Grubbjunkie's Profile
Restaurant buyout in San Francisco for a wedding?
Not sure about number but I once attended a wedding at Bix that was fabulous. Very glamorous, and just old school enough to work for a semi-formal gathering without being too pretentious. The food was great and the bar is legendary.
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Bix
56 Gold St., San Francisco, CA 94133
Una Pizza Napoletana (very long) review
Scott M., seems like you've got it all figured out. Let us know when your place is opening and you start making all that dough (pun intended!).
Zero Zero - San Francisco - Report
I haven't made it over there yet so I don't have much to add except I think it's pretty funny to hear people complain about the wet middle of the pizzas. That is an intended result but some of you make it sound like it was poor preparation, as in undercooking. You can say you don't like that style, but it is true to that type of pizza.
needed: pasta supper inspiration
Learn the basic technique for a real carbonara (no cream or onions, just a pork product, its fat, eggs, cheese, salt and pepper). From there you can add summer vegetables of your choice. Right now is a great time for a carbonara-style pasta with peas, corn, mushrooms, etc. Or skip the eggs and much of the cheese and do a simple primavera.
Searching for a Chopping Block
Kamei on Clement in the Richmond District has what you are looking for - along with a whole bunch of other great stuff!
Frances dinner ...
Just another quick review. My girl and I enjoyed an early dinner at Frances last night. We had a 5:15 reservation and were able to pick our table when we arrived. The early evening light was gorgeous and we liked the simple, functional lines of the place.
We found the service to be terrific and very much enjoyed the house wine program (both in concept and in taste). We started with trotters and calamari, then crab salad and gnocchi, then chicken and lamb.
The food was impeccable in quality and taste, presented in a restrained, elegant way that showed enormous skill and confidence. Nothing groundbreaking in the presentations or combinations but it was still one of the most enjoyable meals I can recall in a long time.
I disagree with those who find the food to be flavorless and boring. Perhaps those people have numb palates (maybe from overpowering wines, or maybe too much time at places that focus on the flash and pop rather than good clean flavors).
I know the place is severely hyped, and I've heard that it can get ridiculously cramped and noisy on peak nights. In that kind of environment one might expect fireworks on the plate. We were lucky (or smart) enough to eat early, on a Sunday, and while bustling the place was neither too loud nor too cramped, and there was no one hovering over us waiting for our table. Really it was a great atmosphere to focus on our conversation and the more subtle things happening with the food. Overall a fantastic experience, a success all around, and we will be back.
Cherries in Brandy?
Whole Foods on California Street in SF has brandied cherries right now, they are over near the cheese section. I have no idea if they are a regular item or if other Whole Foods stores carry them, but I just bought some yesterday and they are perfect for a manhattan.
Chop Bar in Oakland: recommendations?
Just came from lunch, had the ham and cheese panino. It was fine but I was expecting something more...artisanal, I guess. It was a basic panino on an herb slab, tasty but underwhelming for $8.50. And the side green salad was sort of a sad joke. It was literally - literally - four small pieces of lettuce with a few diced tomatoes in a very salty vinaigrette. I mean come on, if you say it comes with a salad it should be more than two bites. The ironic thing is that had I known the salad would be little more than a garnish, I would have ordered a side salad for $5 (and then I would probably gripe about the combined price...). With all that said, it's unfair to judge given that they just opened. It's a cool space and the service was friendly, if still getting into the groove. I'll definitely give it another shot.
Time to 'fess up: The Chow Booty Call
Man, I lived on Charter Street from '92 - '96 and used to hit up Bova's all the time. For a while I had the timing right and would show up right when they were pulling fresh hot bread out of the oven. Nothing better to soak up a belly full of booze on a cold night.
help! my risotto was sticky!
There is an old saying, not sure where it comes from but it captures the sentiments of a lot of posters here:
"Everyone waits for risotto, but risotto waits for no one."
People with lots of experience making risotto can sometimes get away with make-ahead tricks, but most will also tell you it won't be as good. And if you've only made risotto a few times or less, you may not have the instincts needed to made corrections on the fly. (Risotto is one of those things better done by feel than a strict recipe for time, temperature, and amount of stock.)
If you insist on rice but don't want to make risotto on the spot, the fried risotto cake is probably the best idea. Spin it as a gourmet take on "plain old" risotto - after all, it does take more work, individual portions are arguably more refined, and a little browning will add some texture.
Ummm... Does EVERYTHING stick to SS?
Temperature is definitely key. Another thing I've noticed is that over time, stainless pans get sort of polished from washing (especially if you use steel wool), and the polished surface will have less tendency to stick than a brand new pan. I recently bought a new all clad pan and food definitely sticks more than my older steel pans.
This is a personal theory that I have not heard mentioned before - anyone else find this to be true?
Seafood pasta inspiration needed
Riffing on the paella idea here...How about a saffron-sauced seafood pasta over linguine? Like a pasta boulliabase or something, with white wine and seafood stock, garlic, fresh herbs, a few tomatoes, baguettes for dunking? In addition to the shrimp and scallops, pick up some clams, mussels, maybe even a lobster or crab...then spread toasted baguette with fresh aoli...
SPQR report: one thumb up, one thumb down
Good report, thanks. As a fellow carbonara fiend I sympathize with you on this. It can be very disappointing to order in a restaurant and get something not as good as your own. Regardless, I absolutely agree that the pork needs to be rendered and a bit crisp - otherwise there is essentially no textural contrast to the pasta.
please nominate: best tasting steak you have ordered in past 90 days
Not exactly "ordered" but the best recently was a 16 oz frenched, bone-in ribeye from Marin Sun Farms in Point Reyes Station, Marin County CA. (Washed down with a Stag's Leap cab.)
Food Mysteries of San Francisco
The sourdough/bagel thing is not that hard to figure out: Both are based in part on air and water, and it just ain't the same here vs. there. As a former north-easterner, I crave good bagels and would trade the sourdough in a heartbeat. However, I disagree that there is no great pizza here. There is plenty of great pizza, it's just a different style in most cases. Sure, you can find plenty of fold-it-and-stroll slices in New York but you can't find an A16 or Delfina style pizza very easily back east.
Now, don't get me started on pastrami. Or a good oven toasted meatball sub (a grinder, that is). Or...or...actually that's about it. I love it here.
I cannot cook steak. Can you?
Cooking steak at home is great example of how difficult the seemingly simple things can be. This is because when it comes to good steak there is pretty much nowhere to hide, especially if you prefer a simple presentation.
I start with good beef and if I think ahead, will salt it a day in advance. Although salt initially draws moisture out, the meat will eventually pull the moisture back in, and due to the salt the meat will then be seasoned throughout. (Read more in the Zuni cookbook.)
Pat it dry and let it rest uncovered to come to room temperature. As other have said, a dry steak is the key to a good crust. If it's wet it will steam.
I prefer cast iron preheated very hot, with no oil. Once they're in the pan, don't touch the steaks - move the pan if you want to adjust heat exposure. If they begin the burn, lower the heat slightly - you want dark brown, not black charcoal.
IFor me, the key with cast iron is to remove the pan from the stove and put it in a 400 degree oven AS SOON AS YOU FLIP. Cast iron retains heat very well and the second side will sear just fine in the oven. If you sear the second side on the stove, the pan will carry too much heat in the oven.
So, about 3-4 minutes on the first,side for good crust, then into the oven for about 5 minutes. Then onto a plate with a pat of herb/garlic butter to rest for five minutes or so. If your kitchen is cool, loosely tent, but don't cover tightly or your crust will soften from steaming. If the pan is not too black, deglaze with a little red wine and/or meat broth and finish with a swirl of butter if desired. Really though, all you should need is a bit of herb butter and the juices from the resting plate. OK, now I want a steak!!
Bistro at Metro Hotel, Divisadero, San Fran
It is no longer a French bistro, it is now called Metro Katmandu. I am certain a search will turn up related threads.
Return to Rosso Pizzeria (Santa Rosa)
Hi! Great write-up Melanie. I rode my bike from San Francisco to Petaluma before this late lunch, and for much of the chilly, windy and hilly ride I was thinking about how good a hot pizza would be at the finish line. This place did not disappoint. Everything was delicious and fresh, and I have to agree that the funghi pie was my favorite too - I could have easily eaten the whole thing and then some. The "burricotta" was also delicious, pure creamy goodness with a bit of salt and fragrant olive oil. We heard this place gets super busy but hitting it at an "off" hour like we did (around 2 pm) worked out great - service was smooth and helpful, without pressure to turn the table, and the food arrived quickly and in our requested sequence. And fyi, lunch for three was about $75 before tip, including a $10 corkage for the Coffaro. Given the amount and quality of what we ate, we felt it was very reasonable.
Boulevard - Once more into the breach, dear friends....
Ok, didn't really understand. In any case, if fresh porcini are "proletariat" to you then we live in different worlds!!
Boulevard - Once more into the breach, dear friends....
Nice review. I sense that you were trying to be objective, but two things make it seem less so. First, your quibble with the mushroom soup seems to assume you were eating rehydrated dried porcini - are you sure you weren't eating wild porcini? Second is the comment that you will only be sated if you're hungry. What is that?!? If you worked your way through all that food despite not having an appetite, I would say your review amounts to a rave.
"I made ____ myself!" - the Thrill of Home Cooking Victory
I have had many of these moments and expect many more. Risotto, roast chicken, braised lamb shank, bolognese, a perfect steak, fresh pasta, these are the kinds of things that come to mind as real breakthrough/proud moments. The world of food is so vast and I love the adventure of learning how to work with new (to me) ingredients and techniques. I hope to continue to explore for the rest of my days. The only risk is what? A bad meal? I figure I'll eat again, and trying something new makes even a bad meal a fine experience.
Incanto or Quince?
(Blushing) I really like Quince but it was not up to my expectations for the hype and price. Incanto met or exceeded my expectations, which honestly were fairly high. While I was not very impressed by Incanto's atmosphere it is certainly much nicer than most neighborhood places, which (despite delivering an experience far beyond the norm) is basically what it is. I do generally prefer a more casual atmosphere. As for me cooking as well as Quince...well, I don't know about that, but the food at Incanto definitely uses ingredients that I don't use at home, so the experience is more of a challenge and surprise than Quince (not to mention simple preparation and flawless technique).
"Must orders" at Incanto
Why you're very welcome Lori SF, the pleasure was mine!
For those wondering, we were there last night. We started with Porchetta di Testa with watercress and separate salad of rapini greens. The porchetta was super rich but cut nicely with texture from rough salt and pepper. The rapini was perfectly dressed and had a nice bite of anchovy. Then we shared the hankerchief pasta with pork ragu, which was truly a definitive version of this kind of dish. The pasta was rolled very thin and was perfectly cooked, and the pork ragu had incredibly deep and unmuddled flavors. For mains Lori SF had the braised pork with pear and brussels sprouts. Very tender and moist, this dish had something of an Alsatian leaning and was very tasty. I went with the lamb neck and I have to say it was one of the most rewarding plates I've had in a long time, in part because of taste and technique and in part because it involved an ingredient I've not seen anywhere else. The meat had a nice crust on the outside but was incredibly tender beneath the surface. It easily pulled from the bones with a just a fork and was laden with copious amounts of delicious fat. I never got around to asking but given the texture it seemed prepared with some sort of confit technique, followed by a roasting for texture and color. Regardless, it was a bold and confident plate prepared with flawless technique. Fabulous and I thank those who recommended it!
(PS, we shared too many glasses and 1/2 glasses to describe and skipped desert in favor of an Armangac on the couch!)
"Must orders" at Incanto
Heading to Incanto for the first time in the very near future. I know the menu changes often, but for those who have been recently, what do you consider the items that must not be missed?
Food Network Next Iron Chef -- Ethical Problem
I find it kinda perplexing that anyone would think the "judges" are bound by any standards of ethics at all. It's a fun charade but it is a television show. Calling it "reality" because it's in the form of a competition is charming but come on.
Next Iron Chef Finale [Spoiler inside]
Besh's food looked great throughout the competition but Symon is less arrogant and more entertaining. Part of the appeal of IC is watching the chefs scramble under pressure. It's less fun watching a guy like Besh, who acts like he's always in control, than it is watching a guy like Symon, who takes chances and half the time seems on the verge of a complete meltdown. I do think Symon can be too dramatic sometimes but a big personality is an asset on an over-the-top show like IC. To me he's the more interesting competitor and a better fit for the show.
Restaurant for 20 in Oakland - Work Dinner - Help!
Check out Verbena at 1111 Broadway. It's pretty solid and should appeal to lots of different tastes. They should have room on a Wednesday night no problem, and it's in a big office building so the corporate folks will feel right at home!
Birthday dinner in the lower haight?
Depends on what you're looking for, and given that you plan to end up at the "T" it's hard to guess. RNM is good for celebrations and probably the best food quality, but also the most expensive and most refined. India Oven and Thep Phenom (indian and thai) are somewhere in the middle. Memphis Minnnie's BBQ veers toward the casual. And if you want really casual you can go right to the "T" and order sausages from Rosamunde next door, pizza from the place on the other side, or falafel/schwarma from Ali Baba's a couple doors down.
The Next Iron Chef
These chefs may have a strong regional presence but none have the national or international reputation to take their careers into the stratosphere with huge numbers for books, other endorsements, chains, etc. That all becomes much more possible just by participating in this show, let alone if they win.
Best sandwich I ever invented
Almond butter, fresh mashed very ripe figs, and honey on decent multi-grain.
