Good Eats in San Francisco

I suspect we don't have a whole lotta readers in sunny California, but we do try to give credit where credit is due when it comes to good eats. So.....

If you happen to find yourself in Modesto and need a good 'dress up place' where you don't have to actually dress up,' we recommend Galletto Ristorante. Now, its true that they do in fact have moderate "dress up" prices, but the food is well worth it and the service is exceptional. Galletto is owned by the Gallo wine people, so it isn't exactly mom-and-pop, but it still counts as independently owned in my book!

Down at Fisherman's Wharf on the San Francisco Bay, we heartily endorse Nick's Lighthouse. Okay, we DID choose it solely because of the name - it is one of many seafood joints on the wharf. They all offer the same spectacle of streetside sales (and piles and piles of crabs still moving their claws around...eww, sea spiders!!!) And they probably all offer similar dishes at their sit-down restaurants...but Nick's is worth the visit just so you can marvel over how they prepare so much good food, so fast, despite the fact that they have a galley kitchen approximately the size of an SUV. Besides, how can you place up a joint with such a great name?

....You didn't actually expect us to go without pizza for three days, did you? We were, after all, hanging out with Chef Nick's Canadian Counterpart, Daddio. We visited Extreme Pizza in Modesto and we all agreed it was very good pizza (not as good as Nick's or Daddio's, but to be fair it is a different style than either of us serve.) With franchises in several states and even one in Ireland, they come dangerously close to being a chain, but if you are ever faced with a choice between Extreme Pizza and Enormous Corporate Giant Pizza, don't hesitate to choose the former!