first the drinks: i had an “old havana” and a “dunlop”. both were rum drinks but very different. the old havana was slightly sweet and very smooth. the dunlop was much stronger and felt like something i’d want to drink next to a fireplace. both drinks were expertly mixed and well balanced. i also tried my friend’s “21 hayes”, which was a great gin drink despite the fact that i hate gin.

the food: portions are decently sized but by no means large. we sampled all of the oysters first, which were not that impressive. but my main dish and side were great. we also had a chocolate bread pudding and a soft cow’s cheese for dessert. the bread pudding was soft and yummy.

the place itself is great for food or drinks. we sat near the bar area, which gets pretty loud.

as pretty much everyone else says, if you’re a foodie you have to go to french laundry at least once. the food is amazing and the service is impeccable. just be prepared to spend a fortune.

we came here just for drinks, so i don’t know how the food is. the beer menu however is quite impressive. broken up by style of beer, it includes a large selection of belgian, german, and american bottled beers, along with beers from elsewhere (british, new zealand, canadian, etc.). they also have over 20 great beers on tap.

the place itself is not very big and gets cold from the constantly open door. but the tables are comfy if you can snag one and the service is good.

pseudo outdoor restaurant (you’re outside but under a huge tent/tarp). we went for brunch and the food was pretty good. there was also a guy playing live blues.

pluto’s basically does two things: made-to-order salads and made-to-order sandwiches. everything is fresh and the service is quick. there’s a good variety of ingredients, though i could see myself getting tired of the same things if i came here often.

Mamoun’s is great for 2 reasons: it’s cheap and it’s open till 5 am, which makes it perfect for a late-night, post-drinking snack. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the food is actually good. The pita sandwiches and plates are made the way you’d expect from any Middle Eastern fast food place (pita, some salad, tahini, etc.).

The restaurant is tiny with a narrow counter running along one wall and 3 tables along the other. There’s also usually a long line of people that completely fills up the place and snakes out the door. So you’ll find most people ordering to go or eating on the many stoops in the surrounding area.

This place totally lives up to the hype. I’ve never had Chicago-style pizza, so I can’t compare on that front, but Zachary’s stuffed pizza is really good and extremely filling. We got a small for 2 people and were only able to finish half of the pizza!

It does get very busy, but you can order your pizza while you wait for a table. That way your food is ready soon after you sit down. Along with the signature stuffed pizzas, they also have thin pizzas, a few salads, beer (on tap and bottled), and wine.

Since I don’t eat burgers, I can’t speak to Bongo Burger’s main meal (though reviews from friends are mixed). However, their chicken wraps are great! I pretty much lived on Bongo Burger chicken for my last two years at Berkeley.

This is the only ice cream place selling gelato that I’ve found on the Peninsula so far. It’s decent, but doesn’t even come close to real gelato.

Tres Potrillos is another non-descript stripmall taqueria. It is quite spacious and has lots of tables to sit at. Despite its meager looks though, the food is fresh and tasty. Between some chicken tacos, carnitas, beef burritos, and flautas, everyone was very happy with their meals. The tacos especially deserve mention. There’s also unlimited chips & salsa with every order.