Posted in Events, Food, San Francisco

7×7’s List of Ultimate SF Eats 2010

Posted on by virgoinwonderland

I usually don’t comment on “Best of” lists, but I made an exception.

“7×7’s The Big Eat SF: 100 Things to Try Before You Die” list for 2010 is intriguing because they single out some of the best dishes they’ve had the pleasure of eating as opposed to highlighting just the establishment.  After reading it, I’ve also realized how much farther I have to go!  I swear, a foodie’s job is never done ;).

Here’s what I’ve been fortunate enough to try and L-O-V-E on their list:

4. Fried chicken and waffles at Little Skillet
12. Porchetta sandwich at RoliRoti
13. Soup dumplings at Shanghai Dumpling King
20. Salumi misti plate at Perbacco
21. Pizza margherita at Pizzeria Delfina
33. Prime rib at House of Prime Rib
47. Ceviche on the patio at La Mar Cebichería Peruana
58. Chicharróns from 4505 Meats
61. Egg custard tart at Golden Gate Bakery
88. Buckwheat crepe and a French cider at Ti Couz
90. Korean taco at Namu’s market stand
95. Ube ice cream from Mitchell’s

Here’s what I’ve tried on the list that’s simply overrated IMHO:

31. Guajillo-braised beef short-rib taco at Tacolicious
40. Cheeseburger with sweet potato fries at Taylor’s Automatic Refresher
62. Dim sum at Ton Kiang
66. Pig parts at Incanto
87. Sesame balls at Yank Sing
89. Lettuce cups at Betelnut
100. Menage a Trois at Ike’s Place

And of course, what I’m dying to try:

1. Roast chicken and bread salad at Zuni
8. Morning bun at Tartine Bakery
11. Pork sugo with pappardelle at Delfina
14. Beef brisket sandwich at Il Cane Rosso
16. Katsu curry from Muracci’s Japanese Curry & Grill
17. Samusa soup at Burma Superstar
18. Oysters on the half shell at Swan Oyster Depot
19. Lobster pot pie at Michael Mina
22. Vietnamese roasted pork sandwich at Saigon Sandwich
42. Fried-shrimp po’boy at Brenda’s French Soul Food
60. The Little Star at Little Star Pizza
71. Scottish egg at Wexler’s
74. Corned-beef sandwich with Gruyère at The Sentinel
75. Fried green beans at Coco500
85. Pulled-pork sandwich at Roadside BBQ
86. A cheese slice at Arinell Pizza

I would LOVE to hear what you’ve tried, want to try, love or even hate on the list…

Posted in Events, Food, San Francisco, Street Food

Not Too Shabby for a Second Choice

Posted on by virgoinwonderland

Despite the herd of family and events over the holidays, I was able to carve out an afternoon to the San Francisco Ferry Building Street Food Farmers Market. This is my favorite place in the city for just wasting an afternoon enjoying the people, the view, the architecture, and the food, of course.

I was on a mission to get me some porchetta sammies from Roli Roti. I’ve been dreaming of them ever since the FoodBuzz food event late last year, and it’s been hard to get a hold of one ever since. Of course, once we got there at 1:30, they had JUST served the last sandwich. I was pissed, to say the least.

But since there were so many other vendors around, there had to be some other good eats. I picked up a Margherita pie at Pizza Politana, which served as a good appetizer. That’s when the hubby ordered some Korean tacos from the guys at Namu.

I should’ve known to come here from the start. They catered our final dinner at the big FoodBuzz event last Fall and the menu was was fresh, lively, inventive and surprising.

We ordered some Korean Tacos which had chopped up bits of Korean marinated shortribs (kalbi), short grain sticky rice with scallions, daikon, kimchee, and a bit of sweet soy and mayo. Oh…my…gawd. These things are the real deal! Forget all the other Korean taco posers that drive around in their trucks. These guys mean business! All the ingredients are super fresh, organic and melded together on two sheets of seaweed (nori) to create this fantastic Californian/Asian fusion “taco” that was just out of this world!

And as a side dish we also ordered the Korean Fries that were on special that day. They were tasty too, topped with the same shortribs, scallions, Asian inspired sauce on top of some wonderfully fresh fried potatoes.

Now, the porchetta sammie will always be the first reason why I make it down to the Ferry Building on Thursday or Saturday, but the guys at Namu have made it damn hard to say no to their fare if I ever get down there again.

And word has it, their actual restaurant has some killer Monday and Tuesday night specials, as well.

Namu – SF Ferry Building Farmers Market – Thursdays, 10am-2pm

Posted in Food, San Francisco, Shopping

English Sweet Treats

Posted on by virgoinwonderland

IMG_3923There’s something about modern candy shops that sends even the most jaded adult into a child-like state. They’re complete with retro decor, walls lined with jars of colorful treats, and pastel colored packaging.

I’ve admitted before that I’m not a huge sugar fiend, nor am I the kind of person who dreams of chocolate. But the candies and candy bars I DO enjoy, I enjoy greatly. They’ll send me into a nostalgic state complete with memories of  my youth (Fruit Stripe gum, Charms hard candies, bubble gum “cigarettes,” Charleston Chews and Jolly Rancher Stix), or of when I was living in Toronto or Hong Kong.

fionas-logoBecause both places have connections to Queen Elizabeth, common English candies and chocolate bars were easy to find at your nearest supermarket. That’s why I found Fiona’s Sweetshoppe just off Union Square in San Francisco to be delightful. It’s a tiny little shop opened by a British native who missed her favorite English sweet treats.

IMG_3925 They were stocked with sweets I haven’t seen in a while, like the full line of Cadbury chocolate products, Flake, Bounty, Aero, Smarties, Malteasers (both milk and white chocolate), the original Mars bars (which they don’t sell in America anymore), Rowntree Fruit Gums and Pastilles, and Fruittella chews. They also carry bulk candies that aren’t made in-house but shipped in from England.

Now, the English may not be known for their culinary genius, but they make some damn fine candy.

And though I was disappointed to see they didn’t carry my fave Coffee Crisp candy bars, I walked out with my pink bag full of sweet treats feeling like a kid in a…well, you know…

Fiona’s Sweetshoppe – 214 Sutter St., SF – www.fionassweetshoppe.com

Posted in Food, San Francisco, Shopping

A Top Chef Master’s Low End Venture

Posted on by virgoinwonderland
Image courtesy of http://www.rickbayless.com

I’m excited for the upcoming season of Top Chef Masters. There’s no word on who will be competing yet, but I had a blast rooting for Hubert Keller and Rick Bayless last time around.

Trips to Keller’s Burger Bar and Fleur de Lys will have to wait (though they’re on my list of restaurants to try), but Rick Bayless doesn’t have much of a presence around these parts.

He does, however, have a gourmet takeout joint in the cellar of Macy’s Union Square in SF called Frontera Fresco. His obsession with Mexican food and culture, along with his attention to detail told me that the place couldn’t be THAT bad. The man has a reputation to uphold. So my hubby and I gave it a try after a day of post-holiday retail returns.

We went for the Chipotle Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Salad with goat cheese, shredded chicken, and roasted zucchini and peppers. We also had the Pulled Pork Tacos and a Pulled Pork Torta, grilled panini style. (Can you tell pork is the new black around culinary circles? Not that I’m complaining.)

Everything was delicious. The flavors were surprisingly fresh for a takeout place. This stuff was better than most salads or sandwiches you’d get at a sitdown cafe. The pork was stewed and flavored nicely. It wasn’t bland or dry or too greasy either. It actually tasted like it had been cooked for a long time with a lot of care. Pretty impressive for this type of place.

And my husband LOVED his salad. There were no brown lettuce leaves or wilted arugula here. Every piece was fresh, crisp, and bright. The chicken and roasted zucchini gave great flavor and texture contrast to the crisp romaine.

The best part is that this place doesn’t skimp on portions or overcharge just because a celebrity chef’s name is attached to it. Now, of course, it’s not one of his famous restaurants in Chicago, but you could DEFINITELY do worse if you’re looking for a quick, easy, affordable takeout option.

Bayless’ attention to detail and respect for Mexican food really comes through. And fortunately, his reputation has not been compromised.

Frontera Fresco on Urbanspoon

Posted in Food, San Francisco

A Sea of Blue

Posted on by virgoinwonderland

The decor and color scheme of La Mar along the San Francisco Embarcadero waterfront is stunning. Bright crystal blue water tones, white, silver, and a stunning view of the bay make this restaurant a hip, sophisticated yet soothing place to dine.

And thankfully, the food was nothing to scoff at either. And the presentation for many of the five dishes we had was beautiful.

Super fresh seafood is the star here, obviously hence the name of the restaurant, which means “the sea”. This is the first American outlet of this Peruvian chain restaurant. But that doesn’t mean quality and service suffer for it.

We started with a basket full of housemade sweet potato, potato, and banana chips accompanied by three creamy and very different dipping sauces. What a way to start a meal! I’m a chip fiend so I loved this alternative to the boring bread basket, and so did my dining companions.

They are known for their cebiches (or ceviches, as know them) and our shared ahi tuna version was delicious. Big chunks of raw fish swam in a wonderful vinegary sauce with red onion and a touch of avocado. Ironically, however, the ahi lacked any exciting fresh taste of the sea that I was hoping for. It was fresh, but lacked character. But the dish was still delicious.

Our second starter was the “tiraditos”, or basically a sushi roll. Ours had fresh crabmeat, ahi tuna, and a passionfruit and honey sauce drizzled over it. It was fine, but again, the ahi lacked any clear strong flavor of the sea, and the dish was overall pretty boring. Nothing different from your standard sushi fare.

Our entrees included the antichucho de carne (skirt steak skewer), the causa limena (Peruvian whipped potato with dungeness crab and quail egg), and the stewed chicken empanadas. Everything was good, but nothing exceptional…except for the causa limena. The presentation, alone was impressive. But for me, the dish was my fave of the afternoon. There was real texture and flavor contrast and all the different elements just worked together. It was exotic, sophisticated, and yet somehow a comfort dish that was decadent.

Dessert was a wonderful revelation as well. We ordered the orange glazed chocolate beignets with banana passionfruit ice cream. I’m usually not into rich desserts but this was perfect! Not cloyingly sweet and the dark chocolate had real depth, almost a nutty flavor that wasn’t too bitter at all.

Service here was wonderfully friendly, yet expert and unobtrusive. I look forward to going back, hopefully on a warm sunny afternoon so I can sit in the large patio area out back and just look out on the water. Ahhh…

La Mar Cebicheria Peruana on Urbanspoon

Posted in Food

Off to the Lobster Shack

Posted on by virgoinwonderland

I’d had one too many days of Thanksgiving ham, potatoes, and creamed corn (no bird this year) and wanted something totally different.

How about seafood?

I’ve been wanting to try the Old Port Lobster Shack in Redwood City, anyway. And a couple of friends originally from New England had mentioned it wasn’t bad for this part of the country. So we loaded up the kid and headed over.

It’s an ‘order at the counter’ kinda joint, so it’s a good takeout option if that’s what you’re looking for. We ordered ourselves a side salad, a bowl of New England clam chowder, steamed littleneck clams, and the sauteed shrimp plate.

My chowder was good. Very creamy. Almost a little TOO much cream. It seemed to almost override the seafood flavor. Just a tad less would’ve done the chowder a lot of good.

Then I had my steamed clams. The flavor of the white wine, garlic, fennel seed, parsley and other seasonings were strong. The clams, themselves, were impressive. Meaty, big, juicy and delish. But again, they were a little heavy handed with the seasonings and salt. I would’ve loved a little more allowance to let the clams’ natural flavors come through.

My husband says his shrimp dish was clean and flavored well. The shrimp were fresh and plump. But the blueberry cole slaw was just plain weird. It was obvious they were trying too hard and it didn’t work. His salad, however, was pretty standard and the elements were all very fresh and melded together well.

I was impressed with the service and the quality and freshness of food. Big plus for being a family friendly joint that doesn’t compromise on food quality.

However, they really need to tone down the extras and let the seafood’s natural flavors shine through. A place like this needs to stick to the basics and do them well. Good quality seafood is already so flavorful that they do a big disservice to themselves by adding things it doesn’t need.

Old Port Lobster Shack on Urbanspoon

Posted in Food, San Francisco

Top 100?…Really?

Posted on by virgoinwonderland

Bar Bambino has been on the San Francisco Chronicle’s list of Top 100 Restaurants for the last two years. And since it’s close to BART, it was the perfect place for a get together between foodies. So, I met Jo (Taking Over the World One Bite at a Time), Stephanie (Lick My Spoon), and Danielle (Bon Vivant) for dinner and good conversation on a weekday night.

We started with a lovely small bowl of calamari dressed with a light lemony dressing that was delightful and studded with celery for crunch. Nice mix of textures. It went well with the pomegranate sparkling wine we all had.

We shared the pork belly with braised lentils and the chicken livers bruschetta to start. I was surprised by both, but in very different ways. The pork belly was seared for a crisp exterior, but it was boring, unimaginative and even slightly dry! Almost impossible for a piece of fatty pork belly. I was disappointed that it wasn’t more inventive. And the lentils were a little too “al dente” for my taste.

However, the chicken livers bruschetta was wonderful. I have to thank Steph or ordering this because I would never have otherwise. It was flavorful, not gamey, and the bread it was on was the perfect partner for the soft and flavorful livers. It was actually the highlight of the evening.

For entrees we ordered the pappardelle with braised rabbit, tagliatelle with bolognese, bucatini with cauliflower, panchetta, raisins and pine nuts, and the roasted and pan fried chicken.

Both the pappardelle and the tagliatelle were probably the highlights of the meal for me. The pastas were housemade, buttery and delicious. The meats were braised well and had a good flavor to them. However, the rabbit was less tender than I expected and I actually would’ve liked more sauce.

The bucatini was a good effort but it was a little discombobulated. And like with all the pastas we had, I think a larger portion, just slightly, would’ve been nice. This dish had great elements, but together, it didn’t quite work.

The chicken was perfectly crispy on the outside. I LOVED the exterior. It has the perfect texture and was more like fried chicken on a more gourmet level. However, the interior was dryer than I’d like and the was lacking flavor. A common problem with ordering chicken breast, but since this is a Top 100 restaurant, I expected a whole lot more. Again, great elements but overall, a failed dish collectively.

That was basically how I felt about the restaurant and the food. Service was off, as well. They were professional enough but not friendly or personable. There was something missing or lacking with just about everything. It was almost like the restaurant was doing what it knew well, but the food and the service had no soul.  Maybe it was an off night, but I don’t believe I’ll ever be back.

Bar Bambino on Urbanspoon

Posted in Events, Food, San Francisco, Street Food, Travel

Street Food Night for Foodbuzz Foodies

Posted on by virgoinwonderland

IMG_4248I was lucky enough to attend the inaugural Foodbuzz Blogger Festival in San Francisco this past weekend. What a crazy 48 hours! Free artisanal gourmet meals, the freshest ingredients, superior wines, specialty food purveyors, endless freebies, and most of all, amazing people!

After getting an over five pound free gift bag to start off the event, the weekend’s food festivities started with the Street Food “Fare” they arranged for us just outside the Ferry Building Marketplace. This was nothing ordinary being served out of a taco truck (no offense to some superior taco trucks). We had some of the most expertly prepared food you could have in the city, and that’s saying a lot.

IMG_4277We feasted and grazed from so many vendors, including chicharrones from 4505 Meats, neapolitan-style pies being made on the spot from Pizza Politana’s mobile wood-fire oven, cupcakes from Mission Minis, and fresh-shucked oysters from Hog Island Oyster Company.

IMG_4285But two vendors stood out from the crowd. I mean REALLY stood out.

First, the Beef and Gruyere pie from The Pie Truck. Since it’s like a mini pot pie, I figured I’d get some ground beef in a pastry shell and be done with it. Oh, how wrong I was! This was quality beef that was sauced wonderfully, moist, rich and so flavorful. And that pastry was light, flaky, buttery, and not at all too thick. I was kicking myself for not taking a few more to stuff in my purse!

But as good as The Pie Truck’s edibles were, it can’t compare to what was believed by most to be the best thing we had all night, by a mile! Frankly, I think it’s one of the best damn sandwiches I’ll ever have in my whole life. Seriously, it IS that good.

IMG_4262The folks at Roli Roti are genius. Their porchetta sandwich is just culinary genius! Now I know why people line up at the Ferry Building Farmers Market on Thursdays for 30-45 minutes just for one of these babies. It’s a rotisserie pork loin stuffed with pork belly (!) and herbs. Decadent, right? But it’s also got pieces of the pork’s crispy skin for texture. Wait, there’s more! They take the bread and use it to sop up the meat’s juices on their cutting board! They top it off with a wonderful onion marmalade and curly watercress. This is not a greasy, sloppy mess. It’s about as perfect as a delectable sandwich can get.

This event made me appreciate the artisan foodies, both consumers and producers, that make San Francisco’s culinary scene so exciting. We are spoiled. Truly.

Stay tuned for the memorable dinner we had to cap off the weekend.

Posted in Events, Food, San Francisco, Travel

Foodbuzz Last Supper: A Communal Table Like No Other

Posted on by virgoinwonderland

So what’s it like to share a family-style dinner with over 200 food bloggers in a produce warehouse? Well, it was cold. But not enough to dampen the mood ;).

So this was our big dinner event to cap off the Foodbuzz Bloggers Festival in San Francisco, and it was definitely a night to remember.

IMG_4314

It was big. Very big. The table was connected. Seriously. It twisted and curved around the warehouse to accommodate all of us. All 250 of us. An ingenious way of planning a dinner, courtesy of the folks at Outstanding in the Field. And plates of food went around (albeit slowly). Plates of wonderfully prepared and devised Asian dishes from the crew at Namu Restaurant in San Francisco.

And the warehouse? The famous Greenleaf Produce. These guys have known organic, locally grown, sustainable produce before the phrases were even in vogue in foodie circles. They are the trailblazers of the movement.

Here was the menu:

Various wild mushroom dashi
IMG_4323
Udon w/grilled calamari in browned butter ponzu, cucumber, tomato and chojan & sesame vinaigrette
IMG_4336
Salmon baked with dashikombu, fried garlic, and Japanese curry powder (this was my FAVE of the night)
IMG_4341
Mushroom risotto with Japanese rice and crispy mushrooms
IMG_4346
Soy braised beef cheeks and oxtails, baby carrots and fingerling potatoes
IMG_4364
Roasted brussels sprouts with ponzu fried garlic, guanciale (a Spanish “bacon”), bonito flakes
IMG_4357
Japanese rice pudding w/cookie crumble and warren pears from Frog Hollow Farm
IMG_4377

The meal was subtle yet deliberate in its conception and it’s execution. An inventive and ambitious menu to pull of for such a large group. However, it was the experience itself that made it a memorable night. It’s something I will never see again. The best food experiences are when they’re shared with great people. This was definitely something to remember.

And a shoutout to the wonderful foodies and food purveyors I had the pleasure of meeting:

Frog Hollow Farm
479 Popcorn
Black Stallion Winery
Recchiuti Confections
Neo Cocoa
Jimmy (The Thirsty Pig)
Arnold (Inuyaki)
Dan Lee (Namu Restaurant)
Danielle (Bon Vivant)
Marc (Chefectomy)
Loren (Foodbuzz)
Gudren (Kitchen Gadget Girl)
Stephanie (Lick My Spoon)
Jo (Taking Over the World One Bite at a Time)
Bonnie (Cocochanelella/Chrysanthemum)
Kathleen (Katz9Lives)
Elizabeth (Ms. Lin Guide)
Fanny (YummySF)

See you all next year!

Posted in Food, Peninsula, San Francisco, Street Food

Street Food Hits the Burbs

Posted on by virgoinwonderland

Trucks, carts, even guys on bikes have shown up all over San Francisco and Oakland to peddle their cheap and tasty food. You can find both gritty and straightforward eats, as well as the artisan gourmet variety disguised as street food.

Of course, not all food that comes out of a cart is good food. There are LOTS of posers who are jumping on this popular foodie bandwagon, lately. It’s officially become a “trend.”  It’s gone mainstream.  Perhaps, it’s even jumped the shark.

But when cheap food is GOOD food, I have no complaints. That’s why these two newer food trucks that have hit the burbs have made me very happy. No more trekking to the city to find good street food!

IMG_4194Tacos Peralta (342 E. Hillsdale, San Mateo) – There are mediocre items on the menu that I’ve tried (the carne asada and pastor meats, in particular). And I’ve heard only lukewarm reviews about their burritos, though I can’t vouch for that, myself. But fortunately, there are some excellent items, including the torta (nicely toasted bread and a good amount of meat and fillings), super quesadilla (great flavorful beans and cheese), and the carnitas tacos (well seasoned moist pork, fresh onions and cilantro, and great with a squeeze of lime juice). And I love their hot sauce. It strangely reminds me of the taco sauce I used to get on taco day in elementary school. I don’t know if that’s a complement or an insult, but I used to go nuts for the stuff.

And in classic street food fashion, it’s cheap. Tacos are only $1.25 a piece (of course you need at least four to feel satisfied). And I appreciate that their ingredients are fresh and they use good quality meats. I just polished off five carnitas tacos for dinner and I could easily eat five more for lunch tomorrow!

IMG_4223Curry Up Now (Primrose & Howard in Burlingame, Near Marine Pkwy. across from Oracle in Redwood City – @CurryUpNow on Twitter) – Let me just say that I like Indian food, but it’s usually on the bottom of my list because of the way it makes me feel. Four out of the last five Indian meals I’ve had in recent memory gave me a headache before leaving the restaurant because of the MSG, or left me reaching for my TUMS. Not fun.

So when I found out about this place foolin’ around on Twitter, I was excited because it seemed authentic, fun, and fresh. And again, I didn’t have to trek to the city to find it!

IMG_4224I’m so happy to say that this food truck exceeded my expectations. Everything we had was flat out fantastic! The food is a mixture of authentic Indian dishes with Mexican touches. Between myself and my other two diners, we had the Butter Chicken special, Tandoori Chicken “Taco”, Kathi Roll, Tikki Masala Chicken “Burrito”, and the Skirt Steak “Torta” sandwich. All the items were absolutely delicious with the perfect amount of spice that added flavor, depth, and character, not just heat. All the flavors just sang and melded together so well. It was just about the best Indian meal I’d ever had. IMG_4225The highlights were the Kathi Roll (so delicate in it’s mixture of special ingredients and sauce), the Tikki Masala Chicken “Burrito” (perfect amount of saucy flavorful chicken with special rice wrapped in parantha bread), and the Skirt Steak “Torta” (yummy special sauce again, and they did NOT skimp on the quality and amount of beef here!).

All that great food AND the owner was a whole lot of fun to talk to while we waited for our food. She was such a gem that it made me want to go back even more.

With such great “street food” options in suburbia, I don’t have to worry that I’m missing out on all the good cheap food in San Francisco proper. Let those city folks come down to suburbia instead!