Constant Velocity's Profile
Berkeley Bowl - limequats and 69 cent lb asparagus
I've seen limequats at the Berkeley Farmers' Market from Ram Das Orchard.
So, Wise Sons Deli is open ... who's been? Beauty's Bagels? [San Francisco]
The first Beauty's bagels I had from Saul's were unbelievably close to those eaten in Montreal and wonderful. I ate one plain walking down the street. Awesome texture.
The second time, about a month ago, less fresh, not great texture (though not pre-cut). They had to be toasted. Looking forward to the shop opening!
Montreal bagels are traditionally baked in ovens.
East Coast Subs - Where to Find or How to Recreate
There's a Jersey Mike's in Burbank that I've been to more often than I'm comfortable admitting, given the culinary riches of LA. Theirs is exactly what this former Monmouth County denizen considers a typical NJ sub. I always get the roast beef, no cheese, with hot and sweet peppers, oil and vinegar, and mayo, god help me.
Chicken Parmesan Oakland/East Bay
Somewhat hilariously, it had not even occurred to me to call. I just did, so I can answer my own question: 11-7.
I was so out of practice with using the phone that I forgot to ask which days this applied to. I thought I'd been there around 6:30 and found it closed. I'll try again.
Chicken Parmesan Oakland/East Bay
I'm bumping this question up because it was never answered and I have been completely flummoxed in my attempts to catch this place when it's open or even to understand the hours posted in the window, which seem to list two different closing times for every day of the week. Are they lunch only? Is that the deal?
Smokey J's Q House - BBQ in Berkeley
I drove by searching for this place a few times before I looked at the street view pic on Google and knew to keep an eye out for the much more brightly lit "Berkeley Psychic" next door! I finally found it last night.
I had the frito pie, which was much greater than the sum of its parts. I don't even like Fritos, for the record! And I'm still a little dehydrated today, but it was delicious. The pulled pork was a little dry, but the flavor was wonderful. In addition to the ingredients Nicedragonboy lists, there was also cilantro, of which I was dubious, but it really added something unexpected and delicious!
Montreal-style bagels in Bay area?
Thank you so much for this info, Martin Strell. The implication that Beauty's is making bagels for Saul's was correct! I stopped by Saturday and got some sesame ones. I honestly can't remember the last time I ran into a bagel that was edible untoasted and sans topping. The texture was sublimely chewy, the flavor sweetly delicious--I would consider it an authentic Montreal bagel. Maybe even a little bit better!
Montreal-style bagels in Bay area?
Please confirm if you find out for sure they have Beauty's bagels at Saul's! I didn't love Montreal bagels when I lived there, but now that I've tackled making authentic Quebecois vegepate, I'm dying to spread some on its traditional starch vehicle, a sweet sesame bagel with a giant hole in the middle!
Wise Sons had some kind of sandwich on a Beauty's bagel on their menu this weekend, but from the website it didn't sound like you could order them on their own. If someone has been and knows otherwise, please let me know. Thanks!
Grocery Outlet - July 2011
Good to know--thanks! Now we'll be fighting over them at GO!
Grocery Outlet - July 2011
Zippo: I saw the carb watch pita bread there last week and was curious. It had a weird limpness about it that put me off. Is that the usual consistency? Do you toast it before using? I'd love to hear more about it!
What exactly are collard greens and how do I cook them?
Yes--Punjabi sarson ka saag with mustard greens. Here's a recipe:
http://yasmeen-healthnut.blogspot.com/2009/06/sarson-ka-saag-aur-makke-ki-roti.html
Somehow unsurprisingly served with cornbread, called makki di roti.
What exactly are collard greens and how do I cook them?
I chiffonade the greens (after stripping them their stems, which need to be cooked a long time to be edible) and sautee them in a pan and then throw in some balsamic vinegar and let it reduce a bit. For years I thought you had to cook the collards to death, but an "upscale southern" restaurant near me served them sauteed, and I'm a convert. I give them around 8 minutes in the pan on medium to medium-high heat and then an additional 2 or 3 minutes while the vinegar reduces. If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll throw some minced onion into the pan to start cooking before I throw the collards in. I eat this at least once a week.
I'm not sure I ever cooked collards back when I lived in New Jersey, but I'm guessing they might be easier to find pre-shredded in a plastic bag rather than in whole-leaf form.
Unfortunate food trend: the "cornbread" scone.
Twocents: Your comment about the different pronunciations made me laugh. I actually *like* the cornbread cherry scones from Arizmendi, but when I get to the counter and they ask me what's in my bag, I always say "a scahn." And they always say, "A scohne?" And I nod. I always thought of the typical California pronunciation as wrong and not merely a variant. You've opened my eyes! I feel more tolerant already!
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Arizmendi
3265 Lakeshore Ave, Oakland, CA
Foraging in San Francisco
How do you eat the miner's lettuce? In salad as the name would imply? There's a ton of it growing where I work, and I've been tempted to try it but wasn't sure what to do with it!
Foraging in San Francisco
Forage SF leads walks. I have no experience with the group but hope to make it to one of their "underground markets."
http://foragesf.com/wild-food-walks/
Taqueria Reynoso – my new Fruitvale favorite - tacos campechano, tacos dorado de barbacoa, and the best bare-bones burrito
Thanks for reporting on the barbacoa hard tacos. I've heard of goat, sheep, and beef barbacoa--do you happen to know which it is at Reynoso?
I've only tried a few things here because the torta ahogada is so delicious. A carnitas torta with beans and onions on slightly stale bread smothered in a blend of sauces--a hot thin red sauce and another one that's very limey. Their carnitas is the bomb.
reynaldo's soy chorizo available in bay area?
Does anybody know if Reynaldo's soy chorizo is available in the Bay Area? I checked their website and couldn't tell if it was sold outside greater LA.
If not, can someone recommend a good soy chorizo? I don't like Trader Joe's. Thanks!
Where has all the popcorn gone?
I had been working on a big plastic container of Orville Redenbacher popcorn from the grocery store (the only non-microwave option there) and didn't realize how bad it was until I got some of the tiny organic white popcorn from the bulk section of Berkeley Bowl. It's delicate and tender and delicious. But, yeah, I shouldn't have to go to a special store to find it.
Poutine.
Thank you so much for this tip! I just had some from the Oakland branch of Gregoire--the best poutine I've had outside Quebec, including homemade. It was kind of "California style" with way less cheese and gravy than at, say, La Belle Province . . . which, surprisingly, was kind of an improvement! Very crunchy and delightful fries, just the right consistency.
Cheez Waffies at Yo Philly in Alameda
I know elusive East Coast food can be a popular topic on the board. If, like me, you're craving Wise-brand Cheez Waffies, Yo Philly, a new cheesesteak place toward the end of the busy part of Park Street in Alameda that opened last month, special-ordered some for me, but I didn't buy all of them. I'm not sure how many bags are left at this point, but I bet if more people bought them, he'd keep them in stock regularly. Ironically, I've taken several trips to Philly and haven't been able to find Cheez Waffies there--I had to tend more in the Jersey direction to reach Wise territory . . .
Wild Food
I'd be cautious about collecting things from streams. I've seen people collecting watercress in San Pedro Creek in Pacifica, which is very heavily polluted with sewage from leaking sewer lines in the neighborhood to the east--to the extent where kids playing in the stream get sick.
Smoker @ MacArthur and MLK in Oakland
The taqueria on the triange where Market and San Pablo meet is El Asadero. Earlier this month, it was reported in the Oakland Trib that someone drove their car into it at 2 in the morning . . .
Cafe Orchid...Lao-Thai cuisine
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-herb15-2009jul15,0,1929242.story
This new story in the LA Times discusses several Vietnamese herbs, but I didn't see that one, unless it's perilla perhaps?
Indian Rotis
I've never tried it, but here is a story from the New York Times about Annadaata, who deliver lunch and dinner: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/15/dining/15deli.html. Annadaata website: http://annadaata.com/index.htm. They have a "weekly bulk offer."
Chalateco
I've only been to the one on South 10th by the San Jose State campus, but I loved their mushroom tacos. The mushrooms were almost meaty, in a rich, spicy sauce.
Superb Hamati Sesame Bread from Aroma's San Bruno
Thanks for posting about this. I saw this bread at Berkeley Bowl last week for the first time and was curious about how to use it. It seems like it's more for picking apart and dipping than for, say, sandwiches?
Cheap eats in San Francisco
I had the shish taouk, a chicken sandwich spiced differently from shawerma (seemed to be marinated in yogurt). I loved it.
what's the thing to order at yamo?
I went to Yamo for the first time today and was disappointed--I saw a previous poster had described it as "oily and bland," which described my experience pretty well, except that mine was also salty. Another poster recommended the chicken salad, which sounded great. I'm wondering what else people really enjoy eating there. I had the vegetable "curry," which didn't have many spices beyond salt. I love Mandalay and always get the Mandalay noodle salad, to give you a sense of what I like. Spicy and complicated! I eat meat but don't care for fish and am not terribly health-conscious. Thanks for your suggestions!
Looking for Lavazza espresso in the East bay
They carry Lavazza at Berkeley Bowl. I buy a can there as a birthday present each year for a friend, who loves it for sentimental-about-the-East-Coast reasons. She just puts it through her drip coffee maker and likes it that way.
What's up with Taqueria Vallarta?
A score of 47 by the department of environmental health:
http://www.dph.sf.ca.us/eh/Violations/Loc_CurrentViol.asp?LocationID=2429
