Cupcakes and Kimchi

Brews and Brats at the Biergarten

2012-01-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

This is a winning combination if there ever was one:

Really good beer (one hefeweizen, another pils in 1 liter steins)
+
2 juicy bratwursts, 1 uber fresh, doughy pretzel, a heaping mound of sauerkraut, plus plenty of horseradish and mustard

Oh, and prime seating at one of the many picnic tables dotting the Biergarten because CD and I had queued up just 7 minutes after the doors opened—or gates as it were. Winter hours are from 2 to 8 pm on the weekends. We hung out in the Biergarten til well past 5, the weather was so lovely—downright summery in fact.

The only tiny criticism: the sauerkraut could've done with a bit more pop by way of a good dousing of vinegar. Otherwise, what a fab way to wile away a weekend afternoon, catching up with a good friend and enjoying the ebb and flow of the happy folks surrounding us.

Nombe's Ramen Noodles

2012-01-08T11:35:00.000-08:00

When I'm feeling under the weather, I can't think of anything better than inhaling a piping hot bowl of pork tonkotsu ramen. This here noodle dish is from Nombe in the Mission. The milky broth was ever so hearty and heartwarming. And I swear it nipped my cold in the bud. Or I'd like to think so anyway.

Commonwealth's Chef's Tasting

2011-12-30T15:37:00.000-08:00

Commonwealth, "a progressive American restaurant in San Francisco's Mission district," does a fine job with its chef's tasting menu. Lonely Planet pal AB and I met there a few weeks ago per her glowing recommendation. The line-up was not only pleasing to the eye, but to the palate as well—for the most part anyway.

It started with an amuse bouche of the crunchy granola persuasion, comprising thin slivers of raw maitake mushroom drizzled with honey, laying atop a sprinkle of pine nuts. Presented to us on rough-hewn slate slabs, the au naturel opener was less to AB's liking than mine—we both agreed it had a true forage feel to it, like we were taking a trek in the woods.

The foie gras bon bons served with half-rounds of quince, tonka bean and Szechuan peppercorn were a step up from the mushrooms, though I'd have preferred the foie gras less chilled and sans chocolate. The strong, bittersweet flavor of dark chocolate seems better off saved for the end of the meal vs. introduced in the beginning.

Commonwealth's standout dish was the crispety-crunchety deep-fried Jerusalem artichokes, sharp and yet sweet onions cooked in hay, tiny soft-boiled quail egg, sprinkling of chickweed and radicchio leaves, resting on a beautiful bed of quinoa.

I'm not going to say no to a good scallop, and these were seared oh so well. Though scallops seem to be on every hot SF restaurant menu, this dish was made unique in its accompaniments: vadouvan (aka Indian spice blend), pumpkin puree, black rice, nasturtium (both the flowers and leaves), and a nettle emulsion.

I appreciated that my moist and tender quail came out as tiny medallions—much easier to pop in my mouth than to work on a little carcass of a bird with fork and knife. It came with crispy curls of parsnip, bitter chicories, fig leaf, vanilla and a beurre rouge (or red butter sauce).

And the finale: chocolate played a part, and rightly so. This peanut butter semifreddo with chocolate ganache outer shell and sprinkling of frozen popcorn was essentially a fancy PB&Choco candy bar. Thumbs up, we say.

Blue Plate Special

2011-12-30T13:19:00.000-08:00

YH and I popped into Blue Plate one weekend last month with the hope that the always hoppin' outer Mission eatery might be able to take us sans rezzies. Success. The hostess squeezed us in between two seatings with the stipulation that we'd need to hightail it in an hour and change. We were happy to oblige.

What you see here: a big block of creamy chicken liver pate with a drizzle of pomegranate and aperol, honey, pistachios, caramelized cocoa and grilled bread to spread the lovely goodness on.

We had a few other Blue Plate specials as well—including the soft and springy grilled Monterey Bay squid with chickpeas, blackened eggplant, pimenton and sorrel. We rolled out of there and on to our next party super happy and beyond satisfied.

Lovely Locavore

2011-12-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to report that Bernal Heights has got another great restaurant to brag about (the other one being Blue Plate, and Front Porch is pretty good too). JA and I dropped in to not-quite-year-old Locavore last weekend and loved the freshness of the food, the showcasing of the SF Bay Area's seasonal ingredients, and the super friendly service.

Among other things, we had the fish croquettes, which were blistering hot and deep-fried to perfection. (My queen-of-the-deep-fryer mom would've been proud.) They sat atop a mellow sauce of roasted garlic aioli, along with tangy pickled onion slivers, and sharp shoots of cilantro and watercress.

My crumbly beef meatballs were well-seasoned, the whole wheat noodles al dente. The dish came in a savory beef broth, accompanied by wilted spinach, vella cheese and sweet roasted onion. It was exactly the kind of rich, comforting food I wanted on a blustery winter night.

Empanadas at La Mar Cebicheria

2011-12-15T20:25:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty damn picky about my empanadas, having been spoiled by the stellar quality of the empanadas at old haunt Caracas in NY's East Village. So imagine my delight when I cut into my perfectly crispy-on-the-outside, molten-and-moist-on-the-inside empanada de tamalito verde at La Mar Cebicheria on the Embarcadero not so long ago.

Filled with sweet corn, cilantro and queso fresco, and served with a salsa criolla (or onion relish) and an uber-spicy Huancaina Rocoto (queso fresco and red pepper) sauce, this dainty hot pocket was everything I'd hoped it would be. Compare this with the limp and lifeless empanada I had at Tacolicious the next day, and it absolutely roared with flavor and contrasting textures. Yes, of course empanadas hailing from Venezuela, Peru and Mexico are different. But this I know: Sad and soggy they should definitely not be.

Tacolicious Tacos

2011-12-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

New York pal DY was in town and coming down with a cold, so I took him to newly opened Tacolicious in the Mission to get him a piping hot bowl of posole. Typically, these spicy Mexican soups are made with chicken, but the Tacolicious version had shredded pork swimming in a chile pasilla-tomato broth, accompanied by chunks of avocado, cotija cheese, crispy tortilla, cilantro and other herbs to add to the mix.

We of course had to try a bunch of tacos, it being Tacolicious. DY's fave was the Guajillo-braised beef short rib, while mine was the fried local rock cod with shredded cabbage and tangy crema as well as the taco of the week: the uber-rich and savory braised lamb in adobo sauce. Heck, they were all really tasty, stuffed generously as they were with deliciously tender meat. The chicken in mole sauce could've done with a touch more seasoning. But all in all, I enjoyed my meal, enhanced as it was by the "pasion"—a habanero-infused tequila margarita flavored with passionfruit and a good squeeze or two of lime.

Bacon Bacon Bonanza

2011-12-10T14:36:00.000-08:00

The Bacon Bacon food truck parked by our office one Friday not too long ago, thanks to our executive assistant whose got a penchant for good eats and arranges these foodie Fridays for the office. Having heard how tasty Bacon Bacon's pork-laden fare is, I hightailed it to the truck well before noon in hopes of beating the lunch rush.

Ahhh, the line was already 20 deep, but no matter. My meal was well worth the wait. The slightly sweetened sloppy sloppy joe, spiced up with sriracha and dressed with plenty of bacon, was a gut-buster-and-a-half. And man, was it delicious.

Souffle-tastic at Cafe Jacqueline

2011-11-29T23:12:00.000-08:00

I've lost count how many times I've had the pleasure of inhaling the perfectly pillowy and seasoned souffles that continue to parade out of the kitchen at North Beach gem Cafe Jacqueline these past 15 years and more. All I know is that the snowy-haired French whiz, Jacqueline, is still going strong. And I'm thrilled to know it.

Nearly four years later, my sister and I gave the corn, ginger, garlic and gruyere souffle another go. And it was just as rich and savory in all of its eggy glory—with the fresh flavor and crunch of corn adding lovely dimension—as we'd remembered it.

What was new for us was the blueberry souffle. I've had Cafe Jacqueline's chocolate souffle, not to mention the peach and strawberry renditions a number of times—they're all insanely good. But we wanted to try something new.

Wowza. Doused generously in the fruit's sweet juice and then topped with a bunch of the fresh tangy berries, the impossibly tall souffle comprised a dreamy combination of textures and flavors. We scraped both ramekins clean.

In Season: Persimmons

2011-11-27T16:40:00.000-08:00

On a recent visit to the SF Ferry Building, I noticed a bounty of fiery orange persimmons at a number of stands dotting the farmers market. Of course, I couldn't resist and bought a bag of hachiya persimmons (pictured here), which are ready to eat when soft to the touch (just like a ripe tomato).

Persimmons originate from Asia. And hachiya persimmons in particular are much loved by Koreans. I've got a strong food memory from a trip to Seoul, during which time I enjoyed large quantities of the sweet, juicy, heart-shaped fruits with my aunt. She'd bought a box full of the luscious ripe fruits and stored them in the freezer. Once frozen, we pulled them out and popped 'em in individual bowls, then took the stem off and started scooping away the insides with a spoon. Just like ice cream.

Persimmons = heritage = family = food = love.

Turkeyrific Holiday Feast

2011-11-26T15:51:00.000-08:00

Another year, another Thanksgiving gone by. This time spent in Tiburon at the home of dear friends with my sister in tow. My contributions included green bean casserole (from scratch, of course—compliments of Cook's Illustrated) and cheddary cheese twirls from a recent edition of Saveur magazine.

Needless to say I ate so much that I had quite the belly ache the next day.

But how could I resist when faced with as splendid a bird as this one. Brined and then roasted to moist perfection.

Not to mention a wonderful carbolicious train comprising wild rice stuffing, mashed rutabaga, roasted sweet potatoes, sweet cranberries and more.

Yep, I mowed through everything on this plate. (This does not include the 1/2 pound of hors d'oeuvre plus the pumpkin pie and apple crisp I also managed to consume.)

Welcome Wo Hing General Store

2011-11-20T12:26:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the neighborhood, Wo Hing General Store. The much anticipated "reopening" of Charles Phan's first storefront on the Valencia corridor finally took place last month, but rather than go with his usual (and outstanding) Cal-Vietnamese fare (a la Out the Door), it seems Chinese street food was the way to go.

And heck, YH and I were more than happy with the results.

Maybe it's because we started with the oh-so-smooth 50/50 Split, lovely cocktails comprising Plymouth gin, Dolin vermouth, orange bitters with a lemon twist.

But no. It was probably because the 5-spice local squid, lightly fried in panko, along with thin slivers of lemon, were ever so tender, ever so fragrant and ever so good.

Add to that Wo Hing's rendition of mapo tofu, unrestrained in its hot spice quotient with a good amount of seasoning and sauciness, which felt very Chinese-Californian and exactly right in this lineup.

The kicker to this meal: a fab dessert of super fresh, glutinous mochi rolled in black sesame filled with vanilla custard. The server cautioned us about the texture of the little rolls—those not familiar with the gummy, springy texture are often put off by it; but most Asians absolutely adore it. We were no exception.

Brunch at Slow Club

2011-11-19T18:34:00.000-08:00

If you're a brunch whore like me, then you'll appreciate Slow Club's awesome weekend line-up. JA and I had the best late morning repast I've had in a long while one Sunday not long ago.

The perfect marriage of sweet and savory: Turkey sausage hash with yukon gold potatoes, garnet yams, caramelized onion, roasted apples, butternut squash and sage, crowned with two delicately poached eggs, a sprinkling of wild arugula and cheddar cheese. I scraped the plate clean with the help of some moist, flakey biscuits and washed it all down with a creamy, smooth latte. Heaven.

Tasty Bites at Barbacco

2011-11-19T15:43:00.000-08:00

Three dinners at Barbacco in the FiDi, and each one a resoundingly good time. From the starters to the generous entrees, the lively trattoria does a really nice job delivering fresh, flavorful dishes along with a smart wine list that pairs well with the bright, spicy food.

On this third go 'round, AB and I delighted in the homemade spicy, smoked Calabrian soft salame (aka 'nduja) and gobbled up the impossibly rich duck liver fegatini smothered in an intensely sweet tangle of caramelized balsamic onions.

Alas, the poached oil tuna over arugula, which we'd ordered, came out incredibly salty, so we sent it back. The accommodating server suggested another salad in its place, and we decided, sure why not. Let's try the duck.

Ah-mazing. The best thing we had that night. The duck conserva was uber-tender and succulent, the perfect kind of savory that complemented so well with the crispy sweet apple slivers, salty ricotta salata and baby spinach leaves.

Addictive stuff. I could happily eat Barbacco's duck salad every week.

By now we were starting to feel the hurt. Our bellies were well on their way to filling up, but we made room for the giganto polpette, crumbly Sicilian meatballs made with ricotta and lemon sitting atop a generous serving of braised escarole.

Yes, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. The lamb sugo was probably the most pedestrian of all of the dishes, but was really quite well done—properly seasoned and the pasta al dente; it suffered for having to be compared against the rest.

Best Meal in Bordeaux: at Gravelier

2011-10-10T11:54:00.001-07:00

Actually, the meal I had at Gravelier was the the best of its class that I had during my recent 2-week jaunt through Europe and the UK. Thank you, Pierre (owner of the 18th Century barn of a house that BB and KG swapped homes with), for the great recommendation. It almost redeems you for your peculiar hoarding-tendencies. Anyway, back to Gravelier.

What a fab meal it was. In fact, I'll let the pictures speak to how formidable it was ... in flavor, color and texture as well as unique and complementary combinations.

For example, creamy foie gras wrapped in nori, sitting in the lightest dashi-vegetable broth, accompanied by a skewered shrimp brushed lightly with teriyaki sauce sitting atop thin, extra-crisp brioche toastettes. A surprising appetizer that absolutely worked.

Buttery fresh pasta with a bolognese sauce and a crown of peppery arugula accompanied by a chunk of moist fish flavored with a nutty pesto.

An amazing umami-esque dish of mushroom and tuna medallions.

A lovely medley of fromage, vegetables and proteins including tender pieces of lamb and beef.

Dessert is not Gravelier's forte, but I still appreciated this palmier-like pastry with gelee of fruit with melons suspended inside. Light and airy, fresh and clean. A good ending to a fantabulous meal.

The other dessert option was also solid: marinated minted peaches with grapes in deep-fried puff pastry and a little bit of ice cream on top.

Oyster-mania in Bordeaux

2011-10-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

The day I spent trailing on the garde manger station of a Manhattan restaurant where oysters made up one-fifth of the orders hitting the kitchen came in handy during my week's stay in the Bordeaux countryside when BB, KG and I had oysters not once, but four times. No one knew how to shuck the shellfish except me (though BB was a quick study)—and in most cases, the lusciously salty-sweet oysters were hard nuts to crack.

But man were they cheap. And the nice man at the Libourne open market gave us an even better deal on our first go at the bivalves, giving us the oysters priced at 4.5 euros/dozen for 4 euros, and throwing in a couple extra for good measure.

We rounded out our midday repast with a crisp, dry white wine, a lovely pate, plus a creamy fresh mound of burrata with melons, tomatoes and basil from the garden.

Honestly some of the best oysters I've ever had.

BB scored an even better deal on his second trip to the market, picking up two dozen assorted oysters that were equally as fantabulous for just 7 euros. Wowza.

Flanked with a lovely portion of paella, the oysters were one of the highlights of my trip to Bordeaux.

Bar Lunch at Hillstone

2011-09-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

The perfect lunch date with my dear friend and ideal man (save for that he's gay ... hmm, maybe that's why he's ideal) JW is one that's had at Hillstone's circular bar, facing out on the Embarcadero and the SF bay.

If I'm not chowing down on the honkin' Hillstone cheeseburger, I'll opt for the vibrant and vivacious Thai steak and noodle salad, which comes packed full of mouth-watering goodies. Besides the marinated beef filet, cooked a perfect medium rare, it's got big avocado chunks, roasted peanuts, luscious mango, sweet tomatoes and cilantro, all awash in a zippy Thai dressing. A tall, icy glass of Arnold Palmer rounds out this perfect midday meal.

Yes to Mission Cheese

2011-09-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

Well done to newcomer Mission Cheese. Lonely Planet writer/pal AB and I enjoyed 2 monger's plates for a total of 6 out-of-this-world cheeses spanning the American countryside from West to East coast and in between. Accompanied by a couple of lovely glasses of rose, we were 2 very happy campers sitting at the beautiful burnished-wood bar one fine summer's eve.

Makes me that much more excited for my impending journey to France ... cheese of all shapes and sizes, with bouquets ranging from floral to foot-y ... I'll take it all, merci beaucoup.

Yay, cheese.

Yummy Yummy Crab

2011-08-31T22:52:00.000-07:00

The spicy roast crab at Vietnamese resto Yummy Yummy is hands down the best of its kind in SF.

The uber garlicky-fiery chile sauce is out of this world. My folks, whom I took there while they were in town, gave it the highest of all compliments (in their book), saying this had exactly the flavor components of an excellent Korean marinade (mind you, I did say Yummy Yummy is in fact a Vietnamese establishment).

My ma, who doesn't really care for crab at all, couldn't help but sneak a leg or 2 or 3 onto her plate; it was the garlic-chile-onion-scallion-sesame sauce that she was in love with. And so was I—oh yes, and the crustacean itself was damn good too.

Black Bean Noodles

2011-08-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

Pasta of a different kind and equally as good ... this one—the black bean noodles (aka jia-jiang-mein)—hailing from Eastern Paradise in Honolulu, Hawaii.

I love this dish, which is available at certain Chinese restaurants catering to Koreans—typically, there's even a second menu written in Korean. The umami-rich, soy-based sauce also includes chopped onions and zucchini along with diced beef and shrimp. Some versions have squid and sea cucumber or diced potatoes; this one didn't. The whole thing is then topped with a julienne of raw cucumbers. I like to spike my noodles with a good swig of vinegar to give it a tangy bite.

Eastern Paradise's version was pretty good. But I've gotta say that San Tung's (which makes its pasta in-house) in SF is better. Sadly, I avoid that place like the plague because it's mobbed day and night (and no wonder, the food is really that good). I guess I'll just have to suck it up and go back. Maybe if I go on the early side of lunch over the weekend, the wait, not to mention the din and roar, will be minimal? We'll see ...

Homemade Pasta from Puglia

2011-08-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

Grazie, SM, for the fresh pasta, which I'm told hails from his hometown Lucera in Puglia. This exact type is called troccoli. The long, thick strands are traditionally cut with a special brass rolling pin, something SM's dad made to do up his own batches of troccoli back in Italy.

And so, a few of us got to partake of SM's lovely handiwork (something he does on a daily basis) one Sunday night not too long ago.

We enjoyed the filling pasta with a simple veggie ragu topped with grated Parmesan along with a side of peppery arugula and cherry tomatoes. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that are the most satisfying.

Hawaii Time

2011-08-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a refreshingly ice-cold margarita accompanied by some baja fish tacos along the water, palm trees swaying in the tropical breeze, to let you know you're now officially on Hawaii time.

Now this is living.

Benu Bedazzles

2011-08-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

I had a meal of epic proportions at uber fine-dining restaurant Benu ("I see rich people," I texted my pal AB as I waited for her to arrive), which took over Hawthorne Lane's spot in SoMa in just the past year. It was AB in fact who clued me in to Benu's worth—she had just finished writing up a piece on the incredibly gifted sommelier Yoon Ha. So, since I owed her a meal in return for the one she'd sported me at Coi ... here we were.

And what a mind-blowing meal we had, accompanied by some of the most inspired and creative wine (and sake). I told AB, "Let's become regulars." That's saying a lot, considering the pricetag on this place. But heck, Yoon Ha knows his sh*t and so does Chef Corey Lee (whose spent time in some of the most illustrious kitchens including The French Laundry). Koreans rock. Yes they do. Woooo.

Benu's cherry blossom granita with yogurt, cucumber and pistachio crumble ... a refreshing balance of tangy and tart with a bit of crunch and salt thrown in.

Abalone grenobloise with cauliflower, parsley and capers ... dusted and fried in panko, the shellfish was light and tender in consistency, and mild in flavor. The accompaniments brought the pop to the dish.

Creamy, sinful and oh-so-good foie gras steamed in sake, with the tiniest brunoise of peach, accompanied by kohlrabi, perked up by the bite of perilla sprigs, with a side of buttery brioche toast.

From the oak-acorn strozzapreti, Iberico ham, Himalayan truffle ... a lovely earthy, savory pasta.

This risotto was the dish that almost brought AB to tears—of joy, that is ... as I'm Korean (and we just don't do that kind of thing in public ... tiger moms don't condone such displays of emotion after all), I did not follow suit. However, that's not to say I didn't feel exactly as she did. The creaminess of the rice, flavored with corn and black truffle and given a generous helping of the most luscious sea urchin, which melted like butter on our tongues, brought us to our proverbial knees. We scraped the plate clean.

Duck with crisp-tender baby bok choy and jicama cubes. A really nice combo with a perfect sear on the medium-rare bird.

Andante Dairy cheese, compliments of another Korean ... oh so pretty and precious, really lovely stuff.

Almond brioche, apricot, buttercream, osmanthus ... A gorgeous-looking plate and equally gorgeous in flavor. The fragrant osmanthus flower is native to China and often used to infuse teas.

After copious amounts of wine and food, we were served a selection of scrummy truffles to go with our tea and coffee.

Phew. I gotta say, I'm beyond impressed. Benu really brought it. In spades.

In Season: Heirloom Tomatoes

2011-08-13T17:10:00.001-07:00

The best heirlooms are the kinds you can eat ...

Yay, for the San Francisco Ferry Building farmers market.

In Season: Berries

2011-07-09T21:58:00.001-07:00

Last month, I volunteered at CUESA's monthly food event that showcases what's in season. Right now, it's all about berries. Sweet, tart, tangy and delicious blackberries, raspberries, boysenberries, strawberries and blueberries—they're not all pictured here, but I got to take home about 10 pounds worth of the ambrosial fruit. Love the ferry building farmers market.

Maverick Still Does It Right

2011-07-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

It's been more than 2 and a half years since my one and only visit to Maverick. I really don't know why I waited so long to take a trip back to this marvelous Mission eatery. The meal the 6 of us had last night dazzled us all just as it delighted the folks 'round the dinner table a few years ago. From the uber-creamy mac n' cheese and overflowing basket full of fresh, springy sourdough bread to the super seasonal, harmonious and eye-catching entrees with their accompanying sides, there was no dish we didn't love. Kudos to the cooks in the kitchen. Next on the list: Maverick's down-home brunch. Stay tuned.

The house butcher plate was much fought over as Mr. C wanted to have it all to himself. However, after we pointed out how horribly piggish that would be, he relented—but only grudgingly. The prized plate included duck prosciutto, a country pork terrine, liver mousse, home-made cauliflower, carrot and jalapeno pickles, along with a wonderfully addictive smoked violet mustard.

Sweet and tangy baby beets accompanied by dots of smoked plum, a crumble of piquant Rogue River blue cheese, wheat berries, smoky guanciale and sprigs of slightly sharp watercress. What a beautiful and well-balanced dish.

Crispety-crunchety fried green tomatoes with a zingy chive-buttermilk sorbet, green tomato jam, lavender and purslane. I'd voted to pass on this dish, having tried it elsewhere and been underwhelmed at best. So glad we got it here, as I'm now a fan of the green orbs ... Maverick really does know how to make food look and taste good.

Moist and juicy flat iron steak with a lusciously smooth potato puree, crisp-tender root vegetables, oxtail vinaigrette and fresh blobs of horseradish cream.

Southern fried chicken cooked to perfection—the slightly sweet crust (was there cornmeal in there, we wondered?) was so crunchy, sealing in a moist, juicy bird. It came piled on top of dirty red rice, sauteed broccoli rabe and plenty of red eye gravy.

My dish: the pork shoulder presse (seemed like pork belly to me) ... a crisp topping with a flakey meaty interior, complemented nicely with a strawberry-rhubarb mostarda, sunchoke puree and chips, wilted Russian kale and green peppercorn.

I'm not a huge fan of tarragon, but these tarragon-shortbread cookies were tasty and well paired with a sweet Meyer lemon curd, stewed strawberries and home-made mascarpone (read: Italian triple-cream cheese).

Pour Coi

2011-06-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

Before I start to forget all of the precious details of my 3-and-a-half hour odyssey through the 11-course repast at oh-so-classy Coi, nestled among North Beach's strip clubs and cheesy stores peddling all manner of sex paraphernalia, I'm getting it "down on paper"—though I'll rely on the images to tell most of the story.

cracker with fennel seeds accompanied by some very nice bubbly

a delicate beet rose with yogurt and shaved rose ice

geoduck, manila clams and seaweed salad

one of my faves: fromage blanc with wheat grass emulsion, a crispety wheat cracker and other goodies

pea soup ... not your mother's kind

asparagus with seaweed dust and a lemon sabayon

super moist, super tender duck tongue and crunchy abalone salad

morels with popcorn, popcorn sauce and roasted potatoes

Prather ranch beef tenderloin with bone marrow

carrots and coffee with yogurt and candied nuts

strawberries with sorrel ice cream and buttermilk foam

Muscovado cake and crisps

chocolate paper

Pickling Party

2011-06-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

Koreans love pickles ... all kinds of pickles. Something about that sour-y, vinegary, sweet, tingly, tangy, fermented, fill-in-the-blank quality to the pickled vegetable or fruit tickles our fancy.

Happily, I got to attend a pickling party at J&J's not too long ago, where we canned several pounds of cucumbers, cherries and rhubarbs one lazy afternoon. OK, so the cherries weren't put into any kind of vinegar solution, but rather one favoring brandy and cognac. But since they were made specifically for Manhattans, which are meant to get a person pickled, we figured the shoe fit.

Delica Sushi So Fresh

2011-05-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

I've always liked Delica for its bento box lunches—fried croquettes, potato salad, chicken teriyaki anyone? But I hadn't yet tried out the sushi counter. Until now.

Wow. Sushi so fresh, sushi like buttah ... and the hamachi tartare with a drizzle of olive oil, diced shallots, chopped chives and kumquat slivers was inspired.

Bloody Good Marys

2011-05-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a bloody Mary to get your brunch on. I decided I'd order myself one of Peels' bloodies with extra olives on my first day in NYC.

Man, was it ever so spicy. Tons of horseradish to invigorate the soul.

I figured I'd filled my quota for bloodies that weekend. But when I went to go meet my ex-cook pal at Marc Forgione's in Tribeca the next day, I spied this at the bar: Grandma Forgione's spicy bloody Mary.

Stuffed to the gills with everything but the kitchen sink: citrus slices, a pickled jalapeno, shrimp, an olive and a chunk of dill havarti, it was practically a meal unto itself. And it had my name on it.

One recent afternoon, I talked to the bartender and bar manager at Bar Agricole about this fantabulous creation and got the smackdown "it doesn't fit our aesthetic" retort. Undeterred, I replied, "Ah, you think my taste runs towards trashy. That's cool." They were quick to deny it, afraid they'd insulted a guest (me). I didn't mind. Instead, I switched gears and made a pitch for getting a spicy bloody with a single shucked oyster floating on top—a la the Hundred Acres version, which I'd had the last time I was in NY. I'm hoping someone's gonna catch on in SF. The Bar Agricole folks perked up a bit, saying that sounded more in line with what they did. Sigh. If not Bar Agricole, then maybe Foreign Cinema? Hmmm ...

Trip to Caracas

2011-05-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

Snack time at Caracas in the East Village with the De Pabellón empanada: a piping hot-out-of-the-fryer crisped-up sweet corn pocket stuffed with a sweet-savory medley of shredded beef, sweet plantains, black beans and salty white cheese. Oh, and with plenty of there's-gotta-be-crack-in-this-tangy-citrusy house "secret" sauce sluiced into it. God, I love Caracas.

Best New Restaurant: ABC Kitchen

2011-05-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's ABC Kitchen was just named Best New Restaurant 2011 by the James Beard Foundation, and I can see why. "Artful design and exquisite, locally sourced food" are what got this gorgeous eatery the distinguished nod.

Anywhere from 70-85% of the menu is sourced from within 90 miles of the restaurant between the months of May and October. What that translates to is fresh food bursting with really bright flavors.

Some highlights of what we had at ABC Kitchen:

Rich, juicy cheeseburger with creamy herbed mayo and tangy pickled jalapenos with just a hint of heat to them. The garlicky side of herb-laced fries had the right amount of crunch.

Loads of moist peekytoe crab on crispy toast dotted with lemon aioli. Absolutely divine.

Fresh-from-the-farm sweet sugar snap peas balanced against sharp, slightly bitter endive spears dressed in a crumbly Parmesan dressing with fines herbes.

The Meatball Shop for Ice Cream Sandos

2011-05-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

The Meatball Shop in the Lower East Side hasn't just made it onto my must-have list of good eats because it's got this great make-your-own meatball meal—I favor the 2 smashed spicy pork meatballs with spicy meat sauce and melty mozzarella cheese sandwiched between a couple soft cushions of brioche bread. But it's on the exclusive short list for the genius mix-and-match dessert menu of homemade cookies and ice cream sandos bringing up the rear.

You can combine 2 chocolate chip, peanut butter, brownie, oatmeal raisin or ginger snap cookies with a mongo scoop of espresso, chocolate, vanilla, mint, caramel or The Meatball Shop's special ice cream of the day.

My choice, chocolate chip and espresso, was hands down the winner.

Walter Foods ... worth the trip to Williamsburg

2011-05-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

AC had been telling me about Walter Foods for years—all good things. So I decided to get out there on the first night of my week-plus stay in NY. DY and JC came along for the ride.

Ah, Walter Foods. I heart you. I'd rate the experience one of the best stick-to-your-ribs comfort food meals I had while in NY. From the succulent lamb chops with fig puree to the filet mignon French dip with perfectly crisped pile o' fries, the humble and homey eatery brought it in spades. Really liked the Pimm's cup and the silky cheesecake ... heck, there was nothing I didn't like.

Definitely going to drop in when I'm back in town again.

Ai Fiori Is Amazing

2011-05-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

Ai Fiori's chef de cuisine Chris Jaeckle, for whom I used to work at Tabla, recently got the three-star nod from The New York Times' Sam Sifton. So, when I was in Manhattan, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I'd already been hearing raves about Ai Fiori from my besties, who know Chris too. CJ kindly put us on the books late one Friday night, and we partook of a culinary-palooza for 3-plus hours. Have a gander ...

Compliments of the chef: a flavor and color explosion that came in the guise of a hamachi sashimi palate cleanser.

Heavenly foie gras torchon with a crunchy crumble of pistachios, tangy-sweet rhubarb mostarda (aka chutney) with pickled chunks of rhubarb and plenty of brioche toast.

My fave pasta: agnolotti—described as "braised veal parcels" on the menu—accompanied by a handful of fava beans and dressed in an earthy black truffle sugo.

DY waxed poetic about the semolina saffron gnocchi swimming with hunks of blue crab, bits of sweet sea urchin, chopped tomato, and a sprinkle of fresh herbs and toasted breadcrumbs. It was just a smidge too salty for me—still good though.

The trofie nero (thin twists of pasta infused with squid ink) came tossed in a Ligurian crustacean ragoût, cuttlefish, scallops and spiced breadcrumbs. I gotta say, it was a tad saltier than the gnocchi, so not a perfect dish for me, though DY liked it lots. Still, it's better than most pasta creations I've had.

I chose the bouillabaisse as my main and was ever so pleased with the subtly seasoned saffron fumet, garlicky rouille, and tender pieces of red snapper, scallops, langoustine and manilla clams.

DY's main was insanely rich: lamb chops with foie gras wrapped in caul fat sitting on wilted Swiss chard. I'd agreed to go splitsies with DY, but after two small bites, I was done with this dish and happily dove back into the bouillabaisse.

Of course, these are just a handful of the awesome dishes we enjoyed at Ai Fiori. Also, not pictured:
- warm chocolate sformato, lemon-honey, stracciatella gelato
- Ligurian olive oil cake, ricotta, pear confit, port, gelato al caffé
- plus 2 other decadent desserts

Pleased as Punch at Plate Shop

2011-04-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

Chef Kim Alter's Sausalito resto Plate Shop does everything right. And no wonder, considering where she hails from: Aqua, Ubuntu, Michelin-starred Manresa ... With a garden in back that allows for the freshest produce on every plate, not to mention house-churned butter and eggs from chickens roosting in Alter's coop, the food screams of California seasonal, local and organic to the Nth degree. I've been twice so far since its recent opening and have praised it to the heavens to anyone who'll listen. Can't wait for my next trip back to the Saus and Plate Shop in particular.

Melt-in-your-mouth Kobe beef bavette pumped up with chunks of avocado, charred spring onions and onion soubise beneath.

Fragrant and savory braised lamb with a pile of perfectly cooked root vegetables. Winner.

Chicken done 3 ways: roasted, confit'd and whipped into the most decadent liver mousse with a Jameson whisky gelee.

Uber-moist arctic char sitting atop sautéed maitake mushrooms, kohlrabi strips and maple-cured fish bacon (what what?! yes!).

Can I have s'more, please? ... Sticky, gooey monkey bread made of spongey, airy cinnamon brioche and finished off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

nopa Keeps on Rockin'

2011-04-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

Thank god for nopa. If not for this "San Francisco gathering place" in the Western Addition, the neighborhood would probably have remained a (culinary) wasteland. From the get-go, nopa breathed life into the Divisadero corridor, and it continues to anchor the on-the-rise and yet still somewhat gritty strip boasting all manner of really great restos, cafes and bars.

Love nopa.

Above: fried, uber-moist sardines flavored with pimentón (Spanish paprika) and a preserved meyer lemon aioli.
Below: creamy, baked goat cheese, pickled beets and frisée, plus a pile of crostini.

Wow. When we ordered the "warm butter bean salad," we had no idea it was going to come out as the most comforting of comfort dishes. This baked tomato sauce-based casserole—"it tastes like pizza," said an awe-struck PH; "the best kind," I replied—came stuffed with wild nettles, a poached egg and kumquats, with oozing cheese, pesto and savory breadcrumbs loaded on top.

We finished off with a Moroccan vegetable tagine that had been cooked to perfection. PH didn't realize it was a vegetarian dish, the flavors were so rich and full. Castelvetrano olives, toasted almonds and plenty of tangy lemon yogurt made this dish that much better—in color, texture and most important, flavor. Mmmmmmmm.

Bisous à Bouchon

2011-04-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

In spite of having been inspired (bowled over, really) by celebrated culinary wonder Thomas Keller in The Soul of a Chef almost a decade ago on my journey towards cooking school and into the restaurant—albeit for a short time only, I'd never actually taken the opportunity to try his much-revered and widely heralded food. Until now.

Last week, JA and I took a day off from work and wound our way up to Yountville to drop in for a late and lazy lunch at Bouchon. It was an experience to remember—incredible from beginning to end, and strongly reminiscent of the best Parisienne bistro. I loved absolutely everything that came to our table. Why can't every day be a holiday at Bouchon?

Above: lobster bisque swimming with mildly earthy trumpet mushrooms and a crispy-on-the-outside, molten-and-tender-on-the-inside lobster beignet anchoring the fragrant bowl.
Below: a joyous, harmonious tangle of marinated beets, Tomme Dolce (soft-ripened goat's cheese), roasted garden lettuce, poached rhubarb and toasted hazelnuts with a drizzle of rhubarb vinaigrette.

Then out came the creamy cod brandade beignets with a super crisped-up exterior sitting on top of sweet-tart tomato confit, crowned with fried sage. ... I suddenly felt transported to one of Barcelona's amazing tapas bars.

Gnocchi a la Parisienne doused in a rich brown butter sauce stayed fresh and bright with its fricassee of garden vegetables including tangy rhubarb, sharp wilted greens and the umami flavors of mushroom.

We couldn't leave Bouchon without trying the chocolate bouchons (aka rich, moist brownies) accompanied by a home-made espresso ice cream and skim milk foam—"that's the part that keeps the dessert light," said the waiter.

Riiiigggght, I said. There was nothing light about this meal, but we were more than OK with that. After all, Bouchon is all about butter, beautiful food and the occasional big splurge.

Chowing Down on Irving Cafe's Banh Mi

2011-04-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

I really suck for not ever having made it to Irving Cafe & Deli in all the years I've lived less than a quarter mile away from this awesome purveyor of banh mi (aka Vietnamese sandos). Especially after I'd been lamenting the lack of really good banh mi in SF—more specifically, crying foul over the mediocre quality of the bread. Soft, spongey bread is a no bueno. Airy, crusty slender baguettes are IT. Well, Irving Cafe & Deli has it all. This here's the roast pork with the works on crispety-crunchety French bread, slathered with plenty of special sauce. ICD's now on my radar.

A Good Line-Up at Bar Agricole

2011-04-12T23:13:00.000-07:00

I was too busy eating to snap a lot of pics at Bar Agricole. Truth be told, I was enjoying the company and the nosh so much that I just plum forgot to get the digi-cam out. But I did get off a couple as follows, of some really choice selections:

Plump, juicy manila clams piled in with caramelized potatoes and crisp-tender sugar snaps, sitting in a pool of buttery, rich broth.

A springy slice of lemon cake topped with supremed blood oranges and a crown of crunchy, sweet pickled fennel, plus a big blob of whipped cream. Mmmmmm. Me likey.

Zero Zero for Pie and Dessert

2011-04-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

Zero Zero (named for the type of flour pizzaiolos use in Napoli) puts out really good pies—like my fave, the Fillmore comprising hen of the woods mushrooms, leeks, mozzarella, parmesan, pecorino, fontina, garlic and thyme. But it also happens to have a really great make-your-own-dessert program.

DY, SP and I chose the Straus Dairy soft-serve vanilla-chocolate swirl topped with crispy shards of nutty, buttery toffee. Along with it, powdery puffs of deep-fried ricotta dough rolled in cinnamon sugar. In a word: heaven.

SPQR Still Has It

2011-03-28T19:49:00.001-07:00

SPQR continues to rank in my top five, not just for its amazing handmade pastas (hello cocoa linguine in pork cheek ragu and cappelacci black kale and goat cheese-filled pasta with meyer lemon, walnut and saba). The other stuff is equally inspired. See for yourself ...

I could eat this crostino every day; it's like Christmas on a plate. Spread with the creamiest burrata and popping with the flavors of chili, honey, fried sage and rosemary, not to mention toasted hazelnuts, this plate got us started on our merry way. And how.

MC2's 14-year-old daughter voted for the fried pickles and anchovies, and who was I to disappoint my cousin's kid? In fact, the salty crisped-up lil fish coupled with the sweet dill—along with dabs of spicy aioli—were an awesome pairing.

We loved SPQR's luscious asparagus custard made with creamy fonduta and dressed with foraged mushrooms and California asparagus ...

And made quick work of the perfectly poached farm egg sitting on top of a subtly sweet spring garlic soubise (read: bechamel-based sauce), crowned with a tangle of fried onion rings, bacon crisps, radish and carrot slivers.

Before the final dish came out, I thought I'd hit my limit. After all, among the 3 of us, we'd plowed through 7 dishes already. But when I caught sight—and a whiff—of the gorgeous venison (done 3 ways—on the grill, in a braise and made into sausages) joined with a tangy-sweet huckleberry sauce, I got my second wind. Needless to say, we scraped the plate clean.

In Season: Strawberries

2011-03-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

Just a little something I whipped up ...

a strawberry cheesecake with chocolate crust ... mmmmm.

Oh la la Oola

2011-03-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest. It's Oola's awesome spicy cilantro, ginger and soy-glazed ribs that got me thinking it was time to get over there for a Dine About Town prix fixe lunch. Coupled with a piquant red cabbage-apple slaw, the meaty main was just as good as I'd remembered it. Meanwhile, the massive croque monsieur made with airy brioche bread, black forest ham, Swiss cheese and tons of creamy béchamel brought oohs and ahhs all around the table. The cheese was perfectly crisped on the outside, sealing in a wonderfully moist interior. Mmmm.

Oola really goes all out for DAT. Most restos just put out 2 courses for lunch, while Oola does 3. The finale comprised a really fresh raspberry and frangelico bread pudding sitting in a lovely pool of crème anglaise, crowned with a scoop of whipped crème fraiche. Absolutely delightful.

Quelle Fromage

2011-03-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

I had a bit of a scare last month: I thought I might be developing lactose intolerance. The horror. Several hours after I'd plowed through half of the cheese plate you see above (comprising a lovely and luscious assortment of unpasteurized French and other European cheeses), I was doubled over in pain. Could it be? After all these years of getting off scott-free, eating tons of dairy while my mother and sister suffered from this awful condition, it seemed I might be stricken.

But it appears I'm in the clear (and the gut pain and bloat was likely due to a simple case of gluttony). This past week, I've been eating copious amounts of queso fresco and sour cream with no problems at all. Phew. All's well in the world.

Crab Boil in the Creek

2011-03-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

A couple of months back, lil cousin YJ and I drove up to the Creek (aka the WC) for a big ol' crab boil at cousin MCC and fam's fab abode. Here you see the loverly Dungeness crabs resting in the backyard, waiting for their impending doom.

We discussed the 2 humane options for killing the crustaceans—either stab them through the brain with a chef's knife or stick 'em in the fridge for 20 minutes so they go to sleep (an Alton Brown "Good Eats" tip). I voted for the latter method, but big D took a quick peek in the fridge and said to me, "Nope, no room. You're killing them."

Sigh. Of course, it'd been years since I'd killed crabs this way—I hadn't done it since cooking school. But I was up for the challenge. And in fact, 3 of the 4 crabs surrendered to the grim reaper with nary a protest.

But then we got to the 4th and last mother of all crabs. And it fought back. And then some. Holy crap. There were screams ... and laughter (of a hysterical nature). The dang thing was bucking like a crazed bronco on the counter, so much so that it fell to the floor. Big D scooped it up in one motion and held it down while I shoved with all my might and finally plunged the knife through its nobby noggin.

Ah, sweet success. We threw the mofo into the roiling pot of spiced water after the rest of its docile brethren.

It's said among certain Asians that a violent death will produce a bitter-tasting flesh. Not so. These succulent crabs were incredibly sweet and subtly tasting of the sea.

We worked our way through every corner and crevice ... mmmmmmm.

Love crab.

Sebo Nigiri So Good

2011-02-22T22:11:00.000-08:00

Sebo's all-seafood menu is super 'spency, but oh so good. For a special occasion—like JG's birthday, I suppose it's worth the eye-popping pricetag. (Luckily, I had a BlackBoard Eats discount to help ease the sticker shock.)

The thing is, we orderered a lot. And yes, everything at Sebo was divine—super fresh, luscious and buttery in texture. But we left the Hayes Valley eatery just a tiny tad hungry. So we walked down the street to Frjtz for a sweet crepe dessert, et voila: bellies full with smiles stretched across our faces.

Fabulous Farina

2011-01-31T21:10:00.000-08:00

I had a gorgeous meal at Farina with my equally gorgeous cousins, MCC and YJP, a few weeks ago. Yes, it was a bit pricey, but worth every penny. The scenestery Mission eatery is definitely back on my radar. This is love.

A refreshing tart-n-sweet-with-a-bit-of-a-bite radicchio of treviso and fennel salad sprinkled with walnuts and dressed with orange segments and balsamic vinegar.

Perfectly al dente Gragnano spaghetti (from Naples) tossed with a tumble of super fresh-and-sweet rock shrimp and clams.

The airiest handmade handkerchief pasta with Genovese basil pesto and big shavings of prosciutto. The menu says "Farina's pesto won the gold medal during the Genoa Pesto World Championship." I can see why ... AH-mazing.

My fave: Farina's oh-so-comforting, home-made pappardelle pasta, also done just right—that is, firm to the tooth—with a most succulent and musky wild boar ragu. MCC wanted to get in another order, but we wouldn't oblige her—we were stuffed to the gills (additional dishes not pictured).

And so we finished with the uber-creamy and luscious vanilla pannacotta with a generous drizzle of blueberry sauce. A very strong finish indeed.

Gary Danko ... Still the Best

2011-01-30T15:50:00.000-08:00

It had been maybe a decade since my last visit to Gary Danko, and that visit had been heavenly. Probably one of my top 3 food experiences ever. Well, since that time, the fine-dining restaurant near Ghirardelli Square has continued to pull in culinary awards right and left.

And for good reason. Gary Danko still rocks. It's just as amazing as I remembered it to be. We recently dropped in for MN's bday and bon voyage and were absolutely delighted with everything that hit our table. And the service was beyond incredible. The only tiny minus? Decor that's a bit dated—stuck in the '90s, a bit like a "cruiseship," said MN, with its mirrored walls, gilt and over-the-top flower-filled vases.

Oh well, we soon forgot our surroundings as the courses started streaming out of the kitchen.

Amuse bouche of butternut squash soup

Risotto with lobster, rock shrimp, Shimeji mushrooms and butternut squash

Seared Sonoma foie gras with caramelized red onions and apples

Juniper crusted venison with braised red cabbage, cipollini onions, chestnut spaetzle, tangerines and cranberries

Roast Maine lobster with potato purée, chanterelle mushrooms, edamame and tarragon

Yay, cheese course

mmmm .... cheese

We love cheese

Flambéed bananas with mascarpone filled crèpes, graham cracker-pecan streusel and vanilla ice cream

Meat on a Stick at Espetus Churrascaria

2011-01-20T19:25:00.000-08:00

What's not to love? When men keep coming around with meat on a stick, on many sticks really, then you know you're at Brazilian steakhouse Espetus Churrascaria. For a fixed price, you can eat all the meat you want. Just set the dial on your table to green, and the stream of beef, pork, chicken, lamb and seafood is steady and endless. Flip it to red when you need a break.

Your waiters will warn you not to load up on the salad bar, though there are plenty of goodies to be had there too. All in all, a good experience, though I'm not sure I'll ever go back. It's one of those things I've crossed off the list and will likely leave off unless I actually make it out to Brazil. ... Someday ...

Awesome Ballpark Nosh

2011-01-03T20:31:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, I was a vegetarian. But after years of eschewing meat, I came back to my senses. Life is short. Eat what you love. I love meat.

Above: the 1/2 pound juicy kielbasa sausage with the works at SF's AT&T Park.

Blue Plate gives me the warm fuzzies

2010-12-30T18:53:00.000-08:00

My go-to meal at Blue Plate always includes an order of the gloriously decadent macaroni and drunken goat cheese and the huge hunka hunk o burnin' love, aka crumbly best-rendition-ever meatloaf with buttery mashed potatoes sitting in a pool of gravy with a pile of crisp-tender blue lake green beans on top.

American Grilled Cheese Is Alright

2010-12-30T18:24:00.000-08:00

Heck, The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen is better than alright. Yah, it's a bit pricey and if you order a whole grilled sando, you're asking for a gutbomb-food-coma-combo. But I can see why AGC's owner is the 7-time grilled cheese invitational champ. Her stuff is stick-to-your-ribs savory and just plain old good.

What you see above is the Mushroom Gruyère on levain bread, which comes slathered with thyme butter and additionally packed with fontina, roasted gold potatoes (the mushrooms are also roasted), melted leeks and caramelized onions. I haven't been in a while, but think it's about time to get back over there for the half sando/salad special. That's about all the AGC I can handle in one sitting. And how.

Tsunami's Shonen Knife

2010-12-30T18:13:00.000-08:00

I've only been to Tsunami Mission Bay a couple of times, but on both visits, enjoyed some really fresh sushi/sashimi for pretty reasonable prices. This here's the Shonen Knife bento lunch box. Not only does it please the eye, with the jewel-toned raw fish artfully fanned across the plate, but the palate as well.

Note to self: more Tsunami in 2011.

Crab Season Is On

2010-12-28T22:23:00.000-08:00

... which means it's time to head to the Outer Sunset to Thanh Long, though of course you can get whole crab at several other venues in and around SF. Nevertheless, Thanh Long's roasted crab coated in fresh cracked black pepper and other "secret" Vietnamese spices and sluiced in generous amounts of warm melted better is still my first pick when it comes to this comely crustacean.

... along with a hefty helping of the ever-so-garlicky garlic noodles—we're pretty sure it's got both fresh and powdered cloves kicking up the heat in there.

Washed down with copious amounts of wine and beer, our Thanh Long crabs were everything we'd hoped for and more.

Yay crab!

Tyler's Ultimate Lasagna

2010-12-20T20:22:00.000-08:00

It's been a blustery, wet and cold past few days (OK, weeks) here in SF. Exactly the kind of weather that calls for something heartwarming and belly-busting like this ultimate lasagna bolognese recipe, created by comfort food king himself, Tyler Florence. (Have you seen how fat he's become since coming out West?)

Anyway, I've made this baked pasta twice before and backed off on the amount of meat Tyler asks for—4 pounds?! Whoa, Nellie. I think 2.5 will do just fine—and the creation still hits the jackpot in terms of rich, creamy, fatty taste sensation and satisfaction.

Rather than puree the holy trinity of onion, celery and carrot, I cut 'em up into a fine dice. What can I say—I find chopping veg therapeutic; it's part of the fun in cooking (though I've got to admit my hand-me-down Cuisinart was busted. That said, I like a little texture in my sauce). I also doubled the amount of basil and Italian parsley than the recipe includes. And I browned the meat and veg separately (though using the same Dutch oven), to make sure to build good flavor in both.

After layering the casseroles (and frankly, I don't know how Tyler does all of the prep, cooking and assembling all within an hour and a half—maybe he's got sous chefs to help him out; I certainly don't!), I threw 'em in a 350-degree oven for one hour, et voilà! Massive amounts of what's become my fave lasagna recipe. I served hefty helpings along with a peppery arugula, cherry tomato and shaved Parmesan salad to four eager friends. Despite their big appetites and doggie bags sent home with a few, I had plenty left over to freeze for future "fast-food" dinners. Yay!

In Season: Shellfish

2010-12-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

Aquatic Culture's Chef John Myers gave a demo on shellfish this past weekend at CUESA, and my, did his preso knock our socks off. Look at the size of the Pacific oysters (pictured just above) in the cornucopia of frutti di mare that also came studded with the more standard-sized kusshis, miyagis, kumamotos, crawfish and more.

mmm ... crawdads

the ginormo, 10-plus-year-old, barnacle-encrusted Pacific oyster ...

... shucked. No, you can't slurp these suckers down in one go. What you can do, said chef Myers, is grill 'em over a medium heat, then cut 'em up before serving. Hmmm, think I'll stick to their smaller brethen instead.

Salty Pig Parts by Fra'Mani

2010-12-16T20:11:00.000-08:00

Fra'Mani salumi are absolutely fabulous. The fragrant black truffle (my fave), piccante (hard, dry chorizo seasoned with pimenton de la Vera), soppressata (moister and flavored with clove) ... they all add that extra something special to any party platter.

Perfect Snack: Fried Pig Skins

2010-12-15T21:31:00.000-08:00

"Bacon is the new black," writes Ryan Farr on his 4505 Meats website. Hmmm ... as far as I'm concerned, neither bacon nor any other pig product has ever been passé. All I can say is that, as soon as his chicharrones—airy puffs of deep-fried pig skins, seasoned with sea salt, cane sugar and chiles—came out of the zip-locked bag, I was all over 'em. And a good thing too, as chicharrones start to go stale as soon as they come up for air. Fried pig skins are the perfect accompaniment for any alcoholic beverage.

Hot Peppers at Skool

2010-12-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

I've been to Japanese-inspired, seafood-centric Skool twice now in the past 2 weeks and shared the plate of blistered shisito peppers, crowned in dried bonito flakes. Love them peppers—for their sharp, slightly bittersweet flavor and crunchy-firm texture, but damn if this season's bounty isn't full of a lot more stingers than usual.

"What, isn't it one out of 10 that's hot?" said one pal when we ordered a plate of these peppers at Sebo a month or so ago. "Yep," I agreed. "That sounds about right." Turned out it was more like 4 in 10 that were packin' some serious heat.

The same thing happened at Greens a few weeks back—lots more hot peppers, with a few set-your-mouth-on-fire grenades. In fact, our server at Skool confirmed what I'd already figured out: This year's shisitos are spicier than normal.

So, you'd think I'd learn my lesson and just stay away. Nah. Them peppers are just too tasty to pass up.

Turkey-n-Trimmings-palooza 2010

2010-11-29T19:47:00.000-08:00

I love Thanksgiving.

Why? Because I get to spend all day cooking up a half a dozen dishes that I've spent a fair amount of time researching to go with the fat juicy bird that sits in the spotlight on this big day. I take this holiday seriously. And I also have a lot of fun.

This year's line-up comprised:

- wild rice dressing with figs, dried cranberries and Andouille sausage
- Parker House rolls, my 2nd try at this herbacious, buttery bread
- mac and cheese topped with caramelized onions and crumbled goat cheese
- Brussels sprouts, sausage and toasted pecans sauteed in butter and maple syrup
- cranberry relish with fresh-squeezed orange juice
- sweet potato pie

As usual, I made way too much. But what can I say. I've learned from the best—my mom always made enough food to feed an army. Hard to step it back on Thanksgiving, when "feasting," "food coma" and "pigging out" are the operative words.

Bibimbap Hits the Spot

2010-11-21T20:08:00.000-08:00

... no matter where you are.

I inhaled this splendiferous sizzling stone pot full of Korean delights—kalbi (beef short ribs), sauteed and pickled vegetables, white rice, with a fried egg and generous squirt of hot chili paste on top—in Seattle. My preggy friend AS (Korean-American like me), whom I was visiting, said she'd been having some serious K-spice cravings. I was more than happy to oblige her.

I think back to my childhood and teen years, when my folks used to scoff at my sister for always and ever ordering bibimbap when we went out for Korean. As they explained it, bibimbap (which means "mixed rice") is nothing special—it's something you'd have at home, throwing all of your leftovers together into a bowl with your rice. But my sister was unswerving—she knew what she liked. And what she liked was bibimbap. Well, hats off to my sister ... for sticking to her guns ... and having good taste.

The Best Ice Cream

2010-11-21T19:25:00.000-08:00

... is the kind that's home-made.

Last summer, AS and I took the short ferry ride from Mukilteo to celebrate the 4th with MN and her fam on Whidbey Island, WA. Part of the festivities included making ice cream the old-fashioned way: with a hand-crank, ice-cream maker MN's bro had picked up on the cheap at some vintage store way back when.

We each took turns at the crank.

And in less than 30 minutes ...

The fruit puree, heavy cream and sugar had tranformed into the most luscious, creamy strawberry ice cream.

After a few hours in the freezer, it was ready to be served up.

A good thing I don't have an ice-cream maker at home—I'd be havin' a scoop daily. Since this was a special occasion, I helped myself to two. DeRishous.

Cheers to Beerworks

2010-11-18T22:37:00.000-08:00

Six-month-old Mill Valley Beerworks Brewery and Beer Cafe has a mighty nice vibe (the clientele comprises the outdoorsy Nor-Cal type, so no surprise here), not to mention a really big range of Belgian, Bavarian and home brews. JA and I gobbled up the springy-fresh, home-made pretzel (I wanted another but restrained myself) and followed it with a lovely little cheese and olive platter. Oh yah, and of course we washed it all down with some quality beer. After trying a couple (one being a pumpkin ale that was a flavor bomb of spice), I opted for the easygoing kölsch, while JA favored the hefeweisen. All in all, well worth the trip to the North Bay.

Mate ... not for the faint of heart

2010-11-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Mate (pronounced ma-tay) is hard to drink ... unless you're an Argentine who's grown up drinking the extremely bitter brew on your mama's knee. Our guide Girardo said he and all the locals drink this stuff daily, from hollowed-out calabash gourds, through metal straws, and in very large quantities. They love it, he told us. It's refreshing, soothing, a great digestive. He added that it's even said to be an appetite suppressant ... hmmm, is that why the meat-loving Argentine's are so lean?

Fortunately, Girardo took pity on us and sweetened our yerba mate while it steeped in hot water with a generous dose of sugar. While the other gals were only able to take a small sip before passing the mate back, I was finally able to drink some of it down ... and actually almost enjoy it. Almost. But not quite. Mate is definitely an acquired taste. Kinda like cilantro, or black licorice, or the stinkiest blue cheese. It evokes a strong reaction—often negative in the beginning, but with repeated exposures, I'm sure you'd grow to like it. Really.

Me: actually drinking the mate
JA: faking it (it was the only way she could take the pic without grimacing)

Where's the Beef?

2010-11-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

In Buenos Aires, Argentina ... naturally. And some tasty pork too. We had a really lively meal of smoky, fork-tender pork rib brisket and rib-eye—along with some ginormous veggie sides and a peppery, zesty Malbec—at Minga in Palermo Soho.

I inhaled this medium-rare hunk o' beefy goodness, sitting out on the verandah of Victoria Ocampo's house in Tigre. I kept telling myself there was no way I was gonna finish this steak, but I did—the richly flavored meat was so tender and juicy, it was almost as if each piece melted in my mouth ... like magic.

When we spent the day out on a 150-some-odd acre estancia (aka ranch) near San Antonio de Areco, we partook in multiple rounds of Argentinean BBQ comprising a wide range of grilled meats—chorizo and blood sausage, ribs, tenderloin and a whole roasted chicken. Yes, there were sides, but it was all about the meat.

Mmmmmmmmm.

Je t'aime Oui Oui

2010-10-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

... especially the pear tatin that came late to our table, but only because Oui Oui (in Palermo Soho, BA) had run out of its first batch and was baking off another. We were happy to wait another 15 minutes after polishing off our asparagus soup and veggie lasagne for this super-warm, uber-luscious fruity dessert. I love Oui Oui's prix fixe lunch—for its very nice price (35 pesos, or ~$9, wine included) and wonderfully bright flavors.

Awesome Pasta in Buenos Aires

2010-10-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

The homemade pasta is absolutely delicious in Buenos Aires. And no wonder, considering the heavy Italian influence on the population there. At one point in recent history, Italians even outnumbered Spaniards settling in this sprawling city.

JA and I had a wonderful medley of roasted pumpkin, portobello mushroom and spinach stuffed into layers of lasagne with a creamy bechamel sauce and a crispy parmesan crust at Oui Oui.

One toasty afternoon at Amici Miei in San Telmo, I enjoyed a lovely handmade squid ink pasta in a spicy tomato sauce served with shrimp, calamari, scallops and mussels all cooked to perfection.

And at Sobrera in Palermo Soho, I devoured a honkin' plateful of airy potato dumplings (aka gnochhi) with bolognese sauce ... on two different occasions.

Bloodies et al at Hundred Acres

2010-09-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

So, the brunch at Hundred Acres was pretty OK (the glazed buttermilk cake doughnuts with milk chocolate dipping sauce plus a particularly refreshing grapefruit-vodka cooler were the highlights). But what a great idea to have a shucked oyster sitting atop a spicy bloody Mary (the other came with a skewered hot pepper).

I'd order this every time if I saw it on the menu. Sadly, I've yet to find it anywhere in SF ... but as with all things New York, such goodies are bound to make it sooner or later to the left coast.

Adding to Cart: The Meatball Shop

2010-09-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

It's always fun getting together with my pals from the Martha (as in Stewart) days, especially since we always find something good to eat. This time, we hit relative newcomer The Meatball Shop in the Lower East Side, and we chowed down on what was to become my 2nd fave meal during my 9-day visit to NYC.

Undeterred by the frosty hostess who told us the wait for a table would be an hour and a half, we 3 gave her our name and number, then strolled next door to sip on some vino. Lo and behold, she rang us up not 20 minutes later. We knocked back our drinks, popped on over and sat at the long farm table inside (after giving up our seats outside—gusty winds were not conducive to relaxed noshing).

The place was noisy, the people around us boisterous. But no matter. The music floating through the resto was the best of the '80s—it was as if we were in the middle of a John Hughes flick. Pretty in Pink, anyone? And our bright, no-nonsense waitress showed us the ropes with the big mix-and-match menu of all kinds of meatballs—from beef to veggie and that night's special, lamb—with varying sauces—like tomato and parmesan cream—not to mention sides and so on and so forth.

Along with a side of mashed potatoes for the table, I ordered the uber-savory meatball smash: 2 pork balls smashed between fluffy brioche buns, oozing zesty spicy meat sauce and melted mozzarella cheese, served with a side of arugula salad.

Holy meatballs, were they delicious, well-seasoned with a really nice, crumbly texture. The Meatball Shop has most certainly made my short list of places to go whenever I visit NYC.

A Walk Down Butter Lane

2010-09-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Butter Lane's cuppers will definitely do in a pinch when Sugar Sweet Sunshine is just a few blocks too far to schlep to for a post-dinner splurge. This here's the yummy salted caramel frosting on mini choco cake.

Ode to Ippudo

2010-09-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

The poem is in the picture (actually, it's in the bowl): tsuke ramen, Ippudo's summer special of cold noodles and salty, hot pork broth to dip 'em into. Mmmmmm.

Loverly Locanda Verde

2010-09-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

My fave meal during my recent NY stay was at Tribeca hotspot Locanda Verde (and I'm not just saying that because MK's the sous chef ... heyyyyyy girl). My dining mate, a hedon/glutton in her own right, was also super thrilled with the dazzling array of deliciously delightful dishes that came our way. That said, I think I'll leave it to the pictures to tell the story ...

Just above: two kinds of crostini—sweet corn with smoked shiitake and prosciutto (in front) and creamy bacalao (aka salted cod, in back).

Home-made, al dente orecchiette with crumbly, home-made duck sausage, crisp-tender broccoli rabe and piave, a nutty cow's milk cheese.

More home-made pasta: Trofie with fresh basil pesto, toasted pine nuts, green beans, gaeta olives and plenty of parmigiano-reggiano.

The fire-roasted rosemary, garlic chicken is meant for two, but I gotta say an entire chicken with a pile of roasted veg will feed four folks easily. It's also the most succulent roast chicken I've ever had the pleasure of devouring.

We made heavy inroads into all of the above along with a fresh arugula salad with black mission figs, shavings of asiago cheese and American speck. By the end, we were thinking we could maybe work in one dessert ... And of course MK sent out 4. Holy cow.

Pastry Chef Karen DeMasco has won awards for her creations. Suffice it to say we were in heaven. What we inhaled: peach and blackberry crostada with peach swirl gelato; sweet corn budino with blueberry sorbetto and caramel popcorn; chocolate-pistachio tart with raspberries and pistachio gelato; and the la fantasia di fragola with fior di latte gelato, strawberry-prosecco sorbetto, sbrisolona (aka crumbly cake) with a white balsamic meringue.

Nom Nom Num Pang

2010-09-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

I'd been jonesing for good banh mi, so when I was to meet a friend for lunch one day near Union Square, off we went to Num Pang on 12th and University. Thanks to DY for giving me the heads up on this Cambodian sandwich shop (num pang means sandwich in Khmer). Yes, the meat fillings aren't quite the same, but the toasted baguette, cilantro, cucumber and pickled carrots are like any really tasty banh mi I've ever had.

As it is, the filling I did try—the pulled duroc pork with spiced honey—was super satisfying, tender and full of flavor, and nicely set off by Num Pang's home-made chile mayo. My main regret is that I didn't have time to go back and try a few other sandos—like the coconut tiger shrimp or the hoisin veal meatballs. Well, I guess it'll have to wait til the next time I'm in New York.

Going Local Mission Eatery

2010-08-31T21:31:00.000-07:00

"entirely local, humane and housemade."

Plain and simply written in the bottom left corner of the menu. What Local Mission Eatery neglected to add are other key things like: "exceptionally fine, inventive and well-made."

We 3 dropped in for dinner at this Outer Mission establishment a couple of weeks back, thanks to a Blackboard Eats special I'd signed up for giving us a free bottle of wine with our meal (and a nice one to boot). And we were pleased that we had. A lot of what we tried was bursting with flavor, well-seasoned and cleverly paired. I'm told Local's only been serving dinner for 6 months now. Here's hoping folks come out to support their fab work.

The gnocchi had a nice, airy consistency but were a tad underseasoned. The tomato water, however, was divine—the best kind of savory-sweet agua fresca (slurp-worthy to be sure) with juicy stewed heirloom tomatoes bobbing about along with a good helping of mozzarella and basil leaves.

I've grown to love sardines, and this is the reason why: Local Mission Eatery's ginormous rendition were marinated and then grilled, giving them a really fine flavor and texture. They came piled on a plate with crisp-tender cranberry beans, braised fennel and fresh greens, drizzled with a sweet-tart romesco sauce and crowned by strands of saffron.

Kudos to JG for being a good sport and trying the lamb tongue. When we asked how the tongue had been prepared, our server told us the offal had been confited (braised in fat). We thought, hmmm, sounds pretty good, especially when paired with roasted peaches and nectarines, toasted walnuts and bitter greens. Well ... let's just say the lamb tongues (yes, plural) came out looking exactly as you'd imagine: a bunch of tongues curling this way and that on the plate. JG could barely stomach even half of one. They were pretty spongy and not terribly flavorful. But wow, the accompaniments were so good and went so well with the lamby that I found myself eating not one tongue but two. Let's just say they grew on me.

I didn't have a whole lot of the chicken roulade, but what I did have impressed me. Usually I avoid chicken on a menu, as it seems it's often poorly done, dried out, uninspired. Not so in this case. The crispy skin housed an incredibly moist and juicy interior. The sauteed tokyo turnips with bacon sitting on a lovely puree of parsley root in a pool of chicken jus made for the perfect complement to the bird.

I've had goat before and not particularly liked it. But this dish has changed my mind—Local's cooks had braised the rich, dark meat til it was falling off the bone. A tangy tomatillo salsa kept the dish from getting too heavy. I loved every bite.

It seems everything on the menu came with a little twist, even the plum tart with creme fraiche—it arrived with a sprinkling of fennel seeds, some fennel fronds, plus a scoop of celery relish on top.

Pitstop at Pica Pica

2010-08-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

I'd been telling folks how much I missed the incredible accessibility of cuisines that I once enjoyed when living in downtown Manhattan—not just your usual Italian, Chinese and Japanese fare, but also Venezuelan, Russian, Filipino, Puerto Rican, Caribbean, Cuban and more. One of my absolute faves was and still is East Village hole-in-the-wall Caracas, which puts out the best empanadas and arepas I've ever had; plenty of others agree—often the wait to get in can stretch for an hour and a half or more (luckily, there's takeout). Whenever I'm in town, I always try to pick up one of the deep-fried sweet corn hot pockets (aka empanadas) stuffed with shredded beef, sweet plantains, black beans and cheese (called the de pabellon) as well as one of the spongy pita-pocket-type arepas, packed full of another delightful meat and cheese combo. It's something I wish we had in SF.

So when I heard that Pica Pica Maize Kitchen was opening in the Mission, I was psyched. Finally. Venezuelan-style arepas and empanadas conveniently located nearby. Sadly, the empanadas don't hold a candle to the ones at Caracas. But the Pabellon maize'wich (pictured above) comes damn close ... at least in flavor and appeal. This is true comfort food. And at a pretty good price. Welcome to the neighborhood, Pica Pica.

A Spot of Italy at Darwin Cafe

2010-08-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you, SS, for the heads up on newly opened Darwin Cafe, a tiny spot tucked away on Ritch street serving up hot pressed sandwiches that made us daydream of lazy food forays in Italy. We loved the bresaola and blue cheese packed with plenty of sharp watercress on fresh Acme bread. The sando with slices of salami paired with huge wheels of heirloom tomato and oozing mozzarella cheese was also quite divine. Who knew a sammy could sate us so?

Celebrating in style at RN74

2010-08-02T21:10:00.000-07:00

A few of us went for a long and leisurely lunch at Michael Mina's RN74 not too long ago to celebrate VB's birthday, and a fine choice it turned out to be.

Everything we ordered from the modern American menu was seasoned so well, the flavor combinations skillfully balanced. VB's oh-so-juicy grilled kurobata pork loin with crumbly cornbread financier, roasted licorice-y endive and juicy bing cherries in a nutty brown butter jus was the hands-down winner.

We also liked RN74's luscious hunk of creamy burrata ringed by a garland of marinated veg, and served with a big bowl of grilled bread.

I was happy as a clam with my al dente hand-cut tagliatelle with sweet corn, leeks, fresh basil, pistachio and castlemagno cheese.

JL's grilled Mediterranean sea bass was light and flakey, accompanied by a medley of fingerling potatoes, cauliflower, artichokes, capers and a tongue-tingling lemony sauce.

Sunday Izakaya at Sebo

2010-07-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

A meal at Sebo will easily set you back a couple of benjamins per 2 top, what with the finest-grade sashimi being flown in straight from Japan. But if Izakaya is more your thing, then Sundays at Sebo will do you right. We ordered almost everything on the weekly changing menu, plus some cocktails and a few extra-large beers, and couldn't quite polish it all off. And yet the damage totaled a mere $45 a head. Pretty much all of what we ordered (maybe 12-15 small plates) got high marks from the 4 of us, except for a couple of outliers.

Here follows a selection of Sebo's scrummy dishes:

Deep-fried, extra crispy okra and boiled egg, drizzled with a special sauce (aka zesty thousand island)

Eggplant in soy with a chiff of nori

Spicy, peppery mac n cheese (ah-mazing, we ordered 2); sweet yam, cooked al dente (I liked it; others, not so much)

Little fishy swimming in rice soup with a whopping dollop of salty roe sitting on a shiso leaf—this one grew on me; I liked it the more I ate it. The Koreans take these li'l fish and deep fry them in soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and garlic, making 'em the crispiest, crunchiest nuggets of goodness you'll ever have with your bowl o' rice.

Shrimp with winter melon (BLERG—overcooked and mealy, bland and sad, I found this dish extremely disappointing); dried squid with herring roe and konbu (bottom left; loved the squid; the hardened cubes of herring roe didn't add anything to the plate—"lowtide" as NJ put it in a not-so-complimentary way; I agree); woodear with tofu and lotsa sesame (bottom right; mmmm, good)

Lovely mussels in a tomato broth; tuna melt with quail eggs (from the folks at Farm Table who were guest cheffing that night); dried squid

Leonard's Malasadas

2010-07-12T20:28:00.001-07:00

The malasadas from Leonard's Bakery are so much better than plain old donuts. Puffy, light and airy, and dusted with plenty of sugar, the half dozen "plain sugars" we ordered from this Honolulu institution came out piping hot from the fryer.

Of course, the extra-large-and-in-charge folks manning the store make me think it's a good thing malasadas can't be found anywhere in SF. (Read: As good as they are, malasadas are best had at most once every 4 or 5 years ... )

Fettucine Night with the Boys

2010-07-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

Whenever J+J ask me over for supper, they often expect me to get to work in the kitchen. This time was no exception, though thankfully JG had already done the heavy lifting—prepping all of the ingredients beforehand for this especially toothsome Epicurious recipe: fettucine with peas, asparagus and pancetta with a couple of substitutions/additions—mint instead of parsley, for example, plus a healthy dose of crushed red pepper.

Crispy pancetta adds a wonderfully savory depth to the pasta.

And of course the fresh peas and asparagus make this the perfect springtime-into-summer pasta (we cooked this a couple of months back).

Truth be told, I didn't have to do too much beyond toss a bit here and taste a tad there. And it was all worth it once we sat down to eat the creamy-citrusy pasta sitting before us.

Very Fine Food at Frances

2010-06-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

Lonely Planet writer and food critic AB was right. Relative Castro neighborhood newcomer Frances is really, really good. I'd been led astray by a luke-cold review of the place, but it seems that review was (way) off the mark. I mean, what's not to love about beignets, light fluffy clouds studded with savory bacon with a perfectly crisped exterior, or giganto tender gnocchi tossed with earthy morels and spring vegetables, served with a crunchy breadcrumb topping. I've told everyone and their mother to go check it out. I'll be going back again. And big plus: the menu changes often ... to match the season and what's available locally.

in front: bacon beignets—some of the best I've ever had; behind: flash grilled calamari nestled in fresh leaves of arugula

pig trotters ... kinda like crabcakes, but with pork instead. mmmmmm.

pillowy gnocchi with morels and more

in front: creamy polenta with mushrooms and scallions; in back: oh-so-tender lamb loin with gigantes and things

In Season: Zucchini Blossoms

2010-06-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

I scored some gorgeous zucchini blossoms after volunteering for a CUESA event today (CUESA runs the SF Ferry Building farmers market). Since these subtly fragrant flowers don't have a long shelf life, I decided to whip up a simple beer batter (beer + flour whisked together), dip the 15 or so blossoms in, and then fry them up in hot canola oil. Out they came onto a paper towel. I sprinkled 'em with a little parmesan and salt, and they were ready to go.

The blossoms were gone in 60 seconds ... OK, slight exaggeration, but it didn't take long for me to polish 'em off—they were so good.

BCD Tofu House

2010-06-19T14:16:00.001-07:00

When it comes right down to it, you can't beat a piping hot stone bowl full of five-alarm spiced, seafood, silken tofu jjigae in NY's K.town ... especially when it's at a resto imported from the number one K.town in the US = the city of Angels (aka LA).

BCD Tofu House is a serious keeper.

Dell'anima Can Do No Wrong

2010-06-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

It'd been more than 2 years since I had the exquisite pleasure of partaking in a meal at West Village Italian eatery dell'anima. And yet from what I'd been reading, it was still going strong.

So off we went on my last proper night in the City for an unforgettable meal that started with a tasty array of five bruschette and ended on a high note comprising four kinds of perfectly al dente and fragrantly flavored pasta/risotto.

dell'anima still delivers ...

Sweetbreads with (I think) a sunchoke puree and strawberries in balsamic vinegar — Not my fave dish (a bit discordant to me), but I could appreciate the tender juicy-ness of the seared offal. DY and CY loved ...

Mouthwatering bruschette: Soft scrambled eggs with bottarga (aka caviar); rapini pesto walnuts and pecorino; cannellini with preserved tangerine and aleppo pepper; creamy avocado with Sicilian olive oil; ricotta with sea salt

Uber tender, charred octopus with rice beans, chorizo, chicory and endive

What I couldn't get enough of: the lusciously rich minty pea risotto with tons of Pecorino cheese. But heck, I was happy getting a little bit of everything. It was all so good.

Pretty and Precious at Aldea

2010-05-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

I had such high hopes for Aldea. It had received raves from NY mag, TimeOut and the like. There was no reason to think the Portuguese-style resto wouldn't deliver a stellar meal. Well ... as with movie-watching, it would've been best to go in with expectations lowered. Though the flavors were refined and seasoning skillfully controlled, everything was just a bit too pretty and precious. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for pretty, but not at the expense of other (more important?) things like passion, for example. There was something lacking here, something missing—the dishes just didn't excite us.

Add to that the fact that the portion sizes were a tad skimpy, making the price to portion ratio not quite right in our books. Not that we expected massive helpings, but heck, one more shrimp here, another tablespoon of rice there would've probably made us leave thinking less about the dent made in our wallets and more about the ingredients married onto each of the plates parading across our table.

We liked the fresh flavors of the spring ramps, bok choy and orange slivers along with the tartness of the cumin yogurt swabbed along the side of the bowl. But the chewy texture of the pig ears was less than appealing.

The seared shrimp Alhinho bathed in a reduction of shrimp jus spiked with smoky paprika, coriander and garlic had some really nice, bright flavors, but at $15 for 4 pieces, it made you wonder whether you were really getting your money's worth. I mean, there wasn't really anything new we were tasting here ...

When sea urchin is fresh, it's really good—creamy and luscious, with the barest hint of the sea. This version, snaking across a bit of flatbread thinly plastered with cauliflower cream, garnished with sea lettuce and drizzled with a little lime, was quite pleasant. I can think of other times when I've enjoyed sea urchin more though.

OK, hands down, Aldea's arroz de pato was the best savory dish that came to our table. Sadly, for an entree, the portion size was really quite small. I mean, come on! I could've done with a few more scoops of this wonderfully flavored saffron rice (aka paella) crowned with the tenderest of duck breast, more duck confit tucked inside along with chorizo, crispy duck cracklings, olive slivers and dried fruit, served with a squirt of apricot puree on the side.

DY thought the desserts were what Aldea did best. The sonhos (donut holes) were light and airy; they came with 3 intensely flavored sauces: spiced chocolate, rhubarb compote and apple cider caramel. The moist and fluffy caramelized brioche was perfectly punctuated with a sweet-tart blood orange gel and crème fraiche-pink peppercorn ice cream. And the creamy caramel parfait with apple-cinnamon compote, cranberry, graham cracker ice cream was not only pleasing to the eye but to the palate as well.

Boozy Brunch at Breslin Bar & Dining Room

2010-05-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

My first Sunday in NY, I met my (then and now) cook friends at the newish Breslin Bar & Dining Room in the uber hip and hipstery Ace Hotel (Stumptown is in the building, folks) for a long and lazy, boozy brunch. Though I can't say this is the best brunch I've had by a long shot—there were some misses along with the hits—I gotta say, I really appreciated the fact that we were able to sit down right away sans rezzies in this 130-seat, two-storey eatery adorned in all manner of pig-, caribou- and deer-themed accoutrement.

And I really liked that we were able to wile away the hours—3-plus hours to be sure—without feeling any kind of pressure from our server to get the hell out. With that said, I did manage to snap a few of those hits and misses while catching up with the ladies ...

YSH's steak 'n egg special with asparagus was a hit, so she said.

Home-made ciabatta doughnuts: 2 said hit, 2 said miss. I fell into the latter category ... the dough was just a bit too chewy and boozy for my taste (the vanilla cognac hadn't been properly cooked off—it overpowered). Thumbs up on the banana ice cream though.

Chargrilled lamb burger with cumin mayo and thrice cooked chips — This was my order. I asked for a side of ketchup only to be told by my server that the burger was best left unadulterated by such pedestrian sauce as ketchup. (OK, she didn't quite say it that way, but that was the gist of her tone ...). So, of course, I tried it the way the chef meant for it to be eaten. It was nice, though nothing terribly special; I honestly didn't detect anything worked into the meat (spices, sauces, herbs of any kind) to make it stand out ... the cumin mayo made it a little more interesting as did the feta cheese and raw red onions ... hmm, but not by much. So, I slapped on the ketchup, and it was 10 times better.

The Eton mess — tasted better than it looked ... presentation was a bit, well, ugly ... I have to admit I'm not the biggest fan of meringue, though the pineapples were delightful especially paired with the mint.

I'd say the best parts of the meal were Breslin's cocktails, which are all made with fresh-squeezed juices and house-made syrups. My "Rush of Blood to the Head" (what a great name) comprising Prosecco with blood orange liqueur, hibiscus syrup and lemon zest was thirst-quenchingly delicious on this warm, sunshiney Sunday afternoon. So were YSH's zesty bloody Mary and MK's silky smooth "Liquid Swords" made of rye whiskey, orange curacao, aperol and green chartreuse with orange zest.

Sorella Stands Out in the LES

2010-05-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

I don't get out to NY as often as I'd like, and I've always got a (long) list of favorite standbys I try my damnedest to get through while there. But on this last visit, I decided to shake things up a bit, and instead squeeze some hot, new restos into the skedge. So many places to try, so little time ...

Anyway, on the new tip, Sorella fit the bill. Opened in early 2009, this Lower East Side Piedmontese wine bar puts out some amazingly delectable small plates in a really sweet space. Pretty much everything we ordered—save for the white bean special which was sadly a bit too salty and mushy to boot—was a homerun.

Following are just a handful of the not-so-small plates we enjoyed that night.

Acciughe al verde — lovely little Ligurian anchovies resting atop a creamy lemon butter and salsa verde, sprinkled with hazelnuts, accompanied by super crispy flatbread.

Delicate little gnocchi dressed in a rich Castelrosso (cow's milk) cream sauce, spiked with a dice of brown butter pears and garnished generously with chives. We liked this dish so much, we got two.

Pork rillettes — a really nice braised pork (braised in fat, that is) emulsified to a super luscious texture, accompanied by a dice of mango and some nice crispy bruschetta.

Paté de fegato — chef Emma Hearst's (yes, of the mega-millionaire Hearsts) signature dish comprising a duck fat English muffin bread with a veritable brick of artery-clogging, creamy chicken liver mousse sitting on top, along with a fried egg and huge wedges of candied bacon.

Tajarin — freshly made egg pasta tagliolini with heaping portions of lamb ragu, black pepper ricotta, Parmesan, pistachios and mint.

Grilled quail with a vincotto glaze (vincotto being a dark, sweet, dense grape), plopped on top of 'fried' riso venere (aka short grain, black rice), watercress and orange salad.

I gotta say, of the half a dozen or so new eateries that I added to cart this year, Sorella tops my NY newcomer list.

Ippudo ... Again

2010-05-18T22:43:00.001-07:00

I still heart Ippudo.

I waxed poetic—and went three times—during my last trip to NYC, so I think I'll just leave it to my last post on Ippudo. ... Everything I said then still stands now.

Tipsy Parson Is Super Tasty

2010-05-11T21:44:00.000-07:00

OK, so no matter what anyone says—and I had at least four different folks telling me not so good things—I like Tipsy Parson. A lot. Of course, all of my pals who found the Chelsea resto less than stellar conceded that they'd gone when it had first opened and/or a few months back. I decided to chalk it up to a kitchen that only just recently found its rhythm. And we were the lucky recipients of that newfound rhythm.

Let's see ... what our 6-top enjoyed included:
* the fried oysters—moist and tender, they popped in your mouth when you ate 'em.
* the most heavenly smooth bourbon chicken liver mousse with a perfectly sweet and citrusy green tomato marmalade, grilled potato bread and upland cress.
* baked Grafton cheddar mac and cheese with big ol' bacon bits—creamy on the inside, browned and crisped on the outside.
* a big bowl of creamy, cheese-y grits

My main was a honking 20-ounce pork chop, grilled to perfection—it oozed juicy goodness and tons of piggy flavor. Bitter braised greens and buttery stone-ground grits rounded out the hearty dish.

We finished with strawberry-rhubarb pie for 2 ... pretty tasty though the crust could've been a bit more tender and flaky, and the rhubarb cooked a bit longer ... the only slight ding of the night.

Permanent Brunch & Burger Hits the Spot

2010-05-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

This is why Americans are fat. Cousins MP and YJP each ordered a heart attack on a plate as did I at Permanent Brunch & Burger in the East Village. Talk about a proper kick-off to my week-plus eating spree in the City.

We strolled on in and got seated right away in the small eatery, and proceeded to eat everything set in front of us. MP got the fried chicken and waffles served with a cinnamon-spiked apple compote that had her cooing.

YJP ordered the PB&B ham and cheese-stuffed French toast—a fluffy carbo pile of savory and sweet goodness sandwiching Hatfield smoked ham and white cheddar cheese, drizzled with Dijon maple jus. As if that weren't enough, a pile of crispety crunchety fatso onion rings came nestled by its side.

I had the bouncy, springy stack o' buttermilk pancakes with fresh fruit doused in Vermont maple syrup and an oozing mess of whipped cream.

Loved the subway tiles with photos flanking the walls on both sides. According to NYMag.com, the owner Lesly Bernard painstakingly put each one in by hand. A labor of love. And it shows.

J'adore Bar Jules

2010-04-28T19:57:00.001-07:00

JA and I snagged some killer window seats in shoe-box sized Bar Jules last Friday night. It was the first of many good things to come our way. That night's menu (it changes daily) had a number of tantalizing items such as a chiogga golden beet salad with farm-fresh greens (yes, please); tender, springy, grilled scallops with uber-fresh, sweet baby carrots and crisp-tender asparagus in an herbacious sauce gribiche (that too, yes); and a strawberry-almond tart with a big ol' dollop of whipped cream (please sir, could I have some more?).

Suffice it to say that with every bite of our amazing meal (and sip of our accompanying vino), the week's stresses and worries washed away from us.

By the time, we'd scooped up the last bit of dessert, we were super relaxed and incredibly pleased with ourselves and the world.

Bar Jules remains one of my top-10 faves in the city.

Buon Cibo at Bar Bambino

2010-04-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

Cousin MC2 and I happily tucked into a medley of wonderfully prepared dishes at Bar Bambino in the Mission a couple of weeks ago. It was our first time there. I had bypassed this Italian wine bar and restaurant over the years because I'd heard mixed reviews. But recently, a trusted source gave it a resounding rave. So, we gave it a go. And we loved almost everything that came out of the kitchen ...

The lovely spread of cured meats—from prosciutto to spicy salami—whet our appetites for what was to come.

God, I love peas. This from a gal who used to gag at the grainy texture when I was kid. Well, no longer. After a tap or two of the salt shaker, the creamy richness of Bar Bambino's spring pea puree touched with mint was to-die-for. The only tiny negative: Some cook had rubbed the raw garlic into the bruschetta with a bit too much vim and vigor.

My trusted source had warned me against the octopus and yet we went there. We figured, maybe it had been a bad day in the kitchen when she'd had the eight-armed beast. But no, trusted source was right. Chewy and slightly underseasoned octopod is not ideal—I'd say braising and then grilling the thing had really killed it. But heck, the balsamico dressing basting the meat and chicory salad gave it all a sweet tartness that we could and did appreciate.

Bar Bambino really rises to the occasion when it comes to pasta. That day's special braised rabbit was perfectly seasoned, the gnocchi just the right texture—airy pillows that practically floated into your mouth. MC2 doesn't care much for the wily wabbit, and yet she really went for this dish.

Our fave was the trofie—long, skinny spirals of eggless pasta—bathed in a luscious, creamy sauce laden with Parmiggiano-Reggiano and house-made sausage. We both readily agreed we could eat this every day ... as we scraped the plate clean. But it's probably a good thing that we can't—or else we'd be packing on the pounds.

We finished off the night with a moist polenta cake accompanied by a tangy citrus compote and sweet orange butter. Thanks, MC2, for celebrating my day with me!

Comfort me with ... meatloaf

2010-04-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I wanted to cook. For my friends. Something comforting, easy and full of flavor. Meatloaf, mashies and green beans came to mind. It seemed only natural to want to recreate the giddy pleasure I'd felt when I sat down to the ever-popular Blue Plate version not too long ago.

Here you see 2 pounds of organic, grass-fed ground beef with 1 pound of ground pork sausage (after all, you gotta have some fat to ensure a moist and flavorful loaf), dotted with chopped onion and red pepper, crushed tomatoes, flavored with lotsa smoky BBQ sauce, a couple dashes of Worcestershire, a huge handful of crushed crackers to loosen the loaf plus a couple of eggs to bind it together, and finally generous amounts of salt and pepper to season it up.

Heavenly aromas wafted from the kitchen as the loaf bubbled and cooked.

Buttery, fluffy yukon gold mashed potatoes and green beans basted in garlicky olive oil and more butter helped take this dish over the top.

Incanto is aptly named

2010-04-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

Incanto means enchantment, and it really was an enchanting meal we three had last weekend at this cozy, out-of-the-way Noe Valley establishment, whose chef Chris Cosentino has been written up in the NYTimes and made multiple appearances on the Food Network.

We demolished the house-made salumi platter with accompanying roasted garlic, carrots and beets.

Made quick work of the thinly shaved crispy asparagus and radish salad, plus blistered-on-the-grill fava beans.

Polished off the perfectly creamy green almond risotto and slighty-too-salty oxtail pasta.

And tucked right into Incanto's hefty portion of fall-off-the-bone short ribs with accompanying sauteed veg. Lotsa good red wine to go with, and we rolled on home sated and oh so happy.

The next time we go, I'd like to try the flaming salami (aka "nduja") that has gotten so much hype. Must find out for myself if it's all that it's cracked up to be.

Wait and see ...

Girls' Night at Isa

2010-04-12T21:48:00.000-07:00

The babysitter cancelled, so Mr. H was left at home with the kiddies while Mrs. H. came out for some really good eats at contemporary French resto Isa. Despite its less-than-stellar location (the—yawn—Marina), we two still had a fab time.

Fresh chunks of yellowfin tuna and avocado came dressed in spicy sriracha and soy, sprinkled with toasted sesame and nori strips.

The grilled local calamari had a hint of sweetness from a coating of honey spice; it came out super tender and perfectly complemented with some lemon zest and peppery arugula, plus a generous helping of flageolet beans.

And the tender Maple leaf farm duck breast came out with a nicely crisped skin and a tangy, not-heavy huckleberry sauce to balance sweet against savory. The sharp, sweet and peppery flavors of the goat cheese, beet and arugula salad added even more punch to the dish.

Though I'd heard and read good things about the restaurant, I was a tiny bit concerned when I was told the chef/owner had sold Isa just last month after a 10-year run. But I needn't have worried. PH and I enjoyed everything that hit our table. Let's hope things stay that way.

Woodhouse Fish on Fillmore

2010-04-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

We Koreans like our crab. I grew up eating it steamed and pretty much plain—fresh, fleshy cracked crab sitting around the dinner table. But I really like it the way Woodhouse Fish Co. does it: cracked and steamed in white wine, lemon and plenty o' garlic butter. Mmm, mmm, good. My only regret was that I didn't go whole hog—a half a crab is simply not enough.

Oh yah. And DA's cioppino—chock full of fruits de mare in a zesty tomato stew—was also really delightful.

Sushi Ran Sushi Like Buttah

2010-04-04T16:35:00.001-07:00

I'd been hearing about the much-revered Sushi Ran in Sausalito ever since I got back to SF in '06, and yet it still took me this long to get out here. Ah well, I've had much on my mind of late, but thank you, PM, for getting me off my duff and across the bay. It was well worth the trip.

Sweet Endings at Out the Door

2010-03-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

The cashew coconut cake with passionfruit coulis at Out the Door on Bush ... helps take your mind off many things ...

SPQR - The Best Italian in SF

2010-03-22T20:07:00.001-07:00

My Urban Daddy editor friend has yet to steer me wrong when it comes to food recs. I told her I'd been to SPQR within months of its opening and didn't like it—the pasta had been less than adequate; memories of limp noodles and a general blandness came to mind, I told her. She insisted I give it a second chance as the chef had changed and the quality of the food had improved tremendously.

She was right. Cousin MC2 and I adored absolutely everything that came out of the kitchen. Really well-flavored, nothing overpowering or overseasoned. Just the perfect balance and blend of flavors, colors and textures in every dish. We'll be back to try some more of the dishes on SPQR's extensive menu.

I'm a sucker for a good deviled egg. These were especially tasty—eggs ‘al diavolo’ with dill and white anchovy.

These little potato croquettes came out super crispy and piping hot—pork belly ‘croccante,’ sundried tomato, olives and gremolata.

Tender and moist, these local sardines came dressed in breadcrumbs, a fuji apple puree and a drizzle of chili oil.

MC2 favored the fragrant meyer lemon risotto with pea shoots and fried lemon, while I couldn't get enough of the light, little puffs of semolina gnocchi with wilted wild arugula, truffle butter and lotsa castelmagno cheese.

Both desserts were really well-done: passion fruit panna cotta, coconut spuma with 2 tiny coconut macaroons along with a springy brown butter torta, fluffy meyer lemon curd and sprinkling of Sicilian pistachio.