After reading Michael Bauer's recent review (4.27.97) in the SFChron/Ex, and a friend's recent dining experience, I was ready to put knife and fork to the test. Four of us dined at Globe on Monday, 5.19.97. We took Michael Bauer's suggestions and for appetizers and ordered the grilled sardines on frisee, based mussels, scallops and bay shrimp with garlic butter and Thai basil, and 12 oysters. The grilled sardines were very good, but I would've enjoyed a bit more crispiness in the pan frying. The baked mussels, scallops, and shrimp didn't have near enough garlic. They were cooked just right so nothing was tough, but more kick was needed in the seasonings. The oysters were fresh and tasty. For entrees 3 of us ordered the lamb, and 1 the highly regarded pork chop. The lamb arrived at the table looking like an Italian dish. Think slices were strewn atop the artichoke-potato puree and thoroughly doused with a roasted tomato/vegetable jus/sauce. Two of the 3 enjoyed it. The 1 who wrinkled her nose at the lamb thought the lamb was completely overpowered by the sauce; she couldn't even taste the lamb. Had she seen the dish before ordering she would've selected something different. The pork chop was quite good. Nicely seared and covered with caramelized onions and green and red bell pepper chunks, as well as sauteed red and green cherry peppers and a spread of tapenade atop the pork chop. A great sweet and tangy convergence took place. Good but I'm not sure I would order it again. The bread basket came filled with onion covered focaccia and chewy little flat rolls dusted with flour. The chewy rolls were great, and possibly the best part of the meal for a confirmed bread lover. Service was average. Our waiter had a very small sense of humor and appeared rushed/stressed. They had no objection to the 2 bottles of wine we brought from our private cellar. The wine list offers some lovely selections but far too young for our taste. Order bottled water and do NOT rely on the tap water with a very strong taste of chlorine. After dinner coffees and cappuchinos were luke warm, and the cappuchino was sent back. The tea was forgotten and the bus person was asked to bring it. The restaurant appeared understaffed during our stay. They could've used another wait person. Dessert was just ok. The vanilla bean ice cream was smooth, creamy and flecked with vanilla bean seeds, the apple tart was big enough to feed 3 or 4, the warm chocolate pudding-like cake was quite tasty without being cloyingly sweet. Would we return? I wouldn't in spite of the sardines and pork chop. My overall sense is that they still have some rough corners to take care of. Destined to become a hot ticket as Michael Bauer suggests? Not in my book. I'd return to Plump Jack 10 times for every time I'd return to Globe. Michael Bauer and I haven't always agreed on restaurants and Globe is added to questionable list. Giving it 3 out of 4 stars was pushing it. I think they only deserved 2.5 under Michael's system. Bottomline, try it and see what you think. It's still a fun and funky restaurant.

Enjoyed a pleasant meal just last Friday evening. The food was very well prepared with excellent attention to detail. To begin with we shared the quail and fois gras and evening special Hudson Valley fois gras with wild huckleberry sauce as our two appetizers. Entrees were the duck breast and the rack of lamb, both well prepared and quite rich. Particulary appreciated having a selection of four different breads to choose from. The wine list leans more to the French side than the Californian, but we were pleased with the 1986 Ridge Zinfandel we selected. The creme brulee for dessert was classic in every way: rich, smooth, studded with vanilla bean seeds, and the perfect covering of carmelized sugar on top that shattered easily with the back of the spoon.Service was attentive and professional without being officious. What we did not like: quaint atmosphere but too close to the street so that street noise is very audible. Our table had a view of the kitchen, but we do not like looking at the inner workings that closely. We expected high prices, and while we felt they were appropriate for the calibre of food, they are higher when compared to Fleur du Lys, Masa's, and Charles Nob Hill. I disagree that the atmosphere is romantic as mentioned in one of the earlier reviews above. Being close to Polk Street is NOT romantic by my standards. Would we return? Likely not as we prefer the atmosphere and touch of formality offered at Charles Nob Hill.

To quote Michael Bauer in his 3.24.96 review of the The Slanted Door, "...Vietnamese food in the Bay Area has moved to a new level." This is one of the finest Vietnamese restaurants I have ever dined at. All other Vietnamese food will fall short when compared with the excellent cuisine at The Slanted Door. A group of 6 of us shared countless dishes there one recent Saturday evening. While the location is the not in an uptown area of the City, there is an energy and presence about this restaurant that belies its location. The clientele is hip, cuts across all ages, and enjoys fine food. The menu changes weekly so you may not find some of these dishes listed when you go there. Not to be missed are any of the clay pot dishes. We ordered Ga Kho, skinless chicken simmered with caramel sauce, ginger, and shallots. A wonderful combination of gentle and pungent flavors that are very well balanced. Other dishes we enjoyed are Goi Cuon, fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce; Banh Xeo, Vietnamese crispy crepe with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, and onions; Ca-Ri Ga, stew-like chicken curry cooked with yam, carrots, and spices in a mild coconut sauce; Lemongrass Vegetable Saute, sugar peas, long beans, tofu, carrots, fresh Shiitake mushrooms, and onions sauteed with garlic and fresh lemongrass; Dau Dua Xao Tom, long beans wtih shrimp, garlic, and onions. We shared 2 desserts: caramel flan and a peach and plum galette. Both were very good. The wine list is nicely conceived and offers something for just about everyone. A nice selection of Belgian beers also complement the meals quite well. And there is a very good selection of 10 different teas, including some herbal teas. The only downside to The Slanted Door is that they take reservations for parties of 6 or more. The wait can be long, up to an hour plus during peak dining times, but the food is worth the wait. Our waiter was professional, pleasant, and always available when needed. In short, don't miss the opportunity to try The Slanted Door.

Saturday, July 6, was our second dining experience at Charles. It was a dinner to our 9th anniversary. This is absolutely one of THE best restaurants the Bay Area has to offer. At both times at Charles we have ordered the chef's tasting memu. The recent dinner was composed of: fresh corn & clam chowder in a fresh pea puree, seared foie gras on brioche, pan seared salmon, and 5-spice duck. The kitchen was gracious enough to let us substitute the foie gras (in place of the fresh steamed asparagus) as we both have food allergies to asparagus. The additional charge of $5 for the foie gras substitution was well worth it. Each dish served seemed to be better than the previous. The subtle nuances, the incredibly fresh flavor, the finesse in first class ingredients all led to a perfect meal. We have an extensive and old wine cellar at home that allows us to always bring special wines with us to favorite restaturants. The wine list is the only thing that we can slight Charles on. They would be wise to align themselves with a cellar that gives them access to older wines than offered currently. Their corkage fee is standard ($15 per 750ml bottle), but our delightful waiter, Robert, did not charge us corkage on our two and a half bottles after we turned over the half full bottles to the staff for their enjoyment. We shared a cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and a late harvest gewurtraminer. Not only did we have wonderful wines to enjoy with our meals, but we also like to share with others who appreciate fine wine. Dinner was completed with a dessert sample plate that included three wonderful cheeses after Robert overhead my comments about how I enjoy cheese for dessert. We were disappointed that we did't receive the creme bruleee that we saw on the sampler plate of our neighbors. In a moment's notice Robert had it in front of us. Needless to say, Robert received an excellent tip not only for his outstanding service but for his intuitiveness to go above and beyond. Charles Nob Hill has success down pat at this time and we sincerely hope they will be able to maintain their standards in both food and service for a long time. They are developing a very loyal clientele that knows fine dining. Congratulations to all concerned at Charles!

Enjoyed a wonderful evening meal on Saturday, 5.11.96. The signature fois gras appetizer was by far THE best fois gras I've ever had. In the future I think I'll have a double order for the entree. Don't miss this dish!. The rack of lamb was very, very nice. Served a true rare as requested and nicely paired with fresh spinach and baby artichokes. My dining companion ordered the house cured salmon atop thinly shaved fennel, followed by the NY steak and potatoe gratin. We both agreed that I had the winning meal. We concluded the evening with the superb ice cream trio (buttermilk-honey, vanilla malt, chococalate chip), the cheese plate (excellent), port, and coffee. While Rubicon's wine list is extensive, we brought our own wine from an extensive cellar selection at home. The corkage fee is higher than most at $15, but not inappropriate given the stature of the restaurant. The only downside to the evening was the 24 minute it took to receive our entree (from the time our appetizer plates were cleared). We were told that the restaurant was severely overbooked that evening and the kitchen is very small. To have this kind of wait when we were seated at 6:05pm was a bit of a surprise. I don't have a problem waiting when my expectations are set beforehand, just let me know before I begin to get annoyed.. The table behind us experienced similar delays and insisted speaking with the manager. Overall this was an excellent meal and yes, we would consider returning.

After a dismal New Year's eve dinner on 1.1.96, we went on faith and a couple of good reviews from friends to try Sunday brunch. The fresh oysters were very nice, the basket of breakfast breads too small for the price, the Mom's Meat Loat was very good, and there wasn't enough smoked salmon on the smoked salmon baguette entree. The Fuji apple crisp was very good. Dinged them on service for 2 counts: 1-took way too long to clear the dishes between courses, 2-we were never asked if we wanted coffee/tea with dessert. Michael Bauer's 1.5 star rating was deserving at the time; I'd give them 2 stars now. Appreciated having a customer comment card to share my opinions with them. Brad Ogden needs to spend a lot more time at LCI and concentrate on the service.