VinDivine - Living it Up John & Janine Style

Za Pizza - Russian Hill

In my NY not-so-humble opinion there ain't THAT many good pizza joints in SF. Bagels suck too for that matter. Get H&H overnighted from NYC. I think it's the water in the dough but that's another conversation. Za Pizza is a great place to knock back a slice and a beer in this neighborhood spot on Russian Hill! This place comes somewhat close to a tiny NYC hole-in-the-wall, without smelly pizza guys from Italy throwing the dough in the air of course.  We usta go in here and wait for our pups to get a good washin' at the Russian Hill Dog Groomers. Leonard is the man there. Brooks is the man behind Za.

The slices of pie are gynormous, they have a specialty they call the Potesto Pizza. Slices of potatoes and pesto sauce drippin' all over the place. Yum. And thin-crust too. Not like our thick late-night drunky Golden Boy slabs,  but that pizza is for soakage, this is for tastage. We get any pizza with onions and mushrooms but they have some fun-named pizza like the Vincent van Dough (fresh roma tomatoes, basil & garlic) and the Salvador Dali (chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto &  tomato sauce...mmmmm). Get a salad, any salad. Also huge. Feels like the never-ending plate of greens. Good though. Wine is so-so but they've got great beers on tap. Don't get delivery, by the time you get it it's too cold, soggy, tough. You gotta go there and pick it up.

Hint: If you eat outside at one of the two tables on the hilly sidewalk, watch out for the pups that go into get groomed next door. Pee flows downhill people. Pick up yer feet!

They don't have a website so check out Za on CitySearch. Buck up for the site guys!

Za Pizza
1919 Hyde St. (Green St.)
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-771-3100
Parking is tough, it's on the cable car line.

Frascati - Russian Hill

You want a "neighborhood" spot? You got it. This place serves it up right! Traditional, small and cozy, it must've been an original 2-story house and you can sit upstairs (a little more intimate if you're trying to have 'dessert' back at your place, if ya know what I mean) or downstairs which is way more lively. There's a small bar near the front where you can sample some of their tasty wines before you get a table.

The best entrées? Mmm,mmm, can you say Pasta Bolognese? No spot to sit?? TAKE IT TO GO MAN! Lobster Risotto is killer too.

Back to the starters - begin with the venison carpaccio, that's right, we said it - start off with Bambi. If they don't have that for a special, the potato gnocci is a close second. They've also got a Rabbit Salad, but we say, go for Bambi, skip Thumper.

We love this place cuz they also serve up a great cheese plate. Ya got yer cow, ya got yer sheep and goat, what the hell could be better? Not to mention it's a "plate" not a "cart", so you won't get people pawing all over the cheese when they're trying to decide what they want. We hate it when people do that, just point at it fortheluvagod don't touch it!

The wine list is solid too. Any restaurant that has the Billecart Salmon Brute Rosé, Bandol Rosé (my mouth just watered), Napa Silver Oak 2000 Cab (Wow taste, wow price) and Tignanello is aces in our book.  And that's just to name a few, the list is OTH.

Frascati
1900 Hyde St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-928-1406

Gary Danko - Russian Hill

Cha ching, come hither with a big appetite and a wad full of $$. These guys are Relais & Chateaux Certified! Awesome Contemporary-Cal cuisine. Don't plan on just walking into this place, resies are usually 1-2 months out. There is a small bar you may luck out at.

Great service, everyone there is cool, not snooty and very knowledgeable. Seamus, who's been a waiter there for years, is the best. Hell, the guy probably lives better than most of us off his tips! We've been there 3-4 times and have loved it every time. The wine list is pretty extensive, Everything on the menu rocks.

Make sure to leave room for the cheese cart at the end. That and a good glass of port and You Are Done.

Gary Danko
800 N Point St
San Francisco, 94109
415-749-2060

Zarzuela - Topas Tapas in Russian Hill

OK, we'll probably get some disagreement here from tapas freaks and Cha Cha Cha lovers, but that's OK, we like it the best. Great service, nice - basic - room with a good bustle and crowd. The Sangria is the best around. Mmm mmm, ask for a pitcher. Everything on the menu is solid and prepared extremely well. Get a LOT of small plates instead of a few big ones, you'll experience more.

This place is on Russian Hill, and the parking sucks. Typically a 20-30 minute wait for a table, but you can grab a pitcher of Sangria and the time flies by. If you do have to wait, equally as sucky is the weather on Russian Hill, so bring a jacket!

You can also wait at the tiny wine bar across Union St. on the same side of Hyde.

Zarzuela Tapas
2000 Hyde St
San Francisco, 94109
415-346-0800