Agent 510's Profile
Where to buy hazelnuts in the South Bay?
I can't believe these are so hard to find, but I visited 2 Safeways, 2 Whole Foods and my local Trader Joe's and came up empty.
Any idea where to find either whole or chopped hazelnuts in the South Bay? (ideally Sunnyvale-Santa Clara-north San Jose)
Cinnaholic (vegan cinnamon rolls) Berkeley - any reports?
Yes! The roll itself is delicious, so good you can't tell it's vegan. (well, at least I can't tell it's vegan)
The rolls are slightly underbaked, which I personally like, but if you prefer your baked goods all burnt and crispy, that's not how they do it.
I tried the vanilla and almond frostings. Both pretty good, really on the sweet side but again, that's what I like. Not all their frosting flavors may go well with the cinnamon in the roll, but eventually, the people will have spoken.
Cannoli in the East Bay?
Berkeley Bowl West has good ones for just $1.75.
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Berkeley Bowl West
920 Heinz Ave, Berkeley, CA
Berkeley: Good Greek in the Gourmet Gulch - Athineon
Word to the wise...Athineon is open for dinner as of this week. They have added a few items to the menu including moussaka (which is quite good, by the way) and Greek pasta.
This may or may have anything to do with my instant crush on the girl behind the counter, but the family really seems to care about their customers and everything I've had there has been pretty good.
ISO Sonoran Style Hot Dogs in the Bay Area
By the way, it's not a Sonoran dog, but the spicy coleslaw dog at TrueBurger in Oakland comes close.
It's a dog with bacon, a very light and peppery coleslaw, and a mayo-based chipotle sauce served not on a traditional hot dog bun, but one that very closely resembles what I saw used for the "real thing" in Phoenix.
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Trueburger
146 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94612
Best cheesiest thing I ever ate...
I liked the Acme Bread cheese sandwich - Cowgirl Creamery triple creme brie and fig jam with arugula on an Acme baguette. It's available on weekends at the Ferry Building farmer's market.
I also quite like the grilled cheese at the Pasta Shop on 4th St. in Berkeley. It's pretty simple - sharp cheddar and green onions on sourdough grilled in a panini press - but it's quite good.
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Acme Bread
1601 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702
Cowgirl Creamery
80 4th St, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
Espetus?
Going against what everyone else says, I would definitely recommend an Espetus gift certificate for your meat-loving brother.
I tried this place in December 2008 and quite enjoyed it. Sure, a few of the couple dozen or so cuts of meat we tried were dry, but I remember these being few and far between.
It probably doesn't compare to its equivalents in Brazil or even NYC, but if you've never been to any of those, you won't notice. The main area its online reviewers seem to think it doesn't measure up is the salad bar, which won't matter if you're there for meat.
And if your brother loves meat and has never been to a churrascaria, it'll be a memorable experience. I would recommend it over House of Prime Rib just because of the variety of meats you get and the experience of having it brought to your table on skewers until you're stuffed.
Brazilian Pao de Queso (cheesebread)
Brazil Cafe in downtown Berkeley has them, though like the Grand Lake stand, it's an appetizer-sized portion, not exactly the same thing as a mix you can use for a crowd at home. Still, with their cilantro-garlic sauce, it's quite delicious.
In search of the elusive Cinnamon Roll!
Berkeley Bowl West's bakery now has a fantastic cinnamon roll, possibly the best I've found. It's made from croissant dough but it's not overcooked or burned, and topped with orange zest icing. It's huge and it's just $1.50.
I'm not sure if this is one of those Artisan Bakery items they carry, but it's yet another win for BBW's bakery.
So good I had to revive this old thread, the last one I could find on "Where's the best cinnamon roll at?"
Best Bay Area bagels?
A Yelp poster observes that Roland's isn't closed, it's just relocating to Hayes & Gough.
Wild Flour Bakery, Freestone
I love Wild Flour, not just the offerings but also the location and the whole experience. Last time I was there I picked up one of the Fougasses which I combined with a bowl of chowder from Spud Point in Bodega Bay: terrific. I also got an almond/fig/marzipan scone. Also terrific.
I need to get back there.
Taqueria La Familia Berkeley
What a coincidence, I went there on Wednesday for the first time in over a year. I agree, the fish tacos are still as good as always.
Berkeley - Tacubayas Excellent Fearless Menudo
Hmmm. Unlike RW I have never lived south of the border or have any firsthand experience with the cuisines found there but I'm tempted to make the short trip to Tacubaya to try menudo for the first time. I hear it's a great hangover cure.
I can recommend Tacubuya for its fried-to-order churros. Simply delicious.
Thinking of Leaving SF for Berkeley or Oakland. Crazy?
It's also worth pointing out that unless you're shopping exclusively at these high-end artisan places every day, you might be concerned about real "everyday" grocery shopping, which I think is marginally better in the East Bay than SF. You'll be closer to the bigger, newer Safeway and Lucky locations, and you won't have to fight off parking garage crowds when you visit Trader Joe's or Whole Foods over here.
I do agree that Berkeley Bowl can make visits to the above places unnecessary.
ISO Sonoran Style Hot Dogs in the Bay Area
I actually got to try one of these in Phoenix this weekend, at Nogales Hot Dogs on Indian Spring Rd.
Not bad. It was definitely the authentic "real deal" (minus ketchup and mustard, the lack of which made it even better). Really hard to eat though, unless you lie down sideways.
I believe I read that there are regulations as to how these things can be cooked (on-site grilling is illegal, at least in Phoenix) so if the same is true in the Bay Area, I believe hell will freeze over before someone sells these things here.
Greenlee's Cinnamon Bread
For the detail-obsessed, it isn't QUITE like a cinnamon roll - more like cinnamon bread than a roll - but it's pretty close. If the sugar/cinnamon-to-bread ratio were higher, it would be hard to put in a toaster.
Each loaf seems kind of heavy when you pick it up - b/c of all the sugar?
Ferry Building Sandwiches
I second the Acme Bakery recommendation, and at $5 each, the price is right.
I prefer the cheese sandwich and the green garlic sandwich. Note that the salami and cheese sandwiches are always there but the "vegetarian" slot rotates between green garlic, beets, or something else.
Don't touch money and then touch my food!
Blood and poultry juice on your change? That's not cool.
And I did see another thread about people working as servers while sick, which I tend to be more sympathetic to. I'm not going to chew out some server who's struggling to make ends meet, or their boss who often has no choice other than to go short-staffed.
But making your employees wash their hands before handling food? That takes a minute, tops!
Don't touch money and then touch my food!
I saw the same thing happen at a sandwich place near me (girl behind counter takes money and then starts making sandwich with bare hands). So gross.
Is this worth calling the manager and/or the local health department over? Is anything likely to happen other than them laughing and moving on?
Greenlee's Cinnamon Bread
I picked up a loaf when I was in the South Bay on Thursday, thanks to this thread.
Damn you, Greenlee's Chowhound thread. Thanks to you I have a new addiction. This stuff is good (and the people at that bakery are really nice to boot...)
Little Gino's in Berkeley now has a "real" Italian Beef sandwich
It's hard to find an Italian Beef sandwich in the Bay Area, much less one made in true Chicago style, but Little Gino's (which opened a few months ago with Chicago-style hot dogs) has added it to their menu.
This is the real thing, not some lame imitation - unlike many regional specialties that get transplanted to the Bay Area. The bun is huge, the beef tender, and the dip has that meaty flavor it's supposed to have. And they offer giardinera on the side, which they have apparently had available in small plastic cups even before adding the sandwich to the menu.
I hope they keep adding more Chicago items to the menu - the owner's cousin was working the counter and told me they want to do so.
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Little Gino's Hot Dogs
2109 Milvia St, Berkeley, CA 94704
Oakland: Phat Matt's BBQ – The best pulled pork in the Bay Area
I just had my first Phat Matt's experience today and would rate it as one of the better BBQ's in the area, along with Tomm's.
I tried the pulled pork too and quite liked it. I made the mistake of not requesting enough sauce (which I asked for on the side) but it was quite flavorful on its own. I think I slightly prefer Tomm's pork shoulder to this, but pork is definitely something Phat Matt does well.
The cornbread is actually quite sweet - maybe they changed it? Really good and worth the extra $2.
The beans are good. I usually don't eat these when I get BBQ, but the horseradish flavor made them good. The potato salad is just OK, but that's fine.
The pecan pie...what can I say? Delicious.
It's pricier than Tomm's - $19 for all of the above - but I'd go back.
Poutine.
You can get poutine at Gregoire in Berkeley (this month only). I'm trying it right now and it's definitely the real thing, with gravy and cheese curds.
New Year’s Eve Eve at EVE in Berkeley’s Garden of Eatin’ … the Gourmet Gulch
Probably just special holiday hours. I was there a couple weeks ago a little before 7pm.
New Year’s Eve Eve at EVE in Berkeley’s Garden of Eatin’ … the Gourmet Gulch
Interesting article about "Gourmet Gulch". That stretch of University may not look very inspiring, but with Eve, Chocolatier Blue and that bakery, it has quite a few offerings. When the Greek place expands its menu and Trader Joe's finally opens, those will be nice additions.
ISO Sonoran Style Hot Dogs in the Bay Area
As with the torta, the above sounds like it would be really good if half the ingredients are omitted. Not sure I get the appeal of "con todos" (with everything)
in-n-out?
To further address the OP's question of "where's In-n-Out near SFO" (NOT "do you think I should eat at In-n-Out?"). the location wolfe mentions really is a short (~5 min.) walk from Millbrae BART - I've done it.
4505 Meats: EPIC lunches at the Ferry Plaza Thursday Farmers Market
Haven't yet, but it sounds good.
I should also point out that the 4505 stand was also offering something called the "Hot Gut Deluxe" - a hot link sausage, a slab of fried mac & cheese, a fried egg, and BBQ sauce on white bread.
Sounds like a bit much, yet everyone was getting one! It was kind of hilarious watching all these office workers chowing down.
4505 Meats: EPIC lunches at the Ferry Plaza Thursday Farmers Market
I was at the 4505 stand today. There were a handful of people around by noon, but not a huge crowd.
I quite enjoyed the burger. It's reminiscent of the the "outdoor burger" at T-Rex, for anyone who's from the other side of the bridge, in that the bun and toppings are similar, but the meat is in its own league. The burger almost didn't need sauce or toppings, as the meat was tasty enough on its own.
The single is just the right size if you want to combine your Ferry lunch with something else (in my case, a Tacolicious taco - which was just OK compared to the burger). The meat seems rich and heavy enough that a small portion is enough to hit the spot for lunch.
Yeah, I can see why Ryan Farr has joined Blue Bottle, Acme Bread, etc. in attracting a following.
Berkeley Marina Sport Fishing - Crab salad, Live crabs, barbecue and kimchee
Well, I went over there and tried the crab sandwich, and I quite enjoyed it. I'm not sure I'd say it was lightly dressed - seemed like typical crab salad to me - but it had a nice sweet flavor and it certainly tasted fresh, better than what I remember getting from the Sea Breeze Market and cheaper too.
Yeah for Chow discoveries inside bait & tackle shops!
