Special Event at Stripsteak, Las Vegas

Michael Mina is chef who I learned about early on in my time exploring San Francisco's dining scene, when I went to his flagship Michelin starred restaurant (back when it was on Union Square), and loved it. Sadly, the newer location let me down in 2012, as did the Farewell to Foie Gras dinner we attended there later that year.  But I still followed his restaurants, and really enjoyed the cocktails and desserts at his smokehouse collab with Ayesha Curry, International Smoke, some of the sushi and bites I had from his Japanese Izakaya, Pabu, some of the bites and desserts from (now closed) RN74, and the (now-closed) Hawaiian inspired Trailblazer Tavern.  These were all in San Francisco.

I was excited to see that he had a restraurant in Las Vegas, where I recently was for a business trip.

"Located inside Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, STRIPSTEAK Las Vegas offers a reimagined dining experience where the elegance of a modern steakhouse meets the vibrant energy of the Las Vegas Strip. 

Designed to evoke the natural beauty of the Mojave desert, STRIPSTEAK provides an upscale yet inviting atmosphere, perfect for both intimate dinners and lively private events. Indulge in premium cuts of beef, fresh seafood, and an array of signature dishes crafted by renowned Chef Michael Mina."

The restaurant is a classic steakhouse, open only for dinner.  I visited two nights in a row, both times for hosted happy hours.  I would gladly return for a proper dinner though, as the main menu has some items I was really, really interested in (I'm looking at you caviar jelly donut (!!!), seared foie gras, lump crab cakes, and basically, ALL of the desserts).

Setting

The location is ideal for those attending conventions at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, as it is in the area between the convention center and the main hotel complex.  Every single person walking through must go right past it.

Entrance.

The area has a decently large bar with lounge seating around it, and a dining room.  The whole establishment is quasi-open to the hallway, as is common for many of the restaurants in this area.

Drinks

The first event I attended had a full open bar, with no special menu set out for us, and seemingly no limits on what we could order.

Special Cocktail Menu

The second night had a special cocktail menu, with 9 cocktails named after the happy hour theme (the Killers, since it was right before a concert for them).

Cabernet Sauvignon.

The first night, I had wine.  When I asked for "red wine", I was given a choice of pinot noir or cabernet.  I gleefully selected the cab.  The server told me the maker, but I didn't quite catch it.  In retrospect, I wish I did!  It was actually really quite good.  I think it may have been Pillar & Post Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, as that was offered the subsequent night, and is the cheapest cab on their wines by the glass menu.

Very little acid, very little tanin, yet still really well structured and robust.  I enjoyed it more than any other cab in recent memory.  ****.

Speciality Cocktail.

The second night, I opted for a cocktail, but ... I don't remember which I actually got.  This was my third stop that night, after the tasty margaritas and blue drinks at Border Grill, so my memory is a bit fuzzy.  I think it was probably the Neon Tiger (mezcal, aperol, lime, pineapple, vanilla, orange peel) or the Mr. Brightside (bourbon, sugar, orange bitters), as those are the ones that still jump out at me now, but I can't be certain.  I also don't recall much about it, besides that I vaguely liked it?

Food - Canapes

Since I attended Happy Hour special events, the hosts had pre-selected food both nights from the event menu, which included passed canapes and a few stationed platters.

For passed canapes, Stripsteak has 7 items available (1 vegetarian, 1 vegan, 3 seafood, 2 beef).  I skipped the tuna tostada since I had one just a few minutes before at Border Grill, and the falafel as I'm not generally into it, but I tried everything else.

This is not a cheap place to host an event, where every piece is priced at $8-11 each, with 24 pieces per item minimum.

Stripsteak Cheeseburger Sliders. ($11).

"American cheese, secret sauce."

The first item to show up was a slider.  For a moment I thought, "ho-hum", everywhere has sliders right?  Classic happy hour grub.  Usually mediocre bread, thin fully cooked well done patty, congealed cheese, maybe some attempt at a special sauce.  I nearly skipped it, but, I thought, "Hey, this is a steak place after all ...".

It also just looked dry and bland.  They didn't try to add lettuce, tomato, onion, caramelized onion, pickles, or anything to jazz it up.  Which at first glance, definitely made this look like a below average slider.

It was definitely the best slider I've had in ages.  As in, it was actually good.  But not without flaws.

The bun was incredible.  I know it doesn't look special, but it was shockingly delicious.  Definitely buttered, rich and fluffy, lightly sweet.  Just, wow, such a good bun.  I'm not normally one to fill up on bread, but this was totally worth it.  **** bun.

The online event menu said the cheese was just American cheese, but the cheese on this was shockingly good too, and didn't seem like American.  It was a white cheese, not too sharp or anything, but had a depth and nuttiness to it.  I really liked the cheese, although it wasn't particularly soft and gooey.  ***+.

The menu also said it would have secret sauce, and mine did not have any sauce.  I luckily had a packet of ketchup in my bag (always prepared!), and that was good to add.  I think it really must have just been an error that it was missing any sauce.

So, fantastic bread and cheese, would be happy enough with it just as a cheese toastie!

Slider: Close Up.

But of course, this is a steakhouse.  The patty was also a highlight.  Very thick, much thicker than your average cocktail slider.  Nice char/sear to it.  Flavorful beef.  Very moist.  And ... mid-rare!  The bite you see here is actually the most cooked, it was really nicely rare in the center.  Such a surprise for an event.  ***+.

Interestingly, the next night when I was also at a happy hour there, others had the sliders (after I raved about them) and they were medium-well, a totally different experience.  I would have had one that second night, but after seeing theirs, I skipped.

Lobster Fritter ($10).

"Pink peppercorn tartar."

Next came lobster!  

I thought the lobster fritter would be an easy favorite of mine, but I found it only ok.  It was nicely crispy, but I didn't taste any lobster at all, and seemed to mostly be like risotto?  The aioli was too easily lost.  Fine for an arancini, but boo for a lobster fritter.  **.

I realize in retrospect that possibly the server misspoke when presenting this, and it was actually the vegetarian mushroom arancini?  That would make considerably more sense.

Beef Kebab Skewer. ($10).

"Chimichurri, cilantro."

After the great slider, I had high hopes for the beef skewers, and again, I was at a steak place after all.  

The skewer beef itself let me down - it was slightly chewy, although quite tender, and cooked medium-well.  I really wanted more pink.  **+.

The chimichurri however was absolutely fantastic.  Fresh, vibrant, and extremely flavorful.  It opened my eyes to how good chimi could be, and definitely went well with the steak.  ****.

Tempura Shrimp Skewer. ($9).

"Spicy aioli, sesame, nori."

Another fairly common cocktail hour item, shrimp tempura.

This was a decent tempura shrimp.  Not quite as crisp as I'd like, probably because it wasn't super fresh (I got the last one from the tray), but the shrimp inside was succulent, and I appreciated the spicy aioli drizzle.  ***+.

Market Vegetable Crudite. $25/pp.

"Housemade buttermilk ranch." 

I was really craving veggies and not just standard happy hour appetizers after several days of this kind of reception, so I was really happy the hosts the second night selected the crudite platter.  

Everything was fresh and crisp, although some was a bit random, like, the slices of tomato?  Fairly average ranch dip. ***+.

Cheese and Charcuterie. $35/pp.

"Assorted artisanal cured meats & cheeses."

We also had a basic charcuterie and cheese board to graze on that second night.  I had the triple cream, it was fine.  I prefer more funk, and riper.  ***.

The mortadella though was fantastic.  I appreciated how huge the slices were.  Tender, flavorful, mmmm.  I love good mortadella.  ****.  Second favorite bite from the event.

The $35 per person price seemed quite high, as most people had at most 1-2 bites from here.

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Border Grill, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas

Border Grill is a Mexican restaurant mini-chain that I've heard of before, but never paid any attention to, as Mexican food is really not a cuisine I gravitate towards.  

"Critically acclaimed Modern Mexican cuisine featuring conscientiously-sourced, seasonal fare from Chef/Owners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger.   Since opening on Melrose in 1985, Border Grill has been renowned for spotlighting sophisticated regional Mexican cuisine. Today, Border Grill has locations in Las Vegas and LAX Airport, multiple sister restaurants, food trucks, and a full-service events and catering business based in Los Angeles."

I did know of it however, probably from seeing locations elsewhere, and seeing the chef-owners on Food Network shows at some point.  Again, not really my thing, but I was recently in Las Vegas for a conference, and Border Grill was chosen by event sponsors multiple nights  to host our happy hours, and thus, I visited, only quasi by choice.

Setting

Border Grill's Las Vegas location is inside Mandalay Bay, closer to the convention center than the hotel areas.

Entrance.

It has an open entrance and dining room to the main hallway, with a lot of foot traffic (particularly during a convention) and thus is pretty loud.

Bar + Dining.

Upstairs is the main bar and dining room, along with a second dining room that can be closed off.  I didn't get a photo of it, but that dining area is where the first event I attended was held.  Very convenient location, and the noise isolation in the private room was a must.

Outside Patio.

"Steps away from Mandalay Beach and the Lazy River, surrounded by trees and string lighting; warmed by heaters in winter."

The second evening I attended an event at Border Grill, it was downstairs, and actually, outside.  Downstairs they have multiple indoor spaces, including several dining rooms or a room with a bar.  Outside, they have a bar area (suitable for groups up to 60 for cocktails and passed appetizers), and a large patio space that can be reserved together or separately.  We had both the outdoor spaces for our event.

I really liked the outside space, as the weather was lovely.

Drinks

The drink menu at Border Grill has a slew of margaritas (everything from the classic blanco to one with guava), cervesas, and sangria as you'd expect, plus a fairly long list of "crafted cocktails".

I attended special events two different nights, and each night had a couple signature cocktails to pick from, rather than a full cocktail menu.  The drinks were the highlight of the evening, both times.

Margarita. $14.

"Tequila blanco, agave nectar, fresh lime."

The first night, I had a margarita.  I'm assuming this was the basic margarita blanco, they were being handed out by servers as you entered, so I wasn't provided details.  It was this or a Corona, my choice was clear.

The margarita was actually pretty good.  Tons of salt on the rim.  Good sour notes, slight sweetness, fairly strong tequila undertones, refreshing.  Made me almost want to consider getting one sometime in the future somewhere, as it had been years since I last had one as they just haven't really been my thing.  It was particularly fitting and refreshing for the hot weather.  ***+.

Special Cocktail.

"Tequila, lime juice, blue curacao."

The second night, there were no pre-made cocktails, but rather a curated list of special cocktails for us to order from at the outdoor bar.  I went for this one, because it both looked cool, and I do like tequila drinks.  

This drink was also pretty good, again, lots of salt on the rim, balanced flavors, and hey, it *looked* cool.  ***+.

Food

Both events I attended were simple happy hour type receptions, not full dinners.  The hosts both nights selected a few passed appetizers for the group, which came out fairly infrequently.  Besides the chips and salsa, the food was fairly limited, which I'm assuming was a decision made by the hosts to keep costs down?  Still, for a 80+ person event, a server coming out with a single tray with only about 8 pieces on it seemed odd.  They never made it more than a few steps into the space, and never came back with a replenished tray.

I had of course scoped out the event menu in advance, to see if there would hopefully be things I was interested in.  Even just for passed appetizers, Border Grill has a huge selection - I think I counted nearly 65 items to pick from!  It is clear they specialize in these kinds of parties, which makes sense, given the location.  The menu is obviously very Mexican, with a slew of mini tostadas, tacos, sopes, tamales, ceviches, empanadas, and skewers, plus ... toasts and sliders.  They have plenty of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free offerings.

 The event menu has a number of appetizers I actually thought sounded fun, like mini lobster corn dogs or butter poached lobster rolls on mini brioche buns, or even cubano sliders, but alas, my hosts for both events didn't pick any of those items (or, at least, I never saw them).  I didn't enjoy any of the food.

Chips & Trio of Salsas. (GF) $4/pp.

"Tomatillo | arbol | smoky chipotle."

Both events I attended had plentiful chips and salsa around, set out on all the tables.  These are also featured on all their regular menus as a starter (NOT complimentary as is common at Mexican restaurants).

Chips and salsa aren't really my thing, but I was pretty hungry, so I tried them.  The chips were very, very average, a surprise for such a well regarded Mexican establishment.  I'd think chips would be something they'd do a bit better than average, but these seemed like they could have easily come from the grocery store.

The smoky salsa was my favorite, it had some nice smoke.  But overall, still pretty average.  **+. 

Event pricing is $4 per person for the provided chips; from the regular menu a serving is $5.

Fish Tostaditas. (GF).  $6/7 piece.

I'm not actually sure which kind of tostada this was.  The server just said "fish", and I assumed it was thus the "Baja Ceviche Tostaditas", which has "lime marinated sustainable seasonal fish & shrimp | tomato | jalapeño aioli", but it also could have been the tuna one, with "ahi tuna | ancho crema | avocado balm | salsa macha".  I couldn't really tell what kind the fish was, nor what the minimal toppings were, and the dot of green could have been jalapeño aioli or avocado balm, as it was too tiny of a dot to really taste.

Anyway, this was not particularly good nor bad.  A very small bite.  The tortilla flavor dominated.  The fish (tuna?) was fine, but there was just not much flavor at all.  Low ***.

Duck Confit Sope. (GF). $5/piece.

"Blue corn masa | fennel and orange slaw | avocado."

The servers came around with two animal proteins next, either lamb tamales (boo, I don't like lamb) or these duck confit sopes.  Duck confit sounded good to me, but I didn't notice until I had started to grab it that it was loaded with avocado, which I'm allergic to.

My allergy isn't severe to avocado though, so I still tried it, just removing the avocado as much as possible.  It had a thick blue corn base, kinda greasy pulled duck, and obviously lots of avocado.  I didn't like any element really, and obviously I'm allergic to avocado, so this one was a fail for me.  *.

Dobladito. $4.50/piece.

"Grilled corn | shishito pepper | mexican cheese | kale | crispy bbq chips | salsa macha aioli."

The dobladito is one of their signature items, a vegetarian quesadilla.  

This had a nice char on the crispy tortilla.  I appreciated the tortilla.  The filling was basic Mexican veggies (corn, peppers, cheese).  I didn't find the bbq chips or salsa macha aioli in mine.  It needed toppings.  **.

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L'acajou Bakery & Cafe

L'acajou is a small cafe/bakery in San Francisco (and apparently in Oakland, they have expanded), that I've walked by many times over the years, and stopped in at a few times.

"L'acajou has been serving the most delicious breakfast, lunch, coffee drinks, and catering that the Bay Area has to offer since 2010. Our flagship cafe at the busy intersection of 9th and Bryant St. is a San Francisco tradition of warmth and Bohemian hospitality in the midst of the city's bustling tech savvy crowds. Come and enjoy life at a slower more luxurious pace!!"

They serve breakfast and lunch, and have a variety of baked goods.  A few tables indoors, a couple on the sidewalk outside.  Decently friendly staff.  When I ordered online once, I ordered a dish that came with "seasonal fruit".  Since I'm allergic to melons, I put in the "special instructions" that I had an allergy.  When I walked into the cafe, the staff member looked up, and before I even said who I was, said "No melons, got it!"

Quality seems decent.  For years, I only ever stopped in to get a baked good, but recently I decided to try them for some savory food.  I ordered easily online in advance, on delivery.com, and my order was waiting when I arrived.

Side note: Stuck doing a lot of pickup and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes ...

• Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Allset ($5 off) [ Pickup only ]

Cookies

The baked good lineup has changed a bit over the years, but they always have housemade cookies, scones, cheesy biscuits, sweet and savory croissants, and decadent cinnamon rolls.  I've tried only the cookies.  They make really good cookies.

Walnut Oatmeal Raisin Cookie.  $1.50.

This was exactly my kind of cookie.  Soft.  Great buttery flavor.  Sweet.  And then a fantastic texture from the oats and little bits of walnut.  Plentiful, plump, juicy raisins.  Every ingredient was tasty, and they all combined together perfectly.  I loved the addition of the walnuts.  It went great with a cup of coffee, and I can imagine being delightful with a cup of tea as well.  Would gladly get another.

 Ginger Molasses Cookie.  $1.50. 

Another fantastic cookie.  Soft, almost-but-not-quite undercooked in the center, leaving it just a tiny bit gooey.  Incredible ginger flavor.  This is not a cookie for someone who only sorta likes ginger.  Another one I'd gladly get again!

Salted Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut Cookie.  $1.50.

I was really excited to try more of their cookies, since I'd loved the first two I'd tried so much.  I got this one for my partner, since he likes chocolate and hazelnuts.

I didn't like this.  It was a hard, crisp cookie, nothing like the soft cookies I'd previously enjoyed.  Maybe they just do this one in a different style, or the fact that I got it at 3:30pm rather than 11am made the difference?  Anyway, it was buttery and sweet, with decent chunks of chocolate and half hazelnuts, but it was just far too crispy.  Would not get again.

Salted Dark Chocolate with Peanut Butter Pretzels.  $1.50.

On the same visit, I got one for myself.  I love peanut butter, and I love pretzels, so this sounded perfect.

Unfortunately, like the dark chocolate hazelnut, it was also very crispy.  It almost seemed burnt, although it wasn't visibly charred.  I even tried heating it up in the toaster oven to soften it, which did work, but I still did not care for the flavor at all.

Vegan Raspberry Almond Scone.  $2.50.

I couldn't decide which of the breakfast pastries I wanted, as they all looked amazing.  The worker recommended this one, so I went for it, even though I was a little skeptical, as it was the only vegan item.  I don't have anything against vegan food, but, for baked goods, butter tends to be pretty important ...

I'm so glad I took his advice.  This was an awesome scone.  It was crumbly, but not in a bad way.  Fairly moist for a scone, but not in a weird way.  The raspberries were just bursting with flavor and were gooey little bits, contrasting with the texture of the rest of the scone.  The scone itself had a wonderful buttery flavor, even though it was vegan.  It also had almond slivers that added a crunch, and some tiny little seeds that I think were golden flax seeds, that added some heartiness.  And it was topped with sugar.

It all just came together so well.  Great textures, great flavors, sweet but not too sweet, just ... really really good.  And it went perfectly with a coffee.

I'd gladly get another in a heartbeat, and the $2.50 price tag was totally reasonable.

Breakfast

The breakfast lineup is fairly small, but has all the main trendy hits (acai bowls, avocado toast, and savory quinoa bowl), plus cafe necessities like an easy to grab and run breakfast sandwich (with pancetta and gruyere on house made bun though), healthy fruit and granola, and basic egg/potato breakfast staples.

French Toast, with seasonal fruit, maple syrup, Nutella.  $8.

After having so many amazing baked goods from the cafe, I was very excited to try out some of their "real" food.  And I love nothing more than a good brunch, so I was thrilled to see that they offered french toast, made with their own bread.

Unfortunately, I didn't like this very much.

The preparation was different from any french toast I've ever had before, grilled in the panini press rather than on a griddle.  This makes sense given their tiny kitchen but definitely resulted in a different style.  The bread slices were standard sandwich bread thickness, rather than thick sliced as is more common with french toast.  The panini grill left strong grill marks, which resulted in a crispy exterior where it touched, which I liked.  The inside was almost custardy, but actually more just gummy, strangely dense, and pretty unappealing.  There also didn't seem to be any spicing, no hints of cinnamon or anything.

The seasonal fruit on top was kiwi and nectarines.  They were perfectly ripe, fresh, plentiful.  No complaints here.

Alongside the french toast was maple syrup.  I'm pretty sure it was real syrup, but it wasn't that flavorful.  Pretty standard.  There was also a little pot of Nutella.  I know that most people love Nutella. They go crazy over it, particularly with french toast.  But ... it just isn't my thing.  I've tried to like it, in crepes, on waffles, in shakes ... it isn't that I hate it, but I just don't care for it.  I tried some on the french toast, and again, just didn't like it, but that is clearly me just not liking Nutella.  I also thought it really didn't go well with the nectarines and kiwis, although earlier in the summer  I could see being a great combination with strawberries.

It was made to order, I saw her slice the bread, dunk it in the batter, and grill it up.  Delivered hot to my table within moments of coming off the grill.  But, it was disappointing, and I would not get it again.

Lunch

The lunch menu is a couple salads, a soup of the day, and a few sandwiches (mostly warm ones).  I stopped in to get a salad early on during COVID-19 summer.

This was my first time to L'acajou in years, and before, I had only really gone for the treats.  This time I visited for salad, during the Shelter in Place, when I really was seeking out fresh healthy items.

L'acajou bubbled to the top of my list, as they have a generically named "vegan salad" that people seem to love, and, it changes constantly, with fresh fruit and vegetables in season.

I called ahead to find out what the seasonal fruit was, and was told it was kiwi (yay!) and melon (boo!).  I still choose to order, as everything else seemed promising.

L'acajou Vegan Salad, with Customizations.

"Mixed greens, tomato, avocado, cashews, roasted veggies, seasonal fruit, and lemon dressing."

And ... my order notes "melon and avocado on the side please. Dressing on the side. Is it possible to get spinach (and/or endive) instead of mixed greens?"

The salad I ordered comes with "seasonal fruit", which, in the summer is lovely stone fruit, and I was hoping for berries, but alas, in March, the offering was ... cantaloupe.  Doh.  I'm allergic to melon.  It also comes with avocado, another ingredient I'm allergic to.  Doh.

I certainly could have just asked to have them left off, but my partner enjoys both these things, so, I simply asked to have them separate.  I was quite pleased that this was easily accommodated, although I'm sure the person preparing my order must have wondered about it.

"Seasonal Fruit" (cantaloupe) and Avocado (Separate).

I did peek in the box, and the melon looked a bit pale, but the avocado was clearly sliced right to order, and was even sprinkled with salt & pepper.  The serving size of each was good - a half an avocado and a pretty nice pile of melons.

I hope my partner enjoyed!

Tomato, Roasted Veggies, Cashews, Lemon Dressing.

The remainder of the salad came in the other box, along with the dressing on the side.

It was hard to tell really what else was in there, and I was eager to find out what the "roasted veggies" would be, so I started digging.  I was also surprised not to see any kiwi ...

Starting at the top, was a very generous serving of cashews.  They had flecks of black on them, which I originally thought was seasoning, but I think actually they were just lightly toasted and a bit charred?   I didn't taste any particular spicing on them.  They were, uh, cashews?  Nothing particularly novel about them.  I love having nuts, and crunch, in my salads, but I did grow sick of these, as there were just too many (which was fine, I saved some, and had them with a glass of wine later in the day ...).

The tomatoes I thought might be roasted, but were fresh, and were slices of tomato, like you'd find on a sandwich, rather than chunks (or cherry tomatoes) more common to a salad.  This worked, but, was a bit different than I've seen before.  It kinda reminded me of Subway.  The tomato was very ripe, juicy, and fine, not mealy.  Another generous portion, 7 slices!

The dressing choices at L'acajou are extremely limited: this salad comes with "lemon dressing" and the other salad on the menu comes with balsamic.  I ... brought my own creamy dressing instead, but did try the lemon one.  It was just a very very simple vinaigrette, mostly just oil.  Meh.

"Roasted veggies" (mushrooms, red onions, artichoke hearts) and Spinach.

Finally, I was able to dig through and find the roasted veggies.  But the kiwi?  Yeah, it didn't exist.

The "roasted veggies" were a mixed success.  

First up ... marinated artichoke hearts.  Lots of marinated artichoke hearts.  I certainly would have had these left out if I knew the salad included them, as they just aren't my thing at all.  And the portion was huge.  Ok, perhaps it was consistent with the generous portions in general, but, I just really didn't want it in this case.  I also don't really think of these as roasted veggies ... my partner scored these, along with his avocado and melons.

The red onion was a fairly small portion in comparison to everything else, but was nicely roasted, and although most of it was just bite size chunks, one chunk was large, and I really loved that one. 

The best part was the meaty roast mushrooms, but, um, it had only two small chunks!  Two!  One stem, one cap. I don't really understand, given the generosity in the other ingredients.  It was totally out of balance (which was extra sad since it was the thing I wanted the most!).

And finally, the base.  This salad comes over mixed greens, but I requested spinach instead (the other salad base), and that was honored.  The spinach was fresh baby spinach, crisp, and not wilted.

Overall, even if I didn't love some of the ingredients, this was a very good salad, particularly for the price.  Portions were generous of everything (except my mushrooms!), everything was fresh, and the ingredients were creative.  I'd love to have it again, when the fruits are more to my liking.

Mixed Greens (Side). $3.50. (Feb 2021)

"Organic mixed greens, organic tomato, spiced almonds and balsamic vinaigrette."

My next visit, I ordered a side salad, and the menu simply said "mixed greens", so I was (pleasantly) pleased to get something with a bit more going on.  Fresh chunks of tomato and ... randomly ... tons of sliced, spiced almonds.  Definitely a bit of an odd combination, and it really, really felt like it needed cheese.  Cheese and nuts just go hand and hand ...

Anyway, this was a fine quality salad - good fresh baby greens and baby spinach, the tomato was actually juicy and reasonably tasty for a February tomato, and the almonds were nice for crunch, but I couldn't quite figure out the spicing on them.  

I asked for dressing on the side since I don't care for their dressings (they only offer vinaigrette), and I did try it - it was thick, tangy, and totally not my thing.

I brought it home, rounded it out with other toppings, and added my own dressing, and was pleased with it.  I think I may have gotten the full sized garden salad ($8) that was described as having the tomatoes and almonds ... either that, or amazing value for a side salad!

***.

Mixed Greens (Side). $3.50. (March 2021)

One day I was really craving juicy tomatoes and crunchy nuts, and I remembered this salad.  I was pleased to see I received the same thing, so, that previous side salad *was* correct!

Again, the side salad is a great value for the price, loaded with goodies.  I asked for no balsamic vinaigrette since I didn't like it before, and had my own dressing on standby.

It was exactly the same as last time: fresh mixed greens, tons of spiced slivered almonds, juicy tomatoes, lots of seasoning.  I had it with my own dressing and cheese, and really enjoyed it.  I think some poached shrimp would go great on it too.

***.

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Frozen Yogurt from Prima Cafe

Update Review, September 2017

When "summer" hit San Francisco this fall, froyo was at the top of my agenda.  And luckily for me, Prima Cafe is located right near my office.  You may start with my original review if you want to read my initial raves about the quality yogurt.

I was quite happy with my recent creations.

Machines.

As with past visits, I was very impressed with the quality of the frozen yogurt (Honey Hill Farms).  It really is creamier than almost anywhere else I've tried in the city (the Westfield Mall location of Yoppi is probably second place).

They still have only 4 flavors at a time, 1 of which is always sorbet, and one of which is always classic tart, and a mix of non-fat and low-fat varieties, so, options are limited, but nearly every flavor I've tried has been wonderful.

Model is self-serve, pay-by-weight.

Toppings.

The toppings lineup is still quite limited, compared to most froyo shops.  This is it.  No fresh fruits.  No sauces, besides two squeeze bottles of chocolate syrup and caramel syrup.  ~12 other toppings, in a mix of jars and boxes (sprinkles, one type of chopped nut, one type of mochi, flaxseed (!), granola, a few interesting "crunches" (toffee, chocolate), standard crowd favorites (Oreo, Reese's, chocolate chips, pb chips, graham cracker crumbles), and lychee jellies.

But this is actually a cafe, not a froyo shop, so the selection is reasonable, and it all works well.  It does seem a shame not to have any fruit though, given the permanent place on the menu for classic tart!

Assorted Froyos w/ Toppings.  ~$2-3.

Pretty much every time I visit Prima, I am met with indecision, so, somehow, I wind up with nearly every flavor of froyo (thank goodness they only have 4 flavors at a time!)  I try to at least match my toppings with my creations, but, uh, I even fail at that pretty often.

Each of my creations was fairly small, and cost <$3.  Prima's per ounce rate is much lower than the big froyo shops, although they also add on a $0.25 cup fee.  I wonder if you brought your own if they'd take that away?

Froyo:

• Cheesecake (non-fat): "Cheesecake lovers, have no fear. You can now succumb to your insatiable cheesecake cravings without sacrificing taste when you try our heavenly Nonfat Cheesecake yogurt. Made with real cheesecake bases, this yogurt tastes like a scrumptious slice of cheesecake straight from New York!" 
• This was fairly creamy, but a bit icy.  I didn't taste anything cheesecake about it though, it just was kinda sweet and plain.
• Classic Tart (non-fat): "This creamy, sweet yogurt is a must-try. Our Nonfat Classic Tart yogurt is perfectly tart with just a hint of citrus." 
• Fairly creamy for a tart style, subtle tartness, quite enjoyable.  Would be great with fresh fruit, and if I was in the mood for that style of froyo, I'd just bring my own since they don't have fruit toppings.
• Really quite good simple tart yogurt.  I normally want plain tart with fruit, but this is sweeter than some tart, and perfectly fine with just some mochi and sprinkles.
• Fine, simple tart yogurt.  I really want fruit with it though, and I wish they offered it here.  It just doesn't work without it.
• Espresso (low-fat): "Need a boost but don’t feel like drinking another cup of joe? Down a few spoonfuls of our fantastic Low Fat Espresso yogurt! This tasty treat packs a punch of flavor that’s sure to jolt your taste buds!" 
• Very creamy, nice coffee flavor.
• This was very creamy, nice espresso flavor, but a sweet yogurt, not one where the espresso nature really shines through.
• I didn't like it this time.  A bit grainy, and too sweet for espresso flavor.
• Triple Chocolate (low-fat): "Let your senses drift off to Europe when you taste our delectable Low Fat Triple Chocolate yogurt. You may have to gobble up a few helpings of this luscious yogurt to believe it’s low fat! Rich European chocolate has never tasted so good!"
• Again, very creamy, nice mild chocolate flavor.  I think my favorite of the batch.
• Very creamy, mild chocolate, very good for chocolate froyo.
• Love the creamy level to this, and the mild chocolate flavor.  Continues to be a favorite of mine, particularly when topped with peanut butter chips!
• Valencia Orange Sorbet (non-dairy): "Cool off with this perfect summertime treat! Our nonfat non-dairy Valencia Orange sorbet packs a punch of fresh, smooth orangey taste you’re sure to love!" 
• Always fairly refreshing, but the sorbet is a bit icy.  Best swirled with the classic tart.
• I found this far too sweet this time, even when swirled with classic tart.  Nice flavor, but too sweet!

Toppings:

• "Crunch Bits": 
• I added these to both the espresso and chocolate. No idea what these really were, irregular little chunks of chocolate something. Even more fun to crunch than toffee bits. 
• Added to both chocolate and espresso again.  I like these, whatever they are.  My favorite topping of that visit.
• Lychee Jelly: 
• I don't think I've ever had jellies on froyo before, but I was inspired after having them in bubble tea from Little Szchwuan and Home Plate Boba. They were sweet, and actually kinda fun to have on my froyo, even though it was a bit strange to have slimy things in my froyo. Went well with the tart/orange combo. 
• Kinda fun, I like the flavor of these, but too sweet when put on the orange sorbet this time.
• Peanut Butter Chips:
• Hard to go wrong here. Great peanut butter flavor. 
• I added these to the chocolate froyo. They were just generic normal size peanut butter chips, but a good combination with the chocolate froyo. Next time though, I think I'd go for the crushed peanut butter cups instead, to get the same chocolate/pb combo, just with a better ingredient. 
• All time favorite, great with chocolate flavors.
• Rainbow Mochi: 
• Soft, pliable, not bad. 
• Very soft, clearly fresh, better than the mochi at most froyo shops.  Nice with the tart froyo in lieu of having fruit.
• Rainbow Sprinkles: 
• Again, hard to go wrong. Colorful, fun.
• Just for fun! Colorful standard sprinkles. 
• I always add them.  Just sprinkles, but, color!
• Yup!  Sprinkles.
• "Toffee Bits": 
• Added to the espresso side.  Crispy, sweet, fun to crunch on. 
• Added to chocolate and espresso.  I liked even better with chocolate froyo.

Original Review, August 2010

I love soft serve ice cream.  In a cone.  With sprinkles.  Best enjoyed in the sun, on a hot summer day.  Unfortunately, these things, while a part of my daily life when I grew up on the east coast, are pretty hard to come by in San Francisco.  So, I settle for soft serve frozen yogurt.

I eat a lot of frozen yogurt, usually at least one a day.  I somehow haven't written too many reviews yet, but I do have extensive tasting notes, so I'm sure I'll dig them out at some time point!

Frozen yogurt can take so many forms.  The hard kind I actively dislike.  I've never found one that tastes remotely good.  But soft serve can be pretty great, and can take you in whatever direction suites your mood.  Sometimes, I just want a tart flavor, topped with fresh fruit and granola.  Or sometimes, I want it sweet as can be, loaded up with candy and hot fudge, like an ice cream sundae.  Or sometimes, I want it just like my classic soft serve ice cream cones, rolled in sprinkles.

I prefer places that are self-serve, so I can get as much as I want.  Sometimes I just want a small one, and don't want to pay $5 for it!  I also like being able to add on whatever toppings, in whatever quantity, I feel like that day.  And I love to have lots of flavors to choose from.

But the most important aspect of a good froyo for me is how creamy it is.  I can't stand it when it is icy! Many places just get this wrong.  Or they are fine if you go on a standard day, but go on a day when they are low traffic, or go too early in the day, and it is icy.  Or go on a busy day, or late in the day, and its too runny.  Consistently creamy yogurt, that is what I value the most!

About a year ago, I had given up on finding a frozen yogurt place that consistently delivered.  Yoppi had its great flavors and great days, but also could be totally mediocre other days, even when having the same flavor, from the same store.  I thought I had visited every single place serving frozen yogurt, ranging from specialty shops, to random delis with froyo machines on the side, when I discovered a place that had been only open for a few months.  And ... it was just two blocks from my house.  Prima Cafe!

It turned out to be the best frozen yogurt I've found in San Francisco.  Repeatedly.  They are also a full cafe, serving breakfast goods, espresso drinks, smoothies, sandwiches, and soups.  But I've never had anything other than frozen yogurt.

They use a self serve, pay-by-weight model, and feature 4 flavors, rotating weekly.  You can always look up the flavors on the web site, although they aren't that meticulous about updating it: http://www.primacafesf.com/menu/frozen_yogurt.  One slot is reserved for the original tart, and it is always paired with something else fruity, either another tart flavor, or a sorbet.  The other two are usually sweet.  The yogurt comes from Honey Hill Farms and is the creamiest frozen yogurt I've ever had.  I suspect it is in large part due to the fact that most of it is not non-fat.  Some isn't even low-fat.  Fat really just makes things better, and creamier!  They also just don't get nearly as much traffic as somewhere like Yoppi, so the machines aren't ever stressed past their limits.

The yogurt really is fantastic.  They have my favorite of all frozen yogurts in the city, an amazingly flavorful, creamy, peanut butter.  When swirled with a chocolate flavor, it is just about the best thing ever!  But I also love their fruity tart flavors, or the sorbets, when swirled with the plain tart.  And I don't generally like chocolate yogurts, but they have the best I've ever had.  The only place they fall short is on the toppings, which are minimal, at best.

The staff are friendly, there is ample seating (since on most days, you don't actually want to venture out into the cold SF day to enjoy your frozen treat!), and the place is always clean.

I wish they were open better hours, as they are only open during the week, and until 5pm.  I would be a regular customer on weekends or evenings if they were ever open, but that is the curse of my neighborhood, so many good places, never open when I'm home and free!

They are also using all of the new payment hotness.  They were actually the first place I ever used LevelUp!  They seed your account with $1, but if you haven't signed up yet, and you use my code (101243), then you'll get an additional $5 to spend anywhere (and so will I).  And then you can also add another $5, to spend at SOMA locations.  Now that is a lot of froyo!  They also use GoPago, but the yogurt isn't an option on there.

Best yet, on Friday afternoons, they have Frozen Yogurt Happy Hour!  50% off from 3pm-5pm!

Free froyo from Scoutmob promo! Topped with S'mores, Cappuccino Crunch,  mixed nuts, chocolate sauce, lychee jelly.

They normally give you a much bigger cup for the froyo, but for the free Scoutmob one, they just used a regular coffee cup.  I loaded it up with all available flavors of froyo for the day, and all of the toppings.  I wouldn't normally add all of the toppings like this, but in the interests of research, I had to try them all out!

Below are my tasting notes of all of the assorted yogurts and toppings, from the past year or so.  As always, subsequent tastings are denoted in brackets.

Chocolatey

• Chocolate Mint (nonfat, seasonal):  Tasting notes: delicious, creamy, probably the best chocolate froyo i’ve ever had.
• German Chocolate Cake (unknown): Tasting notes: decent creamy and flavor but not amazing [ some weird aftertaste, not a big fan ] [ nice chocolate flavor, sweet, rich, great blended with candy cane ] [ very creamy, rich chocolate flavor, lots of pecan notes as well, a tiny bit fake tasting though. ]
• Triple Chocolate (lowfat): Tasting notes: Creamy, amazing chocolate flavor. Best chocolate I’ve ever had. Amazing swirled with peanut butter to make a peanut butter cup!

Tart

• Blueberry Tart (nonfat): made with real blueberry puree.  Tasting notes: little icey, decent flavor but could be stronger blueberry flavor, tartness is nice. [ kinda icy, sweet, meh ] [ not very strong blueberry flavor, not that tart, meh ]
• Classic Tart (nonfat): Tasting notes:  kinda icy, decent flavor, but only had it swirled with sorbet so didn’t get full sense [ pretty nice tart flavor, a little icy, nice swirled with blueberry tart ] [ nice tart flavor, slightly icy, really great swirled with pink lemonade sorbet ] [ nice tart flavor, icy, good swirled with mango sorbet ] [ very icy, not very tart ] [ icy, tart, good combo with mango sorbet ] [ icy, tart, but good swirled with sorbet ] [ nice tartness, would be good with fresh fruit toppings, if they had them. ]
• Raspberry Tart (unknown): Tasting notes: Really great raspberry flavor, nice tartness.  Very good.  Nice alone, or swirled with classic tart.  Very creamy.  My favorite of the tarts.

Sorbet
The sorbets are more icey than the froyo, not nearly as awesomely creamy.

• Mango (nonfat): Made with real mango puree. Tasting notes: icy, but that is how sorbet is. [ Icy, subtle mango, goes well with tart ]
• Pink Lemonade (nonfat): Tasting notes: sweet yet tart, tangy.  Slightly icy, but just in the way sorbet is.  Great swirled with the tart froyo [ icy, sweet, meh ] [ tart, icy, good flavor, good swirled with tart froyo ]
• Valencia Orange (nonfat):  Tasting notes: really tasty! like a creamsicle when swirled with classic tart [ flavor good again, but icy this time ] [ very icey since sorbet, but not much orange flavor ] [ Very sweet, really needs to be swirled with regular tart to mute it a little. ]

Sweet

• Birthday Cake (nonfat): Tasting notes: creamy, but far too sweet. 
• Cookies and Cream(lowfat):  Contains real cookies. Tasting notes: very sweet, but not too much. really really tasted like oreos! [ no flavor, but nice and creamy ] [ ridiculously creamy, but no flavor ] [ Beautiful consistency, so creamy, but just not very flavorful ] [ Very creamy, decent enough flavor, one that is always worth getting. ]
• Espresso (lowfat): Tasting notes: sweet and kinda espresso flavored, a little watery [ espresso flavor too subtle ] [ creamy, but not super strong espresso flavor ] [ nice coffee flavor ]
• Olde Fashion Candy Cane (nonfat, seasonal): Tasting notes: kinda fake tasting, kinda icy, but decent [ icy but nice mint flavor ] [ nice and minty, great blended with german chocolate cake ]
• Old Fashioned Peanut Butter.  Made with real peanut butter.  Tasting notes: Creamy, fantastic strong peanut flavor. Not remotely fake tasting. Best peanut butter froyo I’ve ever had. Amazing swirled with triple chocolate.  [ Creamy, amazing peanut butter flavor.  Truly amazing.  Not lowfat, and totally worth it. ]
• Island Coconut: I loved this!  Creamy, awesome coconut flavor.
• Red Velvet Cupcake (lowfat): creamy, definitely red velvet flavor, would be good swirled with chocolate. [ Very, very creamy, sweet red velvet flavor ]
• Sea Salt Caramel Pretzel (lowfat): Sweet, not very strong caramel flavor, strange pretzel taste. Interesting, but not that great.
• Strawberry Sensations (lowfat):  Made with real strawberry puree.  Tasting notes: creamy, but sorta medicinal strawberry flavor [ crazy creamy, decent strawberry flavor ]
• Tahitian Vanilla (nonfat):  Tasting notes: creamy, decent, vanilla not that strong [ creamy but not very vanilla flavored ]
• White Chocolate Mousse (lowfat): Tasting notes: creamy but no real flavor [ creamy but no discernable flavor ]

Toppings

This is where Prima Cafe falls short.  They only have a few toppings, and none are very great.  On my first few visits, I thought I must just be coming too late in the day and that they had run out of most things, since there was a lot of empty space in the toppings bar, but I've never seen it have more than a few items in it.  There is never any fresh fruit, normally a staple at froyo shops!  Only one sauce, a few candies, and sprinkles.

• Cappuccino crunch: I'm not entirely sure what this was.  Little bits of mostly chocolate, with subtle coffee flavor.  Nice crunch, went really well with espresso froyo. [ No longer offered ]
• Ghirardeli chocolate sauce: thin, watery chocolate sauce, like Hersheys, but with more flavor.
• Ghirardeli caramel sauce: thin, watery caramel, not really interesting.
• Lychee jelly: Tiny little jelly cubes, very sweet, in sweet sauce.  No idea what this is made from, probably just corn syrup.
• Mixed nuts: little chopped up nuts, mostly peanuts.  Add good crunch.
• Peaches: these didn't look remotely fresh, just little cubes.  Didn't try.
• Rainbow Mochi: Soft, fresh enough seeming, but no flavor.
• Rainbow Sprinkles: Fairly generic.
• S'mores: Another one that I don't really know what it was.  Mostly just sweet, crunchy, with a slight marshmallow flavor.

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Pancho Villa

If you have been following my blog, you know that LevelUp has led me to discover a slew of new places.  It has also led me to finally go to places that I've known about for years, yet never ventured into.  Pancho Villa is one such place.  Everyone in SF knows about it, right?  Located right at 16th & Mission, with a security guard in front at all times.  A SF classic.  But somehow, I'd never been, even though I've been eating a fair amount of Mexican food lately.

I finally ventured inside when I was nearby for their Happy Hour (M-F, 3-5pm).  I'm glad I finally tried it out, and I'd stop in again if I was the Mission, but I won't be going out of my way to return.

Complimentary Chips.

The ordering process is in three steps.  After placing your food order, the second step is to order drinks.  After that, you are handed a basket of chips.  And then you finally make it to the cashier.  It sounds a bit inefficient, but they have it all pretty streamlined.

The chips are about as generic as they get.  They are not served warm.  They aren't really salted.  At least they weren't too greasy, and I do give them bonus points for including chips, even at Happy Hour,  and even if you are just getting a single taco.

Salsa from the salsa bar.

Pancho Villa has a very large salsa bar.  I think I counted 8-10 different salsas.  None were labelled, and since I'm allergic to avocado, I avoided any that were questionably green, in fear that they might have avocado in them.  And since they weren't labelled, guessing what to expect from each one was pretty fun.  I did not like the chips, but I liked the guessing game so much, and the chips gave me something to try them on.

Clockwise, from top left:

• This one had some visible pepper flakes, so I thought it would be fairly flavorful.  It did have a tiny bit of heat, but overall, the flavor was uninteresting, and it was very watery.  My 4th pick.
• This one had some chunks of tomato and onion in it, although very small.  It was medium spiciness.  My 5th pick.
• This one LOOKED very hot.  It had tons of visible pepper flakes floating in it.  It really wasn't that spicy, but had the most interesting flavor of the bunch, a bit smokey.  My favorite.
• This one was slightly green, and I figured was going to be a mild verde sauce.  So wrong I was.  This was crazy hot! My least favorite.
• This was creamy, with a mild tomato sauce. I expected to like it, and did.  My second favorite.
• This was very watery, very mild, basically just a tomato sauce.  But the tomato flavor was good.  3rd pick.

I didn't really love any of the salsas, which was sad, because they had so many.  The salsa bar also included chopped onions, cilantro, lime wedges, radishes, etc.

Prawn Taco.  $2 Happy Hour, $3.50 regular.

At Happy Hour, the regular tacos are all $1.50 (they were $1 last time I was there, prices went up!)  They have a slew of choices (12!), but, I don't really like chicken, pork, etc, so I decided to go for a seafood taco, even though they cost $2 pre-tax, thus putting me a whopping $0.18 over my initial LevelUp credit.  I'm glad I splurged, as this was clearly more my style.

Like many other tacos I've had, they came double wrapped.  The tortillas were warm, soft, but a bit soggy.  I wasn't a fan.

The taco was filled with a bunch of shredded iceberg lettuce.  Not much to say about that.  And my choice of salsa - mild, medium, or hot.  I went for medium, but honestly didn't taste any spice whatsoever.  The salsa seemed to just be chunks of onions and very under-ripe tomatoes.  I know it isn't tomato season, but they weren't good at all.  These components were all incredibly underwhelming, and they were plentiful.  It was impossible to take a bite of the taco without stuff spilling out all over the place.

Also included in the taco was some form of creamy sauce.  I have no idea what it was, as it wasn't listed on the menu at all.  It seemed almost vinegary, a bit strange for a creamy sauce.

And finally, the prawns.  There were 3 good size prawns, butterflied, and grilled.  They were a bit rubbery, but I think that is pretty expected for grilled prawns.  I liked the grilled flavor, and the fact that they were grilled to order (unlike their standard tacos, where the fillings are already prepared and sitting in vats).

My taco also included a bonus: an eyelash!  Slightly gross, but I understand how that happens.

Overall, it was ok, but I wouldn't get again.

Pancho Villa's tacos are significantly smaller than many others I've encountered.  This explains why everyone in front of me was ordering multiples.  The Happy Hour price is obviously good, but compared to the $2 Taco Tuesday ones available at Nick's Crispy Tacos, Pancho Villa's are much, much smaller.  However, their ingredients seemed higher quality than Nick's, and of course they include chips too.  At the regular price of $3.50 ($3 for non-seafood) however, they are close in price to Tropisueño's fish tacos (and more than their standard tacos), where they also include chips (hot, fresh, and about 3x as many), an INCREDIBLE salsa bar, and the tacos are much bigger, and way higher quality.  So Pancho Villa is an ok value, but I'd pick Tropisueño  any day.

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