Spenbald's Profile
Lers Ros - Yum
Had a fabulous dinner at the Hayes location about 3 weeks ago. The wine list is clearly well-curated (and in exquisite English, as opposed to the regular menu) and reasonably priced. Had the Larb Phed Yang to start, and was equally as delighted as the OP with this lovely salad. Entrees were the Pork Pad Phed, which comes with green peppercorns and with a hefty dose of fire. DC had Kaeng Keaw Wan Talay, a mixed seafood green curry that also packed plenty of heat. I'm not well-versed in the best Thai food, but this was definitely the most refined I've had and certainly pleased my palate. I would most certainly go back to try more.
Bombolini now at Emporio Rulli and zeppole at Danilo on St. Joseph's Day 3/19
Bumping this due to St. Joseph's day next Monday. I've read so much about zeppole but never had any while back in Boston. Wondering if there have been any 2012 spottings in the run up to St. Joseph's, or if they are mostly offered ON the day. Caffe BaoNecci is definitely the most handy to me. What's the good zeppole word?
Restaurant ideas in Hayes Valley
What about nojo at Franklin and Linden? I've been intrigued by their menu, but haven't heard much about them. Japanese-style skewers among other small plates.
Tres leches cake in SF?
Thanks all for the recs. I went with DeLessio given two recs and my need to order it quickly, not to mention it is walking distance from work. Had never been there before, but they were extremely nice and helpful. Just sampled the cake, which is beautifully "sculpted." It's awfully sweet, though, mainly because it's coated in sort of a bruléed marshmallow, which is a nice texture, but makes the entire cake so, so sweet.
I'm fairly new to SF, and I haven't been to Tartine yet, so that will be something to try. Other recs for Mission locations will be explored, too!
Tres leches cake in SF?
I'm really unimpressed with Chow's search options. I did my best to search (and hell, I'm a librarian, after all!) and did NOT come up with this thread. Thanks for pointing me to it!
Tres leches cake in SF?
Hi all,
I'm wondering if there's decent tres leches cake that one can buy whole (as opposed to restaurants that serve a great version for dessert, which is good knowledge to have, but I'm looking for birthday cake here). I would normally attempt to bake my own, but this week offers me no opportunity to do so. Thanks for your tips!
Where to find fresh (non-processed) dates in SF?
There's a vendor at the Civic Center FM on Wednesdays (I'm never there on Sundays, so I can't vouch for their presence then) that sells a variety of amazing dates, and I've been very happy with all of them. I feel like they share 1/2 a stand with another vendor, and are located on the north side, closer to the fountains.
SF BBQ News!
Grub Street and Eater SF both pegged the opening as today, so we'll hopefully see some reviews shortly.
CSA recommendations for 2012?
I can't muster up much enthusiasm for Eatwell. We tried the 4 delivery trial and always had something that was either badly damaged (a truly overripe melon had burst and leaked over much of the other produce) or wilted (at least 2 bags of basil that were limp and turning black). The other thing that surprised me about the boxes was how little variety I saw in August and September. We had 4 boxes delivered over 8 weeks and saw nearly the same stuff each time: eggplant, tomatillos, basil (no other herbs), and cherry tomatoes. For that part of the season, I would have expected and craved to see more variety from each delivery. We're trying out FFTY for a few deliveries. Today's looked promising, but I'm alarmed by the amount of plastic packaging used.
Dine About Town, SF coming Jan 15-31, 2012 - any you going to try?
That said, further examining ChouChou's website, they seem to offer the same exact menu at the same price Sunday through Thursday. No need to try it out during a potentially crazy two weeks.
Dine About Town, SF coming Jan 15-31, 2012 - any you going to try?
How is Dine About Town? I'm coming from Boston where its Restaurant Week is looked at with a bit of disdain by chowhounders. Often restaurants put together subpar menus and do not put forth their best effort to feed the masses that descend. While I understand the appeal to those who wouldn't normally be able to afford some of the higher end restaurants, it still feels like they're getting a raw deal. All that said, maybe the vibe in SF is different? Chouchou is right down the street from me and the menus for these 2 weeks look quite good. I'd be willing to give it a go.
Where do I find cake flour in (western) San Francisco?
Andronico's must have it, but is that too far east for you?
Fruitcake....Where to Buy
Arizmendi in Inner Sunset has a killer, boozy fruitcake. A bit steep at $14, but damn good.
Dungeness crab prices for '11
Bought two beauties from Seafood Center on Clement this afternoon. $4.99/lb for 2+lbs., $3.99/lb. for lower.
Bread for French toast
Greenlee's cinnamon bread is perfect for french toast, and it's made right in San Jose. I've found it in SF Whole Foods stores.
http://www.greenleesbakerysj.com/
A decent piece of chocolate cake
Not sure if the Cheeseboard in Berkeley or Arizmendi Emeryville or Lakeshore in Oakland would have it, but I've had the salted caramel frosted chocolate cake at the Sunset location and it was lovely.
Looking for dinner rec's from relocated New Englanders!!!
I dunno. I had a dungeness feast with friends several years ago when I was in Boston (and yes, I am a native from there) and I was hooked. Sure, I love lobster, and I love the ease of eating lobster relative to crab, but overall, I think I enjoy the meat of a dungeness more. I am THRILLED to see the commercial season start next week.
Good place to buy scotch in the east bay ?
Seconded. With some surprisingly good prices on some things as well.
Good place to buy scotch in the east bay ?
So, where DO you buy your liquor if you're so quick to dismiss BevMo? Sure, it's a box store, but it offers a decent to incredible selection, depending on what you're looking for, with fantastic prices. Sure, you won't get someone who curated the whiskey selections with whom you can have a decent conversation and get a good recommendation, but if you know what you want and you know they have it, what's so bad about it?
A rave for the ... Cheesecake Factory [moved from Boston]
Flatbread Company counts as a chain, but a delicious one.
Capital Grille
Reliably on the menu at Brasserie Jo.
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Brasserie Jo
120 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02116
So many SF donut shops!
Not yet, but the resounding recommendations have not gone unnoticed. Plus, Scoutmob currently has a 100% off deal which cannot be ignored. I may soon be working in the Civic Center area, which is much closer than home, so I hope to get there soon.
San Francisco Genuine / Popular / Local Foods?
Is there a perfectly crunchy Dutch Crunch roll/bread in the area? I've tried Semifreddi's a couple of times, and while the bread is perfectly fine, it didn't have the crunch I was expecting. Theirs seems to be the one I see most often, so I'm wondering if there are others I'm missing.
So many SF donut shops!
And thank god for that. True, I may have learned to drink DD coffee (a "regulah" is as you described above in the Greater Boston area), but I had divorce from them several years ago as my coffee palate evolved.
Restaurant recommendations near Oyster Point??
I have to say, I had a surprisingly fine meal at the South Harbor Waterfront Restaurant & Bar. http://www.southharborrestaurant.com/
There's not a lot of atmosphere, but if you get there early enough, you have quite nice bay views. Prices are reasonable and food is quite good, though not terribly inspired. I was pleasantly surprised when we had to find "simple" in-laws a decent meal in the area. We did go on a Friday night, and there was horribly cheesy music by a guy with just an electronic keyboard, and a beyond drunk boatman just behind us. But, really, every one of us enjoyed our food. I had eaten a large lunch, so I split the calamari (generous portion), and had the fish tacos (2 large, enough for a meal, really).
October 2011 Openings and Closings
Sweet Cheeks will be opening in Cambridge 1's old space:
http://bostonrestaurants.blogspot.com/2011/06/sweet-cheeks-to-open-in-bostons-fenway.html
Restaurant near Kezar stadium
Just be aware that Zazie does a brunch on weekends and they don't accept reservations for it. The Wooly Pig Cafe on Hugo at 3rd Ave is not so much a sit down place (though there are tables), but they have some fantastic sandwiches.
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Zazie
941 Cole St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Dottie's True Blue Cafe?
I actually haven't been to Dottie's, but I just moved from the Boston area, and would, without any reservations, recommend the Deluxe Town Diner in the suburb of Watertown: http://www.deluxetowndiner.com/. Excellent corned beef hash and sweet potato pancakes.
The Friendly Toast in Cambridge (http://www.thefriendlytoast.net/) is a "branch" of the original in Portsmouth, NH. It has numerous creative offerings, and the food is decent, but the careless/indifferent service is more than offputting.
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Deluxe Town Diner
627 Mt Auburn St, Watertown, MA 02472
The Friendly Toast
1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA
