House of Prime Rib

House of Prime Rib is notorious for...well...their prime ribs. 

Note:  Make sure you call ahead of time to make reservations.  Long before my trip out to San Francisco I knew I wanted to go here to celebrate my love with Eric, but the thought of reserving a spot for two didn't hit me until the day of.  That was a big mistake, but well worth the two hour wait.  The chances of us eating there was pretty slim, but the reservationist on the other end of the phone recommended coming in early.  Their doors open at 4 P.M. and we got there by 5 P.M.  

Parking is a nightmare in San Francisco so we pulled right up to the House of Prime Rib and valeted our car.  It's less of a headache trying to 1. find parking and 2. constantly feeding quarters into the meter.  Honestly, I think there was only 8 minutes to each quarter so within the 4 hours you sit waiting and eating at the House of Prime Rib, it equates to having your car valeted ($9).  

For walk-in's you want to make sure you put your name on the list and you're sitting in and around the waiting area, it can take a long time before they call your name and so you want the option to sit down but also stand up.  This place fills up pretty fast so get there nice and early.  

As soon as we were seated into our little corner, our server briefly tells us how to order.  Basically there are multiple cuts of prime rib based off of thickness and size.  I ordered the House of Prime Rib Cut where it's a hearty portion of meat that's slightly thick and smaller in size.  Eric's King Henry VIII Cut is basically a big, thick, cut for fattiest of fatties.  A perfect size for King Eric. 

The prime rib is complimented with a side of mashed or baked potato, creamed spinach or creamed corn, salad, and Yorkshire pudding.  The server brings out a bed of salad atop another bowl filled with ice cubes and starts mixing in the vinaigrette by spinning the salad bowl and slowly pouring in the dressing.  This isn't necessarily my first time watching someone do this, but it adds an element of entertainment that just enlightens the whole experience.

A good 10-15 minutes later our prime rib comes out with our creamed spinach and creamed corn.  It smelled so good, we just wanted to dig right in, but before my anxious boyfriend devoured his big meat, I took a picture of his gleaming, happy face:

Isn't he cute?

Overall, I give this place 4 1/2 stars out of 5.  The succulent prime rib was tender, juicy, and scrumptious.    I just didn't care for the Yorkshire Pudding and the Au Jus sauce that came with the prime rib was a bit salty.  So for those who like less salty dishes, try not to drench the meat in the Au Jus.  Other then that, everything was great.  The experience, the food, and the atmosphere.  If you visit San Francisco, visit House of Prime Rib.  

It's one of those places that everyone needs to try once in their lifetime. 

<3 Lina Chen

 1906 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94109

415.885.4605.   www.houseofprimerib.net

Steak House: Clearman's North Woods Inn

After a long day of spending together, Eric suggested to get steak for dinner.  It was that or shabu shabu, but knowing my lover all too well, I already knew what we were eating for dinner.  I'd ask him multiple times which steak place we were going to, but he only responded with "you'll see."   As he pulls into the parking lot, my first impression was where are we?  We were at Clearman's North Woods Inn.

Funny name for a restaurant, right?  If anything the place itself looked really cheesy on the outside with fake snow covering the roof; the interior was that of a woodsman's cabin home: dark and dimly lit with a warm ambiance.  There was even a stuffed bear for decoration.   Surprise, surprise.   I wasn't too fond of eating here.  What  made me re-think about this place was that this place was PACKED!  By the time we had our names on the list, there was already about 10-12 groups ahead of us.   That alone was impressive.   I have to admit, my mouth was salivating by the time we got to Clearman's and knowing that I had to wait 45 minutes for a table was a tease. 

We don't normally order appetizers unless if it's a great deal or we can't wait for our entrees, but knowing that Eric loves shrimp cocktails, we couldn't resist.  There were five jumbo shrimps, slightly cool to the touch, laying on a  small bed of salad.  I wasn't all that impressed, but what could I expect since this place is more well-known for their steaks.  Later on our waiter comes to our table with slices of cheesy bread, salad that's drenched in bleu cheese dressing, and another bowl filled with sliced purple cabbage (for those who like to mix the cabbage with their salads).  

The salad and the cheesy bread hit the spot.  The cheesy bread seemed a little bit too cheesy after the first bite, but I made sure there was a 50:50 ratio between the salad and the cheesy bread  so  that there was a balance in my mouth.  I love bleu cheese dressing and so I couldn't help myself for another helping or two.  By the time my medium-cooked, 35 oz. porterhouse arrived I was hungrryyy and happyyy!  Presentation wasn't all that great but that didn't matter after taking a bite of this big juicy meat.  It's so good, you have to try it for yourself.  

We don't normally go to steakhouses, but when we do we go out with a BIG... SCRUMPTIOUS... BANG! 

<3 Lina Chen

7247 Rosemead Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91775

626.286.3579.   www.clearmansrestaurants.com