Valentine’s

I think Valentines as we know it is lame, with true love reduced to teddy bears, cherubs, bad chocolates… and overcrowded restaurants with ridiculously costly “special” menus that have become synonymous with a Valentine’s date. So if you ask me, I would avoid going out that night at all. But I just might go out some other time this month to celebrate love in my own way: peaceably, over superb food and wine, maybe at one of these fine establishments:

Cafe Jacqueline

Café Jacqueline: 1454 Grant Avenue (between Green and Union Streets), 415-981-5565, Wed-Sun 5:30-11pm – Yes, you will eat soufflé for dinner AND dessert – and wait about an hour for each soufflé… but could you ask for a better way to go? Since lingering is (or should be) the point, this place, with simple, candlelit environs, will force you to do just that. Jacqueline herself handcrafts each soufflé until they come out piping-hot perfection. All are for sharing, more than large enough for two. Savory soufflés include Spinach & Gruyere or White Corn, Ginger & Garlic ($35 range). Splurge for Crab or Lobster versions (around $55). Dessert brings more decadence with Key Lime, Strawberry and, of course, Chocolate soufflés, among others. Don’t come here for anything but soufflé… the reason for Café Jacqueline’s long existence.

Firefly: – Make reservations now at this perennial classic. Though the menu changes regularly (but for their famed gourmet Fried Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuits), after dozens of visits over the years, I’ve never had a bad dish (entrees range from $16-$25). The ultimate neighborhood restaurant, Firefly is worth visiting any time and books up fast. Service is warm and accommodating, as are the cozy dining rooms, ideal for intimate conversation over the best in upscale comfort food. Save room for dessert!

Bix

Bix: - For a classic vibe of the 1930’s Supper Club kind (including live jazz most evenings), Bix offers swanky digs off a Financial District alley for added mystique. Make sure to reserve an upstairs table in the high-ceilinged room overlooking the action below. Cocktails are a focus with a menu offering classic American fare (first courses from $9.95-$15.75; entrees from $19.75-$39.50). Though I think it’s definitely overpriced, especially compared to other options in this range, their food is solid to great and the speakeasy vibe makes it a romantic rendezvous.

worthy mention: I was going to recommend glowingly intimate Clementine, until I heard it was just sold to nearby Chapeau! and will be closed a few weeks for renovations. I hope they don’t greatly alter the interior as it’s one of the most romantic bistros in the city, though no worries about the food staying superb with Chapeau’s chef at the helm.

Old Movies at the Castro Theatre

San Francisco’s historic Castro Theatre may not be as awe-inspiring as Oakland’s Paramount Theatre (which seems to have sadly stopped its monthly film classics screenings since earlier last year)… but it is still San Francisco’s shining jewel of movie palaces since 1922, harkening back to the old days with classic (and new) films accompanied by live pre-film organ medleys played by local organists.

The Castro has an intriguing line-up which varies greatly week to week.  My favorites include Chaplin shorts and films during the annual Silent Film Festival, their famed, rowdy sing-a-longs, such as the annual “Sound of Music” Thanksgiving weekend screening, Hitchcock marathons, and “Dueling Divas” week with films of Bette Davis (love her!) and Joan Crawford.  It’s an encounter to share with an avid (or yet to be) classic film lover, or for locals craving a quintessential San Francisco experience.

January 2008 highlights include a week of films from Japan’s great director, Kurosawa; the annual Berlin & Beyond Film Festival; a documentary on musician Chet Baker (not on DVD); and a special night of live commentary from the Mystery Science Theatercast (of which I am a fan) watching Ed Wood’s infamous “Plan 9 From Outer Space”.

And now… as you naturally must eat before, after or during (sneak it in) your films, here are some of my preferred options close by:

A.G. Ferrari: Yes, it’s a chain, but it’s directly across the street from the theater, is open all day (every day), and their sandwiches, loaded with imported Italian cheeses and salumi encased in fresh bread, are tasty and easy to slip into a purse for film snacking.

Blue: On a chilly night when nothing will comfort like mom-style cooking, head to Blue, a diner with a gourmet sensibility to their chili, Sloppy Joes, meatloaf, tuna casserole or mac ‘n cheese. Most entrees are around $9-$13 (steaks and pork chops hover around the $15-18 mark), and come in huge, delicious portions (enough to share).

Frisee: A brand new spot around the corner from the theater on Market Street, this elegant, narrow restaurant presents searingly fresh, ingredient-loaded salads and complex entrees with a very “now”, California sensibility. Dinner entrees are $15-$21 (salads and appetizers in the $8-$13 range) and they recently began serving lunch daily so you can make it stop before or after a matinee.

Hot Cookie: 407 Castro (between 17th & 18th), 415-621-2350) – Despite its racy persona (and certain cookies), they simply serve some of the best cookies around. My personal favorite is Mocha Cayenne (a subtle kick to it), the Oatmeal White Chocolate Cranberry being a close second. The Renaissance Man is partial to the Snickerdoodles. Being almost next door to the theater, how can you resist sneaking cookies in?

Lime: The hot pink, lime green, plastic white décor can be off-putting, depending on what you like (and I don’t!), but with a tasty and fun American small plates menu (ranging from $5-$11), it’s worth a stop. Wedges of grilled cheese sandwiches come with a cup of tomato soup for dipping. There are also savory mini-burgers (three to an order) and small halibut tacos, dusted with cornmeal. Drinks are of the Appletini, Mojito kind, adding to the playful (at times obnoxious) mood of the place.

Zadin: For fresh Vietnamese within two blocks of the theater, Zadin is run by a local Vietnamese family, offering tasty fare in a soothing, modern dining room.

Japantown Food & Film Night (or afternoon)

I have a special spot in my heart for SF’s Japantown. A rarity in the US, it’s a vibrant Japanese neighborhood with a dated but authentic mall, markets, restaurants and shops. I love seeing a film at the Kabuki, eating authentic Japanese fare or wandering shops selling items as random as extensive Anime DVDs, Japanese toys and dolls, Japanese Pop music, high tech toilet seats, all the ingredients to create your own sushi bar at home, or foods rarely found in the US.

FILM:

Kabuki Theater

The recently restored Kabuki Theater in Japantown continues to be remodeled by Sundance Cinemas, fast becoming my favorite multiplex movie theater in the city. Their official opening is December 14th, but I have already been enjoying the fresh Japanese design, bamboo trees in the lobby, rustic wood lining the walls [Note: I hope they’ll redo the crappy bathrooms – those have always have been a downside here and still appear untouched].

A bar in the theater will open by 12/14, serving wine and beer, which can be enjoyed while watching films, like in many European movie theaters. They have added a couple additional theaters downstairs on the bottom floor. I saw a recent art house movie in one of these new rooms, wary of smaller-sized screening rooms though I am (such as Opera Plaza’s dumpy smallest theater). But this theater holds comfortable, widely spaced chairs with little tables (or very large armrests) between every two sets of chairs. It was like a large home theater room with an excellent sound system. They also have the large screen theaters (8 total screens in all) airing popular Hollywood movies alongside art house films. It’s a new (or renewed) Kabuki offering a slightly different, refreshing twist on multiplex film viewing.

JAPANTOWN:
Japantown transports me not only back to days traveling Asia (where malls are more modern, high tech), but it takes me straight to Japan, circa 1980’s. Somehow I feel right at home in this kitschy mall.

• One of the most affordable, relaxing pleasures around is Kabuki Springs Spa. For $20 (or $25 on weekends), you have access to all communal baths and saunas for the entire day. Though the blissful massages cost more, all include access to the spas. If your budget won’t allow massages as often as you like, the spas are there with a soothing, Zen-like atmosphere warmed by candles and unlimited cups of hot tea. Be prepared to go naked (though you can wear a bathing suit if you must), and note the women or men only days on the website (bathing suits are required on Tuesdays, the only co-ed day).

Bushi Tei

• Karaoke at Festa Wine & Cocktail Lounge, Japantown Mall, Suite 207 (Kinokuniya Building), 415-567-5866. So the $2 per song is definitely a rip-off (especially if accompanied by the not-always-implemented $10 cover charge), but this karaoke lounge offers something different from the dingy, almost ghetto karaoke rooms-for- rent across the street from the mall, Do-Re-Mi or Dimples. Festa is a sleek little lounge offering communal singing, a faux city skyline painting and lychee cocktails (places like Do-Re-Mi do not allow alcohol). Though they sadly charge Tokyo prices, you will have a more sleek setting for karaoke, sharing your humiliation (or talent) with welcoming Japanese locals.

• For years, many have joined me as repeat visitors to the Japanese photo booths in the first floor of the mall’s Kinokuniya Building. There are multiple booths, the best in Japanese only so follow very basic English directions (if there are any) as best as you can to add stars, rainbows, hearts, chickens or random colors and designs to your photos. The ultimate in cheesy photos! Makes me feel like a kid again.

• For smooth coffees (order what they charmingly call “Vienna Coffee”, or rather, Viennese coffee) or tea, Tan Tan café in the Kinokuniya Building (415-346-6260), has been my “go to” spot in Japantown for years. It offers elegant British tearoom décor with strictly Asian sensibilities, along with a not exactly scenic but somehow appealing view of Geary Boulevard, creating a sweet spot for reading, journaling or quiet conversation with friends. A unique gem in this area.

Mifune

FOOD:

• Japanese Fine Dining: Bushi Tei – A jewel in the SF dining landscape, this critically-raved-about- yet-not-widely-known treasure serves inventive, divine Japanese dishes in a sleek, modern setting that is as gorgeous as it is comforting. Service puts one at ease throughout the exquisite meal. For an authentic slice of Japan, visit the bathroom and enjoy the special toilet (I know, but just try it!) The entire experience is perfection.

• Japanese Comfort Food/Noodle House: Mifune & Mifune Don, 1737 Post Street (between Buchanan St & Webster St), 415-922-0337; Open 11am-10pm daily – For affordable comfort food, head to this overcrowded noodle house in the mall. Go early to avoid long waits or head to the furthest stretch of the mall (across the Plaza) to their sister restaurant, drab Mifune Don which has nothing in the way of environment (Mifune has deep red walls and dark wood booths) yet serves the same satisfying menu. The food is hardly imaginative and some menu items are best avoided (sushi, for one!), but basics are hearty and pleasing: Katsu Don, Udon and Soba Noodle dishes, and especially the Okonomyiaki, sometimes referred to as a Japanese pancake, a favorite of mine but not often found or done well (Japantown spots like Sapporo Ya, serve this dish but with less success; Hime, on Lombard Street, serves a modern, fresh take on this dish). For a traditional Japanese food and a quick (but large portions) bite before or after a film, Mifune does it right.

Mums

• Shabu Shabu: Mums and Shabu-Sen, 1726 Buchanan Street (between Post St & Sutter St); 415-440-0466 – For a late night of shabu shabu, Mums and Shabu-Sen are both within a couple blocks of Japantown and comfortable spots to swish meats in boiling water, then eat with vegetables and savory sauces. Mums, in the Hotel Toro, is open all day long so you can get your Shabu fix any time or order “old school”, diner-style breakfasts. They offer an all-you-can-eat-AND-drink menu ($35 per person; $22.95 without the drink; $14.95 at lunch). The all-you-can-drink is often abused by a rowdy nighttime crowd – ‘off’ hours are more peaceful. The retro 70’s décor strikes the right chord for kitsch lovers. Shabu-Sen has less fun in the way of décor but offers a Shabu bar/counter and reasonably priced Shabu Shabu meals served with fresh mixed vegetables, udon, tofu and steamed rice (Vegetarian, $9.99; Small, 10 slices of beef & pork, $10.99; Large, 15 slices, $15.50; and cheaper prices at lunch).