Appreciating Good Things

Flying fish grill- Carmel by the sea🇺🇸🌊
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(5/5 stars)
Food rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: This quaint Japanese 🎌themed subterranean restaurant in the center of downtown Carmel has been around for 28 years. While they have hardly changed their menu since they’ve opened, they continue to bring a layer of innovation to every dish no matter how traditional it may seem. ✨
We ordered the Yin Yan salmon🍣 which was a sesame crusted baked salmon fillet paired with a very savory and creamy soy based sauce, Angel hair pasta🍝, tobiko, and avocado🥑The salmon was perfectly crunchy on the outside but moist and flaky on the inside. Every element complimented the next elevating the dishe’s flavor in every bite.
We also ordered the calamari special🦑 and the shrimp 🍤and vegetable tempura🍠🥕. Because of the restaurant’s close proximity to the sea🌊, they bring in fresh locally sourced calamari every morning. That makes the calamari uniquely flavorful! It was also paired with a chili 🌶garlic 🧄sauce that brought a new twist to an otherwise simple dish. The tempuras was all perfectly cooked with a light batter that allowed the vegetable to highlight its flavor as soon as you took a bite.😋
Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: all the servers have been working at this restaurant for a long time, and you can see their passion for the food and history shine through. They all work as a team to ensure you have what you want when you want it💨. Our server in particular went the extra mile to ask the chef 🧑‍🍳to spli the dish we were going to share to make it more easy to enjoy. It’s these extra thoughtful details that make this restaurant a joy to go to.

Mo’s Grill, San Francisco CA🇺🇸
Food rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
COVID rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Food review: This casual spot in the heart of north beach is the place to go when you want classic American🇺🇸dishes using the highest quality ingredients. We ordered their bacon cheese burger🥓🧀🍔which was grilled atop a grill with volcanic rock🌄. The burger was exceptionally juicy, and they actually ground their meat daily to prioritize the quality of the meat🥩and ensure maximum flavor. We also ordered the “Very good salad” 🥗plus grilled chicken 🍗 which had perfectly balanced sweet and savory flavors like avocado🥑, cranberries, blue cheese, pears🍐, and tomatoes🍅. The chicken was also cooked to perfection and had just the right amount of charr flavor. Best of all, their prices are very affordable and the service was also very attentive. Highly recommend this spot when you are looking for classic staples in the heart of the vibrant✨north beach neighborhood.
COVID review: This restaurant has a large outdoor dining area that is first come first serve. The tables are very well spaced out and are sanitized frequently. There is also a covering over the outdoor seating area so it is safe to dine there even if it is raining. The staff also always wore masks which also made this spot an excellent option for safe dining.

Ignite @ Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, AZ
Food: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
COVID: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Food: This restaurant inside of the Ritz Carlton is called Ignite because all of their dishes have a fiery twist to them🔥. We ordered the Sonoran burger 🍔that had a bacon jam 🥓and hatch pepper cheese🧀 which definitely brought up the heat to this classic dish. It was cooked perfectly and was juicy and tender. The Caesar salad 🥗brought on the heat with their very char grilled chicken that gave you a smokey🌬taste with every bite. The only reason this spot does not receive the full five stars is because the churros for dessert included a spicy chocolate sauce where the spiciness completely overwhelmed the flavor of the chocolate🍫.Overall, highly recommend a visit to this secluded spot deep in the mountains.
COVID: This restaurant receives a perfect score having tables very well spaced out outside along with the entire staff wearing masks😷and gloves the whole time. Very safe spot to eat during this time.