Oola: 860 Folsom Street San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 995-2061

Well what can I say. I was largely disappointed with this experience.  Most aspects of this dining experience were just ok and others were just down right disappointing. We started off with the beet salad and the the beef tartar. The beet salad was made with goat cheese, walnuts and had potential had they not added watermelon which we found bizarre and uncomplimentary to the dish. The beef tartar was covered with caviar and was ok but nothing compared to last weeks Absinthe's. For our main course we ordered the ribs which is their signature dish. We admit that the meat was cooked perfectly and literally fell of the bone however the flavor just wasn't there. They are seasoned with ginger and cilantro but we could barely taste either one of these flavors. The ribs were very sweet and lacked spice which could have been given by the ginger had they made this spice more present. We also ordered the ravioli which again was ok.
 For our beverages we had two glasses of organic wine a pinot noir and a mojito. The mojito was pretty good but the wines were nothing to write about.

 We found the service to be slow and unimpressive. Also at the end of our meal they asked for ID with our credit card which we found annoying and insulting.
This meal cost over $200 and was not worth it. There are many other places we would have rather spent the money!

Absinthe

We went here on Friday night and it was FABULOUS. We did not have reservations and were pleased to only have a twenty minute wait. This place was very crowded which makes sense because both the food and drinks were delightful. As we waited at the bar we ordered a Sacred Heart which is a specialty cocktail. This was a modern elixir that harking the strange and wonderful feeling that both tequila and the "green fairy" conjure. The bartender was nice and informative and warned us of the strong licorice taste that comes with ordering such a drink but we did not shy away. We found it to be strong but surprisingly tasty and refreshing and of course STRONG. We also ordered an Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA triple, a Belgian style IPA, which was over 9% and very tasty. We had not even finished our first round of drinks when the hostess came to seat us. We were seated in the front of the restaurant near the bar and very crowded but our table was next to a window which was nice. On a side note we have eaten here before with reservations and were seated at a very intimate table in the back room also next to a window, so if crowds and noise annoy you we suggest making a reservation.



Once seated we ordered the beef tartare, french onion soup and hearts of romaine to start off with. The beef tartare come out first and was fresh and balanced. The quail egg on top complimented the flavors of the beef well. We devoured this small plate and will definately order it again. Next cam the french onion soup and hearts of romaine. The soup is absolutly wonderful. when you dig into this soup you find layer after layer of cheese and the broth is packed with flavor. We did some investigating and found out that the broth is made out of veal stock which turns what could be an ordinary soup into a luxourious one. The hearts of romaine was simple, fresh and good.



For our entrees we ordered the skirt steak and the coffee crusted duck. The coffee crusted duck was very good and flavorful and was cooked to a perfect medium rare. However, the skirt steak was one of the best dishes we have tasted in a long time. It too was cooked a perfect medium rare and was so tender you did not need a knife to cut it. The meat literally fell apart in your mouth and the flavors were incredible. The steak was paired with asparagus and mashed potatoes and the flavors mended well. We would give Absinthe a total of FIVE STARS and we will be back again!

Don Ramons Mexican

Alright everyone, we know it has been a while but we are excited to be back and look forward to continuing this blog. Now, we have eaten at Don Ramon's several times in the past couple of months and it is pretty darn good considering it is in northern California and most Mexican food is eeehh ok. Because we are from Texas we are always craving Mexican food and have tried numerous restraunts in search of real Tex Mex flavors. While we have been largely unsuccessful Don Ramon's comes the closest to feeding our cravings. Now, we have not ordered enchiladas and we probably never will because we are too scared that they will not meet up to our expectations but the flautas and fajitas are pretty good. The fajitas do not come out sizzling but they are flavorful and even come out with flour tortillas which you usually do not find here in SF. However, the best part of going to Don Ramon's is the MARGARITAS. They are fantastic and possibly better that any margarita I have had in Texas. That's right we said it the best Margaritas may in fact not be in Texas but in San Francisco! They have an extensive margarita and cocktail list but our favorite is the cucumber & jalepeno margarita. It is perfectly refreshing with just the right amount of spice. If you go here, you gotta try it. All and all we give Don Ramon's 3 stars but if we were just judging on the margaritas they would get five stars, hands down!
CHEERS,
Jackie and Rob

Pi Bar

Last night we went with friends to Pi bar on Valencia. This is one of our favorite hangouts. The beer selection is incredible at this place. They always keep a sour beer on tap which we both love. Right now the sour they have is Russian River Consecration. This beer is VERY sour and has a strong taste so be careful it is not for everyone. They carry around 12 micro brews and also have some wines but not an extensive selection. The pomegranate cider is also a great choice and very popular among the ladies. However, if you are looking for a Coors Light you won't find it here, only premium beers and who can complain about that! Now on to the food. The ingredients are all organic, fresh and local when possible. They use unbleached flour for their pizza dough so you know when you are eating at pi you are indulging in quality. We ordered a large mushroom, sauteed onion and pepper pizza. This was hands down the best pizza I can ever remember having. WOW! The pizza is not greasy at all and the crust is hand tossed. Trust me you can taste the quality. We will be back very soon! Hope everyone has a raggin time this NYE. Have fun, be safe, and most importantly, eat, drink and be merry!
Cheers,
Rob and Jackie

Blue

Today we went on a mission to find a farmers market. After being in Texas for 5 days and eating our fair share of greasy yummy Mexican food we were ready for some fresh produce for the juicer. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful as none of the SF markets that we know of were open today. After driving around for about 30 minutes we gave up and decided to stop somewhere for lunch. We were driving down Market in the Castro when we spotted a parking spot and snagged it. The spot happened to be right in front of Blue a restaurant we had seen a hundred times but had never gone to nor did we know anything about it. This little spot ended up being a pleasant surprise. It was very casual and VERY cheap. I had the soup and salad which was $6.99 and Rob had an omelet for around 8 bucks. Definitely the cheapest meal we have had here. The food was pretty good too. I had the soup of the day which was French onion, creamier than I am used to for this soup but pretty good overall. Rob raved about his omelet which had lots of spinach and mushrooms and was covered in cheese. He was also very happy that it came with hash browns a bowl of fresh fruit and BACON. The ambiance in this tiny place was lacking and kind of made me think of a small Denny's that had been painted black. We both just drank water but I looked at the drink menu and it was lacking, just a few domestic beers offered. Having said that, the food was pretty good and perfect for a cheap quick lunch in the Castro.
Cheers,
Jackie and Rob

Welcome

We have decided to start a blog to document our dining experiences while living here in SF. We have had so many fabulous dining experiences, have tasted some great food and had some incredible wine since moving to this great city. We hope this blog will help us stay connected to friends and family and help us keep a record of our time here.
Cheers,
Rob and Jackie