Email Author Meredith Brody

2009 Stories by Meredith Brody

• Yu-Zen and the art of sushi

  published November 4, 2009

  You can find the state induced by a recent meal at Yu-Zen, a modest but charming Japanese restaurant in the outermost Outer Richmond, in its... More >>

• Muguboka offers homey Korean fare that goes beyond meat

  published October 28, 2009

  Most people, if they are at all familiar with Korean cooking, know two things: Meals are accompanied by an array of small dishes containing... More >>

• Beijing Restaurant, Yao Ming's favorite S.F. spot, offers unusual delights

  published October 14, 2009

  The little building at the corner of Alemany Boulevard and Ocean Avenue has housed a number of restaurants over the years, none of them a... More >>

• Castro's Starbelly dishes out a truly memorable meal

  published October 7, 2009

  The first meal I had at Starbelly — a delightful lunch during which two of us shared seven dishes and wished we had room for more —... More >>

• Burmese Kitchen: From modest lunchtime deli to Burmese restaurant

  published September 30, 2009

  The Civic Center deli known as Larkin Express was the ideal of those who love to find the hidden little restaurants of the city. It was a... More >>

• Aicha serves flavorful Moroccan food at popular prices

  published September 16, 2009

  At Aicha, a modest new Moroccan restaurant on Polk Street, you'll get all the highlights you'd find on the menus of fancier North African... More >>

• Trek to the Sunset's Outerlands for inventive New American fare

  published September 9, 2009

  There aren't many reasons for foodies to travel to the outermost reaches of what's already termed the Outer Sunset, especially those last few... More >>

• Delicious small plates from the Philippines, Vietnam, and China star at Poleng Lounge

  published September 2, 2009

  You'd have to be living under a rock not to know that the Bay Area has fallen in love with street food. There's the legal kind, sold from... More >>

• Down-home goes upscale at Wexler's

  published August 19, 2009

  It's easy to imagine the earliest form of cooking — throwing meat onto a wood fire, from which it emerges smoky and charred —... More >>

• 54 Mint offers boldly flavored fare at a charming downtown location

  published August 12, 2009

  More surprising than the fact that the address of 54 Mint is actually 16 Mint Plaza is that there's a new Italian restaurant in town that not... More >>

• Mercury Lounge presents tasty pan-Asian fare before bringing the noise

  published August 5, 2009

  M.F.K. Fisher once said never to eat dinner in a room with a dance band. Since din with dinner is not our preference, we've tended to avoid... More >>

• Seasonal ingredients and skillful handling make Flour + Water a Mission hit

  published July 22, 2009

  Naming an Italian restaurant Flour + Water is a bit of a dare, as if to say, "Look what we can do with the humblest and simplest of... More >>

• Fancy beef at extravagant prices at 5A5 Steak Lounge

  published July 15, 2009

  San Francisco is not a great steakhouse town. It has neither the legendary steakhouses of New York (Keen's, Sparks, Old Homestead, Peter Luger)... More >>

• The Tipsy Pig: Comfort food in quiet surroundings one night, a mosh pit on another

  published July 8, 2009

  On one visit to the Tipsy Pig, early in the evening and in the week, it seemed a fairly quiet neighborhood restaurant and bar with uneven food.... More >>

• Noodle Theory fuses Asian noodles with quality ingredients and zesty spicing

  published June 24, 2009

  After a couple of years operating his cozy upscale noodle shop, Noodle Theory, in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, chef-owner Louis Kao... More >>

• Shanghai comes to Chinatown via Bund

  published June 17, 2009

  By now, almost everybody in San Francisco who loves Chinese food has experienced xiao long bao (soup dumplings), a famous Shanghainese delicacy... More >>

• Michael Mina's RN74 is a work in progress

  published June 10, 2009

  There may have been no more eagerly anticipated restaurant opening this year than that of RN74, familiarly known as "Michael Mina's new wine... More >>

• Virginity Lost at Gary Danko

  published May 27, 2009

  The restaurant Gary Danko opened in 1999, and in 2000 the James Beard Foundation named it America's best new restaurant. It's always on the... More >>

• New hotel brasserie Midi offers updated versions of French classics

  published May 20, 2009

  Now, more than ever, when we go to a high-end restaurant we want a peak experience. And now, more than ever, if you're going to open a... More >>

• Nopa offshoot Nopalito offers rustic Mexican fare

  published May 13, 2009

  Nopa, the large, bustling Mediterranean place that serves dinner until 1 a.m. and has a thriving bar business, has been a hit in its North of... More >>

• Beretta: Cocktails, pizza, and a wall of noise on Valencia

  published April 29, 2009

  When we settled in at Beretta and perused the menu, I recognized its contents immediately. It's the very model of a modern pizzeria. There's an... More >>

• Sean O'Brien's Zinnia flowers on Jackson

  published April 22, 2009

  There was general consternation among fans of the popular spot Myth when it was sold and chef Sean O'Brien left the restaurant, which did not... More >>

• Pork Belly and Cocktails

  published April 15, 2009

  Heaven's Dog, the latest offering from iconic San Francisco restaurateur Charlie Phan (The Slanted Door, Out the Door), is housed in a chic,... More >>

• By the See

  published April 1, 2009

  When I first dined at La Mar Cebicheria for a festive lunch a few months ago, I came away with decidedly mixed impressions. The location is... More >>

• Thai Score

  published March 25, 2009

  It's rare that I've eaten in Thai restaurants that have exploded my idea of what Thai food is, introducing me to exciting dishes as good as... More >>