Restaurant recs?

[kryscat]

Rob and I are thinking of going to get fondue tonight, to celebrate anniversary #1 (1st date & handfasting). What's good? Rob's been to one on Van Ness... We'd also like to hear what lj-land has to say about restaurants for the wedding anniversary on the 29th. Nice but not absurdly expensive. Figuring we should branch out from our usual neighborhood standby, Firefly.

Suggestions welcome. Thanks!

Edit: We're hoping for restaurant recs *in* San Francisco. We may go try La Fondue one of these days, but it looks like we'll be visiting Matterhorn tonight. Thanks for the suggestions so far. :)

Comments

[djinnaya.livejournal.com]

La Fondue in Saratoga is, in my humble opinion, the only reason to ever leave San Francisco to eat. It is beautiful and delicious and an experience. The last time I went there, we ate dinner for 3 hours.

Sadly, I don't have any good celebration restaurant ideas, but, if I were you, I would ask Hilary and Adam, as they are my sorce of such information. The seem to know a zillion fabulous places that are special occasion places, but not stupid expensive. Of course, I can't remember any of them now... hrmph.

[urox.livejournal.com]

The wild turkey is my favorite there! We'll sometimes just get a plate of that.

[nytemuse.livejournal.com]

Second (or third) that! La Fondue rocks, esp the dessert. It's kind of at the border of Saratoga and Los Gatos, I think.

http://lafondue.com/

I've been to the one on Van Ness that you mentioned (the Matterhorn, I think); I wasn't that impressed, but La Fondue keeps drawing me back.

[mcalamari.livejournal.com]

Eh, I'm not a big concrete jungle type of person ...

While you probably can get a great fondue in a resteraunt, I would think that a European grocery might have some really amazing Emmental and Gruyere and instructions (verbal likely) on how much wine and I *believe* flour to add. Sorts of defeats the idea of going out, but fondue is something I think *should* be consumed in excess. :9

not absurdly expensive...

[urox.livejournal.com]

By this, I'll assume you mean in the range of La Fondue and hope my memory serves correctly:

* Arcadia (http://www.sanjosemarriott.com/dining.html) at the San Jose Marriott really is quite excellent. Don't go on a Monday.
* Lavanda (http://www.lavandarestaurant.com/) in Palo Alto
* Three Seasons in Palo Alto (upper scale asian)
* Tamarine in Palo Alto
* Viaggio (http://www.viaggiorestaurant.com/) in Saratoga
* Osteria in Palo Alto

Oh ghod, now I'm looking at menus of my favorite restaurants and getting hungry!

[vicious-wench.livejournal.com]

No recommendations for fondue, but it's probably too late anyway...
So, what kind of food, and describe your price range a bit? (Absurdly expensive can mean different things to different people). (you can email me if you'd rather). We know a number of good French and Italian places in different neighborhoods (and some other food types too, but...)

[kryscat]

Hmmm... Rob's not into French. Italian is fine, and it'd be good to have more places to try out. California or fusion is good, and, well, most styles really. We'll care very little about the wine list, btw. Up to $50/person or so? W/o wine & such, since I've never been much of a drinker and Rob will go for good beer instead. I dunno. Pretty open, though the menu has to contain some stuff that Rob's not allergic to (fruit, including tomato, being the sticking point).