kimchee411's Profile
Are there any restaurants serving Heritage turkey?
I just learned of this type of bird and would like to try some without having to buy a whole bird and roast it myself. Anybody know of a restaurant that serves these?
Where to find Mole Tacos and/or Burritos in the Bay area?
Pancho Villa has chicken mole as one of their meat options.
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Pancho Villa
365 S B St, San Mateo, CA 94401
Need recommendation for 100 people in the East Bay
We need to find a venue for my daughter's Red Egg and Ginger Party. There will be about 100 guests...
- Buffet style would be best, but I'm open to anything that works.
- I would like to keep this under $20/head if possible. Cheaper is better, but I understand there are tradeoffs.
- I prefer NOT to have Chinese food or bad Japanese buffet. If it necessarily comes down to one of those, so be it.
- Around Fremont/East Bay is preferable, but pretty much anywhere within 30 miles is okay.
Thanks!!
Got a double oven: do I still need a toaster oven?
I use it to make toast and reheat leftovers/frozen food. I find toaster ovens generally do a terrible job cooking anything raw. If the small oven in the range is practical for making toast and reheating -- that is, if it's fast enough -- then I'll forego the toaster oven.
Inverter microwave ovens
Is this a gimmick or worth the extra money? From Panasonic:
"... Inverter Technology, which delivers consistent microwave energy in a way that cooks food with results similar to that of conventional-oven cooking: delicious flavor, excellent color, and superb texture--but much faster."
I find that extremely hard to believe. Anyone have one of these?
Got a double oven: do I still need a toaster oven?
Bought one for the new house, but haven't been able to use it yet. How quickly does the small oven heat up generally? Should I still buy a toaster oven?
Le Creuset Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 8-Piece Set $99 at Costco!
Fully clad, aluminum core, riveted handles. Very heavy and sturdy. Sells on Amazon for $379.
http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-3-Ply-Stainless-Steel-8-Piece-Cookware/dp/B000QFOBHM
8" non-stick omelette pan
9.5" fry pan
2qt. Saucepan w/lid
3qt. Saucepan w/lid
7.5qt. Stockpot w/lid (lid also fits the fry pan)
I was at my local Costco today (Hayward, CA on Hesperian) and saw it for $99.97 so I snagged up three sets! Yes, LC SS is made in China, not France, but at that price, with those features, and with Costco's return policy, how can you go wrong? Most reviews on Amazon for LC SS are very favorable.
Seafood around Fremont or Palo Alto?
Thanks for the recommendation! We went to Old Port Lobster Shack tonight and had a great time. They were very accommodating in putting together seating for our party of 9 and service was fast and friendly. The lobster bisque and lobster rolls were delicious! My wife had the clam chowder, but we'll probably pass on that next time. I agree that their lobster rolls are much better than Sam's Chowdermobile. Spent some coin, but I've never been so stuffed on lobster! =D Still, cheaper than fine dining, but just as decadent. I think the non-lobster options are pretty affordable, but the rolls and especially the bisque are so rich that a little goes a long way.
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Old Port Lobster Shack
851 Veterans Blvd, Redwood City, CA 94063
Seafood around Fremont or Palo Alto?
Hi, we live in Union City and are planning to have dinner for a friend's birthday next week, but can't stray too far as we have a newborn who will be with grandma while we're out. He wants lobster. Are there any decent seafood restaurants (American/Italian/French) around here or across the bay in the Peninsula?
Thanks.
Chez Panisse Cafe - RANT
I'm sorry about your experience. I had a good meal here a couple weeks ago. Definitely not as good as some in the past, but definitely nothing offensive either. The fried chicken leg was outstanding! The cherry tomatoes in my salad weren't as sweet as those usually served at CP, and the fruits in the stuffed-baked nectarine and plum tart in particular were very tart. Then again, I haven't found any good fruit this cold summer. I think it was a mistake putting them on the menu.
Five Guys Burgers opening in Fremont
I'm not going to lie, I enjoy PF Chang's. It's not authentic or complex or "good for foodies" but it still tastes good and is satisfying. It is grossly overpriced, however, as is Panda Express, considering that you can get good authentic Chinese food dirt cheap.
Can't wait to try Five Guys! I'm not expecting the best burger ever, but it looks pretty solid for a fast food joint. In n Out is good, but way overrated. I just read a blog that had it best Shake Shack in NYC by a "score" of 7-0, which is completely inane.
Marlowe - SF
Just thought I'd throw in my $.02 on Marlowe...
My wife and I have been on a burger binge this week. We went to Burger Bar on Monday, Holy Grill on Tuedsay, Pearl's Deluxe Burgers on Wednesday, Marlowe last night, and will be visiting Jeffrey's and Zuni this weekend. I found Marlowe on a recommendation from a friend, who read Michael Bauer's swooning review about this burger being the new King in SF (previoius was Zuni)...
I think he was a bit drunk when he wrote that review.
It was a pretty good burger, no doubt, but not something that takes up residence in the back of your mind for days and weeks to come (Pearl's on the other hand...). It is a good sized burger -- good meaning appropriate, not "as big as I can get for the money" -- and well proportioned, but the charred patty, charred bun, smoky bacon, sweet caramelized onions, and extra sharp cheddar overrun the taste of the rather under-seasoned meat. The lamb makes the patty quite juicy, but too mushy, like a Kobe burger, and adds a little earthiness to the flavor of the meat. That is, to what flavor can be detected. It did not have the deep beefy (or in this case beefy and lamby) aroma and taste, like a good dry-aged steak, that I expect from a top-notch burger. Not at all. It was cooked perfectly medium-rare, as we requested, however. The Acme bun was very nice. Good chew, but not too squishy, soft and airy with an ever-so slightly firm crust. It holds up well against the substantial filling. The horseradish "aioli" is more of a whipped horseradish mayo -- nothing special, but it goes well with the fries.
OH the FRIES! They were fantastic! Every fry was wonderfully light and crisp, almost tempura-like without the thick coating. They have a slightly rough texture and are consistently salty throughout the coat, like Burger King fries, but are slightly larger. A little too salty for my tastes, but very good nevertheless.
For an appetizer we had the roasted bone marrow, which was delicious, but how can it not be? The crostini that accompanied was nice -- toasted on a grill, not too thick, right balance of crusty and chewy. The "salsa verde" I didn't much care for; you don't need to add more oil to fatty bone marrow (yeah, not really salsa at all). The fresh chervil added a nice counterbalance, but I prefer something acidic or sweet because bone marrow is really rich and fatty. I do like how it's split length-wise. A little pricey at $11 for a single 4.5" bone IMO.
Ambiance is nice. A modern, clean, minimalist affair, typical San Francisco. Quite dark and extremely LOUD, though. It's a relatively small space -- one big square room that combines bar and dining room, with ceilings that are not very high -- and they pack it in. You will be rubbing elbows with your neighbors and yelling at your company. It was also very warm in there. Not a very comfortable dining experience.
Service was good, but they're really vigilant about keeping your water full. I drink water very frequently and they would not let my glass get past half empty. A little annoying, though I appreciate the effort.
All-in-all a decent experience, but over-hyped IMO. At least I feel like it receives a lot of hype. I will return on occasion.
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Zuni Cafe
1658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Holy Grill
659 Townsend St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Pearl's Deluxe Burgers
708 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Crack Pie Recipe
In the NBC version the written recipe says to cream the butter and sugars then add the dry ingredients even though that is not done on camera. I don't think the ingredients are in the correct proportion in the NBC video on camera either. The cookie looks extremely dry. I wouldn't think the TV producers care that what they show is necessarily accurate, just looks like they're cooking.
The liquid in the tall clear container is melted butter and the white liquid is heavy cream.
Crack Pie Recipe
Have you ever actually had it? This is NOT a caramel pie. It's almost like a candy bar in gooeyness and density and the flavor is very buttery and not *too* sweet but it is very rich, and VERY delicious!
I just came back from NYC last night. I don't have much of a sweet tooth and although I had heard of crack pie, I had no real interest in it and didn't even know what it looked or tasted like, just that it had a funny name. I figured it is one of those over-the-top sugar-loaded desserts that sugar lovers crave. We really just went to Milk Bar because my wife loves sweets. At $5.25 for a small piece of a very thin, very plain and boring looking pie I was skeptical, but that first bite was one I will never forget. It's stinking good and highly addictive! So much so that I brought 2 whole pies back to California. I too balked at the $44 price tag when I first saw the menu, but didn't even flinch in shelling out $88 + tax for these babies. (Actually $105 for 2 crack pies and an order of pork buns -- those pork buns are incredible as well! Sign me up for the David Chang Fan Club!)
Anyway I have the pies sitting in my fridge (one is half eaten less than 24 hours after returning, of course) and am going to iron out a good recipe tomorrow while I have the real deal for reference. I will report back with what I try and the results.
Need help! Pick 4 of these restaurants...
Wow, thanks everyone for your responses! This is extremely helpful. So, things have changed a bit. This is what we're looking at:
Lunch:
Peter Luger
Jean Georges
Eleven Madison Park
Gramercy Tavern
Dinner:
Babbo
Momofuku Ko
Seasonal
Daniel
(TBD)
Help me figure out that TBD? I was thinking something a bit cheaper like Ssam bar or Fette Sau, but reasonable fine dining works too (< $50 pp food only).
Then there's the great pizza debate. Boy, you New Yorkers do have a lot of "favorites"! At this point I'm thinking maybe inserting Lucali in that TBD above. Is it worth going to Brooklyn and waiting hours for? Sorry, going to Lombardi's for a night time pie to take back to the hotel the night before we leave, end of story. I was thinking Keste as well for an afternoon meal. One more place in Manhattan - John's, Nick's, or Patsy's? Di Fara also has a tremendous reputation, but it's pretty far. Of course, if it really is a must I will comply.
Yume in Alameda
I just heard about this place and thumbed through the insanely high Yelp reviews. Now, I don't very much trust Yelp, but the level of praise for the sushi is remarkable -- almost Urasawa-like. Oddly enough, though, I don't see any reports of it here on CH and hardly a mention otherwise. No Chronicle review, no Gayot listing, nothing. It's like some kind of secret society that only Yelpers are privy to (which REALLY makes me doubt it).
I also see from the Yelp reviews that the service is extremely... strict, and can be down right rude. I'd seen similar complaints about Sushi Sho, but aside from etiquette rules I thought Aki-San and his wife were very nice people. Then again, some of incidents I read about Yume are down right appalling: yelling at customers; splitting people apart in the middle of a meal; particular individuals denied dishes off the menu; completely ignoring seated customers after a minor quibble over having a party of 4; etc. etc. These are things I would NEVER tolerate from anyone short of God himself. Are these people just misunderstood or truly that arrogant and domineering?
I'm interested in going if it's that good, but if I know they just have bad attitudes I will not support their business. As much as I love good food, I hate nasty service/people even more.
Yay or nay???
Need help! Pick 4 of these restaurants...
OK, Mesa Grill and Craft were already tossed out since they have location in Vegas and LA, respectively. EMP is IN.
I think Jean Georges and WD-50 are also in. Down to one! I was thinking Babbo to change it up from the French/New American fare, but people here don't seem to think much of it. What is your choice for Italian?
Need help! Pick 4 of these restaurants...
First of all, hi. My wife and I will be visiting from San Francisco for 6 days/5 nights in NYC for our honeymoon. This entire trip is pretty much all about food and it is my first time there! She is pregnant (will be about 3 months in when we're there) so this will be our last big trip and food splurge for a LONG time. I'm having trouble deciding how to narrow down our fine dining dinner destinations so here I am, because I trust the 'Hounds :)
Anyway, pick 4. Momofuku Ko already gets the 5th spot!
Daniel
Le Bernardin
Mesa Grill
Babbo
Convivio
Jean Georges
WD-50
Craft
I think Le Bernardin is a fish-centric restaurant? Again, prego wife over here so no raw fish, and not a lot of cooked fish either. Do restaurants usually have a problem with substitutes in a tasting menu?
I'm purposely leaving Per Se off this list because it's a little TOO pricey. Besides, we have The French Laundry over here.
Here are the other lunch joints and smaller bites we have in mind:
Spotted Pig
Peter Luger
Gramercy Tavern
Gray's Papaya
Momofuku Ssam Bar (pork buns)
Momofuku Milk Bar
Balthazar (fries)
Blue Ribbon Brasserie (roasted bone marrow + oxtail marmalade)
Shopsin's (ebelskivers)
Red Cat (tempura fried bacon)
Daisy Mays BBQ (beef ribs)
Choice Market (BLT)
Stand (toasted marshmallow shake)
Five Guys
Five Points Restaurant (yukon gold potato pizza)
Lombardi's or Grimaldi's
Nicky's Vietnamese sandwiches
Prune (bacon and marmalade sandwich)
I Trulli (orecchiette with rabbit ragu)
E.A.T (grilled cheese sandwich and tuscan peasant soup)
Katz's Deli
Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien (our hotel)
Norma's at Le Parker Meridien
Ping's Seafood (dim sum)
Kossar's Bialys
Pearl Oyster Bar (NE clam chowder)
Brooklyn Bagel or Ess-A-Bagel
Karavas Place (gyros)
Obviously we won't hit all of these places, but narrowing down this list won't be as hard. Still, suggestions are welcome.
Thanks!
Any Place Similar to El Pollo Rico (Peruvian Rotissery Chicken) in the Bay Area?
I think that's a bit harsh. Fonzie's is definitely mediocre compared to EPR or Limon Rotisserie, but not national chain fast food bad. I would go back if it were KFC cheap (which EPR actually IS!)
I just tried Limon for the first time. It is very good -- moist, tender, and full of flavor -- but they really pile on the seasoning so it's a little salty on its own. Awesome with rice though. Maybe I just caught them on an off night. Their marinade is livelier and more complex than EPR, but I still prefer EPR. It's just damn good basic rotisserie chicken with a lightly acidic Latin twist. And that spicy green sauce/chutney is the perfect compliment IMO! Limon does have a variety of other interesting dishes. I also had the chicharrones de pollo, which was excellent.
Best BBQ online?
What are some of the best places to get BBQ brisket, ribs, pulled pork, etc. shipped from? I was just told that the brisket shipped from The Salt Lick in TX is really good, which sparked my interest.
Anybody have experience with Luling City Market in Houston? I know it's not the same as the famous City Market in Luling, but there are severely conflicting reviews on the Houston joint and I suspect many of them are negatively biased solely because it's an "imitation" of the Luling establishment.
http://www.saltlickbbq.com/
http://www.lulingcitymarket.com/
best donuts in Berkeley?
King Pin around 9 - 10 PM when they're fresh and hot is sooooo good... but that probably applies to almost any donut.
Bay Area Banh Mi Google Map
Just added Pho Cali Pho Nia on San Bruno & Silver Ave. in San Francisco. I tried the banh mi after seeing a sign outside advertising it and it was pretty good! The bread is light and delicate inside and is wispy like a cloud when you tear it with a nice thin crispy toasted crust outside. The meats were flavorful and generous, though not knock-your-socks-off good (I tried thit nuong and cha lua). The veggies were fine but the carrots were too finely shredded for my tastes, radish was used sparingly, both pickled veggies could've used more zing, and I would've liked more chiles, but overall definitely solid for my local go-to shop.
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Cali Pho Nia Vietnamese Bistro
2428 San Bruno Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134
Brian Boitano starring in Food Network show, "What Would Brian Boitano Make"
I like how you all stick your noses up in the air and completely dismiss the show just because he's Brian Boitano when you haven't even seen it. You don't always have to take food so damn seriously you snobs. I just watched the show for the first time and it's pretty entertaining -- he's hilariously gay! And FTR, the food looks pretty appetizing. Afterall, every show does have like a hundred people behind it to ensure they're not putting out crap food... although Sandra Lee doesn't appear to have any.
korean recipes
If your family members tell you it's gamja tang, what makes you believe otherwise? Gamja tang is probably my favorite Korean dish.
Sunday night dessert?
I'm having in dinner at Equinox at 7 and would like to find dessert near the Reflection Pool/Lincoln Memorial kind of late, around 9. Does such a place exist? Anything goes. Thanks!
Live sea urchins
I'm not sure about markets, but Ebisu serves "live uni" @ ~$18. It's delicious and obviously very fresh, but honestly the uni nigiri I had at the same sitting was just as good. Then again, the volume in the live uni is probably about the equivalent of 4 pcs. of nigiri so price is probably about even. The other nigiri was rather disappointing given the price.
Costco Mexican Coca Cola - - No!
Are you aware that fructose is the sugar found in fruit? Of course HFCS is not just fructose, but it's the fructose component that is commonly demonized, which I find ridiculous. I know this discussion is probably leading down a bad road, but you opened the can, so to speak.
Chicken Pot Pie?
Where's your favorite joint to get a hearty, savory, chicken (or other meat) pot pie? I went to Daily Grill by Union Square the other day on a rec and it was pretty darn good. The crust was deliciously thin, cripsy, and layered like a puff pastry, but only covered the top of a large, shallow rimmed soup bowl. Carrots, peas, button mushrooms, and onions were fresh and tasty. The dark meat chicken came in large chunks and was pretty tender. Overall it was quite good, although the sauce had a little sweetness which I didn't like so much and I would have liked a bottom crust. Also a little pricey -- $20 when all was said and done.
Anyway, it got me thinking about pot pies.
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Daily Grill
347 Geary St., San Francisco, CA 94102
BurritoEater Interview
I can't take burritoeater seriously after seeing Taqueria San Francisco, which is horrible, ranked way above 24th St. El Farolito, which is head and shoulders above TSF anytime. Good effort, though.
