Matterhorn (SF)

*retroactive blogging...need to remember to take more photos @ next dinner club!

Fondue anyone?

Jen, Becca, & Jocelyn picked me up for a warm meal @ Matterhorn on Van Ness and it was just ok. Wait, let me clarify! The company was awesome as always, dessert was perfectly yummy, and we definitely brainstormed several business opportunities for our group. Parking sucks during the week because they only run valet over the weekend and most importantly, the "main course" was....ehhh.

Upon the server's recommendation, we ordered two different cheese fondues that tasted way too similar to each other to be considered separate menu items. They were both waaaay heavy on the wine that was perhaps not cooked off long enough? Not that we're ever a group to turn down too much wine, but it led to a particularly odd flavor, one that could not be ignored enough to enjoy the cheese thoroughly. We received loads of mushrooms, bread, apples, and potatoes and I suppose the apples were the top of my list to dip in the over-wined cheese. Really, I was just biding time until the large pot of chocolate showed up in front of me! On that subject, we really had nothing spectacular to observe. Unfortunately, I'd recommend a trip up to Larkspur for the chain fondue restaurant, The Melting Pot over this place. Or to Saratoga for La Fondue; for $105, you too can enjoy alligator/crocodile/ostrich/buffalo fondue. It's just a bit more difficult to secure a reservation there.

Select Matterhorn when looking for a place to entertain the out-of-town grandparents (mine would love it!) and most certainly not those queasy about double-dipping. As one dinner club member mentioned, "As much as I love sharing germ infested food, I'm going to have to pass on dinner. Thanks anyway."

• All cheese fondues served with a mixed green salad and fresh baguette. $36.00 for two people.
• "The Oh La La " Fondue Normandie
• "The Original Fondue Valaisanne
• The Chocolate Fondue for two $16.00, three or more add $6.00 per person. Blend of milk and dark chocolate with dipping fruits.

Foreign Cinema (SF)

Dinner Club #1 was a hit! We ended up scrapping the NOPA idea and instead, Jocelyn took us to Foreign Cinema. Although we didn't partake in the restaurant's notable entertainment feature, the food was great, wine plentiful, and laughs were definitely abundant. Some started with asparagus soup (I think?) and there were a couple of marche salads with beets and goat cheese. Then, main courses included an extravagant "fruit de mar" plate (assorted raw/cooked shellfish and crab), some tuna tartare, and Sarah had a v.healthy-looking, flaky, white fish (halibut or cod? hmmm...). I, on the other hand, went non-seafood/non-healthy and had a beautifully curried, fried chicken with marinated raisin chutney and fried garbanzo beans - v.decadent and v.yummy! Can you tell that I didn't pay that much attention to the other girls' dishes?

Dessert really didn't leave enough to talk about...although, Joc surely initiated a healthy debate about proportion of ingredients to make a perfect strawberry shortcake. What was it, 3/5 strawberry, 1/5 whipped cream, 1/5 shortcake? Becca thought they should've been macerated strawberries, Jen appreciated the wholeness of the berries, and I silently chowed down on a pot de chocolat with a crispy chocolate cookie that Jen and I "shared". No doubt, I ate a healthy majority of that one.

We missed you girls who couldn't make it out, but look forward to continuing this fun, new trend!

Dinner Club Officially Initiated!

Here's the email to announce the first venue for the "eating-is-cooler-than-reading" dinner club I'm doing with 9 of my girlfriends who live in the San Francisco bay area. Becca and I had been chatting about how our little group would go through too long of a spurt of not seeing each other and that was just unacceptable. We thought that maybe we needed a regularly organized night, once a month, to more consistently be in each others' presence, but were certainly NOT enthused about initiating a BOOK club. Would we really read?? Hmmmm....what else did we like to do? A shopping club? Nah. Ooohhhh...we like to EAT.

What a perfect plan to explore more of the dang eateries for which this city is so thoroughly known!

"Hi girlies!

I have a new dinner club rule: don't place blame on the dinner club host if you think the place is absolute crap! Sound fair? Of course, I have to create this rule as it's time for me to declare the very first venue for our dining pleasure! drumroll.........NOPA on Divisadero & Hayes @ 7pm (time is flexible pending people's schedules!

This place comes courtesy of Jamie's GQ magazine and its article on cool, hip restaurants in metropolitan areas that serve yummy food late into the night (this one serves food until 1am). I know, I know, who looks at a GQ for restaurant recommendations, right? But check it out, Tara, Devon, and I ate at the GQ recommendation for Chicago this past Friday night and it was DELICIOUS! For your reference or to send onto folks that are looking for late dining in Chicago, it's called Avec.

Anyway, I trial tested some dishes with Jamie (celebratory dinner for me winning a work trip to Key Biscayne, Florida) tonight and I think we can all find something to like. Not claiming that everyone has to do so, but since it was our first go-around, I felt the desire for a trial run. :)

So, check your calendars, look at the menu (particularly the dessert menu), take some cash outta the atm (for ease of splitting the bill), and RSVP to me by next Tuesday, March 27th.

Looking forward to seeing all of your happy faces!!"