Globe Easters

Wasting no time to make good on my promise to revisit mediocre places others adore (see previous post), I made my way to Pacific & Battery for lunch at the Globe. I first went about two years ago for lunch with my parents. Context: I couldn’t recall any distinct details about my first visit other than I was totally underwhelmed; my parents walked in today and literally could not recall having ever been there before (they’re old, but not THAT old). On the flip side, my boss liked the place so much, he chose to have his wedding reception there; I’ve had friends say they take out-of-towners there to impress them. Have I teed up the contrasting dynamics effectively enough yet?

Well, one thing did stand out today and, unfortunately, it was not the food. The noise-level was so unbearable I could barely hear my parents talking next to me. The tables are crammed and the brick walls do nothing to soften the chatter. When I walked out after, the ringing in my ears left me feeling like I had just attended an Avril Lavigne concert (sorry, first performer that came to mind – not sure why).

It’s a shame because the food is actually pretty good. I’ve been on a soup kick lately and opted to try their daily soup (some sort of vegan tomato and eggplant puree) with their smoked salmon appetizer. The soup was light and flavorful and paired well with the smoked salmon. I felt pleasantly full but not sick to my stomach as I often do at Friday lunch. My parents each had the rigatoni with pork. They both reported being pleased (if not a little put off by the $17 price tag) and the bite I had tasted good to me.

I passed on the dessert menu because I needed to escape the noise, which was becoming increasingly loud as the place filled up. I realize noise is one of my “things” that I care more about than a lot of people do. So don't let it be a deterrent to Globe if you're oblivious. But if you’re looking for a quiet date or a productive lunch meeting – skip the Globe.

Everyone Makes Mistakes...Maybe?

Every now and then, I visit an eatery that has remarkable word-of-mouth publicity. My friends’ mouths start salivating at the mere mention of these places. Michael Bauer’s words jump off the page when he writes about them in the Chronicle. And then I visit…

I can think of a few places off the top of my head where I am literally the only person I know that wasn’t impressed. I am making a concerted effort now (set, GO!) to re-visit these places and see if maybe I got it wrong the first time around. I will start with Globe (Financial District) tomorrow with my parents. I recall being there about two years ago but can recall more than my feeling of disappointment.

Other anomalies:

-Tacolicious (Marina): To me, this was an over-priced, under-valued Mexican joint (Big No-No). I left thinking more effort was put into achieving trendy Marina status than into good Mexican grub.

-Frascati: This is a beloved SF spot that I am convinced I must have hit on an off night. My roast chicken was dry and the pasta was mediocre at best. I do visit a lot of nicer-end places like this at lunch, which I realize may not be when a restaurant is on its A-Game, but this was a full-blown Saturday night visit. The passing trolley cars and classic SF ambiance is enough to motivate me to re-visit.

-Boulevard: $21 for three ravioli is highway robbery. This was a lunchtime visit and I probably owe it a chance at dinner. Pencil me in after my next raise.
Flour + Water: The New York Times, Washington Post, and Sunset Magazine all fell over themselves for this place. Friends I talk to come close to disowning me when they hear I didn’t care for it. The pizza was good… but no better than Delfina, Little Star, A16, Zachary’s….

Everyone and everything deserves a second chance. Stay Tuned.

Branching out to The Plant

I had been putting off visiting The Plant for months. Its “organic, vegetarian, local, farm-raised, vegan, all natural, zen, unprocessed, anti-George Bush, macrobiotic ” pitch simply wasn’t doing much for my appetite. However, still blocked up from a four-day weekend food-for-all, I was actually in the mood for a salad and a tall, cold glass of …water.

And to clear something up: The Plant actually has meat on its menu. One can choose from chicken, shrimp, (or tofu, of course) in many of the sandwiches and wrap options. To my great surprise, I actually had a harder time than usual choosing what I wanted because so many of the choices sounded interesting and different. The Tikka chicken wrap, pumpkin seed & corn meal encrusted tempeh*, and duck confit pizza all looked enjoyable. Ultimately, my mom and I went in together on the Thai Green Curry with shrimp and the wild mushroom pizza.

The Good: the food tasted fresh and healthy. I didn’t walk away feeling bloated or like I’ll have to hit the gym twice as hard tomorrow. The curry had a pleasant lemon flavor that I’ve never noticed in a curry before. You can’t beat the view (we sat on the patio overlooking the bay).

The “Ehh”: Everything was kind of bland. “Pleasant” is a good word to describe it. In my stomach’s eye, I see curry as warming, comforting, and potent – this was not. Shouldn’t you be able to pour the curry sauce over the rice? The pizza crust was too thin and the cheese was finely shaved on in fingernail size portions.
I have no doubt many would enjoy this, especially the health conscious. It just doesn’t have me coming running back for more.

*Tempeh is not a characteristic often associated with anger. The waitress definied it as “tofu-like” but nuttier.