pointybird's Profile
New Kraft product - chocolate-flavored cream cheese
I have to admit to not really being a white chocolate fan...but I AM a fan of these chips. I ate one and thought "Right! This is how it's supposed to taste!" Usually white chocolate is kind of bland and flavorless and crisco-y and leaves a weird film in your mouth. This white chocolate melted so smoothly and just tasted like fresh butter and vanilla. Yum. Sorry we digressed from the cream cheese, everyone!
New Kraft product - chocolate-flavored cream cheese
greygarious, do you live near a Trader Joe's? They sell the cheapest and most delicious white chocolate chips I have ever had. Real cocoa butter, terrific vanilla flavor. If you find them, stock up, because they sometimes don't have them. As for the choco cream cheese, I want to taste this NOW. I spent the 80s making cheesecakes, why haven't I made one lately? They're so easy and so delicious.
Skeeter's Big Biscuits
I never had the hamburgers but I certainly ate at Skeeter's many a Gainesville night when that was all that was open. I didn't like the food all that much to be honest. The biscuits were giant but so what? They weren't all that. What I did like is they served you giant plastic cups of iced tea, sweet or un-, all night long, for about $1.50.
I don't think I ever ordered the Chinese food at Skeeter's either. Not with Chinee Takee Outee (!!!!) right up the street.
Chowhound's Boston Digest, now! More! Better!
I'm pretty much always slightly giddy. You can count on it.
Chowhound's Boston Digest, now! More! Better!
Gosh, I wish I'd thought to introduce myself to you guys when I started writing the Boston Digest a few years ago. I'm Joyce Slaton, and I've been writing the Boston Digest since it began. From San Francisco. That didn't make sense, and we knew it, so we finally hired a real local to do it, a man you already know and love as Dave MP. Each week, he will be chewing through all of your wonderful and amazing posts, and um, spitting out a condensed synthesis of that week's news, gossip, and delirious paeans to delicious things.
It is published each Wednesday here:
http://www.chow.com/digest/boston/
To get Boston Digest newsletter by email, please go here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/newsletters
Dave, please say hello to the nice people.
Heavenly olive sausage at Fred's in Sausalito
oh my, that sounds delicious, thank you, Sharuf! Is it house-made, you think? I wonder who's the sausage-maker there. I forget to say, you get two nice-sized (extra long) links in an order. Yum yum, I want to go to there.
Heavenly olive sausage at Fred's in Sausalito
Fred's, an unassuming breakfasty diner on Bridgeway, has the annoying habit of seating small parties together at large tables. However, they have an absolutely fantastic sausage that I believe to be house-made. It's on the menu for I think $3.50 for a side, Italian olive sausage, which turned out to be lusciously fatty, zesty with olives and maybe ?oregano?, wrapped in skin with a pleasing snap. We had other nice things, deep-fried French toast, very very tasty buttermilk pancakes with the option of paying $2 for real syrup, which I snapped up and appreciated: I would much rather pay more for real maple than just be offered corn syrup nastiness. But the olive sausage was just so good. They also had maple pecan sausage, which we didn't try. Next time.
ideas please for sack lunches that are...
Agree on the burritos -- I have a thermos and microwave the burrito in the morning, fits in the thermos perfectly. Or I take refried beans and wrap them in tortillas, heat them, and put them in the (preheated with hot water) thermos. My daughter is also fond of oatmeal, with a little container of brown sugar to sprinkle on the top, soup (with crackers in another container), beans and rice, and greek yogurt, with a little squeeze bottle of honey. She likes having lunches where there's something to put together or mix, she likes feeling judicious like a little cook herself; gets very excited when we pack the lunches together in the morning.
Troya -- SO much better than I remembered
I had a truly wonderful meal there recently with my husband and five year old daughter. We started out with hummus and mujamara, which I gather is walnut and red pepper dip? It was fantastic, piquant and full-flavored but not one bit spicy, even our daughter liked it. And the nice waitress brought out more pita triangles when she noticed us running low. Warm. Such a nice touch. Why don't more restaurants offer warm bread? After that, my husband had the chicken kabob wrap, daughter had the rice pilaf, I got the falafel wrap. I wished I'd ordered the chicken instead, it was beautifully cooked and tasty. The pilaf was full of plump, soft rice kernels. My falafel just wasn't quite the thing.
The best was yet to come. Zucchini cakes with homemade yogurt sauce were fluffy, crisp on the outside, tender inside, and tasted brightly of dill. We finished with a nightingale's nest baklava: oh my GOD. This was the best baklava I'd ever had in my life, perfectly tender and fresh flakes enclosing a nut-and-honey filling that was so savory and sweet that we fought over every last morsel. On the side was a little scoop of ice cream, the perfect cold creaminess to offset the crisp baklava. Apparently they make this dessert in-house...I could order it every day.
My husband had a powerful, thick Turkish coffee and I had Turkish tea, both swell. I don't often get the chance to go out to lunch with my family on a weekday, and eating such a delightful meal with such friendly and thoughtful service was just divine. I'll be back, Troya.
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Troya
349 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94118
Authentic Syrian Food (and delicious fusion food like kibbeh burgers!) at Palmyra in the Lower Haight
Was there today for lunch: I didn't see fattoush on the menu, they had a "cucumber tomato" salad that I gather had a viniagrette. I had the half chicken plate, which came with salad, nice creamy hummus, powerful garlic sauce and warm pitas. I didn't think the chicken was dry *at all*. It was moist and succulent, really fantastic with the garlic sauce, wrapped in a bit of pita. The pitas aren't as good as Goood Frikin Chicken's, but the chicken and garlic sauce are much much better. A cup of Arabic tea on the side...shrug...it wasn't that great, not much flavor. And I was sad that the little market next to Axum that sells the English products wasn't open, as I was hoping to get some Branston Pickle and maybe a Crunchie Bar while I was out. But still, Palmyra, fantastic lunch for $11.
Terrific Burmese noodles at Mingalaba in Burlingame
I got the recommendation for this small, Burmese/Mandarin (what does that mean??) place from this board so I thought I'd report back. We started out with the paratha, which turned out to be a beautifully flaky, buttery little pile of bread that we tore apart with eager hands and dipped into two curry sauces (sorry, I'm not familiar enough with Burmese food to guess what could have been in them). Oh my. I was dying to order another. I should have.
But the best was next to come: Burmese noodles. Didn't sound fancy, noodles with cabbage, dried shrimp, cucumbers, potatoes, and shallots, from what I remember on the menu, and it didn't look impressive when it came to the table. But the noodles were dead fresh and tender, the sauce subtle, it didn't blow your head off with spiciness, but it had a very rich, complex, nuanced flavor, with a nice umami kick from dried shrimp but no fishiness. The cabbage was in tiny threads, the cucumber in thin French fries, the shallots were deep fried. Every time I got a little edge of shallot in my teeth I got happier. The flavors were so well balanced and delightful; husband and I got very quiet while we ate. We weren't as impressed with the tofu basil, but those Burmese noodles, oh. Husband just said: "Can we go back and eat our lunch there?" There you go.
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Mingalaba
1213 Burlingame Ave, Burlingame, CA 94010
Great egg custard tarts at TC Pastry on Irving
While messing around on Irving Street today (five bags of stuff to Goodwill! I feel so clean!), we stopped in at TC Pastry at the request of my five year old, who enjoys dim sum (somewhat more than I do, actually). There were several items I enjoyed: deep-fried curry puff was good; the pastry was somewhat sweet (seemed to be the case with most of the meat items), which went well with the rich, not hot curry inside. I also liked the chicken pie and the baked pork buns; the stuffed tofu seemed kind of bland, and the shrimp with chive dumplings were too fishy for my taste.
BUT. The one thing that everyone went completely bonkers over were the egg custards. I really love these tarts, so I order them whenever I can. My previous favorites were at Golden Gate Bakery on Grant Street in Chinatown, and (a distant second) Alex Bakery on Clement. These blew those completely out of the water. The crust wasn't as flaky as Golden Gate's, it had a crunchier, shorter texture and seemed more buttery. The filling was what really knocked it out of the park. How did they make a simple egg custard taste so extraordinarily rich and round and full? Some egg custards are watery. This one was supple and creamy, yet without a fatty, gooey aftertaste. I wish I'd ordered a bagful to go, even as I'm writing this I can still taste it. I refused to eat anything else after I had the custard tarts; I wanted the flavor to last in my mouth forever.
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Golden Gate Bakery
1029 Grant Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
Alex Bakery
431 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118
TC Pastry
2222 Irving St, San Francisco, CA
Fresco Pizza in Civic Center: Middle Eastern delivery!
San Fran is sorely lacking in delivery options. If you don't want Chinese, Thai, or pizza, you're pretty well going to have to leave the house. Up until tonight, my one delivery find was that Mozzarella di Bufala pizza has terrific Brazilian food that they deliver (I love the feijoada). But lo and behold, Fresco Pizza on Polk Street leaves a menu on our door today, announcing that it delivers a small menu of Middle Eastern food! Wanting to try a little of everything, we ordered a chicken shish kebab plate, a falafel schwarma, and a falafel plate (it was a small menu, as I've said). The best thing was the shish kebab. The vegetables were nicely charred, the chicken was tender, and the onions had some nice sauce or flavoring on them that was particularly good, a little sweet/sour. Looked like there were two nice-sized kebabs in the order, a good value for the price (I think $10?). The kebabs came over plump grains of yellow rice, with smoky and great hummus and forgettable fattoush on the side.
The falafels weren't all that great, could have been due to the long time it took our order to arrive (an hour plus, a downside). But the schwarma was enormous, with nicely fried potatoes and a good hot sauce inside, so it masked the falafel's flaws.
Bill for 3 people: $24.95. Now we're talking! I will be ordering again.
Please help me get over my egg loathing
Hmm, cream and butter. I DO like those things!! Thank you.
Please help me get over my egg loathing
Hmm, if a teaspoon of butter helps, helps, how about a tablespoon?
Pica Pica Maize Kitchen Report - Valencia St in San Francisco
Hmmmm I must say I didn't notice, sorry. They tasted fresh and hot and we went during busy times both times, so I guess we got good ones.
Please help me get over my egg loathing
Beet and catfish are also on my no list. Such a pity, because I know so many people who worship beets. I have tried them at least several dozen times. Can't do it.
Pica Pica Maize Kitchen Report - Valencia St in San Francisco
Wow, either I'm not that picky or this place has improved a lot in a few months, cause this weekend my husband and I ate there and then went back again the next day for lunch! Both times I had the pernil, pork, tomatoes, and avocado, once as a cachapa (big corn pancake) and once as a maize-wich (two rounds of sweet corn cake). Both times, out of sight! Maybe I was happy because I didn't try the cheese? On the side, a cup of literally the best hot chocolate I have ever had. Literally! It was like a melted good quality chocolate bar melted in a cup. Whoa.
Please help me get over my egg loathing
NO! The only time I was able to choke a couple of down is when I had "eggs in purgatory," (boiled in tomato sauce), but even then it made me gag a bit. Sigh. I am not overly picky, I don't think, but I do have a pretty strong sense of smell and sometimes can smell things others can't. Tilapia tastes like dirt, etc. It's interesting what you say, rworange! I've tried eggs so many times I just can't imagine that I'm having badly cooked eggs EVERY time!
Good Chemistry on Grand Avenue, Delightful!
I can't believe no one's posted about this cute little spot yet. It's on Grand Avenue in Oakland, right across from the Grand Lake Theater (and kitty-corner to the exemplary challah and rugelach of Grand Bakery, but I digress). It's all gluten free. I'm a wheat eater and I wandered in there rather by accident and was taken aback to see small muffins priced at $2.50 but my little daughter was starving so I shelled out for two and a cup of coffee. Holy moly am I glad I took a shot! Muffins (which can be temperamental, I've baked many a tough muffin in my own kitchen) were moist and tender, studded with thin slices of fresh, sweet strawberries. They had a corn-y aroma so I wandered up to ask the counterperson if they had cornmeal in them, and was knocked over by the information that they were wheat free. Made of brown rice flour, potato flour and tapioca starch, if memory serves.
The coffee was also a lil cup of wonder. Smooth as silk. And I'm usually a tea person, so for me to say that means a lot. Starbucks is like battery acid to me.
Good Chemistry is extremely unassuming and has a very small sign on a green awning, might not appear too welcoming. Inside, though, it's pretty and bright and has a small basket of toys for kids and a few tables, including a nice one in the window. The counterperson was nice and smiley, and the other wares for sale (lemon bars, flourless chocolate cookies, pizzas, sandwiches, cupcakes) looked equally wonderful. Great place.
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Grand Bakery
3264 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94610
Good Chemistry Baking
3249 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94610
Earthshaking Cutting Edge Sandwich Survey
That. Is one of the funniest posts. I have ever read. FoodFuser, if you write a book, will you tell me so I can buy it?
Signed, your #1 new fan
Please help me get over my egg loathing
Aw, you're nice! I keep trying! I keep trying and trying!
Please help me get over my egg loathing
Cicely, I'm going to try the ramen eggs and the tea eggs. You never know! It's not that vital that I like them but it's embarrassing to be a food-lover and not like this one very basic foodstuff. I feel picky, like my five year old child!
Please help me get over my egg loathing
I love french toast. Sigh. Maybe I am doomed to sticking to tortilla and french toast and frittatas like milklady says.
Please help me get over my egg loathing
PS there used to be a restaurant at Guererro/16th, I forget the name of the place, it's closed now, and they had a terrific tortilla. The rest of the food, not so good, but a very high perfectly cooked tortilla with a wonderful zippy Romesco on the side. I've tried to replicate it so many times but I haven't been able to.
Please help me get over my egg loathing
I do seem to like eggy things where the flavor is covered up. Like custards with cinnamon or whatnot. So sad! I wish I could just hold my nose and enjoy it.
Please help me get over my egg loathing
funny that you hit on the exact egg dish that I like, and make, and was hoping to branch out from, ha ha ha! I do love tortillas, and I haven't found a good source of them in SF besides mah own kitchen.
Please help me get over my egg loathing
Oh milklady! I hope you're wrong. You may not be. I went to Mexico a couple of years ago for 2 weeks and I was on another egg-liking kick so I tried eggs every day for two weeks. EVERY DAY. In all kinds of ways. And I never liked them. Sigh. But thank you very much for your information.
Please help me get over my egg loathing
Trying to get over ick factor of runny eggs...want this to not bother me! Is this one of those things that grosses you out and then you eat it and fall in love, like marrow?
