BernalKC's Profile
Best Food at (Non Fancy) Bars in San Francisco
Dark Horse Inn is right next door. I have not heard any mention of it here, but a friend took us there recently and we enjoyed the meal. Good burgers. Excellent value. Maybe not quite as interesting as Broken Record, but good food and definitely non-fancy bar with a good selection of beers on tap.
"all good pizza" truck -- bayview
When I saw Muffaletta panini on the menu, I had to act. Not that I'm an expert on muffaletta, I just like where I've had it. This one was just OK. No complaints really, but not an order that will pull me over to Bayview.
The pizza looked good, a lot more interesting than my panini. I will head back for that. And the space is really nice, especially on a bright sunny day. Picnic table seating, interesting plantings, and a nice friendly vibe all around. And they have a smoker on the lot that suggests some future intrigue...
B & M Mei Sing [San Francisco]
I used to frequent the place in the '80s and they really did an amazing volume. I have vivid recollections of getting my numbered chip, lurking around waiting for seats to open up, and having the food set in front of me pretty much the instant I sat down. I returned a few times in the '90s and the volume had been reduced and the menu changed a bit - but this thread has piqued my interest in returning. The food was not mind blowing in the least, but the overall experience and value was exceptional.
Breads of India- why is this place so empty? [Oakland]
I'm with you.
I've been to Vik's, Kabana, Chaat Cafe, BOI and Udupi Palace many times over the years and consider myself so lucky to live here with all these great options to choose from. My daughter who went off to Montreal -- hardly hicksville -- understands our bounty too.
BOI does come in at a slightly higher price point than many other comparable places. Not by much, but a bit. The explanation I most often hear is they more carefully source their ingredients than other places, which is plausible to me.
Oak and Aging Wine
Right on.
The trick is to sample as many wines as you can in short order where you can compare them, preferably in the company of knowledgeable people. So find a local merchant that offers classes, or one that does tastings where you get to sample a selection of similar wines. You will develop a sense of the variations and styles of wines. I recently went to a tasting of 12 different Tempranillos ranging from $12-$168, older to newer, low elevation to high, traditional and brand new. I thought I knew a bit about Tempranillo, but I guess I was wrong. What a blast. The tasting included a nice sample of Spanish cheeses that fit hand in glove with the tasting.
Where can I buy authentic Spanish chorizo please?
Two flavors of Palacio's are also available at Avadano's
Making jam with or without pectin?
Thanks for the reply. Very helpful. And kind of cool to get the info almost 3 years later!
Can the increased acid make up for the dearth of pectin? Does it require a different cook time? Guess I might have to pick up one of those books and study it more!
Where can I buy authentic Spanish chorizo please?
Lucca on Valencia has 2-3 varieties of Spanish, not-Mexican chorizo. Don't remember the brands. The one that I tried was actually, surprisingly bland. Have not had a chance to ask the guys there if the other choices were spicier.
Your Favorite Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
Elevation? Huh. I'd suspect variability in the lemon juice acidity and sweetness. The good thing about that recipe is that it uses a lot of lemon, but it can also depend more on the lemon juice as a result. But I guess a slightly different boiling point could make a difference too.
Your Favorite Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
Did your recipe call for cooking the cornstarch and water (and zest) first, like the one I posted above? If so, the key is to develop and thicken that base first, before adding the lemon or egg.
Once you add the egg, you really don't want to overcook it. If you do, and the consistency is not right, its probably "broken" because the eggs have clotted. The best you'd be able to do in that case is to beat the mixture - probably with a mixer - to get it back to an even texture. Cooking more probably won't help.
re-shuffle of chefs @ chez panisse
Mutsumi Takehara is the baker who started Sandbox Bakery. Some of her pastries are fusion-y adventures that I like even if I don't have a familiarity with the genre. I am above all a raving fan of her croissants and scones. She took over the space vacated by Maggie Mudd's departure and gave it the rather dry name of 903 Cortland. Its a very compact space with just three communal tables and a suitably compact menu with 2-3 entrees and a few sandwiches, salads, and sides. Its a very family friendly establishment that also does a good take away business. Great addition to the neighborhood that I have not written about because I want it to keep it in the 'hood! Here she's able to explore her eclectic tastes in a menu that has been changing and evolving and just getting better and better in the short time its been around. But one thing has always been missing from Mitsumi's repertoire: breads. So as a big fan of everything she's done so far (and her husband, who has done occasional pop-up barbeque days that are now integrated into the 903 menu) I'm excited at the prospect of her having a proper bread bakery to work with.
re-shuffle of chefs @ chez panisse
Sounds pretty evolutionary from what little info we are given. Likely to be a good thing to to infuse some new actors onto a familiar stage.
But the news that caught my attention was that Sandbox Bakery is taking the reins of Liberty Cafe's bakery, and that she'll be making bread there. Hallelujah! Can't wait to savor that. Has the potential to make Matsumi's understatedly mind-blowing menu at 903 even stronger too.
Best hot and sour soup in the city?
Probably not what you're thinking of, but the Hot and Sour soup at Spicy Bite - and Indian Restaurant - is killer. We almost always order it when we order there. If you ask for it hot, it will not disappoint.
La Lengua Chronicles - My Project for 2012
I find that timing is everything at GFC. If they are moving orders and the chicken is fresh, its quite good. If its slow and the bird has been siting, it can be pretty bad. Old Jerusalem is not part of this project, but I will be looking forward to a comparison with Melody Cafe. That might be one of the sleepers in this stretch of Mission.
Al's Cafe [San Francisco] - La Lengua Chronicles Part 3
The Bernalwood blog notes that the menu was mostly the same after reopening. The murals were preserved too.
http://bernalwood.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/als-cafe-good-food-reopening-soon/
La Lengua Chronicles - My Project for 2012
I'm not sure when I was there last, probably last summer. The original chef had gone, and we thought the new chef had filled in nicely. But who knows how stable the operation really was.
La Lengua Chronicles - My Project for 2012
If Pastores is in (which is needs to be) then Spicy Bite is too. Its directly across Mission street.
La Lengua Chronicles - My Project for 2012
Definitely include Spicy Bite and GFC. I'd also encourage you to include Front Porch.
I would suggest that there's no point in reviewing Pizza Hut or Burger King, but then again, I'm a snob. If you're going for the encyclopedic completeness, a bit of literary naturalism, then include them and include the prepared foods at Safeway.
smart phones @ bay area restaurants [moved from San Francisco board]
Dark theatre, quiet intimate restaurant... different and not so different. Should a doctor be obliged to step outside the screening room to look at his emergency txt message? Is it not distracting to have the person next to you at an intimate restaurant tapping away in a blue glow? There are no bright lines between OK and no OK.
I guess in my ideal world, individual business proprietors would be allowed to make the call to ban or not, provided legitimate needs like first responders are respected, and the paying pubic could vote with their dollars about when that is desirable and when it is not.
smart phones @ bay area restaurants [moved from San Francisco board]
There are at least two distinct levels of this debate. On the one hand, electronic jamming is technically possible but illegal in almost all cases since some people have a legitimate need to be tethered to their networks. I look forward to a day when the technology evolves to a point where the jamming can be more like a firewall that allows legitimate use while preventing casual use. It should be a choice for businesses to restrict networked electronics or not. Let the public and the market determine when this is appropriate or not. For now it is regulated and there is no choice but to put up with networked droids all around you.
I think you are not asking about that, but asking about the etiquette of what businesses can do to discourage use of electronics. The answer is not much. But here's a funny video from the Alamo Drafthouse folks that may be re-opening the New Mission Theatre. They ban cell use during shows and apparently bounce people for it: http://uptownalmanac.com/2012/02/forthcoming-alamo-drafthouse-also-has-pretty-awesome-anti-texting-psas
I also enjoyed a recent Fresh Air interview with NYTimes writer Philip Galanes who has a nicely nuanced view on this topic.
Dinner near Marsh Theatre on Valencia?
Foreign Cinema is quite close, but it might not be a good choice for a quick meal.
Tuba would be an interesting choice. The first time I went there I loved it, the next time not so much. Part of the problem is that I don't know Turkish food well enough. The first time I let our server guide me. The next time with a larger group we ordered individually and the results were uneven. But the ambiance is nice and relatively quiet, the service was good. Worth considering.
The Beast and the Hare is close as well. It looks interesting, but I have not been there so I can't recommend it.
So, Wise Sons Deli is open ... who's been? Beauty's Bagels? [San Francisco]
After getting shut out of corned beef or pastrami options when I went "late" (12:30) for lunch, I got there at 11:00 just in time for the lunch menu to start. Got a corned beef sandwich and a corned beef reuben to go. The corned beef was excellent in both, but the reuben was better if only because it had more flavor and they didn't pack any mustard for me to add to the plain sandwich. I had already had their corned beef from the pop-up days at Heart, so the quality of the corned beef was not a big surprise. Next time I need to dig deeper into their menu - gotta try their hash for sure. Nice that they have their own digs now. Assuming the crowds let up a little bit, and they adjust to the demand for their meats, this place looks to be a keeper.
Tommy's Joynt: One I can check off the list [San Francisco]
OK, I'd welcome it for sure. But it might be just as exciting to have some unkonwn -- the next Charles Phan or Anthony Bowien or -- make a name for themselves by updating the concept while keeping it cheap and simple.
Then again, maybe there is no such thing as new and cheap in this town, and the revival will have to happen in some place like Portland where cheap and out-of-the-blue is still possible.
Tommy's Joynt: One I can check off the list [San Francisco]
> i wonder if anyone has considered an upscale hauf-brau ... beautifully plated, organic, local ingredients with name chefs and clever twists on the standard fare. <
I *love* the idea. Except I would keep it closer to the original concept and dispense with the named-chef, clever-twist claptrap and just re-work the hauf-brau as an economical format for modern, locavore, sustainable comfort food. But that's just my personal emphasis and tastes. I agree totally that this is a format that deserves to be updated.
East Coast Subs - Where to Find or How to Recreate
This Middlesex county kid says grinders are toasted in a pizza oven, for sure. Subs are not. Subs had oil and vinegar, grinders might be finished with the shredded iceberg and tomato slices after being toasted, but no oil and vinegar. Subs were more common - pretty much any deli counter made 'em. Grinders required the pizza oven. If my memory serves me, subs were more likely to have some mayo but you could order 'em with or without, while grinders were lubed by the heated cold cuts and cheese. A grinder with mayo would be too gross even for an east coast '60's palate.
I got no idea what they ate in Jersey. I'm talking Boston only.
One more thing...SF farmers market
to rwo, I saw the redacted response and kinda sorry you deleted it.
I'm not really dissing the farmers at the Ferry Building. I love the place and have been going there occasionally since it was in the median strip of the Embarcadero. I'm painting with a broad and judgmental brush, for sure. But I am the target demographic for that Ferry Building earth saving organic hucksterism, so indulge my reverse snobbery a bit. And you're right about my Bernal roots. Been here for decades, been shopping at the Alemany market for a long, long time. Its my home turf, so I'm biased.
I just think that Nyleve might find Alemany more down to earth.
Actually, Nyleve, I'd urge you to set the alarm for an hour earlier so you can hit both of them. One nice thing about Alemany is its right on the freeway to Monterey. You really want to take 280 and not 101, so drop by Alemany for 30 minutes and take stock of both places. You won't regret it.
One more thing...SF farmers market
Call me a reverse snob. I think the Ferry Building farmers' market is way more precious than Alemany, and way less staffed by actual dirt farmers than Alemany. I love the Ferry Building market. You won't go wrong by going there. But from your description of yourself and what you're after, I'm thinking the Alemany market would be more your style.
Both markets -- in fact all farmer's markets -- are full of non-farmer food retailers, gourmet prepared food vendors, and other concessions that you would not find in a farmers' market 20 years ago. Selling through farmers' markets is a full-time every-day-of-the-week job of hourly employees these days. Yes, there are actual farmers at both markets. I'll take rworange's word for it that there are some hidden in the mix at the Ferry Building. But I'm betting that those farmers are a lot more likely to be college educated, back-to-the-land, nouveau farmers than the wizened immigrant families I buy from at Alemany (along with the pro retailers and food cart vendors). Ferry Building is more for farmers that sell premium goods to high end restauranteurs and boutique retailers, to paint with a broad brush.
