tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48702056874319905392024-02-18T22:25:27.427-08:00Places I've EatenEating My Way Around The San Francisco Bay Area And Beyond....A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.comBlogger426125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-40653598297126848662016-02-29T08:55:00.000-08:002016-03-10T11:14:12.406-08:00I'VE GOT A NEW WEBSITE--YEAH! LET'S CHECK IT OUT!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">While blogger has been fun, I figured after 5 years or so it was time to upgrade to a new cleaner look and what not. This meant leaving blogger as my platform for hosting. If you didn't get redirected when you landed here and are reading this then please go to <a href="http://placesiveeaten.com/">placesiveeaten.com</a> to see all my posts which I imported over (that was fun). Thanks and see you at the new page!</span></b></div>
A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-27277202968596558472016-02-26T12:33:00.000-08:002016-02-26T12:33:29.169-08:00SINGLE SERVING: SAFEWAY WAFFLE BREAKFAST SANDWICH...YES, SAFEWAY!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Oh, Safeway! I guess sometimes it is nice you can count on your local grocery store to offer up some trashy junk food like stuff for breakfast. Leave it to them continue offering up mass appeal food on the heels of their <a href="http://www.placesiveeaten.com/2014/08/your-weekly-digestion-of-food-news.html" target="_blank">waffle donut</a> and <a href="http://www.placesiveeaten.com/2015/09/san-francisco-food-news-safeway-cinnamon-roll.html" target="_blank">cinnamon rolls the size of baby's heads</a>. I guess it was fortuitous I came across this as I am on my breakfast sandwich kick this year and if they are going to offer one, why would I not check one out?<br />
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To be honest, anything that starts with waffle sandwich is gonna attract my attention. Safeway has been making sandwiches and breakfast sandwiches for some time now, I just never really thought about getting one till I was waiting at the hot bar to buy a corn dog (yes this is the no judgement zone still!) and just happened to glance over at their sign and saw the listing for waffle breakfast sandwich. Thus it was I found myself there the next morning ordering one up. </div>
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Basically two waffles with your choice of egg, meat and cheese. I decided to go a little different and get the sausage instead of bacon (I know, shock, right?) and chose cheddar as my cheese. All for the not so princely sum of $2.99. They make these to order, but I'm not sure that makes a difference here. The waffle, the egg, the sausage were all pre-made, possibly frozen items that they stack on each other then stick it in a silver box that looks like a microwave but really isn't. I'll say it is somewhere between a steamer and a convection oven type thing. While it does heat things up enough to melt the cheese, it doesn't do the waffle any favors. It doesn't crisp the waffle up but instead makes it soft like bread--a soft spongy bread. </div>
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Once the pieces are all heated the lady behind the counter asked if I wanted mayo or mustard. I was a little, um, yuck no. And asked if they had any butter. She said no. Ugh, I was like fine then just as is please. She said no lettuce or tomato? She was treating it like any old sandwich. Who knows, she's probably been making these for years and has seen it all and is used to people adding as much as they could to this. I think the fact I didn't want anything on it kind of threw her. She said are you sure? I said yes and did ask if they had any little syrup packets or something I could dip it in. Again the answer was no. No butter, no syrup, no other breakfast condiment like jam or jelly either. This was unfortunate as with all the pre-heated things and they spongy waffle the whole sandwich came off dry. I think had there been butter on both sides, I could have looked past the soft waffle and said, eh, for the price, it was good enough. But seeing as how they neither had nor offered anything beside mayo and mustard, I'd pass on getting this again. Unless of course that is your thing and you want to make this like a lunch time sandwich with all the fixings. That is totally within your right, but for me, no, even if the waffle was crispy. </div>
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While I wasn't expecting to be wowed by a waffle breakfast sandwich, I think I did have some small hope it would have been decent enough for the price to get in a pinch kind of thing. As is, I can't recommend. The sign said these were for a limited time, though that time seems to have been a month so far. One other person in line was getting one of these too and they made it the same way so everyone gets soft waffle. Everyone else in line was getting a breakfast burrito. I'm guessing they already knew something I didn't and were getting the better of the two choices. Oh well, live, eat and learn. My breakfast sandwich journey continues.</div>
A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-34050218956490154462016-02-23T17:20:00.001-08:002016-02-23T17:20:48.154-08:00POPSONS BURGERS IN SOMA....THE BURGER JOINT PARADE CONTINUES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As one burger place closes, another opens. Isn't that some kind of proverb or something? Or they were talking about a door, right? As <a href="http://sf.eater.com/2015/8/20/9184335/marlowe-burger-closing-san-francisco" target="_blank">Marlowe gave up their Marlowe Burger</a> spin off spot, it wasn't long before another burger place moved right on in. The folks behind <a href="http://causwells.com/" target="_blank">Causwells</a> are pulling a Marlowe and spinning off their burgers into their own spot with <a href="http://popsons.com/" target="_blank">Popsons Burgers</a>. They opened a couple weeks and normally I'd give them some time to get settled, but in this case, the building they are in is on the chopping block for teardown and new build so I thought I'd try them out before the wrecking ball came swinging through.<br />
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Food wise, it is a compact direct menu. 4 burger choices in either single or doubles, 3 fry choices and oddly enough a salad. Seems they have more beer and wine choices than burger types. I'll chalk that up to marketing to the upcoming baseball season crowds (and we all know how I feel about that). Personally, I don't need a lot of burger choices, makes it easier to try two different burgers without feeling like too much of a glutton. </div>
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The bacon bleu cheese burger with lettuce and mayo on a toasted sesame seed bun. The single patty was $8.25. A double patty burger will cost $2.30 extra. I'm guessing this is about a 4 ounce patty and size wise, they aren't the biggest one you are gonna get in this town. More palm of your hand than two hander to eat kind of thing. They are close to the size of the ones you get from Super Duper Burger, though SDB's already come as 2 patties for about the same price. They are cooked to order so you do get a nice hot juicy burger fresh off the griddle. Tasting things all in one bite all I could taste was the bleu cheese. I like bleu cheese, thus I knew that going in. Bleu is such a strong flavor even the smallest portion can overwhelm most anything it is paired with. So know that beforehand, if you are not a bleu cheese fan, this is not for you. When you bite into it, texture wise you know there is bacon, beef and lettuce there with crunch and chew, but it all comes with a tangy bleu cheese flavor. I did break out some of the components to taste individually and the bacon was nice and smoky though the burger patty kind of just tasted like hamburger, as in no seasoning--no salt, no pepper, no whatever. Maybe a little tomato or onion might have been nice too. For the most part, while I'm not a fan of the pricing on this size burger (could be a $1 or so less) I liked it enough, maybe not enough to run out and try it again, but still, enough. </div>
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The chili cheeseburger with onion and special sauce on a toasted sesame seed bun for $8. Size wise, same as above. Difference here is they do pile on the chili to overflowing. This is an eat with utensils or get yourself messy burger. The special sauce something like you'd get on a big mac but for me that was like a secondary thing. In addition to the burger you get a heaping bunch of chili that's akin to a sloppy joe--chunks of meat, onions, green peppers and a little on the sweet side. To offset that is the cheese sauce dripping out. All together it was like a nacho sloppy joe on a bun--all the worst things you could possibly eat in one sitting and I enjoyed every bite of it. I even liked it enough to just look past the cost/size ratio thing I have. It is like a childhood memory wrapped in brown greasy paper. While it won't help my arteries any, it definitely hit the taste button square on for me. </div>
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And of course, what would burgers be without fries. They offer regular, seasoned (with Old Bay) and chili cheese versions featuring that gooey meaty stuff from the previous burger. Had I known the chili was tasty I might have gone that route but on a first try I got the Old Bay seasoned ones for $2.75--which is pretty much in line with what fries will cost you at other places. It is a nice size portion and you get enough Old Bay to taste it without being overwhelmed into thinking it's a crab boil something. Thin cut and crispy outside and soft inside. A nice little side to compliment a burger. </div>
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Let's face it, burgers abound in San Francisco and there are innumerable lists saying which ones are better than others and so forth. Everybody has their favorites and can probably argue endlessly why it's the best and blah, blah. While Popsons Burgers isn't really reinventing or elevating the burger with this semi-permanent location (till they open a Market Street location), the offerings, particularly of the chili variety are tasty and worth at least a try for its sloppy joe-ness--that includes the chili fries too. Eating them may not send you into some burger nirvana state of bliss, but they'll probably satisfy your burger craving with only a modest impact to your wallet. </div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-60963313964752509142016-02-21T17:34:00.000-08:002016-02-21T17:34:44.018-08:00YOUR WEEKLY DIGESTION OF FOOD NEWS TO CONSUME...AND DONUT CREAM PUFF THINGY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Back at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-boulangerie-de-san-francisco-san-francisco-9" target="_blank">La Boulangerie de San Francisco</a> I felt I couldn't resist this lovely (not so) little round cream puff donut like thing that was calling my name. Seems it is called a <a href="http://www.latartetropezienne.fr/en/" target="_blank">tropezienne</a> and can come in larger sizes too! It's a brioche cake bun with puffy thick cream filling and coated with sugar granules and powdered sugar. It's almost like a round eclair without the chocolate. This one was about the size of a regular hamburger for $3.50. The minute you bite into it the cream comes gushing out and luckily enough there is enough of the filling to go with every bite. The bread is somewhere between a brioche bun and donut--sturdy yet still fluffy. The sugar on top gives it a bit of crunch too. It is a dessert that seems light and airy but has the heft of a "real" dessert like I go for. I can only image this in a large tort form. Soft, creamy, crunchy, sweet goodness--enough to make me want to traverse back across town to the Fillmore District to get another one. </div>
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<li><a href="http://sfist.com/2016/02/18/best_buffets_all_you_can_eat_san_fr.php" target="_blank">All you can eat in San Francisco?!! I'm gonna be all over that Farmer Brown one!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/17/mcdonalds-chicken-mcgriddle-being-tested-in-ohio-report.html" target="_blank">Yeah, so I know this isn't SF specific, but seriously, if this comes to town I'm gonna have to try it.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/2/18/11049542/the-halal-guys-tenderloin-union-square-san-francisco" target="_blank">Those famous NY halal guys have finally found a spot--in the Tenderloin--that new hotspot of trendy dining. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://hoodline.com/2016/02/food-inc-to-close-after-more-than-20-years" target="_blank">Food Inc. on Divis is closing after 20 years. I hadn't heard of them either but they managed that long under radar. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://brokeassstuart.com/blog/2016/02/15/is-sparkys-diner-closed-for-good/" target="_blank">Sparky's Diner seems to have met a similar fate. Or has it?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.tablehopper.com/chatterbox/mosu-opens-tonight-on-fillmore-sfs-latest-newcomer-to-the-two-bill-pantheon/" target="_blank">This sparse, tiny, set price and dishes places has finally opened. Let's wait and see if it takes off.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2016/02/18/alfreds-steakhouse-reopens-inside-the-reborn-san-francisco-classic/" target="_blank">Alfred's Steakhouse has reopened and it seems to be a big deal for many in town.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/techflash/2016/02/google-takes-on-amazon-instacart-grocery-delivery.html" target="_blank">Google takes on Amazon (again) with instacart grocery food delivery service.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/2/18/11056940/los-shucos-open-fire-mission" target="_blank">Guatemalan hot dogs are back in business and you can get your late night Mission drunk on for one.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.reveillecoffee.com/location-mission-bay" target="_blank">Reveille Coffee Co. has finally opened their cafe in Mission Bay. You get check them out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have an extensive menu from a chef formally of Hops & Hominy.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.modernluxury.com/san-francisco/story/why-san-franciscos-food-scene-truly-madly-deeply-obsessed-japan" target="_blank">Is San Francisco really obsessed with Japanese cuisine?</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://hoodline.com/2016/02/overwhelmed-by-homeless-encampment-rainbow-grocery-seeks-solutions" target="_blank">Even Rainbow Grocery, that bastion of left leaning workers co-op is overwhelmed by the homeless tent city nearby.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://hoodline.com/2016/02/castro-s-samovar-tea-lounge-may-close-for-new-location-of-le-marais-bakery" target="_blank">As Samovar Tea Lounge in the Castro closes, Le Marais Bakery moves in. Restaurant spaces don't stay empty too long. </a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/Joe-s-of-Westlake-returns-in-over-the-top-6838178.php?t=4ecf4b7804baa6eec6&cmpid=twitter-premium" target="_blank">Joe's Of Westlake is also making a comeback after two years.</a> </li>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-67473671936784558622016-02-19T17:09:00.000-08:002016-02-19T17:09:20.335-08:00SINGLE SERVING: BREAKFAST SANDWICH JOLT 'N BOLT CAFE DOGPATCH<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Me and the SO have done just a bit of traveling over the years and one thing I've noticed on our journeys, breakfast is a big deal, particularly in European countries. Yes, they have the cereals, yogurt and sometimes egg things, but they also do a lot with meats, cheeses and breads. At first I was like, oh wow, I can make a sandwich for later! Eventually I came to appreciate the protein offerings especially in the ham and white cheese forms we found most often. I bring it up because this weeks breakfast sandwich brought to mind those foods when I picked it up at <a href="https://twitter.com/JoltnBolt?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">Jolt 'n Bolt Cafe</a> in the Dogpatch--the neighborhood that has been up and coming for about 10 years now.<br />
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This is truly one of those off the beaten track places. Tucked into the back of a building on 3rd Street, they have no signage out front, are open only M-F till about 3:30pm, are mostly only known by folks who live and work nearby and pretty much sell out of stuff on a daily basis. They make their own pastries, salads, sandwiches and sweets. But I'm here for their house made croissant (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/20/world/europe/croissants-tesco.html?_r=0" target="_blank">made straight not crescent shaped which seems to be a thing now</a>) with my choice of ham and Swiss all for the small sum of $4.50--that's a bargain people. </div>
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Flakey, buttery croissant loaded with several slices of ham and top and bottom slices of Swiss. (You can also get turkey and other cheese if you want) It is served toasted so you get all that great gooey soft cheese-ness in every bite. The slight saltiness of the ham helps counter the richness of the cheese and bread. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is fine as it is and does not need the addition of butter. I can't believe I just typed that! My fingers are trembling, I might need to lay down for a bit. There is no dryness here--juicy meat, creamy cheese, butter-ful croissant---just a warm and tasty mouthful. (yes, I know how that sounds) I won't say I have European flashbacks with each bite, but it does remind me of some of the breakfast spreads we have come across. </div>
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All in all, if you ever find yourself in Dogpatch during the week (it could happen!) and are able to find this little spot, you can't beat the price or the home made goodness. Who knows, maybe it will bring back some travel memories of your own, cause lord knows getting here on the T Line is quite the arduous journey. </div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-6231623815815908562016-02-17T17:10:00.000-08:002016-02-17T17:10:06.387-08:00THE WHOLE BEAST AT THE YARD MISSION ROCK.....MEAT, MEAT AND MORE MEAT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://theyardsf.com/" target="_blank">The Yard at Mission Rock</a> is this thing the Giants built in one of their parking lots across from the stadium. It is a collection of shipping containers housing a couple food places and a North Face Store of all things. Honestly, I'm pretty sure this is just filler since they got city and voter approval to build their not so little complex in that parking lot, thus no way to know how much longer this place will be around. One of the food places is called <a href="http://thewholebeast.com/" target="_blank">The Whole Beast</a>, a name that is pretty fitting as they like to celebrate whole animal cooking. I'd vaguely heard of some pop-ups they'd done and they have another sort of permanent for now space at <a href="http://www.thehallsf.com/#about" target="_blank">The Hall on Market Street</a>, so being into meat, I knew I would get by eventually to try them. I just wanted to wait till after baseball season ended. The place is a combo food and beer hall and there was no way I was going to be around a bunch of drunk Giants fans--living near the park is enough. Since I'm relatively near this place, I actually made several trips by here to try as many options as I could, with varying degrees of success.<br />
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It is kind of like a sports bar under a tent. Food ranges from ribs to brisket to burgers to pork and more. One thing that caught my eye on my first visit was the poutine. </div>
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French fries tossed with parsley and salt covered in lamb chorizo gravy, shredded smoked lamb and a dollop of Black Sheep Creamery sheep's cheese. For $12 it is a pretty sizable portion and dish and more than enough for 2 people to share. As you can see, you do get a heaping of the shredded lamb and gravy. Normally poutine also has cheese curds, here it is the sheep cheese, though they skimp on that with the small bit on top. The overwhelming flavor you get here is salt. Salt on the fries, salt from the gravy, the meat, the cheese--it is just a lot. Trying the components individually, they were mostly fine, except maybe the gravy, which had more that it's fair share. By itself, the meat was tender and had a smooth smokey flavor, on its own, it probably would make a nice sandwich. Maybe it's like that in order to get one to drink more beer or something, but me and the SO really weren't able to finish these and we've been known to scarf down our share of fries. Who knows, maybe if the they hadn't salted the fries it could have helped. </div>
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On our next visit, it was sandwich try time. First up was the Wagyu beef burger with lettuce, may, pickles, tomatoes and onion on a toasted Acme Bread bun. Yes, this is a $12 burger with no sides and I'm more than happy to call them on it--that's like ballpark prices without being in the ballpark. Decent size, yes. Juicy and grilled to a nice medium rare, yes. Hearty meat flavor, yes. But still, the pricing gets me since adding things like bacon or cheese is another price up cost. Call me cheap, call me whatever, $12 for just a plain hamburger whether it's from sacred cows raised by blind nuns in the Himalayas or grass fed organic daily massaged cows from Petaluma, sorry I just can't abide by no matter how good it tastes. </div>
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And as if the burger wasn't enough, I plopped down $12 again for the whole hog sandwich. 12 hour smoked pulled pork with apple caraway slaw and pickles on a toasted Acme Bread bun. I'll blame myself for this one since whenever I see pulled pork on a menu--I become blind and begin to drool at the hope I've found some good pork on the West Coast. As for the pork, it was good, smoky, but not too much and while not vinegar based, it was tasty enough that I could enjoy it even though the cost was a bit bitter. Which, by the way, is a good way to describe the slaw on here. Again, I should have read the menu more carefully, then I would have connected with the word caraway, as in the seed you find in rye bread. I totally despise it. Its flavor just comes across as bitter to me and I find it totally unpleasant to eat. I had to scrape all of it off the sandwich and rinse my mouth out with Diet Coke to get rid of the taste. Fortunately it had not pervaded too much of the pork, but it does cast a flavor shadow some folks may not enjoy. It is pervasive enough in the slaw you can't even taste the supposed apple. Had I paid attention, I'd have asked for it on the side and let the SO have it. If it is not your thing, I'd suggest the same. There were also pickles on here, which being from the South, is just a no, no, no with pork. I took them off the sandwich too, but they were salty, vinegar, sweet ones and I did like 'em, just not with the pork. </div>
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And back again we go, this time trying something a little different--the Willie dog. An all beef hot dog on toasted Acme bun. That basic is $6 but I paid the $2 upgrade and got all meat chili and cheese added to it. Honestly, size wise, this was almost as big as the burger for far less, putting it just inside what I'll say is acceptable cost wise for something that again, comes with no sides. Juicy, plump meat with that small smokey flavor and some hearty chili, it is kind of everything one wants in a hot dog. Add in a little dab of ketchup and some mustard and it is a nice filling version of a sandwich. I'll say this was mostly worth it if you are a connoisseur of hot dogs...or not. </div>
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I also threw in a special they were having this particular night--smoked chicken wings for $6. I'm pretty sure that was the price which comes out to $1 a wing and not like a regular full size wing, more like the two separate pieces that make up a wing. Nice crispy out skin, juicy and really smokey flavor wise. Nice, pleasant, more of a side dish kind of thing and not exactly the biggest of servings here. Definitely not enough to share, but I'd say they'd be worth a try if you are looking for a light bite since they come with the ubiquitous celery and carrot accompaniment. </div>
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But wait, I wasn't done yet! They have ribs and brisket on their menu, and while I didn't get them the first couple of times, I figured I'd try again just to try those. Well, maybe the gods were against me on this but I went by on 3 more occasions--twice during the week and once on a weekend--and each time they didn't have either of them. Twice they had sold out signs on them and once they had a not smoking today sign on them. I think even on the visit when we got the fries, they were out of the ribs at that time too. I mean seriously, to be out or not have once is passable, twice is sketchy, three or four times is ridiculously irritating. Whether it is some kind of supply line failure or bad projection planning, it shouldn't happen that often. Especially considering this wasn't baseball season so they weren't exactly packed on each of my visits. </div>
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While there were a couple good things here, between the misses, the sold outs and the prices, I can't see myself hitting the place up again, which is a shame since it is in my hood. I'll just chalk this up to another place nearby that seems to cater more to ballpark fans than those of us who live nearby. After a few beers, tastes can be obscured and costs can be overlooked which is the expectation folks have when they come to a game. For those of us who live here year round, we'll keep hope alive we will eventually get a place that can cater to us too. </div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-54483329775980730722016-02-15T11:17:00.002-08:002016-02-15T11:23:47.188-08:00YOUR WEEKLY DIGESTION OF FOOD NEWS TO CONSUME...AND FRENCH TOAST! MADE OF CORNBREAD!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yes, a day late and dollar short is how it is for food news this week. That's what happens when VDay falls on Sunday and between work and going out with the SO, the whole day just gets away from you. But here it is and I'm staying in this breakfast sandwich vein in a way by serving up some french toast. I have a love/hate kind of thing with <a href="http://www.townsendrb.com/" target="_blank">Town's End Restaurant & Bakery</a>. The SO likes them, they are close to the live place and we do so like that free basket of small bread bites they offer up when you sit down. For me, they are just a bit on the high end for brunch--seriously--$15 for eggs and bacon? I just can't, unless of course, someone else is paying, then my cheap ass is all in as I won't have to walk far to get some food. We made our way over there on a recent Sunday at the invite of a friend. I decided to take the opportunity to try something different. I went for the cornbread, blueberry French toast with lemon ricotta cream and real maple syrup for about $14. </div>
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You get 3 pretty thick slices coated in egg and fried golden brown. Honestly didn't know what to expect but they were dense and tasty and just as good without the side dips. Though I did spread a little butter on them, because I'm me, and they really did remind me of a slice of cornbread. It is really a different take on French toast, but a good one, especially with the blueberries mixed in. I was worried the lemon ricotta cream would be too much and the lemon would be overwhelming, but it turned out to be light with the citrus more of an essence than a strong flavor. While the maple syrup may have been real, it was way sweet, even for me and my dessert tooth. When I ordered this the server tried to up-sell an add on for bacon or something, which would have added $3 or $4 bucks to this already pricey dish. While I was eating these, I kept thinking, because they are really thick and hearty, two of them would have been more than enough. They could have taken one slice away and given me bacon or sausage instead of having to pay extra for it. Since the dish is kind of sweet leaning, it could have used the offset of something salty. As is, it is kind of like a dessert type dish, something I know French toast can veer toward. Thus a savory companion would have been good to make if feel more breakfast/brunch for me. Believe it or not, I actually ended up only having a bite of that third slice as I'd reached my limit. I know, I even surprised myself! Does Town's End do some good food? Yes, they do, and this cornbread French toast is no exception. While they wouldn't necessarily be my first choice for breakfast/brunch (there is that whole line waiting thing too), if the SO or someone else is ponying up, the (shamelessly) frugal in me is not above saying OK!<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Crab-warning-lifted-Locally-caught-Dungeness-is-6824971.php" target="_blank">Looks like it is finally time to get your local crab on, so says the health department, and they are always reliable.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.tablehopper.com/chatterbox/wise-sons-bagel-bakery-opens-this-month/" target="_blank">You can now also get your Wise Sons Bagel fix as they've gotten most of their production kitchen up and running. So no more complaints about bad SF bagels!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2016/02/12/first-look-brasserie-saint-james-valencia-streets-soon-to-open-brewpub/" target="_blank">Oh look, another brew pub with food and stuff on Valencia--yawn....</a></li>
<li><a href="http://hoodline.com/2016/02/how-radio-africa-s-eskender-aseged-built-a-food-community-in-bayview" target="_blank">Highlighting Radio Africa in Bayview...it is your reason to go and check them out.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/2/5/10925178/dominique-crenn-antoinette-menu-chef-berkeley" target="_blank">Dominique Crenn has got another new place. Here's a look at them and the menu.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cappstreetcrap.com/changing-tastes-valencia-street-thai-restaurant-shuttered/" target="_blank">Another one bites the dust.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1538722636426831/" target="_blank">Gird your loins and get ready to layer up and eat outside. Off The Grid Fort Mason returns in 2 weeks or so.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/How-an-S-F-neighborhood-saved-its-diner-6818329.php" target="_blank">Saving a neighborhood diner, finally! Now can we get one near the ballpark?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/morning_call/2016/02/restaurant-labor-woes-extend-to-shortage-of-health.html" target="_blank">Hmmm...seems SF has a shortage of restaurant health inspectors. May need to re-think some of my dining choices for now.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/2/5/10925616/aina-hawaiian-brunch-opening-dogpatch" target="_blank">Dogpatch is getting another restaurant in its foodie hub. This time it is Hawaiian--at least it is different from the other stuff there.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://richmondsfblog.com/2016/02/10/nourish-cafe-burglarized-do-you-recognize-this-man/" target="_blank">Some dude robbed a neighborhood cafe. Help catch him if you can.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sfist.com/2016/02/11/i_drank_that_15_cup_of_coffee_and_h.php" target="_blank">And here's the review you've been waiting for on that $15 cup of coffee that made the news a few days ago. Surprising. </a> </li>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-15120934938673555892016-02-11T17:32:00.000-08:002016-02-11T17:32:14.667-08:00SINGLE SERVING: BREAKFAST SANDWICH THE PIN UP ALL-STAR DINER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Lately, I've had this thing about breakfast sandwiches. It seems like such a simple thing to pull together--some bread, egg, maybe cheese and bacon or ham or some other meat and voila--instant breakfast. This town is full of them to be sure. Stop by most any deli, diner, sandwich shop, etc. that is open for breakfast and you can find some version of this combination. <a href="http://www.placesiveeaten.com/2015/08/breakfast-at-super-duper-burger.html" target="_blank">Even Super Duper Burger is doing one, which I did find tasty and affordable</a>. Thing for me is to be able to run by a spot and get one and still get to work on time. Sometimes that can be limiting as the less time I have to spend on the T-Line the better. Thus I've been making forays out to see what is on offer sort of near me that won't break my budget or be too hard to obtain. As on the previous post I mentioned I returned to <a href="http://www.thepinupsf.com/" target="_blank">The Pin Up All-Star Diner</a> to nosh on their biscuit combo thing, so it seems like a good place to start my new Single Serving Series, which for now, will cover breakfast sandwiches. <br />
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At Pin Up they have 4 different ones to choose from and you know my eyes went straight for the pork belly, though I winced a bit at its $10 price. Of course, if you check the last review on this place, it was my one major drawback. Still, you get a house made biscuit with pork belly, egg and cheddar cheese. It is made to order, thus is took a little extra time to get, seems to be a theme like from before. The pork belly was thick cut, and while not crispy (it shouldn't be) it was tender and smoky. The cheese was all nice and melty and there was plenty of egg. The biscuit was on the average to smaller side, it makes the fillings look bigger and better, especially in the picture. For the most part, it tasted like a biscuit with that kind of doughy, floury flavor with butter notes. I will say it was a bit crisp on the top and bottom and the first bite into it led to this....</div>
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....it was both cut too close to the top and a little too crispy, leading to total biscuit breakage. In spite of this catastrophe of Southern proportions (biscuits shouldn't crumble y'all!) I did enjoy what I had here. But like the other stuff at Pin Up, the price tag sort of stuck in my craw and particularly here as this falls into the whole $10 sandwich thing that pervades this town. Damn those techies kids! First rents then food! :) But seriously, for something as simple and basic as bacon, eggs and cheese on bread, my threshold falls around $5-$7 depending on what you are getting food and size wise. Ultimately, this leaves me bummed as the food at Pin Up is mostly tasty, but the cost for me anyway, is mostly un-digestable. Others may feel different and that's cool. Everyones cost comfort level is a little different and you gotta do what you can afford. My breakfast sandwich search will roll on to others places though. </div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-74039648375149647702016-02-09T17:09:00.000-08:002016-02-16T16:33:38.000-08:00THE PIN UP ALL-STAR DINER AT YERBA BUENA....MORE NOT DINER PRICES IN SF<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is what a week of not feeling well does for ya', you don't feel like eating or doing anything. Such was my case last week and why I took a little break. No blogging is not hard, but I only felt like collapsing on the couch and falling asleep in front of the TV. Haven't we all been there before? Anyway, I'm back in action and rolling into a relatively new diner spot in town. Located in the complex that is <a href="http://yerbabuenagardens.com/" target="_blank">Yerba Buena Gardens</a> area, sits <a href="http://www.thepinupsf.com/" target="_blank">The Pin Up All-Star Diner</a>. Are they the easiest thing to get to? Not really. Plus, being tucked back into the complex, beyond the merry-go-round and upstairs, to the right of the ice rink (yes there is an indoor ice rink in San Francisco!) you won't exactly stumble across them unless maybe you <i>are</i> headed towards said ice rink. I noted their opening a few months ago and wanted to give them time to get their legs so to speak before swooping on by.<br />
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I actually hit this place up on more than one occasion so I could try a few things over time without gorging on it all in one sitting. I know, I even surprised myself on that one. It's not a big menu, but does have that diner food vibe with burgers, fries, shakes and a little addition of fried chicken. I'd seen some favorable chats on the chicken so I decided to try that first time out. </div>
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When I got there, they were only a couple more folks there. Once I placed my order, it seemed to take an inordinate amount of time to actually get it. Roughly 25 to 30 minutes actually. And I got one piece and a side first then the other piece came out later. Seems they still haven't completely worked out the cooking kinks yet? This lovely two piece and a side will set you back $12.25 as 2 pieces runs you $9 then you have to pay extra for sides, $3.25. Then if you want a biscuit or something, that is gonna set you back another $3. For me, that is on the pricey side and doesn't exactly fit my whole cost/quantity ratio thing I blab on about. Not to mention, had I wanted a soda, it would have been even more. </div>
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What I got was sort of a drumette attached to a breast piece of chicken (both pieces). I have a feeling I got two of the same instead of say a breast and wing since they sort of knew it took awhile for me to get my order. Since it took some time, the chicken did at least come out hot and crisp from the fryer. It had nice crispy skin/batter and it was juicy and not over or under cooked. It was a plump breast with very few bones, so I did feel I was getting some meat to eat. As for seasoning, it was a little on the light side. I could taste a little black pepper and stuff, but nothing along the lines of taste bud flavor excitement. For me it could have been ramped up a bit, as is, it's decent chicken, just not sure it's $4.50 a piece chicken. </div>
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The side I chose were the baked beans with pork belly. Duh, you know they had me at pork belly even though I'm not normally a beans person. They are white pinto beans that I'll say are more stewed than baked. They were also a little on the al dente side and a little too sweet. Props though for having some nice big chunks of the pork belly mixed through them. Maybe they should offer up some fried pork belly as a side. One (me) can never get enough fried stuff. </div>
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Next time around I went all in for a diner special--burger and fries. Here, the burgers are all $14--that is with no sides. Though they do have a deal where for $18 you get a burger of your choice, waffle fries and a drink--believe it saves you about $5 if ordering them separately. Still a lot when the drink that came with it was in a tiny cup and they didn't offer up any refills. They have 7 burgers on offer, all with some theme. I went in for the Mason Dixon--burger, smoked Gouda, pickled onion, slaw and braised pork on a toasted brioche bun. I even sucked it up and paid $2! to have a fried egg thrown on it. In for a penny, in for $20. Again, I was here one evening and only a couple of other folks where in the place, but it still took some time, bout 20 minutes to get my order. Guess they still have some cooking time issues? But, also as before, it did come out hot and freshly cooked, so there is that. </div>
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I know they are the same potato cut a different way, but I do love a waffle fry when I carb out and these were pretty good. They served up an ample portion them, crispy and salty, just like I like them. A side of them alone will run you $6 and for another $2 they'll slap on cheddar and bacon. I could see going back for that. </div>
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The burger was nicely cooked to a medium-ish rare, not too red or too done. I will say with all the stuff on here, it is a messy burger and much of the wet caused the bun to come apart. Ended up using a knife and fork to finish like a civilized eater. I'll say the egg didn't really add anything to the burger, but I'll take the onus for adding it. Save your $2 and just skip. The pork with the burger was interesting-- it is not like mixing bacon, that other pork, with a hamburger. It is a shredded, braised pork that was nice and tender and juicy. I really did like the pulled pork on here and it mixed well with the vinegar based slaw. In fact, I almost wish they served just a pulled pork and slaw sandwich without the burger. Not sure I'd pay $14 for it, maybe $9ish, but the pork was good enough to deserve it's own sandwich. Overall a good burger patty, really good pork though not necessarily good together. And at $14 a burger with no sides? That's just a little hard on my wallet. </div>
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What can I say, the food at The Pin Up All-Star Diner has some good points that are pretty tasty. Problem is, everything circles back to the price of what I'm getting, which makes it hard for me to get around. This town is chock full of burgers in one form or another and while some are high end, most of the ones serving those up are sit down fancy schmancy places. This is supposed to be a diner, but that only seems to be reflected in the food and not the costs. Yeah, I know I'm harping on this, but it is hard not to when there is a <a href="http://superduperburgers.com/" target="_blank">Super Duper</a> just around the corner from these folks. I'm not saying you shouldn't try them, just that you should know before you go. </div>
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As a side note--even with all this, I did actually make another visit to them. I'd seen on their menu they do biscuits with bacon and cheese and stuff, and the Southern in me wanted to try it. I'll be covering it later when I do a little round up of San Francisco breakfast sandwiches that I'm able to get to before I have to be at work. </div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-13224688417787391592016-01-31T16:59:00.001-08:002016-01-31T17:02:54.252-08:00YOUR WEEKLY DIGESTION OF FOOD NEWS TO CONSUME....AND BREAD PUDDING LA BOULANGERIE STYLE!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/06/17/starbucks-la-boulange/28851063/" target="_blank">La Boulange was a San Francisco success story that got sold to Starbucks and like most things that get absorbed by larger companies, it then disappeared</a>. But the original owner didn't want to let go and worked out a deal to regain the name and reopen a few of the locations. Thus did Pascal Rigo revive the patisserie to now be <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-boulangerie-de-san-francisco-san-francisco-9" target="_blank">La Boulangerie de San Francisco</a>. The first of the locations to re-open is on Pine St. near Fillmore in Pac Heights. To be honest, I had no idea they were there as I'd only followed the whole drama casually. I came across this location on a recent wander through the city. Since there is no time like the present as they say, I stopped in to see what was on offer. It's a small space, but they do have a fair number of sweet and savory things to choose from. I think we all know where I was veering toward. I guess I was intrigued by bread pudding as a loaf cake and had them plate up a slab. The offered to warm it up and I said yes! Things like this are always best served warm to hot. It had that nice pudding like middle with a very nice crunchy crust on the outside. It wasn't too sweet with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, I think. It had almost everything you think of when having bread pudding. For me, it really could have used some kind of liquid topping--caramel, chocolate, cream, whatever, to get it over that hump to "must have this again" kind of thing. Maybe I'm spoiled, most places I've had this, it comes <a href="http://www.placesiveeaten.com/2015/04/hookers-sweet-treats-in-tenderloin.html" target="_blank">with some warm sauce ladled over the top</a>. Okay, it is an expectation I guess and doing it this way is much less fuss and mess, plus, you can probably upsell a coffee or cappuccino with it. I do give kudos for the very large and thick slice I got all for $3.75--which definitely meets my desserts with heft need too. If worse comes to worse, one could always get a hunk to go and then just add what sauce trips your trigger when you get it home. And no one will judge you for what you are eating and you can enjoy your guilty dessert pleasure in peace, while sitting on the couch, in your sweats, watching the Food Network. Or maybe that's just me, oh well. </div>
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<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/1/29/10873568/san-francisco-super-bowl-city-food-menu" target="_blank">It's Super Bowl week and if feel the need to venture into the morass of Super Bowl City, here's a round-up of stuff and places to eat.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.7x7.com/culture/bi-rite-named-one-best-small-companies-america" target="_blank">Bi-Rite just got named one of the nations 25 best small companies. Hopefully they won't get a big head about it.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.modernluxury.com/san-francisco/story/the-undersung-50" target="_blank">SF Mag says these places don't get much attention though I knew most of them. Check it to see what you know and don't know.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.tablehopper.com/chatterbox/starboard-opens-in-the-mission-meet-your-new-late-night-joint/" target="_blank">This place just opened in the Mission and supposedly they'll be open till 3am on weekends. Maybe this is the start of a real late night food option trend? If they are successful that is.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.theinfatuation.com/san-francisco/guides/the-best-late-night-eats-in-san-francisco" target="_blank">Till then, here is a list of some mostly late night eats in town.</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://hoodline.com/2016/01/laughing-monk-prepares-to-debut-bayview-brewery-next-month" target="_blank">Another month, another brewery opening. Though you will have to head to Bayview to try them out. Ugh, the T-Line.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chefkatfang/" target="_blank">And still another SF chef has won Food Network's "Chopped". Might not be surprised to see some it pop up on her menu.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Upscale-Mid-Market-grocer-shifts-fewer-items-6783352.php?t=5e73f428fcbaa6eec6&cmpid=twitter-premium" target="_blank">The Market on Market (that space in the Twitter building) is re-focusing to be more like Eataly instead of like Whole Foods.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2016/01/26/popsons-pops-up-in-former-marlowe-burger-space-on-townsend/" target="_blank">Going from one burger space to another, Popson's Burger opens in the former Marlowe Burger.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.eastbayexpress.com/WhatTheFork/archives/2016/01/29/breaking-news-rent-hikes-may-force-genova-delicatessen-an-oakland-institution-to-close-after-ninety-years-in-temescal" target="_blank">Looks like restaurant rent disputes are spilling over into the East Bay now.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/real-estate/2016/01/yoshis-fillmore-western-addition-san-francisco.html" target="_blank">Wanna open a night club/performance space in SF? Now is your chance as Yoshi's is on the block--again.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thrillist.com/eat/san-francisco/how-to-make-scotland-yard-burger-ribs-and-tuna-tacos" target="_blank">Don't order in! Thrillist runs down how to make some of San Francisco's snack food in your own home. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/1/29/10873766/leos-oyster-bar-photos-financial-district#6296261" target="_blank">Take a look inside Leo's Oyster Ba</a>r then <a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/1/26/10833756/leos-oyster-bar-menus-financial-district" target="_blank">take a look at their menu.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://richmondsfblog.com/2016/01/25/food-news-fiorella-opens-this-week-playlands-hot-house-pop-up-butter-love-on-balboa-bottlezup-on-clement/" target="_blank">Here's what is going down food wise for those who live out Richmond District way. </a> </li>
<li><a href="http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2016/01/27/atelier-crenn-eliminates-tips-and-service-charges/" target="_blank">This again, Atelier Crenn has dropped tipping and surcharges. We'll see how this works out for them. </a></li>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-42158051801902103712016-01-29T17:01:00.000-08:002016-02-16T16:41:37.217-08:00RUDY'S CAN'T FAIL CAFE IN EMERYVILLE....WELL THAT'S MOSTLY TRUE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Over there, that's that place on the other side of the Bay Bridge. For those of us who live in the city, over there can sometimes be difficult to muster up the energy to get to. From trying to rustle up a car to battling bridge traffic to wading through the BART crowds to finding out BART doesn't even stop in Emeryville--it feels tiring and a bit of a hassle. But every now and then the SO and I, usually on a Sunday, feel the need for a visit to an overly large Target and maybe a swing through IKEA, just because. Food choices in that little area can be uninspiring. From the cafeteria at IKEA to the chain places at that strip mall cum main street thing next door, they are not exactly the off the beaten track eats I like to look for. However, there is a small outpost nestled somewhere between the super furniture store and the I need to pick up some household supplies stores, it's called <a href="http://www.iamrudy.com/" target="_blank">Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe</a> and we usually end up there since we don't want to drive around Oakland looking for another place to eat. Yep, those are our standards, plus it is a diner and you know I'm totally into those.<br />
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Inside Rudy's on a semi-cloudy Sunday.</div>
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With checkered board floors, vinyl booths and other funky design elements, Rudy's hits all the marks of a diner. The menu is pretty big and standard with all the omelets, burgers, salads, sandwiches hot and cold and ice cream shakes. One thing they offer different is a liquor license so you can make that ice cream float into a cocktail if that is your thing. When we go here though, me and the SO stick to the basics--something breakfasty or a burger--of which they have several choices or combos. This day was no different. I decided to go the egg route and ended up getting that days special. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_95Ar4ofP-SeCr03cIF4ALetKK6KK2BM8hTEhHqHXxU49Wnw0jLMa0v3UmJ0K5CPaiJKyFHuQiCezE2jBWf2vXc82_y0zdNwv2VEybF-G38NgAUFs0yusJ1bNbQTvlgFlO1yxoNGQxw/s1600/DSC01517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_95Ar4ofP-SeCr03cIF4ALetKK6KK2BM8hTEhHqHXxU49Wnw0jLMa0v3UmJ0K5CPaiJKyFHuQiCezE2jBWf2vXc82_y0zdNwv2VEybF-G38NgAUFs0yusJ1bNbQTvlgFlO1yxoNGQxw/s640/DSC01517.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Yolo Omelet--filled with bacon, roasted green peppers, fried chicken and cheddar Jack cheese with a side of sour cream, hash browns and buttered English muffin (though you get your choice of bread). Reading the description on the menu, it hit all the high spots for me--deep fried and bacon. In execution though, it was just okay. It was like they cooked the egg part by itself then rolled the fillings into it like an egg burrito. While the egg may have been warm, the rest was not, thus the cheese wasn't even melted in here, the chicken pieces were rather room temp and the bacon wasn't exactly crispy. Kind of hard to eat it all together. Separately the pieces were decent, just together it didn't work for me. I think if this had been a scramble instead of an omelet it might have come together and at least been served hot out of the fry pan. The hash browns, while plentiful square share, were also luke warm at best. I think the ketchup on the table I poured over them was warmer. The English muffin was served straight from the toaster or wherever as you can see the butter is melted and bonus, they gave me plenty of butter on it. Kudos and thumbs up for that. Overall, there was nothing wrong with how it tasted, just wish it could have a little more made to order hot. At $14, this is pretty much in line with what you'd get in San Francisco. While they are diner like, the prices are more SF brunch like. </div>
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This is the classic burger with fries on a toasted sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion. This is something Rudy's does well. The burger is a nice thick patty that is cooked to order. We asked for medium rare and got exactly that. Very juicy with a touch of flame char around the edges. (You have to ask for mayo if you want a side of it) I also like the fries they do. It is like they are double crunchy on the outside and soft inside. With a nice little seasoning and not overly salted. Tasty enough you probably won't want to share. At $11.50, again not really diner prices, but the burger is a handful and the fries portion is plenty. Though for a burger and a side, it is probably a buck or two less than you'd get in SF, so there is that. </div>
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This time around at Rudy's, it was a bit hit or miss, but I've found when we stop in, you can never go wrong with one of their burgers and a side of fries. While they are serving up diner food, it's not totally diner prices and lunch/brunch for two with a couple of ice teas, tax and tip can run you $40 or so. Which is why I'd recommend going burger route here, they are good and it will shave some off the bill. The service here can also be sporadic, not sassy like Flo (cultural reference!), but more "is someone waiting on this table?" kind of thing. But don't let that be a deterrent as it only happens occasionally. If you are ever in this part of <strike>Oakland</strike> Emeryville, skip the CPK, PF Changs and IKEA meatballs and head over to Rudy's for fresh grilled burgers and crispy fries--you really can't fail if you go with those.</div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-89994994596671113372016-01-26T17:12:00.000-08:002016-02-16T16:58:07.802-08:00MOSCOW AND TBILISI BAKERY IN RICHMOND DISTRICT....NOT RUSSIA, BUT STILL LONG WAY TO GO<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'll travel most anywhere in this town to try out a bakery. Even when that includes getting on the 38 Geary (which some locals call "the dirty eight") and making the long arduous journey out to the hinterlands of San Francisco known as the Outer Richmond. It's not quite Ocean Beach, but when you live on the exact opposite of the city, it may as well be. Every now and then, I get a hankering to check out far flung hoods to see what is going on in areas of town often enshrouded in fog. I was out that way again recently and decided to stop into one of my favorite bakeries in town, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTbilisiBakery/" target="_blank">Moscow and Tbilisi Bakery</a> at Geary and 20th Street. I've known about this place since I practically moved to this town. I stumbled across while getting to know the city in the beginning and at the time thought I'd found a little gem of a place, but was saddened it too time to get there. Thus, whenever I am in that part of town, I always make a point to stop in. It's an old-school place specializing in homemade Russian fare and baked goods. While I know many folks are aware of it already, I figured I'd post it up to show you what drew me there in the first place.<br />
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Okay, it's a bakery, that alone was enough to get me in the door. And seeing their wide selection of sweets and treats at affordable prices, you know I was hooked. My first time in, it took me some time to survey all the offerings before zeroing in on one thing in particular to try. </div>
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That's right, an eclair. I know it is not exactly Russian, but it was big, bursting with cream filling and all for just under $3. It's a nice crispy on the outside, fluffy airy inside shell covered in thick layer of chocolate that is more like frosting (mmm...frosting) than just plain old melted chocolate on top. The thing that got me when I first had it was they did not skimp on the filling. Years ago it was a delicious thick custard cream. There was always enough to go with every bite and usually some left over to eat like a pudding. The filling has changed some over the years and these days it is more like a whipped custard, making it lighter but still thick enough to know you are getting a hefty dessert. Even with the new filling, they still aren't skimping on it. It is chock full from front to back. They've gone up to $3.50 now, but comparing it with some of the other offerings around town, the eclair is still a tasty bargain to highlight a trip to this side of town. </div>
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A must try are the piroshki--deep fried dough filled with cheese, meat, cabbage, mushroom or various combinations there of. They usually have 4 or 5 filling choices to choose from and best of all, these big handfuls are only $2.50. The dough isn't too thick and the fillings are ample--I like cheese or cheese and beef the best which kind of tastes like an old school greasy hamburger. They are also best served warm. If you eat in they will heat it up for you. They are like a giant Russian hot pocket and big enough to satisfy your appetite. </div>
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This last time there, I decided to try something I'd look at, contemplate and then ultimately get something else--the cherry roll. It is exactly that, cherry pie filling baked into a roll. The dough reminded of one you'd taste on a baked pork bun. It had that same sort of texture and slightly sweet taste. The cherry filling isn't too sweet, thus this isn't like a piece of pie or turnover, I'd say it is more reminiscent of sugar free cherry preserves spread on a roll. It is a big roll and at $3 a pop it still falls in the bargain sweet pastry range for San Francisco. If you are not a big sweets eater, besides not being overly sweet, it is quite big enough to cut in half and share. For the most part, I liked this enough. It was much better heated up, though in my own little mind, I kept thinking it would be so much better with butter or frosting or something. Of course, that is where my mind wanders when having a dessert that is okay, I keep thinking of ways it could be a sweet tooth wow in my for me. Guess I can always fall back on the eclairs since they are pretty good. </div>
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These are just some of the offerings at Moscow and Tbilisi Bakery. You can also get blintzes, challa bread, turnovers, donuts, cream horns, cake rolls, loaves of bread and more. They also do custom order cakes for birthdays and such. I guess now that I think about it, it is probably a good thing this place is clear on the other side of town. If it was anywhere closer, I'd <strike>probably</strike> be there most everyday and I'd be as big as a house. So for now, it will just be one of those places I treat myself to whenever I find myself out that way. I'm sure my waist and jeans will thank me for it. </div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-63275456597170795732016-01-24T16:06:00.000-08:002016-01-24T16:06:22.425-08:00YOUR WEEKLY DIGESTION OF FOOD NEWS TO CONSUME....AND SOME MR. HOLMES BAKEHOUSE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Since I've been unable to drag myself out of bed at an ungodly early hour to hit up <a href="http://www.mrholmesbakehouse.com/" target="_blank">Mr. Holmes Bakehouse</a> to get the hot selling treats, I end up with whatever is left when I just happen to wander by, remembering, oh yeah, this place is here. Mostly because I don't really wander through the Tenderloin and those who do are probably looking for trouble. Still, even though pickings are slim, I did run across this thing they were calling a bacon cheese danish. It's a savory and yet they call it a danish. Obviously I can't pass up something that has two of my favorite foods--bacon and cheese. Even though it was late afternoon and this had been sitting out awhile and was room temp, I still liked it a lot. It was all buttery layers of flakey croissant like pastry with ample chunks of bacon and what I'm pretty sure was Parmesan cheese. This gave some tasty bite to it. Added bonus on this is a secret inside layer of bechamel sauce. It was like a surprise creamy flavor when you bite into the danish. All this really needed was an egg and you'd have a hand eaten version of a croque madame or something. While they do run roughly $4.50 a pop, it is on the larger size of some you get in this city. If they weren't so hard to get to for me, I could see this as an every morning treat. I'm sure it is even better warm and fresh out of the oven. Between this and the <a href="http://placesiveeaten.blogspot.com/2015/09/san-francisco-food-news_27.html" target="_blank">chocolate chip cookie</a> I had here some time back, I need to just bite the bullet and force myself to get up early one weekday morning (forget weekends people) and MUNI (ugh!) my way over there. If they two treats I've had so far from them are any indication, then all the effort and praise they've earned so far are warranted. Plus, I really need to try that cruffin thing before it becomes too passe. Don't wanna be behind on my Instagram-able food trends now do I. I will skip the ubiquitous shot of their <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/184295809728491198/" target="_blank">neon sign</a> however. Also note, flavors can change daily here, yet another reason to have to get up early and go. </div>
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<li><a href="http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2016/01/20/absinthe-sous-chef-eric-gibbs-is-the-brunch-champ-on-food-networks-chopped/" target="_blank">Some chef dude at Absinthe won Food Network's Chopped. Let's hope no Rocky Mountain oysters with bubble gum cotton candy glaze show up on their menu.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/1/20/10800204/ame-san-francisco-closing-hiro-sone" target="_blank">Another day another closure as Ame in SOMA calls it a day. Look for a pop-up to take its place.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2016/01/sf-fancy-food-show-specialty-trends-moscone.html" target="_blank">These are the 5 hot specialty food trends noticed at last weeks Fancy Food Show.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2016/01/19/fancy-food-show-2016-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ridiculous/" target="_blank">And Inside Scoop runs down most all the food shown from the good to the ridiculous.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sfist.com/2016/01/20/best_ramen_bay.php" target="_blank">Ramen--it's the new old thing for 2016 as many spots have appeared recently. Here's a rundown of some of the best.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.theinfatuation.com/san-francisco/reviews/iza-ramen" target="_blank">And The Infatuation thinks this ramen spot is da' bomb people!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://hoodline.com/2016/01/nojo-reopens-on-franklin-street-as-nojo-ramen-tavern" target="_blank">Oh, look at that, Nojo has rebranded themselves at Nojo Ramen Tavern. See, it is all the rage. Or foist upon us. Take your pick.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://hoodline.com/2016/01/embarcadero-center-s-gaylord-restaurant-skips-out-on-9k-rent-shuts-down" target="_blank">Well, that's one way to do it as Embarcadero restaurant disappears in the night and skips out on $9k in rent.</a> Maybe that space can reopen as a ramen spot now! </li>
<li><a href="http://www.modernluxury.com/san-francisco/story/four-new-restaurants-were-crazy-1" target="_blank">Just to show it's not all ramen these days, here's a set of four new ones to try.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/The-future-of-food-from-lab-to-table-6769908.php" target="_blank">Food continues to go future tech as SFGate takes a look at the process from lab to plate.</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green" target="_blank">So long as it isn't "Soylent Green"--there's an throw back reference for ya'!</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://insidesurvivor.com/survivor-season-32-contestant-neal-gottlieb-463" target="_blank">That Three Twins Ice Cream founder is gonna be on <i>Survivor</i>. Still probably won't watch it.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2016/01/22/fenix-somas-tbd-to-rise-from-the-ashes-with-new-name-and-new-cuisine-style/" target="_blank">TBD post fire is relaunching as Fenix (get it? rising from the flames?) which will be a "full service Mexican restaurant". Ugh, like we need more expensive Mexican food in this town.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sfist.com/2016/01/13/beer_week_cometh_tk_events_to_add_t.php" target="_blank">Beer Week has started so you can learn to appreciate the good stuff before having to drink that other crap at upcoming Super Bowl parties.</a> </li>
</ul>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-1054615620110748292016-01-22T16:56:00.000-08:002016-01-22T16:56:09.998-08:00ODE TO AN OLD FASHIONED....DONUT THAT IS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I think that I shall never see something so delightful as a donut. Okay, it doesn't rhyme but I feel I've made it clear me fondness for desserts, particularly those with heft, as I call it. And donuts fall squarely in that category. It is also my go to dessert when I have trouble figuring out just what I want. (The SO will tell you this happens often) Fortunately for me, there does seem to be a Happy Donut or its equivalent in most every neighborhood and corner of San Francisco. Many are 24 hours too, which is handy for late night cravings and you just don't want to drag all the way to Safeway and hassle with standing in line for a single donut. Not saying I haven't done that, just saying don't like doing that. Don't judge, just admit we've all done it at least once, whether it was a donut, ice cream, cookie or whatever treat trips your trigger.<br />
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The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughnut" target="_blank">donut (or doughnut)</a> evidently has a disputed history of creation. Was it the Dutch in the 19th century? An American ship cook in late 1800's? An English dowager in early 1800's? Really, who cares, let's just give a kudos to whoever first thought of making a ring of dough then deep frying and covering it in sugar. And double kudos to whoever was first to add fillings and frosting. They should really get respect for elevating a basic dessert pastry. While there an array of choices, the one I always seem to gravitate toward is the old fashioned. Thus, herewith, my salute to a classic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS__SgALTRcbEN9jUDGKtuUBfYZuwVcq6_ctWAwHMTicxM_FlbrOl8Ma4GVNAyR-AhLlcsdkZUMagGZSOcB3KWwKj_EjJhVxGk6wHBrvcnboEDDbn0kOUkDHzpFVLgXnMJfwCKydh8oak/s1600/DSC01543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS__SgALTRcbEN9jUDGKtuUBfYZuwVcq6_ctWAwHMTicxM_FlbrOl8Ma4GVNAyR-AhLlcsdkZUMagGZSOcB3KWwKj_EjJhVxGk6wHBrvcnboEDDbn0kOUkDHzpFVLgXnMJfwCKydh8oak/s640/DSC01543.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I used to be a donut snob, but not in the must be organic, artisan kind of thing. Growing up in the South your only choices were Dunkin' Donuts or Krispy Kreme. From my standpoint it was Krispy all the way. Sure, Dunkin' had some interesting flavors, but Krispy's seemed to be always hot and ready little fluffy rings with icing or better yet raspberry filling. We always looked for the "hot donuts now" neon sign to light up and pull in quickly. It was like a beacon in the night for the sweet tooth obsessed. It's kind of what happens when grow up with few choices, you pick and usually that is it. </div>
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To be honest, I'd actually never even seen an old-fashioned till I moved to San Francisco. Though my first encounter with it was not pleasant. The first time I wandered into a Happy Donuts, the first thing that popped into my mind was, ugh, they are like grocery store donuts. I was assured that wasn't the case. Scanning the case I saw this ugly, unglazed, ridged ring thing and was like, WTF is that. (At that time they evidently only had the plain version) Lady behind the counter, I think that was actually her name, said it was a buttermilk batter donut called old fashioned. Wasn't the prettiest looking thing. Looked like someone just spit a bunch of batter into a deep fryer and voila--donut. It kind of reminded of something old people get to dunk in their coffee so they don't have to bother with chewing. She offered up a sample and I was unimpressed. Tasted kind of dry, like a thick cakey pancake. Didn't taste sweet at all. I think I ended up getting a plain old glazed thing. Desperate times call for desperate decisions. </div>
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It wasn't till the next time I found myself in one of these places, somewhere out Judah way that I came across the full range of choices for an old fashioned, well 3 other flavors anyway. I actually got one of each because, that's what I do. One I discounted right away. It was a maple glazed one. Yowza, between the overly sweet glaze and the buttermilk batter it was like pancakes and syrup with an added cup of sugar thrown on top. Even for me it was a bit much. Next up was the standard glaze. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIK4C9_xfhiZLdovahnZytjxV-M0YPxBdI6nJnqmOyY3hbRP-aES0rU0flNiB8bacfXRIhfvp8lQa5YyHx5SpVrLMWrgvcbf9AYfNxNSHhLOQl_0T1klPfVx1EHoX5sbtGeJuOceGYMo/s1600/IMG_2875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIK4C9_xfhiZLdovahnZytjxV-M0YPxBdI6nJnqmOyY3hbRP-aES0rU0flNiB8bacfXRIhfvp8lQa5YyHx5SpVrLMWrgvcbf9AYfNxNSHhLOQl_0T1klPfVx1EHoX5sbtGeJuOceGYMo/s640/IMG_2875.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I know what you are thinking, wasn't this too sweet? Actually no. The sugar glaze here isn't that thick maple stuff. This is basically powdered sugar and milk drizzled over top. I was fortunate to get some relatively fresh ones. The dough was thick, cakey and a little moist, giving it the dense heft that makes me feel like I'm eating something. It doesn't just melt away like ice cream. I find I like to break off and eat the squared ridges first leaving the small ring in the middle to then be broken in half and eaten. It is a good basic thick donut with glaze. No bacon, no rose, no peanut butter, no banana, no hibiscus and most definitely NOT gluten free. It's a no pretense donut. Shockingly enough for me, I don't even feel the need to heat it up and butter. Not saying I didn't try it that way, just saying it doesn't need it. And while I like the glaze, I also am drawn to the chocolate. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9dmuJeuIISCfycFC6VIzcLOxV8EyxdsI-Dia06pGFvIo2t10QV9C39bBrghGThIeBYzAp4L3ExRXjuY1seMS1m08B5p7o4syURzLyF0i8MstjwUInrpjSbPRZ6BqwYB9kQxCYTUaLxk/s1600/DSC01544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9dmuJeuIISCfycFC6VIzcLOxV8EyxdsI-Dia06pGFvIo2t10QV9C39bBrghGThIeBYzAp4L3ExRXjuY1seMS1m08B5p7o4syURzLyF0i8MstjwUInrpjSbPRZ6BqwYB9kQxCYTUaLxk/s640/DSC01544.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yes, it is thick like the maple, but the chocolate is dark and not milk chocolate sweet. It comes across more as frosting than chunks of thick sugar. Cake like donut and frosting, yum, didn't really need much convincing. They are also good when you get ones where the dough on the outside edges gets a little crusty crunchy leading to soft cake inside. </div>
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Over the years and the various donut shops, the sizes seem to go up and down, though the price has continued a steady rise up. From roughly .75 cents back when to $1.25 today. Fortunately, it only takes one of these to satisfy my need for sweet. </div>
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This isn't to say I don't appreciate those high falutin' kind of donuts with their fancy unique flavors, I mean, I am a fan of bacon, duh. But those are not always readily accessible and can run $3 or so. Thus, when desserts at a restaurant aren't cutting it or I'm having a late night, early morning, mid afternoon or whenever craving for something sweet, I always know in the back of my mind, I can <strike>run</strike> walk down a couple blocks and get an old fashioned. So far, I've been lucky, they've always had some when I go by. For that day when they don't have any, well, I'll just cross that donut bridge when I come to it. </div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-6111069852401972832016-01-19T17:13:00.000-08:002016-01-19T17:13:46.676-08:00FOOD TRUCK QUICK BITE: KHAO SAN THAI FOOD....I SHOULD KNOW BETTER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's a chilly, damp Friday night. I'm just finishing work and the SO is picking me up as we made a last minute after work decision to pop on by the <a href="http://www.somastreatfoodpark.com/" target="_blank">SOMA StrEat Food Park</a> because we <strike>are lazy</strike> didn't want to cook or order in anything. It's a sparse crowd, but it is early on a Friday night, they are open late and I'm sure hungry drunksters will be by later. The choice of food trucks on this night also seem to be limited as most we see we have eaten at already. The SO gravitates toward one and when I look, I realize it is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/khaosanThaifood/" target="_blank">Khao San Thai Food</a>. Ugh, me and Thai food have a love hate relationship. I enjoy that it's spicy and comes with veggies, I hate that it is pricey and the portions seem really small to me. But I feel in an adventurous mood and decide to go with it anyway since I haven't tried these folks before and want to keep an open mind.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZ0OPogOnOHfBKUQFvPiNQusR8EKFoEhEgdFr_zg5a_9muvqqoP-MI7VXrgO-zZhyphenhyphencq8wxgJ3c0ftaqlHor91OX_4alRQQhjCwD-bhJVqU5kEAyhABsM1pH4y808IMsYOX3EREQ4hD5Y/s1600/IMG_2624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZ0OPogOnOHfBKUQFvPiNQusR8EKFoEhEgdFr_zg5a_9muvqqoP-MI7VXrgO-zZhyphenhyphencq8wxgJ3c0ftaqlHor91OX_4alRQQhjCwD-bhJVqU5kEAyhABsM1pH4y808IMsYOX3EREQ4hD5Y/s640/IMG_2624.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Another thing about Thai I'm not a fan of is the coconut based curries. Hard to explain, but coconut is just one of those flavors and textures I can't appreciate. Not something I'll order, even on a dessert. The SO knows this and I decided to let them pick the dishes, going on faith they wouldn't let me down. </div>
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I believe this is what they call pad prid khing--stir fried string beans, peppers and chicken with kaffir lime leaves. Good choice for me as there is no coconut and it is more of a brown gravy like sauce. In round about terms it was fine. It comes across as just a basic stir fry dish, nothing really special. Can't say I got any essence or flavor from the lime leaves. We had asked for spicy but for Thai food it was a little light on that. It was more like a small tickle on the tonsil as opposed to wow that's got some kick! It was one of those dishes I was okay eating in the moment, but if you ask me later how it was, I'd probably be hard pressed to remember. And living up (or down) to my expectations, this wasn't a big serving. The picture is an extreme close up and there was a lot of sticky rice. Usually when you order in Chinese food there always seems to be extra you can make a lunch out of the next day, not with Thai food. Kind of a one and done. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghR4dnUjub8d2G-xEBQfvQ_jyQbelNRj-wxSA-zrLC72CjTnn1W_t9m1KjBTs8Rq7wg3kjPsUNzkQERc6gjmd0KTBKXe7qwKkO7v-BWYDl0hyphenhyphen1ptOqeSYO7p3Anl6tj3gt6Po-fr58FIw/s1600/IMG_2625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghR4dnUjub8d2G-xEBQfvQ_jyQbelNRj-wxSA-zrLC72CjTnn1W_t9m1KjBTs8Rq7wg3kjPsUNzkQERc6gjmd0KTBKXe7qwKkO7v-BWYDl0hyphenhyphen1ptOqeSYO7p3Anl6tj3gt6Po-fr58FIw/s640/IMG_2625.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was the pad Thai--pan fried noodles with ground peanuts, bean spouts, onions, chili sauce, green onions, chicken and their homemade pad Thai sauce. (the menu said there was also egg in here but I'm pretty sure they left that out) The sauce seemed a little light to mostly not there on this. I was expecting notes of lime and possibly tamarind but we only got lime after we squeezed the one in the picture over everything. Bean sprouts and carrots weren't actually cooked they were added as a side. The only heat you are get here is the chili sauce you see in the back corner. Thanks for that, other wise, there really wasn't much flavor going on here. The double edged sword of eating out, sometimes you come across dishes you feel you could have tossed together yourself, if you had a mind too. Again, it was a dish I was like, eh, it's fine, and still no leftovers. </div>
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Eating at Khao San Thai Food Truck didn't change my mind any about Thai food. At roughly $10 a pop, the above dishes weren't all that large or all that exciting. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe there is some special way to order I don't know about. Maybe I'm just not trying the right places. Maybe I'm not trying the right dishes. Or maybe Thai food is what it is, and as long as it remains that, I'll continue to love/hate it and just get something else. </div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-50796810295226734342016-01-17T17:05:00.001-08:002016-01-17T17:05:45.874-08:00YOUR WEEKLY DIGESTION OF FOOD NEWS TO CONSUME....AND A BISCUIT TACO!! WOOHOO!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Isn't this a great way to start off a New Year's resolution? A biscuit taco from Taco Bell's breakfast menu! Actually this was the morning meal deal that came with a hash brown and a medium drink for about $4. I wasn't going to do the meal but turns out this place has Diet Mountain Dew on the fill your own soda fountain and seriously, do you think I'm gonna pass that up?! These things actually came out awhile ago but I just hadn't gotten around to trying them. They just built one of those new <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/taco-bell-cantina-san-francisco-2" target="_blank">Taco Bell Cantina</a> things in my hood. They serve beer and wine and have lots of wood accents, you know, it's all white trash fancy. One morning I rolled in with the intention of chowing down. Originally I ordered one with bacon (duh!), egg and cheese. But when I got it, the bacon were bits and they were cold. As in, didn't get warmed up in the microwave or whatever. Nothing is worse than cold bacon bits as the parts that are fat get all creamy like lard. Totally unappealing. I took it back and they didn't even blink an eye and just gave me one with sausage, egg and cheese instead. Fortunately, the sausage was cooked, though it wasn't like hot of the skillet. The eggs were more crumbled than scrambled and it gave them a weird texture as if they were originally either powdered or frozen then cooked up, odd. They also were not hot of the griddle and this lukewarm-ness kept the cheese from even getting close to melting. You can see that in the picture. The biscuit taco itself did actually taste like a doughy biscuit, though it didn't hold together well and cracked open along the bottom, much like a crunchy taco shell would do. Eating it all together, you get the flavor sense of an egg, cheese and sausage biscuit that is just ever so off and not quite right. It definitely is not a replacement for the real thing. Though if you are drunk or hungover, you could probably trick yourself into believing it is tasty and will help soak up all that alcohol. (Isn't that what Taco Bell food is all about?) As for the hash browns, yeah, um, potatoes and grease. Pretty fast food standard there. As a Southerner, I'll take a pass on getting this again, it is kind of a sacrilege to eating the real thing. A shame really when there are so few quick affordable food options for this type of thing in San Francisco. It wasn't a total loss. I was able to get in two Diet Mtn. Dew refills plus another to go for my walk to work, so there <i>was</i> that. </div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/1/13/10764360/san-francisco-restaurant-weeks-best-worst-deals-2016" target="_blank">It's restaurant week in San Francisco and SFEater runs down some of the best and worst deals to be had. So check those menu prices folks!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.eater.com/essential-restaurants" target="_blank">Plus, Eater national released a list of essential restaurants and it is a little light on SF places.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://hoodline.com/2016/01/inside-neighbors-corner" target="_blank">Hoodline highlights a not your average corner store type place.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sfist.com/2016/01/14/sfs_oldest_gay_bar_the_gangway_biti.php" target="_blank">Oldest gay bar left in the city changes hands and most likely gay bar mantle. But there is always Twin Peaks!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/Is-the-Perennial-the-restaurant-of-the-future-6760149.php?t=d5bf8e95ea75835993&cmpid=twitter-premium" target="_blank">The restaurant of the future? Don't know about that, but it is the most expensive project. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2016/01/14/nachoria-a-new-burlingame-restaurant-devoted-to-nachos/" target="_blank">Nachoria in Burlingame--a reason to go there now.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2016/01/craft-beer-pyramid-alehouse-walnut-creek-closes.html?ana=e_sfbt_bn_exclusive&u=12595131964ce40bf7c849e0628090&t=1452627512" target="_blank">Not all micro brews are experiencing a renaissance in the Bay Area.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.7x7.com/east-bay/most-anticipated-bay-area-restaurant-openings-2016" target="_blank">7x7 runs down some new restaurant openings to be on the lookout for in 2016.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/1/12/10758218/dennis-lee-chef-smokestack-magnolia-gastropub-namu-gaji" target="_blank">The fallout from Magnolia/Smokestacks recent bankruptcy continues as founding Chef Dennis Lee bails.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Buckshot-Restaurant-Bar-Gameroom-112177128807401/?fref=nf" target="_blank">Buckshot restaurant, bar and gameroom has called it quits. That location sees another eatery bite the dust. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.outsidelands.org/streetwise_hot_house.php" target="_blank">It's a stroll through San Francisco's restaurant past with this story of Hot House.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.tablehopper.com/chatterbox/lets-look-at-the-perennial-opening-wednesday-january-20th/" target="_blank">And look, another story on The Perennial, that restaurant of the future. They sure know how to get press. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/eriksherman/2016/01/15/san-francisco-restaurant-jobs-grow-then-fall-after-minimum-wage-jump/#2715e4857a0b108b174c6c63" target="_blank">Forbes runs down the effect of the minimum wage on restaurant jobs in SF. Hasn't this already been covered?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.specialtyfood.com/shows-events/winter-fancy-food-show/" target="_blank">This just rolled into Moscone for the next few days if you want to get your fancy eats on.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodfoodawards.org/2016-winners/" target="_blank">And finally, here's the list of the 2016 Good Food Award winners--I think there are some SF places in there. The lists are soooo long.</a> </li>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-85777965906367842712016-01-14T16:40:00.000-08:002016-02-16T16:58:49.579-08:00EATING AT DENNY'S IN SOMA. WAIT?! WTF?! WHY AM I EATING AT DENNY'S?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Something unique, sad, disturbing and highly emotional happens when one turns 50--you get a notice in the mail that you are now eligible for an <a href="http://www.aarp.org/" target="_blank">AARP card</a>. That's when it hits you, wholly f**k I'm like my parents age or something. It can be a distressing and emotionally crippling moment when you see that envelope in your stack of mail. My first impulse was to light it on fire and send it hurtling over the balcony railing like a phoenix in the night. But I stopped myself (barely) as my neighbors might not approve and I'm not sure our apartment fire insurance is totally up to date. I then popped open a bottle of wine and decided to open it and see just what they are shilling for the I don't quite feel that old set.<br />
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They purport to offer a lot if you join all those smiley, aged, slightly grey haired folks who seemed to "be enjoying life after 50." Personally, I think they just got the good meds and live in a place without a high cost of living and can retire at an early age. But this is San Francisco and we are not all afforded that opportunity. Still, I pored over the literature and ran down their list of things you can get discounts on when you flash that little red card around. While I personally have no use for auto coverage or being trapped on a cruise ship with other old folks, I was interested in some of the food places you could get a discount. We don't have a Dunkin' Donuts here so a free donut a day with coffee purchase was out of the question, but seems you can get 15% of at Denny's--that bastion of roadside stops where truckers and the elderly can commiserate over aching backs and butts while swigging an endless cup of coffee and noshing on a grand slam breakfast any time of the day. While I won't say this was the one thing to put me over, it did convince me to sign up me and the SO for a membership (though beware, your junk email will increase two-fold with scams and trash when you sign up--it is a flaw in their system).<br />
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I waited patiently the few weeks for the card to arrive and when it did, I made it a point to try out my discount and hit up the local <a href="http://www.dennys.com/" target="_blank">Denny's</a> in SF. Yes, I know what you are thinking--we have a Denny's here? Well, we do, right down on Mission at 4th Street, across from the Metreon and that behemoth of a parking garage. It's been there forever and it is also 24 hours, in that neighborhood. While I didn't relish hitting the place up at 3am, no matter how interesting it would have been, I convinced the SO to eat there after we saw a movie recently. At first, this was more of a lark than anything, but then I saw where <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/30/dining/senor-frogs-review.html?_r=0" target="_blank">Pete Well's, the revered food critic of the NY Times reviewed Senor Frog's in Times Square</a> and I thought, if he can do that without too much side eye, I can do Denny's with tongue firmly planted in cheek.<br />
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It's a mid-afternoon on a Sunday and the place isn't all that busy. The crowd is distinctly kind of touristy and, well, mostly mature--so we'll fit right in! Unlike most restaurants in this town, trying to figure out what to get here can be a challenge. The menu is like a book that spans options from breakfast to dinner and pretty much everything in between. Plus there are colorful pictures of everything. It's like a visual and information overload. Having choices can be a good thing, but sometimes it can just be overwhelming. Particularly for someone like me who has to be in a mood to find a dish I won't regret getting. To say it took some time for me to make up my mind would be an understatement. Was I in a breakfast mood? Burger mood? Monthly specials? Their idea of a steak dinner? I think I went through several glasses of iced tea (props for unlimited refills and not having to ask!) and long rolling eye stares from the SO before I was able to narrow my choices down. We started our journey with the penultimate in fried food unhealthiness and ordered up some mozzarella sticks. </div>
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You can never go wrong with deep fried cheese. Ok, not totally true, they could be under or over cooked, but there is such a small window to f' these kinds of things up, that most times they come out good enough. And seriously, do these really need a review? These things have been a staple appetizer on some of the finer bar and chain restaurant menus forever. (I should know, I've worked in several of those places and eaten my fair share of 'em) They've even reached a point now where <a href="http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/product_nutrition.snackssides.2292.mozzarella-sticks-3-piece.html" target="_blank">McDonald's, that purveyor of all things fried, is even serving them</a>. I would think that would be some kind of tipping point, but, like most deep fried things, they persist. You can even get them at the Metreon movie theater--something we've done too. Surprisingly enough, the one's at Denny's are $10.29 and the ones at Metreon are $6.59 (price points are odd at both). Who knew movie theater food would be cheaper. The ones at the movies are longer and thinner and Denny's are shorter and fatter. Sauce at both is a little too sweet. And really, it's deep fried cheese people! A guilty pleasure probably best enjoyed in a darkened movie theater or while drinking at a bar anyway. </div>
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I didn't want to go all breakfast and then I didn't want to totally disregard something that Denny's is kind of known for which lead me to this special harvest skillet thing they were offering up. A gouda chicken apple sausage with red skinned potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, grape tomatoes, roasted red and green peppers, onions and two eggs topped with cheese and served on a sizzling hot skillet! How could I pass up a sizzling hot skillet emanating trails of smoke and popping grease as it is carried across the restaurant making eyes turn and stomachs say yes, I want that too! It's why places like this do them, to entice other diners into getting them. I am eating at Denny's for gosh sakes, why not make it interesting while hoping it's not all flash and sizzle. For the most part, this pretty much like a scramble on a hot plate. The sausage was actually okay and you could taste some smoky Gouda in there, though apple always gets lost. I asked for sunny side up eggs but they could have cooked a bit more. A little too much of the clear white for me. Sadly, the plate didn't stay hot long enough to cook the rest of the egg for me. The veggie mix underneath it all wasn't overcooked or too salty, a bit of a surprise, though it needed a little black pepper for some kick. A sprinkle more of cheese would have been good too. In all, it's a decent enough breakfast kind of dish. While it isn't all that exciting flavor wise, at least you get some smoke and sizzle. I just wish I'd gotten a little more for the $15.99 cost, which is on the higher end of breakfast food things in this town. Particularly when it doesn't even come with toast. I'm from the South, we need bread with our food, especially breakfast. I'm also cheap and wasn't about to pay $3 for a side either. They wouldn't have had enough butter to make up for the cost. </div>
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When I think of salads and eating healthy, the first place that comes to mind is Denny's! NOT! The SO was trying to be good and got the chicken avocado caesar salad, dressing on the side. Awww, that's cute! NOT! This is Denny's, one of the places you eschew the diet for stuff you'd never admit to eating elsewhere. This really doesn't need a review and I'm not gonna give it one. It's romaine lettuce, strips of grilled chicken, a bunch of Parmesan cheese, avocado and bits of bacon. Well, there is the bacon on it so that's a bit of a nod to where we are at least. At $14.99, I'll say this is about $2 more than it probably should have been. And I'm pretty sure some of the grab and go salad joints that serve the Financial District crowd have this kind of thing for even less. This is a salad at Denny's, what more can I say about it.</div>
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When I ask for the bill I tell my server I have an AARP card and she said okay. I asked if she needed to see and she said no. Hmmm...I think I'm a little offended, does she really think I look over 50? Does she even know what it means to have one of these? Does she just say okay when anyone tells her they have a card? Does she really even care? It's probably the last one so I try not to dwell too much on my perceived affront as it could affect her tip if I think too long about it. </div>
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After all is said and eaten that comes to one appetizer, two mains and a beverage for $44.96. Bringing my 15% discount to roughly $6.74 before tax. In my mind it seemed like it would be a much bigger discount value. That still makes it a $40+ meal with tip--at Denny's--ugh, even supposed value places to eat can be a challenge in SF. AND I GOT FREAKIN' A DISCOUNT! Maybe we <i>should</i> have gone with grand slam or eggs over my hammy or somewhere else to eat instead. Let's face it, when you (or if you ever) go to a Denny's, you have to leave expectations at the door. They are what they are and the food it was it is. It all sounds good when the next roadside stop is 100 miles away or it is 4am and pancakes sound like a good way to soak up all that alcohol and they are open. But considering the prices at this particular location, not sure it is something you'd find yourself gravitating toward, even with an AARP discount. </div>
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I think I'll just chalk this one up to a wouldn't this be fun and we don't have to pay full price idea that ultimately wasn't either. Plus, it all just reminds me I'm old enough to even be offered an AARP card in the first place. While that may lead some folks to over eat their feelings, for me it's more an appetite suppressant, much like the sight of undercooked eggs. For now, I'll just bide my time and count down the days until <a href="http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2015/07/20/dunkin-donuts-to-open-nine-san-francisco-locations/" target="_blank">Dunkin' Donuts opens the first of their shops in San Francisco</a> and then I can get a free donut a day with a beverage purchase. And isn't that the dream of every future retiree?</div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-48372951527460731732016-01-11T11:35:00.000-08:002016-01-11T11:35:19.298-08:00YOUR WEEKLY DIGESTION OF FOOD NEWS TO CONSUME...FIRST OF THE YEAR!! and a day or so late<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Why not kick of the weekly food digest with a little brunch on the go. Here we have a new offering from a fave local bakery, <a href="http://www.neighborsf.com/" target="_blank">Neighbor Bakehouse</a>. This is their version of a croque madame, except it is more of a hand held, open faced sandwich. You've got a whole grain thick slice of toast topped with green onion, cheese, bacon, egg and some kind of cream béchamel like sauce. It's part of their ever expanding offerings and outside of a being a little too toasted along the edges of the bread (meaning tad burnt black), the basics here are good. You can taste the egg, cheese, bacon and onion flavors quite clearly. I do think the onion could be reduced some as the the long green tops did get a little chewy. The egg isn't all runny like you'd normally get, but it is right at the edge of almost being like that (see below pick). Here it works since this is an item for takeaway and not sit dine in. Toppings are also piled high and hearty and if this is all you are having for breakfast it will fill you up. Considering it is pretty huge for only $4.50, it is a relative bargain bite for San Francisco. While the one I got was still warm, I'll say if you just happen to get them fresh out of the oven, they are probably even better. Kudos to Greg and the gang for the new offering. I saw they also have some savory bread pudding thing they are serving hot out of a crock pot, hmmm...interesting, though I'll need to wait till next time to try. </div>
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<li><a href="http://www.tablehopper.com/bore/2016/" target="_blank">Tablehopper hates these things for 2016. Probably the first time she's actually talked bad about anything since last years list of dislikes.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://hoodline.com/2016/01/thoughts-style-cuisine-showroom-brings-thai-fusion-to-soma" target="_blank">Seriously? A showroom for food? You have got to be kidding me. This is the food scene gone to far. We aren't New York people.</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/1/5/10719762/coco-frio-manny-de-torres-mission-closed" target="_blank">This place is closing even though they said business was good so the owners could travel the world for a year. And refresh for something new. After only five months. Must be nice to follow your every whim.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.7x7.com/eat-drink/san-franciscos-most-expensive-pizza-debuts-tonys-pizza-napoletana" target="_blank">It's San Francisco's most expensive pizza. Yeah, no thanks, I'm happy with the by the slice cheap stuff. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.sfweekly.com/foodie/2016/01/05/coming-up-the-fancy-food-show" target="_blank">The Fancy Food Show is rolling in to town January 17th. Time to get your tix and get in line for all the free samples.</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://sfist.com/2016/01/05/black_bark_bbq_gets_new_opening_dat.php" target="_blank">A new bbq joint is opening in town but I'm gonna hold my jumps for joy till I can try them out. I've been burned before.</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://sfist.com/2016/01/08/after_23_years_sfs_only_colombian_r.php" target="_blank">SF's only Colombian food restaurant is calling it quits. Wait, there is only one in town?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://newfillmore.com/2016/01/01/wise-sons-is-coming-but-not-yet/" target="_blank">Your almost like a New York bagel fix from Wise Son's will have to wait just a bit more.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2016/01/06/lark-creek-steak-in-the-westfield-centre-has-closed/" target="_blank">The Westfield says goodbye to another of its original food purveyors under the dome.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.sfweekly.com/foodie/2016/01/04/cadence-from-a-maven-alum-soft-opens-tonight-on-mid-market" target="_blank">It's not all closure news as this interesting looking place has just soft opened. Hmmm, that look kind of reminds me of whale bones. Is that what they were going for? </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.butterlovebakeshop.com/" target="_blank">Yeah! Another bakeshop opens up in San Francisco! I'm all about the baked goods and you can never have too many choices!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/1/4/10709426/sababa-hot-pita-bar-san-francisco" target="_blank">Look---it's Chipotle for Mediterranean food.</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/1/6/10726338/daniel-patterson-announces-oakland-location-of-locol" target="_blank">After a successful Kickstarter to raise funds for LocoL the chefs have switched gears and decided not to open it in San Francisco, but have announced a spot in Oakland to do it. Kind of glad now I missed the chance to donate. Having to go to Oakland from SF to get my rewards would be a bummer and not really worth the discount you would have gotten. You'd end up using it all on BART or something just to get there.</a> </li>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-81311238487364654852016-01-08T12:45:00.000-08:002016-02-16T16:59:26.873-08:00JERSEY IN SOMA....IS IT JUST ANOTHER PIZZA JOINT?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Plus, does San Francisco really need another pizza place? Those seem like philosophical questions for enlightened foodies, but really, it's just a question. A lot depends on what they are doing and if they are bringing anything new to the table to make theirs stand out from all the other choices in town. To let you off the hook on the titular question, <a href="http://www.jerseysf.com/" target="_blank">Jersey</a> is not just another pizza joint. Yes, they offer different kinds of pizza pies to nosh on, but they also offer an array of other dishes with a New Jersey, East Coast, Italian food comes to California kind of theme. I think what initially got me and the SO intrigued to try the place was they opened on 2nd Street between Mission and Howard, a stretch of road that after work hours and on weekends becomes a literal ghost town. The idea we could just roll down the street and walk in was enticing, and of course, the pizza was a draw too.<br />
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While you can make reservations here, we were able to waltz in on a Saturday night without them and easily get a spot. I'll chalk that up to where they are located, for now. Of course the location also happens to be around the corner from a couple of other places the owners have opened including<a href="http://salthousesf.com/" target="_blank"> Salt House</a> and <a href="http://anchorandhopesf.com/" target="_blank">Anchor & Hope</a>, places I've eaten, though it has been awhile. Actually, before I even started doing this blog thing. </div>
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Being the curious that we are, me and the SO chose to take a spot at the back counter so we could watch the chef et al make the food. We both find it fascinating and we get to see what we order prepared first hand. Sometimes you may not want to see what is going on in the kitchen, but good or bad, we consider it prime floor show entertainment. </div>
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The menu proffered here is decidedly Italian--pizzas, pastas, insalatas, etc. The brothers Rosenthal (owners) want to evoke memories of their childhood and New Jersey with grandma and mother recipes and what not. Perusing through the choices we decide to stick to the theme, trying a do what they best thing. </div>
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Burrata with mixed string beans, chives, almonds, micro greens and a sherry vinaigrette-$11. In general, I'm a big fan of burrata. I like the creamy, milky, cheesiness of it all and this did not disappoint. You get a pretty sizable dollop of the mozzarella with a heaping portion of crunchy green and waxed beans. It was a nice fresh, crisp collection with added crunch from the almonds. The burrata was nice and creamy with dash of black pepper and drizzle of olive oil. These seemed like odd choices to go together to create a salad kind of dish. Separately I liked them both, but together, I just didn't understand their pairing. For the burrata, I was kind of jonesing for some warm focaccia bread to spread it on or something. We both enjoyed the individual parts, just not all together. Still, it is not a reason to not at least try it. </div>
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Meatballs on a sourdough crostini, tomato sauce and a fontina jalapeno bechamel--$12. Three pretty big, hearty meatballs that were a mix of what tasted like ground meat and sausage with a few bread crumbs thrown in. They were like a fancy meatloaf kind of thing. That's not a knock, more a comparison because we both really like this dish. That little jalapeno bechamel gave it a nice kick and the illusion of cheese with it's thickness. The grated Parmesan also added some tang to compliment the sweetness of the tomatoes. A slightly bigger or even extra piece of crostini would have been nice to soak up some of the sauce, then again, I didn't really need the extra carbs considering what's coming. </div>
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They have a California style pizza which really means thin-ish. And Jersey style which is a bit more crusty. We Jersey style Bianca. It's a white pizza of onion crema, lemon ricotta, mozzarella, cresenza (it's like another form of burrata) and a drizzle of truffle oil--$23. Yes, it is a pretty big 'ol pizza and price wise is comparable to what you get at other places in town. They are all made to order and you can watch them toss the dough to create your pie. There is also no shortage of cheese on this baby either. Mozzarella as far as the eye can see and pizza can hold. The small dollops are the lemon ricotta and the cresenza which are for added flavor. Sometimes I'm not the biggest fan of lemon as it can kind of taste more lemon Pledge than actual citrus, but here it wasn't so cloying or pervasive to detract from the other light flavors of onion and truffle. Crunchy and slightly crisp edges and a crust that holds up pretty well without get soggy. Though some of that I'll chalk up to not having tomato sauce or watery veggies on here. What this comes down to is lots of cheese and bread and that combo is always one of my favorites, as was this pizza. </div>
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Finally, we couldn't get out of here without some traditional Italian dessert could we? That's a rhetorical question. Cannoli with sweet creamy filling, chocolate shavings and a dusting of powdered sugar--$8 (I think that was right). Hard to go too wrong with these things. The outside was crispy. The filling was creamy and thick without being overly sweet, though this one was regular plain filling and not with chocolate chips like other places do. Thus the chocolate shavings over the top. These are 4 mini ones. Enough to share or to have just one since you may already be full from all the other food you've scarfed down here. A tasty finish to a generally tasty meal. </div>
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Outside of the odd initial combination, the dishes we had at Jersey were really good. Are they reinventing Italian here? No, but sometimes you don't need to. Jersey is serving up good solid food that is well made and tasty. They also do a booming lunch business and a happy hour where you can get slices if you don't feel like eating a whole pie. I hope they are able to make a go and stay around, and not just because they are in my relative hood. It's nice getting some good Italian without having to go all the way to (New) Jersey for it. </div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-10203143825862711682016-01-05T16:50:00.000-08:002016-01-05T16:50:37.624-08:002015 THE YEAR THAT WAS IN MY FOOD REVIEWS AND STUFF<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey, what better way to start the New Year than <strike>lazily rehashing</strike> running down some of my most read posts from 2015!! Surely, you can't be fed up with lists just yet, we are only on day 5 and you've got 360 more to go! Bare with me though, as it is a short list, it is not like I'm counting down the Hot 100 or something (sigh..miss Casey Kasem--random thought). Looking back, I can't really tell you why the following got read more than others. Luck of the draw? Good search engine keywords? SEO's? Hot spot of the moment? The reasons why are endless. And just to help blow one of your New Year's resolutions, I'm offering this up close view of some trashy eating I did while down in Texas. That's right, it's a cinnamon roll from <a href="http://www.cinnabon.com/home" target="_blank">Cinnabon</a>. This is what close to 900 calories looks like, even before I add the extra icing I got on it to push it over 1000! Gotta have goals.<br />
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I don't think I really need to review this for you but, it was brown sugar, lots of cinnamon, cream cheese frosting (plus a little extra) and very doughy. Probably a little too doughy for me, I'd have liked it cooked a little longer. As you can see the outer ring is not that lovely light brown color you'd expect from a properly cooked one. And there was a tad too much cinnamon. Neither of these stopped me from eating it, though it did dampen my enjoyment of it somewhat. </div>
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5. Up first is <a href="http://placesiveeaten.blogspot.com/2015/03/Naked-Lunch-North-Beach-San-Francisco.html" target="_blank">Naked Lunch in North Beach</a>. Let's face it, the word naked is probably the real reason this ended up on the list. Though it does only come in at number five. It is one of those places with underground, hipster buzz and the ubiquitous fried chicken sandwich. Too bad it didn't totally live up to my expectations, but I am a picky Southerner.<br />
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4. A surprising food truck choice to read a lot about was the <a href="http://placesiveeaten.blogspot.com/2015/01/food-truck--seoul-of-taipei-san-francisco.html" target="_blank">Seoul Of Taipei review</a>. Maybe it was the Taipei key word in the title or the mention of fusion? Or maybe it was a popular week for Seoul, though it has been awhile since the Olympics were there. Whatever the case, it was on one of my many visits to SOMA StrEatFood Park that we tried this particular food truck. </div>
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3. I'm not too surprised that <a href="http://placesiveeaten.blogspot.com/2015/01/doughbies-cookies-on-demand.html" target="_blank">Doughbies ended up here</a> as at the time they were really taking off and had several notices (though not reviews) about their new cookie delivery service taking off. Plus, that whole cookies on demand thing was so totally in at the beginning of the year. Now, not so much. Folks have moved on to full food delivery from cooked (Sprig) to sort of cooked (Munchery) to here's all your ingredients, cook it yourself (Caviar, Blue Apron and Plated).<br />
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2. Here we have a re-visit to <a href="http://placesiveeaten.blogspot.com/2015/04/little-skillet-secret-menu-item-SOMA.html" target="_blank">old local favorite Little Skillet </a>to try out what was supposedly one of their secret menu items. Not surprisingly, it did not go as expected, at least for me. Though, <a href="http://sf.eater.com/2015/4/8/8365443/adam-richman-san-francisco-man-finds-food" target="_blank">Adam Richmond and his travel channel tv show</a> blew through there and was able to order and try it. They did have the owners by their side who seemingly have more of an inside knowledge about their food than the young girl who was there the day I visited. And, you know, having that whole camera crew too probably helped.<br />
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1. Drum roll please...my most read review from the past year was....<a href="http://placesiveeaten.blogspot.com/2015/03/cafe-europa-richmond-district-san-francisco.html" target="_blank">Cafe Europa in the Richmond district!</a> This is an out of the way place that in the know locals who live near the place know all about. I'm glad this was my most read review as it was a really good meal and they deserve all the praise and visitors they get. Granted, I doubt they are going to be flooded with folks from my little 'ol blog but any hopeful uptick they may get is well deserved. Kudos to Cafe Europa as it was probably my most favorite overall meal of last year too. </div>
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And there they are, my five most read reviews from 2015. Can't say I've gotten that whole search engine/key word thing down yet and couldn't really tell you why one was clicked on more than the other, but there they are. They seem to balance out a little too. Two that were meh, one that was okay and two that were pretty good. Nice little cross section I'd say. Here's to looking forward to what food lies ahead in 2016, I know I've got a lot of eating in store. </div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-20979315464915908052016-01-02T12:45:00.000-08:002016-02-16T17:00:14.864-08:00FOOD ROAD TRIP: THE BARBECUE STATION SAN ANTONIO TEXAS...STILL EATING THE MEAT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Happy New Year, it's like a week of meat people! But really, if I'm going to be in Texas, why not go with something they do a lot of. My goal was to try a couple of the more popular barbecue joints in San Antonio. After searching the internet web-a-jig for what folks like, I did the <a href="http://placesiveeaten.blogspot.com/2015/12/rudys-country-store-and-barbecue-san-antonio-texas.html" target="_blank">Rudy's thing</a> and now I'm rolling into <a href="http://www.barbecuestation.com/" target="_blank">The Barbecue Station</a>. They've been doing this for 23 years (at least that is what the sign out front said) and if you can smoke meat and stick around that long in Texas, it must be good right?<br />
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yes, they've got that Texas bbq joint look down pat</div>
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Unlike Rudy's, this place offers plates and sides for individuals. Kind of funny, they offer pretty much the same sides as Rudy's, right down to the peach cobbler. Though, they did have green beans, so yeah, a veggie! They also offer a few different meats like beef ribs and loin. In the interest of comparisons I did a few similar items to see how things measure up. </div>
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Peach cobbler, green beans, pork loin, brisket, white bread! and creamed corn. Yes, all places serve it up in roughly the same way, I think it makes cleaning up easier. Let's start with the meat--it was good and I liked it better than Rudy's. All meat is cut to order and both were served up juicy and still warm. Even after cooling off a bit, they meat was still juicy, a difference from Rudy's. They have their own bbq sauce too and it is kind of the same being tomato based and heavy on the black pepper. However, it was on the too runny side for me. I wanted it to be thicker, flavor was okay, but the thinness was a little off putting. I really liked the pork loin. Tender and a great flavor from the smoke, which was light enough to add taste without overpowering the meat. Not much char on these meats, but not really needed. </div>
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The creamed corn, while popular here, was not as good as Rudy's. It was only yellow corn and also very thick. Too thick for me. Like there was too much flour or cornstarch or what not. Plus the flavor was off and surprisingly unsweet for so much corn. It just didn't reach the creaminess tastiness of Rudy's. </div>
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The green beans were a nice surprise. Little chunks of meat, just enough salt and pepper and regardless of whether they were canned or not, they had some great taste. Both me and the SO really liked them, something that doesn't often happen in the world of veggies. While not pictured, we did get to try some of their baked beans. They were the same kind of pinto beans but no meat pieces and more a bbq sauce flavor this time around. Plus, when you order them, they give you a small bowl and you get to spoon them up on your own from a hot pot in the dining area. Fresh, hot beans!</div>
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I opted for some dessert this time and got the peach cobbler. This is old school scoop it out cobbler with chunks of peaches and crust and thick filling. It's also very big on cinnamon flavor, almost too much, but I still liked it. Two drawbacks--it isn't served hot, more room temp, and it could have benefited from some whipped cream or even ice cream, help offset some of that cinnamon. Almost really good, just a tweak or two away for me. </div>
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And white bread! Because, yeah, still not sure why, there it is and tastes just like white bread. Not exactly Wonder, but then what is really?</div>
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I'm going to repeat a refrain from my Rudy's review, barbecue and smoked meats and all are very taste and regional specific. At The Barbecue Station I really liked both meats I had from the juiciness to the tenderness to the slight smoke. Tasty enough I almost went back to get more. Added bonus for having a green bean veggie that was also a fave. Good meat and green beans, I think that alone is enough reason to check them out. I'm also gonna say try the peach cobbler, just wait till after you eat then go back and get it. Or, better yet, order it to go, take it home, warm it up, add your own Cool Whip or ice cream, sit back and enjoy. Sometimes it's not all about the meat, unless it is, when you are in Texas. </div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-29911109469924811262015-12-30T17:04:00.000-08:002016-02-16T17:00:39.154-08:00FOOD ROAD TRIP: RUDY'S COUNTRY STORE AND BAR-B-Q SAN ANTONIO TEXAS YA'LL!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After 4 6 day weeks in retail fun land, business slows and it's a good time to get away for the end of the year. That means jumping on a plane and heading down to Texas to catch up with the SO who's been visiting family there since Christmas. I got some fam there too so we will all be catching up. I figured I'd hit some full on meat places while I was here because it is Texas after all and you can't come down here without having their version of barbecue. (hint: it's a lot of smoked stuff) Searching out which places seem to have a following in the San Antonio area several names come up. One is called <a href="http://www.rudysbbq.com/page/location/name/bbq-san%20antonio" target="_blank">Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q</a>, a place that started out as a gas station/country store and then morphed into a chain of roadside spots to get your smoke on throughout the Southwest. We decided to roll in there the other night after seeing that Star Wars movie thing to fill our bellies with meat, and other stuff.<br />
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nothing like a tongue in cheek sign to get people to stop in. </div>
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This is an old-school, down home place with plastic table cloths, long communal tables and folding metal chairs (to keep you from staying too long). You order up at a counter where things come in pints, gallons and variations of a pound. There are 4 sides and depending on how large your party is they spoon it into to go containers then slide it all down to a different section where you order your meat. Meat is by the pound and comes in brisket, ribs, turkey, chicken or sausage. Fortunately, the folks behind the counter can recommend how much to get based on number of folks and how hungry everyone is. </div>
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From there you take your large tray of sides in containers and meat on white butcher paper to one of the long tables to dig in. </div>
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It's kind of like a cafeteria for meat. Dropped ceilings with fluorescent lighting are the trappings of un-fancy dining, but that is kind of the point and the "charm" of roadside bbq joints in Texas. It's that down home dining with family kind of thing. I grew up with this in the South where it's all about the food not the decor. Nothing fancy, just good food is the tagline you'd see a lot. </div>
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This isn't how it comes. You get little square paper bowls to portion it all out between folks. From top left to right what we have here are baked beans, a chopped meat and sauce melange, creamed corn, cole slaw, ribs and brisket. </div>
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The beans are pintos cooked in a tangy sauce with bits of meat and lots of black pepper. These are not your sweet from a can beans, like the bbq sauce in Texas, they are tangy not sweet and the addition of black pepper gives them a bit of spiciness without the heat. Tasty, though the pepper put it right on the edge of bitter for me and may be too much if you are not used to it. </div>
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The chopped meat is mix of pork, turkey and brisket mixed with Rudy's own special bbq sauce. I was not the biggest fan of this particular dish. Something in the flavor was just off to me. Small chunks of the meat were dry even though with all the sauce. Somewhere between the flavor of the meat and the sauce, the blend of the two was a touch bitter bordering on harsh. Not sure exactly what was making my tastebuds reject this. For me it was somewhere between anise and fennel, two flavors my tongue just cannot appreciate. I got through 4 or 5 small spoonfuls just to make sure it wasn't an initial thing that would wear off, but it wasn't and I couldn't finish what I had. </div>
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Creamed corn is evidently a specialty here and of all the things we had, it did not disappoint. A mix of yellow and white corn in a creamy white sauce that isn't too thick or thin and isn't too sweet either. It was by far the best dish to me. I could have eaten a whole pint or more of it by myself, but you know, that whole sharing thing. I also sprinkled just a tad of black pepper over it and it blends so well to between the spice and the sweet. It was like a warm childhood memory that was also very satisfying. </div>
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The cole slaw was a bit one note with a tad too much mayo. This is something that could have benefited from salt, pepper, a little less mayo and maybe a splash of vinegar. It also veered a little toward the sweet side which is why the pepper I put on it helped balance that, but it still had more mayo on it than I wanted. </div>
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Next were smoked pork ribs. These aren't fall off the bone ribs but they are tender and the meat pulls off easily. There is a black pepper and spices rub on the outside that helps give it some nice char. These also aren't mesquite wood smoked like other places you'll find in Texas. They use oak which gives it just a mild smoky flavor without overwhelming the meat. Smoke as flavor notes is fine, as long as it is not all you taste and they've got a good balance of it here. I will say these were not as juicy as I was expecting though. </div>
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Same can be said of the brisket as far as smoke and seasonings go. Though the slices we got were not quite as juicy as I was expecting. They fell on the dry side of things kind of like the ribs. The meat was still tender, but I guess I was expecting it to have rested long enough for the juices to stay in the meat. </div>
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Rudy's also makes their own bbq sauce to dip the meats in and it is a tomato based thing that is heavy on black pepper and spice and not sweet, even a little bit. I kind of prefer that as sweet sauces can be cloying and you can't eat too much without feeling like you'll go into sugar shock. Because the meat wasn't as juicy as expecting I used the sauce quite a bit to liven things up. One other aspect that came into play was by the time you get your order, find a place to sit and settle in, the meat cools off really quickly and it might have been nice to try it hot out, right of the smoker to see if there was a big difference. As is, I just have to go on what I had. </div>
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Rudy's was good enough, though I'm not gonna say it was the best stuff I've ever had. Big thumbs up for the creamed corn, the sauce and the rub on the meat. The rest for me was just okay. But let's be honest here, bbq is very regional and very taste specific. In the South it's the vinegar and smoke, in the Midwest it's the sweet sauce and spices, in Texas it's the rub, the smoke and the slightly spice sauce. Everyone has their favorites and can argue down the details about why it is the best. It's obvious Rudy's has it's fans, they place was literally non-stop humming even on a Monday night. Thus I'm not gonna say you shouldn't try them. For the creamed corn (alone) and the ribs dipped in the sauce, I'd be perfectly happy eating there again. But if given a choice between them and another place, for now I'd choose another place just so I could see how they treat their meat. Then I'd have a better comparison to see who does it better and be able to confidently join in the great bbq debate. </div>
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As a side note, it's a thing here to give slices of old school white bread to have with the barbecue. Because there were 4 of us we literally got a whole loaf. I searched the web to try to find out why white bread but outside of "it's tradition" or "it's just easier", I couldn't really find the original reason why. But, for your enjoyment, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/BBQ/comments/2druo8/white_bread_at_bbq_joints/" target="_blank">click here for a whole Reddit thread on just that topic.</a></div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-45584741291024770152015-12-27T17:20:00.000-08:002016-02-16T17:01:16.460-08:00HOT SAUCE AND PANKO IN THE RICHMOND...A REVISIT BEFORE BUILDING DEMOLITION<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2016/1/4/10710438/hot-sauce-and-panko-moving-its-hot-wings-to-old-u-lee-space-in-nob" target="_blank">***LOOKS LIKE THESE FOLKS GOT A NEW PLACE LINED UP. THOUGH NO OFFICIAL RE-OPENING DATE AS OF YET***</a></b></div>
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As I was cruising through the food news during the week it came to my attention that <a href="http://hotsauceandpanko.com/" target="_blank">Hot Sauce and Panko's</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/_VbfNCH3tM/" target="_blank">building was being demolished</a> and they would be moving out to an as yet unknown locations. This was one of the first places I reviewed nearly 5! years ago when I first started this food blog thingy (it was also one of the first to get a lot of views). You can read down memory lane on that experience by <a href="http://placesiveeaten.blogspot.com/2011/11/hot-sauce-and-panko-its-all-about-sauce.html" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. While they will be reopening somewhere, sometime, just thinking about it got me wistful for when I first started blogging with the innocent thrill of "this will be fun", "maybe it will turn into something", "I could make a career out of this!" Okay, so maybe a couple of those didn't really turn out to be true, but whatever. I still find small joy and fun trying out far flung places on the edges of San Francisco. Obviously I still find this worth it since I'm still doing it 5! years in! Did I mention that already? Anyway, I figured why not hit them up again before the building implodes and see how the years have been to them.<br />
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I think the signs are trying to tell us something.</div>
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It was a rainy Sunday when I went by, which seemed apropos as it was raining when on my first visit. Walking in, it seems they've lost some of the space they had before. Looks like a wall was put up to create a business next door. Thus it was TINY! They had several tables to sit and eat last time but now there are just two small ones right by the window and it is the definition of cozy dining. I think it's because they don't encourage eating in but takeaway instead as even their website says no dine in. I arrived just after opening and it was just me and another patron getting a to go order. Last time I went in for the fried chicken sandwich combo with onion rings and sweet potato fries. This time I decided to go with their specialty and order some wings. </div>
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They have a fair number of flavor choices and they also offer a combo deal with a waffle. I'll be honest, while I've had my fair share of chicken and waffles, I still don't really get the combo. I guess I could look at it like it is just another fried meat like bacon or sausage to go along with a breakfast treat, but you know, years of conditioning have kept me with the "it's a dinner food not a breakfast food." I went all in with the combo and picked a wing flavor I though would go with a waffle, the garlic, Parmesan, bacon. Hey, it's got bacon, that's a breakfast/brunch food. In my mind it sounded good. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63C71P8lVxbzIiPFTEZuhQXvIT7pqBlRTHZLqlTVcGWAGVG2kbWJaLNMrtKvpZYrDbOFu0TqpPS61DlDZ6yShvJcgn5qVyiD5A2jtLuOGF1C5-l3S9p2rttRrjK9o3lr_9F1iAegpT4k/s1600/IMG_2767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63C71P8lVxbzIiPFTEZuhQXvIT7pqBlRTHZLqlTVcGWAGVG2kbWJaLNMrtKvpZYrDbOFu0TqpPS61DlDZ6yShvJcgn5qVyiD5A2jtLuOGF1C5-l3S9p2rttRrjK9o3lr_9F1iAegpT4k/s640/IMG_2767.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The order came up pretty quickly. Here's the waffle. Pretty standard as far as waffles go. It is made to order and comes hot, has a nice crispy outer exterior and is pretty big. When I ordered she asked if I wanted butter on it. I laughed a bit before saying yes, as seriously as possible. I think she thought I odd or something--I just didn't feel like explaining my butter love and just let it go. Though, as you can see, it is just a ball on top, but I was afraid to ask for more. It isn't a terribly sweet waffle batter which works as they syrup they serve is. I used it as more of a suggestion across the top instead of drowning it. It was pretty tasty, but I didn't get quite the butter melt I was hoping for as once you pull these things off the grill they seem to cool quickly, particularly when there is a chill around you. While I'm not a waffle fanatic or anything, as far as waffles go, it was good. </div>
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And these are the garlic, Parmesan, bacon wings. Wings is sort of a misnomer on menus these days. These are the old school full size wing you get in a box of fried chicken. They are the drummette and that other piece that together make up a wing. Not sure when these became separated, though I have to say, flashing back to my waiter days in the 80's, they were doing the same thing then too. Served hot and crispy out of the fryer they are loaded with a slightly oily sauce that has all 3 ingredients mixed into it. Most of the oil separates down into the bottom of the basket at least and you do get pieces that are fully coated in bacon, Parmesan and garlic. I guess with wings there are really only 3 ways to go wrong--overcooked, under cooked and crappy sauce. Fortunately, these wings did not meet any of those criteria and were cooked properly and crispy, even with the coating. The garlic wasn't too overwhelming and you do get the tang of the Parmesan. The bacon is in bits and there is plenty of it to get small notes of smoky, though they are not so much crispy bits as they not overly chewy bits. I can't say I'm some wing expert, but I did like these and managed to finish off the basket and the entire waffle too. It was my first meal of the day and I was hungry--no judgements. </div>
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While I was there noshing on my plates at one of the small tables, a steady stream of people were in and out of the place even on this rainy day to get their supply of wings. I'm guessing Sunday is one of their busier days with football and what not. And the phone rang consistently too with to go orders being taken (something I'd highly recommend). Seems the popularity of this place continues and considering they stick to one thing mostly they do a pretty good job of it. And have a clientele to show for it. Granted it is a hike to get out here and parking in this part of town can be particularly challenging, but while they are still open, it'd be worth a trek out there. Right they are closed for the holidays and reopen January 2nd. After that, they say they will <i>probably</i> be there for a couple more weeks till demolition. If you'd like to start your new year off tastily, swing on by when they reopen, before the wrecking ball begins its swing. </div>
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-87436721560003618882015-12-20T17:21:00.002-08:002015-12-20T17:22:04.468-08:00YOUR WEEKLY DIGESTION OF FOOD NEWS TO CONSUME.....AND BUNDT CAKE!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I hadn't been by <a href="http://www.neighborsf.com/" target="_blank">Neighbor Bakehouse</a> in awhile and since it's the holidays I'd though I would run in and see if they have anything new and sweet I could scarf down. And lo and behold, but what to my wondering eyes would appear but brown sugar cinnamon bundt cake. I'm always on the edge with bundts as they run the gamut from good to not so much. Plus they don't usually come with icing, which in my world, can cover up a lot of sins and things that can go wrong when making this kind of cake. Here we basically have a pound cake with a swirl of cinnamon and brown sugar and a dusting of powdered sugar on top for $3.50 a slice. It's a decent sized slice, close to Texas toast size and thickness, comparable to ones you'd get at say Peet's or Starbucks or most any coffee shop in town. I was a little worried it might be dry but it felt heavy in my hand and that translated into a very moist piece of cake--yeah! The swirls added light touches of holiday flavor without being overly sweet. There is a nice crust on the outside which is both crunchy, cakey, almost like a brown sugar crumble. Like a good pound cake it also had a nice butteriness much like you'd get in a croissant. And while I am a fan of icing on cake, here I don't think it was needed and probably wouldn't have added much to it either. This was like a dense, moist, crumbly, touch of sweet coffee cake bundt that works just as well as a morning, late afternoon or after dinner treat. I'm pretty too, if you needed a whole one to spruce up a holiday party, you could probably talk them into selling you, though be prepared to pay a little extra and accept the fact you won't have any leftovers to take home for later. </div>
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<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/maps/restaurants-open-christmas-eve-san-francisco" target="_blank">No Christmas Eve plans yet? Then go out to eat at these pricey options.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2015/12/17/alamo-drafthouses-new-mission-theater-including-bar-bear-vs-bull-opens-today/" target="_blank">Alamo Draft House and their bar have finally opened in the Mission. Check out all the photos and have a gander at their food and booze menus.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.tablehopper.com/chatterbox/first-look-at-the-modern-brasserie-cuisine-of-volta/" target="_blank">Tablehopper gets a first look at the food offerings at the new brasserie Volta. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.theinfatuation.com/features/the-best-food-instagrammers-in-the-world" target="_blank">The Infatuation thinks these are the best food Instagrammers, but since I'm not on this list I can't speak for its veracity.</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/placesiveeaten/" target="_blank">You can follow me here and see for yourself! </a></li>
<li><a href="http://hoodline.com/2015/12/le-marais-pastries-other-goodies-now-for-sale-at-ghirardelli-square" target="_blank">It's out with Kara's Cupcakes (they are so 3 years ago!) and in with Le Marais Bakery in the tourist friendly spot at Ghirardelli Square. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://hoodline.com/2015/12/family-run-ice-cream-sandwich-shops-heading-to-wharf-north-beach" target="_blank">And not to be outdone, Fisherman's Wharf is getting a new family run ice cream shop. The tourists get all the best stuff! :)</a></li>
<li><a href="http://qz.com/571151/the-mast-brothers-fooled-the-world-into-buying-crappy-hipster-chocolate-for-10-a-bar/?utm_source=parVC" target="_blank">Is this proof that hipsters will fall for anything or is just a case of excellent marketing? You be the judge since I'm not really all that into chocolate. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2015/12/16/bacon-bacon-to-open-a-new-cafe-near-att-park/" target="_blank">Bacon Bacon continues their expansion expansion as they scoop up a small spot in SOMA a block from AT&T Park. Just what baseball fans need with their beer--MORE BACON!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sf.eater.com/2015/12/17/10308920/veganburg-vegan-burgers-san-francisco" target="_blank">VeganBurg is now open in the Haight, naturally. Though seems they are catering to vegans who have money cuz' these burgs don't come that cheap. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.littlegem.restaurant/" target="_blank">This place is now open in Hayes Valley from some former Ad Hoc chefs. They are still just rolling out dinner for now but look for lunch and brunch stuff soon, because they all do eventually. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2015/12/whole-foods-san-francisco-lombardis-russian-hill.html" target="_blank">Whole Foods looks to roll out one of its new concept stores in SF. They say it will be cheaper and quicker. We'll reserve judgement for now. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.misterjius.com/" target="_blank">Looks like Mr. Jiu's has met their kickstart goals and will finally be opening a full time brick and mortar location in Chinatown. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://store.kollarchocolates.com/collections/seasonal/products/millenium-falcon" target="_blank">And what would a food wrap up be without some Star Wars news! Celebrate it with a SOLID dark chocolate Millennium Falcon from Kollar Chocolates in Yountville.</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://hoodline.com/2015/12/harveys-closing-for-revamp-ahead-of-20th-anniversary" target="_blank">If you thought about hitting up Harvey's in "the heart of the Castro" better make other plans as they are closing for a (much needed?) make over and hope to reopen in a week or so.</a> And speaking of breaks.....</li>
</ul>
....as a retail worker, this is what we call "hell week", so if you know of any other jobs out there with some regular M-F hours and no holidays--PLEASE drop me a line! It also means this is my last post before a little holiday break to get through this next week. So from me to you and all your friends have a happy holiday, merry Christmas and what not. I leave you with one of my all time favorite xmas tunes and I'll see you on the other side!<br />
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A.W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03635022870490371328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4870205687431990539.post-47540004577481441922015-12-18T17:11:00.000-08:002016-02-16T17:01:51.594-08:00FOOD TRUCK QUICK BITE: ODANG UDON..IT'S NOODLE TIME!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Nothing like swinging through SOMA's StrEat Food Park when it's chilly outside. With the heated indoor seating you can grab a quick bite and nestle in from the cold. That's what me and the SO decided to do one evening and what better way to brace for briskness than with a warm noodle bowl! Seemed like a good enough reason to tuck in with <a href="http://www.odangudon.com/" target="_blank">Odang Udon</a>. They are a mostly regular truck there but we'd never actually tried them, so what better time than now.<br />
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Honestly, I'm not the biggest noodle fan. It's pretty much a pasta, something I usually just skipped, unless of course I was in Italy. But I was game to warm up with something akin to chicken noodle. Though, we wanted to kick things off with something deep fried and pork. </div>
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Pork gyoza to be specific, little deep fried pot sticker things. They cooked these to order making them hot and crispy. They were somewhere between a wonton and a pot sticker. More filling than one but less than the other. Once meet is ground, to me they sort of all taste the same. Not bad by any means, but also not really remarkable. Added flavor usually comes with dipping in the soy sauce. Basically these are perfectly fine if you want something a little meaty and deep fried. For some reason they also threw in some tempura'd veggies, kind of a surprise. Zucchini and sweet potatoes. They were nice, very crispy, not too greasy and hey, it was eating vegetables. Win, win!</div>
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This is the classic udon with fresh made noodles, dashi, tempura flakes, mushrooms and green onions for $8. I also went ahead and paid the $1 up charge for a fried egg. May as well go all the way. I will say upfront, I'm not sure I would know really good udon from just kind of average udon. For the basics of what this was, it was tasty enough. Warm, soothing broth that wasn't too salty and noodles that were soft and not sticky. For me, I felt I needed more crispy bits as the fried tempura bits sogged up quickly. Maybe if they were served on the side and we could sprinkle over it as needed? The egg didn't really add all that much for me. It was fried hard, thus the yolk wasn't able to run out over stuff like I was hoping for. This is sort of a little like chicken noodle soup without the chicken. While I won't say we were really bowled over by it, on this day, in this instance, in this weather, it was good enough. </div>
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For the second bowl we decided to go a little different and got the garlic noodles with karaage chicken (fried chicken bits), zucchini, shredded paremsan (yes cheese) and a spicy sweet sauce for $10. I wasn't sure whether the sauce was for dipping or pouring over the whole thing. I ended up just pouring it all over the top. Well, this was interesting. The noodles were very garlicky. Without the dashi, they also came off a tad sticky and, weirdly, dry when eaten with the chicken. There just wasn't enough sauce to make up for the lack of liquid. I ended up pouring in a little of the broth from the other bowl in and it definitely helped. It's not that anything here tasted bad on its own, I'm just not sure it worked altogether. Though, maybe it just needed the right sauce with it. Not necessarily dashi, or the sweet spicy thing they give you, it was a bit much. There are the bones of a tasty dish here, it just needs a re-think possibly. Not bad, just not quite there for me. </div>
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Pricing and size wise, the bowls are pretty full, and for a food truck, I'll call it on par with the quantity you get. As for the rest, I'll call it a toss up. Some things we enjoyed enough, others, just eh. I would say stick to the bowls with the broth as that is the classic version and works better for the noodles than without. The fried stuff is also decent, not greasy and cooked to order so it will be hot. Whether this is really good udon or not, I couldn't really say since noodle bowls are really my thing. But if it's a chilly day, like most have been recently, and they are the closest option to a warm bowl of soup you can find at the StrEat Food Park, I'd say why not. At least it will be value for the money. </div>
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