Ristorante Buon Gusto - Italian, South San Francisco

224 Grand Ave, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 742-9777
Parking: street parking and pay parking lot next door
Hours: Mon-Fri Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm, Dinner 5pm - 9:30pm; Sat 5pm-10pm; Sun 4:30pm - 9:30pm
http://www.buongustorestaurant.com

Last Visited: November 1, 2012

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

The owners were raised in Sicily and opened the restaurant in 1988.  Walk into the restaurant and it is a bit reminiscent of 1980s/1990s decor.  The lighting is a bit dark and the full bar in the back looks well-stocked.  We had a party of about ten for lunch during our visit, and we were seated in the nook area near the window.

The host/owner was very friendly and we had let him know ahead of time that we had a limited time to eat lunch.  He was very accommodating, but service from his servers could have been improved by more attention to detail.  Things seemed disorganized as the water and bread arrived before we ordered.  I had ordered appetizers ahead of time and it seemed like the execution of the delivery of these and the coffee after dessert could have been better.

- Mozzarella Caprese - Large pieces of mozzarella are topped with a leaf of fresh basil and both are placed on top of a fresh slice of tomato.  Olive oil, salt, and pepper top the salad.  The tomato was pretty bland, but the basil was fresh.  I wasn't particularly excited about this dish because it seems like it should only be offered seasonally when the tomatoes are ripe and flavorful.  $8.50

- Fried Calamari - The calamari was breaded lightly and tasted good.   Half order $8.50

- Pork Osso Bucco (special of the day) - All lunch entrees are served with a choice of soup or salad.  I selected the salad and found the vegetables (lettuce, carrots, a cherry tomato, and a jarred pepper) to be fresh, but very overdressed.  Most of my dining companions had a noticeable amount of dressing still on their plates even after finishing the vegetables.  Thankfully, the osso bucco was delicious.  The marrow was super tender and the tomato based sauce had really mingled with the meat well.  The broccolini and carrot were fresh and the polenta with tomato sauce was a rich side dish.  f you have the chance to try the osso bucco, definitely don't miss out on it.  The portion is also quite generous for lunch. This was definitely a four star dish.

In general, I found that the plating could be a bit better.  You can see that the salad dressing has dripped onto the side of the plate and the presentation of this and other dishes could be a bit cleaner.  The food at Ristorante Buon Gusto is good, and greater attention to detail as well as serving more seasonal items could easily move their ratings up a star.  Overall, it's a convenient location for decent Italian in South San Francisco.

Ecco - Mediterranean, Burlingame

322 Lorton Ave, Burlingame CA 94010
(650) 342-7355
http://www.eccorestaurant.com/
Parking: pay parking lot nearby
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, Sat-Sun 5:30-10pm

Last Visited: February 4, 2013

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

I went to Ecco for a business lunch and found them very accommodating.  I had worked with Chef Tooraj to arrange vegetarian options ahead of time and found him to be very helpful.  We arrived just past noon and had a change in the number of attendees.  They reset the table and were able to accommodate our group at one table.  Attention to detail was good, but not spectacular - for example, one of the place settings was missing a fork and another was missing a butter knife.  With two primary waitstaff, they seemed to have a little difficulty with welcoming guests and serving at the same time. In general, they did a good job.

They were very kind in offering to give us single serving crab cakes rather than plating as they normally would. This attention to detail definitely helped them make the sale too.

- Dungeness Crab Cake (single serving) with greens, mango and avocado relish - The crab cake is definitely one of the top crab cakes that I've had.  It's crispy on the outside and doesn't contain much filler.  The mango and avocado relish was refreshing and paired well with the warm crab.  The cake was served over a nice bed of lightly dressed greens.

- Wild King Salmon with roasted potatoes and winter vegetables - Another very nice dish.  While the portions are on the petite side, the salmon was very nicely done.  Crispy on the outside and just barely cooked through, the salmon was not dry and had a lot of great flavor.  There aren't too many potatoes - in fact, I wouldn't have minded more.  Each component was very nicely done.

Ecco is accustomed to hosting the business lunch crowd and has good food served in a simple, elegant presentation.  Each element is fresh and while servings are petite in size, the quality of the food is good. I would definitely go back to Ecco. 

Jiro Dreams of Sushi - A Must Watch Film

While I don't normally write about movies, I had to share a short blurb about Jiro Dreams of Sushi.  This documentary is about Jiro, owner of a three-star Michelin restaurant located in a subway station, whom has dedicated his life to the art of making and perfecting sushi is pure delight for foodies and an inspiring story of hard work and dedication.  Plus, you get the inside scoop on selecting tuna, massaging octopus (yes, you read that right - it's a method of tenderizing the meat), and making tamago - egg sushi.  

Who knew that a 20 minute meal could be such an amazing experience?  The only drawback to the film is that after watching, you will crave sushi, and not just any meal, but one that exhibits the perfection that only Jiro can provide.  This is a must watch!