Daniel Duane's Profile
how to find high-end cooking lessons?
this is for a friend, a guy who's already a great home cook. He's been making great Italian-influenced home meals for years, but yearns to learn some French technique. Anybody have a thought? A clue? I'm thinking private lessons, in his home. I do realize this won't be cheap ...
Bauer's Mission Chinese Rave????
Anybody else find Bauer's Mission Chinese rave perplexing?
I ordered nine dishes delivered from Mission Chinese, back before Christmas, and while they were universally interesting and well executed--raising great hopes as we spread this feast across our dinner table--they were also universally inedible, due to a wildly out of control spice level, in every single dish. Nine dishes represents a pretty substantial portion of their small menu; I'd asked specifically for a few dishes that weren't spicy, so my kids might find something to eat; I'm not a high-spice guy myself, but I'm no spice-wuss, either, routinely dousing my fish tacos with habanero sauce, glugging Sriracha onto my eggs, and sprinkling red chile flakes into my greens; and yet we ended up throwing away nearly a hundred dollars worth of food. The entire order, no joke: five minutes into the meal, we conceded defeat in complete amazement and then shoveled it all into the garbage can. We've never done that with a single other meal, ever, from any take-out joint. So what gives? Does Bauer have an asbestos tongue? Or has Mission Chinese perhaps toned it down, in the past 3 months?
-----
Mission Chinese Food
2234 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Iwatani butane cartridges?
Hey, that's great. Thanks. And yep, I'll let you know. I've been loaned a Sous-Vide Supreme, one of those water baths, so I'm eager to try the blow-torch sear method on steaks cooked sous-vide.
Iwatani butane cartridges?
I just bought the torch off amazon, but how do I get the cannisters? Anybody got a clue?
Three Nights in Waikiki! Help!
Okay, so I'm here on work, and I'm staying in a Hyatt, but that doesn't mean I want to eat in the hotel. Can anyone point a guy to some great eats? Not worried about price, though upscale isn't the point; good food is the point. I'd love an honest piece of grilled fish, a sushi restaurant to die for ... thoughts? I do have a car.
Buying Fish in Monterey?
I'm going down to Monterey Dunes this weekend, to spend a few days in a beach rental with family. And I'm wondering ... what's the best way to get fresh local seafood down there? And how about good produce?
Incanto "Quinto Quarto"
Funny coincidence--I had a combined "Whole Beast" and "Quinto Quarto" meal at Incanto on Sunday night. Fourteen of us consumed an entire lamb, along with hearts, kidneys, sweetbreads, fries (testicles), liver, etc ... and the lamb's head was served precisely as the OP describes it. I was dazzled. A wonderful experience, oddly soothing and satisfying. Highly, highly recommended.
Any good eats in Lodi Zinfandel country?
Heading up there with the missus in a few weeks, on a quest for good old vine Zin, and wondering if there are any great meals to be had.
Retail venison? Preferably not from overseas?
I guess it's both: I'm hoping to find venison raised in a wholesome way and not too absurdly far away.
Retail venison? Preferably not from overseas?
Got a big dinner this weekend, hoping to cook a venison leg, and I'm wondering--is there a reasonably local source? Or do we have to buy stuff that's been on trans-oceanic jet planes?
Seeking upscale SF fusion, experimental a plus
thank you! I'm going to give Coi a shot--I recall someone talking about it the night I ate at Ame, and I think I was subconsciously fishing for that name.
Seeking upscale SF fusion, experimental a plus
SO loves this kind of food, feels cheated that I went to Ame without her. What are the other first-rate places in town? (Besides Slanted Door).
So I Stumbled Into Yet Wah ...
for Dim Sum, on outer Clement. the place near Four Star theater. First time ever--for Dim Sum, I mean. Had my four year old girl and my one year old girl, mommy off resting from NYEve, everyone hungry. We had a great time, I enjoyed the food, and here's what I want to know: how does this place rate in the SF Dim Sum scene? Did I get a representative Dim Sum experience?
Limp Lettus?
Just tried this "organic cafe" the other day, out in the Marina. It's called Luttus, with an umlaut over the second u. Very Ikea. Nice concept, though, and pleasing decor, and that funny quality of all new restaurants on Chestnut: they all seem to have been opened by earnest young MBAs who've put enormous energy into branding their concept so that it can be replicated as an enormous nationwide chain the moment it takes off.
anyway, everything was pleasing until the food came. Udon noodles with sauteed vegetables in a chili-coconut broth had literally zero broth. hilarious. when I say none, I mean none: just a bowl of goopy pasta with some tired out veggies. the woman behind the counter (nice enough, not at all her fault), tried to explain that's just how the dish is made, but that if I wanted extra coconut "sauce" I was welcome to some. etc etc
she was actually great, and helpful, and got me a different dish, but it was all less than impressive, in that entirely unnecessary way. anybody else tried this place? I had such high hopes.
Paulines, Pizzetta 221, and ... ?
To whit: is there anywhere else to look, in our great town, for a seriously righteous pizza?
By way of perameters: I'm not a New York style purist. In fact, my all time favorite pizza is cheeseboard, in Berkeley. but I don't live in Berkeley.
Where is hanger steaks avaiable?
Bi-Rite market has 'em, on 18th b/w Dolores and Guerrero, but call ahead--their meat is grass-fed and thus seasonal.
Daniel Patterson: where he at?
friend wants to eat Patterson food, and I can't remember where he's cooking now. what's the word?
cooking dry cannelini beans?
baking soda--that's a new one to me. does it impact the flavor at all?
cooking dry cannelini beans?
anyone know any tricks? I have such a hard time getting them all to cook to the same degree of doneness at the same time. some come out hard, other mushy ...
Prather or Golden Gate?
my understanding is that prather beef is grain finished--very humane, sustainable, healthful, but grain finished nonetheless. same for Niman. Marin Sun is strictly grass-finished--never fed grain at all. (in case the OP cares).
also, when I've bought meat at Prather it has not been frozen. I've only bought from the Marin Sun booth once, but i don't think that was frozen either.
Prather or Golden Gate?
bi-rite, on 18th Street, has Marin Sun beef daily now--only place in town. great news if you're looking for beyond organic, grass-finished steaks. it's all pre-cut though, and they don't have roasts or unusual cuts. just the classics--NY, Hanger, that sort of thing.
Killer King City al Pastor
sounds like I was indeed eating at the taco place you'd mentioned.
Killer King City al Pastor
I believe it was the SW corner--the place with the outdoor tables in front, looking like an old burger stand, like maybe it was a foster's freeze long ago. they actually have a few indoor tables, in a curious little room with TV usually playing soccer games (a very clean room). but that's the place, the taco stand. actively friendly and solicitous service, clearly proud of their food. self-respecting.
I'd love to try the other places you two have mentioned. such an interesting little town, basically a Mexican town. I couldn't get a single english-language radio station down there. all those other restaurants ... the panaderia toodie jane mentioned. I saw that place and wondered ...
and how are those other restaurants, toodie jane? the sit down ones?
anyway, hopefully I'll be on 101 again soon.
Killer King City al Pastor
anyone else tried this taqueria de Jalisco, at the intersection of Broadway and 2nd, in "downtown" King City? It's phenomenal. A few years ago, while shooting north on 101--back to my SF home--I pulled off hungry, roamed King City, and stumbled on the place. I had a few tacos I thought were much better than they had to be; surprisingly good. The place was also cheap, friendly, and immaculate. So yesterday, once again on 101 at lunch time, I poked around until I found it again. And this time I was even more impressed. The al Pastor tacos were brightly flavored, clean tasting ... phenomenal! They've also got tripe, tongue, head, and brain tacos, as well as all the usual meat fillings.
anyway, I seriously recommend this place to any and all chowhounds finding themselves on 101 in the Salinas Valley at a a suitable hour.
Anyone tried Aqua's vegetarian tasting menu?
I have not tried their vegetarian tasting menu, but I had such a lousy meal there recently I felt I should post anyway. In fact, I started a thread on the subject. You can check it out here:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/334500
Had "A Gourmet Experience" lately?
Check out the Bi-Rite Market on 18th Street between Guerrero and Dolores. Killer gourmet specialty market with killer prepared foods. It's also on the same block with Delfina, Delfina Pizza, and the spectacular Tartine bakery, which makes that block the up-scale gourmet epicenter of the entire Mission/Noe swath of the city.
Aqua Shocker!
I don't really know. I'm rarely in that part of town. Sure was full last night, though.
And hey, maybe it's me--this isn't really my kind of scene, truth be told. The ambience of the joint did nothing for me, and perhaps others are wowed by it. I found the service pretentious and silly, while others might find its formality exciting. Still, the food. I'm telling you: lukewarm and utterly bland. Pretty weird.
Aqua Shocker!
and I don't know ... never order seafood on a sunday? at Aqua that would mean never going there on a sunday, wouldn't it? In fact, it would mean they probably shouldn't be open on Sundays, given that supremely fresh seafood is their whole stock in trade (and at least 90% of their menu).
Aqua Shocker!
good point about the table. and I also agree about the tasting menu. I was a guest, and therefore not driving the train in terms of ordering and table selection.
I do feel, though, that a restaurant can deal with a surge of business in different ways: one is to allow their reservations book to get full at a crowd level the restaurant can handle, another is to start shoe-horning tables into the toilet foyer and hustling people through their meals.
Aqua Shocker!
my FIL was indeed prompted to try the place because of the 2 stars. and I did indeed go through the door knowing that it got 2 stars and that Chez Panisse, my favorite restaurant, did not. so, clearly, I wanted to be impressed and was looking for flaws. I concede this point. But had the place not had the stars, I would simply have substituted the high bar set by stars for the high bar set by price and pretension. It's not as if this is a small, unpretentious restaurant that Michelin discovered and then rewarded, causing the little darlings to be overwhelmed. This is a big, corporate, high-powered dining room with oodles of staff in the heart of the financial district. also, my FIL is a pretty serious restaurant goer. He and my MIL eat out with great regularity and great gusto, and neither of them has any attachment to Chez Panisse or anywhere else. So they can't be accused of having my bias.
