Tangerine - San Francisco

Good food, lovely surroundings and fun, if a little slow, wait-staff. Some of the food was very good while other dishes were trying a bit too hard. The descriptions are beautifully worded on the menu but you do not know what you are going to get until it arrives on your plate. For foodies, this place is hit or miss. But if you are not a gourmet then the lucky hits combined with the atmosphere are worth the trip. Being within easy walking distance to the Castro doesn’t hurt either. Speaking of food, their Mahi-Mahi was heaven on a plate, perfectly seared in garlic and unbelievably moist while the chocolate gelato with orange slices- and you must eat it with the orange slices- was very satisfying. The tempting sounding yam cakes fell surprisingly short, with every bite the obvious experiment of a risk taking chef. This dish was so off in fact that it made you wonder if the chef had even tasted the finished product. My girlfriend’s appetizer, the sashimi tuna, was a similar unpleasant experience-oily and hard to eat, yet our entree’s were terrific. So what you get seems to depend on the night, the menu and your luck but for a tasteful escape from the noise of the Castro, you just can’t beat it. Rainbow note: Tangerine is mostly frequented by gay male couples and a few straight ones. My girlfriend and I were the only lesbians in sight, but we were treated beautifully by the staff and felt right at home.