Lazy Bear

So the cost of the tasting menu was around $400 with all of the fees. The food was tailored around the theme of nostalgia and used a lot of local ingredients including seafood and vegetable and fruits. The dining experience is communal but I was cut off from the other party with the floral arrangement which made it a pretty isolating experience. Which could be good or bad for you depending on if you want socialize. The meal started off with a very earthy, floral tea. One of my favorite dishes was the slice of corn whatever you want to call it with caviar. Overall, the food was good. I felt really rushed. The experience is supposed to be two and a half to 3 hours but I was done around 2 hours or less. They also moved me before the dessert course to the upstairs room which was kind of uncomfortable. I thought I was being moved because they overbooked but nobody ever sat in my seat. I would have preferred to stay at the table. I was the only one up there. A lot of the dishes are very heavy. There wasn't much to break it apart in terms of something light or acidic. There was just a slice of peach during the duck portion. But then I was really full, plus being kind of rushed, the course after that was wagyu which I couldn't really enjoy because there was no breakup of flavors and well time. The duck breast was very good and then there was a box that come with a duck liver moose and beef jerky and a couple of other things. After the wagyu was the dessert which at least the melon was refreshing and then I did like the strawberry shortcake. The desserts were the weakest part of the menu for me. But overall I just felt rushed and kind of uncomfortable. I guess I expected it to be a bit more how do I put it... Cohesive? Comfortable? I didn't expect any flaws. I didn't love every dish. Do I think it was worth what I paid? I am not sure. Would I go back? I don't think so. I'll also add that I asked a couple of times for the drink menu, but I just got suggestions and didn't realize I would be paying $60 for two drinks on top of the meal. I could have just gotten the wine pairing at that rate. Some things were really good but I think they could have been enjoyed even more if I felt like I had time to savor them. There are a bunch of different servers that come at different times and they do provide a lot of information about each plate, which is great but also, just ease up a little. Part of the atmosphere is part of the food experience and feeling anxious or nervous because of the pacing doesn't really add anything to the experience in my opinion. But overall stuff was pretty friendly. I thought they were a bit stiff on their deliveries sometimes which surprised me as well. But it was a good experience. Something new at least. Have I had tasting courses I enjoyed more for a lot less? Yes.

Truly Michelin quality food and service. The menu is very inventive bust at the same time captures local flavors as well as nostalgia. The staff is highly attentive and knowledgable of all of the food and beverage offerings, which is a lot of information to process. Despite the fine dining flavors and service, the restaurant is unpretentious with an inviting and cozy atmosphere and no formal dress code. You are treated like a guest, not a customer which is the level of service that should be expected when spending Michelin prices.

I don't really know what to say. I know it sounds cliché but words can't do it justice. I was shocked right away by the hospitality. The moment I entered the staff was so sweet and helpful. We showed up early and they kind of ushered us to a nice bar nearby where I had a great experience. When we came back we were welcomed eagerly and treated like we were old friends. This would be the theme for the night. The table setting came with a "field guide" and pencil which had a sense of childlike whimsy that followed through the night. We were allowed to write notes (without any pressure!) and as we did throughout the night the staff seemed so delighted in how much fun we were having. The decor was peppered with bears, which as a big fan of the animal I appreciated. This is atmosphere. Every moment of my experience felt rich with an exciting, bubbly energy. The food told a story. Every ingredient either had rich roots in the bay area or told a tale of collaboration. It felt as though everything on our table had made its home here. The execution on the food was master class, sparing no details but never including things just for the sake of seeming upscale or elaborate. I can say confidently I have not had a better meal. But to call it a meal feels silly. Really, it was an experience. A trip to Disney World feels cheap and boring by comparison, and I can't stress that enough. We asked so many questions and we were encouraged to (I cook quite a bit so it was an honor) and the chef himself even answered a few, merely a few feet from where I was sitting as the kitchen was right next to us! For the dessert course we were brought upstairs and as a couple it was nice to get a little quiet time in a dimly lit mezzanine, served on a coffee table. It was the wind down of the evening with dessert wines and treats. But even still everything came packed with such fascinating stories and everyone we asked could answer every single question we had. Magical. On our way out we were given a cute little bag of breakfast coffee and an apple cider loaf. I was then ushered around because I was peeking at all the bears (I'm a bit obsessed with bears) and they encouraged me to find the one in the mural! At most places I would feel awkward but by then the staff felt like friends. It never felt like an imposition to look and talk or to do anything. I won't tell you where the bear is, though. We were given a card congratulating us on our 11th anniversary and I made a joke to my boyfriend at the time that if he popped the question now I'd say yes. Joke was on me because I came home to an array of lights and flowers in my back yard, and a man on one knee holding a ring. I couldn't imagine a more perfect night. Even the music playing was rich with musicians like Belle and Sebastian, which I am a big fan of. And yes, Dear Catastrophe Waitress is the best album. There isn't enough thanks I could give to the incredible staff and to the chef for creating such a magical experience. I cannot possibly imagine a better night to have. Please just go and bring a friend or loved one. Ask questions. Make friends. It's an experience like no other. Get the wine pairing. Get dessert. Spare no cost, let go of your shyness or your seriousness, and have fun!

We visited Lazy Bear as a party of four. Walking in the restaurant you notice the cozy cabin-like setting - great atmosphere where you are seated at a large wooden table together with other guests, but still have some separation between the seats so that it doesn’t feel invasive or too crammed. We had the tasting menu and the wine pairing, and we have also purchased the Château d’Yquem wine tasting at the end. The food: I had a pescatarian version of the menu. They accommodated the menu very nicely, most of the dishes were the same as the regular menu, without the extra meat/broth/wagyu (these ingredients were replaced with others). Overall I found the food tasty, however none of them blew my mind. The wine: There is a little more to unpack here. The wine pairing was..interesting. In my view some of the wines (especially the white ones) did not really make sense with the dishes. One of the wines was a “Lazy Bear special” from 2000 (or 2002, can’t remember exactly). The waiter serving the wine seemed to be really careful to pour LITERALLY half a sip of the wine in our glasses. We kindly asked if they could pour a little more (since it’s a wine pairing WITH the food, you should be able to enjoy your wine during eating your dish, not have it already finished after the first bite). We got poured a little bit more. Overall these interactions made me feel as if they are trying to save on the wine (which should never be the case at this pricepoint). Most of the wines they served were quantitatively too little. Any other Michelin star restaurant I’ve been to they serve a normal amount where I don’t have to worry about finishing the wine after 2 bites of the dish. The dessert wine tasting: After finishing our meal we were escorted upstairs for the dessert and the Château d’Yquem pairing that we purchased. When we arrived upstairs, the wines were already poured in the glasses, just waiting there in room temperature. I have never seen such setting before, where they don’t show the bottle of wine they are pouring from. The vintages served were 2000, 2010 and 2015. Honestly, they might as well have been different vintages, given that I didn’t see them pour it and haven’t tried enough vintages to be able to identify them. The desserts came, which were tasty. On top of the disappointing presentation of the Château d’Yquem tasting, they just came and poured the dessert wine that was part of the tasting (was a Tokaji) which has a significantly different taste profile as Château d’Yquem. Am I supposed to drink these wines mixed? It just felt messy and not coordinated overall. Given all the above points, I cannot give more than 3 starts on this review, as I expected better service especially around the wine, and it really influenced my experience here.

I visited Lazy Bear for dinner and desserts in early November to celebrate my birthday. From the time you enter, you move from the Mission to a cozy cabin in the woods. The amazing service starts immediately and continues throughout the whole experience. This experience definitely moves a bit faster than your average Michelin starred restaurant which for me worked perfectly and I appreciated it. The food was amazing, one dish was beans, mussels and mushrooms which I thought would be disappointing but it was absolutely Amazing. The wine pairings were excellent. We were moved upstairs to the Den for the dessert and dessert drinks which were cozy and lovely. I highly recommend this restaurant for a visit, make sure to book early!!

Lazy Bear continues to up their game. This was my fourth visit and it was magnificent.. The food was impeccable. The beauty and detail in each presentation were second only to the flavor. Everything perfectly prepared and perfectly presented. The wine pairing this evening was also spot on…. The food, the wine and the service continue to improve …. Could a third star be on the horizon? Maybe? They are absolutely killing it right now.