Kin Khao - San Francisco, CA

I came to SF with a bunch of recs, but trying to eat here is hard. It's a food mecca for sure, but you have to wade through the sea of overpriced Michelin monarchs to find something affordable that doesn't require a 11:59 PM login for a reservation 3 months in advance. 

Kin Khao will give you that quality without the hassle at lunchtime, reasonably-priced, elevated Thai food that doesn't lose its colorful flavor profile despite the top-notch ingredients. 

The Som Tum Papaya Salad is a an underrated starter. The strips of papaya are julienned into perfect, even strips. The surface areas is spread with a mix of spicy chili that bites, cool lime to refresh, and a mildly funky fish sauce, all of which soak thoroughly into each shred. 

The Pretty Hot Wings have a little burn, but they're bearable even for a spice novice. The fish sauce sweetens the sriracha, the garlic adds some punch, and the hint of tamarind brings the acid. Add a Thai tea if you need to wash it down. 

Eat your vegetables. The Stir-Fried Choy Sum is light and white with garlic and barely soy for salinity. 

We will try the entrees. All the entrees. 

Khao Mun Gai, is a THainan chicken, juicy slices blanched and poached. I never did get the cult following behind this chicken, but with a perky sauce and a bed of addict-making rice in chicken fat, I can see where they're coming from. 

Yaowaraj Noodle is named after a Bangkok Chinatown street. It's a drunken noodle, stir-fried with chicken and egg. The XO sauce is the seasoning, and you can adjust the side of chili-soak to your level of desired pain.

The Khao Soi is my favorite. I love that deep, warm curry. The chicken is warm, the broth finish just a little sweet, balanced by pickled mustard greens, all clinging to ropy egg noodles. 

I didn't expect to be blown away by some noodles and wings, but I'm guessing Michelin didn't either. If this is lunch, I'll have to come back for dinner. 

Teuscher Chocolate - San Francisco, CA

For the price of an inexpensive lunch, you too can indulge in a few pieces of Swiss luxury. Turns out, the watches aren’t the only thing from that country to fetch a price.

My favorite is the Florentine, a nutty dark chocolate cracker, fine flakes of almonds and hazelnut.

The Orange Slices are candied and gooey, and I love the half-dip. But I would have been happy with just that one orange slice...or 50.

The Honeycrunch is a nugget of crushed almonds and hazelnuts. There's a hint of honey, but I wouldn't have minded more. The chocolate is just so perfect though. 

Switzerland. Known for neutrality, covered in luxury, and these creamy, smooth little masterpieces are sure to keep the peace. Very pricey and NOT a regular indulgence, but worth a treat yo'self or a gift for someone you really, REALLY like.  

Waterbar - San Francisco, CA

They had me at dollar oysters. And I thoroughly enjoyed watching everyone else eat them. 

Actually, that really sucked because they were clearly amazing. But I did get the Oven Baked Oysters as a consolation prize, and they were actually amazing. The first cooked oysters I've actually liked since French Laundry. These oysters keep the flavor, and the texture stays tender instead of going to mush. The garlic butter highlights the sweeter notes, and you can't go wrong with some parsley and bacon. 

I think they called this giant thing a pancake. It's a mountain of fluff, and an order comes with two. Split this one if it's what you're feeling. A person can only eat so much dough. The stone fruit is great, though, and it fills a craving for the breakfast side of brunch. 

The oysters are fantastic, and the view is hard to beat. I'll come back when I can eat more seafood and I imagine I'll like it a whole lot better. They make good food - I just wish I could have tried more of their specialties.

Angelini Osteria - Los Angeles

It's a small dining room, and it's packed every night. Impossible to get a reservation at a decent hour, and I've been trying to months. 

It's still light out at 6:30 PM when we sit down, but I'm just happy it's not 9 PM. We munch on crisps over some complimentary starters: a briny cold salmon with pickled red onions and soft raisins and a neutral, hearty farro with peas. 

The Polipo is amazing. The octopus is tender with gooey, grill-curled edges, cocooned in crisp arugula to add a peppery spice.   

The Roasted Veal Bone Marrow is possibly the best thing I've had this year. I don't know if it's how they make it or if the veal marrow simply concentrates the savor, but this buttery trough of fatty decadence packs so much flavor. There's a pillow of asparagus and saffron gnocchetti beneath, like gnocchi ripped to shreds, a bed of textured, saucy bits in aged balsamic.

The appetizers are blow-you-away quality, but the pastas leave me rather meh. We're spoiled by the effortless al dentes of Pasta Sisters and casual counters of Jon & Vinny's, and Felix Trattoria rules them all. It says something about the depth of noodle-making in LA when I can take a bite of Linguine with Santa Barbara sea urchin with a shrug. The pasta is flawless, but the sauce is a bit more harsh brine than I like, and that's saying something. The garlic roughs up the edges instead of smoothing them out, and the seafoam sting finishes rather harshly. 

The problem with all Potato Gnocchi is that although they are delicious little pillows, I've never had a gnocchi reach the depth of other pastas, like chewy ribbons of pappardelle or sauce-clinging spirals of fusili. Their gnocchi is great, and I do love lobster, but the sauce is just a basic tomato, and it overshadows the more delicate flavors of lobster. 

We skipped dessert in favor of Milk, which sits conveniently across the street, and that says something about our experience at Angelini. The apps are great, but at this price and with this much hype, I expected a whole lot more. Nothing bad, and service is impeccable, but there are too many favorites to return to and too many newer, better places to try. 

Huntington Library - Rose Garden Tea Room - Pasadena, CA

Even if you're only here for the food, be prepared for the most beautiful stroll through the rose garden to afternoon tea. 

The room is small but the noise levels are fairly contained, and the service is attentive with just the right amount of pampering.

There's a fair list of great teas, but we're sticking to the caffeine free this late in the afternoon. The Caramelized Pear has a rich caramel flavor, and the Rose Hips and Hibiscus is floral and fragrant. 

The Scones are dense, one savory with the tang of sun-dried tomato and parmesan, one sweet with dots of berry. Load on the lemon curd and clotted cream. 

The mains add up to a light but hearty lunch/brunch, each finger-sandwich as unique as the last. You can't have tea without a Cucumber Sandwich, and this one freshens up with microgreens. Egg Salad sits in a pastry cup, uplifted by a sprinkle of truffle salt. I love the little cheesy Quiche, and The Onion and Parsley has a nice pop. There's a sweeter-finish Chicken Salad that has a nice ratio of meat to mayo. I can't eat the Salmon, but it sounds like plenty of people would gladly help. 

The desserts are always fun, but it's hard not to fill up on sandwiches first. The Key Lime Tart is bright and custard-y, the Rose Tea Panna Cotta is a lovely cream. Fresh strawberries would be better if dipped in chocolate, but you can always combine it with the Chocolate Cup and mascarpone cream.

A family-friendly experience, a fun side-trip from admiring the books and art galleries. Pricey but not outrageous, I'd come back again with family for sure, but I do wish they'd at least give you break on admission to the library. 

Maccheroni Republic - Los Angeles

Guys...I’ve hit a new low. 

I stole food from a pregnant woman. A very pregnant woman. Like undeniably, you would run to open the door and give her your seat on the bus pregnant. I ate at least five extra bites of her pasta. 

It was the Bianchi & Neri, ropy noodles in white and ink. I don't know what this cream sauce is, but it's good enough to drink. It has savory notes that cut deep and linger, the pancetta and mushrooms like crack to the taste buds. The giant shrimp are tender and fresh, but this sauce can be a standalone. 

I played it safe with Spaghetti and pesto. Gooey bits of nutty basil encase each strand with cool comfort. The pasta is perfect, as is everything on this plate.

Time for dessert. Eat the one that melts the fastest. Swirls of Strawberry and Vanilla Gelato highlight tangy summer fruit and cold sweetness.

The Crema di Vaniglai is all sorts of indulgence, a thick and creamy custard that balances dark and light with chocolate and caramel half n' half. 

I love this place. Fantastic pasta, homey comfort food, perfect for a casual lunch or lingering dinner. They nail the staples, but they get creative too. A friend once told me he has yet to find good Italian in LA. He clearly hasn't been to Maccheroni Republic yet.