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Located in the Mission District where Last Supper Club used to be, this hip Italian restaurant draws big crowds on weekends. My friends and I reserved a six-top and were seated in their dark, dungeon-like room downstairs. It took several minutes for our eyes to become accustomed to the dim lighting and actually see our menus. Seating was interesting, half of us sat in regular chairs and the other half sat in an old church pew.

When I’m in the mood, I enjoy cocktails with either Grey Goose or Belvedere vodka. But our two servers made it abundantly clear that the bartenders turn up their noses at vodka which is apparently inferior to rums, gins and the like for mixed drinks. They said vodka doesn’t do anything to enhance those kinds of drinks. That explains why they only had several vodkas and each were infused with weird flavors like basil.

I tried a highly recommended gin drink, (I hate gin but one of our servers insisted that it was worth a try), and traded it in for a glass of red wine. Then I tried to focus on the food.

Our group shared a bunch of dishes, including roasted beets with ricotta salata which was my girlfriend’s favorite, and meatballs in tomato sauce which were a little too soft but had good flavor. It came with a couple slices of grilled bread to sop up the sauce. We also had a proscuitto pizza with tomato, arugula, and mozzarela which had a thin, crispy crust but was just okay. The marinated sardines were very tart which is the way they are supposed to be, but my mouth got really puckery. The salumi platter was nice, as was the saffron risotto with osso bucco which was comforting and rich.

We had a couple of espresso-laden desserts to finish the night.

Honestly, there are so many other restaurants where I can get a great Italian meal with a nice vodka cocktail and good lighting beyond the bowels of a restaurant. I’ll be back in the Mission soon since I love the overall vibe of that neighborhood, but I don’t think Beretta will be among my stops.

This yakiniku, or “grilled meat” joint is a good place to take people for an interactive eating experience. Bigger kids especially love being able to cook their own food. There are 16 grills at the tables and 8 more built into the circular bar at the center of the large dining room. That’s a lot of cooking going on at the same time, but it never gets too smoky or hot which is a huge plus. They have a pretty extensive Asian menu with a la carte meats, veggies, seafood and accompaniments which are served family style. They also have a handful of soups, and rice and noodle dishes. If you prefer, you can opt to have the prix fixe menu for $62.25 or $82.75 which feeds two to three people each.

Juban is not a fancy place, but it’s a fun spot for casual celebrations like birthdays. I also like the little touches, like special plastic kids’ dinnerware and utensils (my daughter was thrilled to get a Winnie the Pooh set), a small bucket of ice to keep my bottle of sake chilled, and wet napkins at the end of the meal for everyone.

Two favorites are the miso salmon ($9) and sea scallops ($11). The beef tataki ($7.50) actually tastes better heated up and cooked through on the grill; it brings out the nice, strong ginger flavor and makes the meat more tender. The onmen ($7.50),hot somen noodles with egg, spinach and shittake mushrooms, is apparently a favorite among young children, but the beef broth was very subtle and proved to be too bland for my preschooler. She enjoyed the grilled items over rice much more.

They didn’t have lobster tails the night we went, so my son ordered the rib eye ($9.50) instead and was very happy with it. He also ordered the green tea mochi for dessert but they didn’t have it, so he got green tea ice cream ($3) which he enjoyed. They do carry top of the line Wagyu beef which we will have to try the next time we go.

I was sad when Honu’s in Buchanan Mall closed earlier this year, but excited to discover that former owner Pat DaSilva-Fong now manages Sundance Kitchen next to the Sundance movie theater. She has infused Hawaiian influences in their menu and brought live entertainment to the new venue Friday and Saturday nights, starting at 9pm. Granted, it’s not the same as Honu’s – it’s much bigger (less homey) and a tad pricier, but it’s nice to know that the Island spirit lives on just around the corner from Pat’s old digs. One of the pluses about the new spot is the full bar where they make a mean green tea cocktail with top shelf vodka.

One of our favorite restaurants to grab Sunday brunch either indoors or out is at La Terrasse, a French eatery nestled in the historic Presidio. They have a lovely patio with umbrellas and heat lamps with scenic views of the Bay. They offer simple, satisfying, consistently prepared dishes in a relaxed atmosphere.

Our three year old daughter likes eating here because they often give her a coloring book with crayons to keep her occupied, and sometimes turn their bar TV to cartoons. She loves their wood fired mozzarella pizza, sans basil, as well as their French toast.

At lunch and dinner, they make good classics like rainbow trout almondine over spinach, nicoise salad with grilled ahi tuna, and mussels in garlic/butter/white wine/pernod sauce.

They make soup daily and sometimes have other specials, but I’ve found that items on their regular menu are generally tastier.

They make interesting cocktails such as the Golden Gate ($10) which has champagne, cointreau, Brandy, and orange and lemon juices.

Several years ago, when I was still working in an executive briefing center for a high tech company, my friends and I used to meet at Kokkari from time to time and have dinner before heading out for late night dancing and drinks. It was always bustling with attractive people, the food was consistently tasty, we loved the rustic and inviting atmosphere, and it was spacious enough to accommodate our larger numbers without feeling cramped.

It had been awhile since I’d been back, but last week, my girlfriend and I met there for lunch since she works nearby. Immediately, the friendly hostess and warm Saloni, or front room, with a large stone fireplace and dramatic bar, beckoned me. We were seated at a cheery table by the oversized window along Jackson street in the Kouzina, or kitchen dining area, with high ceilings. Although two different people asked us what type of water we wanted, the rest of lunch service was seamless. The food was better than I remember.

They have a number of good wines by the glass, like a dark, deeply fruity, deliciously easy to drink Melville syrah ($13) from Santa Barbara.

This is still a wonderful place for both personal and business dining. They have multiple seating arrangements including: a grand hand-carved, wooden chef’s table that seats 24 in the Kouzina; a 30-seat private Oenos, or wine room, adjacent to the Kouzina; and a lovely Hania room that seats 10 just a short elevator ride downstairs. Even their restrooms, located beyond the Hania room, are charming, although I wouldn’t recommend dining there.

No doubt about it, Koo excels at serving fresh sushi and sashimi. Chef/owner Kiyoshi Hayakawa (Sushi Ran, Ace Wasabi’s,Tokyo GoGo) turns out fresh fish with daily specials out of his simple, clean digs on Irving Street. They have fusion dishes, too, but the sushi bar items are really their strong suit. Service here is courteous and efficient. They have a nice selection of sake and my husband likes the fact that they serve Asahi Black which is pretty hard to find at many restaurants in SF.

Be forewarned that parking can be difficult in the neighborhood, especially on weekend nights, and it can be tough to get a table if you don’t plan ahead. Just be sure to make reservations and give yourself extra time to park.

We recently discovered that they don’t like to do substitutions. My son wanted to have white rice instead of potatoes with his chicken teriyaki but they said they couldn’t do it. So, we had to order a bowl of rice on the side.

Still, this is one of my favorite places to go for sushi with my husband and friends.

Chef Sean O’Brien, who developed a loyal following at Myth, opened Zinnia with his wife Patricia last October. They offer delicious New American cuisine, including some Myth favorites like potato gnocchi, rigatoni with foie gras cream, roasted black cod, oysters in the half shell and his signature dish, seared sweetbreads. Located where Cypress Club, 500 Jackson and Scott Howard used to be, Zinnia is an upscale but unstuffy spot to grab cocktails and dinner.

The interior is spacious, simply adorned and warmly lit, with a relaxed, loungey feel.

They have fun specialty cocktails like the Jalisco Sour ($10) with tequila, lemon and orange juice, egg white and bitters; and The Secret Garden ($12) with Square One organic cucumber vodka, St. Germain elderflower liqueur and Prosecco. They make a pretty good Pimm’s Cup ($10) with Pimm’s No. 1, lemon-lime soda, ginger, mint and cucumber. My husband and his buddy are always happy whenever they see Trumer Pils ($5) and Chimay Red Label ($9) on the menu.

The staff at Zinnia is impressively accommodating of the toddler set. We think their cozy booths by the window along Jackson Street provide a perfect, kid-friendly corner. When we ate dinner there recently, the hostess doted over our daughter and gave her a big box of crayons with a notepad to keep her occupied. Our server promptly sent out warm bread and butter for our hungry youngster to nibble on while the kitchen prepared her half order of rigatoni. And, they brought my daughter’s food out along with the adult appetizers, so everyone was happy.

Zinnia may not be affordable everyday, but it is certainly a nice place to go on occasion. If you want to sample their fare at smaller prices, check them out during Halfsy Hour in the lounge and bar. From 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on weeknights, they offer half price specialty cocktails, wines by the glass and premium beer, along with signature half portions of dinner menu items.

I just got back from running errands at Stonestown Galleria and grabbing a quick bite at the cafe at Nordstrom. I have been craving their caesar salad with salmon lately and I finally got my fix.

It’s always clean, efficient, and consistent here so when my kids want to eat at the food court, my husband and I order food to go from the cafe and bring it over there. My husband likes their tuna melt on marbled rye bread. One of these days, I want to try their French dip sandwich and the lime & cilantro chicken salad. But for now, I always find myself ordering that same citrus salmon caesar salad – guess I’m a creature of habit.

In addition to their regular menu, they serve breakfast all day and have a kids’ menu with familiar items like macaroni and cheese, a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup, chicken breast tenders, a turkey sandwich, and buttered noodles.

They also have a dessert menu featuring carrot cake, chocolate turtle cake, New York style cheesecake, tiramisu and red velvet cake.

They’re open Mon-Sat from 11:00am to 7:00pm and on Sundays, they close at 5:00pm.

One of the nice things about having a toddler who likes to take late afternoon naps is that my husband and I get to enjoy liesurely meals, and by liesurely I mean two to three hours, while she snoozes in her stroller. Earlier this week, we headed over to our favorite Korean restaurant, Doobu, nestled in the heart of Japantown.

When you walk in, you notice the clean, simple decor with wooden booths on one side and tables on the other side just before the bar. A literal layer of warmth emanates throughout the place, an indication of the piping hot dishes being prepared in the kitchen. Servers are courteous and acknowledge familiar faces like ours. They bring out a myriad of side dishes including a whole fried yellow croaker for each of us, pickled cucumber, kimchi, fishcake, seaweed salad and vermicelli salad.

We order the kimchi tofu soup, with beef and medium heat. The cast iron pot is filled to the brim with silky soft tofu, bits of beef and kimchi, and the pretty red chili flecks characteristic of kimchi. We quickly stir in the raw egg while it’s hot. It’s so good over rice which soaks up the flavorful broth. The rice, by the way, is a light purple color as a result of combining both white rice and black rice together. We’ve had the corned beef soon tofu before but the kimchi version is tastier.

We also share the seafood bibimbap loaded with mussels, clams, squid, baby shrimp, assorted vegetables like mushrooms and onions, and an egg yolk all piled on top of white rice which has a delicious crispy layer coating the bottom of the sizzling pot. The only thing that doesn’t seem to mesh with the other ingredients is the imitation crab. Nevertheless, it is very satisfying.

Doobu is the perfect warm-you-up-from-the-inside-out place for a cold, foggy San Francisco day or night. They give you such heaping portions that it’s best to go when you are really hungry, and even then, you will leave stuffed and possibly with leftovers. One of these days, maybe my daughter will be awake and actually have a chance to enjoy their food. My son is a big fan of kalbi so we will have to bring him, too.

Saturday was date night with my husband and we had 9 o’clock dinner reservations at La Mar Cebicheria, Gastón Acurio’s first San Francisco project at Pier 1½ next to the Ferry Building. I had read about Acurio, he is a heavy hitter in Peruvian cuisine. He owns many restaurants, has published cookbooks and is a celebrity TV chef. Beyond that, I didn’t know what to expect.

We took a cab to the Embarcadero and were immediately drawn into the spacious, vibrant space, accented in blue, green and burnt orange hues. We were a tad early so hubby and I sidled up to the bar and grabbed a Cristal Peruvian beer ($5) and pisco sour ($10), respectively. My cocktail, made from distilled grapes with lime juice, simple syrup, egg whites and bitters was so refreshing. It was a perfect combo of tart, sweet, bitter and creamy. We decided to share the empanadas de ají de gallina ($10) while we waited. Two big, savory pockets filled with tender hen arrived with a small salad tossed in a sweet vinaigrette. It was delish! We were really excited about the rest of the meal.

As soon as we were done, the hostess led us past the bustling lounge and raw bar showcasing beautiful, fresh octopus, and into the main dining room where my seat offered a good view of the open kitchen. We shared a bunch of things, starting with the cebiche sampler. It consisted of four plates of fish briefly marinated in different types of “leche de tigre,” or chili peppers and lime juice. The clásico featured California halibut and red onions in habanero pepper leche de tigre with Peruvian corn and yam. In the mixto, there was Mahi Mahi, calamari, octopus and habanero pepper in ají amarillo leche de tigre, with cilantro and red onion. In the nikei, ahi tuna was the star, with red onion and Japanese cucumber, in tamarind leche de tigre with avocado. Finally, the chifa consisted of Mahi Mahi with peanuts, scallions, ginger, pickled carrots, daikon, habanero pepper, wonton strips and cilantro with sesame leche de tigre. As many of you know by now, I don’t do peanuts, so I had the chifa without, but it was still excellent. We enjoyed each kind immensely, and my husband says it was the best cebiche he has ever tasted. The fish was incredibly fresh and the flavors really popped. Just beware of those thin slices of habanero pepper hiding beneath the cilantro leaves, unless you like setting your tongue on fire.

The anticuchos de pulpo ($13), or grilled octopus skewers with herbed mashed potato with chimichurri sauce and ají panca, is a must. It’s amazing. You get large pieces of tender octopus boasting a nice smokey flavor with a slightly sweet hint.

The causa limeña ($12) came out next. It had whipped potato with Dungeness crab, avocado puree, quail egg, cherry tomatoes, ají amarillo Huancaina sauce with basil cilantro oil. It was like a dressed up crab salad, tasty and creamy, but didn’t wow us as much as the other items we sampled.

Our server was so enthusiastic about the anticuchos de corazón ($11), or grilled beef heart skewers, which he claimed were so reminiscent of the ones he found while traveling in Peru, that we had to give them a shot. We did this, despite our misgivings, having recently eaten duck heart elsewhere that was really tough and tasted like iron. Well, right on, Nick, you called it! It was surprisingly good, with a texture somewhat similar to a filet. The red rocoto sauce packed a lot of heat, wow! But fortunately, it was on the side so we could use as much or little as we wanted.

The complimentary basket of potato, sweet potato and plantain chips was good which is a testament to how well food is seasoned and prepared here. My husband isn’t a big fan of potatoes, but he actually liked the potato chips the best. The chips were crispy, perfectly salted, cut on the thicker side and not all greasy. They came with three sauces: huancaína with ají amarillo, rocoto, and ocopa with peanuts. To boot, my husband also enjoyed the potatoes prepared in different ways in the rest of the dishes; what a nice surprise.

We were too full for dessert, but next time, I may save room for the rollitos de arroz con leche ($10), a rice pudding spring roll topped with homemade ají amarillo and orange marmalade with passion fruit sorbet. We’ll see, because first, I want to try other items including tiraditos, sopas, salads, rice plates and main entrees. They also have an interesting wine list with varieties from South America, Spain and California which needs exploring. My husband and I finished our drinks, then rolled out totally content.

Our hostess and server were very friendly and attentive, and we appreciated it when the manager stopped by our table to see how we were doing. We loved the airy space and lively atmosphere, it felt celebratory. It would be great to return to La Mar during the day to take in the Bay view on their 80-seat patio which is decked out in breezy all-white furniture. If our second visit is as good as our first, then I wouldn’t hesistate to recommend this place for a date, happy hour, girls’ night out, a work event or private party. I’m guessing that Acurio will soon succeed in making cebiche as ubiquitous as sushi around town.