Before we moved to San Francisco, Corey asked a grad school friend who used to live here if he could compile a list of good SF restaurants. He replied that when he moved here and asked someone the same question, he was told, “Every restaurant in San Francisco is good. If they weren’t, no one would eat there and they would close.” True enough. There are certainly some bombs in our fair city, but for the most part, there are so many great places to eat it feels impossible to squeeze them all in. I’ve definitely hit several SF hot spots, but there are many more I’d like to try before Baby T. makes her arrival. (Rest assured, I’ll still go to restaurants after she’s here, but I have a feeling we might be limited in her first few months…)

Anyway, I’ve started a mental list of places to visit between now and October, and I was happy to hit two of those establishments in the past week. First up was Range, a Michelin-rated restaurant in the Mission District. The menu is small, but thoughtfully crafted, with an emphasis on seasonal flavors and ingredients. We started our meal with a surprising appetizer (pictured above) – seared scallops with crispy onions, braised greens and a fabulous broth that was buttery and rich. I neglected to write down exactly what it was, but the broth made the dish. (I say this appetizer was surprising because I normally hate scallops and their weird, gelatinous texture, but pregnancy has made me crave them like a mad woman!)

Entrees were equally delicious. For me: pan roasted bavette steak with squash blossoms, basil, wheat berries and parmesan jus. Again, the sauce (oh excuse me – the jus) made the dish a winner. It was a perfect complement to the beef.

For Corey: oven roasted chicken with a trumpet mushroom, erbette chard and fromage blanc bread salad. My entree was really good, but Corey’s was AMAZING. The chicken was perfectly roasted and the creamy fromage blanc took the bread salad over the edge of deliciousness.

I was so busy enjoying the food and the company of our dining companions (Erin and Adam – they’re also expecting their first baby, in August!) that I neglected to photograph the restaurant’s interior, but I have to say it was a welcoming and classy environment. The two pregnant ladies left feeling satisfied, which undoubtedly made our husbands equally content

After coming down from my Range high, I headed to another SF hot spot: Nopa. My friend Maria tagged along, and while I enjoyed her company and conversation as much as Adam and Erin’s, I took a moment to photograph the beautiful interior. Nopa is an open space with tons of natural light, and because we sat on the upper level, we had a great view of the main dining room, bar and kitchen.

Like Range, Nopa emphasizes local, seasonal and organic ingredients. We had a lovely amuse bouche of yellow romano beans drizzled with lemon olive oil and sea salt…

…and a heavenly appetizer of warm goat cheese with cherries, plums, frisee and crostini. Salty, sweet, crunchy and creamy, all in one perfect bite.

I couldn’t decide on an entree. Everything sounded delicious, but nothing jumped out as something I had to order. Remembering how good Corey’s roast chicken had tasted, I went with Nopa’s rotisserie herbed chicken with potatoes, mushrooms and dandelion greens. It was good, but not quite as good as what I tried at Range.

My mild disappointment was short lived, because dessert was the best part of the meal. Dark chocolate and cherry semifreddo with cocoa nib creme anglaise. It’s like ice cream cake. It’s like heaven.

With that, I’m well on my way to tackling my list of must-try restaurants. If you live in the Bay Area, feel free to suggest your favorites – if I haven’t yet been there, I’ll add them to my list!

*****

Random side note: I often blog and do other computer-related tasks in the morning while I drink my coffee and listen to bad morning news shows. I do a lot of this work on the couch with my laptop…apparently my other laptop has a problem with this.

This is Buddy’s morning ritual: force his way onto a tiny corner of the couch, nudge the laptop, and stare at me until I move it and make room for him. I guess I can’t blame him – he was here first!

The concept of time changes radically once you’re pregnant. The days drag in the beginning as you’re waiting for that first doctor’s appointment, or waiting for the all-clear to tell everyone your happy news. And I’m sure time moves just as slowly near the end of this journey when you’re huge and uncomfortable and ready for the baby to be OUT OF YOUR BODY, like, yesterday. But in the middle of those two extremes, time disappears into a great black hole. The last two weeks went by in a blur, and the only memorable event was a brief trip to TN to see my little sister graduate from high school (yay, Erin!). Other than that, I’ve been watching my waistline grow and my energy level shrink. My latest doctor’s visit revealed that my little one is fine, and I – unbelievably – have not gained enough weight. This may be the first time in my entire life where I’ve had a problem achieving that particular task!

Fortunately for Corey, I’ve regained a bit of my cooking mojo and have been making dinner most nights of the week – a routine I’m happy to resume.This Pepper Steak is something I’ve made for years. Corey and I both love it, and it’s especially satisfying to me now since I crave massive amounts of red meat (sorry, vegetarians). Back when I first started making this dish, it seemed so complicated – but really, it’s one of the easiest things I make, and it’s a great thing to serve to company. It’s also extremely flexible: you can splurge on the meat (it’s heavenly with filet mignon) or keep it cheap with sirloin; sherry gives it a nice tang, but you can use a splash of balsamic vinegar if you’re in a pinch. The one ingredient I suggest you keep is the consomme, which adds much more beefy flavor than an average beef broth. Serve over rice or, if you’re feeling extra fancy, mushroom rice pilaf (as directed in the original recipe).

Pepper Steak

adapted from Rachael Ray

serves 3 – 4

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 lb tenderloin tips, filet mignon or sirloin, cut into large chunks

salt and pepper

1 tbsp butter

1 large green bell peppers, seeded and cut into large chunks

1/2 large onion, cut into large chunks

4 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1  tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup dry sherry, or a few splashes of balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 cups beef consomme

Preheat a large skillet over high heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add vegetable oil and when oil is hot, add the meat and brown on all sides. Remove meat from pan and let rest on a plate, covering loosely with foil to trap heat.

Reduce the pan’s heat to medium and add the butter. When butter melts, add bell pepper, onion and mushrooms. Saute until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add flour to pan and stir constantly to coat the vegetables, then deglaze the pan with the sherry. Use a whisk to pick up any pan drippings and continue to whisk as you add the consomme, followed by the tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste. When sauce begins to bubble, add the meat and any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Coat the meat with the sauce and simmer on low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

NOTE: I like this dish to be very saucy, so while I reduce most of the original recipe’s ingredients by half (to make it appropriate for a smaller crowd), I don’t change the amount of sauce. Reduce it if you like a less saucy dish.