Burger Bar
Of course, one of the foodie ventures I was most looking forward to in San Francisco was checking out Chef Hubert Keller’s casual restaurant Burger Bar in Union Square! (^__^)v Chef Keller was of course, one of the finalists in Top Chef Masters, who famously (or infamously?) doused his vat of pasta with cold water from the dorm shower stall during one of his challenges. His Burger Bar has a few locations, including St. Louis and Las Vegas. He also has the higher end Fleur de Lys – with one location in San Francisco, though we were unfortunately unable to secure a reservation for this trip.
Burger Bar doesn’t take reservations, but the wait wasn’t too incredibly long. We showed up around 1pm, and were seated probably in 20 minutes or so for a party of 5. The table was situated in the bar area, a high table with bar stools that was placed right up next to the glass wall overlooking Union Square. The menu is basically a do-it-yourselfer, where you can choose your meat, bun, cheeses, toppings, and sauces from an ample selection. There are probably an infinite number of combinations you could come up with! (@___o) Some of the toppings were quite decadent, including lobster and foie gras (or even black truffles: an extra $30). If you can’t handle so many choices at once, they also offer a few Chef’s Burgers.
The milkshake list is just as daunting. Ice cream, toppings, sauces…even liquor if you so choose, can be mixed any which way you want.
Pictured above is the peppercorn burger with Dijon mustard and accompanied by a basket of fries. I didn’t taste the burger itself, but my friend who got it had rave reviews. I did nab a few fries though, which were quite good!
More under the cut:
Tartine
The first of my San Francisco posts! Tartine is a lovely bakery/cafe that is every bit worth the 1.6 miles I plodded to get there. (Long story). After foolishly forgoing the bus and hauling myself a good distance on foot – something that I recommend for everyone to do first thing in the morning =D – I treated myself to yummy pastries and a hot cup of cappuccino.
It’s a lovely little shop, very quaint, though bustling. My only complaint is that that cappuccino was tiny!
Pictured above is the fabulous morning bun, sugary with a hint of citrus. I took one home, and it kept for a few days. X)
More under the cut:
