“Best Cioppino I’ve Ever Had at Dobbs Ferry SF” – Grace Ann Walden, food critic

Dobbs Ferry is a California Bistro in the Hayes Valley district of San Francisco that marries West Coast cuisine with old school, small town New York style. Retired San Francisco Chronicle food critic Grace Ann Walden knows her stuff when it comes to good eats around the Bay Area. She will appear on KGO 810 AM on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011 at 11 a.m. with host Brian Copeland to discuss great food. Visitors and locals are never disappointed when they sign up for a Walden Food Tour. The regular weekend offerings go to North Beach, Nob Hill and Chinatown in San Francisco, introducing you to some of the best cuisine in the City. For tour information or to be added to her distribution list: send an email to gaw@sbcglobal.net or call her (415) 302-5898. Here are a few food tours offered in California.

Grace Ann Walden, food expert gives tours & food reviews. Here’s one of her recent reviews:

Dobbs Ferry SF, 409 Gough Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 tel. (415) 551-7700

• Decor: Lots of Dobbs Ferry and East Coast photos.
• The Drinks: Full bar and an extensive wine list.
• Appetizers: One terrific and weird sounding appetizer — the pizza frites. Strips of dough are deep fried and served with a nice marinara and chili flakes. ($4)
• I also had Mike’s signature sweetbreads, milk poached and dressed with a light mustard vinaigrette, a bit of bacon on frisee greens ($14).
• Entrees: I hate to say the best ever, but the cioppino here is the best I’ve ever had, slightly beating out Alioto’s, Sotto Mare’s and back in the day, Caffe Sport. The basic dish is chock full of pieces of fish, shrimp, mussels, clams and calamari in a light wine-tomato broth. ($26) It is garnished with two crostini with romesco. Because it was the beginning of the crab season, I chose to add half a crab (plus $12). Oh, heaven. If there is just one reason to live here, it’s got to be the crab. I took about a third home. Yes, heaven the next day too.