Emily Hope's Profile
Very promising cafe opens in Berkeley
I was there on Saturday as well, so I'm glad to hear that on other days there have been more options... I was totally tempted by the lemon curd with croissant--just barely managed to resist the siren song and go for the shortbread.
Very promising cafe opens in Berkeley
Just wanted to say thanks for the heads up and add my kudos for Local 123. We happened to be in the East Bay over the weekend and stopped in--what a lovely little cafe! The decaf cappuccino that I had was excellent (and I have high standards for espresso drinks), and my husband enjoyed his chai and oatmeal cookies. I had the cardamom shortbread, which was pretty good (although cardamom was, as noted, not much in evidence). I wish they had a few more small pastry/cookie options, although it sounds like they will add new things as they go along.
The atmosphere is very relaxed and conducive to lingering--the area in the back with the couches is especially nice, and the music choices while we were there were similarly mellow (unlike, say, Ritual). Overall, if I were to pick someplace to hang out with a good book or a paper and have an excellent cup of coffee, this place is definitely near the top of my list now. I wish we lived closer! I hope that they do well in this location.
Stellina, Point Reyes Station
We will definitely give them another try, since the feedback I've seen since our visit has been mostly positive, and any restaurant can have a bad day. However, I do feel the need to point out that our visit was during a quiet lunch, not a busy dinner, so that wasn't the issue.
Meiwa Kumquats?
Thanks, rw! I don't get over there enough... now I know for next year.
Meiwa Kumquats?
I realize that I'm asking a little late for this season, but I was wondering if anyone had seen any Meiwa kumquats around this year. They are rounder than the usual kumquats you see (which are Nagamis), with thicker peel and quite a bit sweeter. I bought some Meiwas last year when I was at the Santa Monica farmer's market, and I have been keeping my eye out for them ever since. Any leads?
This website explains the difference between the two varieties: www.kumquatgrowers.com/what.html
The Rainbow Grocery thread - what to buy?
Re: Inka--it's actually supposed to be a coffee substitute--you mix it with hot water. I won't say it's great, it certainly doesn't taste like coffee, but it does have that slightly bitter/sweet/hot beverage thing going for it. I use it on camping trips, mostly.
Other than that, I agree with what others have said, especially re: cheese, olives, and bulk. When I finally get around to making the mesquite chocolate chip cookies from Super Natural Cooking, I know where to go to get mesquite flour! And although I hardly ever shop in the produce section and agree that it's spotty, if you stay away from fruit and stick to things like cooking greens, there are sometimes beautiful things at approximately the same price as the farmer's market.
Also, if you're into really dense, whole wheat/grain/rye breads (like Anna's Daughter), they have a nice selection. And a great and varied selection of chocolate bars.
**May 2009 COTM** suggestion thread! NOMINATE UNTIL APRIL 7.
I'll second the 660 curries nomination--I have numerous Indian cookbooks, most of which sit untouched on a shelf, but this one has really grabbed me for some reason. The recipes seem relatively accessible, and the things I've cooked out of it so far have worked well. (Plus, it would be an incentive to work my way through the long list of recipes I'd like to try!)
Blue Bottle permanent space open -- reports?
Just wanted to chime in and say that I had also noticed quality drops (in the espresso drinks--I don't do drip) at the Linden and farmer's market kiosks--to the point that I hardly bother any more. Four Barrel has also become my go-to place for espresso-based drinks--high quality and consistent.
Edited to add: Also--Piccino! How could I forget, I had a great capp from them this morning.
Stellina, Point Reyes Station
Glad to hear your experiences were better. New restaurants usually deserve a little slack, although the fact that part of my trouble was with the owner gives me pause. (Glad that the problem with the sparkling water wasn't just my imagination!)
Stellina, Point Reyes Station
My husband and I were gallivanting in Point Reyes Station on Saturday, and decided to try Stellina, a new(ish) restaurant, for lunch. I don't see any other posts here, so I thought I'd share our experience. The menu looked very inviting--slightly upscale seasonal/local/etc. The space is pretty nice, too--full of light and open. Alas, based on our experience with the service and some of the food, I doubt that we'll try it again for lunch the next time we're in town (especially with the Pine Cone diner around the corner.)
I wasn't super hungry, so we just got a beet/arugula/ricotta salata salad and an oyster pizza to split. The highlight of the meal was the oyster pizza ($16)--pretty good crust, a nice leek/cream (or creme fraiche?) topping, and plump, briny oysters that weren't overcooked. And enough for two people to share with a soup or salad. Unfortunately, the salad was a disappointment--on a small plate was composed: thin slices of undressed beet, comprising perhaps 1/2 of a beet in total, a golf-ball size tangle of (slightly overgrown and ratty) arugula), and a few slice of ricotta salata. For $9. While I'm not a fan of huge portions, and I don't have a problem paying money for good, local, organic food, the whole thing just seemed ungenerous in a way that was offputting.
This was compounded by the poor service--our server took our order, and then didn't reappear at our table until the end of the meal, when she tried to sell us on dessert. In the meantime, we'd had a problem with the sparkling water that we ordered--it tasted very oddly of chlorine and old pipes. We mentioned this to the man who dropped off our food (who we later found out was the owner, based on his conversation with another table), and he explained, in a slightly confrontational way, that it was their own water, filtered and carbonated, and that he'd been drinking it for months and had never had a problem or complaint. He agreed to take it off the bill, but the whole experience was unpleasant--having worked FOH in restaurants before, I've always be taught that in such a situation, you apologize and take it off the bill--without arguing the merits. (I also object some to being charged for house sparkling water, since I'm used to getting it gratis in places like the Magnolia Pub, but I can understand if they need to cover costs, I suppose.)
Whew--didn't mean for this to turn into a screed--I guess when I go out to a restaurant (especially in this economy) I want to feel welcomed and cared for, and that wasn't my experience at Stellina. I'd be curious to know if others have had a different experience.
Good dinner spots near chamber of commerce?
Hi, all,
I hate to ask a question without having time to do the appropriate research on here, but I'm going on a last minute business trip to LA (from SF) today, and I'm wondering if there are good restaurants that you all could recommend within a couple of miles of the Chamber of Commerce (it's at 3rd and Bixel) for dinner. I was thinking about Lucques, as I've always wanted to try it, but it seemed like it might be a little far (don't know how far my dining companions will travel for good chow) and maybe a little out of the price range (it's on the company's dime, and the company is a non-profit...) But something in the sort of Californian/new American category might be good, or, alternately, good Mexican, thai, or Sushi...
For reference, the last time I was in LA, I used the board to find the following restaurants we enjoyed: Pizzeria Mozza, Monte Alban, Musha in Santa Monica, and a lovely all you can eat south Indian restaurant in Long Beach that I'm blanking on the name of right now. Thanks so much for your help!
Breakfast (Mexican or otherwise) in Santa Maria?
Hi, all,
We're traveling from SF down to LA for a long weekend, and because of the weather we've decided to take 101 and split it up, staying in Santa Maria tonight and finishing the drive Friday morning. So, I'm looking for a good breakfast in the Santa Maria area (preferably one open a little on the early side, like 7:00). Mexican would be great, but we're open to other options, too. A quick search on the board didn't turn up much--any suggestions?
Thanks!!!
When does crab season start?
You can also call the FishFone (it is on that website baron45 linked to, but on a different page) at 650-726-8724--they pre-record a message (at least on the weekends--not sure about during the week) saying what fish and crab types are available on the docks, so you don't have to waste anyone's time (except maybe your own, if there isn't any crab!).
best local birds for Thanksgiving?
That's good advice! (Of course, we'll be cooking it in my mother's kitchen, so she may suspect something when I bring in the bird, and it doesn't have a ginormous inflated chest... :-)
best local birds for Thanksgiving?
We're trying something new this year and getting a heritage turkey from Wind Dancer Ranch (www.winddancerranch.us/wdr-dressedturkeys.htm) after they were mentioned in a Chron article a while back. Unfortunately, I just looked at their Web site again, and they're sold out for Thanksgiving this year, but they do have some birds available for Christmas. I'd love to know if anyone else out there has tried a turkey from them, I'm a little afraid of my family's reaction to a "different" turkey on T-day... But they really seem like a farm that lives up to sustainable/humane ideals.
Where to eat very close to Fort Mason
One of my favorite things to do when I'm in that area is grab a sub (in my case, an avocado sub with everything--lordy, what a good sandwich) from Marina sub on Union at Steiner and take it to Fort Mason or Crissy Field to eat. If you're in a car, it's not too far a drive. If it's the lunch hour, sometimes there's a wait, although you can call ahead if you know what you want. Of course, I also stop at Cocoa Bella (also on Union) for after lunch treats!
New and Exciting in Cambridge?
Thanks for all the thoughts! Rendezvous sounds pretty great, and I was sad that we never tried Ten Tables before we left--I actually had that rolling around in the back of my head somewhere. I'm OK with JP, although I'm not sure if my compatiots will be... I'll report back on wherever we end up.
New and Exciting in Cambridge?
Hello fellow hounds,
I moved from Cambridge to San Francisco about three years ago, and am back in town for a couple of days. A couple of friends and I are going out to dinner tomorrow night, and I was wondering if there are any new restaurants that have opened up since I left that shouldn't be missed. They don't have to be in Cambridge, but that general area is the most convenient for everyone.
For reference, when we lived here we liked: Craigie St., Oleana, the dearly departed Eat, Chez Henri, the West Side Lounge, etc...
Bonus points for a focus on local/sustainable food (pastured chicken would be great, for example), and also for reasonable prices (as in, closer to West Side than Craigie Street). (I know, cheap AND sustainable don't usually go together...) Doesn't need to be super fancy.
Any thoughts are much appreciated!
SF - Anyone actually eat at Pig & Whistle?
We went there quite a while ago--I was excited because I love good fish and chips and having it in a nice pub setting is even better, and feel like those things together are not easy to come by in the city. Unfortunately, the fish and chips were nothing special--as I recall, they were on the greasy side and fairly heavy. I can't remember for the life of me what my husband ate. Both meals were served with a heaping side of attitude from our server. Needless to say, we haven't been back. The beer WAS really good, though.
Apples in East Bay
Where are you getting your pink pearls from? I looked and didn't see them at the FP last weekend--I usually get them from the man with the apple stand at the Marin Civic Center market, but have only been able to make it up there once recently. Would love to pick some more up in/near the city before they're done--they may be my favorite apple ever...
Tres Agaves in 2007? Try Brunch?
I highly recommend the drinks and nibbles approach. We went in a few weeks ago, and were going to sit in the dining room, but the food coming out just didn't seem that exciting. So, we sat in the bar instead and had guacamole (pretty good, as I recall) and salsa with chips. We had a couple of different margaritas, which were excellent (and the server really knew her stuff--her recommendations were spot on). I also had a fantastic cocktail, the name of which I can't remember, which was a sweet-hot kind of a thing. I saw the bardender put in just a couple drops of what turned out to be habanero-infused tequila, and that was enough to push it to almost-too-spicy but not quite. Very yummy.
Help--Vietnamese-style Dungeness (This Far Out of Season?)
Thanks everyone for your suggestions--I just wanted to report back that we ended up at La Vie, which had crabs in their tank (as did PPQ). We've eaten here a few times, but it had been a while. Here's what we ate:
Veggie spring rolls: Fine, nothing outstanding, the wrapper was a little on the thick side.
Salt and Pepper Calamari: These were the surprise of the meal--I wasn't really expecting much, but this dish was fantastic. The squid were well fried and not greasy, there were plenty of hot peppers, and the best part was the crunchy carmelized garlic that was liberally sprinkled over everything. Yum. Came with a sweet-ish dipping sauce that wasn't really necessary. This was on the specials list, so I don't know if it's always on the menu.
Lemongrass Squid and Prawns (I think this is the name of the dish...): My husband had this, and he seemed pleased with it. I had a piece of squid and thought it was OK, but not great--a little sweet, and the squid wasn't especially fresh (although not gone off by any stretch).
La Vie Roast Crab with garlic noodles: My friend and I shared this, which serves 2 and is $45. This was an interesting preparation--the crab was filled with a deeply browned stuffing that was made from crab, garlic, butter I think, and I'm not sure what else. It was the best part of the dish, but was too sweet for my tastes--I'm not sure I'd order that style again. As for the crab, well, what can I say, it was crab out of season. It was passable. The real disappointment for me, though, were the garlic noodles--they can out barely covering a salad plate. It doesn't seem like noodles are the place to cheap out on that kind of a dish. And yet, when I tried them, I realized we wouldn't be needing another order--they were bland, with not enough butter or garlic. Although I haven't been to Than Long in a long time, and I know they've gone downhill, my memory of their garlic noodles is that they were chewy, buttery, garlicky, and addictive. These noodle, sadly, were none of those.
Overall, it was a nice meal, nothing but the calamari was really a stand-out, though. The service was very friendly but, as others have said, poky. I'm not sure this is the place to go if you're looking for great value--our meal, including 2 apps, 1 crab, 1 entree, 2 beers, and 1 soda water, was almost $100 after tax, but of course, that included the crab. Prices here seem to range quite a bit--the spring rolls were $7, while the calamari was $13 (but I'd gladly order it again!).
Help--Vietnamese-style Dungeness (This Far Out of Season?)
Thanks--I guess I wanted to see whether or not it was a possibility at all before I started driving around... (and if someone had seen them somewhere recently, so much the better.)
Help--Vietnamese-style Dungeness (This Far Out of Season?)
Hello,
I have a friend who's in town from the East Coast for one more night who would like to try dungeness crab. I know, I know, that it is about as far out of season as you can get, and I'm not even sure if they fish it at this time of year up north. BUT, she has never had it, and not only is she returning to the East Coast tomorrow, there's a chance she'll be leaving the country in the not too distant future. So. This is it. The problem is, I've never looked for crab at this time of year, and I'm never really paying attention to whether or not it's around in the tanks.
So, my question is this: are there restaurants around, preferably good Vietnamese restaurants that serve the traditional roast crab and garlic noodles (but Chinese might be OK too), who actually have live, kicking crabs in the tank at this time of year from some far-off locale? I was thinking of La Vie or PPQ (we live in the Richmond), but, like I said, I have no idea if the crab would be live, which would a least give her a sense of the real thing, or frozen, which is unacceptable. (As a backup, we're thinking about Tadich, for a dose of old-school SF and cioppino, but I'm not sure, for her, that it will be as much fun.)
Thanks for your help!
A16 is it me?
Actually, one of the last couple of times I was in Rainbow (on a Thursday), they had gotten in a shipment of Gioia burrata that day, and the cheese person said that they would be from now on (haven't been back to check on this, though...). Cowgirl also gets their burrata in on Thursdays (although it's not sure to be on the shelf until Friday morning, I think...), so maybe that's the standard ship day for Gioia.
coffee and wifi in the sunset?
I used to drive by every few weeks to check, but apparently there was a fire a while back in the apartment above the shop. According to a post on Yelp, it didn't do any actual damage to the shop, but I'm not holding my breath for the new owners to open it any time soon. Sad... But, at least, as Windy says, Brian is continuing to rock the machine over at Piccino.
(BTW, my husband once brought me a latte from Java Beach Cafe, and it was undrinkable. But that was a while ago, so maybe things are better...)
Camping Recipes
Hopefully not straying too far OT here... if you're camping every weekend, I do think that it's worth the investment--it makes it so much easier to boil water, make coffee, etc. We have a Primus backpacking stove because we do backpack occasionally, but if you're only car camping, I think that Coleman makes good, inexpensive propane stoves.
Yeah, I love that shrimp recipe--something about cooking them over the coals, they get crusty on the edges, and are really garlic-y--yum.
One of the other things I meant to mention was lunches--because we don't like to light up a fire or make a big production for lunch, we usually bring along some easily rehydrated things, like black bean or split pea soup that you can buy in bulk, or little soup cups, and have those with some fairly hard cheese (like an aged cheddar) that we bring along.
seattle/orcas island
I stayed up on Orcas last fall, and reported back here: www.chowhound.com/topics/335947
My favorite was Olga's but, alas, someone from the chamber of commerce replied on the thread and said that it has closed.
