Ti Piacera: Killer happy hour on Polk

Ti Piacera has been my go-to happy hour for quite a while now for many reasons. For starters, it's on Polk, so it's generally accessible for friends to meet there coming from all directions after work. Second, the happy hour is super cheap. Wine is $3 a glass and pretty good. You get a choice of Sangiovese, Merlot or Chardonnay. It's not the best of the barrel but it's pretty darn good for $3 a glass. They also have $3 draft beers for the non-wine drinkers (gasp!). And the main reason I go there......they have the best carpaccio. It is absolutely melt in your mouth delicious. The carpaccio is thinly sliced and topped off with capers, sliced red onion, arugula, parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. It's so good that when my friend Amy and I go there, we get our own. Neither of us want to share with each other.

I haven't sat down for dinner at Ti Piacera but I can definitely recommend their happy hour as one of the best in the Polk area.

Dinosaurs- Vietnamese sandwich heaven

Dinosaurs Vietnamese sandwich shop in the Castro is a great find. The sandwiches are not only delicious but cheap. Being able to get a banging sandwich for $4.75 in San Francisco is quite a deal.

We wandered upon this place last Sunday and I have been thinking about it ever since. John was a bit tentative about the whole Vietnamese sandwich place as it's not his normal 'turkey and swiss on Dutch Crunch" kind of sandwich, but he was pleasantly surprised. Ordering is quite easy as there are only a few choices, chicken, pork, tofu, etc. John and I both enjoyed the chicken. He went with just the meat and sandwich bread as he was still a bit weary of the place. I ordered the chicken sandwich just as it is on the menu with sliced jalapenos, pickled radishes, shredded carrots, fresh cilantro and just the right amount of mayo. It was delicious! Be aware that Dinosaurs puts all the toppings on their sandwiches, so specify if you want a variation of the norm. The meat was delicious and the toppings fantastic. My favorite part was the pickled radishes.

Dinosaurs has outdoor seating so be sure to check out the place when you can take a seat outside and enjoy the Castro's sun.

Legion of Honor Cafe

The Legion of Honor Cafe is a wonderful place to visit for lunch even if you aren't visiting an exhibit at the museum. The cafe is located on the first floor of the museum across from the museum store. The cafe offers breakfast pastries in the morning and an assortment of soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch. The cafe also offers unique menu items themed after current exhibits. By far, my favorite thing on the menu is the BLT with meyers lemon aioli. The cafe also has some of the best iced tea in town as they brew delicious Paradise Flavored Iced Tea.

The cafe is not only delicious but is a beautiful space. The flower arrangements and decor change often and are always seasonally themed. Outside seating is also available with a view of the Barbara Osher Sculpture Garden. It's a great place to relax with a salad and a glass of wine.

San Francisco Sailing Company

Almost two years ago, I purchased two Living Social deals for sail around the bay and finally used them last Friday. The two deals were for a two-hour cruise around the bay with booze included.

Booking the cruise was fairly simple, although the first two times I tried to book the boat was already full. So be prepared to send multiple dates for your adventure. We chose the City Lights Night Tour over the daytime Golden Gate Bridge Tour as our deals expired before a day cruise spot was available.

The cruise left on time with about twenty passengers. I couldn't help thinking about Gilligan's Island "Three hour tour....." as the young captain and bartender led us to our boat, and I must call it a boat rather than a ship. I was really surprised at the size of the boat, 34' for twenty plus people. We all quickly grabbed a spot and settled in for the voyage. We were offered our free drinks, which sadly consisted of Budweiser in a can or cheap champagne. Cheap champagne for me! The tour moved along the Embarcadero, past the Ferry Building and the FiDi and settled in McCovey cove for about a half-hour. The time in McCovey cove was quite boring unless you were a baseball fan. Luckily we didn't have to stay for overtime and made our way back to the dock after about 2 hours total on the water. The ride back was much quicker (probably making up time for the extra inning).

I would say the ride was nice but not great. I couldn't help thinking that the two guys running the boat, a captain and bartender, were more interested in talking to the young ladies and smoking cigarettes than giving a proper tour. A little information on the sights would have been nice. I also kept thinking that these guys woke up one morning and thought, "Hey, let's charter a boat around the Bay" and put little other thought into the details. I wouldn't book a charter with this company again, I prefer one that is a bit more professional.

Forbes Island: A culinary adventure

Forbes Island is rated at one of Zagat's Most Bizarre Restaurants and for good reason. Forbes Island is a 7-room barge, with sand and palm trees, designed and built by self-made millionaire Forbes Thor Kiddoo. Kiddoo created the floating island between 1975 and 1980 and moored it in Sausalito until he was kicked out in 1991. He later relocated to the San Francisco Bay off Pier 39 and turned his floating home into a high-end restaurant.

The 100-foot long and 50-foot wide floating island is the only one of its kind in the world. The 100-seat underwater dining room comes equipped with portholes, a fake fireplace, full bar, wine cellar and a boudoir with a velvet bed that serves as the ladies' water closet. The inside of the ship is decorated with an 1800's sailing ship in mind, classic decor similar to a boat on Pirates of the Caribbean, with hanging swords and all.

Some highlights are the 40-foot lighthouse with amazing views, 35-foot real palm trees, a white sand patio, a full island bar overlooking the bay's sea lions, a wine cellar where Tony Bennett once sang, and a private banquet dining room on the north side of the island.

Forbes Island is truly a unique dining experience. From the moment you hop on the dinghy with Kiddoo himself, you know you are in for a treat. The food is delicious, although expensive. I recommend trying to come to Forbes Island during the Dine About Town special, as you can get a full 3-course meal for $35. It is a great restaurant for special occasions from engagements to birthdays. It's also a great place for a private party. Annually on the 4th of July, the restaurant is completely bought out for a private pirate party. So bust out your boat shoes and take a trip to Forbes Island.

Extreme Pizza: Marina Location

We recently started a hunt for a new go-to NYC style pizza company as my old favorite, Village Pizza, on Van Ness has completely changed their recipe. And the new pizza recipe is a far cry from the delicious pizza they once served.

After a good amount of time on Yelp!, we decided to give Extreme Pizza a try. It ended up the Extreme Pizza, located 5 blocks from our house, is not in our designated delivery zone, but the one further away in the Marina was. I should have taken this as clue #1 that something was amiss. We placed our order for a extra-large pepperoni pizza at 8:03pm. The estimated delivery time was 45 minutes, so we wait. Forty-five minutes rolls by and no pizza. An hour rolls by and no pizza, so I call. The young lady on the phone assures me it's out for delivery. Another 15 minutes rolls by and still no pizza. Finally at 9:30, the pizza arrives. The nice man who delivered apologized, "Sorry it's so late"; however, at that point, I really didn't need an excuse, I just wanted the freaking pizza.

In the end, the pizza was justOK. I am not a fan of their signature "sprinkle of cheddar cheese", as I think cheddar doesn't belong on a pizza. The pepperoni was haphazardly placed, with some slices having 10 pieces of pepperoni and others none. So, the search is still on for a good delivery pizza shop in San Francisco.........

Patpong: Worst Thai delivery in San Francisco

Patpong Thai Restaurant...What can I say? You clearly haven't grasped the concept of delivery and it shows. Last year, my office ordered Patpong for our holiday party. Patpong is conveniently located new our office in the outer Richmond, so we thought it was the perfect fit. Placing the order with the restaurant was quite simple, but actually getting our food was another story. We ordered about $300 worth of food for a party of 20 to be delivered at noon. Not a huge order, but substantial enough that I thought it would be given proper attention. I called in the morning to verify the order and the noon delivery time and was told everything would be delivered on time. Noon rolls by and no food. I wait another 15 minutes and no food, so I decide to call. The owner tells me that driver is out for delivery and should arrive any second and sorry for the delay. So we wait.....party begins at 12:30pm, but still no food. So I call the owner again, he explains the driver can't find the building....my response was, "Really? The driver can't find the main entrance to the VA hospital?" In response, I got a bunch of excuses. So I hang up and wait. Another 15 minutes rolls by and still no food. I call the owner again and ask him to call his driver. (At this time, I am beginning to become agitated). He says, “Oh I tried, but the driver dropped his phone in his car and can't find it.” I respond that how could he possibly know this if he hasn't been able to reach him. Silence on the other end. I get a bunch more excuses and finally I say to him, "I am not hanging up until the food arrives." So we sit on the phone for 10 minutes in silence. Finally, I see the driver's car and have a fellow colleague run out and grab him. To my shock the driver steps out of the car in his pajamas with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a half-dressed girl in the front seat. The driver doesn't even offer to help bring the food into the building and just sets it on the trunk of his car and waits until we make multiple trips to bring it in. Sadly, he also delivered our curry in the pot it was cooked in, no plastic serving bowl that we were promised and paid for.

I must say, Patpong is the worst delivery in San Francisco. Their blatant disregard for customers and ability to lie is deplorable. I will never order from Patpong again, nor would I recommend it to anyone who wants their food actually delivered. The food is average anyway, so you aren't really missing anything. Try Another Monkey in the Mission, if you want good quality Thai in San Francisco.