JA90's Profile
Bay Area food gift baskets for hostess gift?
Hi all,
We're about to visit some friends out of state (they're hosting us in their vacation home) and I'd like to send them a gift in advance of our stay. I'd love to do a gift basket with some bay area wines, olive oil, cheeses, etc. (stuff that we can all enjoy together when we arrive), but I don't want to haul it all on the plane. Any suggestions of a place that can put one together for us and ship it? All of the gift basket places online seem pretty tacky--I'd like to do something chow-ish. We're thinking of spending no more than $200.
Thanks!
Vegetarian recs for Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, HK...
One of my best dining experiences in Beijing was at a place that specializes in mushroom hotpot. It is called Taipo Tianfu Shanzhen, and though it was a total dive, it was amazing. They said the broth was vegetarian, and the variety of mushrooms was astonishing. Don't be put off by the black chicken hotpot they also serve there.
80 year old and 12 year old--where do I take them?
Thanks for the suggestions.
My grandmother is actually quite amazing for 80 (she traveled to China with me last year, but complained about the food the whole time. . . ), but I want to be sensitive and not force her to walk up and down too many hills.
80 year old and 12 year old--where do I take them?
My 80-year-old grandmother and 12-year-old cousin will be visiting SF this weekend. They're not particularly adventurous eaters, but I'd like to take them to a couple of fun San Francisco restaurants. I was thinking along the lines of Italian, Chinese and/or seafood, which should be within their comfort zone. (And I'm fairly new to the city so don't know too many places yet.) Any suggestions for a place that isn't too loud or trendy that will be enjoyed by both ends of the age spectrum?
Thanks!!!
Bleuss- New Fresh Fish Market in Bernal Heights
My husband brought home a sketchy-looking piece of tuna from Bleuss and said "it was all they had left" and that the place seemed pretty dead. I didn't want to eat it, but I have to admit that after a marinade and a few minutes on the grill, it was pretty tasty. Don't know if I'd go back there, but as was said above, Bernal fish options are limited. I hear good things about Drewes on Church, but it's a long walk down and up the hill!
favorite arugula recipes?
My favorite arugula salad:
Baby arugula, avocado slices and grapefruit segments tossed with a dressing made with olive oil, lemon juice, shallots, salt and pepper.
Chez Maman Bernal closed?
I thought I saw a sign up that said it would be closed for a couple of weeks. Looked to me like they were renovating, but I saw someone scraping letters off of the window yesterday. . . .
Away for a year--what's new?
I moved away from NYC a year ago, and I'm coming for a visit soon. I'm sure there are tons of new restaurants, but is there anything I should definitley not miss during my upcoming visit?
Recipes You've Never Heard of Outside Your Family
My parents were pretty health conscious, and I laugh when I think about these two adaptations of "unhealthy" dishes:
"Cottage Cheese Danish"- Top a piece of whole wheat toast with a mixture of cottage cheese, vanilla extract, and a bit of cinnamon and sugar. Broil in the toaster oven until the cottage cheese gets a bit melty. It's delicious, but imagine my surprise when I first encountered a *real* cheese danish!
Rice Pudding- Scramble a few eggs and add milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon and sugar. Fry in a pan with leftover white rice and add some raisins. It's more like sweet scrambled eggs with rice and not at all creamy like real rice pudding. Never could figure out why my mom's rice pudding was nothing like the kind I got in a restaurant.
Bernal Heights, SF
I recently moved to Bernal and I've been checking out the options. Yes, Blue Plate is definitely great, and the wine bar on Cortland is quite pleasant (but only ever had the wine and cheese there). People seem to rave about Moki's for sushi, but while I found the cooked food tasty, the sashimi was sub-par. Little Nepal also has a good buzz, but I've been disappointed each time I've eaten there. Believe it or not, Zante's for Indian Pizza (corner of Cortland and Mission) is delicious. Liberty Cafe on Cortland is, in my opinion, a bit pricey for what you get, but it is good and consistent. I also liked Angkor Borei for Cambodian. And, make sure you and your friends spend some time in the amazing beer garden at the Wild Side West--it's unlike any other!
There are tons of places along Mission that I haven't tried yet--lots of Salvadoran, Peruvian, etc. Let me know what you think.
Enjoy your time in Bernal.
Shaved Ice (asian style) suggestions in Oakland or SF??
I just saw Taiwanese-style shaved ice (with a huge list of toppings--red beans, barley, tapioca, etc.)on the menu in a bubble tea shop in Berkeley. I think the name of it is Sweetly. It's on Durant, just east of Telegraph, next to the doughnut shop near the Asian food court area. I haven't tried it yet, but I certainly plan to! Let me know if you do.
A bit more on Vietnam
Just got back from 6 months in Asia, including several weeks in Vietnam. I whole-hearteldy agree with Sasha's suggestion to eat in street stalls rather than in restaurants, and also with the restaurant recommendations. I am not usually a meat eater, but I devoured a bowl of Bun Cha on the streets of Hanoi and loved it! Also, don't forget about the ubiquitous baguette sandwiches--delicious.
I have to add a rec. for a great restaurant in Hanoi--Highway 4. It specializes in infused rice vodka, and they do fun flights of various flavors. Try the young rice flavor. They also have a big selection of food--hot pots were great, but we especially enjoyed the make-it-yourself snakehead fish spring rolls, as well as the pre-rolled catfish spring rolls with fresh dill. Yum! There's a cozy rooftop deck where you can sit on cushions on the floor, and a good mix of locals and tourists.
