January 18, 2011

Some restaurants are so beautiful that they elevate your mood simply by stepping through the door. In movie terms, a restaurant is kind of a combination of cinematography and set design. Now lots of restaurants are pleasant — even beautiful — but to me at least, a few stand out.

Here are five that I think are the most striking in San Francisco. Please feel free to add your own thoughts.
Tented walls and ceilings give a classic, romantic feel to Fleur de Lys

The Chronicle 2002

Tented walls and ceilings give a classic, romantic feel to Fleur de Lys

Fleur de Lys: The dining room was tented more than 30 years ago by famed designer Michael Taylor. Even though the hundreds of yards of fabric have been changed several times since then, the tented environment, in my opinion, makes this San Francisco’s most romantic restaurant.
Curved walls and dramatic lighting make Aqua relevant today

The Chronicle 2002

Curved walls and dramatic lighting make Aqua relevant today

Aqua: It’s 19 years old and the future is up in the air, but the curved walls, high ceiling and dramatic lighting make it a place that looks as good today as it did when it first opened.
The elegant Quince is like a restaurant within a restaurant

The Chronicle 2009

The elegant Quince is like a restaurant within a restaurant

Quince: I loved this space as Myth, but architect Olle Lundberg pulled off a coup by basically plopping a dining room down in the middle of the space. That leaves room for a bar on one side, a lounge at the entrance, a kitchen that’s now enclosed, and more dining and a wine cellar in the rear.
Aquamarine colors play off impressive columns and arched windows at Michael Mina

The Chronicle 2004

Aquamarine and neutral colors play off impressive columns and arched windows at Michael Mina

Michael Mina: Barbara Barry is one of my favorite designers, and she’s created an understated and elegant place amid the huge columns and arched windows that define the space. Cream and aquamarine colors are soothing. As you sit at the oversized tables, the lush details unfold.
It’s modern and industrial and the train-station theme adds a touch of whimsy

The Chronicle 2009

It’s modern and industrial, and the train station theme adds a touch of whimsy to RN74

RN74: Designed by AvroKO designs from New York, this restaurant, which opened in April, uses an industrial train station theme; it could be like Las Vegas but the designers wove the elements together in such a way that it feels modern and fun — the train board that flashes wines, the metal struts over the dining room, the old train lanterns that form a partition between the entrance and the lounge, and the numbers on each wood table that replicate what you might find on a train seat all add to the industrial-chic theme.

Wallpaper replicating vintage paintings is reflected in Gitane’s bathroom mirror

I know this has nothing to do with food, but I had to share an experience with you — about a restaurant bathroom. My husband and I were at Sumi Sushi on 18th Street (ye olde Ma Tante Sumi). Right before the check came, I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I walked in to the loveliest bathroom I’ve ever seen in a restaurant. Gorgeous slate floors, half-lighting, and the pièce de résistance, a wash basin that was shaped like a gigantic serving bowl. And no back splash — I love it! (And it was clean to boot.) When I got back to the table I told my husband, “You have GOT to see that bathroom!”

A bathroom tells a lot about a restaurant — its cleanliness, respect for diners and attention to details. If a bathroom is poorly maintained, then you have to wonder about the kitchen.

The exacting ADA compliance laws, designed to accommodate wheelchairs and other handicap requirements, makes creating a unique bathroom a challenge. However some designers rise admirably to a challenge and it’s not always about spending megabucks. I remember walking into the bathroom at Manka’s Inverness Lodge — right before the fire that closed the restaurant about two years ago — and the Fall flower arrangement was so beautiful it didn’t matter that other aspects weren’t as nice.

When I go to restaurants I generally like to check out the bathroom; most of the time they’re utilitarian and feel like an afterthought. However, when done right, a well-designed bathroom can dazzle.
The draped foyer leading into the bathrooms at Gitane

Photo courtesy of Mr. Important Design

The draped foyer leading into the bathrooms at Gitane

I love the cool serenity of the bathroom at Ubuntu in Napa, and the industrial edge of the four unisex bathrooms that play movie soundtracks at RN74.

However, my vote for the most interesting bathroom goes to Gitane on Claude Lane. The somewhat quirky interior, designed by Mr. Important Design, has a sexy aura that’s also encapsulated in the bathroom. It feels like walking into an extension of the dining room, starting at the draped foyer.

The eclectic bathroom features a glossy white ceiling, backlit mirror wall, 1960s chandelier, and mosaic floor and wainscoting with a deco feel. The wallpaper by Deborah Bowness replicates vintage paintings in her own collection. It may be a public space but it comes across as a quiet, private oasis.

Add your insights: What bathrooms impress?

Posted By: Michael Bauer (Email, Twitter, Facebook) | July 22 2009 at 05:13 AM

Listed Under: Restaurant design | Permalink | Comments & Replies (90) : Post Comment
Finding the best restaurant bathroom

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/mbauer/detail?entry_id=43986

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Some dining lessons from Buenos Aires
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Fellow tourists enjoy a meal in Buenos Aires — note the substantial napkins.

Michael Murphy

Fellow tourists enjoy a meal in Buenos Aires — note the substantial napkins.

I’ve been gone only three weeks, but it feels more like three months because I was out of my daily routine and staying in an apartment in Buenos Aires. It was relaxing being a casual diner without a schedule, which meant morning coffee at my adopted home or in a neighborhood cafe, followd by late lunches and even later dinners. By the time I left, I had a nodding acquaintance with some of the local shopkeepers and cafe owners near my Palermo apartment.

I promise I won’t spend days talking about the trip; I realize it would be the equivalent of sitting through an endless slide show about a Celebrity cruise to Alaska. However, since Buenos Aires is an international city, I did check out some of the top restaurants and found a few commonplace practices that could be adapted to the Bay Area and improve our dining scene.

Service tables: As with any large city, space is often at a premium and restaurants pack in as many tables as possible, much like you’ll find in SoHo. Still, restaurants often have small tables, maybe 10 inches wide, that are placed next to diners for bread, wine and other items that can clutter small tables. If diners need to get up, the waiter simply removes the tables.
Ask for ice, and you get a bucket.

Michael Murphy

Ask for ice, and you get a bucket.

Luxurious napkins: At some places, if felt like we had a small tablecloth on our lap. Even moderately priced restaurants offered good quality linen, about 24 inches square.

Cool wine: Red wine, even at moderately priced restaurants for the most part, is served at perfect cellar temperature, something I appreciated even more as I went back to my reviewing route over the weekend and had to ask for ice to cool down my wine.

Individual ice buckets: If you ask for ice, it comes in individual stainless steel buckets with tongs. Read More ‘Some dining lessons from Buenos Aires’ »

Posted By: Michael Bauer (Email, Twitter, Facebook) | November 27 2007 at 05:01 AM

Listed Under: Noise, Out of town, Restaurant design, Restaurants | Permalink | Older Comments for this entry | Comments & Replies (0) : Post Comment
Some dining lessons from Buenos Aires

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/mbauer/detail?entry_id=22234

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Restaurant design flaws
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Restaurants aren’t always able to provide adequate waiting areas, which can result in a pile-up near the door.

John Lee/Special to The Chronicle

Restaurants aren’t always able to provide adequate waiting areas, which can result in a pile-up near the door.

One frequent reader of Between Meals asked that I tackle the topic of design flaws in restaurants. Unfortunately, that topic would require a book, so today I’ll concentrate on just one aspect touched on in the email:

An annoying oversight by restaurant designers is the lack of anywhere to sit or even comfortably stand, while waiting for a table. So many restaurants seem reluctant to give up a few square feet of real estate to create a waiting area. It’s really uncomfortable to be the party at the table nearest the door, as people hover, glance at (and discuss the merits of) the food you’ve ordered.

I understand a customer’s pain, but I also realize that in most restaurants they have to maximize the space. Taking out even one table for a waiting area can cost thousands of dollars a month, and with the thin profit margins in restaurants, that’s hard to do. The other alternative is to charge more, and I have a feeling most diners would rather have lower prices than room to roam while waiting for a table.

Most restaurants aren’t built from the ground up, and places such as Wood Tavern in Oakland or A16 in San Francisco try to maximize their storefront spaces. I’m forgiving of these restaurants if they take reservations and seat diners promptly. However, if the restaurant doesn’t accept reservations, then it seems to me like a waiting area definitely needs to be provided.

Posted By: Michael Bauer (Email, Twitter, Facebook) | September 10 2007 at 05:04 AM

Listed Under: Bay Area, Restaurant design, Restaurants, San Francisco | Permalink | Older Comments for this entry | Comments & Replies (0) : Post Comment
Restaurant design flaws

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/mbauer/detail?entry_id=19755

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The Bay Area’s Green pastures
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Restaurants such as Sea Salt in Berkeley put the focus on organic and sustainable foods.

Lacy Atkins/Chronicle 2005

Restaurants such as Sea Salt in Berkeley put the focus on organic and sustainable foods.

When I visit places like Sea Salt in Berkeley, I realize how good we have it in the Bay Area. This is an unpretentious neighborhood restaurant that became so popular it nearly doubled its space earlier this year. At the bottom of the menu, you’ll see that all the fish is sustainable and most products are organic. In fact, some of the produce is grown in their gardens.

This commitment is admirable, but not unusual, at least in the Bay Area. In other parts of the country, it’s still a big deal.

Many Bay Area restaurants are also going green. I’m not talking about the big guys such as Acme Chophouse that get all the publicity, but smaller places such as Ajanta and Vik’s Chaat Corner in Berkeley, Dona Tomas in Oakland and Blondie’s Bar in San Francisco.

You can look at the impressive list of Thimmakka Certified Green Restaurants to see how far this movement has come.

I admit that I’m guilty of taking many of the great things we have here for granted, which is the reason I like to get out of town — you’ll find my take on Los Angeles restaurants in the Food section Wednesday — and see what’s happening in other parts of the country.

Each time I travel, I find things that excite me in other places, but I also realize how far ahead of the curve we really are here.

Posted By: Michael Bauer (Email, Twitter, Facebook) | July 23 2007 at 05:01 AM

Listed Under: Bay Area, Food trends, Restaurant design, Restaurants | Permalink | Older Comments for this entry | Comments & Replies (0) : Post Comment
The Bay Area’s Green pastures

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Exploring innovations in Chicago
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Stylish food is served in even more stylish surroundings at Avec in Chicago.

Avec restaurant

Stylish food is served in even more stylish surroundings at Avec in Chicago.

Chicago is the culinary darling of the national press these days; if you read GQ, the New York Times and just about any other national publication, they seem to agree that some of the nation’s most exciting food is being produced in the Windy City.

I traveled there last week for a long weekend, choosing restaurants carefully to try to get a broad representation of what was happening in the upper-end dining scene.

I went to Alinea one night, Avenues the next, and on Saturday I enjoyed lunch at Frontera Grill, and did back-to-back dinners at both Avec and Blackbird, which many food-savvy friends claim has some of the best food in the city.

Still, it’s places like Alinea (more on that tomorrow) and Moto that have raised the culinary bar, serving and presenting high-concept food that has affected most modern restaurants in Chicago and on both coasts. Many of these chefs embrace new technology, creating bubbles of sauerkraut, powders of bacon and foams of cucumber. They also lean toward daring combinations such as pineapple paired with bacon at Alinea; smoked grapes with granola-crusted venison at Blackbird, tartare of beef tenderloin with bearnaise custard and scoops of “frozen smoke” ice cream, creating startling tastes, textures and temperatures at Avenues.

This elegant restaurant in the Peninsula hotel is the home of chef Graham Elliot Bowles, who at 28 has already garnered loads of national publicity. His bio on StarChefs.com states: “Viewing the kitchen as more of a sanctuary or laboratory rather than simply a place of work, Bowles seeks out new ingredients and techniques with zeal.”

While the food isn’t nearly as conceptual as what you’ll find at Alinea, it has its moments. Bowles deconstructs the traditional Caesar salad, putting an anchovy, herb and parmesan blend and an anchovy on a Little Gem lettuce leaf, balanced on a fried cube of bread that he calls a “brioche Twinkie.”

His bison short ribs are served with artisan grits, collard greens and sassafras barbecue, arranged in a very sparse, modern presentation; and his pheasant pot au feu comes to the table with an arrangment of meat over precisely cut root vegetables and ricotta gnocchi, and the waiters pour on a licorice-scented consomme.

Unusual plates are another hallmark of Bowles and his colleagues. For example, he presses bright pink slices of tuna sashimi on the sides of an oversize boomerang-shaped white porcelain bowl, with a swipe of sauce across the bottom and reaching up on the sides. In the center, a little pillow of jasmine cream and lemon confit mingle with cucumber noodles that stretch like streamers up the side of the bowl. The taste is OK, though the arranged clearly takes precedence over the integration of flavors. Read More ‘Exploring innovations in Chicago’ »

Posted By: Michael Bauer (Email, Twitter, Facebook) | March 13 2007 at 05:18 AM

Listed Under: Cooking, Food trends, Restaurant design, Restaurants | Permalink | Older Comments for this entry | Comments & Replies (0) : Post Comment
Exploring innovations in Chicago

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/mbauer/detail?entry_id=14323

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Connecting over dinner
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Restaurant B in old Oakland is just one of many Bay Area restaurants with communal tables.

Chronicle 2005

Restaurant B in old Oakland is just one of many Bay Area restaurants with communal tables.

The open kitchen has always been the most visible architectural trend in San Francisco dining, something that until a decade ago you rarely if ever saw outside of the Bay Area. That, of course, has been paired with counter dining, which has been a boon to singles or to those who want to dine spontaneously without making a reservation.

In the past couple of years, another equally important trend has emerged: the communal table. When I look at places opened in the past year or so, many have communal tables: Nopa, Terzo, Bushi-Tei, Perbacco, Brick, Spanish Fly, Salt House (and its sister restaurant, Town Hall) and Pres a Vi in San Francisco; Pizzaiola in Oakland; and Barolo in Pacifica.

When these tables began to appear more than a decade ago, they were slow to catch on. It’s only been since about 2004 that the tables began to be integrated into the restaurant’s concept. Now, dining at communal tables (like dining at counters), has become a way that some expand their social network. Over the holidays, I went to a dinner party at a friend’s house who had invited a couple she met at the communal table at Nopa. They had such a good time over dinner, she knew they would fit right in.

Today you can go just about anywhere, even to an Asian restaurant like San Francisco’s Citizen Thai and the Monkey, and be welcomed into the commune: Adagia in Berkeley, Market in St. Helena, A Cote in Oakland, Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur, and Bocadillos, Piperade, Kokkari, and Le Petit Robert (all in San Francisco), to name a few.

This trend reflects the fact that restaurants are barometers of society. I find it interesting that restaurants have gotten louder, more casual and “communal” as the Internet has become ingrained in our lives. Today many people spend more time at computers than they do in face-to-face conversation.

Much like the open kitchen, the communal table fills a need that many of us probably didn’t know we had. When everyone cooked at home, dining out was a way to get out of the kitchen; with more two-income families, the open kitchen gives them a way to get back in.

As we become more technologically advanced, restaurants are increasingly become an extension of our dining rooms. What better way to make new friends and have a stimulating conversation than over good food?

Posted By: Michael Bauer (Email, Twitter, Facebook) | January 18 2007 at 05:12 AM

Listed Under: Food trends, Restaurant design, Restaurants | Permalink | Older Comments for this entry | Comments & Replies (0) : Post Comment
Connecting over dinner

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/mbauer/detail?entry_id=12704

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Staring at the wall
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The Mission’s Delfina lets diners in on the scene with strategically placed mirrors.

Liz Hafalia/Chronicle

The Mission’s Delfina lets diners in on the scene with strategically placed mirrors.
Architects may spend millions designing a restaurant, but if you’re staring at a wall — even if it’s an elegant glazed plaster wall — does it really matter?

Banquettes that run around the perimeters of a room are popular features. If you sit facing out, you have a great view of the designer’s handiwork and get to soak up all the excitment in the dining room. However, if your back is to the action, you could be just about anywhere.

This feeling of isolation can easily be remedied by incorporating a strip of mirroring above the booths, which allows the diners facing the wall to view the room and feel a part of the action.

Designers should be more aware of all elements of the experience, including considering these beleaguered diners. Some restaurants, such as Poggio in Sausalito, are designed so that practically all the tables have a view of something, but that’s the exception, not the rule.

If you do want to be part of the action, several places I’ve been to recently have the strip of mirror I’m talking about:

Newish Terzo in Cow Hollow incorporated mirrors in its design.

Newish Terzo in Cow Hollow incorporated mirrors in its design.
# Terzo, the stylish small-plates restaurant in Cow Hollow that I reviewed last Sunday.

# Nopa, the new hot restaurant at Divisadero and Hayes

# Betelnut, the Cow Hollow restaurant featuring dishes from all over Asia.

# Zibibbo, the LuLu sister restaurant in Palo Alto.

# Delfina, the first-rate Italian restaurant in the Mission.

# Range, one of the most exciting moderately priced restaurants to open in a long time.

# Garcon, the French restaurant in the Mission that has large slanted mirrors on the walls that serves the same purpose.

Mirrors make a huge difference in the overall dining experience. Hey, we have state laws for everything else — maybe we could pass a California law that says restaurants must give all diners a seat with a view. In San Francisco, we could probably get Chris Daly to introduce similar legislation. If our politicians won’t take up the cause, we can always draft a petition and place a resolution on a state or local ballot.

Or maybe restaurant seats should be sold like concert tickets, and diners in seats with obscured views get a special deal.

Let’s hear your views on views.

Source: http://ihr.yuki-hime.com/?p=457

Generally regarded as the best hotel in the North near Manila as well as the top beach resort in Clark, Clearwater maintains a consistent standard with respect to products and services. This hotel in Pampanga may not be a 5-star resort but visitors from Manila going to Angeles City and Clark Freeport regard Clearwater as the number one location for family outings as well as the best event venue for company outings, weddings and other events.

Comparison of crime rates between Philippines Angeles City and Clark Pampanga sheds light on the difference between the twin cities of Pampanga. Regular guests of Angeles City Hotels begin to migrate on base into hotels inside Clark Philippines not only for peace and quiet but peace of mind and a sense of safety and security.

The beach resorts, leisure parks and vacation hotels in Clark Pampanga offer a unique ambience that supports a laidback relaxing lifestyle. Many visitors travel north to Clark Pampanga from Manila to unwind and relax in these resorts.

To many visitors from Manila, a good hotel in Pampanga must be located in a city that is safe, clean and not so noisy. This hotel in Clark Philippines really fits those criteria. The location is convenient for visitors to go out of town from Manila in a short getaway with family and friends traveling north to Angeles City Clark Pampanga. Traffic along the North Expressway NLEX is always light and the new Subic Tarlac Clark Expressway ScTex takes visitors straight into Clark Freeport without going through any towns and cities along the way.

Guests enjoy spending time relaxing at Frolic Garden of this hotel in Clark Pampanga. There is a special feeling in this hotel in Clark Philippines makes you slow down and enjoy the ambience. Children like playing in the Family Cove of this Clark resort hotel. Hotel guests prefer Clark over Angeles City, Subic or hotel in Manila. This hotel in Clark Philippines has style and character. Guests often come back again to relax and enjoy the beautiful ambience of this hotel in Clark Pampanga.

To inquire with the beach resort hotel in Clark Pampanga visit http://www.ClearwaterPhililippines.com

Hotel Clark Philippines
Creekside Road corner of Centennial Road,
Central Business District, Clark Freeport Zone,
Pampanga, Philippines 2023

Tel: (045)599-5949 0917-520-4403 0922-870-5177

Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay

http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com

Email: Info@ClarkPhilippines.com

Getting to this hotel in Clark Philippines
After entering Clark Freeport from Subic, Manila, Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along Clark’s main highway MA Roxas, passing Clark’s largest wine shop called Clark Wine Center on your right, continue to bear right making no turns at all, go past Mimosa Leisure Estate on the opposite side of the road, you will hit a major intersection. Go straight and the road becomes Creekside Road. YATS Clearwater Resort and Country Club is on your right just 200m down. Traffic in Clark Philippines is light so it should be quite easy for get to this hotel in Clark Philippines.

YATS Leisure Philippines is a HK-based developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine outlets http://www.YatsLeisure.com

To inquire with the beach resort hotel in Clark Pampanga visit http://www.ClearwaterPhililippines.com