Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
149
offer. With wooden floors and wainscoting, dar k green walls, and close-together tables,
the overall ambience is comfortable—albeit crowded. With desserts like ginger cake with
pumpkin ice cr eam and caramel sauce, and do wn-home prices to boot, it 's easy to see
how this place stays so popular.
215 Church St. (at Market St.).
&
415/552-2469.
www.chowfoodbar.com. Kid's Menu, Highchairs, boost-
ers. Main courses $4-$9 breakfast (weekdays only); $4.50-$11 brunch (w eekends only); $7-$14 dinner.
DISC, MC, V. Sun- Thurs 8am-11pm; F ri-Sat 8am-midnight. Muni: F-M arket or J- Church str eetcar t o
Church St. Station, and then walk
1
/
2
block south on Church St.
16
THE RICHMOND & SUNSET
EXPENSIVE
Cliff House Bistro
AMERICAN Come here for the view and the histor y. The Cliff
House building sits on a bluff o verlooking the Pacific Ocean, with vie ws to the nor th,
west, and south. Moreover, it boasts a rich history. Three U.S. presidents visited the first
1863 Cliff House before it was destroyed by fire. In 1886 local millionaire Adolph Sutro
built the second Cliff H ouse, but 11 y ears later it, too, burned do wn. In 1909 S utro's
daughter built the third Cliff House, which was eventually acquired by the National Park
Service.
In late 2004, the Cliff H ouse reopened following a $19 million r enovation. A stylish
modern wing featur es an expensiv e r estaurant, Sutro's, wher eas the mor e traditionally
styled side of the building houses the mor e casual Cliff H ouse Bistro. Both r estaurants
boast breathtaking views. The Bistro's decor, with old-fashioned tile flooring and mor e
than 200 photographs of bygone movie stars, is charming. The menu is the least impres-
sive part of the experience. In my book $27 is a lot for a crab Louie, especially when it 's
too salty. But in fact the view is so priceless, it may well be worth it. Just be sure to come
during daylight hours and stick to simple dishes like fish and chips, which ae pretty good
and, at $16, tolerably expensiv e. A smar ter option may be to or der a scramble, F rench
toast, or even a salad off the breakfast menu, which is less pricey and available daily until
3:15pm.
1090 Point Lobos Ave. (Geary Blvd. turns int o Point Lobos Ave. west of 48th A ve.).
&
415/386-3330.
www.cliffhouse.com. Highchairs. Reser vations not ac cepted. Main courses $8-$17 br eakfast; $13-$27
lunch; $13-$28 dinner . AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Sun-Thurs 9am-9:30pm; F ri-Sat 9am-10pm. Muni: No .
38-Geary bus to 48th Ave., and then walk 1 block or transfer to no. 18-46th Ave. bus.
5
MODERATE
Aziza
MOROCCAN Attention to detail is the watchword at this North African
oasis nestled in the city's most multicultural neighborhood. The arched ceilings, Moroc-
can lamps, hand-painted Arabesque plate ware, and traditional M oroccan dishes will
transport you to a distant continent. The food is lo vingly prepared using local, organic
ingredients. The
bastilla,
saffr on-braised chicken and almonds baked in phyllo dough
and dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon, is out of this world. It takes 25 minutes
to prepare, though, which may be too much of a wait for tir ed, hungry kids. Everyone
will be pleased with the classic “couscous Aziza”: vegetables, grilled chicken, prawns, and
spicy lamb sausage on a bed of steamed couscous. Grown-ups may opt for the Moroccan
spiced prawn
tagine,
and kids will enjo y the chicken br ochettes—made with naturally
raised poultr y, of course. The lighting is muted and the mood gets mor e adult as the
evening wears on, so plan on arriving early if y ou have younger kids. That said, families
