The House Restaurant: A Hidden Treasure in North Beach, San Francisco

In the barrage of Cal/Asian/Fusion restaurants that abound in San Francisco, none impress me more than The House in North Beach. No, you won't find hip, beautiful people there. Or a valet. Or even a fancy schmancy bar to hang out at. What you will find is fresh, innovative dishes that will keep the endorphins rushing to your brain. Let me take you through a typical meal at this fine establishment:

1) First, make reservations if you go on the weekend. Or, get there before seven. If you promise to eat quickly sometimes you can finagle a table before the 8 o'clock reservations show up. And try to get a table up front. The larger parties are usually sat in the back of the room and tend to get really loud.

2) After you are seated, you'll get a small dish of pickled cucumber slices (very tasty), and the incredible menu. I've tried pretty much all the appetizers and my top recommendations would be the Tempura-Fried Blue Lake Beans (not greasy at all) and the Chicken and Shitake Mushroom Potstickers. Both come with delicious soy-ginger dipping sauces.

3) For entrees, fish is the way to go. They do serve steak specials and pork, but I think their forte is the seafood. The Chilean Sea Bass with Garlic Noodles is excellent. The Sea Bass is very buttery and rich, but is balanced by the sweet soy dipping sauce that accompanies it. The Seared Ahi Tuna is also very good, and the Scallops with Chive Gnnochi will suit you well if you're in a pasta mood. One tip: If you're really diggin' the garlic noodles that come with the Sea Bass, try the noodle and beef dish. It's a combination of the same noodles (just a lot more of them), with slices of beef (or salmon if you request it). There are also many good seafood specials (that aren't on the menu) that are worth trying.

4) Okay, dessert. All I can say is that for a Cal/Asian/Fusion restaurant, they make a damn good apple pie. It's an apple crisp-type of homemade pie that comes a la mode. Couple that with a good cup of coffee and you're ready for food coma heaven. Trust me, I've done it many a time.