Today's review roundup includes: Lime, Trattoria Vogalonga, Mijita.
SF Chronicle's Michael Bauer gives Lime two and a half stars (247 Market St. (between Noe and Sanchez), San Francisco; 415-621-5256):
. . . Early in the evening, the crowd is dressed for a party -- men in collared shirts with the tails fashionably askew and women in low-cut slinky dresses and killer pumps. As the evening goes on, the patrons seem to pair off into same-sex couples. It makes for great people-watching, which is about all you can do when the DJ blasts tunes through the speakers and the drinkers crank up their voices to compete. Unlike most of the lounge-restaurants that have proliferated in the past few months, Lime actually seems to have sustainable energy and a menu well-suited to the concept. The homey but worldly selections are grouped on the menu by price, ranging from $5 to $10.
Chef Sharon Ardiana has designed an eclectic menu that has loads of winning combinations in every price category. . .
. . .The menu travels the globe for inspiration, but the concept holds together because the food is familiar -- ricotta gnocchi ($8) with white corn and mushrooms; pork quesadillas ($7) in a rich mole sauce; tandoori chicken skewers ($7) accompanied by a yogurt dipping sauce spiked with cucumber, mint and onion; and Moroccan lamb chops ($10) that are spicy and salty enough to fuel another round of cocktails. However, the couscous underneath the lamb didn't really add much to the dish and defeats the idea of finger food, unless you're OK with eating Moroccan style.
SF Chronicle gives Trattoria Vogalonga two stars (3234 22nd St. (near Mission Street), San Francisco; 415-642-0298):
The menu is classic Italian-American with a few inspired tweaks. For example, the restaurant offers two kinds of carpaccio, one classic, one modern. Paper-thin, almost see-through slices of beef neatly cover a small plate in the classic carpaccio ($7.95), with a sprinkling of capers and a handful of spicy arugula. The chef could have skipped the sauce on top, though, as it tasted like a mix of yellow mustard and mayonnaise. A squirt of olive oil is all the dish needs. The salmon carpaccio ($9.95) is definitely not traditional, but it works. Thin slices of fish are layered on the plate, just as in the classic, but they're cooked briefly under the broiler until just done. We'd be happy just munching the briny fried olives on top, but the crumbled feta also is a nice touch.
. . . Main courses varied, but the pizzas made us swoon. The cracker crust, thin layer of cheese and sweet tomato sauce made the classic margherita ($10. 95) so good I couldn't stop talking about it for days. In Italy, cheese and seafood are usually not mixed. Nevertheless, the gamberi pizza ($12.95) with sweet shrimp comes together with the heavy dose of garlic, a sprinkling of basil and mozzarella cheese.
. . . Don't skip dessert; this is a date, after all. Zabaione ($6), a frothy mixture of egg yolks, Marsala and sugar made to order is properly eggy and boozy, served in a goblet with strawberries. Can you get any more romantic? Panna cotta ($6) had the consistency of a block of cream cheese, but the smooth vanilla flavor was nice.
SF Examiner's Patricia Unterman reviews Mijita ( Ferry Building @ Embarcadero at Market Street, San Francisco; 415-399-0814):
The Mission District is full of really good taquerias that feed people delicious, affordable and quickly prepared food. I always maintain that San Franciscans have no reason to eat at franchises when we have so many independent Latin American and Asian venues for cheap, tasty bites. So I wondered what Mijita, opened by no less than three-star chef Traci Des Jardins, would add to the taqueria genre.
As it turns out, a lot. Des Jardins' simple little taqueria in the Ferry Building is like none other in San Francisco. She applies the same principles of purchasing she uses at Jardiniere and Acme Chop House. She gets ingredients from local farmers, ranchers and fishermen, many of them selling a few steps away at the Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday farmers' markets. The raw materials she uses are pure -- antibiotic-, hormone- and pesticide-free -- and that includes everything from the pork in the carnitas and the beef in carne asada tacos, to the corn masa that goes into the hand-patted tortillas. With ingredients of this pedigree, she creates extraordinarily buoyant, bright-tasting food. A meal at Mijita does not sit at the bottom of your stomach all day.
. . .Mijita works on every level. I love the cheerful, tiled open kitchen and the congenial staff; the view; and most of all the food. To me, Mijita feels genius. It's my favorite Des Jardins food operation, and that's saying a lot considering that her other two restaurants are Jardiniere and Acme Chop House. This woman has found her true calling building tacos behind the counter at Mijita.
