artemis's Profile
Small Wedding Dinner Advice Please!
I don't know that I'd recommend Barbacco with a baby. It's a long, narrow restaurant, and there's no private room. The food is really great, the service is very friendly, and it's definitely bustling, but very FiDi... I don't think I've ever seen a kid in there. What time are you planning for your reception?
Small Wedding Dinner Advice Please!
Congratulations! We had our wedding reception for 30 at One Market after getting married at City Hall. They did an outstanding job. Your party is small enough to consider the private room at Perbacco as well. And we just had a fabulous meal at Prospect, which also has a private room.
What's your budget?
Peninsula commuting todo list (obscenely long...)
I am excited to follow this thread. I agree with many of the specific recs above, including Cherimoya, Himawari, Hotaru, Cooks, OPLS, and Oren.
A couple notes:
-add Ramen Parlor, which is owned by the Ramen Dojo people and tasty.
-Sushi Sam's - yes, skip the hot menu items except for the really traditional hot menu items like the chawan mushi and the agedashi tofu, both of which are great. I always get the agedashi tofu.
-Coupa Cafe- get the cachapa
-Myung Dong - the tofu stews are better than the meat plates. we go there often.
-Mingalaba - house special noodles are a can't miss. I also really like the asparagus chicken.
Peninsula commuting todo list (obscenely long...)
+1 on Draeger's wagyu pastrami. The SO adores it. Note that they only have it sometimes, so call ahead to be sure.
Looking for Sunnyside Dairy lactose-free whole milk
Hahahahaha. Promise to sit next to me if I do that.
Itinerary for our honeymoon in SF/Napa. Thoughts?
Scream's sorbet is unparalleled. Their nut creams are better than anything I've ever had, and their fruit/water sorbets are glorious. The Seascape Strawberry has just come in and it's spectacular. I'm lactose intolerant and cannot eat regular ice cream. I worship at the altar of Scream.
Note that Scream has a booth at the Ferry Plaza farmer's market on Saturday mornings as well.
Recipes from Smitten Kitchen blog.....what are your favorites??
Just made her version of matzo brittle - http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/04/chocolate-caramel-crackers/
It's fantastic, easy, and totally addictive. I'm taking all that's left after hours of snacking to the office because it's too dangerous to have around.
Great Breakfast wanted near Mark Hopkins Intercontinental in Nob Hill
Not sure what day of the week you're heading out of town (starting Thursday, ending ?), but Olea is down the street from you and has wonderful breakfasts Friday-Sunday.
Floridians coming to Cali for the first time.
Taxis are rare in Napa, I believe, so you may be late for your winery appointments if you rely on them. I expect they will also be expensive, to take advantage of people accidentally too drunk to drive and who lacked the forethought to hire a car. You really don't want to worry about that on your honeymoon, IMO. Call several companies (I have no recommendation personally, as I've never done it) and ask them what their rates would be so you can shop around.
2 wineries seems a little low to me - I think the sweet spot is 3-4 wineries, one before lunch and 3 after. No more than 4. Our favorite cabs are from Chappellet.
I strongly suggest Brix for a buffet brunch. It's a must-do for me and the DH every time we're up there, as long as it's not both cold and raining. They have tons of wonderful food and a glorious local cheese spread (you really won't be hungry until dinner), but my favorites there are anything with the perfect vegetables and fruits that they always seem to have. Great sourcing, and they treat the produce with respect. The tomatoes will be glorious in mid-August. Good timing!
Additional activity suggestion: rent bikes and ride around for a few hours (maybe on the Silverado Trail aka "The Trail"). You will really get a sense of wine country on a bike that you can't get in a car.
Two of four
Skip Bodega Bistro. Between Cotogna, La Ciccia, and Aziza, I'd vote Aziza and Cotogna, but all three are really great.
Floridians coming to Cali for the first time.
My DH and in-laws are from Florida. I've been to your state many times at this point. At the risk of overgeneralization and telling you things you already know, your citrus and most of your seafood is better, though I really prefer dungeness to stone crab. However, our vegetables are better - much more vine-ripened, local/fresh, heirloom than what I seem to be able to find in Florida, try as I might. Also, I have yet to encounter a real tomato in Florida. Not sure when you're coming out here, but hopefully we'll have some real hot weather before you do, so the tomatoes have a chance to ripen properly. My DH nearly fell over tasting a real tomato for the first time.
Please get a driver on wine tasting day, though you should set the itinerary for the most part. The cops (appropriately) set up DUI checkpoints sometimes and they are not kidding around about 0.08% BAC.
Costco Food Finds - 2nd Quarter 2012
After a long absence, the Mario Batali refrigerated sausage ravioli are back at Foster City. They're pretty good for a quick dinner.
Report on trip to SF - "The Short Report" - more detailed reviews to follow
Can't wait to read your full report, and delighted to hear you liked Mingalaba. I love all the places you loved!
One dinner in Half Moon Bay
I went to Gibraltar recently with the DH. The ambiance was beautiful (love those light fixtures that look like jellyfish), and the staff very friendly. They put us in a booth with a distant view of the ocean and sunset, which was really nice. The spreads platter was really delicious, and thanks to the Farmer's Market Afghani bolani guys, we were able to quickly narrow in on good combinations based on what spreads they like to put together. The squid appetizer was pretty good. Our entrees were not impressive - his duck was too sweet and overcooked, and my seafood stew was salty and kinda bland. Portions were large - we could have ordered one less entree with no problem, if not also one less app. It was expensive for an overall ok meal. We don't plan to return.
Costco food finds - 1st quarter 2012 [old]
New to me - Fage 0% single-serve fruit-on-the-side combo pack (blueberry acai, mango guarabana, cherry pom and maybe one more flavor?) - $13 for 12, Foster City.
Best steakhouse in San Francisco
We went to Harris' last night for my SO's birthday. He got the steak with foie, another friend the fillet, and another friend the porterhouse. They loved their steaks. The green beans that came with my DH's steak were lovely, not overcooked at all. I don't eat cows (don't care for them, not an Ethical Thing), so I ordered the house cured salmon and the crab cakes as my dinner. They were both pretty lousy. The salmon was nice enough I guess, but nothing special, and the crisp bread slices served with it were oily. The crab cakes were very, very disappointing - totally smooth texture (no lump meat) with lots of strands of fairly tasteless crab, the breaded outside was bland and slightly oily, they weren't served hot, and the brunoise of bell peppers scattered on the plate reminded me of something from the 80's. The bell peppers ended up being the only source of texture on the plate though. We shared a baked alaska for dessert- the ice cream was rock hard and the cake dry as a bone. The waiter didn't tell us the specials until I asked (cream of asparagus soup, some special salad, and steamed mussels). My DH and friends absolutely adored their steaks but the rest of the food was far below par. I'm not going back there, but it does seem like a great place if you stick to the steaks only.
Dark Chocolate Cake with Coffee and/or Booze flavor(s)
The New Orleans Bourbon cake from Crixa was fabulous. I generally agree with your taste, so I just ordered it without tasting it. I loved the bittersweet ganache, and loved that the frosting was only on top of the cake, with some fairly substantial swirly rosette-y shapes around the edge of the cake. The sides of the cake were bare of frosting, which was a little surprising but also appreciated because I am not a huge frosting fan. There was plenty of ganache on top, especially from the rosettes, to have some frosting with each bite of cake. The bottom third of the cake was very boozy in a wonderful way (this cake is not ok for kids, if there was any doubt), and the top two-thirds not boozy. I suspect that the sides weren't frosted so that the bottom third of the cake could be soaked in booze. The cake itself was moist and not too sweet throughout. I would definitely recommend it to anyone not looking for a very sweet, adult chocolate cake.
The Almost Finalized 5 night SF and Monterey/Carmel Itinerary - Researched and re-researched!
This is a great itinerary.
I think Brenda's strengths are her grits (which are perfect) and her french toast - her beignets are very tasty but they are not Cafe du Monde by a long mile. Very different style, so adjust your expectations to properly appreciate them for what they are instead of what they are not.
I'd vote Osteria Coppa over Astaria or CPB for San Mateo options. At Osteria Coppa, we usually get a pizza to split (add a farm egg for extra yum) - I forget if it's wood fired or fancy brick oven, but it's one of those. We usually start with the fritto misto to share, and maybe add a salad or soup if we're feeling very hungry. Never had a bad meal here.
At Mingalaba, I like the roti appetizer, the asparagus chicken, and most importantly, the House Special Noodles. Those noodles are really awesome.
Please critique my itinerary for 5 night trip to San Francisco (DID LOTS OF RESEARCH)
I was at Perbacco on a Tuesday recently for an unplanned lunch meeting. We went at noon and the wait for 4 people was 45 minutes. The restaurant was packed. As we were standing there, someone with a reservation called in and cancelled, so we got their table. The hostess said they are often that busy at lunch.
pumpkin pie question
The no man's land of "no dairy but yes eggs" is thankfully occupied, though sparsely, by parve recipes. While I haven't tried this recipe, her other recipes have been excellent:
http://www.couldntbeparve.com/2009/11/pumpkin-pie/
Looks like her trick is soy milk powder!
Just For You Cafe in the Dogpatch
I had brunch there last year with a few friends. We all really enjoyed our meals, but I vaguely recall the daily specials being bigger winners than the omlette I ordered. My DH got a fritatta, as I recall, which was particularly tasty. The pancakes we got to share were great as well. Very large portions. Real maple syrup is available.
Dark Chocolate Cake with Coffee and/or Booze flavor(s)
Thanks, rwo. It looks like I'll have to try a slice. Now to figure out how to get over to Berkeley for a test run without the DH knowing... I was really hoping to find something on my side of the water, but this is the best lead so far.
Dark Chocolate Cake with Coffee and/or Booze flavor(s)
Do any of the local talented bakeries offer a dark or bittersweet chocolate cake that has some kind of coffee and/or booze flavor in it? I checked Delissio and Tartine, but neither do what I'm looking for.
Has anyone tried Crixa's New Orleans Bourbon cake? "Dark chocolate cake with a bit of coffee and a bunch of Bourbon. Iced with bittersweet chocolate ganache."
Any other suggestions?
Temple Oranges?
Wow, thanks Robert. I will have to make a pilgrimage to BB this weekend! I don't suppose there's a BB equivalent on the peninsula?
Temple Oranges?
This NYT article got me again thinking about the very seasonal Temple oranges:
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/temple-oranges-here-today/?ref=dining
Is there anywhere in the Bay Area that sells them? My DH is from Florida and misses them dearly.
Peet's Coffee's new oatmeal [moved from San Francisco]
Jamba's berry cherry pecan, hold the brown sugar, is my favorite, or if i'm feeling virtuous, sliced banana, hold the brown sugar. Still it's great to know that Peets' now offers a healthful option, too.
Izakaya Yuzuki -- my favorite new Japanese restauarant in SF
Nick Balla of Tartine agrees: http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2011/12/nick_ballas_2011_find_great_sk.php
Help! Our office needs new catering ideas!
I am mildly addicted to the Kyoto salad at Sprout, though every salad I've had from there is good.
