Social Bird:Esin Food Family expands to Layfayette

Recently we went to Lafayette for lunch at a new restaurant called ‘Social Bird’.

Curtis and Esin, owners of renown Esin and Revel in Danville recently opened up this new foodie, fun place.  Located in the the old Yankee Pier restaurant in downtown Lafayette, it is open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

It has a classy, comfortable ambience and a menu similar to Revel. There is also an extensive list of wine, beer and cocktails.  You can also eat at the bar and enjoy watching sporting events on the big screen TVs that are perfectly located over the bar.

We began with the avocado bruschetta with pickled peppers, crispy shallots and sea salt that we shared at the table.  For the main course, my wife, ordered the grilled Mary’s chicken breast with arugula farro, roasted beets, sherry vinaigrette, feta cheese, and avocado cream that was fresh and light. Our friends ordered the grilled wild prawns and fried chicken buttermilk sliders with Napa slaw that brought many smiles and kudos. I ordered the Snake River farms Wagu burger with homemade pickles, hand cut fries on a fresh challah roll that was cooked to perfection. The roll was also one of the best I have experienced on a burger.

For dessert, there are a variety of coffee, teas.  Cognac, ports and cheeses to choose from and of course a nice selection of the ‘famous desserts’ by Esin.

Like ‘happy social birds’, we shared the warm apple crisp with whipped cream that was heavenly. The Granny Smith apples were very fresh and full of flavor.

In conclusion, we all agreed that this is a great addition to Lafayette and we would return soon.

For more information and to make reservations go to:

 https://www.social-bird.com/

Maybeck’s: Famous Beef Wellington

For New Year’s Eve this year we experienced a special treat with a fantastic dining experience in San Francisco at a restaurant called Maybeck’s. This modern Italian-American restaurant is owned by
Erik Lowe and Aaron Toensing previously from BIX and Fog City. Both individuals bring a wealth of cooking expertise to this iconic American mid-priced restaurant located at Scott and Lombard in the heart of San Francisco’s Marina district.  

One of the house favorites is the Beef Wellington which we ordered as our main entrée and we were not disappointed.  In addition, their elaborate menu will satisfy any ‘foodie’ appetite. An extensive wine list and assortment of cocktails are also available. There is a $25 corking fee if you bring your own wine. We brought a bottle of Jesse Katz’s Aperture Cabernet Sauvignon that paired well with the Beef Wellington.

We were pleasantly surprised when Erik sent us a tasting of Hamachi on a forbidden rice cake with avocado and a serrano chile. It was a great way to start our dining adventure. We would also recommend trying the chopped salad and the garlic bread.   For dessert we enjoyed the Dark Chocolate Molten Cake and the sensational Spumoni ice cream.

Maybeck’s has nightly specials and we look forward to returning on a Sunday night where they feature Spaghetti night.  The fried chicken can also be ordered at any time.

We would highly recommend that you add this San Francisco restaurant to your ‘must do’ list.

For more information and to make a reservation at Maybeck’s go to:
http://www.maybecks.com/