tonyarose's Profile
Do bulk bins every get cleaned?
Of course you don't see them cleaned. I'm sure they pull them at a time when customers aren't trying to get at them.
Where to buy Rennet / Citric Acid Powder?
I just saw citric acid (I think it was powder) at Market Hall in Rockridge on a low shelf with the baking items.
Berkeley - quick, last day. Saul's sufganiyot and fried-to-order lattke stand
Sufganiyot are a seasonal holiday item at Saul's, not something they carry on a regular basis. Latkes are made year-round, however.
Most Underrated Foods
The notion that younger nations are like children in their dietary habits while older nations have more mature palates seems ridiculous. How are you judging an "encompassing" diet, or taking into account the vast variety of diets eaten in different countries, both young and old? When you say "culture" do you mean, for example, general American stereotypical, patriotic, chicken pot pie, barbeque culture? Or do you mean San Francisco Bay Area vegetarian/vegan/foraged and homegrown culture?
Say it ain't so: Panda Express moving into lower Sproul Plaza
There already is a sandwich shop that sells coffee, a local Mexican restaurant, and a place that sells various types of Asian food in Lower Sproul.
Help - Picky Eater, Sunday Dinner.
Jupiter does card, but only at night times (late, like after 9 maybe?)
Slowfood Nation
I can see where you're coming from when you mention the elitist nature of the Slow-Food USA festival. However, I do think that they are attempting to make inroads to communities other than the "Over 35 and well-dressed."
As previously mentioned, they are partnering with City Slicker Farms, and student discounts are available for all of the speaker panels (with the discount $15, which is not much more than a movie these days).
And in response to the above comment about the website being difficult to navigate:
"If there's a standard grid-style schedule of events to help prospective attendees figure out their itineraries, I can't find it on the Web site."
http://www.slowfoodnation.org/events/
I didn't find it too difficult.
Saul’s and Magnani's revisited – Pastrami, other cold cuts and rye bread
We'll cut hot pastrami for you if you request it. We're also doing the pastrami and corned beef by hand now (not with the slicer).
Berkeley on the Cheap?
Dollar Curry House is pretty terrible. I've gotten spinach and potatoes there that was almost inedible. I like Naan and Curry a whole lot better.
Herbivore in Berkeley - Only Order the Smoothie, Salad and Nothing Else
Herbivore is a terrible example of vegan food! Their menu isn't seasonal, includes a lot of canned sauces, and simply doesn't taste good. I'm a life long vegetarian, and it tastes like mediocre food I cooked hurriedly at home out of a jar.
As far as other semi-nearby veg. restaurants, Cafe Gratitude is great (despite the ridiculous "I Am _____" theme to the menu).
Zackary's Pizza: how is the Stuffed Deep Dish?
So I've read a lot of really negative comments on Zachary's, and I don't really understand. I've eaten fancier pizza at Pizzaiolo and I can't really remember what it tastes like, which for me signals that it isn't memorable in the long term (at least for me).
I think that what makes me like Zachary's so much is that I was vegan for a long time, and am still vegetarian. I am also a huge sauce fan, and can't really handle excessive cheese that a lot of pizzas have. A piece of Zachary's is like eating bread with sauce, and the cheese is very secondary. I like that a lot. I also agree that the brightness of the sauce is really nice.
However, I think of Zachary's as comfort food, not gourmet pizza.
Guilty Pleasure
Basically anything vegetarian I could get from fast food places:
Bean burritos (Taco Bell)
French fries from any fast food place
Grilled cheese (In-N-Out)
Also, in my one cheat from vegetarianism: Chicken flavor Top Ramen
And Cheddar and Sour Cream potato chips.
NY vs. SF food wars
I'm a native San Franciscan, sitting in a New York hotel wishing I was back in Berkeley. I can understand the whole "grass is greener" argument, but for me it doesn't hold up; I still think that San Francisco satisfies my culinary desires better than NY does.
1. Coffee- I've only found one decent cup, at 9th Street Espresso. Other than that, the coffee I get is weak and burnt. Plus, they do the milk for you, so you don't get to put in the "just right" amount yourself.
2. Vegetarian Food- Difficult to find, not very good when you do.
3. Organic Produce- In California it's cheap and abundant.
Those are the Big 3 for me. However, there are a few things I was pleasantly surprised to discover I liked much better here in New York.
1. Bagels, Bialys, Knishes (Deli food in general)- We just don't have it in San Francisco/East Bay, and I wish we did. I've never enjoyed a plain, untoasted bagel before the ones I've had here in NY.
Basically I miss my California food, and I can't wait to get back and drink a nice cup of coffee, eat some excellent organic fruit, and get a veggie burrito just the way I like it.
Gazala Place, Hell's Kitchen- Terrible Service
I just had dinner at Gazala Place (9th Ave. between 48th and 49th), and although I had high hopes, I can't recommend this restaurant.
I am not usually one who is bothered by bad service or bored waiters, but this was an exception. The one waitress on staff didn't greet us, just made eye contact and then stared at an open table, implying that we should sit. As I sat down, I heard her sniff loudly and saw her wipe her nose with her hand. She was very unfriendly, and really ruined the entire dinner experience. She was also spraying cleaning fluid to clean the tables, which sent a mist of 409 throughout the air of the restaurant, and onto the food of the nearby tables. I've never seen tables cleaned like this, especially while people are dining so close by, and it really put me off.
I've read other posts about this place that praised the good service, so maybe tonight was an off night. Based on this, however, I would probably not sit down to eat here in the future. One other thing, a man at an adjacent table was sent searching for a restroom in nearby restaurants when they told him they didn't have a restroom for him to use.
I should mention that the food was not bad... it wasn't the best, but had the service been good, I would have been able to recommend this restaurant. We got an appetizer platter with falafel, eggplant dip, humus, and stuffed grape leaves. The bread that came with them was really tasty, but for $9.95 I thought the portions were pretty small. I also got a spinach and feta pie, which had too much dough and not enough filling.
I hope this was just an off night.
Bay Area grocery shopping rant - is something missing?
As a student, I can decisively say that Andronico's is never where I would shop to save money. It lures you in with its gourmet items and pretentious, wealthy vibe it gives off, but it gets you in the end when your bag of groceries somehow cost twice as much as you expected. I mean come on, when does 1 pound of grapes cost $12 (That's a true story.. I had to put them back).
I would love a more local, organic, reasonable option than Safeway (And the Safeway in Rockridge still only has a ridiculously sad little supply of organic produce... definitely not "posh" by any means), but neither Whole Foods nor Andronico's supply that as they are way beyond my means.
Hip place for college-aged daughter
As a 21 year old, I second Oakland Barb and say that Bar Tartine is super hip. It's new, interesting looking, and in the Mission, which is a pretty hip neighborhood.
Report: Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, St. Helena
Not dry at all. They grits were really creamy so nothing was dry or crumbly in the least.
Report: Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, St. Helena
I just got back from a day trip to St. Helena, and a friend recommended Cindy's. My boyfriend and I got dinner there last night, and we really enjoyed ourselves.
I got the 'Incredible Tamales,' made with grits instead of masa, filled with mushrooms, and wrapped in a leaf of chard. The Yucatecan salsa that surrounded them was fresh, and had a little bit of heat from the whole habañero pepper that the waiter told us is cooked with the sauce. There were also almonds and golden raisins in the tamales, which added some crunch and a nice sweetness. One complaint was that the chard stems got a little tough and stringy, and had to be sawed through with a knife. Overall, though, really excellent.
My boyfriend got the Laura Chenel goat cheese ravioli appetizer as an entree sized portion. This dish was definitely not as good as mine and was a bit lacking in texture. The sauce, made from Gaeta olives, was good, but not especially exciting. The ravioli tasted nice, but I tried them and preferred my dish.
The papaya--avocado salad we started with was also excellent. I usually don't like papaya, but these were perfect and really complemented by the spicy baby greens, smooth avocado, and buttery macadamia nuts. The papaya seed dressing was zesty and fruity.
Desserts were awesome. I got a fromage blanc cheesecake with amaretto crust and hucklberry sauce, and my boyfriend got the pineapple upside down cake. I was too full to finish mine, but the pineapple cake was completely devoured.
We're both vegetarians, and on a meat-heavy menu the veggie dishes are often boring. However, we had an excellent meal, and would return again.
La Folie--Way off the Mark
I ate at La Folie within the past few months, and me and my roommate had a really excellent time. I got the vegetarian tasting menu, and it was really nice. It was different from the one you're describing, although the onion with couscous matches up. I though the restaurant, food, and service were all great. However, I've never eaten at Gary Danko or many other restaurants this expensive and reputable, so I can't really compare.
Berkeley - Saul's sells loaves of sliced Acme rye bread
just so you know, we sell the sliced rye every day until we run out.
