I’ve been debating whether or not to submit a write-up of Elite Cafe on this site. You see, the Girl’s Guide only includes places that we love and highly recommend to others. And, while Elite Cafe is fine and you’ll get a perfectly good meal here, there are so many restaurants in San Francisco that are better.

Okay, so why did I bother writing up the restaurant? Simply put: It’s the biscuits. They are awesome. I would come here again and again just for those rich, buttery biscuits.

Here’s a little background: After changing ownership last fall, Elite Cafe was temporarily closed for renovations. One of the new owners is Joanna Karlinsky, formerly of the Meetinghouse restaurant, which had the best biscuits in town. When Elite re-opened about a month ago, the menu retained many of its classic Southern dishes — and the old Meetinghouse biscuits were added. And I can’t even begin to tell you how much I missed those biscuits after the Meetinghouse closed several years ago.

In addition to the biscuits, my recent dinner here included cornbread; fried zucchini, okra, artichokes and sweet onion rings; deviled eggs; jambalaya; and Cajun French fries. There were three of us dining, so it wasn’t just me eating all of this food. It didn’t seem like we ordered too much, but we walked out of Elite feeling really heavy (almost to the point of being sick).

So this is my recommendation: Go here for brunch (beignets, another Southern favorite of mine, are available then); or just purchase a frozen pack of the biscuits to take home and bake yourself. They are so very good. Yes, I’m craving them right now as I type this!

Elite Cafe
2049 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 346-8668

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Stepping into this six-month-old restaurant, it’s hard to believe that tapas bar Timo’s once occupied this same space. With Range, Phil and Cameron West (formerly of Eos, Delfina, Bacar) have created an industrial yet sophisticated dining destination in the Mission. A signal light baring the restaurant’s name is by the entrance. Staineless steel stools line the bar. The main dining room in the back is filled with zinc-topped tables, mirrors and brown leather banquettes.

Soon after being seated in the back room, I ordered one of the house cocktails: The Devil’s Kiss — a mixture of vodka, pomegranate juice, lemon juice and sparkling wine. It was a good start to what would be a three-hour meal with my three dining companions. We never felt that the service was slow; rather, it was just a nice leisurely dinner with friends.

The starters on the table included pumpkin soup with maple sugar butter; hamachi with avocado, cucumber and tangerine broth; and poached pears with celery root and sheep’s milk feta. I could easily eat five orders of the citrusy sliced hamachi — it was so good.

The entrees did not disappoint either. Our table agreed that the lamb osso buco, bavette steak with spinach gratin and potatoes, and slow-cooked steelhead were all tasty and clearly made with high-quality ingredients. The steak may have been our favorite, as it was quite tender and flavorful.

For our final course, the four of us settled on the cheese plate, the chocolate almond butter cake, and the egg nog souffle. The latter would be my top pick; it was light and sweet, with just a hint of egg nog.

Overall, we found the ambiance, service and food to be wonderful. The only complaint I have is with the noise level; we had to raise our voices from time to time in order to have a conversation, and I could easily make out what the table next to us was discussing.

Oh, and of course, parking in the Mission isn’t always the easiest. But it’s worth the search for a delicious dinner at Range.

Range
842 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 282-8283

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Okay, I admit it: I don’t work out — no yoga, no running, no gym membership for me. But, I like wearing clothes that are comfortable (who doesn’t?), and it just so happens that athletic-wear is really comfortable. Plus, thanks to lululemon, it’s also really stylish.

On a recent visit to the store, my sister — an avid gym-goer and runner — and I both managed to find something to our liking. Her picks: the shape tank, the deep v-tank and the whisper tank. (She deemed the latter cute enough to wear out and about.) For bottoms, the reverse groove crop and gaucho crop were especially comfortable and flattering.

As stylish as they are, the beauty of the garments is really in the details — jackets with credit card and key pockets, taping and ironed-on labels to prevent irritation, locking zippers. The Silverescent line — which is indeed made with silver thread — is anti-bacteria and anti-stink. All lululemon pieces are pre-shrunk, so the way it fits you in the dressing room is the way it will continue to fit you once you get it home and wear/wash it a few times. It seems like nothing has been overlooked. Even the pants come in regular and tall length. And, in case you’re short like me, you’ll be happy to know that the store offers complimentary hemming.

lululemon athletica
1981 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 776-5858

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I love this place. Plain and simple. The cakes, the tarts, the breakfast pastries, the pies, the cookies, the breads. I love them all.

I like to stop in here for a chocolate croissant or cheddar-chive scone in the morning, and then pick up some bread for later. My husband favors the baguettes, while I am partial to the specialty loaves: organic fig, apricot-ginger, dark chocolate-cherry and double raisin. It’s always a dilemma for me to decide which to get, because they are all so good. By the way, some of their baked goods are available at local Whole Food stores, and you can also find a Noe Valley Bakery tent at the Ferry Plaza farmer’s market.

We are both such big fans of the cakes here, we ordered our wedding cake from Noe Valley Bakery. Our favorites are the chocolate mousse (which has a hint of raspberry); the strawberry hazelnut (made with fresh fruit); and the lemon chiffon.

The next time you’re in the neighborhood (or make the trip to Noe just for this place — it’s worth it!), stop in and indulge. But be prepared for many repeat visits.

TIP: Don’t forget to check out the refrigerator filled with frozen doughs (cookies, scones, etc.) that you take home and bake yourself.

Noe Valley Bakery & Bread Co.
4073 24th Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 550-1405

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