank goodness we asked the night before, because the trek to Mazzorbo island would require roughly over a half hour on a water taxi. The cost: over one hundred euros... each way. Immediately we remembered why we weren't supposed to have a reservation. What we didn't remember is why we changed our mind?

Dinner at Ristorante Quadri

The first day on any vacation that requires substantial travel is usually pretty rough, and this one was no exception. My trek to Italy was by way of Boston and Newark, and consisted of two back-to-back red eye flights. Despite the fact that I actually slept the entire duration of the San Francisco to Boston leg, by the time I landed at Venice's Marco Polo International Airport, I was a shattered man.

A brief water taxi from the airport took me directly to my hotel - the lovely Hotel Luna Baglioni - where I rendezvous with my Mother who was my partner in crime for this trip. I immediately crashed on the bed for a few hours, waking up just in time for lunch. A brief stroll took us to Trattoria alla Rivetta, a busy little eatery recommended to us by a foodie friend of Mother's. After lunch, we continued to walk around St. Mark's Square, but rain prodded us to head back to the hotel. This allowed me to take yet another nap, and soon it was time to head to dinner. Tonight we would be checking out Ristorante Quadri, located in St. Mark's Square.

Dinner at Canlis

Few restaurants have a monopoly on their city's top echelon dining like Seattle's Canlis. That's not to say Seattle is devoid of really good restaurants; far from it. Seattle dining is fabulous, with an abundance of fresh seafood that restaurants in many other cities would kill for. Nevertheless, when people think of haute cuisine in Seattle, they think of Canlis. And as I would soon come to find out, for very good reasons.

'Almost perfect cocktail' - Canlis' take on a Manhattan
2017 Canlis. Seattle, WA

Opened in 1950 by Peter Canlis - the patriarch of the family - the restaurant has been family run ever since. In that time, additional restaurants were opened in Honolulu, Portland and Seattle, but none survive to this day. Meanwhile, the original and flagship restaurant in Seattle has continued to inspire ever since, with Twenty one consecutive Wine Spectator Grand Awards, along with a Michelin star, as its bona fides.

Dinner at Californios

Growing up in Holland (MI), the idea of gourmet cuisine was pretty much relegated to whatever one could prepare at home. Even then, the menu was limited to what one could find at the local grocer. Upscale markets in nearby Grand Rapids, while offering the vast majority of missing ingredients for whatever Thomas Keller or Mario Batali cookbook one was using; asking for oxtail and other such ingredients was still a tall ask.

That's not to say Holland was devoid of good food. Local Dutch bakeries still churn out an incredible breakfast (Saucijzenbroodjes - Dutch sausage rolls - for the win!), and the local butchers offer some incredible meats that perfectly embrace the long summer outings by the grill. The sizable Hispanic population has also led to some excellent Mexican restaurants, with Taco Fiesta holding a special place in my heart growing up. 

Prior to dining at Californios, my experience with Mexican food was consistent with my upbringing. Platters of home made tacos, chile rellenos, asado de puerco con salsa verde and tamales. All accompanied with refried beans and yellow hued rice. I wouldn't call it greasy spoon food, but it certainly stuck to one's ribs, and it was/is darn good. 

The idea of a Mexican restaurant offering a tasting menu was completely foreign to me. Rick Bayless' Topolobampo offers a Mexican tasting menu, but over the years the family could never seem to get reservations when we would visit Chicago. After dining at Californios, I now know why it's so popular still to this day!

The slate gray exterior of Californios on 22nd Street in
San Francisco's Mission neighborhood

Dinner at RASA

Today's post takes us south of my usual gastronomic stomping grounds of San Francisco, to the suburb of Burlingame. Located there, on Park Rd. in the quaint downtown, is the subject of today's review: RASA. Opened in November 2014, RASA has become one of the top Indian restaurants in the Bay Area, through the combination of pan-Indian dishes and the finest - most sustainable - local produce. The approach may be painstaking for Chef Vijay Kumar, but the results speak for themselves as RASA has earned a Michelin star in 2016 and 2017.

Outer signage at RASA - Contemporary Indian

Dinner at State Bird Provisions

There are few places in the western hemisphere that have the quality and quantity of dim sum like the Bay Area. San Francisco has - after all - one of the largest and oldest Chinese enclaves outside of Asia. Thus, it's fitting that a restaurant creating 'American dim sum' should be found in this city by the Bay. What wasn't a foregone conclusions was just how popular State Bird Provisions would come to be. It's truly a testament to the ingenuity of Chefs/owners Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski for creating one of the hardest reservations in a city featuring some of America's top restaurants.

Outside of State Bird Provisions (right) and The Progress (left) on Fillmore St.

Dinner at Gary Danko

This edition takes us to one of San Francisco's culinary stalwarts that has dazzled guests with its delights for close to two decades: Restaurant Gary Danko. Located in the annoyingly touristy Fisherman's Wharf neighborhood, the restaurant carries its owner's and executive chef's namesake, and both are institutions in San Francsico's culinary scene. Chef Gary Danko's mantra is to pair classical French cooking with the local bounty that California provides.

Outside of Restaurant Gary Danko, at the corner of Hyde and North Point St.

Dinner at SPQR

This week's update takes us back to back to the Western Addition neighborhood, just four blocks north of The Progress on Fillmore Street, to San Francisco's Italian gem: SPQR. SPQR hails its name from the Latin phrase Senātus Populusque Rōmānus (The Roman Senate and People), referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic. Fun fact: SPQR is still used as an official emblem of the modern-day commune (municipality) of Rome.

Outer façade of SPQR from across Fillmore Street

While SPQR has been open since 2004, Chef Matthew Accarrino has manned the helm since 2010. What's fascinating is that Chef Matthew literally fell in to a career in the culinary arts, when a bad cycling accident eventually forced a career change. Since then, the restaurant has garnered numerous accolades, including a Michelin star every year starting in 2013. Molded by his Italian heritage, personal experience, and classical training; Chef Matthew takes full advantage of what California has to offer... to the point of even taking part in the creation of certain ingredients.

Dinner at Lord Stanley

This edition of Jon Voyage! takes us to Lord Stanley, a little Californian-European inspired restaurant located in the 'Polk Gulch' neighborhood of San Francisco. This is essentially part two of my Memorial Day 2017 foodie-focused weekend, having checked out Mister Jiu's the night before.

To be more specific, the 'Polk Gulch' is an informal name of the neighborhood consisting of Polk Street, between Geary in the infamous Tenderloin neighborhood, and Union Street in the Russian Hill neighborhood. This strip is teaming with excellent bars (Lush Lounge, Hi-Lo Club, The Rusted Mule), and great eateries (Aquarello, Swan Oyster Depot). On the corner of Polk and Broadway sits Lord Stanley, its large Broadway street-facing windows allowing a glimpse of its culinary delights for those walking by.

Lord Stanley is the brainchild of co-chefs/owners Rupert and Carrie Blease. Before they took the plunge in restaurant ownership, their culinary odyssey took them to such acclaimed establishments as Thomas Keller's New York bastion Per Se, two Michelin starred UK stalwart The Restaurant at Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, and local San Francisco establishments like The Commonwealth. Per Lord Stanley's website, their goal is to "[offer] simple yet refined cuisine with European influences served in a casual, friendly atmosphere." The results have spoken for themselves, including back to back Michelin stars in 2016 and 2017. Being all for refined cuisine in a comfortable atmosphere, I used the Memorial Day weekend as an excuse to see the magic first hand!

Dinner at Mister Jiu's

Tonight's edition takes us to the San Francisco's iconic Chinatown neighborhood - the oldest such enclave in North America, and the largest outside of Asia - to call upon the swank eatery Mister Jiu's. Opened in the Spring of 2016, Chef Brandon Jew (Bar Agricole, Quince, Zuni) has set out on a mission to offer traditional Chinese flavors with a modern approach. Working with Chef Brandon is notable pastry Chef Melissa Chou, previously of Aziza and Mouroud, and nominated for the James Beard award for outstanding pastry chef. This duo, along with the rest of the kitchen staff, have done incredible things in their first year, including earning their first Michelin star.

Dinner at The Progress

Tonight's outing takes us to San Francisco's Western Addition, located just west of the Civic Center area / Van Ness Avenue. On Fillmore street, in the heart of this neighborhood, lies two of San Francisco's top restaurants: State Bird Provisions, and - the topic of this post - The Progress.

Outside of The Progress and State Bird Provisions
2017 San Francisco, CA

The Progress is a New American restaurant featuring a family style format. The menu features three set starters, followed by fourteen options broken into two groups of seven that differentiate between lighter and heavier fare. For $62 per person, guests are asked to select four dishes for the table from the fourteen. Additionally, the menu includes four options guests can add to their meal that are seasonal in nature. Dishes are then served scaled up for the size of the party.

Dinner at Al's Place

Tonight's culinary adventure takes back to San Francisco's Mission district, a couple blocks southwest of Mission landmark la Taqueria, to Chef Aaron London's New American restaurant: Al's Place. Sporting a corner location, the eatery sports a beautiful blue outer façade and even a make-shift al fresco dining area on the 26th street side. Stepping inside the establishment, one enters the dining area, with only a little desk suggesting reception.

Al's Place outer facade on the corner of Valencia and 26th St.

The interior of the long and decent-sized dining area sports a delightful palette of white/off-white walls, light wood accent, and white tile wainscoting. Accenting this was various pieces of artwork, adding necessary color and an artistic flare to complete the walls. Near where the ceiling met the walls, a ledge had been built to hold various plants - their green again added a nice diversity of color to the visual aesthetic.

Dinner at KEIKO à Nob Hill

This edition of Weekend by the Bay takes us to a little Japanese-influenced French restaurant in the heart of San Francisco's posh Nob Hill neighborhood: KEIKO à Nob Hill. Before starting the restaurant with her namesake, Chef Keiko Takahashi earned a Michelin star in 2009 working in the Mill Valley stalwart El Paseo. Now with her own restaurant, and another Michelin Star to her acclaim, Chef Keiko continues to do what put her on the culinary map: create amazing works of Japanese-inspired french cuisine.

Dinner at Commonwealth Restaurant

The original plan for Easter Sunday consisted of meeting up with some fellow Michigan State alumni for brunch. From where I live in the Bay Area, heading into the city isn't the most convenient undertaking: requiring roughly a 40 minutes ride on the BART. Thus, the idea of just heading into the city for a two hour brunch seemed like quite a waste. I started looking for any restaurant openings in that evening to book-end an afternoon, and when I saw that the Commonwealth Restaurant had openings for dinner, I decided to stick around.

Dinner at Terrapin Creek Cafe

This week's gastronomic adventure took a slightly different turn, as I decided to forego San Francisco and head north to California's wine country. I had the privilege of having an excellent Latin American-inspired lunch at Guiso Latin Fusion in Healdsburgh, CA. This was book-ended by tastings at two wineries, Donum Estate in Carneros, and Arista Winery in the Russian River Valley. You can read more about this in an upcoming post; what I wanted to focus on here is the capstone for the day: dinner at Terrapin Creek Cafe.

Dinner at Nico

Frugality and fine dining rarely seem to go hand in hand. To some, spending hundreds of dollars at a restaurant is justified by the artistry on display, similar to springing for front-row tickets to Hamilton. Sometimes the planets align, and a restaurant does provide an amazing gastronomic journey at a reasonable price, as witnessed in my previous write-up of San Francisco's Aster.

These culinary jewels are rare, and need to be celebrated when found. Thus, a fitting follow-up to my Aster review is another San Francisco eatery: Nico. Nico operates on a "carte blanche" style, where the menu is not known to the guest as the dishes are served. A five course prix fix menu runs for $70, while optional wine pairings run for an additional $65. That equals out to $115 for five courses with wine, right up there in the value department as Aster.

Dinner at Aster

Spring time for someone working for a Treasury function within a Bank is usually the toughest part of the year. Banks do their final push to file their Comprehensive Capital Adequacy Review ("CCAR") with the Federal Reserve, which means lots of risk modeling and narrative drafting. Combine this with the annual shenanigans associated with March Madness, and one has an interesting dichotomy of fun and misery.

In anticipation for this stretch, I plan the annual Cayman trip to top off the fuel gauge. That trip made for some nice experiences, which you can read all about here. Of course there was a celebratory dinner at Coi, and couple nice weekends of Michigan State basketball. But now Michigan State is out of the Big Dance, and it's time to turn my attention to a deeper appreciation of the San Francisco culinary scene. The first restaurant to be crossed off the list: Aster.

Celebratory dinner at Coi

As much as I wish eating - as well as writing about said eating - was my day job, it's sadly not. In fact my budding career in liquidity risk management (a topic I forbid to discuss on this forum) is what allows me to indulge in these culinary odysseys. Thus, when I was notified at the end of February 2017 that I was promoted, I decided it was a great reason to finally cross Coi off my list of places to check out in San Francisco.

Birthday dinner at Spruce

As evening begins to take hold along the San Francisco peninsula, the hustle-bustle of shoppers along Market Street slowly yields to those in smarter attire heading to various eateries and functions. As my birthday was a few days to come, I decided to throw on an extra snazzy layer, join the bourgeois crowd and head over to one of San Francisco's top restaurants: Spruce.