bex109's Profile
two days of wine tasting in sonoma county
I agree that 6 wineries a day is far too ambitious. Most tasting rooms are only open from 11-4:30 or 5, so that's less than an hour at each including driving times, and without stopping for lunch.
Rocchioli is my favorite for Pinots. I like Mauritson and Seghesio for Zins, especially the ones from the Rockpile vineyards. Bella also has a great selection of Zins, and the wine caves are fun.
Show off the city, on a budget, on a Saturday night?
My two "go-to" places for inexpensive but relatively impressive dinners are Barbacco and Nopalito. Nopalito doesn't take reservations, but you can call ahead and put your name on the wait list, and then head around the corner to Madrone for cocktails until your table is ready.
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Barbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Cheap Eats near California Pacific Medical Center?
Dolce & Salato on Sacramento at Locust is a great little place. It's not dirt cheap, but you can get a sandwich and soup or salad for $10.
Third Street Chai Concentrate in SF?
Not sure if you're still looking, but they sell a few different flavors at Rainbow Grocery.
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Rainbow Grocery
1745 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Annual birthday dinner dilemma
Parking in that neighborhood is actually pretty easy in the evenings. Most of the shops around there close by 6 or 7, and after the UCSF Laurel Heights campus clears out, everything opens up.
Sociale is lovely, and the ambiance is great,
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Sociale
3665 Sacramento St., San Francisco, CA 94118
Cheesy chicken rice bake from scratch?
A while ago, I made a delicious chicken and rice bake with cheddar from scratch, meaning it didn't have any cream-of-something soup or lipton's packets in it. I do think the recipe called for chicken broth, but I had homemade on hand. Now I can't find the recipe for the life of me, and I'm hoping someone might have a similar recipe, or be able to point me in the right direction!
The only thing I really remember is that it was cheesy and delicious, and actually pretty healthy. And I believe the chicken breasts halves were cooked whole (not diced.) I know that's not much to go on, but I'd appreciate any help!
Roli Roti in Daly City?
They've got multiple carts, so on Thursdays they're at the farmers markets in San Francisco, Daly City, and San Rafael
Seafood market in SF for live lobsters?
2nd Sun Fat Seafood. They also have great prices. Last time I went, I bough great lobsters for $9/lb
fun dining for large group, like Suppenküche or nick's crispy tacos. fun, good and lively!
Price range? Location? You might run into problems booking a group that large without putting down a deposit; a lot of places require it for groups over 10-12.
Thirsty Bear might be a good bet.
What is one tip that you learned about cooking that was simple but made a huge difference? [old]
Almost any veggie can benefit from being roasted. Most veggies that are in season at the same time complement each other, and can be roasted together in a little olive oil and tossed with pasta for a quick, easy meal
Help Brainstorm an Uni-Centered Meal!
One of my favorite restaurants serves a great uni appetizer. Toast with avocado and uni, with just a hint of lemon
What do you cook for non-chowhounds?
I'll usually do mac and cheese. It's a crowd pleaser, and I use great cheeses to make myself happy. Served with a simple/classic green salad
Aziza for Dinner - Recs and Advice por favor!
Like everyone else has said, the lamb shank and the spreads are fantastic. I've liked every drink I've tried (which is most likely because I pick ones where I love all the ingredients!) The lima beans are addictive, and I'm also a fan of the goat cheese with tomato jam. The only thing I have been consistently unimpressed with is the seafood. I've tried the mackerel, halibut, and scallops, and they all paled in comparison to the rest of the dishes. I also thought the couscous with chicken. prawns, etc was a little boring and underseasoned. Other than those few dishes, everything I've had there has been fantastic!
Help! Need quick recs for a restaurant for a motley crew on Wednesday night!
My boyfriend has three friends coming to town for a post-christmas dinner tomorrow night. The couple is leaning towards something romantic (they originally wanted to go to Cafe Jacqueline, which is closed till the 2nd) while the other friend is a vegan, and hoping for something a little more budget-friendly. I just want good food!
The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is Dosa, but I'm afraid it might be a little too pricey. They will be at the Academy of Science in the afternoon, and we both work in the Financial District, so I'm hoping to find something in between.
Any suggestions?
Why did my tortillas turn green???
I bought La Tortilla Factory brand corn tortillas (Ingredients: Organic stone ground corn flour, Filtered water, Trace of lime.) and used them to make enchiladas.
When I pulled them out of the oven, the tortillas had turned a dark green! I used a sesame-chipotle sauce that I've used before, but never with these results.
My boyfriend and I ate them anyways, because they smelled too darn good, and there was no harmful reason we could think of that would turn the tortillas green.
Any ideas as to what happened? I tried Google, but nothing came up. Thanks!
Need help with a Birthday dinner...
2nd NOPA.
Aziza is worth looking at as well. I had my last birthday dinner there, and we had a great time. The cocktails are spectacular and the food is great.
What happened to breakfast at Salt House?
A coworker went over to Salt House this morning to one of their delicious breakfast sandwiches and the place was closed! No mention of breakfast on their website either, and a quick google search only turned up mentions from when they started service. Anyone know what's going on? Is breakfast gone for good?
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Salt House
2 Shaw Aly, San Francisco, CA 94105
Combining various enchilada recipes... does this sound like it'll work?
I figured the sauce would be similar to a mole, but without the chocolate note. I'm actually thinking now that I might as well try both, since I have all the ingredients on hand!
Early Girl vs San Marzano tomatoes for slow roasting?
A local farm is selling tomatoes in bulk this weekend, and I'm planning on getting a box to slow roast like this: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/slow-roasted-tomatoes/
Should I get the Early Girl vs San Marzano? I usually just use whatever I comes in my CSA box, so I'm never quite sure what variety I'm using. But since I'm buying 20 lbs, I figured I should get the ones that will work the best!
Combining various enchilada recipes... does this sound like it'll work?
I'm trying to use up a variety of things in my weekly CSA share, and I'm having my usual problem where I come up with an idea, and then can't find a recipe to make it work!
I want to make enchiladas. I was thinking shredded chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and polano/anaheim chiles and jack cheese for the filling. I've had that combo in tamales and loved it, but I'm way too lazy to deal with masa on a weeknight!
I'm stuck on what type of sauce to use. I have lots of green chiles, so I could pick up some tomatillos and make a salsa verde, but I'm concerned it'll be too fresh/bright with the roasted flavors. I also have chipotles, and liked the look of this recipe. But I'm allergic to peanuts, and would have to substitute sunflower seed butter.
SPICY PEANUT SAUCE
* 2 c Water
* 1 tb Vegetable-flavored instant
* 1/2 ts Salt
* 1/2 ts Ground cumin
* 1/2 ts Minced garlic; (1/2 clove)
* 2 Canned chipotle chilies;
* 3 tb New mexican chili powder;
* 1 tb Vegetable oil
* 1/2 ts Dried oregano
* 1 tb Minced onion
* 1 tb All-purpose flour
* 3/4 c Creamy peanut butter
* Vegetable oil for softening
* 8 Corn tortillas; up to 10
* 1 c Grated cheddar cheese; (4
* 1 c Grated monterey jack cheese;
Instructions
To make sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine water, vegetable bouillon, salt, cumin, garlic, chilies and chili powder. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat oil over low heat. Add oregano and onion; saute until onion is soft. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir the onion mixture into the chile mixture. Bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes; remove from heat and strain. Add peanut butter and stir until well-combined; set aside. From Chez Jose restaurant, Portland, Oregon. Published in Oregonian FoodDay 2/23/99 (also 1994). Recipe by: Chez Jose restaurant, Portland, Oregon Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.
Would that work with the filling I want? I'm in a very indecisive mood and can't decide if it sounds great, or sounds like a terrible idea! And if you think the salsa verde sounds better, do you have a good recipe?
Sauce/salsa for brisket?
I'm making a slow cooked brisket tomorrow. I'm using a chile rub and then cooking in the slow cooker with beer and onions. I'm planning on serving it taco style, but can't decide what type of salsa to make. I think I'd like to try a fruit salsa. I had pulled pork with a nectarine salsa the other day and absolutely loved it, but I'm not sure what type of fruit would work with beef. Thoughts?
Looking for inexpensive to mid-priced restaurants that are fun & kid-friendly in SF
Park Chow in the Inner Sunset isn't extremely adventurous, but it's consistently good, definitely kid friendly, and very convenient to Cal Academy.
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Park Chow
1238 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122
What to do with a huge bunch of tarragon?
Thanks everyone!! I ended up using some in salad, and some with chicken, and the rest went in compound butter. It was all fantastic!
What to do with a huge bunch of tarragon?
I got a ton in my CSA box this week, and have no clue what to do with it. Last night I made a quick pasta with spinach, chicken-apple sausage and tarragon, and it was delicious, but I'm wondering what ideas you all have!
Local meat delivery?
I used Morris Grassfed Beef last year, and was happy enough to order again this year! You can opt for CSA style deliveries in July, Novermber, and March.
$1 oysters
I believe only the sweetwaters are $1 at the Hog Island happy hour. The other varieties are priced normally.
Leftover Wine: Can It Be Frozen For Cooking Use Later?
I freeze leftover wine in an ice cube tray, and once it's frozen I transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. My tray makes 2 oz cubes, so it's easy to pull out the right amount for a recipe
Sunchoke and butternut squash pasta?
I bought sunchokes at the farmers market the other day, and now I have no idea what to do with them. I've never actually had them before, so I'm really just going off the flavor profiles I've read online.
I was thinking about roasting the sunchokes and some cubed butternut squash, and serving over pasta with a sage cream sauce. Maybe with wild mushrooms?
Does this sound like it would work, or am I completely on the wrong track? Thanks!
Dear god and/or Chowhounds.....save me from Chevy's!
We'll be in San Francisco, so something within city limits would be best
Dear god and/or Chowhounds.....save me from Chevy's!
A good friend is visiting from the Midwest in a couple weeks, and is planning a group dinner (8-12 people) for her birthday. Right now, she wants to have it at Chevy's.
Her reasoning is that it's inexpensive, good for a group, and has chips and salsa, and margaritas. I'm stumped as far as coming up with an alternative. I grew up in southern California, so I rarely eat Mexican food up here, since I can get such great stuff back home.
Any suggestions?
