The Slanted Door...

I'm one of those people that keeps a "list" - restaurants to try, bars to check out, exhibits worth a look...I have been for years.  And one of the restaurants that's been on my list for no joke about ten years has been The Slanted Door.  I somehow never made it between timings and bookings.  Since this trip was a bit last minute, I didn't get a chance to book ahead  - I called all the days we were there - no room, no room, and no room.  Finally, diplo-husband called our last day on a whim with a story about how his wife has been wanting to eat there for years (a true story) and lo and behold, a table!

Whenever you've been waiting on something for awhile, there's the chance it will disappoint but not so with the slanted door.  Farm fresh peppers flash fried with sea salt, a perfectly fried spring roll, scallops that melt as you eat them, and the famous "shaking beef" - cubes of filet mignon in a lime sauce.  We topped it off with the strawberry bread pudding - it read more like french toast to me but was still a great end to a great meal.

We also hit up another long-time listee in Zuni Cafe another night in town - unfortunately, with diplo-baby approaching her bedtime that evening, we didn't go for their trademark "perfect" roast chicken, as declared by Sheila Lukins.  It takes an hour to prepare in a brick oven and I didn't want to test the patience of the good patrons of San Francisco with a potential meltdown (which never occurred but still) We still had a wonderful meal, oysters, salmon for me and one of the best beef filets we've had in a long time for DH - besides, in the words of my mother, you always have to leave something to come back for so roast chicken next time around...

Photos by The New Diplomat's Wife.