zaftig's Profile
Best Cupcakes, for sure!
I agree that Rosie's isn't so great. It seems overrated. I just had their yellow cake with chocolate frosting and the cake was dry/dense/flavorless and the frosting seemed synthetic...too gel-like and heavy.
My favorite cupcakes are from Ula's (see below) but I have also loved cupcakes I've had at Flour and Appleton Bakery/Cafe (though they have less variety of flavors).
Best Cupcakes, for sure!
If I may throw in a recommendation out of left field, which is Ula's Cafe in Jamaica Plain in the Brewery Complex.
http://www.ulacafe.com/
Their cupcakes are among the best I've had. I just ordered 3 dozen for a party. They only have one flavor per day (and they usually go fast!) but if you place an order of at least 12 ($24) you can order whatever flavor you like. Their yellow cake is perfect...light, moist, infused with flavor. They make a boston cream cupcake with chocolate ganache and creme patisserie which is to die for. They also have creative flavors like s'mores with a marshmellow topping, another kind filled with chocolate ganache and topped with fresh strawberry whipped cream. They use natural/high quality ingredients and seem to be made with much love.
Sur La Table's New Line of Stainless Cookware?
Has anyone tried it? How does it compare to All-Clad? I've got fancy taste but on a student budget and wondering if this is a good solution?
Anyone been to Oishi for Restaurant Week lunch?
Thanks for the tip! I didn't know about their 26$ lunch menu.
Anyone been to Oishi for Restaurant Week lunch?
Wondering what their RW menu actually is and if it's worth going?
V-Day Dinner: Where to go w/o a Reservation?
Are there any places that don't take reservations and are first come/first serve? Looking for a good berkeley/oakland spot that might be able to accomodate 2 on the early side (5:45pm). I thought Pizzaoila didn't take ressies, but it seems they've changed that. Thanks!
East Bay Coffee/Tea places with Ambiance?
thanks for the suggestion. they must have *just* changed their hours because as of yesterday they were only open mon-fri, 9-5!
East Bay Coffee/Tea places with Ambiance?
Looking for a good place to go that's cute/quirky/funky, has not too bright lighting (on the dimmer side), ideally opened past 9pm. Can also be a cafe where one can get just coffee/tea and not be bothered.
bonus points for quality tea selection and couches/comfy chairs (hard to find around here!)
Tell me your favorites! Thanks.
Good Dinner Walkable from Duboce Park? Open Monday?
Looking for a good place to go tonight and have to stay walking distance (or easy public transit access) from Duboce Park. Know any hidden gems in the nearby area opened on Monday nights? (please don't say Home or Chow or La Mediterrane). Thanks!
Lotus Garden Cuisine -- Yum, yum Vietnamese
Also have to agree..as I was with SarahKC and Kmanlove. I found the dishes to be much lighter and flavorful than your average mid-range vietnamese place. Things were not drowned in sauce, but rather accented by it. And they have BROWN RICE which is always a bonus to me.
Chocolate Babka
That's actually the Green's brand from Brooklyn they have at Berkeley Bowl. Delicious, especially warmed in the oven until the crust gets a little crisp and the chocolatey parts get gooey. Has anyone tried Bi-Rite's attempt? How is it??
Best chilaquiles in the Bay Area?
I'm early in my search to find ones that rival the ones I had in Mexico, and the best ones I've had so far have been at La Pinata in San Leandro (they have a few locations) www.lapinata.com. I've tried them at the stand at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market and they were good/high quality but too crunchy and individuated for my taste. I've also had them at La Calaca Loca in Temescal/Oakland and at that old school looking diner/Mexican place on Piedmont Ave. and they were good at both but nothing to write home about.
I tend to like them predominantly soggy and saucy just to the point where the tortilla starts to lose it's form. I also like when they have both red and green sauce options.
Any other stellar recs??
Need help choosing all-clad pan
I have limited resources but want to get one really nice pot/pan and can't decide what's best for my cooking needs. I'm leaning toward all-clad stainless steel but am open to other suggestions of brands.
I mostly cook large amounts of sauted or braised vegetables, pan cook fish, and make stews. And I always need more surface area for carmelizing a lot of onions or searing a lot of brussel sprouts at one time and I would ideally like to get a pan with a wide surface area. But the problem is the flame on my gas stove is not very wide so the outer edges of my current large pans (a non-stick generic brand and a huge cast-iron skillet) don;t end up cooking the food there. but I hate having to cook one thing spread over 2 pans. I would think about the regualr 6 qt saute or even the casserole size pan but am afraid the food on the outer edges wouldn't cook. So then I was leaning toward getting the 6qt deep saute pan so i can fit more in, but then i'm concerned about food steaming itself or it being too deep for pan-cooking fish and things like that.
Also, I don't fully get when would would use a fry pan vs. a saute pan? So I'm at a loss. Any advice on what type of pan would be best for my cooking needs would be much appreciated.
And Do I just need to cave and get 2 pans??
Thanks!
Gefilte fish in san francisco??
I should qualify that I come from polish stock where we like our gefilte sweet. My grandmother had the fish in the bathtub, and I won't touch the stuff in jars.
Gefilte fish in san francisco??
Second to bringing some fresh carp/whitefish/pike back with me from LA and making it myself, I really enjoy the gefilte fish "loaves" they have at Tel-Aviv Kosher Market -2495 Irving Street (at 26th). 415-661-7588.
This is a much more reasonably priced option than boulette's larder. I think they charge something around 9$ for a "loaf" which can serve a few people. Now, I know this seems like a strange form for gefilte, but trust me, it's yummy. You'll need to pre-order.
Spelt/Oat Matzah in the Bay Area?
Thank you and chag sameach to my matzah detectives!
Spelt/Oat Matzah in the Bay Area?
Has anyone seen any spelt or oat matzah being sold anywhere in the Bay Area? Let me know where one can find it! I heard a rumor that manichevitz was making a spelt matzah, but haven't seen it yet.
Thanks!
Spelt/Oat Matzah in the Bay Area?
Has anyone seen any spelt or oat matzah being sold anywhere in the Bay Area? Let me know where one can find it! I heard a rumor that manichevitz was making a spelt matzah, but haven't seen it yet.
Thanks!
Late lunch Sunday in Berkeley / Oakland?
I've had a lovely late sunday lunch at Sea Salt on San Pablo in Berkeley. They're open 11:30am-10pm everyday. www. seasalt.com
lunch in providence
Thanks Garris. We opted for Red Stripe today (see above). And I agree with your take on fire & ice. The pee-wees playhouse motif kinda scared me away. What kinds of food are at Cafe Yuni and Sawaddee?
lunch in providence
Thanks for the recs. We tried Red Stripe today for lunch and liked it. They didn't seem to have the gazpacho and we all got salads which were quite tasty and humongous and we have enough leftover for a few meals now. Our server was a bit iffy and seemed astonished when my mother requested some bread with her salad and it took four different ways of asking before he agreed to bring her some toast at an extra charge.
And we actually went to Bravo the other night for dinner, not expecting much as I've read mixed reviews but we just wanted a big salad. Once there we got tempted by the special (it was a seared halibut over french lentils) and we ordered it and it was fabulous. The fish was perfeclty cooked and we couldn't stop eating the lentils. It was a pleasant surprise.
lunch in providence
i'm new in town and looking for a good (and sufficiently air-conditioned!) place for lunch that goes beyond a standard sandwich/soup/salad type of place but not too fancy/expensive either. I have lived in the the culinary bliss that is the bay area for the past 6 years and my tastes lean toward the californian/fresh seasonal produce model. Any interesting restaurants that have good lunch deals??
Thanks!
