CarrieWas218's Profile
High Tea in SF and Peninsula?
I'm a fan of the über-expensive tea held in Neiman Marcus under the Rotunda; very elegant! Less elegant but good tasting is Lovejoy's.
I have finalized my Napa / San Fran Itinenary
I would take Farallon over Tadich any day...
Tadich is good for what it is - a San Francisco institution that always has a wait and has 80-year old atmosphere and recipes. When I crave that, I head to Sam's instead. Farallon is far more innovative in its fish preparations and unquestionably has a finer atmosphere than Tadich.
Small Wedding Dinner Advice Please!
Foreign Cinema has a lovely outdoor area that would fit the bill for "gardeny"
I have finalized my Napa / San Fran Itinenary
Note: Ubuntu closed for a winter sabbatical but is still closed - and the owner is not picking up her phone so none of us know if she is going to reopen since the last chef (Aaron) departed before the holidays...
The fact that she hasn't reopened the restaurant by Memorial Weekend is very telling to me and very sad. It was my favorite restaurant in the 'hood.
Small Wedding Dinner Advice Please!
I don't think Anchor & Hope or Slated Door would feel very celebratorial, despite the good food. Both are bright and rather industrial in their interiors.
Jardiniere - worth it? [San Francisco]
Wow - and I love the interior; very 1930s feel with the sweeping staircase and Deco-feel...
To each his own!
Red Wine for a Dr. Loosen Gray Slate Mosel Drinker
I will add that this "shaking" scenario is almost always done on VERY new vintages; wines that have not been around long enough to develop a lot of sediment. And, yes, winemakers will swirl vigorously to "force open" a new, tight wine - not older vintages.
Small Wedding Dinner Advice Please!
Boulevard also has a small, private room that could fall within your price range (tightly).
Red Wine for a Dr. Loosen Gray Slate Mosel Drinker
BG - the concept of "bottle shock" also has to do with the fact that the wine has been bottled and topped with a bit of nitrogen which can adversely affect the wine if opened shortly after shipping. It is still in its "raw" form after bottling.
The whole shaking vigorously procedure is done AFTER the bottle has been opened and been introduced to oxygen which helps open up the wine and the nitrogen has dissipated.
I have finalized my Napa / San Fran Itinenary
I live here and that looks like a very nice itinerary...
For "not to miss" at Oxbow; it is a small establishment so best to just walk the entire property first before deciding on what to eat. Honestly, nothing here really thrills me but my BF loves it and we usually end up at Kitchen Door because their specials are more interesting than everyone's standard menu.
I really do like Hog Island Oysters' clam chowder though...
Red Wine for a Dr. Loosen Gray Slate Mosel Drinker
I'm with Goldangl95 - having worked in the wine industry, I have seen MANY winemakers and winery owners utilize this exact technique when decanters weren't available...
3 Days in SF. Need some recs
Chinese - Hong Kong Lounge (dim sum)
Japanese - Tanpopo for noodles, Sushi Aka Tombo for sushi
Mexican - Colibri
Turkish - Troya
Middle Eastern - Aziza (Moroccan)
Middle Eastern - Zare (Persian)
Burmese - Mandalay
Salvadorean - El Salvador
Colombian - El Majahual
Thai - Lers Ros
Vietnamese - Slanted Door
3 Days in SF. Need some recs
What kind of ethnic? That is pretty vague... Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Salvadorean, Colombian, Burmese, Thai, Vietnamese???
Price ranges would also help; you can get amazing seafood at Farallon, Anchor & Hope, or Bar Crudo if you aren't concerned about a budget.
And what are you looking for in the way of atmosphere? Club scene? Live entertainment? Decor? View?
Family Trip to San Fran...need recs
You are getting suggestions (I believe) that are all pretty mediocre.
Pinocchio is extremely mediocre.
Boudin is swarmed with tourists who want the ubiquitous clam chowder (a New England specialty!) in a carved out, sourdough bowl that is too big to eat.
The Grove (a local chain) is okay, but nothing special and more known by locals as a place to camp for endless internet and fresh orange juice.
AG Ferrari (another local chain) has been bought and sold several times and is a pale reflection of what it was two decades ago.
Calvinist is spot on with his Sotto Mare recommendation but for Dim Sum, I would recommend Hong Kong Lounge (be prepared for long lines). WAY better and cheaper than Yank Sing.
Family Trip to San Fran...need recs
What others have said about McCormick's & Kuletos. It is far from upscale - just upscale prices for chain-quality food. But it is probably one of the best on the Wharf for tourists who like to eat there and the view is great.
In the Financial District, I would recommend Piperade or Kokkari; both very unusual (Piperade is upscale Basque and Kokkari is upscale Greek) - great examples of upscale, ethnic cuisine with the San Francisco twist of ultra fresh ingredients and exemplary chefs.
Wineries in Rutherford or St. Helena area
Very near Auberge is Rombauer - the king of buttery Chards.
Views are to be had at Auberge where you are up above the valley. Down in the valley, the views are just neighboring vineyards but they do have a porch and a garden.
Jardiniere - worth it? [San Francisco]
For the price, it is definitely worth it - considering the rising costs of good tasting menus in the city, this is a screaming deal.
I have had problems with Jardiniere's service in the past, but never the food; it is consistently good and often memorable. I'd buy that deal...
Sonoma: Favorite Purveyors?
In downtown Sonoma on Tuesday evenings is their Farmer's Market with a ton of local purveyors. That would be your best bet for starters...
There is also a shop called Sonoma's Best on the corner of East Napa Road and 8th Street that fits your criteria.
Need help with Science Fair food
JMCarthur, I'm honestly not sure... The guy is ten years old. I'm letting his Dad figure out the presentation/paper part of the project. I'm the foodie and was asked about the foods that would mold faster.
Sadly, I think the kid procrastinated and now has to come up with foods that will mold in a week. He screwed up and the lesson is being learned. Fortunately, I had some Moroccan preserved lemons in my 'fridge that had begun to mold so I gave him those, but after that, I'm not sure what he is going to use.
Need help with Science Fair food
So my boyfriend's 10-year old son has stated that his Science Fair project for this year is various foods that mold or rot and what their rates of decay are...
The problem is that he should have started the project a month ago and now has less than two weeks to create the offending displays.
His idea included McD's French Fries but I (the family foodie) let him know that he is unlikely to witness any decay in those; they just shrink a little and get hard. Breads and cheeses - those things I am more familiar with going bad - take a while to develop.
Any suggestions of which foods might produce the best sort decomposition in a short period of time?
Thanks!
Graduation Diner Near Union Square
Kuleto's is another great suggestion; I've hosted afternoon wedding luncheons there for friends who wanted someplace to celebrate and dine well that is near Union Square.
Restaurant in style of Chez Panisse, etc. near Embarcadero or Fisherman's Wharf?
If you are considering fish, I would recommend Farallon above One Market.
Restaurant in style of Chez Panisse, etc. near Embarcadero or Fisherman's Wharf?
Have you looked at Greens menu lately?
tapas anyone
Zarzuelo has always been my favorite but Boccadillos is a close second.
I've heard good things about LaLoLa, but haven't been.
Please critique my itinerary for 5 night trip to San Francisco (DID LOTS OF RESEARCH)
Condolences on having a friend who won't go to Aziza!
Chefs' cookbook ghost writers
I was hired to ghost write a Napa winery owner's cookbook and am thankful that my name does not appear anywhere on the book except in the thank you's...
The owner insisted on her own "tried and true" recipes which were - honestly - horrible... An Ossobuco that only cooks for a 1/2 hour? Touch and flavorless...
But I got paid well to make her recipes SOUND like they would work and have a sense of cohesiveness to them, but in truth, they were catastrophic and the book failed (except it is on display at the winery).
I'm happy to ghostwrite and fix people's words. I've edited some well-known (Beard-award-winning) cookbooks and even the best writers make mistakes, miss things, and need someone to help polish. Sometimes we are seen as ghostwriters and sometime as editors. It is a really fine line...
Vegas dining etiquite
You can order just appetizers at any restaurant - there is no etiquette...
They are in the service industry and expected to accommodate whatever the customer desires - be it a single dish or the entire menu - with grace and consideration.
Meadowood wine pairing
I've done this and there are few things I'd say...
For starters, any wine you might buy from the day's tastings will probably be way too young to properly complement a full meal at Meadowood. The valley is known for its over-extracted, alcoholic red wines...
You could either;
A) Ask them to share a full wine pairing - that way you are only getting 2 oz. pours which will probably be more than enough to fully appreciate what the sommelier and chef have in mind with the pairing concept.
B) Order something completely different off the wine list that you probably won't find in the valley but would complement the entire meal. In that regard, I often look to Grüner Veltliners, an Alsatian Riesling, or even a French hard cider. This way, you get some nice acidity and a little alcohol that will work with the meal and not be too overwhelmed.
