SPLIT BREAD...OVERCHARGED AND UNDERWHELMED

(UPDATE: Seems they are taking cash now--one of my co-workers went the other day and paid cash--so the experiment didn't last long.)

On a recent Sunday I headed down to "new" Metreon as it is undergoing yet another makeover.  It has had nearly as many facelifts as Joan Rivers at this point.  This latest incarnation includes some new restaurants that are not the usual fare you'd find at your local mall.  One such place is Split Bread.

NOB HILL GRILLE...EATIN' GOODISH IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

During the week I don't always have the opportunity to eat (too tired from work or whatever to want to go out) but me and the SO had some friends in town and they were staying in the Nob Hill area of the city. We decided to meet them in their hood and I perused some stuff online and came up with one of those neighborhood local places near them that I thought might be a good place to try called Nob Hill Grille.

CANVAS UNDERGROUND DINNER AT LA BORINQUENA IN OAKLAND

Another Saturday night and me and the SO have signed up for one of those underground dinner things that occur in the Bay Area every now and then.  This one was through Canvas Underground which is an off shoot of Ghetto Gourmet.  Basically they are pop up, one night only restaurants where a chef comes in to an establishment and experiments with some new foods.  Foods in this case that Chef Peter Jackson discovered during his travels in Oaxaca. This one was held at La Borinquena in Oakland, a place well-known for Tina Tamale.

 

CEDAR HILL KITCHEN AND SMOKEHOUSE....ANOTHER BBQ JOINT....MORE OF THE SAME

****UPADTE--SADLY THIS PLACE IS CLOSING BUT THEIR FOOD TRUCK LIVES ON AS DOES THEIR BUTTERMILK PIE****

As a displaced Southerner it is my duty to try every new barbecue joint that opens in the city, especially when they claim to offer all styles from Carolina to Texas.  Such as it was for my recent stop at Cedar Hill Kitchen and Smokehouse in the Marina neighborhood of San Francisco.

SLIDER SHACK...NOT YOUR MAMA'S WHITE CASTLE

On a recent lazy Sunday afternoon after my volunteer shift down at Fort Mason I decided to hit up the StreatFood Park in SOMA to try out another of the shifting food trucks that now inhabit the place 7 days a week and late night hours on Friday and Saturday.  As I stated previously I like the space and the vibe and they've added big screen televisions in the covered space so I could chow down and watch some Olympic coverage.  On this particular day I chose to try Slider Shack.  

They normally have 4 choices on the menu but today they were out of one so I went with what was left--the choice of 3 sliders $10 and a side of tater tots $3.  First up was The Original Slider--Marin Sun Farms grass fed beef infused with Slider's special marinade served with pepper jack and a pickle on a lightly toasted Hawaiian roll (all sliders are served on this kind of slightly sweet roll).  The burger was juicy and cooked to a perfect medium rare, pink inside with a nice griddle crust on the outside.  There are no condiments on the burger though it comes with a side of spicy ketchup (think sriracha sauce mixed with Heinz) but the burger is so juicy and tasty you don't need and it would just cover up the delicious flavor of the sweet, salty and spicy already present.  

Next is the Moa-Fried Slider--a tiny chicken breast brined for 12 hours, coated in panko, fried crispy and topped with the Shack's spicy Shaka slaw.  The chicken was cooked as described and not dry--always a plus--it was a larger piece than I expected which was also a nice surprise.  The slaw, while crunchy and slightly vinegary (though not particularly spicy) was also good but to me I thought it was an odd choice to pair with the chicken.  Again no condiments on this one but I think it could have used something.  I liked the individual pieces but just not together.  It would have been better served to have the spicy green Polynesian sauce on it.  

Which brings me to slider #3--Kalua Pork Slider--slow cooked pulled pork with Hawaiian Alaea salt to give it a minor smoky flavor topped with pickled red onion and the aforementioned green sauce.  Again  I liked the individual things but not necessarily together.  The sauce was spicy and tasty--almost like a spicy pesto.  The pork was tender, smoky and plentiful.  The pickled onions were okay but honestly would not really have missed them if they hadn't been on it.  Still for me, I liked when I put the slaw on the pork and then the green sauce on the chicken--for me their flavor combinations worked better.  I'm guessing they are just trying to do something different and non-traditionanl but let's face it, there's a reason things are traditional--because time has shown they taste good together.  

As for the tater tots, they were hot and crispy, fresh out of the fryer and honestly if you can achieve that then tots are a win win and scrumptious.  

Overall I liked the idea of Slider Shack and they have many great parts going for them so they are well worth a try if see them rolling around town.  They have the individual parts done well and who knows you may enjoy their combos or you could be picky and ask for everything on the side and make your own flavor combinations--you may hit on something you like better.