Namu

Tacos have been on my mind lately, given recent posts here and here. This Korean-inspired beef taco from Namu in San Francisco was amazing...in a shell of crispy seaweed instead of a tortilla, it has layers of rice, chunks of beef, scallions and tomato salsa for an unusual and delicious take on the west coast taco.

Paulette

I have to admit that I haven't always been a big fan of the maracon, but with this delicate cookie becoming a trend I've seen it popping up in more and more places like Paulette in San Francisco. At Paulette, the entire playfully modern shop is dedicated entirely to their light and airy treats in great flavors like this rich Caribbean chocolate. This one (along with the cherry macaron at La Boulange) have made me a convert.

They even had this cute macaron tree on display in the window.

La Boulange

Another San Francisco treat: this incredible macaron from the local chain La Boulange. Being a chain I was skeptical at first, but I was delightfully surprised and swooning over the bakery. This macaron was so light and delicate with an intensely flavorful cherry center.


The beet salad was also full of fresh flavors with creamy goat cheese, mandarins and candied pecans.

The cappuccino, served in this giant bowl, was perfect and a great note to end on. I'll definitely be back during the next trip!

Beretta

Two words: lardo pizza. At the hot spot Beretta in the Mission district of San Francisco, I met the ultimate pizza: a thin crust with nothing but olive oil, sea salt and slices of delicious pork fat.

The gnocchi appetizer was in a rich tomato sauce and topped with basil and mozzarella.

The cauliflower was breaded with capers and sage.

The chicken liver crostini, despite looking like cat food was rich and delectable. We also tried the fava bean bruschetta.

Another incredible pizza topped with spicy salami, coppa and pecorino - this was a close second to the lardo pie.

The prosciutto pizza with arugula was surprisingly light and had a fresh, straight-from the garden feel.

The Italian sausage with panna and onions was a creamy balance to the other pies.

Desserts were incredible - this chocolate gelato was super creamy and topped with amaretto and caramel.

The panna gelato with olive oil and sea salt blew everyone away - and the crispy butter cookie was the perfect compliment.

The strawberry tart was sweet and fresh with a scoop of mascarpone.

Salume

I love a good cured meat sandwich and was excited to check out Salume, an Italian based panini and sandwich shop in Soho.

The mortadella came with emmenthal cheese, arugula and mustard on crusty bread.

The San Daniele had buttery ham, thinly sliced fennel, mayo and a touch of truffle oil.

I was completely surprised and blown away by the desserts - this nutella and banana sandwich was gooey and delicious.

The chocolate salami looks exactly like it sounds - a sliced log of frozen fudge dotted with nuts.

Tamarind

A friend has been raving about Tamarind for months, so I went to check it out this week and can say I'm now a fan. Dinner started with these delicate puff pastries with a layer of cheese and tomato, and a side of creamy ginger dipping sauce.

The fried cauliflower special was a vivid red and reminded me in a good way of fried chicken with bbq sauce.

For dinner, we ordered the tender lamb vindaloo and the spicy chicken special in a creamy onion and tomato sauce, deliciously fresh raita with chunks of cucumber and garlic nan.

Arlequin Cafe

I've been in San Francisco for the past week on vacation...and checking out all that SF offers in the culinary world. After getting voted "best cupcakes" in SF Weekly, I decided to check out Arlequin Cafe in Hayes Valley. They had one of the most exciting cupcakes I've eaten: s'mores, with a graham cracker cake with dark bittersweet chocolate frosting, topped with toasted mini marshmallows. Yum!

Then, I ran into them again at the Ferry Plaza farmers market, where they had this maple bacon doughnut along with other incredible looking cupcakes and baked sweets.

Balthazar Bakery

I'm loving this special soup from Balthazar Bakery: chilled cucumber melon with a touch of goat cheese. It's a perfect soup for summer lunches, and I like it with the equally fresh Mediterranean salad with olives, chickpeas, and radishes. Unfortunately it's not available every day, but keep your eye on the daily specials to get it!