tomatoaday's Profile
In dire need of an East Coast Jewish Deli!
I picked up a sandwich at the Millers in San Rafael and thought it was pretty good. It was the Buddha - chopped chicken liver, pastrami, Russian dressing, red onion, lettuce and tomato on marble rye. I subbed corned beef for the pastrami. If they had toasted the bread and included the tomato, I would have been even happier. Big sandwich (and big price, about $12.50) came with a good light sour pickle tasting of clove and some average mac salad. I'll go back -
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Miller's East Coast Deli
1725 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Please check my list for upcoming visit
In Marin, I like the Buckeye in Mill Valley (liver, ribs, brisket, oysers bingo all excellent), Poggio has good food and a beautiful interior - nice walking area for after dinner. For lunch, Fish is good and more expensive than you realize until you hear the total. It used to be cash only, not sure if that is still the case. If Le Garage is open and the weather is nice that would be enjoyable. Sushi Ran is very good and seems more reasonable for lunches although the menu is basically the same. Going north a little bit to Corte Madera / Larkspur, Brick and Bottle has a good happy hour and Monday burger and beer special. Left Bank is variable quality although I have heard better comments recently.
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Poggio
777 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965
Sushi Ran
107 Caledonia St., Sausalito, CA 94965
Le Garage
85 Liberty Ship Way Ste 109, Sausalito, CA
Madera
2825 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Brick and Bottle
55 Tamal Vista Blvd, Corte Madera, CA 94925
Good pupusas in the East Bay?
This may be a strange spot but I like the ones inside the at the Coliseum swap meet. Actually, I think most of the food there is good - definitly an uphill path over the last few years.
Quirky Sandwich Concoctions
Peanut butter, mayo and bread and butter pickles. In a pinch, my husband will eat them with pickle relish instead.
Nellie's 7.13.11, updates?
Not as good as it used to be. The oxtails were roasted with a thin gravy swished over them. Good, but not enough to return for. Portion seemed small as well. The greens were good too, chopped fine, a little flat. Yams sweet as candy but good scooped on the corn muffins. The deep fried porkchops were not worth the health dangers. Thin and the batter tasted slightly fishy, likely from shared oil. Too bad - for the first time, we actually had good service! 2 dinners with sides, 1 soda, about $33.
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Nellie's Soulfood
1155 3rd St, Oakland, CA 94607
Nellie's 7.13.11, updates?
I plan on going to Nellie's in Oakland today for their Wednesday daily special of oxtails. I haven't been in a few months and haven't read any reports. Still the same - good main course items, mediocre sides and usually slow service? Uphill, downhill?
KC Area - Fried Chicken
I remember Boote
s & Coates. My mom and now stepfather would sometimes take us with them for dinner - very foreign place, dark and mostly bar like to a kid from Leawood. They had a great blue cheese dressing. As I recall, it was red or orange -anyone know how to make it?
Max's Matzoh Ball Soup?
The MB soup is good there but I really like the sweet and sour brisket soup, which I think they call Russian Cabbage Soup on the menu. For the Matzoh balls, I like the texture and how they are evenly cooked even when so large. I wish there was more chicken flavor in the broth and less "spent" chicken. As I recall, you only get one in the small size and two in the large.
Condolences to family and friends of "Chuy" Campos owner of Otaez restaurants in the Eastbay
Just an awful thing to happen, and for what appears to be so small of a reason. From what I read, he was a driving force for area businesses and will be missed in many ways, by many people.
Where's the best Thai food in Marin?
I have only gotten food to go but the tiny Bay Thai on Fourth Street in San Rafael is good. And cheap - my usual #13 Thai curry noodle (rice noodle in red curry with prawns, coconut milk, bamboo shoots, sweet basil, chili and baby corn) is a whopping $7.50 and is usually enough for 2 meals, especially if I remember to get a side of rice for day 2. Cash only.
The Next Great Restaurant 3/27- -Spoiler Alert
I have picked the Indian concept to win from the first. Although I am not generally a fan of Indian food, I think it's appeal could be widespread, not just in large markets but in mid markets, especially college towns. Since it is friendly to vegetararians and low in proteins, I would think running a reasonable Cost of Goods would be easier than say - grilled cheese sandwiches. I was sorry they made him change the name - I thought Tiffin Box was a great name and neatly captured the cuisine, the takeout aspect and was memorable. Even Tiffin would have been good - I can't even remember the generic title he is using now.
Childhood favorite sandwich
We had one of those we used on camping trips. Buttered bread on either side, canned cherry pie filling, toasted until browned and crispy. I'm surprised we survived without facial scars from boiling hot cherry gloop. Same with the electric frying pan of oil in the dining room when it was taco night. All right mom - 5 kids! No scars!
Central Vegetarian in Alameda - thoughts?
Going tonight with 2 vegans, 2 vegetarians and 2 omnivores. I would welcome some comments on must haves or avoids. Rates highly on Yelp so I am hoping to get some positive Hounds thoughts. Looking at the menu, I think the sesame tofu looks good, as does the black bean vegetables. I have never tried meat substitutes so have no thoughts there. One yelper mentions a msg-y after taste. Any comments on noodle dishes or appetizers? Thanks. I am looking forward to a new wrinkle to my usual dining choices.
Best female chefs around the globe?
In the US, female chefs that I think are well known and regarded:
Cindy Pawycln
Joyce Goldstein
Barbara Lynch
Lidia Bastianich
Marcella Hazan (maybe more Italy - not sure where she is based now)
Marin taco trucks y mas - La Pablanita in downtown San Rafael?
I tried the truck that comes up to the dump in San Rafael behind Wendy's about a year ago and was not impressed. I recently saw another one parked outside the Smart and Final in San Rafael, again near Wendy's, but by the time I did my shop it had packed up and gone. That was about 10:30 am and the one and only time I have seen it. I'm always eager to try them so if anyone has a schedule, please post it, thanks.
Most memorable cafeteria food
One of my earliest jobs was at the Putsch's cafeteria at 83rd and Mission. I have many fond memories of my time there - and some are even about the food! I also worked for EBT, which had its roots with Myron Green. Gosh, that was a long time ago...
Lap Cheong (aka Chinese Sausages)
I love them sliced thin, sauteed briefly with sliced green onion and then scrambled with eggs.
Mail-order barbecue?
I like Fiorella's out of Kansas City. I get a little peeved that the packages have sauce, hats, or rubs included but recently they have added a design your own package. Shipping is very expensive and overall I almost don't think it is worth it - and then I eat some and I forgive them. The beans are first rate, as are the ribs. I don't think the prime rib bones are worth the premium.
Par baked cookies
I'm looking for a procedure to be able to serve just baked warm cookies as a dessert in a restaurant without baking dough from scratch for each order. A plate that takes 4 to 5 minutes to finish rather than 12 to 14 is a lot different in restaurant kitchen time. I want a tender middle, crisp edges and warm enough so that chocolate is melty but not molten. Since it has egg in the dough I need to be able to have it cook enough to be safe until finished but not baked so much that I am reheating (and overbaking) a fully cooked cookie.
Par baked cookies
Good idea about the freezing, I didn't think about that. I would expect that if we bake them from frozen it would only add a minute or so to the baking time. Thanks for the idea!
Menu with the best burrata?
Perbacco is currently running a burrata appetizer with roasted squash and cavalo nero pesto, balsamic vinegar. I haven't had this incarnation but have had other presentations of the cheese there and they have been very good. Since I think of burrata more in the summer, I like the pairing with the seasonal flavors and would try it in a heart beat.
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Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Par baked cookies
I want to bake cookies most of the way and finish them for the last 3 or 4 minutes in the oven so they can be served warm and just fully baked. This would be for a cafe location where we want to have fresh, hot cookies (especially chocolate chip) quickly but don't want to reheat fully cooked cookies and serve something dried out or over cooked. Does anyone do this and if so, to what stage do you bake them, just starting to brown on the bottom but still soft out to the edges? Assuming total bake time is 16 - 18 minutes, pull them out at 12? Thanks for any help - I prefer to start with a pretty firm time rather than have to try many partially baked cookies.
You rub on the magical Chowhound Lamp and....
Cheese
crusty Italian or French bread, non sourdough
cream sauce or gravy
Chile Rellenos in Marin?
Thanks for the eagle eye - I didn't even notice the self attaching link. Hopefully gone now.
Chile Rellenos in Marin?
Do they make them to order or are they steam table fare? I have not tried (obviously) but last week I had a chile cheese tamale from a temporary table set up inside by the doors. Masa was good, a little greasy, but the cheese was hard and rubbery - at first I thought it was chicken! Green salsa was terrific.
Chile Rellenos in Marin?
Las Camelias, San Rafael. The usual fresh green chili stuffed with cheese, dipped in batter, fried and served with red sauce is listed under combination plates on the lunch and dinner menu. In addition, the dinner menu has an option listed in the appetizer section that features a vegetable filling, sour cream and tomato sauce.
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Las Camelias
912 Lincoln Ave, San Rafael, CA 94901
I Once Had Good Vegan Pizza -- This Was Disgusting
I have never had it but Bobby G's in Berkeley seems popular with their offerings of not only soy cheese for pizzas but also a vegan Caesar dressing. Their menus are clearly marked for vegetarian and vegan choices. http://www.bobbygspizzeria.com/menu
Books About Food (memoirs and the like--NOT COOKBOOKS): Favorites & Recommendations
John Thorne, Laurie Colwin, James Villas, James Beard, Craig Claiborne, Elizabeth David. Most have recipes but also thoughtful and personal views on food. Jacque Pepin's autobiography and as mentioned here M.F. K. Fisher, Julia Child - when you look there are really a lot and reading some they will reference others. I thought Jeffrey Steingartens books were hilarious. I only read the first Ruth Reichly but didn't care for it enough to read subsequent books.
Altman brings SF to Mumbai?
I assumed it meant places that emphasize the quality of ingredients and careful prep to make the dish, straight forward presentations rather than complex or elaborate processes and plates. Of course there are many restaurants that do this, I think he just picked three he admired as representative of the style he was going to emulate.
Best "destination" restaurants in the USA
Ann Arbor, Michigan. Here is one of their business links: http://www.zingermansdeli.com/
