Pincho's Profile
Wood Fire Woodie Pizza San Mateo
The Hillsdale Station outpost seems to have disappeared... the signs on the roof and door removed, and the place is closed. Does anyone know what happened (business, permits, delay, etc.?)
Local fresh ravioli
I second Sergio's. High quality and the prices are quite reasonable. I particularly enjoy the butternut squash, and appreciate that their rendition is less sweet than most, allowing the squash flavor to shine through. Wonderful tossed with a simple sage butter.
Though, the OP asked for fresh and I'm not sure how much "fresh and never frozen" (if that's what's meant) inventory they have - I typically buy it from Sergio's frozen. I would rather have great-quality ravioli individually frozen after being made, over the rubbery garbage they sell as "fresh pasta" from the refrigerated sections in a typical grocery store. I've been consistently happy with the results from Sergio's.
a classic man's cocktail?
I've only ever had an Americano at home (loved it) - the one time I tried to order it in a bar I ended up with a coffee...
a classic man's cocktail?
I usually get asked "up?" when ordering a Manhattan, say yes, and therefore get it in a stemmed cocktail glass - as Frank notes: but I suppose if such a glass moves it to "not manly" I guess you could say "no" and get your Manhattan on the rocks.
I can't help but think a Manhattan goes against the "not too stiff" guidance from the OP, but I have a hard time coming up with a drink I'd call "manly" that isn't also stiff... if I want manly and not stiff I guess I'd have a beer!
Actually looking at some of the other answers I think those who said scotch & soda have it right... seems to meet all the criteria.
Palacios Chorizo on the Peninsula?
I found exactly what I was looking for at Rock of Gibraltar. Thanks!
Draeger's no longer does, at least last time I checked.
Palacios Chorizo on the Peninsula?
I typically trek to Spanish Table in Berkeley to buy Palacios Chorizo, imported from Spain.
Does anyone know of a source of this brand of Chorizo on the peninsula, or failing that, in San Francisco?
Thanks in advance.
Where to find gaufrettes(fan wafer) cookies in bay area?
Williams-Sonoma still carries them.
cinzano
rosso or blanco?
perhaps most common are -
blanco: martinis
rosso: manhattan
What wine would you bring?
The Montecillo Gran Reserva is exactly what we brought to our family's Christmas gathering this year, and it was excellent... this producer is a great value at Crianza, Reserva _and_ Gran Reserva. I'm less a fan of Marqués de Cáceres but it does seem somewhat more ubiquitous than the Montecillo (at least in my location, San Francisco Bay Area).
Did I ruin my "Champagne"?
Well, I'm going to have to beg to differ with the rest of the posters here. Your champagne is, sad to say, irrevocably ruined. Please post your contact information, so I can arrange for pickup and proper 'disposal'.
How Should I Use Extra Ham?
Gemelli with Ham & Peas:
Start cooking the gemelli.
Saute some onion in olive oil, add your ham, add some peas (frozen ok) and a bit of water... add some cream and stir in grated parmesan. Stir in the pasta. Simple but delicious.
If you have a lot of ham, you can make Spanish croquetas. My family does this often with holiday leftovers - my favorite is smoked turkey croquetas. In any case, you make a basic bechamel, stir in finely chopped meat (food processor works great for this if the meat is pretty dry), spread in a thin layer and refrigerate for a few hours. Make small balls with this 'dough', dip each in beaten egg then coat with breadcrumbs. Freeze for later at this point or shallow-fry in olive oil.
2 Duck confit legs-what to do?
You could, just crisp the skin under a broiler and eat as is, along with a salad - this is one of my favorite 'quick and simple' weeknight meals.
High-quality butcher near Burlingame/San Mateo?
I prefer Piazza's Fine Foods off 92 at the Hillsdale exit. Very helpful, knowedgeable staff - a full-service butcher.
Someone mentioned above that the selection is smaller than Whole Foods and Draeger's. Could be but if so not by much, it's rare they don't have something I'm looking for. The butcher counter is an entire wall on one side of the store, I've always thought of the selection as pretty large for meat & poultry. Also, prices are better than WF/Draeger's but quality is still high. Not as happy with their fish/shellfish, just OK.
I used to buy beef at Crystal Springs before they shuttered half to focus on poultry & fish.
Draeger's has let me down numerous times. I got so tired of getting completely mismatched-size cuts - even when I _specifically_ asked for same size cuts. I wised up and started inspecting everything closely, but shouldn't have to at a 'full-service' butcher at those prices. What a store, but I think the butcher is overrated.
Best Cioppino in San Francisco
Rose Pistola has my vote as well. Took some out-of-town visitors there recently and the cioppino was, as always, excellent - and it's great to go someplace where you can share a 'local' specialty with guests.
Why so few SPANISH restaurants in the BAY AREA?
Have you had dinner there, and if so how was it? I have not and have heard mixed reviews. The menu looked to be "tipico" - maybe a little like Iberia, and I imagine dinner is better than their buffet Sunday brunch which I have tried.
Brunch was a very odd experience. For example, they had two meat & cheese platters. One was a mix of good quality Spanish chorizo and slices of lousy block ameri-cheddar. The other was decent-quality manchego along with some kind of lousy deli ham. The paella was just average. The house red wine was surprisingly good. I thought the bill (if I remember correctly it was about $30 per person) was a bit steep for what was on hand. Not really a buffet fan to begin with anyway...
I attended a wedding reception at the Basque Cultural Center in SSF and the food was excellent, especially for a wedding. Have also heard similar mixed reviews about meals at the restaurant, however.
Why so few SPANISH restaurants in the BAY AREA?
It was never not on _my_ "okay to visit" and I wouldn't purport to be the arbiter of any such list for others - I'm glad you had a better experience, that's encouraging. I visited less than a month ago and the service was inept to the point of comical. I've never had rude or offensive service there, which would keep me from going back. As is, it made for some funny conversation with our companions. And the food though not stellar is pretty authentic in a "restaurante tipico" way - comfort food for my Madrilena wife.
Why so few SPANISH restaurants in the BAY AREA?
B44 may be known as a tapas place but it has a fairly wide selection of secondos... a glance at their menu online shows about a dozen (this is in addition to their paellas and arroces). Food here is excellent in my opinion, especially the arroz negro.
http://www.b44sf.com/02_dinner.html
Laiola in the Marina has a handful as well in addition to their tapas selection.
Zarzuela at Hyde & Union does too - like rabo de toro for example. Both are admittedly more tapas-oriented however. I can only vouch for quality at Laiola.
There is a lot more Spanish food out there in the Bay Area but isn't strictly at "Spanish" restaurants... rather, there is a palpable Spanish influence at the ingredient driven Californian places.
The most traditional (e.g. they have tapas at the bar but won't serve it in the dining room, and it's strictly Spanish without the South/Central American bent many U.S. "tapas" places have...) is probably Iberia in Menlo Park. But the service there is fairly horrendous. In terms of quality, it reminds me of a serviceable neighborhood restaurant in Madrid. Good, nothing spectacular.
In any case, I'd always happily welcome another Spanish option, so good luck with your endeavor.
Guy's Big Bite: What demographic are they targeting?
Hmm that describes me right now on this Sunday morning, but I prefer to cruise Chowhound instead...
I watched the show once or twice - his food etc. is not my cup of tea, though I liked him on the reality show. Watching his new show, really I just felt sorry for him because it seemed like FN was just fulfilling their reality show obligation, and didn't really put any effort or creativity into the show - seemed kind of flat to me (maybe it's changed?). I figured they'd go one season and drop him. Sounds like I was wrong about that if he's been signed to a long-term contract. Surprising to me it seemed like they were phasing him out not grooming him for more airtime.
Anyone been to Great American BBQ lately? [Alameda]
I went there recently as well and thought it was excellent. I agree the place seemed clean and comfortable. Chatted a little with Harry, he said they recently changed their rib recipe, and he also mentioned his time on the competition circuit.
We went with a large group so got to try quite a bit - the star was certainly the brisket - moist, tender, a little fatty (in a good way). The ribs were great, not tough by any stretch, but also not "fall off the bone" overdone - they had a nice chew and texture to them, and the rub was great (seemed like some variation on the standard American salt/pepper/paprika/onion powder/garlic powder concoction - nice balance). We ordered two full slabs and ended up with an unexpectedly large mound of meaty ribs - very satisfying. This is darn good BBQ.
Sides were a mixed bag. The fries were some kind of frozen crinkle-cut - so, nothing special. Very "standard" coleslaw, just the way I like it - this was good. I didn't try the beans, comments for others were 'very sweet' and 'very good' - can't say much about them myself. Mac and cheese was pretty bad, very mushy pasta and some kind of gummy cheese.
I thought the bbq was great and didn't really need a lot of sauce. But bottles of "mild", "medium" and "hot" are on all the tables. I tried some of the hot with a little of my brisket, it had the slight bitterness and complexity of dried chiles, maybe anchos? I really liked it. The ribs really stood alone though.
It's pretty far from my normal stomping grounds (peninsula and SF) but I'd go again next time I find myself in Alameda.
Egg Custard Tarts - the hunt is on!
This report says GGB has re-opened "after all":
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/461622
Fine Cooking online subscription- ridiculous!!
I'm not sure what your expectation was. It must be really difficult to respond to these kinds of letters -- it seems a very reasonable position to me, and you're still going to cancel despite the fact that you "love it so much"... over an optional charge (less than a dollar a month) for an additional service beyond your subscription, which you are in no way obligated to pay? Needless ot say it's your decision but I find the logic pretty confusing.
Fine Cooking online subscription- ridiculous!!
A cash grab? It's $10/year! They offer a service, you have the option to purchase it or not. I don't see what the big deal is here. Fine Cooking is not wholly ad-free, but it is markedly less ad-heavy than Gourmet, Bon Appetit and similar "lifestyle" rags with their beautiful-people-features. Fine Cooking is all about the food. I have no knowlegde of their financials but I'd be very surprised if this publication is rolling in dough.
Creating a SF Bay Sticky -- Your feedback
"Where can I get NY style Chinese/pizza/bagels? Search: orbitz.com, travelocity.com"
Very, very funny... oh I really hope we can get this incuded in the sticky...
SF Dinner suggestion (based on atmosphere)
Jeanty at Jack's may be the kind of place you're looking for, though the entrees come in in the mid-twenties rather than the high teens. Otherwise, it seems to fit your description.
Despite a recent blah Chronicle review, I really like this place. The roasted marrow bones with bordelaise first course I tried last time was amazing.
Check Please! Bay Area.
Well maybe they should have been similarly discriminating/controlling about another restaurant choice for the Pinole city councilman who was on this show, and was involved in a city-financed loan gone bad to his restaurant selection....
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/27/BALEROVOB.DTL
You'd think they'd at least make sure the guests don't have financial/personal connections to the owners before moving ahead on a selection.
That said, even if I had to move to my fifth favorite place to please the producers, it would still be a place I know and love.So many excellent choices in this area...
San Francisco: EARLY Breakfast?
It's a chain but Elephant & Castle English Pub in the financial district at Clay & Batter opens at 6:30 and does a full English breakfast. It's nothing spectacular, but decent. I think the only reason it's open so early is that it has some kind of affiliation with the hotel in its building.
Any "Must Eats" in San Mateo?
Little Sheep opened last night on Ellsworth in San Mateo. I went by today but had just had sushi at Hotaru (which was great - best sushi quality/$ ratio in town) - so didn't try it. We did talk with the owner or manager - very friendly, she explained that it took them 10 months to open due to the conversion with PG&E (physical and bureaucratic both apparently) for the gas burners to fire the hotpots. But, they are finally open.
Interesting menu - three soup bases, original/spicy/mushroom.
A lot of variety for the contents, from beef and lamb to shrimp and octopus to sea cucumber intestine and pork kidney. Also vegetables, wide assortment of mushrooms noodles and tofu, and BBQ meats/veggies as well.
maybe will try next time, it looks like a fun place. Maybe it belongs in Chains I think they have 700+ outlets worldwide.
Great Drink Spot Near Perbacco
I guess it depends what you mean by great ambiance but Tadich Grill with its old worn wooden bar is right next door...
