Krik's Picks

One of our favorite locales for shopping in San Francisco is on Union Street in Cow Hollow. We usually make a point of going there whenever we’re in The City. Not only are the Cow Hollow shops interesting and unique, but so are the restaurants. The ones we’ve eaten at tend to be very casual and relaxed. We’ve actually tried to eat at Rose’s Café on several previous occasions. But it seems like it’s always been too busy. After all, if your purpose is serious shopping, you don’t want to waste a half hour waiting for a table to open. The only thing different on this visit in early March was that we arrived toward the end of the lunch rush. It was still busy, mind you. But we didn’t have to actually wait to get a table. So finally, after walking by on past visits, we got to eat at Rose’s. It’s easy to see why the place is so popular. The menu is very creative with lots of variety to suit whatever your mood. At lunch they’ve got a wide range of choices including salads, sa...

This is kind of a strange review for me to write. On our last night in San Francisco, after lot’s of fun touring Wine Country , shopping in the City, and trying great restaurants, we had a reservation at Fournou’s Ovens , located in the Renaissance Stanford Court on Nob Hill . We had a great meal. But this is the first restaurant I’ve written about knowing that it wouldn’t be around much longer. I’m providing the link. But if you want to eat there, you’d probably better check and see if it’s still open. First the story, then the review. We picked Fournou’s Ovens for several reasons. It was located close to where we were staying. We knew that Nob Hill is a prestigious neighborhood, so we assumed it would be good (and we also assumed it would be expensive). Most of the reviews we read online were favorable. We could make a reservation using Open Table . And the photos from its web site made it look particularly appealing. When we arrived, everything was as attractive as we had ...

When we arrived in San Francisco after touring the Napa Valley , we wanted to try something new and different. Kokkari Estiatorio filled that bill very nicely. It’s Greek cuisine with a heavy emphasis on fish and seafood. The décor is rustic Mediterranean . The service is very friendly and accommodating. We were shown to our table which turned out to be quite close to another table of two businessmen. Their conversation was quite loud. We considered asking for another table, but decided not to since they seemed to be about finished. Keeping the table worked to our benefit. As they prepared to leave, we were quizzing our server about a choice for an appetizer. Several sounded tempting. As we discussed the choices, one of our neighbors leaned over, apologized for intruding, but then recommended the roasted Brussels sprouts, mapakia. It was a great recommendation. The Brussels sprouts were roasted in a wood-fired oven with bacon and lemon. They were served very hot, and t...