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Appreciating Good Things, East side Mission St between Ocean & 7th, Carmel, CA (2026)

01/09/2022

Flying fish grill- Carmel by the sea🇺🇸🌊
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(5/5 stars)
Food rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: This quaint Japanese 🎌themed subterranean restaurant in the center of downtown Carmel has been around for 28 years. While they have hardly changed their menu since they’ve opened, they continue to bring a layer of innovation to every dish no matter how traditional it may seem. ✨
We ordered the Yin Yan salmon🍣 which was a sesame crusted baked salmon fillet paired with a very savory and creamy soy based sauce, Angel hair pasta🍝, tobiko, and avocado🥑The salmon was perfectly crunchy on the outside but moist and flaky on the inside. Every element complimented the next elevating the dishe’s flavor in every bite.
We also ordered the calamari special🦑 and the shrimp 🍤and vegetable tempura🍠🥕. Because of the restaurant’s close proximity to the sea🌊, they bring in fresh locally sourced calamari every morning. That makes the calamari uniquely flavorful! It was also paired with a chili 🌶garlic 🧄sauce that brought a new twist to an otherwise simple dish. The tempuras was all perfectly cooked with a light batter that allowed the vegetable to highlight its flavor as soon as you took a bite.😋
Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: all the servers have been working at this restaurant for a long time, and you can see their passion for the food and history shine through. They all work as a team to ensure you have what you want when you want it💨. Our server in particular went the extra mile to ask the chef 🧑‍🍳to spli the dish we were going to share to make it more easy to enjoy. It’s these extra thoughtful details that make this restaurant a joy to go to.

08/28/2021

The Rooftop by JG, Los Angeles CA🇺🇸
Food Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This rooftop in the center of Beverly Hills not only has amazing food, but also has amazing food crafted by the well known chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. We tried the buttery and fresh Lobster burger 🦞🍔 with a perfectly crunchy and light cesar salad 🥗, as well as a modern take on a pesto tagliatelle that surprised us with a bit of spiciness🌶🔥. This is a must go spot if you find yourself in Los Angeles!

05/23/2021

The Velvet Raven, San Francisco CA
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Discovered this quaint hidden gem in San Francisco’s south beach neighborhood. We ordered the mascarpone and berry filled French toast which was scrumptious, and the classic benedict’s which were on top of a soft thin potato base, avocado, manchego, and a delicious hollandaise sauce. Tired of waiting hours to get a brunch spot in SF? This is the spot to come and still get an amazing brunch.

02/20/2021

Devil’s Teeth, San Francisco CA🇺🇸
Food review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
COVID review: n/a takeout only
Food review: What better way to celebrate the weekend than with a cheesy decadent breakfast sandwich. This biscuit sandwhich really is as good as it looks, filled with two scrambled eggs🍳, bacon🥓, and cheddar cheese🧀. You can also try the specialty sandwich which also includes avocado🥑and their famous lemon garlic aioli🍋🧄. The only downside to visiting is that Devils Teeth is very popular and you can expect a long wait⏱ in a socially distanced line outside before getting the chance to order, so come before you get super hungry.

02/19/2021

Local Kitchen - San Francisco, CA🇺🇸
Food rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
COVID rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Food review: Local Kitchen, located in rincon hill, had delicious healthy options that didn’t make you feel like you were sacrificing taste for health. We ordered the beet🍠 and goat cheese salad🥗to start which included a variety of beets all with their unique burst of flavors. The goat cheese was a more mild goat cheese that paired very well with the salty pistachios it was adorned with. We also ordered the chicken🍗and rice🍚which was absolutely incredible. There was a large layer of extremely crispy and decadent chicken skin over the juicy and tender meat. The broth and rice were super savory and complimented the dish very well. There is also a happy hour from 4-6 pm on Tuesday through Thursday where they have discounted appetizers and cocktails! The service was very kind and attentive but not overbearing. Overall, this is a must visit spot in San Francisco.
COVID review: This is one of the best outdoor setups I have seen to date. There are separate outdoor booths for every party that have their own heater and roof covering to prepare against the rain or cold. Additionally, the booths are positioned at a great distance from the sidewalk and other party’s dining space so there is no risk of you getting too close to anyone. The staff all wore double masks and throughly sanitized the booth before use.

11/21/2020

Cotogna, San Francisco, CA🇺🇸
Food rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
COVID rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Food review: This restaurant receives a perfect score✨ thanks to the amazing food, service, and ambiance. Cotogna, located in the cozy Jackson square neighborhood, is owned by 2 Michelin starred 💫💫chefs Michael and Lindsay Tusk that also run Quince next door. This restaurant is a more affordable counterpart to Quince, but rest assured the quality of the food is certainly not compromised. We ordered the Jerusalem artichoke and burrata🧀 to start which was the perfect combination of fall flavors also including potatoes🥔 and mushrooms, and was perfectly seasoned and extremely flavorful. We then ordered the 7 meat tagliatelle ragú 🍝which was so creamy and really decadent due to the rich flavor of the pork meat fats in the ragu. We also ordered a weekly special dish which was the tortellini en brodo🍲.The chicken stock was exactly the warm hearty flavor one craves this time of year, which was complemented well by the pork tortellini. Last but not least, the torta della nonna was a warm oven baked apple tart 🥧which was perfectly caramelized on the edges which gave it the perfect amount of crunch to pair with the vanilla bean gelato🍨 on the side. The service was exceptional and they even gave us a complimentary hot chocolate☕️after we payed to enjoy on the way back home. This restaurant is a must visit when you’re in San Francisco.
COVID rating: The outdoor patio is expansive and extremely well separated as they included beautiful trees🌳to separate each table much more than the required 6 feet. They were strict about wearing our masks whenever the staff approached the table, which we appreciated, and also had heating towers beside every table to keep you warm. This is an elegant and very safe spot to dine at.

11/14/2020

Baia, San Francisco CA🇺🇸
Food rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
COVID rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Food review: Baia is a very new Italian restaurant🇮🇹 in Hayes valley that offers solely plant 🌱based food...that’s right, it’s all vegan! We started off with their arancini 🧆 which was crispy on the outside and paired very well with the tomato basil🍅 sauce. What made this vegan take on arancini different was the texture once you bit in, it was much more gooey and pasty than traditional arancini, although the flavor was still tasty. We then tried the agnolotti🥟 which drew its flavor from the carrots 🥕and olives🫒 with added texture from the breadcrumbs. The lasagna can easily feed two people, and included the classic flavors like creaminess, crispy edges, a rich tomato 🍅sauce, and pasta al dente🍝. The major difference was again the texture where the vegan cheese🧀 they used was fairly grainy as compared to ricotta. For dessert we tried the torta which was absolutely delicious. It is made of a rich chocolate 🍫and hazelnut 🌰ganache and topped with a vegan whipped creme. Overall this is a creative restaurant that gets the classic flavors right even though it’s vegan, just remember you may have to reset your expectations on texture before dining here.
COVID review: This restaurant has a great outdoor seating area with individual areas for your table that keep you more than 6 feet away from the next table over. The staff always wore masks and frequently sanitized the space. Overall we felt very safe dining here.

11/12/2020

Mo’s Grill, San Francisco CA🇺🇸
Food rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
COVID rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Food review: This casual spot in the heart of north beach is the place to go when you want classic American🇺🇸dishes using the highest quality ingredients. We ordered their bacon cheese burger🥓🧀🍔which was grilled atop a grill with volcanic rock🌄. The burger was exceptionally juicy, and they actually ground their meat daily to prioritize the quality of the meat🥩and ensure maximum flavor. We also ordered the “Very good salad” 🥗plus grilled chicken 🍗 which had perfectly balanced sweet and savory flavors like avocado🥑, cranberries, blue cheese, pears🍐, and tomatoes🍅. The chicken was also cooked to perfection and had just the right amount of charr flavor. Best of all, their prices are very affordable and the service was also very attentive. Highly recommend this spot when you are looking for classic staples in the heart of the vibrant✨north beach neighborhood.
COVID review: This restaurant has a large outdoor dining area that is first come first serve. The tables are very well spaced out and are sanitized frequently. There is also a covering over the outdoor seating area so it is safe to dine there even if it is raining. The staff also always wore masks which also made this spot an excellent option for safe dining.

09/19/2020

Terry’s Lounge, Carmel by the sea, CA🇺🇸
Food Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
COVID Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Food review: This restaurant, located in the Cypress inn, makes you feel like you are a part of a classic Hollywood Grace Kelly film. In fact, it was owned by Doris Day and was said to be frequented by Cary Grant and Kirk Douglas! It has so much old school charm and is decorated with a Spanish colonial theme. We ate brunch in the outdoor patio, and tried their Cypress burger and Cypress eggs benedict, along with a delicious Rosé🥂, mint, and strawberry🍓cocktail. The burger🍔was simple but well cooked and juicy, while the eggs benedict 🍳which included Dungeness crab 🦀and avocado🥑 had a bit too pungent of a fishy smell and flavor. Overall I would recommend going for some brunch cocktails🍹 to feel transported to the golden Hollywood age of the 1940s. ⭐️💫
COVID review: Carmel by the sea has taken COVID very seriously and have mandated masks throughout the entire city whereby if one breaks the rules they will be significantly fined. That being said, the waiters always wore masks and sanitized the tables frequently, and the guests also complied by wearing their masks whenever they were not eating. The only suggestion is not to sit near the hallway outside since there is lots of foot traffic that passes by you.

09/17/2020

Italian Homemade - San Francisco, CA🇺🇸
Food rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
COVID rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Food review: This is one of our favorite spots in San Francisco🌁 with consistently delicious, quick, and affordable pasta🍝. Their method is genius, just pick your pasta, then your sauce, and in 10 minutes it is ready for you to devour🤤. The pastas featured here include their weekly special which is a lamb ragú with tagliatelle. Behind their are two pesto pastas, one with cheese ravioli and the other with fettuccini. The pasta is always perfectly al dente and the food is consistent in its high quality⭐️ time after time. The staff is always so friendly, and when we arrived, they made sure to give us a table in front of the heating lamp so we’d be as comfortable as possible while eating outside. Highly recommend a visit.
COVID review: This is a very COVID safe restaurant where one simply goes to the counter to order and pay, and then waits for the food to be delivered to the table outside. The whole staff always wears masks and they sanitize the tables frequently. The only downside is that this neighborhood in cow hollow has lots of foot traffic on the weekends so try and pick a table away from the sidewalk.

09/06/2020

SF Kebab, San Francisco CA🇺🇸
Food rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
COVID rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Food review: This casual spot right beside UCSF in Mission bay has an array of Kurdish and Mediterranean specialties. We ordered the Adana kebab with bulgur and salad🥗, along with the salmon wrap🌯. It was the first time we had tried bulgur which was delicious and vaguely reminded me of the flavor of Mexican rice🍚. The salad was crunchy and fresh🍅🥒 and the kebab was well balanced with the spices however it was a bit dry. For the wrap, it included a charred buttery salmon wrapped in warm and fluffy pita bread. Absolutely delicious!
COVID rating: At this casual spot, you order at the counter which includes a plastic barrier between you and the waitress and then you can head to the back patio which is very well spaced out where they will bring you your food as soon as it’s ready. The service was quick and the exposure risk was very minimal. Highly recommend a visit.

09/05/2020

Ignite @ Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, AZ
Food: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
COVID: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Food: This restaurant inside of the Ritz Carlton is called Ignite because all of their dishes have a fiery twist to them🔥. We ordered the Sonoran burger 🍔that had a bacon jam 🥓and hatch pepper cheese🧀 which definitely brought up the heat to this classic dish. It was cooked perfectly and was juicy and tender. The Caesar salad 🥗brought on the heat with their very char grilled chicken that gave you a smokey🌬taste with every bite. The only reason this spot does not receive the full five stars is because the churros for dessert included a spicy chocolate sauce where the spiciness completely overwhelmed the flavor of the chocolate🍫.Overall, highly recommend a visit to this secluded spot deep in the mountains.
COVID: This restaurant receives a perfect score having tables very well spaced out outside along with the entire staff wearing masks😷and gloves the whole time. Very safe spot to eat during this time.

Appreciating Good Things