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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
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 ...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
"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.
