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Two Spaces in One: Maya Restaurant in SF

Saturday, November 20th, 2010

Last night we joined three other food bloggers and two PR execs from the Bay Area for a dinner at Maya in SF.   The occasion was a reveal of a new menu and decor for the eleven year old restaurant in SOMA.   The bar is known for its large array of Tequilas including blancos (aged 0-2 months), reposados (2-11 months), and anejos (aged at least 1 year).

Style: White linens surrender to … creative cocktails, zebra wood tables, tasty tacos & striped dishes. Upscale Mexican cuisine is the mainstay.

Our Favorite Picks Include:

  • Their Happy Hour Deals after work!
  • Drink: Big Nose Goes to Mexico $12! (Blanco & Repisado Tequila w/ Guava Puree, Hibiscus Salt on the rim and a Lime half floating on top w/ 151 rum in it, then they light it on fire … see our photo! *not on the happy hour menu)
  • Guacamole: Chile Toreados $8.5 The house guac was good too but we liked the creative toasted Pepita (w/ pumpkin seeds on top).
  • Ceviche: Mahi Mahi $12 (w/ pica de gallo, & a sweet and spicy tomato-chili broth) It had a great sweet and spicy mix with a little kick!
  • Tacos: (Apps, Entree $14-16 for 4, OR Taco Tuesday Happy Hour – $2 each): Langosta Taco (Lobster, avocado, black bean puree, chile de arbol roullie, cilantro) & Rajas con Papas “Deconstructed Chili Rellenos Taco” (poblano, potato, queso fresco, salsa verde, crema fresca)
  • Desserts: Empanadas de platano $7 (turnovers filled with bananas, walnuts & crema fresca/ strawberry sauce/ coconut ice cream) & Capirotada agavero (Bread Pudding) $8 (agavero tequila liqueur bread pudding/ fresh blueberry tequila sauce/ raspberry cabernet sorbet)

The warm approachable decor of the new dining space is contrasted by the hipper vibe of the bar and lounge area.  You could meet your friends for cocktails and $2 tacos at Happy Hour in the bar and then have your parents to dinner in the restaurant (or even better a company meal or event in a private room when they are footing the bill).  The restaurant was comfortable with well-spaced tables but without the zing of the lounge with bar tables and chairs (although the dining tables were beautifully made from something that looked like zebra wood).  The dining room made me think of spots you might grab dinner before a show, ballet, or opera in NYC so you could definitely have multi-generational dinner with family (maybe not young kids but parents and grandparents for sure).  We loved the large red spiral plates mixed in with the over-sized white plates too. There was a touch of fun to them in the contrasting dining room.  There are dinner specials every night but the main menu entrees and tacos were our faves (mole was very good, chili rellenos, salmon).

The Guava/Tequila “Big Nose” cocktail (note: this one is not on the $5 happy hours list) was fabulous.   For my birthday, light me up a Big Nose Cocktail and serve it to me with a Banana Empanada. Then throw me in a serenity pool somewhere on the Yucatan Pennisula!

Happy Hour Specials @ Maya (Everyday, $2 tacos, $5 drinks, $3 beers)

Nice Dinner Special: $18 soup or salad/ 1/2 entree or tacos/ sorbet  +$5 margarita/ mojito/ house wine

303 2nd st. between harrison & folsom, san francisco ca 94107
415.543.2928 ~ fax 415.543.6679

- Read here for a fellow food blogger’s review of Maya from the same dinner!

Posted in Eating Out, San Francisco | 1 Response »
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To Do: Beer Revolution & City Beer Store – Oakland & SF

Sunday, May 30th, 2010
“Beer has become the new wine!’

from NY Times Travel
By ERIC SMILLIE
Published: May 30, 2010
Exquisite & Rare Beers that Change Daily!

Mix and match six packs or taste with a cheese plate as you browse!

Posted in Drinks, Oakland, San Francisco | 1 Response »
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Humphry Slocombe San Francisco: Whiskey & Cornflakes Ice Cream!

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Michelle, a SF foodie friend, and I were talking about this and decided that the first food maker that we can remember who mixed spices and various combinations of flavors was Vosges Haut Chocolat.   Vosges does make ice cream as well with their creative concoctions.  We are now lucky enough to live in the Bay Area where folks are constantly coming up with creative food combinations.  Michelle said she could remember lobster ice cream and corn on the cob ice cream from summers spent on the east coast.  My favorite ice cream has always been Graeters, a Cincinnati, OH original.  But now there are creative ice cream shops in every major city such as Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream (Chocolate w/ Cornflakes, Queen City Cayenne, Thai Chili) in Columbus, OH and Humphry Slocombe in SF.

Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream is sold at their shop and at a gourmet food market in SF by the scoop ($2.50 a scoop) or pint ($8).

Humphry Slocombe Creative Flavors

I tried the Morning Secret that consists of Jim Beam, flour, corn flakes, vanilla, and butter.  Boy was it buttery and the Beam was subtle!  It actually reminded me of a fancier version of a superman ice cream!  Michelle tried the Pepper-Mint Chip that was a combination of fresh chopped mint with Cubeb Pepper, and Valhrona Chocolate Chips.  She said that the Pepper-Mint Chip was surprisingly a great combination that she expected to fail, but it just didn’t!

Shop:
2790 Harrison St
San Francisco, CA 94110

Posted in Eating Out, San Francisco, Store Bought | 4 Comments »
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Tornado? No, Toronado: Lower Haight, SF

Friday, September 18th, 2009

Toronado, like the Oldsmobile it’s named after, sports a Unitized Power Package.  As GM used the UPP to fit both a transmission and engine into a conventional engine bay, Toronado fits an outstanding draught beer selection into the same space where a normal bar would serve at most five draughts.  Let me tell you that this is not a selection of Budweiser, Miller, and Coors products.  Toronado offers some of the finest brews from all over the world.  On our most recent visit we enjoyed some Belgians (Duvel Green, Affligem Trippel), and a Californian (Russian River, Pliny the Elder).  An excellent feature of Toronado is the ability (at slow times) to order a sausage from Rosamunde Sausage Grill next door.  Once you’ve ordered, you can go grab a beer and wait for the signature wall-pound that signals the readiness of your food.  We’ll be sure to get a proper post about Rosamunde the next time we’re in the Lower Haight, but it was too busy at Toronado to sit and eat.  Next time delicious sausage, next time.

www.Toronado.com

Lesley: Go to Toronado for the BEER!  I love Belgian Style Ales and they seem to have them all.  You can get a sausage and pickle from next door and bring it over to drink with this unbelievable selection of brews.

Posted in Drinks, San Francisco | 3 Comments »
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