Showing 1 - 5 of 11 posts found in the Our Neighborhood category. Back to all blogs

  1. Tom’s Soma Review #10  

    1.   
    2.   
    3.   
    4.   
    5.   
    6.   
    7.   
    Image 1 of 7

    June 23rd, 2010

    The Rainbow Way

    Posted by: Tom Galbraith under Our Neighborhood

    Chris, Andres' and I strode underneath our umbrellas through the unseasonably rainy streets of our beloved Soma one recent afternoon heading to The Rainbow Way Restaurant and Bar: a friendly neighborhood lunch spot with some street cred for its kooky charm. Upon entering the restaurant it felt like we walked into someone's home, complete with living room, kitchen, master bedroom and all.

    Read More...

    Chris, Andres' and I strode underneath our umbrellas through the unseasonably rainy streets of our beloved Soma one recent afternoon heading to The Rainbow Way Restaurant and Bar: a friendly neighborhood lunch spot with some street cred for its kooky charm. Upon entering the restaurant it felt like we walked into someone's home, complete with living room, kitchen, master bedroom and all. We chose the 2nd bedroom on the right and I really liked being secluded from the rest of the patrons. So many Soma eateries have you butted up too close to other tables. Our room had a karaoke machine with microphones and I found myself daydreaming about the last time I sang "Lady" by Kenny Rogers to a group of spunky senior citizens in Reno. Thankfully the owner/waitress interrupted my daymare as she approached our room and took our order. I chose the Bung Thit Nuong, (bbq pork and imperial rolls over vermicelli noodles and salad) and Chris had the Pho Thai. Both dishes were good but we had plate envy over Andres' Com Ga Nuong Xa (bbq lemon grass chicken over rice), the tastiest plate of the three. The food at Rainbow is solid, no frills Viet cuisine, but there is a slight shroud of mystery hanging over the night time goings on at Rainbow Way, maybe it's the karaoke machines in the bedrooms, maybe it's the copious bottles of Hennesy, but when I asked the owner about night time at the restaurant she said kindly, "separate owners". The real appeal to Rainbow is how instantly disarming the owner and chef are. I'm going to go at night and report back, but the owner told me that when I come back for lunch she will cook me anything I want, even if it isn't on the menu. I'm thinking a burger version of the traditional Vietnamese sandwich would be crazy good. So if you are looking for some really sweet people, a comfortable and funky atmosphere with good Vietnamese food, get on down to the Rainbow Way.

    Close...

  2. South Of Market Kickball Association (SMKA)  

    1.   
    2.   
    3.   
    4.   
    5.   
    6.   
    7.   
    8.   
    9.   
    Image 1 of 9

    May 6th, 2010

    BBQ, Sunshine, Doggies, and Kickball

    Posted by: Tom Galbraith under Culture, Our Neighborhood, Studio

    The only thing that may rival our Clydesdalian work ethic, is our Barnum and Bailey-esque play ethic. After producing future-tech design all week, we sometimes need to live in the moment and kick the living daylights out of a little rubber ball. Any kickball teams reading this should recognize ASTRO as the SMKA Champs and should feel free to entertain the idea of getting whooped by us.

  3. Tom's Soma Review #9  

    1.   
    2.   
    3.   
    4.   
    5.   
    6.   
    7.   
    8.   
    9.   
    10.   
    Image 1 of 10

    April 14th, 2010

    Taqueria Chile Verde Vs. Taqueria Cancun

    Posted by: Tom Galbraith under Our Neighborhood

    Tacos are important, everyone knows that, so having multiple options for taquerias in the neighborhood is one of those oft over looked luxuries of South of Market living, right up there with broken parking meters for free parking. While most Astro employees frequent the Taco truck located at 6th and Bryant for their Mexican fix, I'm a creature of comfort (not just comfort food). Being simultaneously retro and post-modern I have grown tired of the trendy food truck phenomenon and have taken it upon myself to review a couple old school taquerias in our hood.

    Read More...

    Tacos are important, everyone knows that, so having multiple options for taquerias in the neighborhood is one of those oft over looked luxuries of South of Market living, right up there with broken parking meters for free parking. While most Astro employees frequent the Taco truck located at 6th and Bryant for their Mexican fix, I'm a creature of comfort (not just comfort food). Being simultaneously retro and post-modern I have grown tired of the trendy food truck phenomenon and have taken it upon myself to review a couple old school taquerias in our hood.
    On the corner of 6th and Market there are 2 taquerias: Taqueria Cancun and Taqueria Chile Verde. On the Market St. side of the corner sits Cancun. By far the busier of the two, Cancun is a part of a small chain of restaurants with locations in the inner and outer Mission as well as this Market Street location. While the chips and salsas are very good, the tacos were only passable, and with the added inconvenience of the long line and limited seating, my visit added up to a pretty lackluster experience
    On the 6th Street side is Taqueria Chile Verde. Although it lacks the patronage of its Market St. counterpart, Chile Verde doesn’t sit idly by and let Cancun grab all the glory. Established over fifteen years ago, Chile Verde’s food is not only fresher and tastier, but there is never a wait or trouble getting a table. To top it off Chile Verde less expensive and boasts a great chile relleno combination.
    The obvious winner by K.O. - La Chile Verde!

    Close...

  4. Tom's Soma Review #8  

    1.   
    2.   
    3.   
    4.   
    5.   
    6.   
    7.   
    8.   
    Image 1 of 8

    February 11th, 2010

    Extra Mile VS. SightGlass Coffee

    Posted by: Tom Galbraith under Our Neighborhood

    ASTRO's address is in the heart of SOMA, where the bourgeois meet the beaten down, and the dear meet the doomed. The many characters of this neighborhood, whether well-groomed or casual, have one common goal in the morning: COFFEE!

    Read More...

    Rain or Fog, we go it alone or gather in groups seeking the aroma, the taste, and the effects of this delicious warming elixir, and where you choose to drink your cup of mud says as much about you as the brand of underwear you are (hopefully) wearing. The following is a quick guide to two of my favorite coffee spots in this blooming South of Market area: Sight Glass Coffee Roaster and The Chevron's Extra Mile store at Harrison and 6th Street.
    Sight Glass Coffee Roasters is a fairly new business that sits on the corner of 7th and Folsom inside an industrial space behind a roll-up garage door, but don’t let the construction zone fool you - the espresso here is serious! The deluxe beans are from Verve in Santa Cruz, and once their space is finished they’ll be freshly roasting in-house, before brewing on their gorgeous refurbished La Marzocco GS2. Sights and sounds on my last visit: talkative coffee lovers, cute dogs, and Black Sabbath's Technical Ecstasy on the iPhone jukebox. But as swell as this experience was, I don't always need premium roasting and a chat with a local. Sometimes I just need fuel!
    I like to fill up at the Chevron Station on 6th and Harrison. Inside, The Extra Mile coffee and food station is nestled between the perpetually broken Icee machine and the Krispy Kreme doughnut case. What the Chevron lacks in ambiance, it makes up for with convenience and gut-busting breakfast food. I’ll usually mow a Pancake Wrap, which is a corndog-looking food item comprised of a syrup flavored pancake rolled around a sausage on a stick. They also carry a wide variety of coffee flavors from French Vanilla, English Toffee, White Chocolate and Caramel, to Super Caffeinated, always a wise choice for those of us who are less morning inclined. So if your coffee tastes lean towards refined and you’ve got the time, Sight Glass is for you, but if you’re just in need of a quick jolt and a San Miguel breakfast taquito, Chevron’s Extra Mile is the way to go.

    Inspired by Brandon and Chris' love for the cup of joe, photos by Nate Cervantes and Brian Bjelovuk.

    Close...

  5. Tom's Soma Review #7  

    1.   
    2.   
    3.   
    4.   
    5.   
    6.   
    Image 1 of 6

    December 30th, 2009

    Heaven's Dog

    Posted by: Tom Galbraith under Our Neighborhood

    Feasting on Northern Chinese Street food prepared in a semi-fancy manner sounds great, right? Well we thought so too, so Chris, ViLO and I made our way over to Heaven's Dog for a nicer-than-usual lunch South of Market.

    Read More...

    Feasting on Northern Chinese Street food prepared in a semi-fancy manner sounds great, right? Well we thought so too, so Chris, ViLO and I made our way over to Heaven's Dog for a nicer-than-usual lunch South of Market (SOMA). Nestled in the bottom of The SOMA Grand, Heaven's Dog is an inviting spot from the moment you walk in: nice host, nice staff, and a gorgeous bar erected out of a 30ft long piece of a Cypress tree that begs to draw you deeper into the main dining room. The space was designed by Lundberg Design, coincidentally the same architecture firm that designed the new luxurious first floor of Astro Studios.

    We were seated instantly without prior reservations. I was wearing my “confuse them every time” Groucho glasses disguise, so I'm sure they didn't recognize me as the famous food critic restaurants all over the SOMA area have come to fear and love. We checked out the menu and ordered. I had an elderflower spritzer, and my buddies drank some Concubine oolong tea. Elderflower is delicious and makes a naturally sweet and light soda. The starters came, and we commenced to grind. The shanghai dumplings (xiaolongbao) were filled with pork, rice vinegar and ginger. These flavor vessels were delicate and scrumptious, the soup-like mixture of the ginger and vinegar softly explode into your gullet. The organic brussels sprouts came sauteed in ginger and were accompanied by thin slices of Chinese lap xuong sausage. I love brussels sprouts; I always have, I always will. The braised pork belly in steamed clam-shell bun is the dish of love. An upscale version of the best pork bun from a Chinese bakery you could ever hope to face. I could eat 15 of these and be good, but that wouldn't be a very balanced meal, now would it?

    Something started to slightly annoy me before the main dishes came, and I quickly pinpointed it: overplayed classic rock. Now I don't have a huge grudge against CCR like most of my friends do, but "Proud Mary" started to clash with the modern-yet-authentic Asian cuisine, and I sadly wondered how many more times would I have to hear that song in my lifetime. Some old Bowie came next; of course it was the over-aired song "Changes," but it's at least that leaned more to my musical taste. Regardless, it was still annoying in that room at that time.

    The main dishes came, Chris received Timmy’s Beef, which was flavored with ginger, scallion, jalapeno and served atop egg noodles. Chris liked the dish, but thought the jalapeños could be hotter and he gave a little shrug. Vincent ordered the pan-fried crispy noodles with scallop, ling cod, shrimp, squid and baby shiitakes. Vincent can't deny this dish is pretty bitchin', and believes it almost ties Tu Lan's #20. Good for you Heaven's Dog, that isn't easy. My chicken noodle soup came: free-range chicken, fried shallots, and wide rice noodles. Wow, what a vacant bowl of soup. My guess is that it was fat-free and sodium light because it tasted like it. Good for my heart, not so much for my taste buds.

    Overall the food is superb at Heaven's Dog, but I believe during lunch the smaller dishes slay the larger ones. Go check it out, and maybe if you’re lucky "Old Time Rock and Roll" by Bob Seger won’t be your munching soundtrack.

    Recap: Cool-looking and feeling bar, good oolong tea, great pork belly bun, bad soundtrack.

    Close...

RSS FeedHola

Welcome to the Astro Studios Blog.

Categories

By Date