231 Ellsworth

231 Ellsworth
San Mateo, CA
(650)347-7231
http://www.231ellsworth.com/

I came here twice and tried different items each time. The restaurant was dim and spacious. Tables were set far apart from each other, and the furniture was very rustic and old fashioned, which brought out the elegance of the place. The food is pretty good. I chose the 3 courses the first time, and 4 courses the second time...and both time I left with a super full but happy belly.

Diver Scallops

I recommend the scallop, braised beef short ribs and the foie gras. The scallop was very fresh and sweet. The roasted beet made the scallop even sweeter when eaten together.

Pan Seared Artisan Foie Gras

 I had the foie gras twice, once with peanuts and one without (due to friend's allergy). I actually prefer the one without the peanuts because the foie gras is heavy enough already.

Braised Beef Short Rib

The short rib was divine. It was so tender that it breaks apart with a scrape of a fork. The sauce is very rich and a bit salty. The white beech mushroom is so good with it. They were very generous with the Italian butter beans and yellow wax beans that lies underneath the beef. I couldn't finish all of it.

The service was very nice. I really like the amuse bouche they bring out in between some of the courses, and of course, the candy cart that the waiter rolled out toward the end of the night. I felt like a kid in a candy shop. The wine pairing was pretty worth it for the pre-fixe menu, you get to try a different half glass of wine for each course of the meal.

Ruth Chris Steakhouse

1601 Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 673-0557
http://www.ruthschris.com/

Aside from the infamous House of Prime Rib in San Francisco, I kept hearing about Ruth Chris Steakhouse when the topic of steak comes up. I came here on a Saturday night for table of 6. Upon entering, the restaurant was lit dimly, was filled with rustic decors and smelled buttery and meaty.

I ordered the economy meal from their menu, which I get the choice of salad or soup, choice of an entree, and a chocolate cheesecake. I decided on a spinach gorgonzola salad and a filet mignon from corn fed Midwestern beef with vegetable.

The food at Ruth Chris was exactly like how I described the restaurant. The food lacked colors since everything was either grilled with loads of butter or covered in cream. Our waiter even warned us that the hot plate is covered with butter, and then more butter was poured over the steak when served...because everything taste better with BUTTER! I tried to be healthy and ordered vegetable side, but I failed because the veggie was covered in oil also.

The food was delicious since it was overly greased. My filet mignon was thick and super juicy and tender. But I was done after eating half of it since it was quite heavy.
After I was bloated, the chocolate cheesecake arrived! It was thick, richy and creamy. As

full as I was, I ended up eating half of that cheesecake because it was delicious! The fruit with the belvarian cream was a nice balance.

Overall, the experience was great. Our waiter was nice and helpful. The food was heavy but delicious, but I would think twice before I ever go back since it was too much food and grease for me.